Bible Fiber

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 ...

On October 1st, the first Bible Fiber book launched! It is a 52-week study of the Twelve Minor Prophets, going through each book. This comprehensive companion provides thoughtful commentary for every chapter, making these ancient texts accessible to all readers. Grab your copy of Bible Fiber today! It is available on Amazon as a Paperback and on Kindle! 

Second, we are pressing pause on the Ezekiel study during the Jewish High Holid...

Rosh Hashanah begins at sunset on October 2nd and concludes at sundown on October 4th. Tonight, Jewish families around the world will gather for the start of their High Holiday season. Now that we live in Miami, this is the first time my kids have been in a public school that has off for Rosh Hashanah. 

I hope Christians will open your hearts about how we can incorporate the themes of each holiday into our own month. And also, how w...

Because my mind always holds thoughts of biblical Israel together with concerns over modern Israel, I am struck by the relevance of Ezekiel’s Oracles Against the Nations. The prophet’s words to the exilic community of 587 BCE still resonate with those in Israel today.
When I gather the people of Israel from the nations where they have been scattered, I will be proved holy through them in the sight of the nations. Then they will...

Our focus this week is on Ezekiel 24, the dramatic climax of the book. Until now, Ezekiel’s message has served as an ongoing alarm for Jerusalem’s impending punishment. For five years, Ezekiel used every strategy in his prophetic playbook to communicate his message: oracles, visions, sign-acts, riddles, parables, songs, rhetorical questions, history lessons, and laments. By cataloguing Jerusalem’s sins, he established the city’s gu...

Chapter 23 continues the lewd allegory that began in Chapter 16. Both feature the covenant people’s unfaithfulness through graphic marriage metaphors. Chapter 23 rivals Chapter 16 in its pornographic imagery and R-rated content. Guaranteed, neither chapter makes it into many sermons or Bible studies.
Chapter 23 continues the lewd allegory that began in Chapter 16. Both feature the covenant people’s unfaithfulness through graphi...

This week I am interviewing Ted Wright! Ted Wright is the founder and Executive Director of EpicArchaeology.org. He has a B.A. in Anthropology & Archaeology from the Cobb Institute of Archaeology at Mississippi State University, and a M.A. degree in Christian apologetics from Southern Evangelical Seminary. 

For over a decade, Ted has been a speaker on Christian apologetics as well as Biblical Archaeology across North America &am...

In this episode, we explore Ezekiel 22, offering unique insights into the religious life of Judeans during the Babylonian exile. 

Key points to look forward to:

• Gain an insider's view of the exiled community's spiritual atmosphere
• Discover Ezekiel's harsh critique of Jerusalem's sins and their consequences
• Explore powerful metaphors of metallurgy used to describe God's judgme...

In our study of Ezekiel 21, I go over the complex tapestry of Ezekiel's fire and sword oracles. The prophet uses vivid imagery as he foretells Jerusalem's impending doom and God's judgment on surrounding nations. Ezekiel is a big believer in bringing his message to life!

From cryptic allegories to stark warnings, this episode explores:

-The connection between divine fire and sword prophecies

- Ezekiel's struggle wi...

This week we are studying Ezekiel 20. Through parables, fables, laments, allegories, and riddles, the prophet spent the previous five chapters undermining the exiles’ ingratitude and blame shifting. However, Ezekiel must have grown tired of delivering opaque messages (20:49). In Chapter 20, Ezekiel broke from a long streak of metaphorical language and finally delivered a straightforward history lesson. By recasting their history fr...

This week we are reading Ezekiel 19. God instructs the prophet to “raise up a lamentation for the princes of Israel” (19:1). Hebrew lamentations, or funerary songs, are a common style in the Old Testament. Often sung at gravesides, traditional laments praised the admirable qualities of the departed and mourned their loss. When King David heard of Jonathan’s death on the battlefield, he composed a sorrowful lament acknowledging thei...

This week we are parsing Ezekiel 18, the prophet’s extended theological sermon on individual responsibility and divine justice. We can divide Ezekiel’s message into two themes. First, individuals will not face judgment for the sins committed by their ancestors, nor will God credit them for the righteousness of their ancestors (18:1-20). Second, God judges everyone based on their current faith and obedience status, not the sins of t...

This week we are pausing our study of Ezekiel to talk to my friend Derek Gilbert who was recently on a solidarity mission to Israel. 

Derek has been in the world of broadcasting for decades. He is producer and host of the web radio programs A View from the Bunker and P.I.D. Radio. He also co-hosts Unraveling Revelation with his wife Sharon Gilbert. They are both part of the SkyWatchTV team. We met back in 2019 when I had the chance ...