Good quote from Greg Boyd: “…interpreting Revelation’s symbols as referring primarily to future historical events produces a multitude of contradictions and absurdities. To offer one trivial but clear example, when I first read Revelation as a seventeen-year-old recent convert in a fundamentalist church, I was troubled by John’s statement that all the stars fell from…
Tag: Prophetic Literature
“How have Christians missed this?”
I recently appeared on The Analytic Christian for an interview about end times-y stuff. I enjoyed the conversation and discussion very much. You can watch it below. Check it out!
Interview at The Two Trees podcast
I was recently invited onto The Two Trees podcast to chat about my book, The End of the World As You Know It. You can listen to our conversation here: Two Trees: Interview with Matthew Halsted What People Are Saying… Book description:
What hath Costco to do with Biblical Studies?
On Monday, Feb 19, I hopped onto the Disciple Dojo livestream to chat a little bit about my book (see video below – the reference to Costco makes sense after watching). It was a lot of fun! If you aren’t familiar with this YouTube channel, definitely check it out (link here).
The End of the World & Rapture Theology
Below is a recent interview I did at The Learning Laborers Podcast with Taylor and Denver about my new book, The End of the World As You Know It. Check it out below. Here’s the episode description, followed by a link to the conversation: Should our eschatology make us fearful or hopeful? Is there any…
The Hebrew Bible: An Interview with Robert Alter
My interview with Robert Alter was just published. You can watch it on YouTube or listen via audio on the podcast (links below). Enjoy! Audio: The Bible (Unmuted) is available on Apple, Spotify, Google, Amazon — and wherever you get your podcasts) YouTube:
How should we interpret the plagues of Revelation?
I recently published an article at Logos about interpreting the plague passages in Revelation. There are a lot of misunderstandings about these texts, and I thought it would be helpful to write up something that would shed some light on how to interpret them. Some people point to modern health crises (such as Covid, monkeypox,…
Election and Messianism in Malachi
In previous episodes of the Naked Bible Podcast, Mike and I spent a lot of time observing how the Old Testament builds a “messianic profile.” It’s important for readers of the New Testament to have a working knowledge of that profile because it aids in understanding how, exactly, Jesus of Nazareth brings the biblical story…
“The Messiahs in Daniel 9”
In this episode of The Naked Bible Podcast, Mike and I return to the book of Daniel. This time we explore Daniel 9, which contains a passage where the word “messiah” (“anointed one”) is used a couple times, along with the verb “to anoint.” Are these prophecies about Jesus? How does this passage contribute to…
The Son of Man in Daniel 7
In this episode of The Naked Bible Podcast, Mike and I talk about “the Son of Man” in Daniel 7. Here’s the description of the episode, followed by a link where you can listen: In the previous episodes with Dr. Matt Halsted, we discussed how trying to articulate the Old Testament’s messiah merely by appeal…
The Messianic Story, Part 3
In this episode of The Naked Bible Podcast, Mike and I discuss Isaiah’s “Servant” as it relates to the “messianic profile” that we’ve been observing in the Old Testament. Here’s the description: In the previous episodes with Dr. Matt Halsted, we discussed how trying to articulate the Old Testament’s messiah merely by appeal to passages…
A Good Resource on Revelation
If you’re looking for good, accessible resources for understanding Revelation, Michael Gorman’s book would be among them. Its title captures our calling as Christians: We are to be responsible interpreters of the Bible. This is especially true for Revelation. Through the years, Revelation has often been subject to careless and irresponsible interpretations. (Some of the…
Video Resource: Isaiah, Part 2
Below is part 2 of a series of videos I recorded on Isaiah. This video explores one of the major themes in the book of Isaiah. I pray it’s encouraging to you!
Video Resource: Isaiah, Part 1
As part of my video series on Old Testament prophetic literature, below is an introduction to the prophet Isaiah. In this video, I introduce Isaiah’s life, ministry, and important themes. I also chat briefly about the importance of placing Old Testament prophets (like Isaiah) within the larger story of Israel. Enjoy!
Introduction to Old Testament Prophetic Books, Part 3
In this video, I continue my introduction to the prophetic books of the Old Testament. You can find the first two videos here and here. In the third installment below, I offer personal reflections about how studying the prophets has helped me in my ministry and deepened my personal faith. I chat specifically about Isaiah,…
Introduction to Old Testament Prophetic Books, Part 2
In this video, I continue my introduction to the prophetic books of the Old Testament. You can find the first video here. In this follow-up video, I offer thoughts on how to understand the nature of prophecy in the Old Testament—specifically as it relates to Jesus and the New Testament.
Introduction to Old Testament Prophetic Books, Part 1
In this video below, I give a brief introduction to the prophetic literature of the Old Testament. I discuss briefly what a prophet was, as well as the the ways in which some scholars classify the OT prophets (e.g., “pre-classical” prophets and “classical” prophets). I also chat about the popular division of the prophetic books…