This was a complex but thoroughly educational learning moment for me. To really utilize responsible hermeneutics with the use of literary analysis really does bring out the better understanding of the text for passages such as this one. Thank you again for this, Houseform Apologetics! Dr. Michael Heiserʼs approach has been greatly helpful for me in my study of the Old Testament. I appreciate all of his work especially the complex ones that do not compromise on the depth and complexity of the Ancient Near Eastern contexts of the Old Testament scriptures. God bless everyone in this ministry! May God continually use all of you and your resources to help students of the Word learn better.
ok, so I've been wondering why were there 42 young kids mocking a bald guy who then got mauled by a bear? It sounded like a Smiling Friends episode but Dr. Heiser's explanation makes a lot more sense. Damn Enlightenment presuppositions clouded my thinking once again.
It is just amazing how the Bible is full of passages with hidden encripted messages like this one... I'm just starting to get into more deep understanding of the word of God... Thank you for publishing this video.
Are they really hidden/encrypted or is our ignorance of the history and cultural context preventing us from what is actually clearly stated? Seems like every "confusing" passage I come across is only unclear because I am missing the context. Like the Ethiopian eunich who could read Isaiah but had no understanding of what it meant.
Yes, dont just drink the milk..eat the meat!! May my Father in Heaven bless you. Praise be to HIM, HE whom takes away the sin of the world. Satan was defeated when the one they call, " King od Kings & Lord of Lords" was nailed to the cross at calvary. He bore the sins of every man and woman and child.. past, present and future as HE is eternal as is His Word.. the Bible... the "living" word of God. It is very much alive and here in the "present" moment of time... as to truly be of and living in truth is the true gift of life. Many are those whom are lost and wandering in the dark, on a one way, wide road of destruction. Living in fall from grace, a disgrace. Pages of the Bible are turning as they have always been... be not deceived by those whom are not of the Kingdom but of the synagogue of satan. Wolves in sheeps clothing.. and remember always that satans go-to in order to deceive and destroy IS "religion". In fact, heres a fact... better known as TRUTH... theres only ONE, 1, WON truth..... ALL the rest is called "religion". Bless you brethren, may you come to and know the true "revelation" of Christ. Seek not the thoughts of the mind, rather seek first to have a softened heart of love. GOD is Love. Also read the book of "ephesians" and know what it is to gird up your loins with the armor of God. Read the Bible until it READS YOU BACK. know that Jesus IS God in the flesh. Confess and repent of any and all sins in the name of Jesus, be washed by the blood shed upon the cross at calvary for your sins, confess with your mouth that Jesus IS LORD, believe in your heart that Jesus died upon the cross for your sins, was buried and God hath raised him from the dead on the third day. Confess, profess and believe with all your heart and soul... be saved in the name of Jesus. Jesus said,anyone who comes to and believes in the Son will be made a new creation in Christ. The old things have gone away and new things are made. Dont dwell in the past not live for the future.. theres no guarantee of tomorrow. To dwell in the past is to live there... we cannot change if we are stuck in the past. Remember, we cant live on milk alone, we need food...meat to grow.
@@chrisyoung5929 and you see how far those deceptions got the muslims and Muhammed and how far the greeks made it with their "gods" zeus, aphrodites, chronos,athena,hades, gaia, hercules, apollo...etc... NOWHERE!! Theres only 1, one, won God as i stated in my last comment here. Just like theres only 1, one, uno, won TRUTH...all the rest is called "religion" ...which is satans "go-to" in order to deceive. Maybe you shoud try asking Godto show you theTRUTH and ask him to "connect the dots" sew to speak in and on your life and all the times he was right in front of you (literally) yet, you denied him. Everyones so quick to make a JUDGEMENT call when it comes to the truth in God and his Logo's....as if they, themselves are judge and jury. Well..."order in the court" I say...theres only one judge,jury, executioner and messiah.... guess what... they're ALL "created" by God...the "CREATOR".
@@chrisyoung5929 I don't think islam is growing faster but actually breeding faster as more caucasian families are having less kids while islam allows all sorts of polygamous relationship.
Leave it to non-believers to never dive deeper into the original language or the historical context; thus, creating a caricature that they then attack as a way to make them feel intelligent. Reading comprehension truly is a skill many do not have today it seems.
Dive deeper into the dunk on your own what is there to dive deeper it says children and why would adults go out of their way to mock an oldman baldhead?Its a typical seen of children from ancient times to ours,children mocking old people for thousands of years lol guy was a warlock Bible is book of warlocks, and you can see how many such verses exist its not one to say oh you know its not like that ,its full of genocides
@petrospetromixos6962 you didn't listen to a word, Dr. HEISER said. Get the mud outa your ears. If you hate God so much go outside and shake your fist at Him and tell Him you don't believe in Him. Ask Him to show Himself. I dare you.
This is the upside of social media. We get to listen and then be confused and then go back and listen again and type it into a file we can read later- And then later after my nap I get it!
Could it be reference to the 42 months of Revelation when Our father’s paternal wrath, symbolized by mother bears, is poured out on the earth without mixture?
a great big thank you is due to Dr. Joel Burnett and posthumously to Dr. Heiser for their insight into this oftentimes confusing and ambiguous passage. I feel like the light bulb has gone on for me in regards to this passage and is shining brightly. Whereas once I was apt to avoid this passage for lack of a purposeful translation, now I desire to speak on it for its deep and powerful meaning in the context of the overarching story-line of the bible as well as for the way the passage gives insight and clarity to scriptural cosmology. Thank you indeed, Dr. Joel & Dr. Heiser!
Here is what I know, Father is loving, kind, gentle, patient, just, righteous and all that He does is good. He has proved the extent to which He will go to forgive rebels and bring them back into fellowship with Him. He has the scars to prove it. So, when He executes judgment upon someone He is right in doing so.
Amen.... Only way we can understand God's actions is through repentance.... If His ways are not our ways and His thoughts not our thoughts.... We need to change our mind and let Him help us understand what He is doing/what He has done.... It is awful arrogant to believe that I a finite being would know better than an infinite God
This Yahweh god was non of that. Your last sentence was the wrong part. Everything else you were correct but Yahweh is the god of destruction and he is NOT father god that Yeshua speaks of in the NT. Loving, kind, patient, GOOD is all the Father. He is not evil like elisha’s god.
I’m a bit taken aback by the comments here. A lot of people don’t want an explanation, they just want answers. Perhaps it’s a symptom of the microwave generation and their offspring?
@@chrisyoung5929 You going lean upon your own understanding? God did not write the Bible as a science textbook homie, in fact you have no way to understand what this reality is built on. When you see the foundations then you may be able to reason why God gave us what he did in the Bible. I urge you to keep thinking about God and keep searching.
@@chrisyoung5929 It's right my friend , that's the reason you wanna fight 😂 A child believes in Noah's ark , and just like a little child you must lay down your understanding. The Bible is accurate on a level you can't understand and you try to use what learned in school to pick holes in what is recorded in the Bible. The master can't teach us until we submit.
@@chrisyoung5929 nah , let me explain a story that might make you understand. When I was much younger I took a beating because I thought I was right about a certain matter. What happened was with the information I had I was right , prob was I didn't have ALL the information. Are you paying attention? Has that happened to you before? Your reading the Bible but you don't have all the information. Don't make the same mistake I made 👍
Keep watching this guy. I found him a few weeks ago. He’s given me great perspectives. He has the unseen realm book that’s like 800 pages in the same manner.
@@LC-jq7vn I came to Christ in '73 during the "Jesus Movement". The fellowship I encountered while home one weekend on leave used to study the Bible this way every night after coming back home from street evangelism. It is the most frustrating thing to try to introduce this kind of perspective into the average current modern Western church. They are locked into a sentimental enjoyment of God's blessings, for the most part, and are unable to process this information.
@@CSUnger We are lucky to have even lukewarm believers in these days. 🤦♂️I imagine it was pretty frustrating. I have a fervent passion for the details. This guy has certainly got my attention. Many people just come to UA-cam, ( and some churches) to be lied too and not told anything actually in their Bible. I’m making an earnest endeavor for the truth and to understand everything inspired by God. This guy has been a great help because understanding the good book the way they did back then is very useful and ultimately necessary. Glad you love Christ still. He’s the only way.
This is not exegesis! This is eisegesis, reading into the text that which is not there! God judged these boys for their dishonor by taking from them the blessing of long life. And so the scripture was fulfilled that says "Honor your father and mother, that it may go well with you, and you may enjoy long life on the earth."
Bethel, literally “Beth-El” stands for the House of God, this was a place of special significance and sanctity even before Joshua’s conquest. It was where God revealed himself to Jacob and where Jacob anointed a pillar and dedicated himself to Yahweh (Genesis 28:10-22). It is also a place that in the northern kingdom of Israel had become a particularly scandalous center of idolatry because of the Molten calves and bulls that had profaned this geographical area.. The youths Elisha runs into are without a doubt, priests of ba'al and they calling Elisha a fraud and that he worships a fake God. Not so fast, YHVH is the only God there are none beside Him. Elisha is the conduit but God from on high gives Elisha the power to set chase to the false priests of ba'al and all of them that opened their mouths were utterly destroyed by the Bears. 42 is what the record shows. Everyone can go back to sleep now.
Same, brother. It'll pass the more you learn. A lot of the stuff that God gets accused of in the Old Testament has to do with His wrath over child sacrifice and sexual sin involving children/animals. Keep that in mind, look at how far we've fallen today, and it'll help.
Appreciated this commentary and the context to a memorable OT account. Forcing the reader to think and interpret seems to be a Hallmark of the Scriptures
I know Elisha knew that God would protect him, but take what Dr. Mike just said and top it off with plain human instinct. You are an "older" man and a large group of younger men approach you, in the wilderness. Then they start insulting you, jeering you and attaching you to blasphemy against God. A person without the faith of Elisha would probably be terrified.
Excellent Excellent explanation thank you, really appreciated these Facts and clears up so much of the difficulty that is in the english language called to translate from the original text.
Good grief! Please stop with the ignorant comments. This video will make so much more sense if you read Dr. Heiser’s books and if you actually read your Bible after taking off you first grade Sunday school filters.
Also I might point this out. 42 beligerent taunting teen age boys? Sounds like a gang. Maybe those bears were more to protect than to punish. Remember God protected the prophet when his life was threatened on other occasions. I mean, I scared of 4 teenage boy walking down the street NOT taunting.
What elisha did was evil. And that’s because he followed Yahweh satan. God is not this fickle and unforgiving to destroy 42 lives over a taunt but satan the god of this world is.
@@laurenbailey4145 ah, so that’s confirmation that you’re a sabbatean and a mindless follower of whatever the infiltrated churches spew out. Good luck with that.
So according to what I hear, unless you have a biblical scholarly understanding of the passage you will never understand it. Meanwhile 99.99% of readers of this passage understand it as it says, kids made fun of Elijah, he was upset and God was displeased and had them killed. My mom used this passage to instill fear, right or wrong, that we should never make fun of people as they are in the image of God. This passage kept me from doing that. To me this passage is more about God being the giver and taker of life and is worthy of supreme respect.
So you got the gist of it without understanding the context. Michael work is explaining the contextual information buried in the text. Atheists try to make it an injustice that the young people were punished. Michael and others he quote clarify it.
What does *ne’arim* mean - “boys” ? “youths” ? David is called a *ne’ar* in 1 Sam.17, and he was no child, but old enough to fight Goliath. And should Christians even find this passage embarrassing in the first place ? The *ne’arim* who taunted Elijah in 2 Kings 2 may well have been teenage rowdies, quite old enough to know what they were doing - not little kids. Prophets were not people to be taken lightly, so Elisha’s reaction seems not unjustified. It is absurd to judge an OT Prophet by Christian standards, because the ancient Israelites and Jews were not Christians, but pre-Christians.
"It is absurd to judge an OT Prophet by Christian standards, because the ancient Israelites and Jews were not Christians, but pre-Christians." So the standards of God, the eternal, unchanging creator, have changed? How's that for moral relativism?
Daniel Tibiriçá That’s a good question, even though you meant it in more of a condescending smug way and I know that you are not truly objective about learning about this subject and the Bible/God. But no, no moral relativism. God is the same yesterday today and forever.
We always understood the "little children" to be disrespectful louts, taunting Elisha to "Go up, go up!" in the same way that Elijah was taken up in a fiery chariot, i.e., "Show us one of your levitational tricks, baldy!" Thus in mocking Elisha they were attributing the power of God to wizardry.
@@chrisyoung5929 Lol apologies for my rudeness before. Not everyone can answer your questions, this is because some questions are difficult for the average guy to answer, hence these questions are better asked towards well-studied individuals.
This small story is part of the bigger story of the ongoing war between Yahweh and his worship, and false gods and their worship. This has always been the issue with the nation of Israel’s lack of obedience and the worship of false gods.( NASB Psalms 81) Elisha represented that one, these mocking young men were mocking Yahweh. They were not young physical children,the entire nation was considered as children in God’s eyes, (INT Isaiah 63:8 For he said, "Surely they are my people, children who won't act falsely." And so he became their savior.) In other words, this is a small battle in the ongoing war between light and darkness, orthodoxy and idolatry, God and gods. God’s putting to death these young men( children) was a display of how Yahweh views apostasy and false worship that this area was engaged with and theses young men represented that apostasy by mocking Elisha , Yahweh’s mediator.
Living in flat South Florida, we often speak of going down to less reputable areas and going up to better places. This is the normal language that includes such as sunrise. To force excessively precise meaning on common language is creating "error" where none exist. As to the rest, interesting and very reasonable.
Go up bald head bald head, is them mocking the the scripture & Rapture of Elijah (2 king2:3; 2king 2:5) know that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? and he said I know it; hold ye your peace.
As far as the direction "up" where it applies to travel we see some of the same thing in the New Testament. In Acts, we see them traveling from Caesarea "up" to Jerusalem even though Jerusalem is well south of Caesarea. We also see this when traveling from Antioch that the disciples travel "up" to Jerusalem even though Jerusalem is south of Antioch. Our modern view of the cardinal points of the planet, GPS and Google Maps drive a different perspective. You'll also not see directions such as northeast or southeast although we know those would be more accurate than "north" or "south".
Addendum to above: I happened to reading in Acts this morning and found that on one occasion, compass points in which are other than N/S/E/W: Acts 27:12..."which is an haven of Crete, and lieth toward the south west and north west." Also, there were other passages in Acts that suggest that Jerusalem is "up" from other places and other places are "down" from Jerusalem. I ran a quick word search to see if these appear anywhere else in scripture (KJV) and they do not and neither does 'south east' or 'north east'.
@@mcgeorgerl I think as opposed to compass directions, "up" and "down" in the Bible are terms more often used about elevation (as in Jerusalem is geographically higher than Caesarea).
@@davidheskett5521 Yes. I think Jerusalem sits at about 2500 feet, if memory serves. I think it's similar to Roan Mountain in Tennessee but higher by something like 500 feet than Jellico that a lot of folks around here see when traveling down I-75. When next I read the OT, I'll pay particular attention to the usage, especially if there are occurrences of travel from other "mounts" along that range.
The lesson that always stuck out to me was this; Young men, you mock the wisdom of your elders at great risk to yourself. Do so, and you will find yourself at the savage mercies of nature itself.
By a lot of the comments here, these people the ones who make some rude comments have No CLUE about the Bible or the culture of history of those times, you can tell by the language they use they have no Clue who Christ or God is, they are hateful people who show how ignorant they are. GREAT Job Mr. Heiser.
Very well done Michael. I got it very clearly. Made perfect sense and showed great depth of comprehension, as well as continuity. I loved the connective relations between other instantses and typology. Thank you
The nature of the prophet's "baldness" had nothing to do with hair. 2 Kings 2:3 And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.
Very interesting...can elaborate more...is it possible in the spiritual realm the children had unclean spirits and they were mocking Elisha for losing Elijah that day??
I grew up in central NY, the Mohawk valley is north of ‘home’, however, my parents always said, “we are going down to the valley.” Now, my spouse thinks it’s weird that I say “down to the valley” because it is geographically north🙃 and has more than once asked, “do you want to go up to Mohawk?” That just sounds weird to me. 🤔
This is what I'm thinking as well, if I understood you correctly. It's about elevation of the land you leave from. If I lived high in a mountain but am traveling in a northern direction to another place on lower ground, we would most likely say "going down to" that other place....even though it's north of me. Elevation, dear Watson. : )
People don't usually think about context and nuance, especially with religion. I think this is why the south/downslope in Israel was called the Negev. Like port and starboard on a ship, get the orientation straight and things make sense.
Really want out of the ballpark with this, I really didn't get the true understanding of the point of the lesson being told about the reasons for the bears, thanks anyways for your efforts, I'll do research on this topic,
@ 13 minutes Them calling Elisha "baldy" also indicates "not covered" as in shameful and sinful - without the covering of Christ and deserving punishment for his brazen nakedness!
Ha! I was having the same thought. I can't even finish this it's so bad. I dont even think he is saying anything worthwhile, but I don't care either for some reason.
Rogan is a gatekeeper for the elites. He sold his integrity for millions of dollars. I’m not trying to be a jerk to you, I love my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Rogan can’t let important truths out, the gatekeepers pick & chose and feed us truth mixed with lies but mostly lies. I’m not trying to insult you if you like Joe Rogan, I just think you should know he is not one of us. He is of this world, we are not. For example he had Bob Lazar on his show. That guy is definitely a CIA asset. Aliens are nothing more than demons.
I have been saying that for what seems like years. And Tim Pool’s IRL show. He could help straighten out so many misconceptions of the Bible. And help those who have real questions instead of getting answers from someone who doesn’t know anything about ancient Semitic languages, ancient near East culture, or how to truly interpret Biblical languages. It makes the Bible seem like a mythical story of half truths.
2 Kings 2:23-25 serves as an indication to national Israel they are experiencing the 3rd course of judgement as described in Leviticus 26, specifically verses 21-22: “ and if ye walk contrary unto me, and will not hearken unto me; I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins. I will also SEND WILD BEASTS AMONG YOU, WHICH SHALL ROB YOU OF YOUR CHILDREN, and destroy your cattle, and make you few in number; and your high ways shall be desolate.” These courses of chastisement or judgement build on each other and are not mutually exclusive. The 5th course is national disbursement, which even today (although some Jews live in a small portion of their ultimate promised land) is still in place. Lev 26:39. These chastisements will find a final culmination during the Time of Jacob’s Trouble, after which Lev 26:40-45 is fulfilled.
This is absolutely awesome this can really open up your understanding of biblical passages that you may see and not contextualized it's proper meaning and understanding just this one narrative that you explained can really open up New Horizons and understanding many passages as the one you just equated to and having this knowledge would be beneficial in explaining these passages too people who like to use many passages and try to used them for their benefit to try to disprove God or to equate God as being this tyrant unloving, entity who is below there unequivocal standards of themselves yes knowledge and wisdom is definitely key and reminds me of a scripture that Jesus said you will know the truth and the truth will set you free keep up the good work there my friend thanks you for this so much and hope to hear more from you you take care and again thank you seriously thank you so much this is so enlightening and invigorating
Is Elisha greater than Christ and his apostles who preached and practiced "curse not",and forgive men their traspases." By today's biblical standards he was way off. This anger he inherited from the ministry of his predecessor. "Mercy rejoices over judgment ".
I started reading the comments section and then I realized that it was really depressing...but there is this neeeeeed to see what people have to say about things and you scroll down. Then you chide yourself saying, "was it worth it"?
Every time! I’ve been watching a lot of apologetics videos that are well researched and informative, but always have the edgy anti-theists and creationists in the comments. Then I’m depressed and my disorder makes the emotional disappointment overshadow the joy of the video.
Several days ago, the Lord had me thinking of the bears in this exact scripture. Jesus called my attention to the fact that there were bears and forests in Israel back then. David killed a bear and a lion. So, Jesus directed my attention to the fact there was enough forests and wildlife to support lions and bears. Not so today. Jesus, I believe, was telling me the climate or equatorial alignment was different then, and will soon be again. As it was in the beginning, so too in the end.
The climate was different then. Those areas were more forested then and supplied food for more animals. I doubt if the tilt of the earth was different.
Something jumped into my mind: Could Elijah "get up"to bethel bij a something mentioned in the time of jacob? We call it jacobs ladder these day,s...angels could go up and down by it...could elijah to?
did you not listen? they were not little boys but young men, and they were of the house of Omri, or Jezebel and Ahab, and pretty much thumped their noses at the Almighty. So the point is that God did not have the bears maul 42 michevious little fellas
Started listening and if I may add, I am a transplant to the Shenandoah valley, where a river runs "backwards". That is, north. So when my cohorts tell me they're going to Baltimore, they say: we're going DOWN to Baltimore... because they're going downstream. Context is everything and gives me a headache when I m getting instructions from my wife....thank God for Google maps 😅
For regions of the United States, I think it's wise to put one's self in the shoes of someone standing in Washington, DC on the day of the Lousiana Purchase in 1803. When we do that, the terms "Midwest", "Deep South", "Southwest", "Pacirfic Northwest", etc. make perfect sense.
A good background! This is simular to what Jesus said about the pharacies that mocked Jesus, saying that Jesus did his deeds by evil spirit, yet they were well knowing that NO man can do such deeds except by Gods Spirit. Thus Jesus says that sin against himself will be forgiven, but not sin against the Spirit. That is, when the deeds done by the prophet are miracles that so clearly is done by Gods Spirit, it is like lying to God while standing face to face with Him. Its in the category of encounters when Moses saw Gods glory, and God said: "No one can see my face and live" How much more those who deliberately calls the works of the Spirit of God for the works of the devil, even though they fully know its not. They just do not want to recognice the vessel (prophet) that God has sent because it hinders them of ruling over Israel. It was the same with the Pharacies and Jesus. And Jesus cursed them (the woe-to-you words)
Very clear insight. Yes!! I mostly do not like social media of any kind but the ability to have a collective Bible study with believers everywhere and gain all that insight is pretty cool. Thanks Bro!
Would anyone come to the conclusions of this article through the straightforward reading of scripture? They were boys, based on the fact that 2 bears killed 42 of them.
1 Kings 12 records the king of Israel establishing Bethel as an unauthorized location of worship designed to mimic the true temple in Jerusalem in Judah in an attempt to keep people from traveling to Israel's southern rival. (See below.) (Note the worship of calf idols.) ... Jeroboam built shrines on high places and appointed priests from all sorts of people, even though they were not Levites. He instituted a festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the festival held in Judah, and offered sacrifices on the altar. This he did in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves he had made. And at Bethel he also installed priests at the high places he had made. On the fifteenth day of the eighth month, a month of his own choosing, he offered sacrifices on the altar he had built at Bethel. So he instituted the festival for the Israelites and went up to the altar to make offerings. (1 Kings 12:31-33 NIV)
The Bible said: "He went up to Bethel", not down to anywhere and also did not mention anything about the mockers being little boys, although there definitely were little boys in the mix but we need to be precise with God's word. It actually reads: " There came forth little children out of the city and mocked him....."
I kind of zoned out but I’m pretty sure after 10-13 minutes he told us why he thought it was young men. Sounds like it is to be implied, to me. The fact that they put little almost always implies a young child. I will say that they could very well think different in this aspect back then, because much of the Bible does not make sense from a 21st century perspective. What he’s reading as a theologian is likely much closer to the truth. I know he can get to documents, that we as the public can’t, but I don’t think is the case here. But knowing him he’s reading an original document in Greek or something. I’m pretty sure he decided they were young men by the end of the video. God bless
@@LC-jq7vn ..And I'm pretty sure the Bible saiys they are children...I am also pretty sure the Bible say that the seventh day is the Sabbath, and not the first day. God bless
@@streetsofgold4112 It was from the 6th day sundown to the 7th day sundown. And I’m pretty sure the original word for children is used in other passages to actually mean other things like a lot of the words in the Bible, example Elohim refers to like 5 different things. It very well could have been teenagers or even older. If I find the video again I’ll post it. But it was the same guy talking about it
The way I always interpreted the passage was,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, God has got his guys back, so say, what we do know is the belief was whether it was a bald head or an illness or a deformity was linked with sin almost as a curse. So for God to stand out and have those children I believe it says but regardless young ones Mauled by the Bears is just showing that he shines over his people. We also know he is a just God and if those kids were not of a age of accountability then celebrated death as our heaven bound! I mean we live to get through this life you get to the other side so say. There are multiple stories of the wrath of God. We need not lean on your own understanding because we can’t the stories in the old testament how to give us an example of who God is and how he acts and reacts. Not some Mr. nice guy oh it’s OK
Perhaps the bears coming out and mauling the boys was YHWH's way of saying, "You want hairy? I'll give you hairy twice over, but you'll regret it... you disrespectful young punks."
@@colton7373 lmfao. Y’all are really batshit crazy. God sent bears to maul 42 children and you think that’s righteous? But everybody else is evil. Please make it make sense. 😩
Elisha had an important work to do from God, so when Elisha was mocked by the children and nothing was to be done ,the people would not have respected Elisha in the work he had to do. But when the bears came out and slayed the children, the people recognised Elisha and his work was from God, and had respect for him.
They were not children, the speaker makes that abundantly clear, that the Jewish expression used in the Bible refers to what today we call young adults. These young men were not yet heads of their own households so they were considered "children" or as we would say today minors in the eyes of Jewish law. The speaker also points out that they were probably members of the apostate king's family. The king had set up an alternate temple and called it Bethel (house of God) to convince his subjects that his counterfeit temple was also the house of God and there was no need for them to go to Jerusalem. He did this because he was afraid that if his people kept going to Jerusalem to worship at the temple there, year after year, this eventually would lead to the people demanding the reunification of the two kingdoms and to the loss of his throne as he was not of the house of David. In this light we can see that what the young royals were doing was more than merely an act of mockery. The fact that the young men came out in a sizable group (42 were killed) and immediately started attacking the prophet verbally, shows that their intentions were not benign, they were not out for a bit of fun at Elisha' s expense, they were trying to escalate the meeting and start a confrontation that would have probably ended with Elisha's death. Unfortunately the biblical account is short and we don't have all the facts, but it is obvious that their behavior was so threatening that the prophet felt he had no choice but to call on God for help. The fact that God chose to destroy the young men is further proof that they had nepharious intent.
Imagine 42 "youths" as the term is used today, catching their prey, all alone and presumed defenseless. Also, think what all taunts besides "baldy" and the picture begins to complete itself.
I find it significant that Twice (just like the "children's taunt of "Baldy") the "sons of the prophets" warn Elisha (in unbelief or irreverence) "Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy HEAD to day?" (V3 & 5), which then seems to be the seed of unbelief that these "children" seem to have given fruit to by their words (whether they had heard the words of the "sons of the prophets" perhaps & twisted its meaning into carnality - although spiritual or carnal, both statements were Against the prophet & therefore Against God, specifically in unbelief). Even after Elijah's departure the "sons of the prophets" offer to go look for his body, thinking it likely that God would have dropped him to his peril over the mountains or in some valley - Elisha rejects this request, but they keep badgering him & he relents, only for them to "turn up empty-handed". Elisha proved faithful throughout, not being dissuaded either by Elijah who told him Twice to stay put before his departure, nor the "sons of the prophets" unbelief... and so when the "children" show up, with the "sons of the prophets" seed of doubt & unbelief having taken root in them... it is That to which he speaks & curses... even as we should negate any word (NOT PERSON) opposed to the Word of God ("get behind me Satan"; "be plucked up & removed & even cast into the sea"), that could (if left unchecked) easily take root in our hearts bearing fruit to unbelief & a shaken faith in our Lord.
Why do the ESV, NASB and KJV all translate to "going up to Bethel"? I don't see "going down to Bethel" in my English translations ..... the German Elberfelder 1871 also translate "up to Bethel". Puzzled about the discourse about "down to Bethel" ......
Going up can mean different things. Could mean north, could mean going uphill, could be a general expression. "We're going down to the 711". The 711 could be both north and uphill and there would be no issue
JESUS CHRIST IS COMING BACK PEOPLE REPENT OF YOUR SINS AND ACCEPT JESUS CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR TODAY NOT TOMORROW PEOPLE WHICH IS PROMISED TO NOONE ON THIS EARTH AT ALL PEOPLE
“... this grisly episode...”
Who says scholarship is boring? What a great pun!
I can hardly bear it
😮😁
I have been digging in the same pig stye for 61 years and you say I need to dig deeper.
This was a complex but thoroughly educational learning moment for me. To really utilize responsible hermeneutics with the use of literary analysis really does bring out the better understanding of the text for passages such as this one.
Thank you again for this, Houseform Apologetics! Dr. Michael Heiserʼs approach has been greatly helpful for me in my study of the Old Testament. I appreciate all of his work especially the complex ones that do not compromise on the depth and complexity of the Ancient Near Eastern contexts of the Old Testament scriptures.
God bless everyone in this ministry! May God continually use all of you and your resources to help students of the Word learn better.
ok, so I've been wondering why were there 42 young kids mocking a bald guy who then got mauled by a bear? It sounded like a Smiling Friends episode but Dr. Heiser's explanation makes a lot more sense. Damn Enlightenment presuppositions clouded my thinking once again.
It is just amazing how the Bible is full of passages with hidden encripted messages like this one... I'm just starting to get into more deep understanding of the word of God... Thank you for publishing this video.
Are they really hidden/encrypted or is our ignorance of the history and cultural context preventing us from what is actually clearly stated? Seems like every "confusing" passage I come across is only unclear because I am missing the context. Like the Ethiopian eunich who could read Isaiah but had no understanding of what it meant.
Yes, dont just drink the milk..eat the meat!! May my Father in Heaven bless you. Praise be to HIM, HE whom takes away the sin of the world. Satan was defeated when the one they call, " King od Kings & Lord of Lords" was nailed to the cross at calvary. He bore the sins of every man and woman and child.. past, present and future as HE is eternal as is His Word.. the Bible... the "living" word of God. It is very much alive and here in the "present" moment of time... as to truly be of and living in truth is the true gift of life. Many are those whom are lost and wandering in the dark, on a one way, wide road of destruction. Living in fall from grace, a disgrace.
Pages of the Bible are turning as they have always been... be not deceived by those whom are not of the Kingdom but of the synagogue of satan. Wolves in sheeps clothing.. and remember always that satans go-to in order to deceive and destroy IS "religion".
In fact, heres a fact... better known as TRUTH... theres only ONE, 1, WON truth..... ALL the rest is called "religion". Bless you brethren, may you come to and know the true "revelation" of Christ. Seek not the thoughts of the mind, rather seek first to have a softened heart of love. GOD is Love.
Also read the book of "ephesians" and know what it is to gird up your loins with the armor of God.
Read the Bible until it READS YOU BACK. know that Jesus IS God in the flesh. Confess and repent of any and all sins in the name of Jesus, be washed by the blood shed upon the cross at calvary for your sins, confess with your mouth that Jesus IS LORD, believe in your heart that Jesus died upon the cross for your sins, was buried and God hath raised him from the dead on the third day. Confess, profess and believe with all your heart and soul... be saved in the name of Jesus.
Jesus said,anyone who comes to and believes in the Son will be made a new creation in Christ. The old things have gone away and new things are made.
Dont dwell in the past not live for the future.. theres no guarantee of tomorrow. To dwell in the past is to live there... we cannot change if we are stuck in the past.
Remember, we cant live on milk alone, we need food...meat to grow.
@@chrisyoung5929 and you see how far those deceptions got the muslims and Muhammed and how far the greeks made it with their "gods" zeus, aphrodites, chronos,athena,hades, gaia, hercules, apollo...etc...
NOWHERE!! Theres only 1, one, won God as i stated in my last comment here. Just like theres only 1, one, uno, won TRUTH...all the rest is called "religion" ...which is satans "go-to" in order to deceive. Maybe you shoud try asking Godto show you theTRUTH and ask him to "connect the dots" sew to speak in and on your life and all the times he was right in front of you (literally) yet, you denied him. Everyones so quick to make a JUDGEMENT call when it comes to the truth in God and his Logo's....as if they, themselves are judge and jury.
Well..."order in the court" I say...theres only one judge,jury, executioner and messiah.... guess what...
they're ALL "created" by God...the "CREATOR".
@@chrisyoung5929 I wasn't raised Christian. Nor do I like my home team the Seahawks.
Deny all you will. Truth doesn't change. Peace.
@@chrisyoung5929
I don't think islam is growing faster but actually breeding faster as more caucasian families are having less kids while islam allows all sorts of polygamous relationship.
Leave it to non-believers to never dive deeper into the original language or the historical context; thus, creating a caricature that they then attack as a way to make them feel intelligent. Reading comprehension truly is a skill many do not have today it seems.
Gen-Zs
Laziness indeed abounds. Nobody digs on why and what. Like you say, quick to condemn.
Dive deeper into the dunk on your own what is there to dive deeper it says children and why would adults go out of their way to mock an oldman baldhead?Its a typical seen of children from ancient times to ours,children mocking old people for thousands of years lol guy was a warlock Bible is book of warlocks, and you can see how many such verses exist its not one to say oh you know its not like that ,its full of genocides
@petrospetromixos6962 you didn't listen to a word, Dr. HEISER said. Get the mud outa your ears.
If you hate God so much go outside and shake your fist at Him and tell Him you don't believe in Him. Ask Him to show Himself. I dare you.
@@Buzz-rh4dz children means children man i cant see my omment they must deleted it out of fear for exposing them
I've often wondered about this passage. This explanation actually makes total sense. It helps so much to have context in understanding these things.
This took a second listen. The second time, with paper and pencil in hand! So deep my senior mind was befuddled at first. But, that's Dr. Heiser!
This is the upside of social media. We get to listen and then be confused and then go back and listen again and type it into a file we can read later- And then later after my nap I get it!
What value did you find?
awesome analysis of this scripture.....digging deeper into scripture can clear up misconceptions....Wisdom and discernment through the Holy Spirit....
Could it be reference to the 42 months of Revelation when Our father’s paternal wrath, symbolized by mother bears, is poured out on the earth without mixture?
Good thought, look at my recent comment.
There is much more to it.
Wow - cool thought!
a great big thank you is due to Dr. Joel Burnett and posthumously to Dr. Heiser for their insight into this oftentimes confusing and ambiguous passage. I feel like the light bulb has gone on for me in regards to this passage and is shining brightly. Whereas once I was apt to avoid this passage for lack of a purposeful translation, now I desire to speak on it for its deep and powerful meaning in the context of the overarching story-line of the bible as well as for the way the passage gives insight and clarity to scriptural cosmology. Thank you indeed, Dr. Joel & Dr. Heiser!
I though he is a template on how to run a youth ministry! (LOL) Nothing like an angry bear to add urgency to the meeting.
Here is what I know,
Father is loving, kind, gentle, patient, just, righteous and all that He does is good.
He has proved the extent to which He will go to forgive rebels and bring them back into fellowship with Him. He has the scars to prove it.
So, when He executes judgment upon someone He is right in doing so.
Amen. When we don't understand, we can trust until we learn and comprehend (which may be this side of heaven, or once we get there)
Amen.... Only way we can understand God's actions is through repentance.... If His ways are not our ways and His thoughts not our thoughts.... We need to change our mind and let Him help us understand what He is doing/what He has done.... It is awful arrogant to believe that I a finite being would know better than an infinite God
This Yahweh god was non of that. Your last sentence was the wrong part. Everything else you were correct but Yahweh is the god of destruction and he is NOT father god that Yeshua speaks of in the NT. Loving, kind, patient, GOOD is all the Father. He is not evil like elisha’s god.
Exactly God is a just judge.
Yes, good article. This OT passage is highly misunderstood.
And remains so!
This story tells us we need to cherish a spirit of kindness and respect for God's prophets.
I’m a bit taken aback by the comments here. A lot of people don’t want an explanation, they just want answers. Perhaps it’s a symptom of the microwave generation and their offspring?
We will never fully understand God and the Bible deals truth on so many levels you never can learn enough.
@@chrisyoung5929 You going lean upon your own understanding? God did not write the Bible as a science textbook homie, in fact you have no way to understand what this reality is built on. When you see the foundations then you may be able to reason why God gave us what he did in the Bible. I urge you to keep thinking about God and keep searching.
@@chrisyoung5929 It's right my friend , that's the reason you wanna fight 😂 A child believes in Noah's ark , and just like a little child you must lay down your understanding. The Bible is accurate on a level you can't understand and you try to use what learned in school to pick holes in what is recorded in the Bible. The master can't teach us until we submit.
@@chrisyoung5929 nah , let me explain a story that might make you understand. When I was much younger I took a beating because I thought I was right about a certain matter. What happened was with the information I had I was right , prob was I didn't have ALL the information. Are you paying attention? Has that happened to you before? Your reading the Bible but you don't have all the information. Don't make the same mistake I made 👍
@@chrisyoung5929 Noah's ark happened!!
I don't see what's so weird about this story: bears always appear out of nowhere and attack anyone who makes fun of me.
You look great today
You're a doll face.❤
😝
I thought I was the only one
I think others should just get on board and train their bears to attack
Last place I expected to see hilarious humor. Y'all are great! Great clip too
My word! Thank God someone is reading an ancient Hebraic text from some other perspective than early 21st century Western hermeneutics.
Keep watching this guy. I found him a few weeks ago. He’s given me great perspectives. He has the unseen realm book that’s like 800 pages in the same manner.
@@LC-jq7vn I came to Christ in '73 during the "Jesus Movement". The fellowship I encountered while home one weekend on leave used to study the Bible this way every night after coming back home from street evangelism. It is the most frustrating thing to try to introduce this kind of perspective into the average current modern Western church. They are locked into a sentimental enjoyment of God's blessings, for the most part, and are unable to process this information.
@@CSUnger We are lucky to have even lukewarm believers in these days. 🤦♂️I imagine it was pretty frustrating. I have a fervent passion for the details. This guy has certainly got my attention. Many people just come to UA-cam, ( and some churches) to be lied too and not told anything actually in their Bible. I’m making an earnest endeavor for the truth and to understand everything inspired by God. This guy has been a great help because understanding the good book the way they did back then is very useful and ultimately necessary. Glad you love Christ still. He’s the only way.
Excellent exegesis. No doubt, this explanation is only a small part of the richness of meaning in this story. God's ways are higher than ours.
This is not exegesis! This is eisegesis, reading into the text that which is not there! God judged these boys for their dishonor by taking from them the blessing of long life. And so the scripture was fulfilled that says "Honor your father and mother, that it may go well with you, and you may enjoy long life on the earth."
@@sebaldsinliberia9283 lmbo! You obviously don't read the Hebrew text or understand the context!
Heiser was a BEAST! Thank you MSH for your scholarship. You are missed
Is* a beast.
No one ever seems to see the foreshadowing of Christ in this and the punishment upon Jerusalem for mocking him
Jerusalem was tread upon for 42 months
Thanks - didn’t see that!
Bethel, literally “Beth-El” stands for the House of God, this was a place of special significance and sanctity even before Joshua’s conquest. It was where God revealed himself to Jacob and where Jacob anointed a pillar and dedicated himself to Yahweh (Genesis 28:10-22). It is also a place that in the northern kingdom of Israel had become a particularly scandalous center of idolatry because of the Molten calves and bulls that had profaned this geographical area.. The youths Elisha runs into are without a doubt, priests of ba'al and they calling Elisha a fraud and that he worships a fake God. Not so fast, YHVH is the only God there are none beside Him. Elisha is the conduit but God from on high gives Elisha the power to set chase to the false priests of ba'al and all of them that opened their mouths were utterly destroyed by the Bears. 42 is what the record shows. Everyone can go back to sleep now.
Mhm..... I'm going with what the guy who knows and studies in the original language
so why are you listening to him??If all you have to do is speak negative about Gods anointed, I would not want to be you on judgement day...
After reading scripture and praying for understanding and wisdom. Yahweh does everything his way and it’s never conventional.
This passage disturbed me so I’m happy to listen to this teaching.
Same, brother. It'll pass the more you learn. A lot of the stuff that God gets accused of in the Old Testament has to do with His wrath over child sacrifice and sexual sin involving children/animals. Keep that in mind, look at how far we've fallen today, and it'll help.
Does this explanation satisfy you? Why?
Appreciated this commentary and the context to a memorable OT account. Forcing the reader to think and interpret seems to be a Hallmark of the Scriptures
I know Elisha knew that God would protect him, but take what Dr. Mike just said and top it off with plain human instinct. You are an "older" man and a large group of younger men approach you, in the wilderness. Then they start insulting you, jeering you and attaching you to blasphemy against God. A person without the faith of Elisha would probably be terrified.
And if they were royal young men tied to the local apostate groups. That is a defacto declaration of war. Faith indeed
Moral of the story: don't make fun of the guy that hangs out in the woods, he might have bear friends.
Excellent Excellent explanation thank you, really appreciated these Facts and clears up so much of the difficulty that is in the english language called to translate from the original text.
Good grief! Please stop with the ignorant comments. This video will make so much more sense if you read Dr. Heiser’s books and if you actually read your Bible after taking off you first grade Sunday school filters.
Mocking Elisha - God’s prophet, is also mocking God. Vengeance belong to God.
Thanks for explaining this difficult event.
Also I might point this out. 42 beligerent taunting teen age boys? Sounds like a gang. Maybe those bears were more to protect than to punish. Remember God protected the prophet when his life was threatened on other occasions. I mean, I scared of 4 teenage boy walking down the street NOT taunting.
What elisha did was evil. And that’s because he followed Yahweh satan. God is not this fickle and unforgiving to destroy 42 lives over a taunt but satan the god of this world is.
@@sarashepard7504 so you're gnostic
@@laurenbailey4145 no, you’re a Sabbatean and you clearly have no clue about the Bible.
@@sarashepard7504 nah I'm just your standard Christian
@@laurenbailey4145 ah, so that’s confirmation that you’re a sabbatean and a mindless follower of whatever the infiltrated churches spew out. Good luck with that.
So according to what I hear, unless you have a biblical scholarly understanding of the passage you will never understand it. Meanwhile 99.99% of readers of this passage understand it as it says, kids made fun of Elijah, he was upset and God was displeased and had them killed. My mom used this passage to instill fear, right or wrong, that we should never make fun of people as they are in the image of God. This passage kept me from doing that. To me this passage is more about God being the giver and taker of life and is worthy of supreme respect.
So you got the gist of it without understanding the context. Michael work is explaining the contextual information buried in the text. Atheists try to make it an injustice that the young people were punished. Michael and others he quote clarify it.
where does it say the bear killed them? just curious
@@LANDRYPHYNO it says “2 She-Bears”
They were young men and although it does not state it , they were most likely priests of Baal .
Love this! How can I get the article?
Thanks for your teachings. I’ve learned a lot. This isn’t entertainment.
I always wondered about this passage, thankyou.
God bless.
I have no problem here. You don't mess with God's prophets!
I have said many times....let's go down to the river. Everyone understood what I meant BUT the river isnt actually downhill from where I am.
What does *ne’arim* mean - “boys” ? “youths” ? David is called a *ne’ar* in 1 Sam.17, and he was no child, but old enough to fight Goliath. And should Christians even find this passage embarrassing in the first place ? The *ne’arim* who taunted Elijah in 2 Kings 2 may well have been teenage rowdies, quite old enough to know what they were doing - not little kids. Prophets were not people to be taken lightly, so Elisha’s reaction seems not unjustified. It is absurd to judge an OT Prophet by Christian standards, because the ancient Israelites and Jews were not Christians, but pre-Christians.
I really enjoyed thinking about your last sentence.
“im” denotes plural - cherub (singular), cherubim (plural), seraph/im, remez/im, etc
David was13 when he killed Goliath
"It is absurd to judge an OT Prophet by Christian standards, because the ancient Israelites and Jews were not Christians, but pre-Christians."
So the standards of God, the eternal, unchanging creator, have changed? How's that for moral relativism?
Daniel Tibiriçá That’s a good question, even though you meant it in more of a condescending smug way and I know that you are not truly objective about learning about this subject and the Bible/God.
But no, no moral relativism. God is the same yesterday today and forever.
Respect your elders . And if they happen to be the Lords servant you just picked a fight with the wrong dude!
We always understood the "little children" to be disrespectful louts, taunting Elisha to "Go up, go up!" in the same way that Elijah was taken up in a fiery chariot, i.e., "Show us one of your levitational tricks, baldy!" Thus in mocking Elisha they were attributing the power of God to wizardry.
@@chrisyoung5929 when you realize your creator will judge you your knees will tremble....
@@chrisyoung5929 oh shush
@@chrisyoung5929 but you’re just arguing with people, what answer do you require mate?
@@chrisyoung5929 fair enough, what makes you think it’s a scam/con? I’m not here to argue, I’m here to learn from other’s point of view sir
@@chrisyoung5929 Lol apologies for my rudeness before.
Not everyone can answer your questions, this is because some questions are difficult for the average guy to answer, hence these questions are better asked towards well-studied individuals.
Plus, it's in verse 42 of the book,, when he uses the number 42.
2 Kings 2:24 is verse 42 of 2nd Kings (and 24 is 42 backwards)
@Emily Wheeler no: Anderson either !
This makes total sense. Thank you Mr. Heiser
Great teaching from a great man.
This small story is part of the bigger story of the ongoing war between Yahweh and his worship, and false gods and their worship. This has always been the issue with the nation of Israel’s lack of obedience and the worship of false gods.( NASB Psalms 81) Elisha represented that one, these mocking young men were mocking Yahweh. They were not young physical children,the entire nation was considered as children in God’s eyes, (INT Isaiah 63:8 For he said, "Surely they are my people, children who won't act falsely." And so he became their savior.) In other words, this is a small battle in the ongoing war between light and darkness, orthodoxy and idolatry, God and gods. God’s putting to death these young men( children) was a display of how Yahweh views apostasy and false worship that this area was engaged with and theses young men represented that apostasy by mocking Elisha , Yahweh’s mediator.
When it says children in that passage -- think woke grad students with blue hair. Then it makes perfect sense!
🤣😂🤣😂
lol
Think "youths" in a modern news article.
Good one. I was thinking about the BLM riots.
The Beam in your Eye
Really, really great commentary. Really. Seriously, it clears up a lot. Thanks, Dr. Heiser.
Living in flat South Florida, we often speak of going down to less reputable areas and going up to better places. This is the normal language that includes such as sunrise. To force excessively precise meaning on common language is creating "error" where none exist.
As to the rest, interesting and very reasonable.
Go up bald head bald head, is them mocking the the scripture & Rapture of Elijah (2 king2:3; 2king 2:5) know that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? and he said I know it; hold ye your peace.
As far as the direction "up" where it applies to travel we see some of the same thing in the New Testament. In Acts, we see them traveling from Caesarea "up" to Jerusalem even though Jerusalem is well south of Caesarea. We also see this when traveling from Antioch that the disciples travel "up" to Jerusalem even though Jerusalem is south of Antioch. Our modern view of the cardinal points of the planet, GPS and Google Maps drive a different perspective. You'll also not see directions such as northeast or southeast although we know those would be more accurate than "north" or "south".
Addendum to above: I happened to reading in Acts this morning and found that on one occasion, compass points in which are other than N/S/E/W: Acts 27:12..."which is an haven of Crete, and lieth toward the south west and north west." Also, there were other passages in Acts that suggest that Jerusalem is "up" from other places and other places are "down" from Jerusalem. I ran a quick word search to see if these appear anywhere else in scripture (KJV) and they do not and neither does 'south east' or 'north east'.
@@mcgeorgerl I think as opposed to compass directions, "up" and "down" in the Bible are terms more often used about elevation (as in Jerusalem is geographically higher than Caesarea).
@@mcgeorgerl Nasty Egyptian habbits my friend...
Look a map of Ancient Egypt and you'll see where was the Upper Kingdom and where the Lower Kingdom!
Up has nothing to do with direction ( north or south). It has to do with elevation.
@@davidheskett5521 Yes. I think Jerusalem sits at about 2500 feet, if memory serves. I think it's similar to Roan Mountain in Tennessee but higher by something like 500 feet than Jellico that a lot of folks around here see when traveling down I-75. When next I read the OT, I'll pay particular attention to the usage, especially if there are occurrences of travel from other "mounts" along that range.
The lesson that always stuck out to me was this;
Young men, you mock the wisdom of your elders at great risk to yourself. Do so, and you will find yourself at the savage mercies of nature itself.
children*
@@petrospetromixos6962 - Calm down. The passage dealt specifically with young men.
By a lot of the comments here, these people the ones who make some rude comments have No CLUE about the Bible or the culture of history of those times, you can tell by the language they use they have no Clue who Christ or God is, they are hateful people who show how ignorant they are. GREAT Job Mr. Heiser.
Baby Boo so it’s okay to get bears to brutally maul 42 children for mocking a bald man?
Confused Communist, you must be confused
Amen
I just read this scripture yesterday, fascinating...
Very well done Michael. I got it very clearly. Made perfect sense and showed great depth of comprehension, as well as continuity. I loved the connective relations between other instantses and typology. Thank you
Love how God’s message is so clear and concise, by which us simpletons can be….. edified?
The nature of the prophet's "baldness" had nothing to do with hair.
2 Kings 2:3 And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.
Very interesting...can elaborate more...is it possible in the spiritual realm the children had unclean spirits and they were mocking Elisha for losing Elijah that day??
Christ is the Head of the body.
I grew up in central NY, the Mohawk valley is north of ‘home’, however, my parents always said, “we are going down to the valley.” Now, my spouse thinks it’s weird that I say “down to the valley” because it is geographically north🙃 and has more than once asked, “do you want to go up to Mohawk?” That just sounds weird to me. 🤔
This is what I'm thinking as well, if I understood you correctly. It's about elevation of the land you leave from. If I lived high in a mountain but am traveling in a northern direction to another place on lower ground, we would most likely say "going down to" that other place....even though it's north of me. Elevation, dear Watson. : )
People don't usually think about context and nuance, especially with religion. I think this is why the south/downslope in Israel was called the Negev. Like port and starboard on a ship, get the orientation straight and things make sense.
Great stuff, as usual.
Amazing. I love this channel. Just brilliant.
Really want out of the ballpark with this, I really didn't get the true understanding of the point of the lesson being told about the reasons for the bears, thanks anyways for your efforts, I'll do research on this topic,
@ 13 minutes Them calling Elisha "baldy" also indicates "not covered" as in shameful and sinful - without the covering of Christ and deserving punishment for his brazen nakedness!
If u r looking for a time stamp of when he gets to the point. He doesn't
Ha! I was having the same thought. I can't even finish this it's so bad. I dont even think he is saying anything worthwhile, but I don't care either for some reason.
Thank you. Click bait
There's a _point?_
What are y’all talking about? He clearly explains the point. Maybe you just aren’t listening!
I don't get it. Lots of reference to going down to Gilgal very repetitive and he never really gets to the point.
Thank you Dr. Heiser for conveying Truth
I remember hearing this come up on Joe Rogan's podcast. Of course my first thought was Mike should go on Rogan's podcast.
Rogan is a gatekeeper for the elites. He sold his integrity for millions of dollars. I’m not trying to be a jerk to you, I love my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Rogan can’t let important truths out, the gatekeepers pick & chose and feed us truth mixed with lies but mostly lies. I’m not trying to insult you if you like Joe Rogan, I just think you should know he is not one of us. He is of this world, we are not. For example he had Bob Lazar on his show. That guy is definitely a CIA asset. Aliens are nothing more than demons.
I have been saying that for what seems like years. And Tim Pool’s IRL show. He could help straighten out so many misconceptions of the Bible. And help those who have real questions instead of getting answers from someone who doesn’t know anything about ancient Semitic languages, ancient near East culture, or how to truly interpret Biblical languages. It makes the Bible seem like a mythical story of half truths.
2 Kings 2:23-25 serves as an indication to national Israel they are experiencing the 3rd course of judgement as described in Leviticus 26, specifically verses 21-22: “ and if ye walk contrary unto me, and will not hearken unto me; I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins. I will also SEND WILD BEASTS AMONG YOU, WHICH SHALL ROB YOU OF YOUR CHILDREN, and destroy your cattle, and make you few in number; and your high ways shall be desolate.” These courses of chastisement or judgement build on each other and are not mutually exclusive. The 5th course is national disbursement, which even today (although some Jews live in a small portion of their ultimate promised land) is still in place. Lev 26:39. These chastisements will find a final culmination during the Time of Jacob’s Trouble, after which Lev 26:40-45 is fulfilled.
Little boys in this context means prominent young men who wanted him " baldy to go up and worship baal". They did not respect God or his prophet.
Dr. Michael Heiser the legend! God bless you!
This is absolutely awesome this can really open up your understanding of biblical passages that you may see and not contextualized it's proper meaning and understanding just this one narrative that you explained can really open up New Horizons and understanding many passages as the one you just equated to and having this knowledge would be beneficial in explaining these passages too people who like to use many passages and try to used them for their benefit to try to disprove God or to equate God as being this tyrant unloving, entity who is below there unequivocal standards of themselves yes knowledge and wisdom is definitely key and reminds me of a scripture that Jesus said you will know the truth and the truth will set you free keep up the good work there my friend thanks you for this so much and hope to hear more from you you take care and again thank you seriously thank you so much this is so enlightening and invigorating
Is Elisha greater than Christ and his apostles who preached and practiced "curse not",and forgive men their traspases."
By today's biblical standards he was way off. This anger he inherited from the ministry of his predecessor. "Mercy rejoices over judgment ".
Different covenants !
It’s a prophetic passage. The 2 witnesses in the tribulation call down judgment for 42 months during the trib. Elisha was the double potion prophet
Interesting thought.
Not “boys”, youths. Boys are under 11. Youths are adolescents 12-23. So a youth gang attacked Elijah. Not a bunch of little boys.
Lol
"Teen" violence.
"the significance of this grisly 🐻episode" M.Heiser
I started reading the comments section and then I realized that it was really depressing...but there is this neeeeeed to see what people have to say about things and you scroll down. Then you chide yourself saying, "was it worth it"?
Very accurate indeed... It's as though we're always hoping for some consensus or confirmation or something.
Every time! I’ve been watching a lot of apologetics videos that are well researched and informative, but always have the edgy anti-theists and creationists in the comments. Then I’m depressed and my disorder makes the emotional disappointment overshadow the joy of the video.
Several days ago, the Lord had me thinking of the bears in this exact scripture. Jesus called my attention to the fact that there were bears and forests in Israel back then. David killed a bear and a lion. So, Jesus directed my attention to the fact there was enough forests and wildlife to support lions and bears. Not so today.
Jesus, I believe, was telling me the climate or equatorial alignment was different then, and will soon be again. As it was in the beginning, so too in the end.
The climate was different then. Those areas were more forested then and supplied food for more animals. I doubt if the tilt of the earth was different.
Nice catch
@@ImCarolB we know the tilt was different and continues to level out now. Wider tilt now closing in on a steady axis with true north.
@@seppukudaily5902 we actually know from the bible that the earth is a plane realm.
@@gigelfrone6592 hahaaahahahahahahahahahahahahaahaa wow
Thank you. Always wondered about this
Whenever you go to the town you say "going down town".
Something jumped into my mind:
Could Elijah "get up"to bethel bij a something mentioned in the time of jacob? We call it jacobs ladder these day,s...angels could go up and down by it...could elijah to?
So after that lengthy sermon...what was the significance????
did you not listen? they were not little boys but young men, and they were of the house of Omri, or Jezebel and Ahab, and pretty much thumped their noses at the Almighty. So the point is that God did not have the bears maul 42 michevious little fellas
Great commentary on scripture.
@@liljade53 Exactly. Very well stated.
U don't want to know'. but yet u ask.
The significance was that he made up some complex non answer to make us think this mauling of young boys was justified when all it was was evil.
Started listening and if I may add, I am a transplant to the Shenandoah valley, where a river runs "backwards". That is, north.
So when my cohorts tell me they're going to Baltimore, they say: we're going DOWN to Baltimore... because they're going downstream.
Context is everything and gives me a headache when I m getting instructions from my wife....thank God for Google maps 😅
For regions of the United States, I think it's wise to put one's self in the shoes of someone standing in Washington, DC on the day of the Lousiana Purchase in 1803. When we do that, the terms "Midwest", "Deep South", "Southwest", "Pacirfic Northwest", etc. make perfect sense.
That's why residents of New Hampshire will say "they're going down to Maine".
A good background! This is simular to what Jesus said about the pharacies that mocked Jesus, saying that Jesus did his deeds by evil spirit, yet they were well knowing that NO man can do such deeds except by Gods Spirit. Thus Jesus says that sin against himself will be forgiven, but not sin against the Spirit. That is, when the deeds done by the prophet are miracles that so clearly is done by Gods Spirit, it is like lying to God while standing face to face with Him. Its in the category of encounters when Moses saw Gods glory, and God said: "No one can see my face and live" How much more those who deliberately calls the works of the Spirit of God for the works of the devil, even though they fully know its not. They just do not want to recognice the vessel (prophet) that God has sent because it hinders them of ruling over Israel. It was the same with the Pharacies and Jesus. And Jesus cursed them (the woe-to-you words)
Very clear insight. Yes!! I mostly do not like social media of any kind but the ability to have a collective Bible study with believers everywhere and gain all that insight is pretty cool. Thanks Bro!
Would anyone come to the conclusions of this article through the straightforward reading of scripture? They were boys, based on the fact that 2 bears killed 42 of them.
What the English translation of the Hebrew: why do think Pastors learn Hebrew? To keep you from bad interpretations!
very insightful. Excellent analysis.
So interesting and makes such spiritual and biblical sense.
Does anyone want to expand upon Beth El being the place of "apostate worship?"
I'd appreciate further clarification on this point.
Thanks in advance!
What do you mean? Like what kind of stuff they did there?
@@WhatYourPastorDidntTellYou yes. What precisely made the apostates?
1 Kings 12 records the king of Israel establishing Bethel as an unauthorized location of worship designed to mimic the true temple in Jerusalem in Judah in an attempt to keep people from traveling to Israel's southern rival. (See below.) (Note the worship of calf idols.)
...
Jeroboam built shrines on high places and appointed priests from all sorts of people, even though they were not Levites. He instituted a festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the festival held in Judah, and offered sacrifices on the altar. This he did in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves he had made. And at Bethel he also installed priests at the high places he had made. On the fifteenth day of the eighth month, a month of his own choosing, he offered sacrifices on the altar he had built at Bethel. So he instituted the festival for the Israelites and went up to the altar to make offerings. (1 Kings 12:31-33 NIV)
Excellent explanation!
The Bible said: "He went up to Bethel", not down to anywhere and also did not mention anything about the mockers being little boys, although there definitely were little boys in the mix but we need to be precise with God's word. It actually reads: " There came forth little children out of the city and mocked him....."
Perhaps they are referring to another translation?
@@Soturtz ....True! an incorrect translation
I kind of zoned out but I’m pretty sure after 10-13 minutes he told us why he thought it was young men. Sounds like it is to be implied, to me. The fact that they put little almost always implies a young child. I will say that they could very well think different in this aspect back then, because much of the Bible does not make sense from a 21st century perspective. What he’s reading as a theologian is likely much closer to the truth. I know he can get to documents, that we as the public can’t, but I don’t think is the case here. But knowing him he’s reading an original document in Greek or something. I’m pretty sure he decided they were young men by the end of the video. God bless
@@LC-jq7vn ..And I'm pretty sure the Bible saiys they are children...I am also pretty sure the Bible say that the seventh day is the Sabbath, and not the first day. God bless
@@streetsofgold4112 It was from the 6th day sundown to the 7th day sundown. And I’m pretty sure the original word for children is used in other passages to actually mean other things like a lot of the words in the Bible, example Elohim refers to like 5 different things. It very well could have been teenagers or even older. If I find the video again I’ll post it. But it was the same guy talking about it
Merry Christmas and have a Happy new year ❤️😇
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you too! 😀
Christmas is a pagan festival. Messiah was conceived during Chanukah and born during the feast of Sukkot
Jeffrey Michael - Certainly depends on what you believe came first - God the Father or pagan gods.
The way I always interpreted the passage was,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, God has got his guys back, so say, what we do know is the belief was whether it was a bald head or an illness or a deformity was linked with sin almost as a curse. So for God to stand out and have those children I believe it says but regardless young ones Mauled by the Bears is just showing that he shines over his people. We also know he is a just God and if those kids were not of a age of accountability then celebrated death as our heaven bound! I mean we live to get through this life you get to the other side so say. There are multiple stories of the wrath of God. We need not lean on your own understanding because we can’t the stories in the old testament how to give us an example of who God is and how he acts and reacts. Not some Mr. nice guy oh it’s OK
Perhaps the bears coming out and mauling the boys was YHWH's way of saying, "You want hairy? I'll give you hairy twice over, but you'll regret it... you disrespectful young punks."
Natasha Mudford Bible Abridged for Millennials 😆
Unbelievers love to mock this. Even Joe Rogan has mocked it on his podcast.
I’m not surprised. Those of this present evil world will do anything they can to mock God’s word.
Fools will be fools.
@@colton7373 lmfao. Y’all are really batshit crazy. God sent bears to maul 42 children and you think that’s righteous? But everybody else is evil. Please make it make sense. 😩
Elisha had an important work to do from God, so when Elisha was mocked by the children and nothing was to be done ,the people would not have respected Elisha in the work he had to do. But when the bears came out and slayed the children, the people recognised Elisha and his work was from God, and had respect for him.
They were not children, the speaker makes that abundantly clear, that the Jewish expression used in the Bible refers to what today we call young adults. These young men were not yet heads of their own households so they were considered "children" or as we would say today minors in the eyes of Jewish law. The speaker also points out that they were probably members of the apostate king's family. The king had set up an alternate temple and called it Bethel (house of God) to convince his subjects that his counterfeit temple was also the house of God and there was no need for them to go to Jerusalem. He did this because he was afraid that if his people kept going to Jerusalem to worship at the temple there, year after year, this eventually would lead to the people demanding the reunification of the two kingdoms and to the loss of his throne as he was not of the house of David. In this light we can see that what the young royals were doing was more than merely an act of mockery. The fact that the young men came out in a sizable group (42 were killed) and immediately started attacking the prophet verbally, shows that their intentions were not benign, they were not out for a bit of fun at
Elisha' s expense, they were trying to escalate the meeting and start a confrontation that would have probably ended with Elisha's death. Unfortunately the biblical account is short and we don't have all the facts, but it is obvious that their behavior was so threatening that the prophet felt he had no choice but to call on God for help. The fact that God chose to destroy the young men is further proof that they had nepharious intent.
@@esmeraldagreen1992 Whatever. If somebody starts yanking my chain, can I kill 'em?
@Tech Stuf _You_ seem to be...
@Tech Stuf I hope you're a troll, but I fear that you're not. In venues such as this, it's difficult to distinguish between a wiseass and an idiot.
@Tech Stuf hhhhmmm
My question is, why would any ministry name itself Beth'el knowing its history, not it's beginning, it's ending ?
Imagine 42 "youths" as the term is used today, catching their prey, all alone and presumed defenseless. Also, think what all taunts besides "baldy" and the picture begins to complete itself.
The moral: Jesus will forgive you but don't screw with Elisha.
something really horrible with the audio on this, it's coming out very sharp with S sounds.
Its called sibilance.. He needs to run the audio through a de esser.. Its free in a program called audacity
I find it significant that Twice (just like the "children's taunt of "Baldy") the "sons of the prophets" warn Elisha (in unbelief or irreverence) "Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy HEAD to day?" (V3 & 5), which then seems to be the seed of unbelief that these "children" seem to have given fruit to by their words (whether they had heard the words of the "sons of the prophets" perhaps & twisted its meaning into carnality - although spiritual or carnal, both statements were Against the prophet & therefore Against God, specifically in unbelief). Even after Elijah's departure the "sons of the prophets" offer to go look for his body, thinking it likely that God would have dropped him to his peril over the mountains or in some valley - Elisha rejects this request, but they keep badgering him & he relents, only for them to "turn up empty-handed". Elisha proved faithful throughout, not being dissuaded either by Elijah who told him Twice to stay put before his departure, nor the "sons of the prophets" unbelief... and so when the "children" show up, with the "sons of the prophets" seed of doubt & unbelief having taken root in them... it is That to which he speaks & curses... even as we should negate any word (NOT PERSON) opposed to the Word of God ("get behind me Satan"; "be plucked up & removed & even cast into the sea"), that could (if left unchecked) easily take root in our hearts bearing fruit to unbelief & a shaken faith in our Lord.
Why do the ESV, NASB and KJV all translate to "going up to Bethel"? I don't see "going down to Bethel" in my English translations ..... the German Elberfelder 1871 also translate "up to Bethel". Puzzled about the discourse about "down to Bethel" ......
Going up can mean different things. Could mean north, could mean going uphill, could be a general expression.
"We're going down to the 711". The 711 could be both north and uphill and there would be no issue
Are you referring to 2 Kings 2:2?
Dr. Heiser says that Verse 2:2 refers to going down to Beth El. You are looking at Verse 2:23
And so they're apparently unmarried men rather than children.
Think you for the video. This part of scripture was perplexing to me and always seemed out of place.
It wasn't Elijah it was Elisha
How would you justify killing 42 children is not immoral?
God has the right to kill every human on earth. note.. Elisha did not kill those children..because he does not have the right
@@AgapeSignal is killing moral?
@@UrbanGardeningDIY For God yes. He gives and takes away.
@@AgapeSignal thou shall not kill.
@@UrbanGardeningDIY that means you and me.. shall not kill
JESUS CHRIST IS COMING BACK PEOPLE REPENT OF YOUR SINS AND ACCEPT JESUS CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR TODAY NOT TOMORROW PEOPLE WHICH IS PROMISED TO NOONE ON THIS EARTH AT ALL PEOPLE