The phrase “valley of decision” comes from Joel 3:14 in the Bible. In this verse, Joel is prophesying about the day of the Lord, a time of judgment for the nations who have oppressed God’s people. The verse reads: “Multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.” (Joel 3:14 ESV) So what does this mysterious “valley of decision” refer to? There are a few key things to understand: 1. It’s an actual geographical valley The “valley of decision” refers to an actual valley located near Jerusalem. The Hebrew…
Author: Richard Curi
The prophecy in Joel 2:28 that God will pour out His Spirit on all people is an important one that points to the coming of the Messiah and the establishment of the New Covenant. Here is the verse: “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.” (Joel 2:28 ESV) To understand the meaning and significance of this verse, we need to examine several aspects: 1. The context of the prophecy in…
Religious pluralism is the belief that multiple religions can coexist peacefully and that no single religion has an exclusive claim to absolute truth. According to religious pluralism, all religions contain some measure of truth, but no one religion contains the whole truth. Religious pluralists believe that human understanding of the divine is limited and no one perspective fully captures absolute reality. As such, religious pluralists argue that followers of different religions should respect each other’s beliefs and practices without necessarily accepting the validity of those beliefs. The Bible does not explicitly endorse a pluralistic perspective, but it does contain teachings…
The conflict between science and creationism has a long history, going back hundreds of years. At the core of this conflict are fundamentally different worldviews about how the universe and life came to be. The scientific community is largely aligned with naturalistic evolutionary concepts, while creationists hold to a supernatural creation account described in the Bible. There are several key reasons why most scientists oppose creationism: 1. Creationism is seen as unscientific Science relies on the scientific method – objective observation, measurement, experimentation, formulation and testing of hypotheses. Scientific theories must be falsifiable and supported by evidence. Creationism is viewed…
The so-called “Jesus Family Tomb” refers to a tomb discovered in Talpiot, Jerusalem in 1980 that some have claimed belongs to Jesus of Nazareth and his family. The tomb contained ossuaries (bone boxes) with Aramaic inscriptions bearing the names “Jesus son of Joseph,” “Mary,” “Matthew,” “Judas son of Jesus,” “Joseph” and others. Based on these inscriptions and statistical analysis, some have theorized that this was the burial tomb of Jesus, his mother Mary, his brother Judas, his wife Mary Magdalene, and their son Judas. However, most scholars and archaeologists have disputed this sensational claim, arguing that the names on the…
Joseph was the earthly father of Jesus Christ. Though not the biological father of Jesus, Joseph was married to Mary, Jesus’ mother, and helped raise and provide for Jesus during his childhood and young adult years. Joseph plays an important role in the Christmas story about Jesus’ birth, as well as in protecting Jesus from harm as a baby. Here is an in-depth look at who Joseph was and what the Bible teaches about his life and importance: Joseph’s Lineage and Occupation Joseph was of the lineage of David. Both the gospels of Matthew and Luke record Joseph’s genealogy, tracing…
The pre-wrath view of the rapture is one interpretation of biblical end times prophecy that places the rapture of believers closer to the middle of the tribulation period rather than at its beginning (as in the pre-tribulation view) or its end (as in the post-tribulation view). The pre-wrath view holds that the rapture will occur sometime during the second half of the seven-year tribulation period, after the Great Tribulation begins but before God’s final wrath is poured out. This view was developed in the 1990s by Robert Van Kampen and Marvin Rosenthal. Some of the key strengths cited by pre-wrath…
Why did God use a locust swarm to punish Israel (Joel 1:4)? God used a locust swarm to punish Israel as described in Joel 1:4 for several reasons. 1. To get Israel’s attention and call them to repentance The locust swarm was a dramatic and devastating event, stripping the land bare and destroying the crops. This was designed to get Israel’s attention after they had turned away from God. The loss of crops and farming devastated the economy, causing suffering and want. This would jolt the people out of their spiritual apathy and complacency, and make them realize their need…
Luis Palau was an influential evangelical Christian evangelist who was born in Argentina in 1934 but later immigrated to the United States. He preached the gospel for over 50 years and was known for his massive evangelistic campaigns that drew hundreds of thousands of people. Palau had a gifted ability to communicate biblical truths in a simple yet compelling way. He authored over 50 books and reached millions through radio, television, and the internet. Though he was criticized by some for his associations with high-profile individuals like Billy Graham, he remained faithful in proclaiming the good news about Jesus Christ…
The Jerusalem Council described in Acts 15 was a pivotal event in the early Christian church. It addressed the major question of whether Gentile converts to Christianity needed to adhere to Jewish law and customs, especially circumcision. The issue threatened to divide the early church, so the apostles and elders gathered in Jerusalem to debate and decide the matter. After much discussion, Peter, Paul, Barnabas, and James argued forcefully that requiring circumcision and full adherence to the Mosaic law would be a burden too great for the new Gentile believers. They testified to how God showed His acceptance of the…