May 30, 23026

My brother was the giant in our family at 5’-10” tall. Me? I’m 5’-7” on a good day, so I’m certainly no expert on height. But I do know a little about the Bible, and I once spent four years under Dr. Hartman, Dr. Graff and Dr. Johnson learning physics, electromagnetics and chemistry, respectively, enough to turn my tassel at least, so let me wade into the shallow end of the “What happened to the giants?” debate for a moment.

It’s a sister topic to the “What happened to the dinosaurs?” question, for as you’ve probably noticed, there aren’t many giants or dinosaurs roaming the roads near where you live.

Even so, I do believe that giants did once walk this earth. In previous posts I’ve shared specific passages from the Bible that describe them, but since the Bible doesn’t take any time to explain what happened to them, we’ll need to speculate a bit.

Here’s where I’m thankful for my engineering training though one degree received decades ago doesn’t make me an expert on the science that swirls around this question. Even so, here’s what I know.

Right now, unless you’re reading this from inside an absolute vacuum, you are being pummeled by diatomic nitrogen and diatomic oxygen (you can throw in a dash of argon and a pinch of carbon dioxide too). You can’t feel these molecules striking you, nonetheless you’re surrounded by a bazillion air molecules composed of roughly 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen. It would be fair to say that these percentages have remained largely unchanged for millennia, but past or future factors could certainly alter these percentages, and even evolutionary scientists acknowledge that ancient oxygen-rich ecosystems were once a thing. It’s just that they don’t think they were ever a major thing. But what if they are wrong? After all, they don’t exactly have a perfect track record within science, and their evolutionary assumptions do often prevent them from even entertaining theories like the one I’m about to throw at you.

So what if oxygen levels were once much higher than they are at present? What if some global catastrophe caused a tremendous disruption of the earth’s biosphere, a major change in oceanic chemistry, or a massive decay of organic matter, which together contributed to a major drop in the partial pressure of oxygen. Of course, the Bible describes just such an event in Genesis 7-9 that could explain these or similar global changes. If oxygen levels once measured significantly higher than they do now, then that could certainly account for larger beings and longer lives than what we experience today. In fact, scientists have discovered ancient fossils that are several times larger than their modern counterparts. What if background radiation was also much lower in a pre-flood atmosphere, thus reducing the number of somatic and hereditary mutations, which would allow for more robust organic growth?

I don’t personally think it unreasonable to suggest that a global flood caused a dramatic transformation of our climate and that giants and dinosaurs could have been affected by reduced oxygen levels that impacted their subsequent size, their longevity and their quality of life.

Do I know this to be true from the science? Of course not. No one can know with absolute certainty. But is it reasonable? I say, “Yes.”

-Daniel McCabe

Trivia

Which one of the following iconic songs of yesteryear was NOT written by a Jew? Find the answer below)

A. Eli’s Coming (1968)

B. American Pie (1971)

C. Rock and Roll All Nite (1975)

D. Funkytown (1980)

On Location: The Montefiore Windmill

I want to tell you about something you may have seen if you’ve been to Jerusalem, but have probably wondered what it is. You may have noticed an old windmill that is the pride of the locals. It lies just southwest of the Old City, perched atop the western slope of the Hinnom Valley.

I am talking about the Montefiore Windmill. It has been around from the sunset of the Ottoman Empire to the birth of modern Israel. Built in 1857 by the British philanthropist Moses Montefiore, it was originally meant to help Jewish residents become self-sufficient by grinding their own flour. But by the late 1940s, this symbol of industry was about to become a casualty of war.

At the outbreak of the 1947–1948 Civil War, the windmill’s location became strategically important. Standing on a slope overlooking the Old City’s walls, it offered a perfect bird’s-eye view of the landscape. The Jewish Haganah fighters realized this immediately and transformed the top of the tower into an observation post to monitor the blockade of Jerusalem. Naturally, the British Mandate authorities weren’t thrilled about a fortified sniper and scouting nest in the middle of a conflict zone. So in 1948 the British high command finally had enough and ordered the windmill to be leveled. In a bit of military wit, they dubbed the mission, “Operation Don Quixote,” a nod to the fictional knight who famously tilted at windmills.

But here is where the story turns into something straight out of a movie. The demolition crew sent to blow up the tower just happened to be from Ramsgate, England, and as they prepped the explosives, they noticed a plaque on the wall that recorded Montefiore’s name as well as his home in Ramsgate. Suddenly, this wasn’t just a military target; it was a piece of their own hometown history.

According to local legend, one of the soldiers, whose family had worked on Montefiore’s English estate, reminded his comrades of the family’s legendary kindness back in Britain. Moved by the connection, the unit decided to “reinterpret” their orders. Instead of leveling the entire 50-foot stone structure, they carefully rigged the explosives to destroy only the observation post at the very top.

Because of those sentimental soldiers, the tower survived the war. Today, standing tall as a museum, it’s been fully restored with its Kentish-style cap and sails by a Dutch organization called “Christians for Israel.” What a reminder that even in the middle of a civil war, sometimes a small connection to home is enough to save a landmark from the brink of destruction!

-Adam Keim, October 27, 2022

How Joseph Foreshadows Jesus, part 1

The similarities between Old Testament Joseph and Jesus are striking to me. In his classic work, “Gleanings in Genesis,” A. W. Pink lists 101 ways that Joseph’s life foreshadowed the life of Jesus, the Messiah. In this 3-part series I’ll share the first 60, broken into three groups of 20. If you’d like to read them all, you can find his work at www.archive.org. The following list is my careful summary of his work; some of the supporting verses are mine. Enjoy!

1. Joseph had two names—Joseph and Zaphnath-Paaneah (Gen. 41:45).

Jesus has two names—Jesus and Christ (Matt. 1:1).

2. Joseph was a shepherd (Gen. 37:2).

Jesus is the Good Shepherd (John 10:11).

3. Joseph spoke out against evil (Gen. 37:2).

Jesus spoke out against evil (John 7:7).

4. Joseph was loved by his father (Gen. 37:3-4).

Jesus is loved by his Father (Matt. 3:17; 17:5; John 10:17).

5. Joseph was the son of Jacob in his old age (Gen. 37:3).

Jesus is the Son of God who is eternal (1 John 5:13).

6. Joseph had a coat of many colors (Gen. 37:3).

Jesus wears a “colored coat” of various glories and infinite perfections (Heb. 1:3).

7. Joseph was hated by his brothers (Gen. 37:4).

Jesus was hated by his brethren (John 1:11; Luke 19:14).

8. Joseph was hated for his words (Gen. 37:8).

Jesus was hated for his words (John 3:32).

9. Joseph was promised a great future (Gen. 37:7-10, 23-24).

Jesus was promised a great future (Isaiah 9:6-7; Luke 1:31-33).

10. Joseph foretold of his future exaltation and reign (Gen. 37:7-10).

Jesus foretold of his future exaltation and reign (Matt. 26:64).

11. Joseph was envied by his brothers (Gen. 37:11).

Jesus was envied by his brethren (Matt. 27:17-18).

12. Joseph was sent by his father to his brothers (Gen. 37:13).

Jesus was sent by his Father to his brethren (John 4:34; 5:30; 6:38-40).

13. Joseph sought the welfare of his brothers (Gen. 37:14).

Jesus sought the salvation of his brethren (Matt.15:24; Rom. 15:8).

14. Joseph left his father’s home in Hebron (Gen. 37:14).

Jesus left his Father’s home in heaven (John 14:2).

15. Joseph arrived in Shechem to serve (Gen. 37:14).the Montefiore Windmill. It has been around from the sunset of the Ottoman Empire to the birth of modern Israel. Built in 1857 by the British philanthropist Moses Montefiore, it was originally meant to help Jewish residents become self-sufficient by grinding their own flour. But by the late 1940s, this symbol of industry was about to become a casualty of war.

At the outbreak of the 1947–1948 Civil War, the windmill’s location became strategically important. Standing on a slope overlooking the Old City’s walls, it offered a perfect bird’s-eye view of the landscape. The Jewish Haganah fighters realized this immediately and transformed the top of the tower into an observation post to monitor the blockade of Jerusalem. Naturally, the British Mandate authorities weren’t thrilled about a fortified sniper and scouting nest in the middle of a conflict zone. So in 1948 the British high command finally had enough and ordered the windmill to be leveled. In a bit of military wit, they dubbed the mission, “Operation Don Quixote,” a nod to the fictional knight who famously tilted at windmills.

Jesus arrived as the Son of Man to serve (Mark 10:45).

16. Joseph wandered in a field (Gen. 37:15).

Jesus wandered in a field (Matt. 13:38; Luke 9:58).

17. Joseph seeks until he finds his brothers (Gen. 37:14-17).

Jesus seeks until he finds his brethren (Luke 15:4-5).

18. Joseph was conspired against (Gen. 37:18).

Jesus was conspired against (Matt. 12:14).

19. Joseph’s brothers did not believe his dreams (Gen. 37:19-20).

Jesus’ brethren did not believe his words (Matt. 27:39-43; John 3:18, 36).

20. Joseph was insulted and stripped of his coat (Gen. 37:20, 23).

Jesus was insulted and stripped of his coat (Matt. 27:27-29; John 19:23).

-Daniel McCabe

Answer to the Trivia

B. American Pie (1971)

If you have any questions, are interested in learning more about our trips, would like to support us by check or schedule a seminar for your church, school, camp or group, then please contact us for more information at [email protected].

Giants in the Bible, Part 5:

What Happened to Them?

My brother was the giant in our family at 5’10” tall. Me? I’m 5’7” on a good day, so I’m certainly no expert on height. But I do know a little about the Bible, and I once spent four years under Dr. Hartman, Dr. Graff and Dr. Johnson learning physics, electromagnetics and chemistry, respectively, enough to turn my tassel at least, so let me wade into the shallow end of the “What happened to the giants?” debate for a moment. It’s a sister topic to the “What happened to the dinosaurs?” question, for as you’ve probably noticed, there aren’t many giants or dinosaurs roaming the roads near where you live.

Even so, I do believe that giants did once walk this earth. In previous posts I’ve shared specific passages from the Bible that describe them, but since the Bible doesn’t take any time to explain what happened to them, we’ll need to speculate a bit.

Here’s where I’m thankful for my engineering training though one degree received decades ago doesn’t make me an expert on the science that swirls around this question. Even so, here’s what I know.

Right now, unless you’re reading this from inside an absolute vacuum, you are being pummeled by diatomic nitrogen and diatomic oxygen (you can throw in a dash of argon and a pinch of carbon dioxide too). You can’t feel these molecules striking you, nonetheless you’re surrounded by a bazillion air molecules composed of roughly 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen. It would be fair to say that these percentages have remained largely unchanged for millennia, but past or future factors could certainly alter these percentages, and even evolutionary scientists acknowledge that ancient oxygen-rich ecosystems were once a thing. It’s just that they don’t think they were ever a major thing. But what if they are wrong? After all, they don’t exactly have a perfect track record within science, and their evolutionary assumptions do often prevent them from even entertaining theories like the one I’m about to throw at you.

So what if oxygen levels were once much higher than they are at present? What if some global catastrophe caused a tremendous disruption of the earth’s biosphere, a major change in oceanic chemistry, or a massive decay of organic matter, which together contributed to a major drop in the partial pressure of oxygen. Of course, the Bible describes just such an event in Genesis 7-9 that could explain these or similar global changes. If oxygen levels once measured significantly higher than they do now, then that could certainly account for larger beings and longer lives than what we experience today. In fact, scientists have discovered ancient fossils that are several times larger than their modern counterparts. What if background radiation was also much lower in a pre-flood atmosphere, thus reducing the number of somatic and hereditary mutations, which would allow for more robust organic growth?

I don’t personally think it unreasonable to suggest that a global flood caused a dramatic transformation of our climate and that giants and dinosaurs could have been affected by reduced oxygen levels that impacted their subsequent size, their longevity and their quality of life.

Do I know this to be true from the science? Of course not. No one can know with absolute certainty. But is it reasonable? I say, “Yes.”

-Daniel McCabe

Trivia

Which one of the following iconic songs of yesteryear was NOT written by a Jew? Find the answer below)

A. Eli’s Coming (1968)

B. American Pie (1971)

C. Rock and Roll All Nite (1975)

D. Funkytown (1980)

On Location: The Montefiore Windmill

I want to tell you about something you may have seen if you’ve been to Jerusalem, but have probably wondered what it is. You may have noticed an old windmill that is the pride of the locals. It lies just southwest of the Old City, perched atop the western slope of the Hinnom Valley.

I am talking about the Montefiore Windmill. It has been around from the sunset of the Ottoman Empire to the birth of modern Israel. Built in 1857 by the British philanthropist Moses Montefiore, it was originally meant to help Jewish residents become self-sufficient by grinding their own flour. But by the late 1940s, this symbol of industry was about to become a casualty of war.

At the outbreak of the 1947–1948 Civil War, the windmill’s location became strategically important. Standing on a slope overlooking the Old City’s walls, it offered a perfect bird’s-eye view of the landscape. The Jewish Haganah fighters realized this immediately and transformed the top of the tower into an observation post to monitor the blockade of Jerusalem. Naturally, the British Mandate authorities weren’t thrilled about a fortified sniper and scouting nest in the middle of a conflict zone. So in 1948 the British high command finally had enough and ordered the windmill to be leveled. In a bit of military wit, they dubbed the mission, “Operation Don Quixote,” a nod to the fictional knight who famously tilted at windmills.

But here is where the story turns into something straight out of a movie. The demolition crew sent to blow up the tower just happened to be from Ramsgate, England, and as they prepped the explosives, they noticed a plaque on the wall that recorded Montefiore’s name as well as his home in Ramsgate. Suddenly, this wasn’t just a military target; it was a piece of their own hometown history.

According to local legend, one of the soldiers, whose family had worked on Montefiore’s English estate, reminded his comrades of the family’s legendary kindness back in Britain. Moved by the connection, the unit decided to “reinterpret” their orders. Instead of leveling the entire 50-foot stone structure, they carefully rigged the explosives to destroy only the observation post at the very top.

Because of those sentimental soldiers, the tower survived the war. Today, standing tall as a museum, it’s been fully restored with its Kentish-style cap and sails by a Dutch organization called “Christians for Israel.” What a reminder that even in the middle of a civil war, sometimes a small connection to home is enough to save a landmark from the brink of destruction!

-Adam Keim, October 27, 2022

How Joseph Foreshadows Jesus, part 1

The similarities between Old Testament Joseph and Jesus are striking to me. In his classic work, “Gleanings in Genesis,” A. W. Pink lists 101 ways that Joseph’s life foreshadowed the life of Jesus, the Messiah. In this 3-part series I’ll share the first 60, broken into three groups of 20. If you’d like to read them all, you can find his work at www.archive.org. The following list is my careful summary of his work; some of the supporting verses are mine. Enjoy!

1. Joseph had two names—Joseph and Zaphnath-Paaneah (Gen. 41:45).

Jesus has two names—Jesus and Christ (Matt. 1:1).

2. Joseph was a shepherd (Gen. 37:2).

Jesus is the Good Shepherd (John 10:11).

3. Joseph spoke out against evil (Gen. 37:2).

Jesus spoke out against evil (John 7:7).

4. Joseph was loved by his father (Gen. 37:3-4).

Jesus is loved by his Father (Matt. 3:17; 17:5; John 10:17).

5. Joseph was the son of Jacob in his old age (Gen. 37:3).

Jesus is the Son of God who is eternal (1 John 5:13).

6. Joseph had a coat of many colors (Gen. 37:3).

Jesus wears a “colored coat” of various glories and infinite perfections (Heb. 1:3).

7. Joseph was hated by his brothers (Gen. 37:4).

Jesus was hated by his brethren (John 1:11; Luke 19:14).

8. Joseph was hated for his words (Gen. 37:8).

Jesus was hated for his words (John 3:32).

9. Joseph was promised a great future (Gen. 37:7-10, 23-24).

Jesus was promised a great future (Isaiah 9:6-7; Luke 1:31-33).

10. Joseph foretold of his future exaltation and reign (Gen. 37:7-10).

Jesus foretold of his future exaltation and reign (Matt. 26:64).

11. Joseph was envied by his brothers (Gen. 37:11).

Jesus was envied by his brethren (Matt. 27:17-18).

12. Joseph was sent by his father to his brothers (Gen. 37:13).

Jesus was sent by his Father to his brethren (John 4:34; 5:30; 6:38-40).

13. Joseph sought the welfare of his brothers (Gen. 37:14).

Jesus sought the salvation of his brethren (Matt.15:24; Rom. 15:8).

14. Joseph left his father’s home in Hebron (Gen. 37:14).

Jesus left his Father’s home in heaven (John 14:2).

15. Joseph arrived in Shechem to serve (Gen. 37:14).

Jesus arrived as the Son of Man to serve (Mark 10:45).

16. Joseph wandered in a field (Gen. 37:15).

Jesus wandered in a field (Matt. 13:38; Luke 9:58).

17. Joseph seeks until he finds his brothers (Gen. 37:14-17).

Jesus seeks until he finds his brethren (Luke 15:4-5).

18. Joseph was conspired against (Gen. 37:18).

Jesus was conspired against (Matt. 12:14).

19. Joseph’s brothers did not believe his dreams (Gen. 37:19-20).

Jesus’ brethren did not believe his words (Matt. 27:39-43; John 3:18, 36).

20. Joseph was insulted and stripped of his coat (Gen. 37:20, 23).

Jesus was insulted and stripped of his coat (Matt. 27:27-29; John 19:23).

-Daniel McCabe

Answer to the Trivia

B. American Pie (1971)

If you have any questions, are interested in learning more about our trips, would like to support us by check or schedule a seminar for your church, school, camp or group, then please contact us for more information at [email protected].