Bible Fiber

This week, we are studying Ezekiel 39, the second half of his famous oracle against the mysterious Gog from the land of Magog. 

Israel’s only job

Throughout most of the Gog oracle, the emphasis has been on God’s direct intervention in defeating the invading armies. Whether it was God knocking the bow and arrows from the archers’ hands (39:3) or setting fire to Magog and the coastlands (39:6), the responsibility fell entirely on God t...

This week, we are studying Ezekiel 38, where the prophet presents his famous oracle against Gog from the land of Magog. This quasi-apocalyptic vision has captivated and perplexed scholars, theologians, and lay readers for centuries. Its cryptic nature, rich symbolism, and futuristic implications have led to many, often conflicting, interpretations. The shadowy figure of Gog, the vivid portrayal of a great battle, and the promise of...

Welcome to Bible Fiber, where are we encountering the textures and shades of the biblical tapestry. I am Shelley Neese, president of The Jerusalem Connection, a Christian organization devoted to sharing the story of the people of Israel, both ancient and modern. 

This week we are studying Ezekiel 35 and 36. In the previous chapter, Yahweh restated his loyalty to the covenant people as a nation. In Chapters 35 and 36, he reasserts hi...

In Chapter 34, Ezekiel’s prophetic tone changes. Previously mute and limited to delivering messages of judgment, Ezekiel now offers words of comfort and hope to his fellow exiles. This change marks a turning point in the book of Ezekiel and in the prophet’s ministry.

By this time, the number of Jewish exiles in Babylon had grown considerably. Ezekiel could have dwelled on the past, reminding his traumatized audience of the reasons f...

Bible Fiber delves into Chapter 33, a pivotal point in the book of Ezekiel that marks a transition from judgment to hope. Ezekiel is recommissioned as a watchman over Jerusalem. The chapter addresses themes of personal responsibility, repentance, and God's desire for the wicked to turn from their ways and live. It contrasts the attitudes of the exiles in Babylon with those remaining in Jerusalem, highlighting misconceptions ab...

This week, we’re examining Ezekiel 32, the final chapter of eight in his Oracles Against the Nations. This chapter also concludes the series of seven oracles against Egypt. It consists of lamentations for Pharaoh and the Egyptian forces, symbolically depicting their defeat and descent into Sheol.

The sixth oracle against Egypt came to Ezekiel on March 3, 585 BCE, two years after the previous oracle and two months after news of Jerus...

This week we are reading Ezekiel 31, the fifth oracle against Egypt, in a series of seven. Ezekiel, the master of word pictures, has already depicted the pharaoh as a crocodile left to die in the desert and a disabled soldier powerless to grasp a sword. In this chapter, Ezekiel likens the Egyptian empire to a fallen cedar tree. The chapter can be divided into two parts. The first part presents the tree’s beauty, height and shade (3...

This week we are studying Ezekiel 30, which contains Ezekiel’s third and fourth oracles against Egypt. There are seven in total. 

In the third oracle, God commanded Ezekiel to wail over Egypt. He said, “The Day of the Lord is near; it will be a day of clouds, a time of doom for the nations” (30:1). Ezekiel proclaimed that the “Day of the Lord” would bring devastation to Egypt and its neighboring nations (30:1-19). The orac...

We are still in the OAN, the long suspense-building pause between Ezekiel’s announcement of Jerusalem’s fall in Chapter 24 and confirmation of Jerusalem’s fall in Chapter 33. Ezekiel arranged the seven oracles in a geographical sequence around Israel. He started with Ammon to the east. Next, he addressed Moab and Edom, further southeast. The focus then shifted westward to Philistia, followed by Tyre and Sidon to the northwest. In t...

This week I am interviewing a special guest, Yair Levi. Yair is a Jewish Israeli singer, songwriter, and musical producer based in Tel Aviv, Israel. Yair is incredibly popular among Christians who love Israel which is one of the things we will talk about. 
Yair has become a global phenomenon, widely recognized for his powerful songs such as Refa Na and Blessed, which resonate deeply with audiences around the world.  
As a J...

This week we are studying Ezekiel 28. In Ezekiel’s first two prophecies against Tyre, he condemned Tyrian civilization. In this chapter, God tells Ezekiel to address only the king of Tyre. The first ten verses deliver a warning and a condemnation. Ezekiel avoided naming the king, but historians identify him as King Ethbaal II (585-573 BCE). In biblical stories and prophecies, foreign leaders often go unnamed. That way the text can ...

Welcome to Bible Fiber, where are we encountering the textures and shades of the biblical tapestry. I am Shelley Neese, president of The Jerusalem Connection, a Christian organization devoted to sharing the story of the people of Israel, both ancient and modern. This week we have a special guest from Israel, Gidon Ariel.

Gidon is the founder and CEO of Root Source, an organization dedicated to promoting respectful relationships betw...

This week we are studying Ezekiel 27, a continuation of the Oracles Against the Nations. Even if you’re a lifelong churchgoer, chances are you’ve never heard a sermon on Ezekiel’s Oracles Against the Nations. Ezekiel’s OAN is in competition with the genealogies in Chronicles or the purity regulations in Leviticus for the least-read scriptures. 
 
 Skipping the difficult parts is not the goal of Bible Fiber. I also do not ma...

In Chapter 26, Ezekiel’s Oracles Against the Nations moves onto the city of Tyre, and the prophet stays fixated on Tyre for three chapters. It is surprising that Ezekiel only glances at the Ammonites, Moabites, Edomites, and Philistines while he gives Tyre a jaundiced stare-down. Israel had long-running enmities with the first named people groups. Tyre was little more to Israel than an enviable trade rival. The Ammonites, Moabites,...

This week on Bible Fiber we have a special guest, Tim Mahoney. So we are taking a little break from our Ezekiel study. Tim is a Christian filmmaker and a documentarian. I first learned of his work because two of my professors at The Bible Seminar have participated in his films. I also had the chance to see his film called The Moses Controversy a few years ago when it first came out. 
 
 

Tim now has a new film as part of his...

This is our last episode in the miniseries on The High Holidays for the Goyim. On October 24 and 25th, Jews will mark Simchat Torah and Shemini Atzeret. Simchat Torah is a celebration for the finish of an entire year of Torah study. While Simchat Torah is not technically part of Sukkot, it comes immediately after Sukkot as part of the fall holiday season. In Israel, Simchat Torah is observed on the same day as Shemini Atzeret, whil...

When is Sukkot?

Sukkot, also known as the Feast of Tabernacles or the Feast of Booths, is a joyous seven-day festival that begins on the 15th day of the seventh month in the Hebrew calendar, Tishrei. This typically falls in September or October on the Gregorian calendar. In 2024, Sukkot will be celebrated from October 16th to October 23rd. It’s worth noting that Sukkot comes just five days after Yom Kippur, marking a dramatic shift ...