Question: In Malachi 1:2-3, God says he loved Jacob, and hated Esau . Why? Answer: This is a fairly common question. We need to look at the context, both of Malachi and of the whole Old Testament in order to understand what God is talking about when he speaks to his people in this way […]
Question: Please help me to understand this apparent contradiction. Jesus said that we must observe every detail of the commandments and precepts of the law of Moses. Jesus said in Matthew 5:19: ” Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the […]
Question: I wanted to ask about how JESUS OUR LORD fulfilled the prophecy of the PROPHET LIKE MOSES. Did Moses mean he would be like him in life similarities such as his infancy in Egypt, being rejected, etc. or more because of the miracles he worked? Thanks in advance Answer: A good rule of thumb […]
Question: What criteria do you employ in support of calling something evidence? I am curious because many people I meet only consider something evidence if it was written down and somehow correlates to physical observable objects. I think differently. For example, with regard to the Flavius Josephus, and various typology concepts being proposed/investigated by scholars, […]
Question: I know we have many prophecies of Christ in the OT, but I did not find one that says ‘He will rise from the dead’. Is there any verse that explicitly states this? Or is it as He said to the doubting people the only evidence He will give them is the sign of […]
Question: What is the meaning of the altar mentioned in (Hebrew 13 : 10)? Catholic and Orthodox Churches use this verse to prove that there is an altar in the New Testament–justifying their use of an altar in their worship, and the idea that the Eucharist is a sacrifice. In Arabic translations, the word altar […]
Question: If God is just and gives everyone what they deserve according to their actions, then why does he accept a substitute sacrifice on our behalf–whether it be the millions of animal sacrifices in the OT or even Christ himself? Perhaps you will just say it is God’s mercy, but I would appreciate some elucidation. […]
Question: Could you answer a couple questions about Zechariah? Is chapter 2:8-9 referring to Jesus’ sacrifice for all sin? Also, is chapter 6:11-13 referring to Joshua as a Jesus-figure? After all, isn’t Jesus’ real name in Hebrew Yeshua, which is a variant of Joshua? Is it a coincidence that it says his “name” is the […]
Question: I found your book From Shadow to Reality to be great and have since purchased your book Reasons for Belief. I have a question about a statement you made on page 144 of From Shadow to Reality. I understand the 2 classes of sacrifices… worship/offering and for sin, and how the worship sacrifice is […]
Question: What passages in the New Testament portray Egypt as a symbol of “slavery and sin”? Answer: Actually, because of the exile of the Jews in Babylon, the New Testament uses Babylon more often as the symbolic place of sin, and even Rome (Revelation 17:7–18). Examples of Babylon used as a symbol of sin are Revelation 14:8, […]
Question: I want to ask whether circumcision is a prefigure of baptism? A passage from the Bible, 1 Peter 3:20-21, seemingly says that the prefigure of baptism were the events in the days of Noah. On the other hand, Colossians 2:11-14 implies that circumcision was a prefigure of baptism. Can it be considered a prefigure […]
Question: Does the account of the Last Supper as a Passover meal indicate biblical errors and historical unreliability? 1. Matthew 26:17-30, Mark 14:12-26, and Luke 22:7-38 call the Last Supper a Passover Meal as described in Deuteronomy 16:5-6, occurring on Thursday Nisan 14, and that Jesus was crucified on Friday and resurrected on Sunday.2. John 13:1 […]
Question: I have become fascinated with the shadow and reality relationship between the OT and NT. I just bought your book, “From Shadow to Reality” and look forward to reading it. It had a link to this website, so here I am. I have a question/thought that I would appreciate your thoughts on if you […]
Question: I have become fascinated with the shadow and reality relationship between the OT and NT. I just bought your book, “From Shadow to Reality” and look forward to reading it. It had a link to this website, so here I am. I have a question/thought that I would appreciate your thoughts on if you […]
Question: I have read some of your articles. I do not see how Jesus meets the criteria given for Messiah in the Tanakh… SITUATION OF HIS BIRTH Christians say he had no biological father. Therefore he had no lineage through Joseph to forebears. Christians then claim that he was ‘adopted’ or that the lineage was through […]
Question: Thank you so much for writing “From Shadow to Reality.” It has strengthened my faith by seeing how only God could have orchestrated the foreshadowing in the Old Testament. I have learned a lot, and have had theories of my own on foreshadowing confirmed by your explanation of the related Scriptures. One issue […]
Question: Some time ago you gave an enlightening lesson at church on offerings from Leviticus. I have it on my ipad and listen to it every once and awhile. As a result, my read of exodus 29 this morning was much more exciting than it was a couple years ago. Here is one of my […]
Editor’s Note: This is included, more because of the interesting and helpful comment from the one who wrote than because of the comments we had to make to her. Question: I just wanted to say thank you for all the time you put into writing Shadow to Reality. listened to a message you recorded on […]
Question: What’s up with transfiguration in Luke 9? Such a strange and eerie scene. Any thoughts? Maybe books to read about it? Response: I am not sure exactly what you want to know. To me, this is a fairly straightforward account of a very unusual event which happened. I will admit that this is not […]
QUESTION: How does one explain the fact of Lot’s wife being converted into salt when they were running away from Sodom’s destruction? What is the “logic” or scientific” explantion behind this fact. Answer: I do not believe that there is any “scientific logic” to what happened to Lot’s wife. What happened to his wife is […]
Question: I was reading chapter 4 of Exodus this morning and a few things confused me. I am hoping that you can explain them or direct me to the answers. 1. (v 21-23) The LORD references Israel being his firstborn son. I’ve never noticed this before. Are there other references in the OT like this? What […]
Question: The prefiguring and foreshadowing in the NT is so vast. I know a lot of them but also know that I’m missing out on a lot. Is there an exhaustive resource for them? A book maybe that you recommend? Answer: Yes I do. The answer is that the most thorough book […]
Question: I was going over Amos in my quiet times and came across this scripture: Amos 9:13-15 (NIV) [13] “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when the reaper will be overtaken by the plowman and the planter by the one treading grapes. New wine will drip from the mountains and flow from all the hills. […]
Question: Recently, I have been on this site: http://truthsaves.org/doctrine/preterist.shtml I am not sure if it is a accurate summary of partial preterist doctrine but I would like to get your response to the 5 points the website author poses against partial preterism in which he cites dating of Revelations, quotes of followers close to apostle […]
Question: Here’s a difficult question, and one I’ve been struggling with for a while. Is it possible that the Gospel of John contains certain sayings ascribed to Jesus that he didn’t actually say? I realize that this question sounds like it implies an attack on Biblical Inerrancy, but that problem can be avoided by making […]
Question: When did Christians begin to understand that the articles in the temple were foreshadows of Jesus? For example the bread on the Showbread table is a foreshadow of Jesus as the "Bread of Life". Did the disciples teach this principal? Did this thinking come later as the books of the Bible were collated? Answer: […]
Question: I have a question which bugs me a lot. Reading Exodus 4:22-23 has overwhelmed me with doubts. Then say to Pharoah, ‘This is what the Lord says: Israel is my firstborn son, and I told you, "Let my son go, so he may worship me." But you refused to let him go; so I will kill […]
Question: A Muslim gave me this. What are your thoughts? The similitude of Jesus pbuh is of Adam pbuh. Even Adam pbuh had no mother nor father. If following your logic, then Prophet Adam would be a greater God because he came into existance with no father nor mother. You see for God( The Father) […]
Question: Is Jeremiah 33:18 literal? Does it mean that the Levites will always offer sacrifices. How can this be if we are under the New Covenant? Also in Ezekiel 26:12 is this a prophecy about Alexander or is it about Babylon plundering Tyre? If it is Babylon, how could that be if Nebuchadnezzar got no […]
Question: What happened to the Garden of Eden? More specifically, is the Garden of Eden intact and located at some point on the Earth? Reading through Genesis shortly after The Fall of Man we see Adam and Eve no longer in the Garden, but I wonder what happened to this physical location? A few possibilities […]
Question: Do you know of an Old Testament scripture that alludes to us having the authority to use OT scripture as allegory for future events? I’m pondering, praying and studying with one of my best friends and former pastor John Wickes. He asked me what gives us the right or authority to use Old Testament […]
Questions: 1. Moses was prevented from crossing the Jordan and entering the promised land by God, because of Numbers 20. If the promised land is a foreshadow of heaven, and Moses did not enter it, are we to infer that Moses did not make it to heaven? 2. We can see how God has protected […]
Question: 1. Regarding foreshadows, how much historical evidence is there for existence of many of the early prefigures and foreshadows; and for the accuracy of the biblical accounts? For example, are there any other known accounts regarding Moses and the Exodus, the existence of Abraham, Isaac, Joseph, Melchizedek? Obviously I realise these are very early […]
Question;: An atheist friend of mine claimed that there a many contradictions or prophetic misinterpretations in Matthew. What is your response. The list is Matthew: 1:22-23, 2:15, 2:23, 8:16-17, 12:18-21, 12:23, 12:40, 16:4, 24:44, 27:9. Answer: These are really rather common and in my opinion fairly shallow criticisms of the Bible. Here are my responses. I […]
Note; Each of four questions is followed by an answer, so there are four separate Q & As below. Question #1: I noticed on your power point concerning prophesy that when talking about Daniel’s vision of four beasts you referred to ancient kingdoms I thought this vision referred to the end times or does it have a […]
Question: Is Jesus really an acceptable sin sacrifice according to the Old Testament? The new covenant couldn’t have been active till after Jesus’ death and resurrection, right? So it would make sense to say the initiation of the new covenant shouldn’t violate the standards of the old. Does Jesus REALLY count as a sin sacrifice? […]
Question: What is the "heart" behind Leviticus 5:3? The reason I asked is because according to this verse, in the Old Testament anyone who touches anything that could make him unclean, even unwittingly, makes him guilty. Now, Jesus intentionally touched a leper (Matthew 8:1-4), yet remained guiltless (Hebrews 4:15). I assume the reason for this […]
Question: I have been reading through the OT and I was wondering if you think the scarlet cord that the two spies told Rahab to put over her door is a sort of observance of the passover for her and her family, who were saved with her…? It seems like a variation on the passover to […]
Question:,Why did Jesus get baptized by John if he had no sin?,Answer:,This is a very good question. Jesus actually answered the question for us, although his answer is a bit enigmatic. To quote Matthew 3:15, “Let it be so now,it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Of course the question […]
Questions:,1. Who is the Mechelsadeck? 2. Can a Christian be a blood donor(give own blood to others)?,Answer:,Melchizedek was the ruler of Salem in Canaan. Salem later became known as Jerusalem. He is a very enigmatic figure in the Bible. He was not a Jew, yet he was a worshipper of Jehovah/God. When Abraham returned from […]
Question:,As a part of the Mosaic sacrifices, the priests were to ‘wave’ the sacrifice before the Lord. I’ve read through Chapter 6 of ‘From Shadow to Reality’ and was hoping to find some clarification – but didn’t find it mentioned. Can you help us understand the significance of waving the offering before the Lord? (either […]
Question: I have many Jewish friends. How can I prove that Jesus is the Son of God and the Messiah? Answer: Good question! Let me make a couple of suggestions: 1. Purchase a book on Judaism and its relationship to Christianity. My favorite is “You Bring the Bagels, I’ll Bring the Gospel” by Barry Rubin. […]
Question: Does the Old Testament show the Messiah being heralded by a trumpet blast? Answer: Yes, definitely. The Feast of Trumpets (yom teruah) is a foreshadow of the coming again of Jesus. For 3500 years the Jews have been blowing trumpets at this festival, not knowing that all along they have been heralding the coming […]
Question: My husband and I are planning a Passover meal for our Bible group. Do you have an outline of the Passover meal and the coorelations between it and Jesus’ life? Answer: I have a friend who is an expert on this. He is Phillip Lester. His e-mail is PPLester@aol.com. He did a Passover seder […]
Question: After studying through the book of Esther and trying to draw parallels, I had a few things that I just could not make sense of. First, I had a hard time figuring out King Xerxes and Queen Vashti?s interaction in the first chapter. I could not be sure who was the villain and who […]
