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Before Christianity: The Real Origins of the Lake of Fire

Before Christianity: The Real Origins of the Lake of Fire When most people hear the phrase “lake of fire,” they immediately think of the Book of Revelation. But the idea of divine fire used for judgment or purification didn’t start with Christianity—and it didn’t even start with Judaism. Long before Revelation was written, ancient cultures across Egypt, Persia, Mesopotamia, and Greece had already developed their own fiery afterlives, burning rivers, and infernal lakes. If anything, Revelation’s imagery is a late arrival in a very old tradition. This blog will walk through the exact ancient texts—not generalizations—that show how widespread the “lake of fire” concept was before Christianity. Egypt: The Oldest Literal “Lakes of Fire” Ancient Egypt contains the earliest known references to actual lakes of fire in the afterlife—centuries before the Hebrew Bible was fully formed and more than a thousand years before Christianity existed. In the Book of the Dead, two passages stand out: Spel...
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A Tale of Two Ephesian Churches: Rereading Ephesians and Revelation from a Non-Pauline Perspective

A  Tale of Two Ephesian Churches: Rereading Ephesians and Revelation from a Non-Pauline Perspective When most Christians read Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians and the message to the Ephesian church in Revelation 2, they assume both texts describe the same healthy, unified community. After all, both writings are addressed to believers in the same major Roman city, and only a generation separates them. But when you take off the Pauline lens, a very different picture emerges. Instead of continuity, we find tension. Instead of stability, we find ideological conflict. And instead of a smooth theological evolution, we find evidence of a split: a Pauline version of the Ephesian community in the 60s CE, and a post-Pauline, Torah-rooted reformation of that same community by the 90s CE. This blog explores how these two portraits make sense from an Non-Pauline viewpoint—one where Paul changed the movement, and Revelation attempts to pull it back. Two Letters, Two Worlds: Paul’s Praise vs. Revel...
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Leviticus 19:34 and Ezekiel 47:22: A Principle of Continuity, Not Replacement

L eviticus 19:34 and Ezekiel 47:22: A Principle of Continuity, Not Replacement Many Christian readings of the Hebrew Bible argue that the inclusion of outsiders becomes possible only under a “New Covenant” introduced by Jesus. Yet the Hebrew Bible itself already articulated a clear ethic of inclusion—one that Judaism treated as continuous rather than revolutionary. Two passages are especially important: Leviticus 19:34 and Ezekiel 47:22. Together, they show that the idea of incorporating the non-Israelite resident was not a late Christian invention, but a longstanding Jewish principle rooted in Torah and extended into visions of Israel’s restoration. Leviticus 19:34 already teaches the principle Leviticus commands Israel to treat the resident foreigner (the ger) as a native-born member: “The foreigner residing with you shall be to you as the native among you; and you shall love him as yourself …” This is not merely social tolerance; it is legal inclusion. The ger shares the protections...
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The New Covenant in Judaism: The Gentiles Role

T he New Covenant in Judaism: The Gentiles Role When many Christians read the Hebrew Bible, the term “new covenant” (Jeremiah 31) becomes a theological pivot—the moment Judaism supposedly ends and Christianity begins. But within Judaism itself, “new covenant” does not mean abolition, replacement, or supersession. It means renewal of the existing covenant with Israel, and restoration of the people after crisis and exile. And inside that restored order, Gentiles are invited—but not as rulers, judges, or instruments of punishment. Instead, they come as those who learn from Israel, witness Israel’s restoration, and share in the blessings of Israel’s renewed relationship with God. Not Instruments of Judgment Against Israel In earlier prophetic literature, foreign powers could function as divine instruments (Assyria, Babylon). But in the eschatological expectation of restoration, this reverses. The restored covenant era sees the end of Gentile domination and judgment against Israel. Instead ...
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The New Covenant in Judaism: The Exiles' Role

The New Covenant in Judaism: The Exiles' Role Christian theology often reads Jeremiah’s promise of a “new covenant” (Jeremiah 31) as the moment a new religion begins, mediated through Jesus and replacing Israel’s previous covenantal structure. But within Judaism and within the logic of the Hebrew Bible itself, this “new” covenant is not a new religion and definitely not a replacement. It is a renewed covenant, specifically for the exiled peoples of Israel and Judah, who return to the land with transformed hearts and restored faithfulness. The context of Jeremiah 31 is not the invention of Christianity—it is the crisis of exile. The Northern kingdom (Israel/Ephraim) was scattered by Assyria, and the Southern kingdom (Judah) was conquered by Babylon. Jeremiah’s hope centers on the reunification and restoration of both. The Exiled Peoples, Not a New Group Jeremiah explicitly says this renewed covenant is for: the house of Israel the house of Judah It’s a promise to the same covenant p...
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