Tag: supernatural

The Book of Revelation

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date July 2, 2015

John’s Epic Vision

The book of Revelation is a curious one; there is none other like it in the Bible. It is perhaps the most scrutinized and misunderstood section.

While I will not make any attempt to explain it, I will offer some context as a guide:

This book is written by John, but it is not his revelation; it is Jesus’ revelation (Revelation 1:1).
John confirms the book is a prophecy, and we are blessed merely by reading it, hearing it, and taking it to heart (Revelation 1:3). But he doesn’t say we need to understand it!
This book is a letter to the seven churches in Asia. Just as Paul, Peter, and John write letters to various people and different churches, this is another one of John’s letters (Revelation 1:4).
The contents of the letter are supernaturally given to John in a vision when he is communing with God in the spiritual realm (Revelation 1:10).
The purpose of the book may be found in Revelation 19:10: to worship God and celebrate Jesus.

We can consider Revelation in three sections:

Revelation 1 is the Introduction

In addition to setting the basis for the rest of the book, chapter 1 is awesome in that is hints at what our relationship with God can be like when we connect with him in the spiritual realm.

We should not consider this unique to John, and we should embrace it as available to us—if we are willing to pursue it.

Revelation 2 and 3 Give Specific Messages to the Seven Churches

The letters to the seven churches are written to them.

While we can receive encouragement from their successes and learn from their failures, we need to remember they are the primary audience and we are the secondary one, just like all the other letters in the Bible.

We need to remind ourselves of their context and not make them into more than what they are intended to be.

Revelation 4 through 22 is a Future Prophecy

From the final nineteen chapters of Revelation, the intend is not for us to decode when these events will happen. After all, Jesus says, no one knows the time and date of when the end will occur.

There is no secret plan for us to decode.

Instead I see three key things as I read the words in Revelation: God is awesome and worthy of our worship, Jesus is powerful, and for those whose names are written in the book of life (Revelation 20:15), the ending is a happy one.

If you don’t believe me, read the last two chapters (Revelation 21 and 22) and be in awe—even if we can’t comprehend the details.

Read more in Peter’s devotional Bible study, A New Heaven and a New Earth: 40 Practical Insights from John’s Book of Revelation.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

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Tags Apostle John, awesome, Jesus, Paul, Peter, prophecy, supernatural

Bible Insights

Five Angels in the Bible With Names

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date April 2, 2015

Most of the time when angels are mentioned in the Bible, their names are not given. Apparently, their names aren’t important; their message is what matters.

However, the names of four angels are mentioned:

Michael

The only archangel in the Bible is Michael. Jude reveals Michael argued with Satan about the body of Moses (Jude 1:9). Later, in Revelation, Michael leads his army of angels in a battle against the dragon (Revelation 12:7).

Michael is also mentioned in the book of Daniel, although here he is not called an angel, but “one of the chief princes” (Daniel 10:13), “your prince” (Daniel 10:21), and “the great prince” (Daniel 12:1).

In these instances in Daniel, Michael is referred to by another supernatural being, who may or may not be an angel.

Gabriel

Also appearing in both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, Gabriel arrives with messages for Daniel (Daniel 8:16 and Daniel 9:21), Zechariah (Luke 1:19), and Mary (Luke 1:26). He is only mentioned these four times.

Raphael

Raphael makes his appearance in the book of Tobit, which is one of the apocryphal books of the Bible. He is mentioned twenty-nine times, in this one book. Raphael appears to Tobias in the form of a man.

Whereas most angels merely communicate God’s message, Raphael accompanies Tobias on his quest, offering advice and encouragement, perhaps even being an instrument of healing for Tobias’s father, Tobit, and Tobias’s wife, Sarah.

Uriel

Another apocryphal angel is Uriel. He is mentioned by name only three times in the book of 2 Esdras (2 Esdras 4:1, 2 Esdras 5:20, and 2 Esdras 10:28).

He comes to the prophet Ezra with messages from God. At one point he holds Ezra’s hand and comforts him.

In addition to the above, these four angels (and many more) appear in a single verse in Enoch 9:1: “Then Michael and Gabriel, Raphael, Suryal, and Uriel, looked down from heaven, and saw the quantity of blood which was shed on earth.”

In Enoch chapter 10, God gives each one of them an assignment in the pre-flood world. Notably, Uriel is sent to give Noah a message of the coming flood, Enoch 10:2.

Many other angels are also named in the book of Enoch.

Jeremiel

In 2 Esdras, another book of the apocrypha, we learn of another archangel, Jeremiel (2 Esdras 4:36).

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Tags angel, Daniel, supernatural

Bible Insights

Do Angels Have Wings?

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date March 26, 2015

God’s Messengers

I’m not sure if I assumed it or someone taught me, but I always thought seraphim and cherubim were two special classes of angels.

Though seraphim and cherubim aren’t mentioned often in the Bible (2 and 69 verses respectively), angels make a much more frequent appearance, in some 290 places.

In none of those passages does the Bible call angels seraphim or cherubim. (The dictionary labels all three as “celestial beings.”) Although seraphim and cherubim have wings, no verses say that angels do.

Do Angels Fly?

The Bible never says angels fly, though there are some hints they are occasionally airborne, but as supernatural beings, they don’t need wings to go vertical.

Angels are mentioned more times in the New Testament (182 times) than in the Old (108 times), with Revelation giving them the most coverage (77 times), followed by Luke (24 times) and Acts (22 times).

We don’t know if angels have genders or not, but one verse (Judges 13:21) implies that particular angel is masculine, so I refer to angels as “him” rather then “it.”

While we see seraphim as worshiping God and cherubim as hanging out with God in heaven and attesting to his glory, angels serve as God’s messengers to us. They show up unexpectedly, suddenly appearing and then disappearing.

Do Not Be Afraid

Apparently either their arrival or their form is frightening, because they often say, “Do not be afraid.”

If an angel ever visited me, I wonder if I’d shrink back in fear. I’d like to say I wouldn’t, but I suspect I would.

Regardless of how I react, I will want to listen carefully to what the angel tells me, receiving it as a word from God.

[Read through the Bible with us this year. Today’s reading is Judges 13-15 and today’s post is on Judges 13:21. See 290 verses that mention angels.]

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Tags angel, glory, heaven, supernatural

Bible Insights

Are Cherubim Angels?

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date March 19, 2015

Last week we asked if seraphim are the same as angels? We discovered there is no biblical evidence to suggest they are. Now we ask the same question about cherubim.

The Bible mentions cherubim much more than seraphim. In fact, there are 69 verses (in the NIV) with either cherubim (the plural form) or cherub (the singular form).

All but one of these mentions are in the Old Testament, many relating to the construction of the tabernacle and temple.

Just as with seraphim, none of these 69 verses says that cherubim are angels. The dictionary defines them as “celestial beings,” just as it does for seraphim.

Cherubim have wings and fly, but they also have hands. Their wings make a loud sound and can be heard from far away. Some are in heaven, around the throne of God. David even writes about God riding them.

Although cherubim are not angels, they are some amazing supernatural beings.

Next we’ll look at what the Bible teaches us about angels and then archangels.

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Tags God, heaven, King David, supernatural

Christian Living

Do You See Good or Evil?

I recently read a series of movie reviews in a conservative magazine. With three pages of critiques to consider, all but two movies earned advisory warnings. With no R-rated movies covered, several cautions were for PG and even G-rated movies.

Their items of concern struck me as overly critical.

One obscure line from an animated feature earned it an advisory warning. This was a vague quip that kids would miss and require adults to make an assumption.

With multiple possible inferences, only someone looking for sexual innuendo would find it. (I missed it when I saw the movie.) Are these reviewers able to spot evil most anywhere they look?

I wonder if these cautious caretakers of morality have read the Bible. What might they write in their review of it?

After all, the Bible contains a myriad of problematic content: rape, murder, incest, cannibalism, violence, and sexual misconduct. Would they slap an advisory warning on the Bible?

These self-appointed guardians of goodness irritate me. Though they may have worthy motives, the result is they fixate on what is wrong, and when they find it, they highlight it to make sure everyone else is aware of it, too.

Just as there is evil in most things around us, there is also good. Do we seek the objectionable or notice the laudable? What we choose to consider reflects our focus in life and forms our perception of the world.

The Bible encourages us to think about things that are right, pure, and admirable. That is, to fill our minds with good, not evil.

While this may warrant not seeing some movies, it also means to look for good in the ones we do watch.

[Read through the Bible with us this year. Today’s reading is Philippians 1-4, and today’s post is on Philippians 4:8.]

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Tags biblical Christianity, good or evil, spirituality, supernatural

Christian Living

How Should We Understand Jihad?

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date March 23, 2014

In further contemplating last week’s post about being spiritually militant—of fighting evil in the spiritual realm—the word jihad comes to mind. Jihad, originating from Islam, has some specific meanings and one that is more general:

A Muslim holy war or spiritual struggle against infidels in defense of the Islamic faith.
In Islam, the personal struggle of the individual believer against evil and persecution.
In Islam, an individual’s striving for spiritual self-perfection.
A crusade in support of a cause; any vigorous, emotional crusade for an idea or principle.

In a literal sense, the idea of a holy war repels me.

The various inquisitions and crusades, primarily during the Middle Ages, provide sufficient evidence to convince us that a physical battle to root out heresy or forcibly promote a certain religious perspective is never a good idea.

However, in a supernatural sense, a holy war should be pursued. As Paul says in the Bible, this isn’t a fight against people but “against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms,” for which we need spiritual armor.

From this stems my idea of being spiritually militant. This is one way to understand and embrace jihad in a broader sense.

Also intriguing is the third definition of “striving for spiritual self-perfection,” but we must proceed carefully.

Though we should desire to more fully be like Jesus, we can’t achieve this on our own; we cannot earn our right standing with God through our own efforts.

Instead, we work with him, through his Holy Spirit, to move towards what he would have us to become. This is also an understanding of jihad that I can embrace.

Because of the likelihood of being misunderstood, we must be careful in using the word jihad. However, these are two ways we can embrace jihad as a follower of Jesus.

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Tags heresy, spirituality, supernatural

Bible Insights

God Speaks Through Feelings and Thoughts

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date February 20, 2014

Not only can God speak to us through audible words, through silent words, and through visions, he can also direct us through our thoughts, a kind of a sixth sense, a supernatural knowing. People may say, “I just felt I needed to do this.”

Other verbs that uncover this type of godly communication include prompted, urged, and compelled. People may say, “I can’t explain it, but it simply seemed like the right thing” or “I somehow knew what to say.”

Many people experience this type of awareness, but they may not even know God is behind it. Examples of this are also in the Bible.

Consider when Paul feels compelled to go to Jerusalem or when Jonathan acts with brash boldness, even though it’s humanly foolish to do so.

Another time is when the early church decides how to handle a divisive teaching. Also, consider when God directs Paul in writing his letters, when teaching, and even in court.

God can speak to us in many ways. Are we ready to listen?

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Tags God speaks, supernatural

Christian Living

How Does God Speak?

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date January 26, 2014

In the post How to Hear from God I shared the five steps I followed when I first learned how to hear from God.

This affirmed some people, encouraged a few more, and frustrated others. I won’t assert that hearing from God is normative or required.

Doing so would only cause division in the church that Jesus started—and we already have way too much disagreement. What I will say is many people who don’t think they hear from God, actually, do. (If that’s you, carefully consider #4).

Here are some ways people hear from God:

Audible Words

I’ve not experienced this. I know only a few who have, and if they did, it’s not often or only happened once. God can speak in audible words, just as he did in the Bible. (See “God Speaks Through Audible Words.”)

Inaudible Words

These are words implanted in our minds by God. This is my primary experience (followed by the next two items). Sometimes it’s instructions to do something, in other instances it’s words to say, and it can be private communication.

This happens in the Bible as well. (See “God Speaks Through Inaudible Words.”)

Visions

God can communicate to us through images and scenes. It may happen in our waking hours or when asleep. Sometimes these vignettes carry obvious meaning and other times their vague or obscure nature requires interpretation.

The writings of Daniel, Ezekiel, and John all exemplify this. (See “God Speaks Through Visions.”)

Feelings

God can also direct us through our thoughts, a kind of a sixth sense, a knowing. People may say, “I just felt I needed to do this.” Other verbs that uncover this type of godly communication include: prompted, urged, and compelled.

People may say, “I can’t explain it, but it simply seemed like the right thing” or “I somehow knew what to say.” Examples of this are also in the Bible.

Many people experience this type of awareness, but they may not even know God is behind it.

In all cases, we need to exercise caution.

First, not all supernatural communication comes from God; be discerning.

Second, use the Bible as a benchmark to guide and clarify.

Third, seek the counsel of other godly people to confirm or refute any unclear communication.

One way or another, God can speak to us. For some, this is often; for others, infrequent. But when he does communicate, let’s make sure we’re ready to listen.

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Tags hear God, supernatural

Reviews of Books & Movies

Book Review: Escaping the Cauldron

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date July 26, 2013

Escaping the Cauldron: Exposing occult influences in everyday life

By Kristine McGuire (reviewed by Peter DeHaan)

In Escaping the Cauldron, Kristine McGuire shares her rollercoaster ride with the occult.

What at first seemed like harmless play and entertaining experimentation, eventually progressed into a full-blown embrace of dark spiritual forces. Kristine became a witch.

For a time, she pursued her secret life in tandem with Christian practices. Then she turned her back on her faith, before attempting to integrate the two, as a Christian witch.

Kristine’s experience shows that spiritual forces are at work all around us, both good and evil. The good is from God, while the evil forces, though perhaps inviting at first, ultimately enslave and control those who let them in.

Kristine’s story ends well, having been freed by Jesus, she reveals truth about the occult, witchcraft, and magick, warning all who will listen to spurn society’s gullible embrace of the paranormal and avoid being sucked into its insidious pull.

Escaping the Cauldron is part memoir and part tutorial—and completely helpful in discerning fact from fake and wise practices from the unwise ones.

We need to be informed and alert, being spiritually perceptive of the supernatural forces in the world.

[Escaping the Cauldron: Exposing occult influences in everyday life, by Kristine McGuire. Published by Charisma House, 2012, ISBN: 978-1616386979, 240 pages.]

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Tags memoir, supernatural

Bible Insights

What’s the Meaning of Manna?

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date April 11, 2013
3 Comments on What’s the Meaning of Manna?

When the nation of Israel was in the desert between Egypt and the land God promised to give them, stuck in time-out, they needed something to eat.

God supernaturally provided a substance called manna. It sustained them for forty years while in the Sinai Peninsula.

Although the Bible describes manna, the explanation leaves me wanting. Apparently it was a nutritious foodstuff. It had multiple uses and physically nourished them, either in part or in whole, while living in the desert.

In a practical sense, God gave them manna to keep them alive. However, there’s more.

Moses writes that:

God humbled his people. Being hungry will do that. Consider the implications to fasting.
In their hunger, God provided for them.
The lesson in this was that “man does not live on bread alone.” Yeah, Moses said that. Does it sound familiar?
In addition to eating manna (bread) for physical sustenance, God wanted his people to also depend on him for their spiritual sustenance, living on his words—all of them.

Several centuries later, when Satan tempted Jesus to perform a miracle in order to feed himself, Jesus quoted Moses: “Man shall not live on bread alone.”

The implication is that even more important than eating food, is hearing God. Spiritual needs trump the physical.

But there’s more. Later, when Jesus taught his disciples to pray, one phrase was “Give us today our daily bread.” This is a request to meet both our physical and our spiritual needs.

Manna is a means to live, both physically and spiritually; we need both every day.

[Deuteronomy 8:3, Matthew 4:4 and Luke 4:4, Matthew 6:11 and Luke 11:3]

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Tags daily bread, Egypt, manna, supernatural