Author: Michael Mann

Something that always bothered me when I was younger was that Jesus supposedly died on Good Friday, spent “three days and three nights” in the tomb (Mt. 12:40), and then rose from the dead early on Sunday morning. Let me see … Jesus dies at 3:00 p.m. on a Friday. 1 Saturday, 2 Sunday, 3…

At the first Passover, the Israelites painted their doorposts and lintels with the lamb’s blood so that the angel of death passed over all their firstborn sons. On this basis, the Lord said that all their firstborn sons belonged to Him (Ex. 13:2). When they came of age they should have been set apart for…

As a son of the prophets, I feel it a duty to keep my eyes and ears open to what the Spirit of the Lord is doing and saying. Keeping one’s spiritual senses open can have the unwanted consequence of giving the feeling that we are on the very brink of the end of the…

It’s not an idle question. The names we use for God reveal what we believe about our relationship. We are saved or unsaved on the basis of what we believe, on the basis of our relationship with God. So what does your name for God say about your relationship? To the Patriarchs, He was God-Eloheim,…

Christians don’t practice numerology for divination, but numbers in the Bible do have consistent meanings, and there are number types in Torah that add an additional layer of understanding to scripture. Certain numbers just come up more in the Bible. Let’s find out why.  In addition to forming the building blocks of words, Hebrew letters…

§ The verse states: “And the king removed his ring from his hand” (Esther 3:10). Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: The removal of Ahasuerus’s ring for the sealing of Haman’s decree was more effective than the forty-eight prophets and the seven prophetesses who prophesied on behalf of the Jewish people. As, they were all unable…

When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come and see.” So I looked, and behold, a pale [Gr. chloros] horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him. And power was given to them over a fourth of…

When He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come and see.” So I looked, and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of…

This article is the continuation of a series on the Horses of the Apocalypse. For the full development of thought leading to these suggestions, please refer back to the introductory articles beginning with https://michaelmannauthor.com/discerning-the-times. When He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come and see.” Another horse, fiery red, went…

1 I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures saying, with voice like thunder, “Come and see.” 2 And I looked, and there before me was a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow. And a crown was given to him, and…

In Bible Typology, the horse (sometimes cavalry) is associated with war. The great armies of the Old Testament were made up of giants (when available), nobles riding on chariots pulled by horses, knights riding upon horses, and general infantry that had to soldier along on foot. In Zechariah Chapter 1 the prophet saw four horses,…

Four is one of the prominent numbers in the Bible, perhaps only less important than the number seven. The first instance is Day Four of creation week, in which the Lord made the lights in the firmament of heaven, and appointed the sun and moon as rulers of Day and Night. The dimension of time…

Before we ride further into this series on the Four Horses of the Apocalypse, I’d like to reign in for a moment to review a subject I have written on before. For a review of my posts on rules of interpretation in Bible typology, please visit: https://michaelmannauthor.com/whoever-has-what.  There are numerous sources for “rules” of interpretation…

And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals Rev. 5:1, NKJV The Book of Revelation devotes several chapters to this scroll and the opening of its seals by a Lamb with its throat cut that has seven…

Every prophesy has a life before it is fulfilled, a life while it is being fulfilled, and a life after it has been fulfilled. Our reactions to each part in the life of a word of prophesy is different. At the time John wrote the Book of Revelation, everything in it was still future, but…

Each time I translate a new name list from the Bible I am amazed at what I find there. This time I took the genealogy of Jesus from Luke 3:23-38. There are two things to keep in mind from this list for anyone new to Bible genealogies. First, this is a listing of Hebrew names…

My church has weekly pot-luck dinners before midweek Bible study. I sat between two mature men – both lifetime Bible scholars – and listened to them discuss the relative effects of God’s grace, against his righteous judgement of sin. One man was so thoroughly convinced of the infinite power of the cross that he said…

 Jesus had two separate ministries. One was to Israel, and the other was to the Twelve, whom he knew would carry on his work after he departed.  Let’s take a closer look at the difference between his public ministry, and his private one:  6 “I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of…

The prototype “Twelve Tribes” of Israel were not always listed in the same order, and certain names are included or excluded in each list because there were really fourteen patriarchs from Israel when we add Ephraim and Manasseh. Thirteen became tribes where Joseph is excluded, but the twelve sections of land left out Levi –…

Iconography, or the use of pictorial symbols for saints that gave it all up for Jesus, was a means of preserving their deeds in memory, so that as we read their words we also feel the impact of their commitment. Consider the importance of Jesus in two separate ways – his words, and deeds. Which…

This is the last in a series on Genesis 10, sometimes called the Table of Nations. Some of the better commentary on it suggests the best way to understand the seventy “nations” is to take them as regions, and not as people groups. I agree that the regional view simplifies references to state actors by…

Posted on September 8, 2019 by Michael Mann Posted in Uncategorized — No Comments ↓ In the last two posts we introduced the name lists of Genesis 10 as the Table of Nations from Noah, and reviewed the descendants of Japheth, the elder brother. Now let us turn our attention to Ham, the youngest brother.  In Genesis 9 there was…

The Table of Nations: Japheth In the last post, we looked at typology in the number of listed nations and three main divisions of the descendents of Noah from Genesis 10. Let’s take a closer look now at Japheth, the elder brother – where his seven sons and seven grandsons eventually migrated, and the meaning…

Genesis 10 gives us a long listing of names that is often called the Table of Nations, the seventy (or so) descendants of Noah that became distinct people groups after the flood. With the help of genetic science, it is possible to track their movements over time to see where they began, and where they…

My prophet friend Gary told me, “Your biggest obstacle in life is being too smart for your own good.”  I accept him as an elder and teacher. I’ve made it my habit to take note of what he says, but his blunt statement left me blind-sided. I want to agree with him about being a…

In many of our churches we have statements of belief posted on web pages to give ourselves and interested visitors a clear picture of what that body accepts as authoritative teaching. Here’s an example: We believe that the Scriptures, consisting of the Old and New Testaments, are divinely inspired and without error in their original…

That which has been is what will be, That which is done is what will be done, And there is nothing new under the sun. Is there anything of which it may be said, “See, this is new”? It has already been in ancient times before us. There is no remembrance of former things, Nor…

“Astrology” is forbidden both to Jews under the law, and to Christians, because in antiquity it led to worship of the planets and stars as gods, and in our day it has become a method of divining the future without consulting God. We must make a difference in this area of study between a desire…

The sun, moon, and stars are related to earlier conversations on light and darkness, and Creation Week Day Four, but I’d like to revisit this subject because of the prominence these figures have in prophesy.  They were created on Day Four, after the dry land appeared and was adorned with grass and trees (Genesis 1:9-19)….

Angels in the Bible There, I said it. There are angels in the Bible. The Roman, Orthodox, and Episcopal churches still celebrate them, but denominational Protestantism and the Evangelical churches generally do not. Most arguments about them arise from things that the Bible writers quoted, that are not in the Bible. Let me be clear:…

It was a complete disconnect. My first undergraduate class of the day was Physics, where I learned the laws of thermodynamics: First Law: Energy cannot be created or destroyed in an isolated system, so you can never get ahead.  Second Law: Entropy – or disorder – always increases, so you can’t even break even. Third…

I believe I have met many individuals whose bodies were healthy, and whose spirits were vital, but whose souls were lost. They are dead in eternity but still walk upon the earth, as Cain did after he chose the way of darkness. Some don’t know they are lost, while others do know, but believe they…

In the previous conversation, we looked at what the soul is and how a person may lose it, but that wasn’t the intended subject when taken in context.  Here is the context: 21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the…

There are numerous fictional stories about individuals who sold their souls in exchange for something they lusted after. A couple of the better known stories include Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Grey, in which the protagonist remains youthful while only his portrait ages, and Faustus, in which Faust makes a deal with the devil…

Many people have a version of this dream: You find yourself in a long corridor with many doors to the right and left. As you walk along, some of the doors have signs on them telling what you may find within, but you cannot decide which one to open. At long last you come to…

“So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them. Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, the water from…

The oldest segments of the Christian Church, the Eastern Orthodox and related branches, do not have marriage vows in their traditional wedding ceremonies. This was a surprise to me, and speaks volumes about how marriage should be understood by the Church in an age of grace. There is law, and there is grace. Vows belong…

One of the tensions we experience in the exchanging of any kind of vow is that they belong under law, whereas we have been given a dispensation of grace. As it relates to marriage, grace is a subset of love. Law begins where love fails, so that as long as love is active, it is…

In the previous two parts we looked at the first world ruler, a giant that taxed the world to build a great tower to get into heaven on human terms. It brought a curse upon our speech (our word, or spiritual power). We also looked at Nebuchadnezzar, whose hubris led to a seven year curse…

In the last post we looked at the giant Nimrod (also called Amraphel) and the building of the tower of Babel. Jewish tradition said that all the world was forced to pay a tax of bricks and labor for building it, and all that did fell under a curse as God confused their languages. The…

“But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will…

Why Take Communion? It seems like a ridiculous question – or it would have when I was a child in the 1960’s, but today the celebration of our Lord’s Supper is taking a back seat to other forms of worship in a large part of the Body of Christ. I love to visit Christian churches…

Jesus called himself the door or gate of the sheepfold. In the last two posts we considered two individuals who became like a door from the OT.  Lot was the first name with the Hebrew word for door or gate in the same sentence. He became a closed door to the men of Sodom when…

In Part One we considered Jesus’ statement that he is the door or gate of the sheepfold. Following the law of first mention, we saw the first occurrence of the word for door or gate associated with Lot. He became a closed door between the Sodomites and his heavenly visitors, and we noticed that he…

  I’d like to think about individuals in the Bible that became a gate or a door for someone else. Jesus says,  “Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. I am the…

So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah and said, “Quickly, make ready three measures of fine meal; knead it and make cakes.” And Abraham ran to the herd, took a tender and good calf, gave it to a young man, and he hastened to prepare it. So he took butter and milk and the…

In the last post we looked at the basic pattern laid out in creation week. Now we will take a closer look at the contents of each day. There are mysteries to reveal about creation that will blow your mind, but for now let us lay the groundwork with what the Bible expressly says. I…

Patterns in the week of creation form the basis for understanding life in the created world, and help us a great deal in understanding the meaning of weeks and sevens in prophesy. The closer we look, the more correspondences we find. This isn’t the place for an exhaustive study on the subject, but let’s take…

This is a review article that summarizes many earlier posts. My purpose in writing is to make the types and symbols used in the Bible more understandable to modern readers, many of whom are unfamiliar with the Bible’s own stated rules for interpretation. Typology study deepens our understanding of the Bible because types carry additional…

I grew up in a home that was filled with printed words. I had a shared library of books for children with my siblings, a personal library of books and magazines I was given or bought with my own earnings, and a family library of books my father owned that filled a large wall in…

The correct name for this lesson is Light and Darkness, but if I had written that you would probably not bother to read it. Anytime someone begins to tell the secrets of the dark, people will stand in line for hours to get a seat. Sometimes the most profound things are also simple enough for…

I’m happy to announce that all my Small Group Bible Studies are available for download free of charge. Please visit the Bible Studies Tab (for PC), or tap the menu icon (for mobile) and select Bible Studies from the drop down list. Download any of the Small Group Studies by clicking on the link below…

Leviticus in Hebrew is the book named “And He Called.” This interests me because the Ekklesia – the New Testament name for the Church, means “The Called.” Let that sink in just a little more. Leviticus is the only book God ever wrote on the topic of how he is to be worshipped. It is…

Solomon names nine fruits in his garden: pomegranates, henna, nard, saffron, calamus, cinnamon, incense, myrrh, and aloes (Song 4:13–14). This is interesting because Paul lists exactly nine fruits of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22–23). There are many more than nine plants in a king’s garden,…

In the last post we saw Solomon as a type of Jesus in the Kingdom Age, come to take his espoused bride from Lebanon to his palace in Jerusalem – where it turns out he has a private garden. His beloved thought she was courting a lowly shepherd, but discovers that he was really the…

In Part One, we looked at the mystery of the first two characters in Solomon’s Song. I identified the “beloved” maid of Lebanon as a type of Mary Magdalene and of all believers. At the time the Song was written, Lebanon was inside the Kingdom of Israel, thus she resembles Gentile subjects of the Jewish…

    When Solomon became king, he asked the Lord for wisdom and knowledge to judge Israel. The Lord answered him that night, saying, 11b Because this was in thine heart, and thou hast not asked riches, wealth, or honor, nor the life of thine enemies, neither yet hast asked long life; but hast asked…

The Bible is not like other books, because the Author distilled infinity into the finite writing. Most of it points directly to Jesus, but some of it touches on the destiny of the world and Israel, or on the “third rail” of scripture – the Bride. When details in the text line-up prophetically, it isn’t…

Name Lists, Part Two In Name Lists, Part One, we looked at how names are used in the Bible to convey meaning about the person that has the name. We also noted that lists of names sometimes contain prophesy when we translate their meaning.  Let’s take a look at another name list, the sons of…

The title of this article is intended to lull you to sleep so that I can detonate a bomb in your spirit-man later. The effect is greater when we don’t expect to find anything worth our time in the “badlands” of the Bible, like the lists of names.  Sure, everyone knows about the Bible’s “begats,”…

In Part Two, I told about the power that accompanies my friend, Gary Ring, when he shares the good news, and the impact it has on people you would never expect to come to Jesus. He said, “Even when someone is anointed by God, he or she still needs a teacher.” Gary’s teacher was Opal Pooler,…

In Part One, I introduced my longtime friend, Gary Ring, as Spokane’s “grease prophet” because he was a truck mechanic. He walked around in the dirty shorts and T-shirt that mechanics wear under their overalls, often smeared with grease. He is retired now, but still dresses the same way. It does not matter if he’s…

The following series is a reprint of three short pieces I submitted for publication in a Spokane Christian paper in 2015. The paper’s editor sent me a polite letter afterward, saying that he would not be able to publish them. Gary knew the editor’s father, the man who started the paper, now gone to be…

Laodicea is the seventh of seven churches in this revelation of the body and bride of Jesus Christ. Drawing from the typology of other sevens in the Bible, we have the seventh day that the Lord sanctified in which He rested, and seven as the number of completion or perfection. In the Bible perfect means…

Philadelphia is the sixth church in a series of seven, so we may draw correspondences from the sixth day of creation in which the Lord made the inhabitants of the land. According to Jewish tradition, He made the animals in the first part of the day (evening), and created Adam at sunrise. Adam spent that…

I ended the previous post with a bold statement. I’d like to take a moment to develop the suggestion that the Dead Church of Sardis bought and sold believers by the millions to enlarge its own names and ministries across the earth.  Jesus began this letter by saying, “You have a name that you are…

Sardis is the fifth church in this series of seven. In the archetype associated with the number five, we have the fifth day of creation in which the Lord populated the regions below the earth (the seas) and above the earth (the visible sky) with swarms of fish and birds. Since man was not granted…

Thyatira is the fourth church of seven, corresponding with day four of creation. On day one the Lord created the spiritual realm of light and darkness. On day two, the heavens and seas as boundaries above and below the habitation of man. On day three, the land with its adornments as a stage for the…

Pergamos (or Pergamum) is a compound of per + gamy, which means mixed marriage. “Per-” is also the root of perversion, which Jews define as mixing the holy with the profane. As prophesy, the letter to Pergamos addresses the next part of the Church age in which the holy Church became married to the unholy…

If you missed the Introduction to this series, we have been looking at “sevens” in the Bible, using the first instance of the seven days of creation to set the stage for other sevens, such as the seven churches of Revelation. If the Bible has only one Author, and if He is God, then we…

In the archetype seven days of creation, God set the stage in the first three days: day one for the spiritual world of light and darkness, day two for the heavens and seas, and day three for the earth with its adornments.  Ephesus is the first church, whose name means “My Darling.” The spiritual heart…

The letters to the seven churches of Asia (Revelation Chapters 2-3) are part of a larger work, to be understood in the context of that larger work by things said in the Introduction (Revelation Chapter 1). The keys to unlocking what Jesus means by the figures he uses are either already known from what they…

In Hebrew, all the letters have a numerical value, and adding the values of letters gives words a numerical value. For example, chai (life) is the number 18. Jews give gifts to charities in denominations of 18 to represent giving life. It should not surprise us, then, that numbers in the Bible have significance, and what…

“Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord. You shall love the Lord your God from your whole heart, from your whole soul, and from your whole power.” Deut. 6:4-5, OSB (LXX) I think the Bible reveals mankind with a three-part spiritual anatomy made in the image of the Trinity that is one…

My teacher Gary often talks about entering into the glory of God, either alone in prayer, or together with others in worship. When this happens, we stop talking and thinking about God so that we can experience him in ways that defy knowledge.  The spirit enters into his presence, but our flesh (and corrupted minds)…

In the previous post we explored a rule for interpretation of types and figures in the Bible. Now let’s look at another. In 1 Cor. 15:44-46 Paul writes: There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam…

The first thing to know about types is that Jesus and many of the Bible writers used them, and when they did, they followed certain rules. Israel ordered the holy books by importance, starting with Torah (Genesis to Numbers), then the historical books, then the greater prophets, the lesser prophets, and finally “the writings.” According…

Typology (the study of pattern, or types) is a way to enrich Bible study by appreciating the forest as a whole for a moment before focusing on individual trees, or their leaves. It takes our eye off the microscope, looking across all 66 books at once to appreciate the power and grandeur of the vista…

Sandra and I enjoyed the sunrise Easter service at a small church in our neighborhood in Nashville, TN today. I got a text message a little later on from my co-worker Evan, who was celebrating Easter with his parents. It contained a little-known custom that explains a seemingly non-trivial detail in John’s eyewitness account of the resurrection:…

I received the unwanted news this week that my publisher, Tate Publishing, is “in transition” and will no longer be in business. I’ve been with Tate since 2009 and had little bad to say about the services they provided me as a first-time author. Fortunately, my wife Sandra knew what to do. She spent the…