Glory Awaits!
DECEMBER 2024 NEWSLETTER
Hello Reader,
Heaven has been on my mind a lot recently. So I took a deep dive into the biblical terms regarding the afterlife, such as Hades, Sheol, and heaven. Below you’ll find links to what I discovered and to an interview I gave on heaven a couple weeks ago. Below them are an article on David and Bathsheba, three Christmas-themed items (including a digital download), and two book recommendations. Have an amazing Christmas!
Blessings,
Jean E. Jones
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New Articles and Podcasts
Jesus’s birth brought him to earth that he might bring us to heaven. But where is heaven, and what will it be like?
Hades, Sheol, Hell, Heaven, Paradise and More
Article
Ever get confused over words like Hades, Sheol, paradise, and New Jerusalem?
Let’s clear up the confusion and make sense of where people will spend the afterlife. We’ll look first at neutral names for the realm of the dead. Then we’ll dive into designations for the places we don’t want to go. Finally, we’ll tackle the titles for the spaces of bliss.
A Correct View of Heaven
Podcast
Is heaven an all-white aerial harp-strumming tedium? Women in Apologetics interviewed me on “A Correct View of Heaven” in November. If you missed the live stream, watch it now on YouTube.
Did David Rape Bathsheba?
Article by Clay and Jean E. Jones
“David didn’t fornicate. David raped. And if you understand the power dynamics and you understand the Hebrew and you look at the Levitical examples and discussion of rape and you understand what Nathan is saying in his parable, it is abundantly clear from that text that David raped.” So said Rachael Denhollander, the American Olympic team gymnast who was first to publicly accuse team physician Larry Nassar of sexual assault. She is emphatic that rape is the only evidential and logical explanation of what happened between David and Bathsheba. Sadly, Denhollander endured a lot of sexual abuse in her life, and we hurt for her, but we disagree with her contention that David raped Bathsheba.
Christmas-Themed links
Here are three previous Christmas-themed posts you might have missed.
A Christmas Poem
Digital Download
A Christmas Poem celebrates the birth of Jesus. You can download a lovely printable copy that reader Abby Hickey created or read it online. Here’s the first stanza:
Word in beginning, all things through him made;
Word was with God and was God, yet he weighed
Cost of redeeming lost man from the grave:
Word became flesh, so that man he could save...
3 Amazing Ways Christmas Fulfilled Prophecy in the OT
Article
Many Christmas carols celebrate the birth of Jesus and the reasons he came to earth. Some, like Handel’s “For Unto Us a Child Is Born,” quote Old Testament prophecies about Jesus.
That’s a good thing.
When times are tough and news is distressing, it helps to look at the way Jesus fulfilled Old Testament prophecy. Seeing the amazing ways God revealed the coming of Jesus sends faith soaring. That assures us God will manage the future well too.
God unfolded his plan in stages, beginning with a promise to Eve, the first woman.
“The Virgin Shall Conceive”: Why Isaiah 7:14 Confuses People
Article
For many years, the prophecy that confused me most was Isaiah 7:14: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” Every Christmas I heard pastors quote this, but none had ever explained its context. What confused me was that the next three verses say that the prophecy will be fulfilled within 14 years. If it was supposed to be fulfilled in the eighth century BC, how could it apply to Jesus?
Terrific Reads
Find links to these books on my website.
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Walking in Unity: Biblical Answers to Questions on Race and Racism
Krista Bontrager and Monique Duson
Bontrager and Duson deftly explain the reasoning behind secular culture’s current directives for bringing equity among races. They compare this with Scripture’s call for unity and finding identity in Christ rather than race. Handling difficult topics delicately, they offer biblically based solutions to hot-button issues. This is a fantastic book that I highly recommend.
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An Ode to Poison: A Livia Aemilia Mystery
Lisa E. Betz
This is a fun, clean cozy mystery set in first century Rome. Livia is a newlywed who’s already solved two murders when a new friend is poisoned. Her husband is dismayed over some of the foolish risks she takes, but also needs her help to clear his brother’s name. What I enjoy most in Betz’s books is learning about the culture of the early Christians. There’s a helpful cast of characters and glossary.
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What's New
Book News
We finished the first draft of “How Does God Use Suffering for Good?” and we’re now editing it! We hope to submit it in December.
As I mentioned in my last newsletter, once we’ve submitted the manuscript, I plan to talk to our publisher about two new Bible studies. It takes about a year to get a book out, but the free digital download of The Story Personal Journal and Discussion Guide could tide you over.
