Show Notes
Before we were arguing over flat earth vs round earth, before we were arguing over creation vs evolution, before were were arguing over whether Tom Holland has surpassed Tobey Maguire as the best portrayal of Spider-Man, there was another debate within the church: did God create the earth with a canopy around it like a dome or protective shield? Now, perhaps you’ve never heard of this, but it centers around this mysterious firmament that comes up in Genesis 1:6 and 7. The NKJV says
6 Then God said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.” 7 Thus God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament; and it was so.
What even is a firmament? The American dictionary says a firmament is “the vault of heaven.” The British dictionary says it’s “the expanse of the sky.” I don’t quite know what that means, and to be honest, I find it to be weird, and all I really care about is what the Bible says it is. If you want to find out, too, turn to Genesis 1, and let’s get weird.
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Timestamps: 0:00 - Introduction 2:00 - Grossly Normal 4:30 - The Waters and the Firmament 7:25 - Theories on the Firmament 9:20 - The Firmament in the Scriptures 13:05 - The Firmament in Ezekiel 18:45 - The Sea of Glass 23:00 - The Living Creatures 27:50 - Closing Thoughts
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If you want to get in touch, my email is [email protected] 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!
More from Weird Stuff in the Bible
Interview today with Will Blesch, author of the 2026 book In the Shadow of Goliath. Will digs deep into history and archaeology, unlocking ancient mysteries by approaching these topics from a biblical framework. He joins me on a video call from where he lives in Israel in this episode. Learn more about his book and his library of work at his website: https://www.williamblesch.com/in-the-shadow-of-goliath/ —— 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.... Check out the website! www.weirdstuffinthebible.com Visit the Weird Stuff store! https://luketaylorpodcasts.creator-sp... 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 [email protected] 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!
I know the podcast is called Weird Stuff in the Bible, but today, I want to start with something that’s weird in our world: ziggurats. A ziggurat is a pyramid-like structure. It starts with a massive base, and every level going up gets a little bit smaller. They often have steps up the sides so you can climb to the top. You’ve probably seen pictures before of ziggurats in ancient Babylon, Mesopotamia, from the Aztecs, from the Mayans—there’s even one in Collinsville, Illinois. And here’s what’s so weird about it: this structure is replicated in all kinds of societies all around the world. Different nations, different languages, different cultures—and yet we keep seeing ziggurats repeated across the planet. My question is: why? Well, where do all ancient nations, languages and cultures come from? According to the Bible, they all got started at this event called the Tower of Babel. Imagine my surprise when I found out that the Tower of Babel was a ziggurat. I find this to be weird, and I’d like to explore why it’s in the Bible. Turn to Genesis 11, and let’s get weird.
Listen here, or watch the interview right here: https://youtu.be/PpolOnhpvvs The interview today is with Derrick Warfel, author of UFOS AND GOD, as well as the creator of a new documentary by the same name. Learn more about the book here: https://ufosandgodbook.com And the documentary here: https://www.ufosandgod.com Derrick Warfel was born and raised in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He earned a bachelor's degree from Princeton, a Master of Theology from Dallas, and an MFA from USC. After eight years on staff with CRU, Derrick spent the next four decades in the film industry, creating and teaching media from a biblical worldview. This interview is part of celebrating the third year anniversary of this podcast! Look for another interview or two to drop this month.
Last fall I did an episode asking “What was the big deal about a tower that reaches to heaven?” And that episode ended up setting records. At the time, it was probably my most popular episode ever, and it held that position for many months. If I were smart, I probably would have followed it up with 10 more episodes right then about the Tower of Babel. There was clearly a lot of interest in this subject to know what exactly was going on there. And yet, for me, that was one of my not-so-favorite episodes. Why? Because I really asked more questions than I provided answers. I was questioning why the builders at Babel thought they could somehow make it to heaven by building a tower all the way up there. Were they really that stupid- or was there something more spiritual going on with this tower? And most puzzling to me of all: what was it about this structure that caused God to say in Genesis 11:6
I made this podcast to answer all those questions your Sunday School teacher hoped you’d never ask. But today, I remember being a Sunday School teacher myself, and I remember teaching Revelation chapter 20, and here’s the question I was afraid of being asked. Revelation 20:14 says