September 16, 2025

Did Jesus Use the Septuagint?

By The Paleofundamentalist

The view of many mainstream scholars today is that Jesus used the Septuagint (LXX; i.e., the translation of the O.T. in Greek) as His Bible. The primary evidence offered in support of this view is that many of His quotations from the O.T. appear to better match the Greek text of the LXX than the Hebrew (Masoretic) text. That evidence, however, must be weighed against the fact that the earliest extant manuscript copies of the LXX come from several centuries after Christ, creating the possibility that the Greek text for these O.T. verses could have been taken from their N.T. quotations in order to create an exact, verbatim match (which otherwise is not the pattern of scriptural quotation seen in the Bible). Is there alternative evidence in favor of Jesus’ use of the Hebrew O.T. rather than the LXX? The answer to that question is YES, and the evidence is quite compelling.

In Luke 24:44, Jesus made reference to the written O.T. scriptures:

“And [Jesus] said unto them, These are the worlds which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.”

Implicit in these words of Jesus is the structure and organization of the Hebrew Bible (which is equivalent in content to the O.T.). The books of the Hebrew Bible (i.e., TNK, or Tanakh) are organized into three sections: the law [of Moses] (Heb., Torah), the prophets (Heb., Nevi’im), and the writings (Heb., Ketuvim; the first book in this section is the Psalms). By referring to the entirety of the (O.T.) scriptures as the law, the prophets, and the psalms, Jesus presupposed the organization of the O.T. canon that appears only in the Hebrew scriptures. In contrast, the books in the LXX (which also contains many non-canonical books) are organized much like they appear in modern English Bibles (e.g., historical books, wisdom books, and prophetic books). Thus, Jesus’ words presuppose the Hebrew Bible, not the Greek Septuagint.

This presupposition of a Hebrew Bible is seen again in Matthew 23:35, where Jesus refers to the first and last martyrs in the O.T. as:

“That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.”

Abel is the first martyr recorded in Genesis 4, and Zacharias is the last martyr recorded in 2 Chronicles 24. Genesis is the first book in the Hebrew Bible, and 2 Chronicles is the last book in the Hebrew Bible. Again, Jesus’ words presuppose the Hebrew Bible, not the Greek Septuagint.

Did Jesus use the Septuagint? NO, Jesus used the Hebrew scriptures.

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , | posted in Textual Studies

August 12, 2025

Who Are the Many?

By The Paleofundamentalist

The adjective/pronoun “many” occurs hundreds of times in the Bible, both Old and New Testaments. In the vast majority of those instances, the immediate context makes clear to whom/what “many” refers. However, there are a small number of important instances in which there is no definite referent for “many” (e.g., Dan8:25; 9:27; 11:14,18,26,33,34,39; 12:10; Matt19:30; 20:16; 20:28; 22:14; 26:28; Mk10:31,45; 14:24; Luk14:16); it should be noted that these instances tend to occur primarily in the O.T. and the synoptic Gospels, whose focus is the nation of Israel under the Dispensation of Law. In these instances, the “many” refers to Israel. For a study of this issue, see the article Who Are the Many? under the Biblical Studies tab.

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , | posted in Biblical Studies

August 31, 2024

The Pre-Trib Rapture is the Sign

By The Paleofundamentalist

To the question of His disciples, “And what shall be the sign of thy coming” (Matt24:4), Jesus responded with the Olivet discourse (Matt24:4-41; Mk13:5-37; Luk17:26-37) in which He gave an expanded recounting of Daniel’s 70th Week (Dan9:27; which would be greatly expanded by the Apostle John in Revelation 6-19).  This recounting, as recorded by Matthew and Luke, ended with an allusion to a mysterious disappearance.  Jesus said, “I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed [i.e., night]; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.  Two women shall be grinding together [i.e., morning]; the one shall be taken, and the other left.  Two men shall be in the field [i.e., afternoon]; the one shall be taken, and the other left” (Luke 17:34-36).

Dispensationalists have long disputed the proper understanding of Matthew 24:36-42 and Luke 17:26-37 which relates a future event in which a multitude of persons around the world instantaneously disappear.  On its face, this event would seem to correlate with the Rapture of the Church (cf. 1Cor15:51-52; 1Thess4:13-17), yet the majority of Dispensationalists, especially those adhering to the revised Dispensationalism of Walvoord, Ryrie, and Pentecost, have argued that the Rapture of the Church has no logical place in Jesus’ Olivet discourse.  Rather, the Olivet discourse pertains only to the nation of Israel and has nothing to do with the Church, which at that time had not yet been revealed.  While it is admitted that the birth of the Church had not yet taken place, nor does Jesus refer to it by name, He most certainly referred to its Rapture at the end of the Olivet discourse.

Jesus’ Olivet discourse is not about the Church; rather, it is a message to the nation of Israel.  But its subject concerns the “sign” for which the nation of Israel should “watch” (cf. Matt24:42; Mk13:33-37) in order to know that the second “coming” of Christ is near (cf. Matt24:4).  While Jesus gave numerous signs throughout the discourse (e.g., “wars and rumors of wars”, “pestilences”, “earthquakes”, “the abomination of desolation”, and “false Christs, and false prophets”), He concluded the discourse with the ultimate “sign”; it is the “sign” that precedes all the other signs, and one which cannot possibly be missed by the nation of Israel (and the world), which is the unexpected, sudden, and instantaneous disappearance of a multitude of persons all around the world.  It awaited the writings of the Apostle Paul to fully reveal the doctrine concerning the Rapture of the Church which ends the parenthetical Dispensation of Grace, a temporary pause in God’s prophetic program for the nation of Israel, but the Lord Jesus most certainly pointed to the event as the “sign” to the nation of Israel that the return of Christ was drawing near.

The moment after the Rapture of the Church, no believer will remain on earth.  And yet, 144,000 Jews will be converted and used by God to evangelize the whole world during the Tribulation (cf. Matt24:13; Mk13:10; Rev7:1-17).  How are these Jews converted?  Might not the sudden disappearance of millions of people around the world, for which Jesus exhorted the nation of Israel to watch, be the “sign” that triggers the conversion of the 144,000? Maranatha!

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , | posted in Biblical Studies

August 9, 2024

Interpreting Scripture

By The Paleofundamentalist

Covenant (Reformed) Theology and Dispensational Theology have long debated the proper hermeneutic to use when interpreting Scripture.  While both use a literal method for much of Scripture, Dispensationalism (especially so-called Revised Dispensationalism under Charles Ryrie) has emphasized the consistent use of literal interpretation for all of Scripture.  This is seen most clearly in that both Dispensationalism and Covenant Theology interpret historical narratives literally, whereas Covenant Theology often interprets prophetic passages of Scripture allegorically.  Forgotten in this discussion is that Classical Dispensationalism as developed under the Plymouth Brethren, Scofield, Chafer, and especially Arno Gaebelein, while not denying the literal historicity of historical passages, also allowed for a typological understanding of them (see the CHART: Philosophies of Interpretation under the Biblical Studies tab).  They viewed many of the Bible’s historical accounts as establishing patterns having prophetic significance (cf. Eccl1:9-10; 3:15; Cp., Rom5:14; Col2:17; Heb8:5; 10:1; 11:19).  Indeed, the Apostle Paul affirmed that O.T. historical accounts “were written for our learning, that we, through patience and comfort of the scriptures, might have hope” (Rom15:4), and that “all these things happened to them for ensamples, and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come” (1Cor10:11).  The word translated “ensamples” is from the Greek tupos (i.e., types). Typology is a rich and fruitful feature of Scripture that should not be neglected!

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , | posted in Biblical Studies

June 4, 2024

The Identity of the 24 Elders

By The Paleofundamentalist

In Revelation 4:4, “four and twenty elders” are seen by the Apostle John sitting on “four and twenty [thrones]” in heaven.  The identity of these 24 elders has long been debated.  However, most Dispensationalists have traditionally held that the 24 elders represent the completed Church (i.e., the Body of Christ).  If that view is correct, the completed Church is in heaven before the 7-year Tribulation (i.e., the 70th Week of Daniel; Dan9:27) begins in Revelation 6, which all but necessitates a pre-tribulational rapture of the Church; such a conclusion is seemingly inescapable.  Hence, the correct identification of the 24 elders is pivotal to a proper understanding of the chronological sequence of eschatological events. A systematic analysis of the Identity of the 24 Elders can be found under the Biblical Studies tab.

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , | posted in Biblical Studies

March 8, 2024

Biblical Value of π

By The Paleofundamentalist

Skeptics have long mocked the Bible’s alleged scientific inaccuracies. In the linked video, Neil deGrasse Tyson asserts the Bible teaches π = 3.0. See Video.

To learn the truth, see the article Biblical Value of π under the Creation Studies tab.

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , | posted in Creation Studies

January 20, 2024

Noah and Adam

By The Paleofundamentalist

Noah and Adam are related, both seminally and typologically. In many ways, Noah typologically recapitulates Adam’s original fall and its consequences for humanity. For an outline of this connection, see Noah and Adam under the Biblical Studies tab.

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , | posted in Biblical Studies

December 20, 2023

When Was Jesus Born?

By The Paleofundamentalist

Although Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ on December 25, that is almost certainly not the correct month/date of our Savior’s birth. Actually, Scripture gives us a relatively clear indication of when Jesus was born; namely, in the September-October timeframe. See the new Chart: WHEN WAS JESUS BORN? under the Biblical Studies tab for an overview of the calculation using scriptural clues.

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , | posted in Biblical Studies

February 14, 2021

Why Were the Thessalonians Shaken?

By The Paleofundamentalist

The second chapter of Paul’s second epistle to the Thessalonians is a mighty tour-de-force polemic for the pre-tribulational nature of the rapture of the Church.  It has long been recognized that the Restrainer of 2 Thessalonians 2:7 is the Holy Spirit, and that His removal before the Antichrist is revealed (i.e., before the Tribulation begins) necessitates the rapture of the Church due to the Spirit’s indwelling of the Body of Christ as a temple in the present dispensation (1Cor6:19).  It has more recently been recognized that the “falling away” in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 (KJV; Greek, apostasia) that also must occur before the Antichrist is revealed is in context better understood to be a departure (i.e., the rapture of the Church).  However, even without these clear and powerful witnesses, a pre-tribulational rapture of the Church is a necessary inference from Paul’s opening to the chapter in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2.

FIGURE 1. Timing of the Rapture in the Pre-Trib, Mid-Trib,
Pre-Wrath, and Post-Trib Views.

In 2 Thessalonians 2:1, Paul introduces the subject of the chapter as “the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together unto him”.  The subject is a single event, since the first substantive clause is articulated and the second is not, being connected by an epexegetical kai in the Greek text (i.e., the Granville Sharp rule).  Paul’s subject is that particular “coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” which involves “our gathering together unto him” (cf. Jn14:1-3; 1Thess4:13-18). Thus, the subject of the chapter is the rapture of the Church.

In 2 Thessalonians 2:2, it is revealed that the Thessalonians had become “shaken in mind” and “troubled”, apparently as a result of a “letter as from us” (i.e., a letter alleging to be from the Apostle Paul, which was in fact a forgery). Their alarm was caused by the fact that the letter asserted that “the day of the Lord” had begun. The remainder of the chapter presents an iron-clad polemic for why that could not possibly be the case. However, one must ask why this news so disturbed the Thessalonians; why were the Thessalonians shaken?

In 2 Thessalonians 2:5 Paul reminds the Thessalonians that he had previously instructed them concerning this subject. Indeed, Paul’s first epistle to the Thessalonians discusses the rapture in every chapter (cf. 1Thess1:9-10; 2:19; 3:13; 4:13-17; 5:1-11). Presumably Paul had taught them when the rapture would occur relative to the coming 7-year Tribulation (i.e., the day of the Lord; 2Thess2:2). If he had taught them that the rapture of the Church would occur mid-trib, pre-wrath, or post-trib (i.e., any view that sees the rapture of the Church as occurring at some point during the Tribulation; see FIGURE 1), there is no reason for the Thessalonians to be “shaken” or “troubled”. There would be no inconsistency between those rapture views and the counterfeit message alleging that the Tribulation had begun. Rather than causing them to be “shaken”, such news would be cause for excitement and anticipation, since it would mean that their rapture was necessarily drawing near. However, if Paul had taught the Thessalonians that the rapture of the Church would occur before the Tribulation begins (i.e., pre-trib), then it is easily understandable why news that it had begun would be so troubling; if true, it would mean either: 1) that Apostle Paul’s previous teaching was untrue, or 2) the rapture of the Church had already occurred, and they had been left behind.

Only a belief in a pre-trib rapture as taught to the Thessalonians by the Apostle Paul explains why they were so “shaken” and “troubled” by the counterfeit message that the day of the Lord (i.e., the Tribulation) had begun. No other rapture view would have troubled the believers at Thessalonica. Properly understood, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2 is a powerful witness to the fact that the Apostle Paul taught that the rapture of the Church would be pre-trib!

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , | posted in Biblical Studies

February 14, 2021

Jude: Contending for the Faith Amidst Apostasy

By The Paleofundamentalist

“Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” (Jude 3)

A brief one chapter epistle written by the half-brother of Jesus, the theme of Jude is contending for the historic faith delivered by the apostles in the midst of a present and growing apostasy (Jude 3-4). Jude describes the false teachers and doctrines that, beginning in the 1st century, would “wax worse and worse” (2 Timothy 3:13) throughout the Church Age. The messages of Jude and 2 Peter are very similar. As the message of 2 Peter is given in the future tense, whereas that of Jude appears in the present tense (Cp., Jude 3; 2 Peter 2:1), it is apparent that Jude was written after 2 Peter and quotes from it. The shocking message of Jude is that the apostasy prophesied by Peter had begun! As our culture increasingly rejects the Biblical worldview and rushes to embrace paganism, the message of Jude could not be more relevant for the days in which we live.

A Bible study class on The Epistle of Jude will begin in March 2021. The notes and audio for the study will be updated weekly. You can find them under the Biblical Studies menu; check periodically to follow the study as it progresses. God bless!

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , | posted in Biblical Studies