In this episode of God and His Prophets, we walk verse-by-verse through Zechariah 4, the fifth of Zechariah’s night visions. At the center of the vision stands a golden lampstand fed by two olive trees—an image packed with meaning about the Holy Spirit’s power, God’s faithfulness, and how His work is accomplished.

This chapter delivers one of Scripture’s most quoted truths:

“Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.”

The vision was given to Zerubbabel, the governor charged with rebuilding Jerusalem after the exile, at a time when the task felt overwhelming and progress painfully slow. God’s message is clear: the work will be finished—not through human effort or strength—but through divine empowerment.

Along the way, we explore discouragement, small beginnings, perseverance, and how God supplies exactly what His servants need to complete the work He assigns.

Watch these episodes at my Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@LukeTaylorPodcasts

Need to get in touch with me? Reach me at GodAndHisProphetsPodcast@gmail.com

If you’re looking for a Bible study podcast that goes deep into the major and minor prophets, God and His Prophets offers a verse by verse Bible study through these powerful Old Testament writings. Each episode explores the prophecy in the Bible, from the Book of Ezekiel study and later in Zechariah, helping listeners in understanding prophetic books and seeing their relevance today. We also connect the prophets’ words to end times Bible teaching and highlight connections to Revelation, giving you a Christian Bible commentary that equips you for spiritual insight and growth.

(This is a sermon I preached earlier this year at First Assembly of God in Carl Junction)

There is so much to pick apart in Balaam’s story. There are a lot more strange things going on than just a talking donkey.

For example, in the first chapter where Balaam appears, he does exactly what God says, and then it says that God wanted to kill him for it.

Some men approached Balaam and asked him to curse the Israelites for them, and here’s what it said:

Numbers 22:20-22

20 And God came to Balaam at night and said to him, “If the men have come to call you, rise, go with them; but only do what I tell you.” 21 So Balaam rose in the morning and saddled his donkey and went with the princes of Moab.

So far so good, right? God says go. Balaam goes.

22 But God's anger was kindled because he went, and the angel of the Lord took his stand in the way as his adversary.

It will even say later that this angel of the Lord was standing there to literally kill Balaam! But why- wasn’t Balaam doing exactly what God wanted? That’s the question we’re going to analyze in this message.

Watch these episodes at my Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@LukeTaylorPodcasts

Need to get in touch with me? Reach me at GodAndHisProphetsPodcast@gmail.com

If you’re looking for a Bible study podcast that goes deep into the major and minor prophets, God and His Prophets offers a verse by verse Bible study through these powerful Old Testament writings. Each episode explores the prophecy in the Bible, from the Book of Ezekiel study and later in Zechariah, helping listeners in understanding prophetic books and seeing their relevance today. We also connect the prophets’ words to end times Bible teaching and highlight connections to Revelation, giving you a Christian Bible commentary that equips you for spiritual insight and growth.

Joy to the World, the Lord is come, let earth receive her king.

We sing those words every Christmas, but did you know those lyrics are not about when Jesus came into this world? Not the first time, anyway.

That’s a song about the Second Coming of Christ- when Jesus returns to take over as King of the World, when for a thousand years He rules the world with truth and grace.

We’re gonna learn about what we can expect when Jesus comes back today on the God and His Prophets podcast.

Watch these episodes at my Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@LukeTaylorPodcasts

Need to get in touch with me? Reach me at GodAndHisProphetsPodcast@gmail.com

If you’re looking for a Bible study podcast that goes deep into the major and minor prophets, God and His Prophets offers a verse by verse Bible study through these powerful Old Testament writings. Each episode explores the prophecy in the Bible, from the Book of Ezekiel study and later in Zechariah, helping listeners in understanding prophetic books and seeing their relevance today. We also connect the prophets’ words to end times Bible teaching and highlight connections to Revelation, giving you a Christian Bible commentary that equips you for spiritual insight and growth.

How do you handle it when a Christian friend is starting to drift away from the faith?

How do you navigate tricky issues like when to say something, and how forceful about it to be?

And most importantly: does the Bible give us any guidance about this sticky subject?

I am happy to say: YES, yes it does- in fact, the book of Zechariah is going to help get us there- and you’ll find out what it says today on the God and His Prophets podcast.

Watch these episodes at my Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@LukeTaylorPodcasts

Need to get in touch with me? Reach me at GodAndHisProphetsPodcast@gmail.com

If you’re looking for a Bible study podcast that goes deep into the major and minor prophets, God and His Prophets offers a verse by verse Bible study through these powerful Old Testament writings. Each episode explores the prophecy in the Bible, from the Book of Ezekiel study and later in Zechariah, helping listeners in understanding prophetic books and seeing their relevance today. We also connect the prophets’ words to end times Bible teaching and highlight connections to Revelation, giving you a Christian Bible commentary that equips you for spiritual insight and growth.

This is an episode of the Weird Stuff in the Bible podcast, which I'm also sharing here on God and His Prophets as a follow-up to Monday's episode.

What I like about Matthew’s Gospel is that he connects the Old Testament to the New. He’ll include a verse from the Old Testament and say something like, “As the prophet Jeremiah said…” or “As the prophet Isaiah said…” I appreciate that he cites his sources.

Except for that time that, well, he didn’t. And we have no idea where it came from.

It’s in the Christmas story, Matthew chapter 2, where it says in

Verse 23

And he [Jesus] went and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene.

That all sounds fine, except: which prophet said that the Messiah would be called a Nazarene? And it wasn’t just one; Matthew said it was “spoken by the prophets” which means more than one. And yet you can scour your Old Testament and you will never find a single verse that the Christ would be called a Nazarene. In fact, you won’t find a single mention of Nazareth at all.

So what prophecy is Matthew talking about?

I find this to be weird, and I’d like to explore why it’s NOT in the Bible.

Turn to Matthew 2, and let’s get weird.

Check out the website! www.weirdstuffinthebible.com

Visit the Weird Stuff store!

https://luketaylorpodcasts.creator-spring.com

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0:00 - Introduction

2:00 - The Context

5:10 - The Nazareth Prophecy

13:50 - Mailbag

18:00 - Next Time

If you want to get in touch, my email is weirdstuffinthebible@gmail.com

Hosted by Luke Taylor

If you’re intrigued by strange Bible stories, uncovering Bible mysteries, or learning about unusual biblical teachings, this podcast is for you! Dive deep into weird Bible facts, biblical controversies, and the supernatural in the Bible, while exploring the hidden stories of the Bible you may have never heard. Get a fresh perspective as we explain the Bible in ways that challenge the norm and uncover the unexpected. I’m so glad you’re here- don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so that you never miss an episode!

As you’re driving down the road, you’re going to notice a lot of different types of signs. Some signs are instructional, like “stop” or “yield.” They’re telling you something to do.

Other signs are informational; they’re communicating some kind of relevant information to you. They might say the name of the road you’re on, or what the street up ahead is called.

And then you have the invitational signs; the gym I used to go to had a sign that said “You are now entering the judgment free zone.”

And then you also have warning signs, the signs that try to caution you that there is some kind of danger or impending doom; they’ll say “the road is out ahead” or “abandon all hope ye who enter here” or “Welcome to California.”

In the Bible, God would use particular things called “signs” to direct people to spiritual truth. For example, the miracles of Jesus were often called “signs” because they authenticated His deity. In other words, they proved that he was God. Another type of “sign” in the Scripture is prophecy: the foretelling of future events. Telling us about things that have not yet happened, the things yet to come.

By telling us what would happen before it happened, God proved that He is real, that He is the one who made these things happen, and that He knows the future, and that we can trust Him.

In the Christmas story, in the book of Matthew, we see 7 prophecies that are fulfilled in the first coming of Christ. But not just 7 prophecies; we see 7 different categories of prophecy. 7 different ways that an Old Testament prophecy can be fulfilled.

So today we’re going to answer some questions like:

• How did the wise men know that the star above Bethlehem meant the Messiah was there?
• Why did those wise men bring myrrh to the baby Jesus?
• Can a prophecy be fulfilled more than once?
• You’ll find all that out and MORE today on the God and His Prophets podcast.

Watch these episodes at my Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@LukeTaylorPodcasts

Need to get in touch with me? Reach me at GodAndHisProphetsPodcast@gmail.com

If you’re looking for a Bible study podcast that goes deep into the major and minor prophets, God and His Prophets offers a verse by verse Bible study through these powerful Old Testament writings. Each episode explores the prophecy in the Bible, from the Book of Ezekiel study and later in Zechariah, helping listeners in understanding prophetic books and seeing their relevance today. We also connect the prophets’ words to end times Bible teaching and highlight connections to Revelation, giving you a Christian Bible commentary that equips you for spiritual insight and growth.

If you ever feel like you’re not good enough for God- not clean enough- not worthy enough- to stand in His presence, let me just tell you- you’re right.

In fact, we’re going to see today that the holiest man in all of Israel was in the same boat. He stands before God absolutely filthy, and Satan is standing by to point out every last one of his flaws.

But also in this passage we’re going to study today- the fourth of Zechariah’s eight night visions- we will observe one of the clearest previews of the Gospel that you’ll find anywhere in the Old Testament.

Learn all about it today on the God and His Prophets podcast.

Watch these episodes at my Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@LukeTaylorPodcasts

Need to get in touch with me? Reach me at GodAndHisProphetsPodcast@gmail.com

If you’re looking for a Bible study podcast that goes deep into the major and minor prophets, God and His Prophets offers a verse by verse Bible study through these powerful Old Testament writings. Each episode explores the prophecy in the Bible, from the Book of Ezekiel study and later in Zechariah, helping listeners in understanding prophetic books and seeing their relevance today. We also connect the prophets’ words to end times Bible teaching and highlight connections to Revelation, giving you a Christian Bible commentary that equips you for spiritual insight and growth.

One year ago, we were digging through Ezekiel 38 and 39, one verse at a time, picking apart what all happens in the Battle of Gog and Magog.

That was when we were working through the book of Ezekiel, which we finished last April. But today, the book of Zechariah is pulling us back in that direction.

Also one year ago at this time, Gog and Magog looked a long way off. But after the events of the past few months, the doomsday clock might need some updating.

Let’s take a review of that chapter today and see if it sheds some light on what’s happening in Zechariah 2 on the God and His Prophets podcast.

Watch these episodes at my Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@LukeTaylorPodcasts

Need to get in touch with me? Reach me at GodAndHisProphetsPodcast@gmail.com

If you’re looking for a Bible study podcast that goes deep into the major and minor prophets, God and His Prophets offers a verse by verse Bible study through these powerful Old Testament writings. Each episode explores the prophecy in the Bible, from the Book of Ezekiel study and later in Zechariah, helping listeners in understanding prophetic books and seeing their relevance today. We also connect the prophets’ words to end times Bible teaching and highlight connections to Revelation, giving you a Christian Bible commentary that equips you for spiritual insight and growth.