What is death in the Bible? Answering the question of what death is, should not be difficult. Death is nothing in itself, but it describes the absence of something: death is the absence of life. And with that, the question of… Lees verder
In the Bible we find many parables. Jesus begins speaking in parables in Matthew 13, in a series of eight parables. In addition, we find other information. For example, it is the only occasion where Jesus explains to His disciples… Lees verder
The stories about Elijah in the book of 1 Kings begin with Elijah telling King Ahab that it will no longer rain unless he says so. We know from other Scriptures that it did not rain for a period of… Lees verder
In the stories of Elijah and Elisha we find repeatedly told how something new comes to replace the old. This starts with the prophets themselves, Elisha succeeds Elijah. These two prophets, who even in their names are very similar, are… Lees verder
Elijah is one of the well-known prophets from the Old Testament. His name means: (my) God is YAHWEH. Elijah is often mentioned in the same breath as his successor Elisha, whose name means: God is salvation. Their names are similar… Lees verder
In Exodus 15, Israel has left Egypt. They have passed through the Red Sea and the hostile Egyptians have been swallowed up by the water. They arrive at Marah and the people are thirsty, but the water of Marah is… Lees verder
The principle that people are given different names is found many times in Scripture. Abram becomes Abraham (Gen. 17:5), Jacob becomes Israel (Gen. 32:28), Saul becomes Paul (Acts 13:9), etc. All these name changes have meaning and often the meaning… Lees verder
In the previous blog we saw that being filled in spirit is the same as letting the word of Christ dwell richly in us, because His words are spirit and life (John 6:63). In Ephesians 5, Paul gives three characteristics… Lees verder
In the previous blog we saw that Paul states in Ephesians 5 that the days in which we live are evil and that we should therefore redeem the time. It takes wisdom not to go along with the foolishness and… Lees verder
In Ephesians 5, Paul speaks about how we as believers walk in the light (:8), in a world that is in darkness (:11). This age is an evil aeon and in that context Paul says that we should walk as… Lees verder
Matthew 24 and 25 are well-known chapters in which we find a speech by Jesus, which he gives in the closed circle of His disciples. Some translations have written above chapter 24: Discourse on the last things (NIV/Telos). In the… Lees verder
In the book of Esther it is striking that the divine name JAHWEH, which we encounter almost 4000 times in the Old Testament, does not appear. We also do not find terms such as God (Elohim) or other designations for… Lees verder
In the prophecies we find predictions regarding the future, along the lines of: “My servant David, who would be king over them (=Israel)”. For example in Ezekiel 34:23-24; 37:24-25. These verses are about the future Messianic Kingdom that Christ will… Lees verder
After Judas betrayed Jesus, he repented and returned the thirty pieces of silver he had received for his betrayal to the chief priests and elders of the people (Matt.27:1). Judas throws the pieces of silver into the temple and ends… Lees verder
This morning I spoke in Epe about election. Beforehand I had a conversation with one of the attendees about a passage in Romans 9 that deals with God’s election of Jacob. I also briefly mentioned this in the study and… Lees verder
In the books of Moses we find many laws and institutions that had a practical application under the old covenant, but that also, and above all, point forward to something better. The law is the introduction of a better hope… Lees verder
Anyone who is familiar with Paul’s letters knows that Paul is the apostle who reveals mysteries. Of this he says that the things he reveals were not previously made known (Eph.3:5). Yet early in Scripture we find a statement about… Lees verder
Time and again I am amazed that intelligent people, who can read very well, suddenly can no longer read when they open a Bible. In fact, they suddenly read the opposite of what is written. They read in 1 Timothy… Lees verder
One of the great prophets from the Old Testament is Samuel. We find the beginning of his stories in the beginning of the book of 1 Samuel. Samuel is Eli’s successor. The moment Samuel appears, we see Eli disappear. Eli… Lees verder
In chapter 4 of the letter to Philippians we find a beautiful passage. Few passages are as “practical” for a believer as this one. In the Statenvertaling there is an inscription above the chapter: admonitions. But this word completely misses… Lees verder