One of the most famous parables Jesus shared was the one about the sheep and the goats. This refers to a future time, judgment day, the second coming of Christ, when Jesus will separate the righteous from the unrighteous. Those who had served Christ will receive salvation, the rest will have a dark fate.

And you’ll probably recognize this quote that Jesus says to that second group

In Matthew 25:41:

Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.’

Sounds simple enough, right? Hell was created for the devil and his angels- meaning the bad angels, the fallen angels- and those people who choose the devil’s team will end up in the same place that they are.

Except wait a minute- this is actually new information. There hasn’t been anywhere in Scripture where we were told that hell was first created for the devil and his angels. You can read from Genisys to Malachi and you won’t find this idea anywhere.

Like 12 tons of European KitKats. Just totally missing. Gone.

You will, however, find that doctrine in the Book of Enoch.

Did Jesus read the book of Enoch? And more importantly- did He believe it?

We’ll answer that today because I find this to be weird, and I’d like to explore why Jesus seemed to quote an idea from the Book of Enoch.

Turn to Matthew 25, and let’s get weird.

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0:00 - Introduction

2:00 - Enoch 10, Imprisoning the Watchers

10:45 - Matthew 25, the Sheep and the Goats

15:35 - Jesus and the Book of Enoch

23:10 - The Fate of the Watchers

Visit the Weird Stuff store!

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You can also find a list of past newsletters at that same link so you never have to miss one.

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

Hosted by Luke Taylor

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

Explore Enoch 10 and Leviticus 16 with me.

The internet was set on fire this week by the tragic passing of Chuck Norris. And it included a revival of Chuck Norris jokes. One said, “When Chuck Norris arrived in heaven, he was the one who had to tell the angels, ‘Fear not.’”

Another said, “Chuck Norris didn’t die. Death has had a near-Chuck experience.”

Another one: “When Chuck Norris goes into a room, he doesn’t turn the lights on. He turns the dark off.”

And I found this great one that said, “Chuck Norris once read Leviticus…and liked it.”

Now, that’s a good one because Leviticus is no one’s favorite book of the Bible. Leviticus is the book about clean and unclean foods, about what to do if you find mold in your house, about how to treat infections- oh yeah, and sacrifices sacrifices sacrifices. There’s a lot of blood in this book, and a lot of details about sabbaths, feast days, and the sacrifices that the Israelites were supposed to do at these appointed times.

And chapter 16 is perhaps the most peculiar. This describes the Day of Atonement. It involves a strange ritual where there were two goats presented before the people. The High Priest would pick one goat to be used as a sacrifice; the other would be sent off into the desert.

Kinda weird, huh? But it gets weirder. Listen to this:

Leviticus 16:8

And Aaron shall cast lots over the two goats, one lot for the Lord and the other lot for Azazel.

Wait a minute. Azazel may sound familiar, especially if you’ve been listening to the podcast this year. That’s because Azazel is one of the rebellious Watchers in the Book of Enoch, who came down to deceive humanity and teach them forbidden knowledge in the pre-flood world.

But what ever happened to Azazel? We’re going to explore Enoch’s 10th chapter to try and answer that question today as well, so that we can understand why Azazel gets a cameo here in the often-skipped book of Leviticus.

You know, maybe Chuck Norris died, maybe he didn’t. Personally, I’m not gonna believe it until we hear it from Chuck Norris himself.

But I do want to take a closer look at Leviticus 16 and see if I can enjoy it as much as Chuck Norris reportedly did.

Because I find this goat ritual to be weird, and I’d like to explore why it’s in the Bible.

Turn to Leviticus 16, and let’s get weird.

Sign up for the weekly newsletter! Get additional insights and Bible study tips for unpacking strange things in scripture. Enter your email here:

https://weirdstuffinthebible.beehiiv.com/

Check out the website! www.weirdstuffinthebible.com

0:00 - Introduction

2:30 - The Scapegoat

5:15 - Azazel in the Book of Enoch

12:35 - Two-Way Atonement

21:50 - Next Time

23:50 - The Son of the Father

Visit the Weird Stuff store!

https://luketaylorpodcasts.creator-spring.com

You can also find a list of past newsletters at that same link so you never have to miss one.

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

Hosted by Luke Taylor

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

Do you ever get an answer that just leads to more questions?

I think a lot of us have had that experience. Sometimes we’re searching for the answer to some weird thing in the Bible, and when we finally find it, we find ourselves saying, “Well wait, what about this?” Or “this challenges the view I had of spiritual reality or what God is like.”

Honestly, our preconceptions of how God operates are probably our biggest hindrance to understanding some parts of the Bible. And if that’s you, don’t feel bad; it was Habakkuk’s problem as well.

Habakkuk, a prophet of God, one of the men selected to write a book of the Bible, certainly had his view of God challenged. Habakkuk had some issues with how God was running the world, he asked God about it, God actually answered Habakkuk, and Habakkuk wasn’t too satisfied with the answer.

Today, we’re going to read how that conversation between God and Habakkuk went down, and it’s going to help us understand how to process it when God’s actions don’t meet our expectations.

Then we’ll look at a similar conversation that was recorded amongst a group of angels in the Book of Enoch. And that discussion is going too help us understand what we should DO when God’s doesn’t do what we think He should.

Habakkuk argued with God. And when he didn’t like what God said, he argued some more.

I find that to be gutsy, and pretty weird, and I’d like to explore why it’s in the Bible.

Turn to Habakkuk 1, and let’s get weird.

Sign up for the weekly newsletter! Get additional insights and Bible study tips for unpacking strange things in scripture. Enter your email here:

https://weirdstuffinthebible.beehiiv.com/

Check out the website! www.weirdstuffinthebible.com

0:00 - Introduction

1:30 - Habakkuk’s Complaint

10:10 - Enoch 9 and the Angels

16:00 - The Just Shall Live By Faith

22:10 - Closing Thoughts: The Labor Day Fire

Visit the Weird Stuff store!

https://luketaylorpodcasts.creator-spring.com

You can also find a list of past newsletters at that same link so you never have to miss one.

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

Hosted by Luke Taylor

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