Earlier Explorations of Redemption

Key takeaways

The Day of Atonement illustrates the dual aspects of redemption: the purification from sin and the removal of evil, both of which are fulfilled in the sacrifice of Jesus.
Biblical metaphors for time suggest it is something God orchestrates, and that redeeming time involves rescuing it from its enslavement to evil.
The concept of nefesh in the Old Testament communicates that life continues beyond death, with a strong hope for resurrection and the promise of new physical existence.

Summary

Redemption and the Day of Atonement

In this segment, the podcast revisits the concept of redemption through the lens of the Day of Atonement, a key ritual in the Leviticus scroll. The hosts explain how one goat symbolizes the cleansing of sins by entering the holy place, while the other goat carries away the sins into the wilderness, illustrating the dual aspects of atonement: purification and the removal of evil. This conversation underscores how this ancient ritual foreshadows the redemptive work of Jesus, who embodies both aspects of sacrifice—the blameless offering and the burden-bearer.

Redeeming the Time

Here, Tim and John discuss the metaphorical concept of time in the Bible, contrasting modern perceptions of time as a possession with biblical views. They argue that time, rather than being owned, is seen as belonging to God and can be 'redeemed' from its enslavement to evil. The hosts emphasize that the emphasis on redeeming time is about rescuing it from darkness and allowing it to culminate in new creation, thus encouraging listeners to think about how they can contribute to this redemption in their actions.

Redemption From the Grave

In the final section, the discussion shifts to the concept of the nefesh, or soul, and what happens after death according to biblical authors. The hosts explore the connection between the hope of redemption and the physical resurrection promised by God, highlighting that death is not the end but a pathway to new life. This leads to a revelation that the biblical narrative does not detail the afterlife extensively but focuses on the hope of resurrection and a continuation of existence beyond death, thereby emphasizing the ultimate promise of life after life.

Show notes

Redemption Hyperlink Episode (E11) — There are so many themes in the Bible, from redemption to exile, to mountains and cities. In every series, we attempt to isolate and study one biblical theme. But it’s important to remember that biblical themes are woven together throughout the Bible like instruments in a symphony. Today in this hyperlink episode, we’ll listen to clips from previous podcast series where the theme of redemption also came up in Jon and Tim’s conversations.

View all of our resources for Redemption →

CHAPTERS

Redemption and the Day of Atonement (0:00-30:24)
Redeeming the Time (30:24-38:20)
Redemption From the Grave (38:20-50:24)

OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

View this episode’s official transcript.

REFERENCED RESOURCES

Clip 1 is from “What Is the Day of Atonement?,” episode 6 in our 2022 series, Leviticus Scroll.
The Mythic Mind by Nicolas Wyatt
Sin, Impurity, Sacrifice, Atonement: The Priestly Conceptions by Jay Sklar
Cult and Character: Purification Offerings, Day of Atonement, and Theodicy by Roy Gane
Clip 2 is from “Poetry Q+R,” episode 22 in our 2018 series How To Read the Bible.
Clip 3 is from “What Happens After We Die?,” episode 3 in our 2017 series, Nephesh / Soul.
Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church by N.T. Wright
You can view annotations for this episode—plus our entire library of videos, podcasts, articles, and classes—in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.
Check out Tim’s extensive collection of recommended books here.

SHOW MUSIC

“Eucalyptus ft. Eluzai” by Lofi Sunday
“Solace ft. ahmo” by Lofi Sunday
BibleProject theme song by TENTS

SHOW CREDITS

Production of today’s episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey is our supervising engineer, who also edited today’s episode and provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty does our show notes, and Hannah Woo provides the annotations for our app. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie.

Powered and distributed by Simplecast.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.