Travis Swart's Blog, page 2

Daniel in the Liar’s Den? Part III

The investigation into the reliability of the Book of Daniel continues. Why do religious Jews after the early first millennium A.D. not consider Daniel to have been a prophet? Do they view him or his narrative as fictitious or his prophecies as theological fluff? Or is there something else going on? The date of Daniel's writing remains at stake with the answer.

Daniel in the Liar’s Den? Part II

Travis Swart continues his investigation into the authenticity of the Book of Daniel to see how ancient Jews viewed its traditional author. Prophet or just another wise guy? The timing of Daniel's original writing hangs in the balance.

Review: Philippians: Pursuing Spiritual Maturity

Philippians: Pursuing Spiritual Maturity by Gregory Brown My rating: 5 of 5 stars In writing Philippians: Pursuing Spiritual Maturity, Greg Brown has gifted us a wonderful work on how to grow spiritually in our walk with Christ and in our relationships with others. He breaks down the book of Philippians using it as a practical […]

Daniel in the Liar’s Den? Part I

Briton Riviere, Daniel In the Lion’s Den, 1890

The Old Testament book of Daniel, if reliable, is one of the most amazing prophetic books in the Bible. The specific and accurate nature of his predictions are a powerful testament to their divine origin. This has also made Daniel one of the most controversial prophetic books as it poses a major threat to opponents of a divinely inspired Bible. So it often draws skeptical fire from many directions. In spite of this criticism, Daniel stands tall....

Review: Evidence for Christianity

Evidence for Christianity by Josh McDowell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

While I haven’t read this book completely cover to cover, it has been a fantastic resource for many areas of Christian apologetics (defense of the faith). Even though the book in and of itself is not technically academic in nature, the amount of topics and sources is substantial. If someone wants to really dig into the truth behind the Bible, this book will provide mounds of evidence for a curious skeptic or seeker.

For my pa...

Who is Jesus? Beyond the Gospels

Van Honthorst, Gerard. Adoration of the Shepherds. 1622.

As with every year around Christmastime, many pause to reflect on the birth of Jesus. People want to know: Did he exist? Who was he? Why did he come? Did you know that the Old Testament (OT) prophets foretold the answers to these questions hundreds of years before he was even born? Did you also know that the Bible is not our only ancient source with answers to these questions? This Christmas, I’d like to share a little prophecy and hist...

The Power of Prophecy: Man’s Obsession

For millennia, mankind has looked to the divine for guidance and wisdom. Humans are constantly bent on knowing what is to come and which way to go. In the times of the Old Testament, every culture had its gods, prophets, priests, temples, and religious practices. Everyone wanted to be connected to the divine. The ancients believed their gods knew the future, and man grasped at that knowledge through divination, astrology, rituals, and revelations through priests and prophets. We have always...