Explore every episode of the podcast The Book of Ezekiel: A Cross References Bible Study

I recently re-read Dave Ramsey’s book on a Total Money Makeover. It gives you the baby steps you can take to be completely financially independent and financially healthy and even financially wealthy. It often says if you’ll live like no one else now, you can live like no one else later. Meaning if you’ll live a very frugal and sacrificial life today, you can experience a life of abundance in your later years. 

A lot of us think about financial security for the future. We pay into social security. We pay into retirement accounts, Roth IRAs and investments. We accumulate land, property and possessions; we build equity in our homes. All so that we can spend the last 10 or 20 years we have on this planet as comfortably as possible.

Now, I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with saving for retirement. There’s nothing wrong with Dave Ramsey’s book; like I said, I’ve read it twice. I encourage you to read it at least once as well.

But those retirement years are a drop in the bucket compared to the time we’re going to spend in the Millennial Kingdom of Jesus. And of course, statistically those 20 years are nothing compared to our eternities in heaven. 

So we are way way off-base, I would say, with how much time we spend planning for our retirement compared to how much time we spend planning for forever. 

And it’s one thing to earn rewards. That’s what we talked about in last week’s episode. 

But did you know the Bible also has quite a bit to say about losing them? 

I mean, think of the devastation you’d feel if you lost your retirement account.

What a tragedy of an even greater magnitude to put in the work and the effort and the accomplishment of gaining a millennial kingdom reward only to lose it? 

And what are the things we can do to lose our rewards? You’ll find out today on the Cross References podcast.

If you want to get in touch with me, send an email to crossreferencespodcast@gmail.com

If you’re looking for a detailed Ezekiel Bible study, cross-referenced with supporting scripture, this podcast will provide an in-depth look at the prophets of the Bible, with clear Bible prophecy explained. We explore Ezekiel’s visions and other Old Testament Bible study topics through careful Bible exegesis to help you in understanding the Book of Ezekiel in a deeper way. I’m glad you’re here, and don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so you never miss an episode!

Video available of this episode! Follow this link: 

https://www.youtube.com/live/P8JUFPp4yjM?si=oAx7LmN6sb5AsLjv

You’ve probably heard sermons or bible studies before about eternal rewards. You’ve probably heard sermons or bible studies before on the judgment seat of Christ. 

But have you ever thought specifically about what rewards you can gain for the Millennial Kingdom: that thousand-year period where Christ reigns on planet earth physical after the tribulation and second coming of Christ?

This is not heaven. Heaven’s gonna go on forever. But the Millennial Kingdom will be its own unique time period. We’ve been studying it lately here on the podcast.

And what I’m finding is that a lot of the verses that we apply to our future in heaven might more accurately apply to this Millennial Kingdom. Including some of the verses on our rewards.

So you’ve probably heard about Eternal Rewards before. But today I want us to specifically focus on those millennial kingdom rewards.

And probably what you’d most like to know about them:

What you can do to earn them.

That’s what you’ll find out today on the Cross References podcast.

If you want to get in touch with me, send an email to crossreferencespodcast@gmail.com

If you’re looking for a detailed Ezekiel Bible study, cross-referenced with supporting scripture, this podcast will provide an in-depth look at the prophets of the Bible, with clear Bible prophecy explained. We explore Ezekiel’s visions and other Old Testament Bible study topics through careful Bible exegesis to help you in understanding the Book of Ezekiel in a deeper way. I’m glad you’re here, and don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so you never miss an episode!

A conversation with Nate Vainio, host of the Something to Gnaw On podcast. He has graciously allowed me to share this interview with my listeners over here. I previously ran this interview in three segments last May, but here it is again in its entirety. 

If you want to hear more of Nate's golden voice, check out the Something to Gnaw On podcast. 

Check back next week for a new episode talking about the heavenly rewards we earn while on this earth. How to gain them, how to lose them, and what they actually are.

If you want to get in touch with me, send an email to crossreferencespodcast@gmail.com

If you’re looking for a detailed Ezekiel Bible study, cross-referenced with supporting scripture, this podcast will provide an in-depth look at the prophets of the Bible, with clear Bible prophecy explained. We explore Ezekiel’s visions and other Old Testament Bible study topics through careful Bible exegesis to help you in understanding the Book of Ezekiel in a deeper way. I’m glad you’re here, and don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so you never miss an episode!

Video available of this episode! Follow this link: 

https://www.youtube.com/live/_oElM-BMWgs?si=oVEnJOqYG0YY00tP

At the start of this year, I heard a tremendous quote that has motivated me like nothing else.

“If you died today, what dreams would die with you?”

Man, that has lit a fire under me going into 2025. 

I’m 34. I am getting a greater grasp of the passage of time. I’m realizing my time on this earth is limited. I’m recognizing that all these dreams and ideas I’ve had that I’d like to do in my life have a time limit, and if I don’t start making them happen, I might run out of time to ever make them happen. So it’s been a very motivating thought, like I said. And I hope you’ll take it seriously for your life, too.

What if I told you the gifts you have do not have to die with you, the dreams you have do not necessarily die with you, the plans of things you’d like to someday do will not necessarily die with you?

If those dreams and ideas are of God, they may have a purpose beyond your lifetime. They could be fulfilled in the Millennium

As we look at Ezekiel 44 today, we’ll find out that our purpose in the thousand-year-reign of Christ might have a parallel to our purposes right now today? We will explore that idea on this episode of the Cross References podcast.

If you want to get in touch with me, send an email to crossreferencespodcast@gmail.com

If you’re looking for a detailed Ezekiel Bible study, cross-referenced with supporting scripture, this podcast will provide an in-depth look at the prophets of the Bible, with clear Bible prophecy explained. We explore Ezekiel’s visions and other Old Testament Bible study topics through careful Bible exegesis to help you in understanding the Book of Ezekiel in a deeper way. I’m glad you’re here, and don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so you never miss an episode!

Video available of this episode! Follow this link: https://youtube.com/live/ye6GWXH564A?feature=share

Why did God want Ezekiel to see this future Millennial Temple of Jesus’ thousand-year kingdom?

Why does it go into such painstakingly precise (and often “boring’) detail?

And how was Antiochus Epiphanes able to charge into God’s Holy of Holies without dying all those years ago?

AND- what does any of this stuff about Ezekiel’s vision of a future temple have to do with our lives today? 

You’ll find out the answers to all those questions today on the Cross References podcast!

If you want to get in touch with me, send an email to crossreferencespodcast@gmail.com

If you’re looking for a detailed Ezekiel Bible study, cross-referenced with supporting scripture, this podcast will provide an in-depth look at the prophets of the Bible, with clear Bible prophecy explained. We explore Ezekiel’s visions and other Old Testament Bible study topics through careful Bible exegesis to help you in understanding the Book of Ezekiel in a deeper way. I’m glad you’re here, and don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so you never miss an episode!

The Final Temple: The Ezekiel series, part 78 (Chapters 40-42)

Video available of this episode! Follow this link: https://www.youtube.com/live/NInu4KGFKs4?si=1f7tgsTj41pYaOOy

Temples are important in Scripture. They are holy. They are sacred. They mark a point of connection between God and man. 

Temples were where God would come down and dwell with His people.

The Bible has multiple temples mentioned; seven, by my count.

And Ezekiel’s Temple is the Final Temple. And the Bible tells us A LOT about it, and you’ll find out what it says today on the Cross References podcast.

If you want to get in touch with me, send an email to crossreferencespodcast@gmail.com

If you’re looking for a detailed Ezekiel Bible study, cross-referenced with supporting scripture, this podcast will provide an in-depth look at the prophets of the Bible, with clear Bible prophecy explained. We explore Ezekiel’s visions and other Old Testament Bible study topics through careful Bible exegesis to help you in understanding the Book of Ezekiel in a deeper way. I’m glad you’re here, and don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so you never miss an episode!

Video available of this episode! Follow this link: https://www.youtube.com/live/Qdg9ONoxKNQ?si=a_J62CCUPq9OfLgp

The way you interpret the Millennium does not just affect how you read Revelation 20.

The way you interpret the thousand-year Kingdom of Christ will affect how you read Isaiah 60 through 66, Ezekiel 40-48, Daniel 2 and 7, Micah 4, Zechariah 14, and virtually every book of the New Testament.

As I said in last week’s study, I take the premillennialism view of the end times. I believe Jesus comes back, and then the Millennium begins, and that it continues for a literal 1000-year period.

But even among us premillennialism Christians, things start to get a little fuzzy after that. What will it be like to live on the earth for a thousand years with Christ as a literal, physical King? Will there still be individual nations, or just one giant nation? Will the world still have wars? Will it be possible to sin when Christ is ruling on the throne?

And what are you and I going to be doing during all that time?

Those are questions that I plan to answer over the next 10 or so weeks of this podcast, but I’m going to give you the big-picture broad-overview of the Millennium today today on the Cross References podcast.

Watch last week’s episode about the 4 Views of the Millennium here: https://www.youtube.com/live/xuwnGPmx_yA?si=ryPO9CiNuV5lrY69

If you want to get in touch with me, send an email to crossreferencespodcast@gmail.com

If you’re looking for a detailed Ezekiel Bible study, cross-referenced with supporting scripture, this podcast will provide an in-depth look at the prophets of the Bible, with clear Bible prophecy explained. We explore Ezekiel’s visions and other Old Testament Bible study topics through careful Bible exegesis to help you in understanding the Book of Ezekiel in a deeper way. I’m glad you’re here, and don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so you never miss an episode!

Watch a video version of today’s lesson right here! 

https://www.youtube.com/live/xuwnGPmx_yA

Eschatology- or the end times- is a controversial topic among Christians. Not just controversial: denominations divide, pastors are kicked out of their churches, and the Twitter wars rage fiercely all because of differing beliefs about how the end times will play out.

And frankly, it’s for good reason. What you believe about things to come plays a big part in how we live our our Christian faith in the present. So we want to make sure we have all our ducks in a row when it comes to eschatology. 

So what are the major views about the end times that cause Christians to draw their theological lines in the sand? Well, it all starts with what you think of this thing often called “The Millennium,” or the one-thousand-year reign of Christ talked about in Revelation 20. 

Well, we’ve got to get this ironed out because Ezekiel 40 through 48 all take place during the millennium, and that’s what we’ll be studying in 2025 on this podcast.

I want to talk about the four main views of the Millennium today- and where I come down on it, and how I’ll be interpreting these last 9 chapters of Ezekiel- on the Cross References podcast.

If you want to get in touch with me, send an email to crossreferencespodcast@gmail.com

If you’re looking for a detailed Ezekiel Bible study, cross-referenced with supporting scripture, this podcast will provide an in-depth look at the prophets of the Bible, with clear Bible prophecy explained. We explore Ezekiel’s visions and other Old Testament Bible study topics through careful Bible exegesis to help you in understanding the Book of Ezekiel in a deeper way. I’m glad you’re here, and don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so you never miss an episode!

As I was going through Ezekiel 38 and 39- which were the two chapters on Gog and Magog where we left off in Ezekiel- I was struck by all the 7s that kept coming up. 

Like how the weapons were going to be burned for seven years following that conflict. 

Or how the bodies would be left untouched for seven months. 

One aspect I didn’t comment on in those two chapters is that the verses are divided up into 7 different sections to explain the story of Gog and Magog.

The way some people calculate it, they even believe Israel will be attacked by seven nations in that battle. And those aren’t the only sevens in Ezekiel. 

So before we launch into the final section of the book of Ezekiel in 2025, let’s just take a week and talk about a subject that’s a little strange, kind of a diversion, but something that could give us a big tool for our tool belts when it comes to Bible interpretation.

And you’ll find out what it is today on the Cross References podcast.

0:00 - The Meaning of 7

8:30 - Matthew’s Beginning

18:30 - Mark’s Ending

If you want to get in touch with me, send an email to crossreferencespodcast@gmail.com

If you’re looking for a detailed Ezekiel Bible study, cross-referenced with supporting scripture, this podcast will provide an in-depth look at the prophets of the Bible, with clear Bible prophecy explained. We explore Ezekiel’s visions and other Old Testament Bible study topics through careful Bible exegesis to help you in understanding the Book of Ezekiel in a deeper way. I’m glad you’re here, and don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so you never miss an episode!

Today, I am sharing an episode from my other podcast, Weird Stuff in the Bible. Each week, I dive into a different weird topic regarding bizarre things in scripture. Hear more by subscribing to this podcast as well! 

Most Christians are regularly outwitted by Satan, and most Christians have no idea about his schemes- his devices- his designs. 

We like to blame Satan for a lot of problems in life. The degradation of society, the strife in our families, the flat tire I got last Tuesday, whatever happened to Marvel after Endgame…

And I think it’s a fair question to ask: what the heck is this guy’s problem? What’s his deal? How does he expect to possibly defeat God? What’s his master plan?

I find Satan to be weird, and I’d like to understand what he’s doing throughout the Bible.

Turn to Genesis 3, and let’s get weird.

0:00 - Introduction

2:50 - Genesis 3-4

6:50 - Genesis 5-6

11:00 - Genesis 12

15:00 - II Samuel 7

21:30 - Closing Thoughts

If you want to get in touch, my email is weirdstuffinthebible@gmail.com

Hosted by Luke Taylor

If you’re intrigued by strange Bible stories, uncovering Bible mysteries, or learning about unusual biblical teachings, this podcast is for you! Dive deep into weird Bible facts, biblical controversies, and the supernatural in the Bible, while exploring the hidden stories of the Bible you may have never heard. Get a fresh perspective as we explain the Bible in ways that challenge the norm and uncover the unexpected. I’m so glad you’re here- don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so that you never miss an episode!

It’s not over until God says it’s over. 

And last week, we covered what happens in the battle of Gog and Magog in Ezekiel 38 and 39, when a coalition of nations band together to attack Israel in the last days. 

But of all the battles described in the Bible, this is the only one that goes into any detail about the aftermath. Ezekiel 39:9-29 is like that post-credits scene in a Marvel movie. Only the participants of this battle are not sitting around eating schwarma. They ARE the schwarma.

Why does the Bible spend several verses talking about the clean-up after this battle? I think I know why, and you’ll learn it today, too, on the Cross References podcast.

0:00 - v9-16, Welcome to the New Age

9:25 - v17-20, The Birds and the Beasts

14:00 - v21-24, That All May Know

18:00 - Next Time?

20:40 - v25-29, Ezekiel and You

If you want to get in touch with me, send an email to crossreferencespodcast@gmail.com

If you’re looking for a detailed Ezekiel Bible study, cross-referenced with supporting scripture, this podcast will provide an in-depth look at the prophets of the Bible, with clear Bible prophecy explained. We explore Ezekiel’s visions and other Old Testament Bible study topics through careful Bible exegesis to help you in understanding the Book of Ezekiel in a deeper way. I’m glad you’re here, and don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so you never miss an episode!

In 1948, Israel was attacked by a coalition of five nations. The Israelis were outnumbered 2 to 1, outgunned 3 to 1, outclassed in every way, and yet they were victorious against their enemies.

In 1967, Israel was attacked again by another coalition of nations. They again were outnumbered 3 to 1, outgunned 4 to 1, outclassed in every way, and yet they were victorious against their enemies.

In the future- perhaps the near future- Israel is going to suffer another attack: from Russia, Iran, Turkey, and a few nations in Africa. Russia alone is 800 times larger than Israel. We don’t quite yet know how much they will be outnumbered, outgunned and outclassed. But we do know how it’s going to turn out. 

And if you don’t know, you’ll find out what happens today on the Cross References podcast.

0:00 - Introduction

4:00 - v17-23, A Series of Fortunate Events

11:30 - v1-6, God Retaliates

23:50 - v7-8, Why

30:00 - Closing Thoughts

If you want to get in touch with me, send an email to crossreferencespodcast@gmail.com

If you’re looking for a detailed Ezekiel Bible study, cross-referenced with supporting scripture, this podcast will provide an in-depth look at the prophets of the Bible, with clear Bible prophecy explained. We explore Ezekiel’s visions and other Old Testament Bible study topics through careful Bible exegesis to help you in understanding the Book of Ezekiel in a deeper way. I’m glad you’re here, and don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so you never miss an episode!

You might think that there’s been a lot of things going on the world this past week, and this month, and this year- but that’s nothing in comparison to what’s coming in the future. 

The Bible has a lot to say about the future. In fact, if you added up all the things the Bible says about future things that haven’t even happened yet, there would be more pages about things yet to come than it even said about any other time period- even the time that Jesus spent on this earth in the four Gospels. 

And one of the next things we could see happening soon is a coalition of nations who invade Israel in the last days. 

We aren’t talking about the timing of this attack; we talked out all those theories last week. Today, the question I want to analyze is “why?” 

What is it that drives Russia to partner with Turkey, Libya, Iran and Sudan to eliminate Israel?

Most of those nations are Muslim, and it wouldn’t take much to get them to attack Israel. Some of them are already trying. But how does Russia fit into all this?

You’ll find out today on the Cross References podcast.

0:00 - Introduction

1:30 - v10-11, The Land

5:20 - v12-13, The Wealth

14:50 - v14-16, The People

17:25 - The Ukraine War

If you want to get in touch with me, send an email to crossreferencespodcast@gmail.com

If you’re looking for a detailed Ezekiel Bible study, cross-referenced with supporting scripture, this podcast will provide an in-depth look at the prophets of the Bible, with clear Bible prophecy explained. We explore Ezekiel’s visions and other Old Testament Bible study topics through careful Bible exegesis to help you in understanding the Book of Ezekiel in a deeper way. I’m glad you’re here, and don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so you never miss an episode!

Many Bible prophecy teachers have incorrectly said something about Gog and Magog’s battle in Ezekiel 38, and I might be one of them. We have incorrectly said that Gog and Magog could happen at any moment. 

Upon some careful study of the words here, I no longer think it could happen at literally any moment. I believe there are a few things that need to take place before Gog and Magog can come about. 

Gog and Magog, at a minimum, is several months away. It could be years. It could even be a thousand years. There’s a lot of possibilities, and we’ll talk about those possibilities today on the Cross References podcast.

0:00 - v7-11, A Land of Unwalled Villages

11:00 - A Timeline of Things to Come

13:30 - #1, Before the Tribulation

20:00 - #2, At the Beginning of the Tribulation

26:30 - #3, Armageddon

32:00 - #4, End of the Millennium

38:00 - Next Time & Closing Thoughts

If you want to get in touch with me, send an email to crossreferencespodcast@gmail.com

If you’re looking for a detailed Ezekiel Bible study, cross-referenced with supporting scripture, this podcast will provide an in-depth look at the prophets of the Bible, with clear Bible prophecy explained. We explore Ezekiel’s visions and other Old Testament Bible study topics through careful Bible exegesis to help you in understanding the Book of Ezekiel in a deeper way. I’m glad you’re here, and don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so you never miss an episode!

The Bible has a lot of strange locations thrown at us in Ezekiel 38 and 39. 

Persia, Cush, Put, Gomer, Meshech, Tubal, Beth-Togarmah, Mos Eisley, Alderaan, Obi-Wan Kenobi, you’d need a time machine to know where all these places are. 

In fact, you’d need a space ship, too, because some of them only exist in a galaxy far, far away. 

Since we don’t have time travel technology all figured out yet, we’ll have to rely on history to tell us where all these places are. 

But why is knowing all these names important, anyway? Because these are the nations or peoples who are prophesied to come against Israel in an epic battle in the last days. The famous prophecy of Gog and Magog.

And this prophecy’s fulfillment may be close. And it may not. That’s why we have to understand what nations we should be watching closely. Once we’ve established who is who in this biblical drama, we’ll know how to see them coming into alignment with this prophecy- and perhaps be able to track how close we are to Gog and Magog’s battle play out. 

I’ll teach you the signs we’re looking for today on the Cross References podcast.

0:00 - Introduction

5:00 - Persia

9:50 - Cush

12:50 - Put

14:10 - Gomer and Beth-Togarmah

18:00 - Closing Thoughts

If you want to get in touch with me, send an email to crossreferencespodcast@gmail.com

If you’re looking for a detailed Ezekiel Bible study, cross-referenced with supporting scripture, this podcast will provide an in-depth look at the prophets of the Bible, with clear Bible prophecy explained. We explore Ezekiel’s visions and other Old Testament Bible study topics through careful Bible exegesis to help you in understanding the Book of Ezekiel in a deeper way. I’m glad you’re here, and don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so you never miss an episode!

We’re finally here, the most famous section of Ezekiel: chapters 38 and 39. The battle of Gog and Magog.

This chapter is about an alliance of nations that band together to attack Israel in the end times. The list of nations includes names like Cush, Put, Togarmah and more, and they’re led by a figure named Gog. 

I don’t know about you, but these sound like someone in Scrabble trying to make up words with whatever tiles they have left. In fact, it’s hard to know who all it’s talking about unless we do some historical research to find out what these words meant to Ezekiel’s original audience. 

And that’s not difficult to do, except when it comes to the identity of the leader of this alliance: Gog. 

Who is Gog? That’s the question we’re going to start this multi week study with, and it all begins today on the Cross References podcast.

0:00 - Introduction

4:30 - Meshech and Tubal

14:50 - Magog

18:25 - Gog

28:25 - Is Gog the Antichrist?

If you want to get in touch with me, send an email to crossreferencespodcast@gmail.com

If you’re looking for a detailed Ezekiel Bible study, cross-referenced with supporting scripture, this podcast will provide an in-depth look at the prophets of the Bible, with clear Bible prophecy explained. We explore Ezekiel’s visions and other Old Testament Bible study topics through careful Bible exegesis to help you in understanding the Book of Ezekiel in a deeper way. I’m glad you’re here, and don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so you never miss an episode!

It was the week before Halloween in the fall of 1988 when Bill Scott picked up the phone at his job at a Christian radio station and his life was never the same. 

What follows is a story of demonic possession, deliverance, and a long list of what to do and what NOT to do when standing up to the powers of darkness. 

I’ve been doing a series on the abilities of demons here on this podcast. Bill joins me today to share his story with my listeners here. It’s going to add some insight and depth to your understanding of spiritual warfare. But let me warn you: parts of his interview will rock your world, get a little scary, and a lot weird. 

So if you’re ready, let’s get weird.

Find Bill's book right here: https://www.amazon.com/Day-Satan-Called-Encounter-Possession/dp/0892968982/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
The Day Satan Called: A True Encounter with Demon Possession and Exorcism. Available in paperback and on Kindle.

If you want to get in touch with me (Luke Taylor), my email is weirdstuffinthebible@gmail.com

Hosted by Luke Taylor

If you’re intrigued by strange Bible stories, uncovering Bible mysteries, or learning about unusual biblical teachings, this podcast is for you! Dive deep into weird Bible facts, biblical controversies, and the supernatural in the Bible, while exploring the hidden stories of the Bible you may have never heard. Get a fresh perspective as we explain the Bible in ways that challenge the norm and uncover the unexpected. I’m so glad you’re here- don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so that you never miss an episode!

I’m going to give you a great Bible Study tip, because some people have a really hard time figuring out what the Bible is saying. So here’s a little tip that always helps me: when the Bible tells you what it’s saying, then you don’t have to try to figure out what it’s saying. You can just go with what the Bible tells you it’s saying.

Sound good? Great. Now you can throw out half your commentaries on the book of Ezekiel. Or, at least, you can come throw out half of mine, because it’s astounding how many Bible teachers- literal scholars- will totally miss the point of Ezekiel 37. 

We talked about it last time, and it’s going to come up in this lesson, too. Now, I don’t want to sound arrogant, or like I’m smarter than all these guys. Why do I say they get it wrong? Well, because they bring all these preconceptions to the table when the crack open their Bibles, and whatever they read in the Bible must always fit the preconceptions they had before they opened it. 

And these preconceptions are things like covenant theology or replacement theology. And if you want to make Ezekiel 37 fit replacement theology, you have to ignore what the Bible says when it tells you exactly what it says it means and make words mean things that the Bible never said.

The Book of Ezekiel creates some major headaches for people who want to make the Bible fit their preconceptions rather than letting the Bible mean what it clearly says.

So today, we’re going to leave our preconceptions right here in the intro, and we’ll let Ezekiel 37 tell us exactly what it’s telling us. And you’ll learn what that is today on the Cross References podcast.

0:00 - Introduction

2:00 - v15-16, A Tale of Two Sticks

10:50 - v17-21, The Power of One

18:55 - v22-28, Who is David?

25:05 - Debunking Replacement Theology

30:40 - Plans for the Rest of This Year

34:10 - Remembering October 7, 2023

40:45 - The 10 Lost Tribes Myth

If you want to get in touch with me, send an email to crossreferencespodcast@gmail.com

If you’re looking for a detailed Ezekiel Bible study, cross-referenced with supporting scripture, this podcast will provide an in-depth look at the prophets of the Bible, with clear Bible prophecy explained. We explore Ezekiel’s visions and other Old Testament Bible study topics through careful Bible exegesis to help you in understanding the Book of Ezekiel in a deeper way. I’m glad you’re here, and don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so you never miss an episode!

There are two chapters of the book of Ezekiel that I feel are most abused when it comes to interpretation. Two chapters that people seem to just want to allegorize and make them mean whatever they want. And one of those chapters is right here. Ezekiel 37.

Many Christians try to make this chapter about a future resurrection. That may be the most popular interpretation of this chapter. But Ezekiel 37 has a context, and that’s not it. 

Some try to take this passage literally and say it’s about the power of our words. But Ezekiel 37 has a context, and that’s not it. 

Some try to make this passage about the origin of the church. But Ezekiel 37 has a context, and that’s not it. 

Some try to make this passage about how God can bring life to things that seem dead and revive things that looked long-gone and turn your whole life situation around. And God certainly can do all those things, but Ezekiel 37 is not about you. Ezekiel 37 has a context, and that’s not it.

So today, we’ll talk about the context of Ezekiel 37 to try and understand what it really means. It had a meaning back then, and it also has a meaning for modern times, and you’ll learn it today on the Cross References podcast.

0:00 - Introduction

3:20 - v1-6, Death Valley

10:05 - v7-10, Revival

15:25 - v11-14, What It All Means

20:00 - Regathered and Restored

35:40 - Next Time

37:25 - Regenerated

If you want to get in touch with me, send an email to crossreferencespodcast@gmail.com

If you’re looking for a detailed Ezekiel Bible study, cross-referenced with supporting scripture, this podcast will provide an in-depth look at the prophets of the Bible, with clear Bible prophecy explained. We explore Ezekiel’s visions and other Old Testament Bible study topics through careful Bible exegesis to help you in understanding the Book of Ezekiel in a deeper way. I’m glad you’re here, and don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so you never miss an episode!

I can't figure out why I keep making everybody mad at me, so I brought in an expert to explain it. Craig of Awaiting Christ ministry and podcast joins me today to explain dispensationalism and how it relates to the modern state of Israel and rapture theology- both hot button issues in today's political and church climate.

Craig is a seminary student and also a writer for GotQuestions.org. Find out more about him at: https://linktr.ee/AwaitChrist

There’s a strange contradiction in God’s promises to the Jewish people. 

In Genesis 12, God makes a covenant with Abraham to give him the land of Israel. In Genesis 17:7, God told Abraham that His covenant with him and his descendants would be an everlasting covenant. 

But then in Leviticus 26, God warns that if the Jewish people break His commandments, He will kick them out of their land. 

And then we know from our studies in the book of Ezekiel that that’s exactly what happened. In fact, in Ezekiel 16, God even tells us that the covenant was broken. 

This was in the 500s BC. But God had said He was making an everlasting covenant around 2000 BC. So since when does “everlasting” have an expiration date after 1500 years? How can God say that a covenant can ever be broken if God had already promised it was everlasting?

And does this mean that the Jewish people actually have no right to the claim of the land of Israel today?

Now, I actually believe there are NO contradictions in God’s Word, and that when we think we’ve found one, we actually just need to rightly divide the Word of Truth to figure out how it all fits together. 

And that’s what we’ll do today as we finish up Ezekiel 36 on the Cross References podcast.

0:00 - Introduction

5:30 - v28-30, The Return

10:35 - v31-32 True Repentance

18:00 - v33-38, The Regrowth of Israel

23:25 - Two Covenants (with Craig from Awaiting Christ)

31:50 - Closing Thoughts

If you want to get in touch with me, send an email to crossreferencespodcast@gmail.com

Trying to figure out the next step in your life's journey? Today, I chat with Chris Pace about his new book Level Up. As I tell the story in this episode, I actually met Chris recently while on vacation, and he gave me a copy of his book. This interview will share several insights with you about discovering God's will. Here is a link where you can find more about Chris' book: https://chrispace.org/

I will also paste my Amazon review below...
I was incredibly blessed to come across this book by Chris Pace! It spoke directly to some issues I have been dealing with in my own life. I really took my time with it because I wanted to soak it all in. Sometimes I didn't even read a full chapter before I put it down because it gave me so much to think about.

I highly encourage this book to people who feel "stuck" at their current place in life and want direction on discovering what God may have next for them. If you want encouragement, are feeling aimless in life, or you need a recalibration of your calling, this book can give you the tools you need to reset yourself.

I also encourage you to finish it, because I found that the book became better and better the deeper I got into it. This surprised me because many books try to put its most important information first and then they kind of drag out the rest to increase the page count. Not this one. Every chapter got more engaging and practical, all the way up to the very end. I couldn't believe some of the insights I was still discovering even in the last 10 pages of the book.

I think anyone who reads this book will find something helpful! Easily 5 stars.

Today, I am sharing an episode from my other podcast, Weird Stuff in the Bible. Each week, I dive into a different weird topic regarding bizarre things in scripture. Hear more by subscribing to this podcast as well! And tune back in on Cross References next week to hear an interview with Chris Pace of Messenger International about his new book, Level Up.

On a recent episode of this podcast, I was discussing a weird story about Moses in Exodus 4, I came across another pretty odd verse that generates some confusion among Christians: Exodus 4:21.

Now, I didn’t want to stop and analyze that verse because it would have taken me on a rabbit trail, and I was already trying to talk about a different weird thing, and I would have had to go down a weird-ception of weird-within-a-weird. So I decided to come back to it this week.

And what does Exodus 4:21 say? Well, it’s as Moses is on his way back to Egypt, and God says

(Exodus 4:21)

“When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the miracles that I have put in your power. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go. 

So that’s strange because it raises the question of whether Pharaoh even had a choice about how everything was going to play out. Because if you know the story, Pharaoh doesn’t want to let the people go, and he pays a pretty steep price for it.

And yet Pharaoh never relents. All throughout the story, his heart is harder than your grandma’s fruit cake at Christmas. 

But this claim that God would harden Pharaoh’s heart makes it seem like Pharaoh wasn’t even really able to let the people go if he wanted to. So what gives? Did Pharaoh have free will? 

And perhaps more importantly to us: do you and I have free will?

I find this to be weird, and I’d like to explore why it’s in the Bible. 

Turn to Exodus 4, and let’s get weird.

0:00 - Introduction

2:40 - What is a Hard Heart?

6:20 - God vs Pharaoh

9:40 - Is Anyone at Fault?

13:40 - Next Time

15:25 - Would God Harden our Hearts?

If you want to get in touch, my email is weirdstuffinthebible@gmail.com

Hosted by Luke Taylor

Last week I talked about how I did my parental duty and instilled the love of star wars into my child. 

Now let me talk about one of the stupidest things in star wars. 

And it comes from the same place that all of the stupidest things in star wars come from: the new Disney movies. 

This one is flies right into the face of common sense.

It comes from the inner turmoil experienced by the villain of Episode 7: Kylo Ren. 

Kylo is on the dark side. He seeks to prove himself a true, fully committed disciple of the dark side throughout the movie, and throughout the film he makes some comments. One of them is: 

Forgive me. I feel it again. The pull to the light.

Throughout the film, Kylo is dealing with this “quote-unquote-temptation” to turn good, and this is one of the lines he uses.

Now, to write a line like that betrays any understanding of how the human heart actually operates. We want to be good, but we wrestle with the temptation to be bad.

Like it says in Galatians 5: the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh…to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 

The Bible says we “want” to do good, but it’s our sinful desires that pull us back. But Kylo wants to be bad and wrestles with a temptation to be good. It’s completely backwards. It’s like saying, “Pray for me, I’m really tempted to eat this salad when I know I should order a double cheeseburger.”

There is not something naturally inside of us that pulls us toward righteousness and away from evil. What is inside of us pulls us to the flesh, to our natural instincts, toward selfishness and evil, toward…the dark side.

We aren’t tempted toward the light. The decision to pursue the light does not come from something within us naturally; but something that is given to us by God.

To be drawn toward the light requires God to put a new heart and a new spirit within us. 

Which sounds like what we’ve been studying as we go through the book of Ezekiel, and it’s something you’ll find out about today on the Cross References podcast.

0:00 - Introduction

3:00 - The Spirit

11:00 - The Spirit Empowers You

14:15 - The Spirit Seals You

17:30 - The Spirit Guides You

27:00 - The Spirit is a Point of Connection Between You and God

32:00 - Next Time

34:15 - A Note about Hearing from the Spirit

If you want to get in touch with me, send an email to crossreferencespodcast@gmail.com

Poor Nicodemus. That guy really gets a bad rap. 

Nicodemus was the Pharisee who famously came to Jesus by night, because he was afraid if he approached Jesus during the day that people might see, and people might talk. He was a wise man, a religious man, a scholar. 

And it’s a good thing that he comes to Jesus in the middle of the night like this because if anyone did hear what Nicodemus was saying, he’d never hear the end of it. When he was told that he must be born again, in

John 3:4, he replied to Jesus,

How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?

And if this were a sitcom, modern people will stick the laugh track right here and we’ll all high-five and laugh at the dumb question. So Jesus makes this statement:

(Verse 5)

Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

Nicodemus is still confused. He says to Jesus,

“How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things?”

Now the laugh track probably goes off again, but we should stop and consider this question. It’s actually kind of a tricky one. Jesus expects Nicodemus to know this. 

But why should he be expected to understand this? Why should Nicodemus know about concepts like “born again” and “born of water and the Spirit.” It’s not like the Old Testament teaches about these things.

Or does it? You’ll find out today on the Cross References podcast.

0:00 - Introduction

2:00 - v24, The Return

4:20 - v25, Cleansed by Water

13:00 - v26, 

19:30 - A Note on the Future

23:40 - Closing Thoughts

If you want to get in touch with me, send an email to crossreferencespodcast@gmail.com

A lot of people misunderstand the third commandment. The third commandment says, “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.”

Most Christians think that means you shouldn’t say OMG. Now, you probably shouldn’t say OMG, but that’s just one part of what it means to break the third commandment. 

The third commandment means to misrepresent God. Now, you may say, how can taking God’s name in vain be a way of misrepresenting God? The reason is, because when you are a follower of God, you place God’s name upon yourself. Therefore, the way you behave will be a signpost of God to the world. 

For example, we followers of God today are most commonly known as Christians. Now think about this: what are the first six letters of Christian? Christ. When you’re known as a christian, you’re seen by unbelievers as a representative of Christ. 

That means when you show love as a Christian, you are showing people that God sees them and loves them and wants to know them. 

Likewise, if we show hate or malice toward people as a Christian, it gives the impression that God is angry with them and doesn’t like them, either. 

And that’s the essence of the third commandment. Yes, we shouldn’t use God’s name as a swear word. We shouldn’t tack God’s name onto things as a marketing strategy. We shouldn’t speak of God in a mocking way. That’s all part of this commandment. But misrepresenting God is the main way we take His name in vain. 

And what we’re going to see today is that God is not as laidback as Joan Jett when it comes to giving him a bad reputation. Turn to Ezekiel 36 as we continue that chapter today on the Cross References podcast.

0:00 - Introduction

2:15 - For the Sake of His Name

18:45 - Secondhand Embarrassment

If you want to get in touch with me, send an email to crossreferencespodcast@gmail.com

Is prophecy meant to be taken literally, or is it all symbolic? And if it’s both, then how can you know the difference? That’s the question we’re going to answer today. 

Because we Christians find a lot to argue about on the subject of prophecy. How can we know if the Israel of today is the fulfillment of prophecies in Old Testament Scripture? How can we know if the Millennium is something future or something happening now? How can we know if it is 1000 actual years?

It’s the “how-can-we-know” questions that I want to settle for you today. And the best way to understand how future prophecy should be interpreted is to examine how past prophecy was fulfilled. And you’ll learn about that today on the Cross References podcast.

0:00 - The Taylor Test

4:45 - v1-7, Thus Says the Lord

9:15 - v8, Timing of the Return

20:05 - v9-15, Restoration of the Land

26:30 - Closing Thoughts

If you want to get in touch with me, send an email to crossreferencespodcast@gmail.com

We’re coming up on three years since I started this podcast, and when I started it, I didn’t know that by the time we got done, Israel would be attacked in the largest one-day massacre of Jewish people since WWII. I didn’t know Israel would be engulfed in a literal war with the Palestinian terrorists who have been seeking to overthrow it for decades. And I didn’t know we’d be seeing Ezekiel 35 being repeated so vividly right before our eyes.

But that’s exactly what’s going on. And the battle you see playing out in the Middle East right now is a battle that started- not on October 7, 2023, but- all the way back in the book of Genesis.

So how did all of this start, and where is all this going? I can’t wait to tell you about it today on the Cross References podcast.

0:00 - Introduction

4:30 - v1-4, The Identity of Mount Seir

13:50 - v6-9, The Sins of the Edomites

20:30 - A Brief history of Edom

33:33 - The Origin of Palestine

40:10 - v10-15, Edom’s Doomed Future

If you want to get in touch with me, send an email to crossreferencespodcast@gmail.com

Ezekiel has not been the easiest book of the Bible to study. Up until today’s lesson, most of it has been dark, depressing, gloomy and full of judgment and wrath. 

But regardless of the past, I have some news about the future: the best is yet to come. 

Because the book is making a major turning point in this section we’re in. So far, we’ve just encountered the bad news. But now we’re in a part called the Gospel According to Ezekiel. That’s what some commentaries call it. 

And the word “Gospel” means good news. 

So we have some good news for you today, and this good news will be in the form of future prophecy. This book is turning it’s attention toward the future for the material we’re going to talk about in today’s verses. 

We’re covering the back half of Ezekiel 34 on this episode, and we’ll answer these questions…

• Why does God bring trials into our lives that cripple and hobble us?
• Who is the David spoken of in verse 23?
• Is it possible that we’re in the Millennium right now?

You’ll find out today on the Cross References podcast.

0:00 - Introduction

1:20 - v11-16, The Best Shepherd

12:45 - v17-24, Judgment Within the Church

19:45 - v25-31, The Millennial Sheep Pen

24:30 - Closing Thoughts

Special thanks to the Two Witnesses Live podcast for inviting me on their show recently! Here is a link if you’d like to see/hear it: https://www.youtube.com/live/Mh0bTZhUKwk?si=vqVdx6KZx9tQIZSo

If you want to get in touch with me, send an email to crossreferencespodcast@gmail.com

A pastor must be a good public speaker, able to draw large crowds with his authority and charisma. 

A pastor must be like a CEO, an expert in management and leadership.

A pastor must be a skilled fundraiser, and know how to execute a building program.

A pastor must be on-call 24/7, even on holidays and vacations.

A pastor must be an expert psychologist and counselor, able to diagnose and treat every mental illness.

A pastor must have a picture-perfect family, a wife who leads the women’s ministry and teaches children’s church and does it all with a smile- and their kids must never misbehave or embarrass their parents. 

And by the way, the pastor is supposed to be one of the poorest members of the church, driving an old used vehicle, living in a 1000 square foot house, taking now more of a salary from the church than the absolute minimum needed to survive, as a way to show his true devotion to God.

These are some of the modern expectations of a pastor or ministry leader. This is what many in the modern American church want- or think they want- from their pastors. 

But are these expectations biblical? Are these the priorities that God said He expected from a pastor when He gave us the New Testament? Or are some of these things that we’ve added over the years? And if we’re adding human standards to God’s Word for what qualifies a pastor, is it wrong of us to do that?

We’re going to explore that question today by looking at a text from Ezekiel 34 where he shares God’s heart on the qualifications of a spiritual leader. All of that today on the Cross References podcast.

0:00 - Introduction

3:50 - The Pastor as Shepherd

15:20 - A Pastor’s Job Description- I Timothy 3

21:20 - Ezekiel 34, verses 1-10

33:00 - Closing Thoughts- The Good Shepherd

Special thanks to the Two Witnesses Live podcast for inviting me on their show recently! Here is a link if you’d like to see/hear it: https://www.youtube.com/live/Mh0bTZhUKwk?si=vqVdx6KZx9tQIZSo

If you want to get in touch with me, send an email to crossreferencespodcast@gmail.com

I have heard all my life about declaring God’s promises. The idea was that certain things in scripture became true in reality as long as you declared them to be so. 

Sounds a little bit magical. But is it biblical?

We’re going to talk about that today. We’ll also wrap up Ezekiel 33, and for the first time in 30 chapters, Ezekiel is going to be allowed to speak freely. You may have forgotten, but Ezekiel’s mouth was shut for a large chunk of his time in ministry. God supernaturally prevented him from speaking.

We’ll talk about that. And nobody wants to be unpopular, but if you listen to the end today, you’ll also learn about the dangers that come with being too popular. 

So are God’s promises something you just have to declare? Are they activated by faith? Or are there conditions that have to be met for God’s promises to be fulfilled? 

You’ll find out today on the Cross References podcast.

0:00 - Introduction

3:30 - v21-22, No Longer Mute

7:00 - v23-29, Standing on the Promises of God?

18:30 - v30-33, The Dangers of Popularity

25:15 - Mailbag

26:35 - He Opened Not His Mouth

If you want to get in touch with me, send an email to crossreferencespodcast@gmail.com

Entire books have been written about the thorny theological issue I want to talk about today.

James chapter 2. At face value, James 2 seems hard to reconcile with the rest of the New Testament. 

That’s because the rest of the New Testament pretty clearly teaches this doctrine of salvation by grace through faith not of works. That’s a direct quote, actually.

Ephesians 2:8-9 says

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 

Romans 4:2-3

For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.”

Galatians 2:16

yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ,

So it’s like, every page of the New Testament makes this clear: salvation is only by grace through faith. There is nothing you can do to earn your salvation. Works play no part in it.

And then James comes along and says this in his second chapter,

Verse 14

What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 

Wait a second here. Let me read that again. (Re-read it)

Is James going against Paul? I can’t emphasize enough how much this seems to be saying the exact opposite of so many other verses in the Bible. 

Is James contradicting Paul? Is James contradicting the Bible? Is James contradicting God Himself? 

I find this to be weird, and I’d like to explore why it’s in the Bible. 

Turn to James 2, and let’s get weird.

0:00 - Introduction

3:00 - James 2

6:15 - The Context of James

11:30 - Going Back to the Greek

17:00 - Next Time

20:00 - Closing Thoughts

If you want to get in touch with me, send an email to crossreferencespodcast@gmail.com

Hosted by Luke Taylor

So we’re in this chapter called Ezekiel’s Greatest Hits. That’s my name for it. Ezekiel 33 recaps some of Ezekiel’s earlier lessons; in fact, some of my favorite lessons from earlier in the book. And today we’ll be looking at verses 10 through 20, which recap my favorite chapter of Ezekiel: chapter 18. 

This is the chapter on personal responsibility. It was one of my most popular podcast episodes before, and it’s still getting a lot of play even today. If you heard the lesson on Ezekiel 18 before, don’t tune out, because even though this is recapping something we’ve already studied, I’m going to expand on it today. 

A lot of people question how Ezekiel 18 fits in with the doctrine of salvation by grace through faith, not of works. We’re going to talk about dispensationalism. We’re going to talk about Calvinism and God’s sovereignty. And if you listen until the end, we’re even going to talk about the difference in worldly sorrow and true repentance that Paul discusses in the New Testament.

So you’re gonna get a lot of good theology if you stick around today on the Cross References podcast.

0:00 - Introduction

2:30 - Javascript Bible

5:20 - v10-12, The Limits of Calvinism

13:35 - v12-13, The Limits of Dispensationlism

20:30 - Faith and Works

30:50 - Next Time

34:10 - v17-20, Worldly Sorrow vs Godly Sorrow (II Corinthians 7)

If you want to get in touch with me, send an email to crossreferencespodcast@gmail.com

I am looking at changing this podcast's name to "The Book of Ezekiel: A Cross References Bible Study." 

I hope you will agree that I have a good reason to make this change.

You are probably going to regret listening to today’s episode. I’m just gonna put that out there now. 

Why do I say that? Do you ever learn something and you just kind of wish you didn’t know? 

Like, I wish I didn’t know about germs. Sometimes I just really wish I didn’t know that there are these tiny little microscopic bacteria all over virtually everything and if you get too many of them you’ll get sick and feel yucky. 

That sounds like pretty helpful information to know, except for the fact that I have this awareness at all times that I’m constantly surrounded by germs. I’m a bit of a germaphobe. I keep hand sanitizer in my car, on my desk at work, and sitting over here by me as I say these words at my desk at home. 

Yes, it makes me feel better to have it. But I kinda wish sometimes I didn’t worry about germs as much as I do. 

Well, there are things about spiritual reality that we don’t know and that we are perfectly happy not to know and yet that we should know. For example, whose responsibility is it when someone goes to hell? Is it just that person’s fault? Can another person be responsible for it? Can YOU be responsible for it? 

The answer might make you a little uncomfortable. But, it’s something you need to know, and you’ll learn that answer today on the Cross References podcast.

0:00 - Introduction

4:50 - v1-9, The Burden of the Watchman

19:50 - A Note about the Future

23:50 - Closing Thoughts

If you want to get in touch with me, send an email to crossreferencespodcast@gmail.com

Today, I'm just asking for prayer for the family of a friend of mine. Though my heart is heavy right now, I hope you all have a Happy Memorial Day :)

A conversation with Nate Vainio, host of the Something to Gnaw On podcast. He has graciously allowed me to share this interview with my listeners over here for the month of May, and this is part 3 of 3.

The Cross References Podcast with Luke Taylor: Episode 122

(And Part 57 of my Ezekiel series)

If you want to get in touch with me, send an email to crossreferencespodcast@gmail.com

A conversation with Nate Vainio, host of the Something to Gnaw On podcast. He has graciously allowed me to share this interview with my listeners over here for the month of May, and this is part 2 of 3. 

The Cross References Podcast with Luke Taylor: Episode 121

(And Part 56 of my Ezekiel series)

If you want to get in touch with me, send an email to crossreferencespodcast@gmail.com

A conversation with Nate Vainio, host of the Something to Gnaw On podcast. He has graciously allowed me to share this interview with my listeners over here for the month of May, and this is part 1 of 3. 

The Cross References Podcast with Luke Taylor: Episode 120

(And Part 55 of my Ezekiel series)

If you want to get in touch with me, send an email to crossreferencespodcast@gmail.com

Adolph Hitler hoped and prayed that he was this antichrist that the Bible spoke of. Hitler may have been a deranged maniac; he did at least know a thing or two about what the Bible said. And as he went through Europe swallowing up nation after nation, he was convinced more and more that he would be this man. 

(it’s strange; he wanted to fulfill the scriptures that spoke of the antichrist’s power; I wonder how he thought he would then stop the scriptures that spoke of Jesus returning and casting the antichrist into hell. but like I said, Hitler was deranged.)

The book Hitler’s Cross by Ewrin Lutzer: Hitler offered himself as a messiah with the divine mission to save Germany. On one occasion, he displayed the whip he often carried to demonstrate that “in driving out the Jews I remind myself of Jesus in the temple.” He declared “Just like Christ, I have a duty to my own people.” He even boasted that as Christ’s birth had changed the calendar, so his victory over the Jews would be the beginning of a new age. “What Christ began,” he said, “I will complete.”

Well, Hitler didn’t get his wish. Not that he didn’t accomplish a lot of evil. 6 million Jews murdered. 1/3 of all the Jews in the world. I’ve spoken on this podcast before about why the devil wants all of the Jewish people dead. And the devil is going to keep trying, whether that means working through Hitler or working through the future antichrist. 

Now, the Antichrist isn’t going to win, either. He’ll be successful in killing 2/3 of the remaining Jews during the seven-year tribulation. But he won’t succeed. As he is conquesting the land of Israel during that time, he will be attacked by another nearby nation. A nation we’ve been studying quite a bit here lately on the podcast: Egypt. 

So on today’s episode, you’ll learn six things about the Antichrist, including hints about his nationality and his love life. You’ll also learn about God’s plan for Egypt in the end times.

There is actually a plan for Egypt during the Great Tribulation. And the plan involves opposing the Antichrist. Have you ever heard about this before? If not, you will today on the Cross References Podcast.

The Cross References Podcast with Luke Taylor: Episode 119

0:00 - Hitler Wanted to Be the Antichrist

2:45 - The Daniel 11 Context

5:40 - His Big Mouth

8:20 - His Nationality

11:00 - His Love Life

12:55 - His Religion

15:40 - His Enemies

27:50 - His Palace

31:45 - Closing Thoughts

If you want to get in touch with me, send an email to crossreferencespodcast@gmail.com

Death is not the end. 

A couple episodes ago, I took a little detour into Jude and analyzed this phrase “twice dead.” It was kind of a side-quest because I primarily use this podcast to dive into the book of Ezekiel. In that lesson, we focused on how the Second Death talked about in Revelation is not teaching the doctrine of annihilationism, or the idea that we cease to exist at the moment of death. The second death means eternity in hell, or the lake of fire, and you never stop existing.

I had no idea when I took that side-journey how well it would intertwine with what we’re discussing today in the book of Ezekiel, where the main idea of this chapter can be summed up as this: death is not the end. 

I didn’t plan it this way. Maybe God did. Maybe God has something he wants us to get from this chapter. And if so, it’s no accident that you’re listening today. 

The last episode was about the death of pharoah. Today’s episode will show you what happened to Pharaoh next. I’ll also share some thoughts on what chapters 25-32 as a whole in Ezekiel are communicating to us. And you will see more than ever that death is not the end.

This episode WILL end, though, and by the time you finish it, you’ll hear about when Pharaoh took a tour of hell and WHO he saw when he got there.

All of that today on the Cross References podcast.

The Cross References Podcast with Luke Taylor: Episode 118

0:00 - Introduction

3:30 - The Fate of Pharaoh

15:00 - Death is NOT the End

21:30 - Closing Thoughts

If you want to get in touch with me, send an email to crossreferencespodcast@gmail.com

We live in a world of absolute chaos. Where does it all come from? Well, you’ll find out today. 

Today’s episode will start into chapter 32 of Ezekiel, which will be God’s final word on Egypt and the Gentile Nations. Egypt is truly one of the most fascinating nations in the Bible; it plays a huge role in the creation of Israel as a nation, in some of Israel’s struggles throughout the Old Testament, and even factors into God’s plans for the future. 

And we’ll talk about that in the weeks ahead, but today, you’re going to learn about some of the Old Testament passages that speak of God fighting some kind of sea monster; levitathan, or the chaos dragon. 

Also, you’ll learn why the new heavens and the new earth in Revelation 21 are said to have no sea.

And if you listen to the end, you’ll gain a greater understanding of what may be going on in our world today- especially right here in America. All of that today on the Cross References podcast.

The Cross References Podcast with Luke Taylor: Episode 117

0:00 - Introduction

2:30 - The Death of Pharaoh

12:00 - God vs The Chaos Dragon

27:00 - Closing Thoughts

If you want to get in touch with me, send an email to crossreferencespodcast@gmail.com

0:00 - Introduction

2:00 - The Poetic Language of Jude 12-13

3:40 - Blemishes at your love feasts

6:40 - Clouds without rain

8:00 - Autumn trees without fruit

9:55 - Foaming up their shame

12:50 - Wandering Stars

14:30 - Twice Dead

22:45 - A Second Death?

27:30 - Survivors Gather Here Monday

29:00 - Connections to Believers and the Cross

Lessons from Loki and Ezekiel 31. No one is too big to fall. 

Captain America: “There’s only one God, ma’am. And I’m pretty sure He doesn’t dress like that.”

The Cross References Podcast with Luke Taylor: Episode 115

0:00 - Lessons from Loki

5:15 - The Tree Motif in Scripture

7:45 - v1-9, My Life as a Tree

14:30 - v10-18, The Judgment of the Pharaonic Tree

26:00 - The Parable of the Mustard Seed

Description:

Introduction:

• In this episode of the Cross References Podcast, host Luke Taylor delves into the intriguing parallels between the prideful ambitions of Egyptian Pharaohs and the character journey of Loki from the Marvel cinematic universe.
• Luke opens with a captivating comparison, illustrating how both Pharaohs and Loki sought godlike status, setting the stage for a deeper exploration of Ezekiel 31.

Main Content:

• Luke draws attention to the motif of divine judgment and the consequences of human pride, using the character arc of Loki as a contemporary lens to examine ancient themes.
• Through insightful analysis, Luke highlights the imagery of the towering tree in Ezekiel 31, representing the greatness and eventual downfall of nations like Assyria or Egypt.
• The discussion navigates through key verses, unpacking the symbolic significance of the majestic tree and its ultimate fate, echoing the timeless message of humility and divine sovereignty.

Conclusion & Call to Action:

• As the episode draws to a close, Luke reflects on the enduring relevance of biblical narratives in contemporary contexts, emphasizing the importance of humility and reverence in the face of divine judgment.
• Luke teases the next episode, enticing listeners to explore further insights into biblical themes and narratives by subscribing to the podcast.
• Finally, Luke invites listeners to engage with the podcast community by sending feedback via email and leaving a 5-star review to support the show's growth and reach.

If you want to get in touch with me, send an email to crossreferencespodcast@gmail.com

One time I was studying through the book of Exodus and I had this thought: Did God love the Egyptians? 

It’s a question you’ve probably never really thought much about before. 

So, in Exodus, this is the story of the Egyptians who enslaved the Israelites and wouldn’t let them go. They were forced to work all day under grueling conditions in the desert, building whatever Pharaoh wanted for his cities. And for centuries, pharaoh after pharaoh wouldn’t let them leave. 

So, they’re clearly the bad guys in this story. Then God sends a deliverer named Moses out of the wilderness to come and set these people free, and the rest is history- and a really epic four-hour Charlton Heston movie from 1956. And it’s rated G even though it’s kinda scary for a G-rated movie. But you’ve got the water turning to blood and mass killing from a death angel and later drowning. And according to IMDB, there’s some canoodling between lovers. I’m not sure what that’s referring to. I’m not even sure what canoodling is, but it sure doesn’t sound G-rated to me. 

Then again, the Bible is not a G-rated book. Speaking of IMDB, let me look here at how it rates the agro-appropriateness of movies: violence and gore? Yes. Alcohol? Yes. Frightening and intense scenes? Yes. Profanity? That’s debatable but if you read the King James Version, you’re going to find a few words that I sure wasn’t allowed to say growing up. Oh, and sex and nudity? Well, if you read Song of Solomon, there’s definitely some canoodling going on. 

The Bible is a book of violence, destruction, depression, fear, wrath- and a God who loves all of humanity on every page. But it’s a little easy to lose sight of that fact as you read about the mass destruction that God visits upon people throughout His Word- including on the Egyptians in Exodus.

And this can cause us to question: even when God judges people, does He still love them?

Let’s go back to my original question: Did God love the Egyptians? 

I have a theory about this, and I’d like to share it today on the Cross References podcast.

The Cross References Podcast with Luke Taylor: Episode 114

0:00 - Why Jesus was Sometimes Harsh

7:20 - The 10 Plagues

28:00 - Did God Love the Egyptians?

Description:

In this captivating episode of the Cross References podcast, host Luke Taylor delves deep into the biblical narrative of Exodus, exploring the intriguing question: Did God love the Egyptians? Through a thought-provoking analysis of Exodus 7-12, Taylor uncovers profound insights into the complex relationship between divine judgment and love.

Discover the untold story behind the plagues of Egypt and their significance in exposing idolatry and leading to repentance. Taylor navigates through historical context, biblical parallels, and modern-day analogies to unravel the layers of divine love and justice.

Join us as we explore the theological depths of God's actions in the Old Testament and their relevance to contemporary faith. Gain a deeper understanding of the intricacies of divine love and the transformative power of biblical narratives.

Tune in to the Cross References podcast for a compelling journey through scripture, where every small piece tells one big story connected to the cross and Christ.

Key Topics:

• Biblical narrative of Exodus 7-12
• Divine love and judgment in the Old Testament
• Significance of the plagues of Egypt in exposing idolatry
• Theological insights into God's actions and motives
• Modern-day reflections on faith and divine justice

Connect with Us:

• Subscribe to the Cross References podcast for more insightful episodes.

If you want to get in touch with me, send an email to crossreferencespodcast@gmail.com

On this podcast the past several months, we have studied the prophecies against Ammon, Moab, Philistia and Edom; we studied the prophecy against Tyre in great detail, and then the prophecy against Sidon; today we are continuing through the prophecy against Egypt. 

This series of prophecies against ancient Egypt at the time of Ezekiel takes up chapters 29 through 32 of his book, and we will cover all of chapter 30 today. 

This chapter contains a lot of interesting tidbits: why is it talking about the future Day of the Lord as if it was thousands of years ago? Who are the mysterious people of the land that is in league in verse 5? Why did God say He would break Pharaoh’s arm? And here’s an interesting one: is Cleopatra prophesied in verse 12? We’ll answer those questions, and we’ll talk about the main idea of this chapter that ties all of it together. All of that today on the Cross References podcast.

The Cross References Podcast with Luke Taylor: Episode 113

0:00 - Introduction

3:00 - v-14, Egypt in the Day of the Lord

7:25 - v5-8, What Team Are You On?

14:45 - v10-12, Is Cleopatra Prophesied?

20:00 - v13-19, Cities of the gods

27:10 - v20-26, Breaking Pharaoh’s Arm

31:15 - American Decadence

If you want to get in touch with me, send an email to crossreferencespodcast@gmail.com

What can you turn to when even the most powerful nation in the world is falling apart? 

2024 is shaping up to be a chaotic year. Elections, Civil War, high profile political prosecutions, war in Europe, war in the Middle East- and another Chinese Spy Balloon. And who knows what else is on the horizon?

Well, someone knows, and that’s what we’ll talk about today. 

We’re returning to the study in the book of Ezekiel with chapter 29. This chapter is going to be the first of four that all deal with the nation of Egypt. For a time in world history, near the days of the prophet Ezekiel, Egypt was seen as the most powerful nation in the world. As long as you were on Egypt’s good side, you were probably going to be OK. 

They didn’t need NATO. They had Egypt. 

And yet, Egypt is not gonna be good enough. The most powerful nation in the world is not gonna be good enough when God comes against you. For the first half of the book of Ezekiel, God came against Jerusalem. Now, God is coming against Egypt. 

What can you turn to when even the most powerful nation in the world is falling apart? We’ll talk about that today on the Cross References podcast.

The Cross References Podcast with Luke Taylor: Episode 112

0:00 - Introduction

3:15 - v1-5, The Crocodile King

8:25 - v6-9, Egypt, the Broken Reed

11:00 - v10-16, The 40-Year Exile

16:45 - v17-21, A Prize for Tyre

22:40 - What Happens When You Worship Cats

If you want to get in touch with me, send an email to crossreferencespodcast@gmail.com

What’s one word you would use to describe Jesus? 

I’ll tell you mine today. And you can tell me yours, or be thinking on it, if you want. 

A second question: what might happen if you came face-to-face with Jesus? We see in the Gospels story after story of people meeting Jesus. Some get mad. Some fall to their knees. Some adore him. Some nailed Him to a cross. What would your reaction be? 

We’re going to study a couple of peoples who had a visitation from God here at the end of Ezekiel 28, and that’s where we’ll start today, but it will take us on a journey to a few other passages as well. 

And if you listen until the end of today’s lesson, we’ll even get to my favorite chapter in the entire Bible: John 18. Why is John 18 so cool? When you find out, it’ll knock you off your feet. Hear it all today on the Cross References podcast.

The Cross References Podcast with Luke Taylor: Episode 111

0:00 - Introduction

4:20 - v20-26, The Prophecy Against Sidon

16:30 - Can You Stand in God’s Holiness (John 18)

If you want to get in touch with me, send an email to crossreferencespodcast@gmail.com

The Cross References Podcast with Luke Taylor: Episode 110

You may or may not be familiar with the Chinese Zodiac, which assigns one of 12 creatures to each year. Some years are the year of the horse, or the year of the rat, or the year of the snake.

We’re about to start the Year of the Dragon- THIS WEEK- February 10, 2024, and it will last until January 28 of 2025. 

The end times also talk about a year of the dragon. Not just 1 year, but 7 years.

This episode is going to cap off my multi-episode deep dive into Satan- who he is, where he came from, and today- where he’s going. 

The devil is going to lose, and get everything he deserves. But it’s going to get worse before it gets better. The earth will endure seven years of the dragon. And Revelation lays it all out. 

So today, we’re going to talk about what the book of Revelation teaches us about the devil’s end. And if YOU listen until the end, I’ll share a story about when I confronted a demon with these verses.

All of that today on the Cross References podcast.

0:00 - Year of the Dragon (Chinese Zodiac)

2:00 - Revelation 12- The Dragon

12:00 - The Second Holocaust

21:10 - Revelation 20- The Bottomless Pit

31:10 - Mailbag- Snakes with Legs?

35:10 - A Conversation with a Demon about Revelation 20

In this episode of Cross References, host Luke explores the intersection of the Chinese Zodiac's "Year of the Dragon" and biblical prophecy from the book of Revelation. Delve into the symbolic connections, unravel the seven-year tribulation, and gain insights into Satan's role in the end times. Discover the profound biblical meaning behind the dragon, the woman, and the cosmic conflict that unfolds. Stick around until the end for a personal encounter with a demon and an exploration of the profound implications for the future. Join us on this journey where every small piece of the Bible connects to one big story.

If you want to get in touch with me, send an email to crossreferencespodcast@gmail.com

In II Corinthians 2:11, Paul says that we are NOT ignorant of Satan’s devices. 

Now “devices” is an interesting word. In the Greek, it’s the word “noema,” and it doesn’t have a direct English equivalent. It means “a mental perception,” “an evil purpose” or “that which thinks.” It’s talking about how Satan can twist the mind. Satan has his ways of warping our thoughts for his own evil purposes. 

Now, if Paul was writing this letter to modern Christians in America, I wonder if he would say it this way. I think he might actually say: “You Christians are very ignorant of his devices.” 

You need to listen today because this will teach you his tricks. 

Listen today because you have an enemy who wants to destroy your life and everything you love and he won’t lose a wink of sleep over it. We call him Satan, or the devil, the serpent in the garden, the dragon, or that guy who wrote the last season of LOST.

Whatever you want to call him, he’s real, and the Bible warns us about his devices, and we’ll be studying them on this episode of the Cross References Podcast.

0:00 - The Full Court Press

3:35 - Defense

22:55 - Offense

32:10 - A Warning About Fighting Satan

Unlock the secrets of spiritual warfare in this gripping episode of Cross References! Dive into the biblical revelations on the devil's tactics as revealed by Paul in II Corinthians 2:11. Host Luke Taylor explores the intricacies of the devil's "full court press" on our minds, drawing parallels with aggressive basketball defense. From defense to offense, learn practical steps to fortify your spiritual armor against the enemy's onslaught. Discover the significance of closing open doors to the demonic and the subtleties that can give the devil a foothold in your life. Luke delves into the powerful weapons of our spiritual warfare, emphasizing the importance of prayer as the ultimate offensive tool.

Tune in to prepare for battle against the spiritual forces of evil, gaining insights that will transform your understanding of the devil's schemes. Don't miss this enlightening episode that unravels the mysteries of Satan's devices and equips you with the wisdom to stand firm in the face of adversity.

If you want to get in touch with me, send an email to crossreferencespodcast@gmail.com