Evers Bible Class - A Gentle Ramble through the Bible

                                                                   Laying the Foundation of the New Temple    Ezra 2-4:5, Haggai, Zechariah 1-4 The newly returned exiles start off by building an altar for their future Temple and beginning sacrifices and feast days. But they and their leaders, Joshua and Zerubbabel, run into stiff resistance laying the foundation of the new Temple in Jerusalem. The opposition delays them for years.  When they do lay the foundation, they have a huge celebration, but the size of the new Temple’s footprint is so small and pathetic the elders actually weep in sorrow. Joshua and Zerubbabel are clearly discouraged. But the Lord sends the prophet Zechariah with magnificent words of encouragement that have reverberated through the ages. A free Study Guide is available. A video version of the class is available on YouTube. More info at EversBibleClass.com .

                                                                  Daniel's Grand Finale    Daniel 11b-12 After the set-up of the timeline in the “70 Sevens,” the angel goes on to explain to Daniel a series of wars and intrigue between a King of the North and a King of the South.  All of the details fit perfectly with what happens historically between Antiochus IV Epiphanes and Egypt--until the time Antiochus dies. Then the events no longer match up to history. Even before that, the wording in Daniel begins to wobble between the time of these kings and the End Times. There are several clear End Time markers in the text, including prophecy about resurrection and judgment and the afterlife. In our breakout groups, we take a look at how beliefs regarding the afterlife morphed over the biblical period and we think about these influences on God’s people. A free Study Guide is available. A video version of the class is available on YouTube. More info at EversBibleClass.com .

                                                                 Prophecy or History?    Ezra 1, Neh 7, Daniel 10-11a In a surprise move, Cyrus the Great decrees that any exiles who wish to may return to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple. He orders exiles staying behind to contribute gifts towards the effort, and Cyrus himself sends gold and silver from the treasury. Meanwhile, in Babylon, Daniel is visited by an angel who gives him a detailed account of the future. The prophecy is so detailed that we can match it up exactly to historical events until about 165 BCE, then the wheels fall off the wagon.  Did Daniel’s prophecy morph to the more distant future at that point? Was his original prophecy overwritten with historical detail and recorded around 165 BCE, leaving the rest of the prophecy untouched? A free Study Guide is available. A video version of the class is available on YouTube. More info at EversBibleClass.com .

                                                                The 70 Sevens    The 70 Sevens and the End of the Exile Jeremiah prophesied that the exile would last 70 years, and in the first year of King Cyrus of Persia Daniel realizes the 70 years is up. He prays for God to remember his promise, and immediately, God sends the angel Gabriel with news of great blessings that will occur during a set of “70 Sevens.” The news isn’t exactly what Daniel is expecting, but it is great news nevertheless. Gabriel ends his news with some rather alarming predictions about the Messiah and the end times. We’ll take a look at the “70 Sevens” and see how we might make sense of them.  A free Study Guide is available. A video version of the class is available on YouTube. More info at EversBibleClass.com .

                                                               The Writing on the Wall    Mene, Mene, Tekel, Uparsin So-called King Belshazzar is full of himself. He has no respect whatsoever for God. But when he dares to drink from the vessels stolen from the Temple, a disembodied hand inscribes mysterious words on the wall. He does not know it yet, but these words spell the end of his kingdom. Daniel survives the change of regime. He’s elderly now, but he quickly becomes an invaluable advisor to the new Median/Persian government. This, of course, makes him some bitter enemies who cause Daniel to be sentenced to immediate execution. We get our first glimpse of the Apocrypha as we compare the Sunday School standard version of Daniel in the Lions’ Den with the Apocryphal story of Bel and the Dragon. A free Study Guide is available. A video version of the class is available on YouTube. More info at EversBibleClass.com .