Week 6 (Days 309-315): What are the different views on the end times?

Hey Bible readers! Welcome to TBR Deep Dive. I'm Kirsten McCloskey and I'm Emma Daughter. And we are your hosts and we are very excited that you are here with us this week. And so I think we're just gonna get right into it. Sound good? Sounds good. You ready for the first question? Let's- I'm asking you. Yes you are! Okay, I can't wait. It comes from day 310, Mark chapter 13. It's really a general question from the whole passage. It's not a specific verse in question. The question reads, there's so much noise, quote unquote noise, around the end times. What are some things we know for sure as we study these passages? It's a really good question. It is. That is a really good question. I like the noise because I do think that that can be kind of a lot of our initial feeling around it is like there's so much going on and honestly there's a lot that we don't know. Yes and that's where I think that impression comes from. Yes. Is the uncertainty. Right. There is and there is some uncertainty in the sense of like when and exactly how and all of that but there are some things we know for sure. So we'll cover that. One theologian, I liked this quote, one theologian said, the end times started in the New Testament after Christ's ascension and therefore we are still in the end times. And I feel like that's actually kind of helpful to think about like Jesus ascension started the end times and so we're still living in it. We're still rolling in it and there's definitely some things that we can talk about that we know and there's going to be some things where we say, maybe this, maybe that. So let's talk about one thing we for sure can know. Christ followers, as Christ followers, we do not need to fear the end times. Amen. This is very, very important. Say it louder for the people in the back. Exactly. So as Christ followers, we shouldn't fear the end times and Jesus repeatedly emphasizes this. It's not something to fear. He says this in Matthew 25, 6. He says it in Luke 21, 28. And so there's two things that we want to note about this is that, okay, so we will be tempted to fear and honestly some of you as you turn on this podcast, you might have been like, oh my, we are starting with it. Okay, we're going to talk about this. So, well, you know, it's fun about that. We're having a conversation and this passage is found in the, what's called the Olivet discourse, which is a conversation, a discourse Jesus had with his disciples. So the idea is that they were asking him questions and it's okay for us to have questions too. Yeah, that's a really good point. That's a really good point. And so yeah, we're going to be tempted to fear and, but Jesus knows that and he says, don't fear. You do not need to be afraid of this. His spirit can empower us to move from a place of fear, which is okay if you're in that space now, but you don't need to be. And so ask the Holy Spirit to really help you even as we have this conversation and as you're reading through and you're studying this, because as we continue going through the New Testament, this is going to come up again. And we will also help you through that as well. It will come up a few times. Exactly, right. So yeah. What else can we know for sure? Okay. So yeah, we can know that there's, I know I'm like, should I'm like, I'm going to say for sure. Yeah, do you have something that you're going to say for sure? Okay, say your for sure is and I'll pop it. So Jesus foretold the destruction of the temple, Mark 13, 2, and it did happen. So for sure, we know in 87, the Romans destroyed the Jerusalem temple or the temple in Jerusalem. One commentator said, there is virtual scholarly unanimy, which means everybody agrees that this prediction refers to the Roman destruction of the temple in 7080. Okay. Yeah. I think that was what you said before, but I heard seven. So I just wanted to clarify 7080. Great. To be clear. So that's one thing. Another would be we can be sure that there will be ongoing turmoil. Yes. Mark 13, 8, which I can actually read for us. It says, for nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places. There will be famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains. And so we should adjust our expectation. Like Jesus taught, there would be wars, natural disasters, famine, things are going to happen throughout history. And we shouldn't be surprised. Yeah. And also there's going to be an increase in false teaching. Yes. That's another thing. That's a big one. We can be certain of that. And then another thing that's really hopeful and amazing and exciting is that all nations will hear the gospel before the end. So that comes from Matthew 24, 14. So this, that's a really joyful and helpful reminder that the gospel is going out to the nations. Yes. Some less joyful reminders. We could be sure of Christians will be persecuted for their faith. Mark 13, 13. There will be a future time of unparalleled tribulation, hard stuff. Mark 13, 19. And now that could refer to 87, 80, 70, there I did it again, when the temple was destroyed or something in the future. Right. Both. And that's gets to what we don't know is how much of this, right. How much of this was, okay, Jesus is talking about kind of that immediate generation of his disciples and how much of it is him going, seeing way into the future. What's going to happen. Yeah. So that's, we, we know the exact day and hour of his return is unknown. Mark 13, 32. But we do know, here's great news. Jesus will return visibly and powerfully. That's something we can say. Yeah. We know that for sure. Yeah. He is coming back and we can have hope because of it. Yeah. I had that. I had great news in all that. The great news is Jesus coming back. The other thing, I just kind of wanted to point out two things as well that, that will also happen at the end of all things is that we, Jesus comes back, we get new bodies, resurrection is happening, and God makes all things new. So I think that that's such an important thing to keep in the forefront of this conversation as we have it now, as you continue reading through the New Testament. The reality is we 100% know how the story ends, and that is such a comforting fact. There's going to be a new heaven, a new earth. God is making all things new. There's going to be no more crying. There's, you know, like all of that stuff that we've read about in Revelation 21, that's, that's wonderful. Yeah. And in the meantime, believers stay awake and be ready. So when we think about the end times, Jesus didn't give us a lot of specifics, as we've mentioned, about how all of these things are going to play out in the world, but he told us what should be happening in us and through us in the meantime, how we should think, what we should do. And it's, as you've said, don't be afraid and share the gospel. Tell others about Jesus. Like the day will come though it's unknown, it'll come, and all of us are going to have to give us, give us an account. So Tim Keller said, Jesus calls us to hope in his return, but also to serve faithfully while we wait. That's awesome. Thumbs it up nicely. That's awesome. Okay, great. Any other thoughts on? Let's go to the next question. Okay, I'm ready. We've covered the end times. Perfect. Okay. You know, everybody knows everything they need to know. Okay. So next question is coming out of episode 311, day 311, and coming out of Matthew 24. So why did Jesus, as the Son, not know when he was coming back? Doesn't he know everything? So we're still kind of in this end times passage here. So what, what do you think about that? Yeah, let me read for us Matthew 24, 36. Matthew 24, 36, but concerning that day and hour, no one knows not even the angels of heaven nor the Son, but the Father only. The day and hour referencing, of course, when Jesus is coming back. So there's three major views here. Okay. One would say, hey, Jesus voluntarily, he chose to limit his access to divine knowledge as part of his, his time on earth. That he said, hey, I'm going to give up some access to knowledge temporarily while I'm on earth. That's one view. Another view would be to say, hey, Jesus submitted to the Father's authority and temporarily gave up some of his knowledge, not just because he was on earth, but because he was submitting to the Father temporarily. This isn't about his divinity by any means. It's just about a temporary relinquishing of knowledge. Is it about kind of the roles of some of the roles of the Trinity stuff that we had covered? Yes, yes. Okay. So a couple episodes ago. The Father, the Son, and the Spirit are equally God. They are one and they played distinct roles. This, this would fit in that distinct role bucket. They're, Jesus is a hundred percent God while he's on the earth. And he may have temporarily just kind of left some of his knowledge in heaven with God. Maybe. The third view, just to say this is a mystery. We, we don't know. And I love that view. Yeah. And we just need to accept that there's tension. Now, if I'm picking a view, I'm picking that one. But I did find the first, I found the first viewpoint interesting that Jesus voluntarily limited his access to divine knowledge as part of his commitment to being on earth. Right. Now, and I think, oh, yeah. No, no, no, go ahead. I think that that, that one probably kind of made the most sense to me. I could, maybe someone who has other view could persuade me a little bit more. But I think we see this in, in some other ways too, because Jesus while he was on earth was also not omnipresent everywhere at all times. So, so we already kind of have a little bit of a precedent for that. One commentator who, who takes this view said, this is the clearest statement in the New Testament of a limitation of Jesus's knowledge. And he was looking at it as a demonstration of Jesus's dependence on the Father, which we see a lot as, as kind of saying, okay, I am fully submitted to my Father's will. I am fully dependent on my Father. And so he is the only one that knows this information. So the other question then is, okay, if Jesus, does Jesus know this now? Oh, I would think yes. What did you learn? Well, I think that there are maybe also two views on, on this. But again, I maybe I won't share which one I think it is, but I want to know. I shared which one I, I think, I think to side, you got to think aside. Okay, so, so there's one view that is this was just about Jesus limiting his knowledge on earth. And so when he has, when he ascended, then he got all the knowledge back. He's back. Yeah, he's back. And then there was another view, which kind of, I'm wondering if this roles thing was also, it seems like that was also a piece of it where it was like, Jesus maybe still doesn't know because of he's still like that is still the Father's role. But that was a little less compelling. Well, honestly, I have to say that was a lot less compelling to me. And so happy to be maybe persuaded by that view. But that one, that one, I couldn't, I just couldn't quite wrap my head around that one as much. Yeah, I think that one's getting it like function, what function or job does, does Jesus play? Right. And so it's maybe suggesting, hey, for his job, he doesn't need that information. So does he know it or not? Maybe, but they're focusing on the role that the son is as the second person of the Trinity is playing. I wouldn't think. Yeah. So, but I think we're, so we're still kind of in this end times era. Yeah, that's the conversation. Yes. So again, and you mentioned this as we were talking about the last question, that we need to remember that it's important to be ready for Jesus's return, which we've again, already talked about. But so it's, Jesus is saying, hey, while he's having this conversation with the disciples, he's like, I don't know when I'm coming back, not the angels know, you know, the Father knows, but you guys, you have a job, you be ready. So again, it's like, don't worry so much about this. Live as if Jesus coming back tomorrow. Live as if he's coming back today. You know, like, if there's something in your life that needs to change with that reality, then pay attention to that. Be ready for Jesus's return and wait hopefully for it. Yeah. It's a good place to again, just remind friends listening that the idea of Jesus coming back is good news. We don't have to be afraid. Right. We can be hope filled. It's something to look forward to. And if fear is what's rising up, that's the enemy. Yeah. Yeah. We got to keep moving. Okay. Our next question comes from day 313. Why does Jesus bring only Peter, James and John deeper into the garden? Why not the others? And the text in question or the text being referenced is Matthew 26, 36 through 37, which I will read for us. Matthew 26 is a long chapter. In case you were wondering, it's 75 versus long. So I'm going to turn back a page. All right. Matthew 26, 36 through 37. Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane and he said to his disciples, sit here while I go over there and pray. And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. And the story goes on. Yes. The story goes on. I, this question was so interesting to me because I had never noticed this detail before. So maybe for asking this question, I was like, oh, no way. Yes. So that was, it was kind of fun to look into because I hadn't really thought about it. Okay. So right off the bat, this is going to be, these are speculation answers, right? Sure. We don't know why. Right. It's not in the text why he does this, but there is some precedence for him kind of drawing aside these three. So we've got Peter and then we have James and John also referred to as the sons of Zebedee. And it seems like there's some other situations where they are also called into Jesus is kind of more inner circle. So he has the 12, he has the hundreds of people following him that he's got the crowds and then he's got the 12 and then he's got these three. Yes. So, so they were present at pivotal moments, like the raising of Jairus's daughter, Mark 537, the transfiguration Matthew 17. Now the suffering in Gethsemane. Yep. And it's been said by one commentator that Jesus took with him those who were closest to him. They had seen his glory on the mount and now we're invited to witness his agony in the garden. Yeah. Which I thought was great. Yeah. Well, and as I was, as I was looking at this more and kind of reading it and it was so interesting to me because he's, he's saying to them only these three in Matthew 2638, my soul is very sorrowful even to death. Remain here and watch with me. And it's just, he, he was hoping that they would be his friends, that they would stand with him, that they would watch for him while he could pray. I'm sure that he was hoping that they would pray alongside him. And so it's such an interesting, it's such a beautiful depiction of Jesus's full humanity. Yes. That he needed people with him. Yeah. And Jesus is perfect, right? So, does he really need anyone? No. But he may have also been intentionally modeling intimacy and vulnerability for us. What do we do when we're deep agony and sorrow? And he's demonstrating the importance of bringing in community and inviting other people into his saddest moments. But, but his saddest moments are also his most transparent moments, which I think is great. John Stott wrote in his book, The Cross of Christ, he did not want to be alone. He wanted companionship and suffering, though not even they could carry the weight, which is significant because when you share what's troubling your heart with others, the point in sharing isn't that they would take on that burden themselves and carry that emotional weight. They can support you in it, but ultimately we're casting our burdens at the foot of the cross to Jesus. And so, Jesus was demonstrating for us what it looks like to ask for help and support. He didn't want to suffer alone. We shouldn't be suffering alone. Right. And we get a great picture of a failure to support someone, which we can learn from. We can learn from their negative example of like, hey, when your friend is very sorrowful and to death, here's some things not to do. Don't sleep. Yeah, stay awake. Don't sleep. But yeah, I think it's like, it just also, it made me think about how wonderful it is that we always have Jesus as our friend. And so we might be so sorrowful. We might be going through such a hard time. And honestly, our friends might disappoint us a little bit. Yes. That like, I think that's probably the expectation that we should maybe have that expectation that people are going to disappoint us. But God is never going to do the things. He's not falling asleep. Discipled it. You know, yeah, like God, God of Israel does not slumber sleep. He's awake. He's here for you. You know, I like that. I'm glad you make that observation because they did fail. They fell asleep. And yet though they failed, Jesus continued to use them. Like after, even after he's killed, you know, I'm thinking about them jumping out of the boat and swimming to the shore, racing to meet him. He's making breakfast. And sometimes when our friends fail to support us, we think they can't be my friend anymore. And that's not what Jesus is modeling here. And I don't know what situations are represented across all of our listeners, but spending time in this passage could be a way for the spirit to work in our hearts and remind us about human weakness and forgiveness in light of that. It's a very interesting takeaway. Okay, let's move on to our next question. So this is from day 313. Matthew 2615 is our verse reference for this. Lots of questions coming from Matthew 26. It's good. It's good. The question is, why was the price for Judas' betrayal exactly 30 pieces of silver? And I might add to that, is there something significant with that? Sure. So again, whenever we're asking why, you don't always know why because the why is not explicitly stated in this text. However, this question uniquely, there are some other passages that do help us identify why 30 is significant. So why it's a significant number. Yes, why it's a significant number. So one would be the fulfillment of a prophecy from the book of Zechariah. So many commentators, many theologians believe that Matthew is doing something very intentional here by including the number 30. He's echoing Zechariah 11, where a rejected shepherd, a figure, a person representing God, is paid 30 pieces of silver by the people that he served. It's specifically Zechariah 11, 12 through 13, which reads, So they weighed out my wages 30 pieces of silver, which is a pretty one to one comparison. And the Lord said to me, throw it to the potter, the handsome price at which they valued me. Yeah. And he's being sarcastic. Yeah, it's not a good thing. Right. That is a really great note. Right. That is a very low amount. Yes. And so the idea is that the Jewish leaders devalued Jesus in the same way that Israel had devalued God as their shepherd. So Matthew is likely making a very explicit connection to this prophecy. Yeah. Now, here's another point of information that's not from the scriptures. Okay. Well, actually it is. It is. Yeah. Excuse me. Exodus 21, the cultural value of a slave. Okay, you have that one. Why don't you speak on it? Yeah. So in Exodus 21 32, this is what the verse says, If the ox gores or kills a slave male or female, the owner shall give to their master 30 shekels of silver. And the ox will be killed. So this was in essence the price of a slave. Yeah. So I think it's interesting to see again, how much the Jewish leaders devalued Jesus, but then also his own disciple Judas, who we kind of see at a couple of different places in the scriptures that he was actually maybe greedy. He stole from the disciples money bag. We see that in John, John 12 6. So he was in charge of the money and he's dealing from it. He used to help himself to what was put in the money bag. Yes. Right. And so then he is happy to sell Jesus, sell Jesus to a good deal, right, to betray him for 30 pieces of silver, which is yeah, really tough. It is tough. Yeah. Pretty much the worst business deal in all of human history. It wasn't worth it. It's also worth noting that some commentators believe that Matthew may have been writing with irony here and he includes this detail to show or demonstrate what men meant for evil. God used for good. Yes. It was an insult that he was sold so cheaply. It was a terrible business deal. This is a shame. It's sad. It's insulting. Yet look what's about to happen as we keep reading through the story. That's good. Good point. So I got. Yeah. I hadn't, I hadn't heard that before. That's interesting. You got anything else? Are you ready for the next question? I'm ready for the next question. Okay. It's a big one. Okay. I'll buckle up. Yeah, buckle up. It comes from day 309. We've got some attentive listeners out there. They mentioned that Terri Lee mentioned that Jesus said it's impossible to lead the elect away from faith. What scripture supports this? And then the re-captain said, honestly, I'm genuinely struggling with this. Yep. Yeah. And I think that this, this is definitely something that people do struggle with. And it's a, it's a very valid question. Thank you for asking it. Thank you for considering where you stand on that. So it's really important to know that your salvation is secure. That is a very important thing to know and to hold on to. It's also important to know where, where we get this idea from in scripture, where we get this truth from in scripture. So a couple of different verses come to mind. One from Ephesians, one from John and 1 Peter. These are not the only places, but these were just some that I think could help. Yeah. Yeah. So Ephesians 1, 4 to 5, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love, he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will. So there's a lot of language of what God is doing, chose us, predestined us for adoption. So yeah, that's, that is a helpful one. John 10, 27 to 30, I think is also really helpful. So this is Jesus speaking. And he says, My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me. And I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish. And no one will snatch them out of my hand. My father, who has given them to me is greater than all and no one is able to snatch them out of the father's hand. I and the father are one. And that's two times in just that small section, no one will snatch them out of my hand. So I think that's really important. I think this question likely came from Matthew 24. Matthew 24, 24 reads, For false Christ's and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. I'm assuming that's where the question came from. And I think it's worth noting again, that this, this is taking place as part of the Olivet discourse, meaning Jesus is talking with his disciples, they're asking questions, they're like, Hey, what's, what's going to happen before you come back before you return? And Jesus mentions this detail. So I think it's helpful to ask what, what, who are the elect? What is, what does that mean? And it comes from the Greek word, a klektos, which means chosen ones. That's my Greek pronunciation. I don't know about that. But it's, it occurs a number of times in the New Testament, referring to true believers, those who believe. Yeah. And I think that's a good point. I don't want to forget to read my first Peter. Oh yeah. So I'm going to read it. I'll read it and then we'll come back to that. So first Peter one, three to five, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, according to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. So there's the, in these verses, there's the, the protection, there's them being guarded through faith. So these are, these are some of these key words. And I think back to kind of what you were saying, Emma, about there are, there are people who we probably know who have professed faith, but then who walk away. And so the question is, what about them? And so some of it is, we don't know the end of the story. So if they're still alive, they might still very well turn back to Jesus and return to faith. If, if they're not, we also don't necessarily know what happened in their lives, you know, in the final years, in the final moments. And Jesus welcomes repentance even in those final moments. That is so important. We have the thief on the cross where he says, today you'll be with me in paradise. Like that, we know that for sure. But what we know from scripture is that if these people don't return and repent, then they really were never actually truly following Jesus. Yeah, that's good. I want to return to the question. Yeah. Because I, I kind of got us a little off track. But the question was, Jesus said it's impossible to lead the elect away from faith. What, what scripture supports this? So you've got the scripture. Yep. I'm thinking, Hey, just to give a clear answer, the answer is no. Yeah. Like it, it is not possible to lead the elect away from the faith. And there's two reasons why. One would be, assuming this question's coming from that Matthew 24, 24 verse, the verse reads, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect and almost all Bible commentators agree that if possible, that, that little phrase in there is, is pointing to it being out of the question. Okay. It's like, it's like, you could read this and say, for false Christ and false prophets, they'll arise and we'll show great signs and wonders so as to mislead if they even could, but they can't the elect, but they're going to try. Yeah. That's the idea. They're going to try, but they can't succeed because they're, they're secure. And then the, I think second supporting thing that would be worth noting is that the Bible speaks about protection we have as believers from the deception that could lead to eternal separation. So like you read Ephesians one, because believers are the chosen ones, we are secure. We are protected. Nothing can separate us from the love of God. Yes. But that does lead to a relevant topic, perseverance of the saints. What does that mean? Where does that come from? Yeah. Yeah. So that's a doctrine. It can also be referred to as preservation of the saints, which I think is cool because we've kind of talked about, we've kind of talked about God's work in this. Like God cares about your salvation. He cares about it more than you do. And he's going to take you to the finish line. So God is the one keeping us. God is the one guarding us. One commentator put it this way, those who are born again will continue trusting in Christ forever. God by his own power through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit keeps and preserves the believer forever. Yeah. I think of it. It's a fancy way of saying once you're saved, you can't lose your salvation. You're saved forever, but it's not about us persevering and holding on. It's about God holding on to us. What else would you like to, you got some other stuff for us, Emma? I got some more. I think the name can be confusing. You mentioned perseverance. Yeah. Perseverance, preservation. Some people just call it eternal security. That might be a common term you've heard before. And the name isn't what matters most. That's it. That's a name that man has put on this idea, this theological principle. But what's important is that the principle lines up with what the Bible says. So you could call it whatever you want, but in a faithful summary of what the scriptures say and how secure we really are in Jesus, we can be confident we can't lose our salvation. And I think that that confidence piece is key, that it's not just about this one passage that raised the question or the few examples that you read that, that answer the question, hey, you are secure, but taking a moment to pause in and ask, what do I, what do I think about this? Am I having doubts? Am I afraid that I'm not secure in allowing these scriptures to speak into that fear in a personal way versus just focusing on the high level doctrinal principle? It's also applicable to every single believer in Christ. Yeah. And it makes me think of a couple episodes ago when we talked about how do we know we're adopted into God's family? That was one of our questions. And so these kind of go hand in hand. Like, if you're scared or if you're concerned about this, then, you know, feel free to go back and listen to what we talked about with how do we know that we're adopted into God's family? I think I use the same Ephesians reference. And there's a lot of places in scripture that, that talk about both these things and can really give you that assurance. And I want to remind all of us that it's also about faith, our faith believing that what this says is true. Yes. And, and so if you're hearing this and like, yeah, I believe it, I got it. One way the enemy can sneak in is by telling us the lie that, hey, you're, you are secure. You're salvation secure forever. Like you got it. That's true. Check, check, check. So why don't you do whatever you want? Like, does the doctrine of eternal security give me a free pass to live? However I'd like, is it a free pass to sin? Like, no, Jesus will forgive me. Right? No, you're missing the whole point of the doctrine. If that's the conclusion you draw. Yeah. That's a really good point. John two, three through four says, if we know God will obey him. Yes. So if someone's claiming to know Jesus, but has zero interest in following him, that should be a warning flick. That's a concern. Yeah. And then Romans eight says that God justifies, just as he justifies, he also glorifies when, when they will be raised in Christ likeness, which means if you're truly saved, God's going to save you. First Corinthians six, 11, you're washed, sanctified and justified. He's making you more like Christ. So this, this doctrine of the preservation or the perseverance of the saints, eternal security, it doesn't mean we can do whatever we want in the meantime because we're secure. Yeah. That's such a good point. So it should bring us comfort and it should encourage us in our walk with the Lord to keep walking closely to him. Right? Amen. Yeah. Reading the word, staying here to Jesus, surrendering to his spirit. Repenting of sin. That's good. That was our last question. All right. Good work today. Thank you. You as well. Did you have a favorite inside or something that stood out? I love Revelation 21. And so when we were talking about times in my life, I've heard someone say, I love revelation. Maybe two. But seriously, we haven't read that. If you haven't read that chapter in a while, I know you're going to be, you know, reading it relatively soon, but feel free to just flip your Bible there. It is so encouraging because it's, it's about the newness that we all hope for. And so, yeah, it was just thinking about the end times and kind of diving into some of that, but then getting to the place where I'm like, no, I know how the story ends. The story ends so well. And it's God coming down to dwell with us again. I knew heaven, a new earth. And that is very exciting. Yeah. What about you? I think my favorite part was researching the 30 pieces of silver just because I'd never explored that before. I don't know that I had this like amazing heart revelation or moment, but I was interested. I was intrigued. And that was starting my hunger for the word as I dug in and studied. So that was new. And, you know, I feel like Kirsten, this was a really great conversation. We always learn so much, but we're out of time. So, as always, thanks for taking a deep dive with us. We'll see you next week as we continue to read, understand, and love the Bible and the God who wrote it.