Author: Daniel Segraves

Almost there ….

Daniel Segraves

January 10, 2025 | Daniel L. Segraves, Ph.D.

I am happy to report that I have finished my work on Psalms 73-104. Now I am working on Psalm 105, which I may be able to complete over this weekend. If so, I will lack only Psalm 106 to be ready to send the manuscript for the second volume of my commentary to the editor.

Those who have followed my journey on this project know it has been off and on the back burner since 2018. This has never been because of a lack of interest on my part. I am intrigued by the Psalter, and I rejoice over every discovery I have made. It has truly been an experience of discovery. That’s why all three volumes of this work (yes, there will be a third and final volume covering Psalms 107-150) are titled The Messiah in the Psalms: Discovering Christ in Unexpected Places.

When the project has been on the back burner, it has been due largely to my involvement in other writing projects like my commentary on the Holy Spirit. This hardback book exceeds 300 pages and deals with nearly every reference to the Holy Spirit from Genesis 1 to Revelation 22.

I am so grateful for my wife Susan! She has supported and encouraged me throughout this experience, sharing my joy of discovery when I found never before seen insights.

Now, back to work!

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A New Year and a New Era for Logos Bible Software

Daniel Segraves

January 1, 2025 | Daniel L. Segraves, Ph.D.

In this, my first post on the first day of the new year, I would like to let you know about the latest developments in my favorite research resource, Logos Bible Software.

From time to time, I am asked what I think is the most helpful Bible software available.

My opinion is based on many years of use in the context of teaching on the Bible college and seminary levels as well as research and writing to fulfill the requirements for the degrees M.A. in Exegetical Theology, Master of Theology, and Ph.D. in Renewal Studies with majors in Christian Theology and History of Global Christianity.

In addition to using Bible software in preparation for teaching in classrooms, local churches, camp meetings, and other venues like Purpose Institute, I find it helpful in fulfilling writing assignments for the Pentecostal Life magazine, “God’s Word for Life,” the curriculum published by the United Pentecostal Church International, and a variety of other ministry opportunities that require writing. I have written twenty-one books and hope to have finished the twenty-second in just a few days.

So what Bible software do I recommend?

Without question, it is Logos Bible Software.

I regularly sit through training sessions to keep up to date on the latest developments in this amazing technology. To take a look for yourself at its current state, you can go to https://www.logos.com. You will discover “The World’s Most Powerful Bible Study Platform.” A “Start Free Trial” is available if you like what you see. If you wish, you can talk to a Logos expert by calling 888-398-9481.

If you’ve ever looked at Logos, you probably have some idea about its capabilities. Today’s Logos does all it has ever done but, in an often-used term, it takes Bible research and writing to “a whole new level.”

I subscribe to Logos MAX. With its thousands of books, journal articles, dictionaries, encyclopedias, and original language resources (Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic) available in a moment, I can find what I need to move quickly to complete projects.

The integration of AI enables me to ask questions and receive almost instant feedback based on the resources in my subscription. The responses free me from any concern about the accuracy of my findings because they do not come from the internet at large but from the trusted resources I have selected.

With the New Era of Logos, you will discover tools and resources to supercharge your personal study, teaching and preaching preparation, and academic research. I encourage you to look into this.

I wouldn’t want to be without it!

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Marching on …

Daniel Segraves

December 20, 2024 | Daniel L. Segraves, Ph.D.

At about midnight last night I finished my work on Psalms 93-99. These psalms form a unit focusing on the reign of the LORD. They are well-connected with the creation account in Genesis and with the New Testament by several quotations and allusions, including an extended quotation that clearly testifies to the deity of the Messiah, Jesus. By means of this quotation, Jesus is identified as Yahweh.

Now, on to Psalm 100. One of the first things I did today was to read through Psalms 100-106. When I am finished writing the commentary on these psalms, I will submit the entire document to Everett Gossard, the book editor for Pentecostal Resources Group. This manuscript will cover Psalms 73-106, Books 3 and 4 of the Psalter. It will exceed 200 pages.

I appreciate those who are praying for me as I finish this project. One of the last things Jesus told His disciples before His ascension was that everything written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms concerning Him must be fulfilled (Luke 24:44). I pray that our Lord will help me identify those things written about Him in the Book of Psalms. So far, I have discovered that much of the messianic content of this book is connected with other messianic insights from the law and the prophets as well as fulfillment motifs in the New Testament.

This has been an exciting and rewarding journey, but it will not be complete until I write my comments on Psalm 150:6.

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Psalm 92 and Old Age

Daniel Segraves

December 14, 2024 | Daniel L. Segraves, Ph.D.

I have completed my work on Psalm 92. Now I am doing research on Psalms 93-99, a collection that focuses on the reign of the LORD. My hope is increasing that I will be able to complete this second volume of my commentary on Psalms by the end of January 2025. It will include Psalms 73-106. I don’t plan, however, to take a long, leisurely break after that. Instead, I intend to press on toward the completion of volume 3 of The Messiah in the Psalms: Discovering Christ in Unexpected Places. This final volume will consist of Psalms 107-150.

Since I am now 78 years old, I especially enjoyed the next to last verse of Psalm 92. It reads: “They shall still bear fruit in old age; They shall be fresh and flourishing” (NKJV).

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Here’s what has happened in recent weeks.

Daniel Segraves

November 26, 2024 | Daniel L. Segraves, Ph.D.

About four weeks ago, I submitted the manuscript for my commentary on Psalms 73-89 to Everett Gossard, the book editor for the Pentecostal Resources Group, UPCI. On November 6, the Executive Publication Committee met and discussed the possibility of publishing the second volume of The Messiah in the Psalms: Discovering Christ in Unexpected Places. The committee provisionally approved the manuscript, contingent on their review of the entire manuscript once it is finished.

This volume will consist of my research and commentary on Psalms 73-106, Books 3 and 4 of the five books within the Psalter. The third volume will cover Psalms 107-150, the fifth and final book within the Book of Psalms.

Since submitting the manuscript, I have finished my work on Psalms 90 and 91. It has been my goal to complete all the psalms through Psalm 106 by the end of this year. I’m realizing this may not be possible. If not, I have prayed to be able reach this goal by the end of January in hopes of getting this second volume published by the time of the 2025 general conference of the United Pentecostal Church International in St. Louis, my home town.

I deeply appreciate the opportunity to participate in the writing ministry. I love the Book of Psalms and pray that God would give me the ability to rightly divide the word of truth and to understand how the Scriptures speak of Him.

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Somewhere …

Daniel Segraves

November 2, 2024 | Daniel L. Segraves, Ph.D.

This is not my typical post, but this video came up today as my iPhone reminded me of some recordings I made a while back. I’m unsure of all the lyrics, but there is a Christian version if you want to look them up!

On another subject, since I usually have something to say about my Psalms project, I’m happy to announce that yesterday I submitted my commentary on Book 3 of the Psalter (Psalms 73-89) to the editor!

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A glance toward the future from a very old psalm: Psalm 90

Daniel Segraves

October 26, 2024 | Daniel L. Segraves, Ph.D.

At about 12:15 this morning, I finished my work on Psalm 90, the first psalm in Book 4 of the Psalter. I had told my wife Susan that I thought I could finish it yesterday, and I almost made it.

The superscription of Psalm 90 informs us it is “A Prayer of Moses the man of God.” It is the only psalm written by Moses, which makes it the oldest in the Book of Psalms. We can’t be sure when it was written, but we can be certain he wrote it before he died! Since I wasn’t able to come up with anything that resembled a close date, I consulted Logos Bible Software’s new AI feature, which assured me that Moses wrote it “by the year 1440 BC.” I’ll go with that.

Since I’m living in 2024, that means Moses wrote the psalm somewhere around 3,464 years ago. That’s why I say it is “a very old psalm.”

When I study the psalms, I always keep in mind that Jesus, just before His ascension, told His disciples, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me” (Luke 24:44, NKJV). He told the Jewish leaders who did not believe on Him, “There is one who accuses you–Moses, in whom you trust. For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?” (John 5:45-47, NKJV).

I discovered some interesting things in Psalm 90 that point toward the future. Here’s a hint: They involve servants and children. See if you can figure this out. I’ll tell you what I think in the second volume of my commentary, The Messiah in the Psalms. I hope to finish this up and submit it to the editor by the end of this year. I would be happy to see it published before the 2025 general conference of the United Pentecostal Church International, which will convene in St. Louis, Missouri, my home town!

Now, on to Psalm 91, the psalm from which Satan quoted in his attempt to convince Jesus to throw Himself down from the pinnacle of the temple.

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Does Psalm 89 include an internal contradiction?

Daniel Segraves

October 22, 2024 | Daniel L. Segraves, Ph.D.

At last, I have finished my work with Psalm 89, the final psalm in Book 3 of the Psalter. Book 3 consists of Psalms 73-89. Early this morning I began work on Psalm 90, “A Prayer of Moses the man of God.” Since this is a prayer of Moses, it is apparently the oldest psalm included in the Psalter. It is, of course, the first psalm in Book 4, which extends through Psalm 106.

As I have mentioned before, my plan is to finish Psalm 106 by the end of this year and to submit it to the editor in hopes of publication before the 2025 general conference of the United Pentecostal Church International.

Now, what’s this about a possible contradiction in Psalm 89? When I post my progress in this project, I often include a snippet of what I have written on each psalm and remind you that my complete work will be included in the published book. I’m not going to do that here. Instead, I will include four verses from Psalm 89 in this post and let you think about their significance as it relates to my question. Here they are:

“I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant, thy seed will I estabish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations. Selah” (Psalm 89:3-4).

“Thou hast made void the covenant of thy servant: thou hast profaned his crown by casting it to the ground. …Thou hast made his glory to cease, and cast his throne down to the ground” (Psalm 89:39, 44).

Think it over!

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Psalm 88 … Is There Any Hope?

Daniel Segraves

October 3, 2024 | Daniel L. Segraves, Ph.D.

Tonight, after Susan and I finished viewing the powerful General Conference message delivered by David Bernard, the General Superintendent of the United Pentecostal Church International, I concluded my work on Psalm 88.

This psalm, a personal lament of Heman, a singer and musician appointed by King David, is challenging because of its persistent sense of hopelessness. The themes of the psalm include crying, troubles, thoughts of death, weakness, darkness, wrath, afflictions, isolation, mourning and more.

As I seek to complete my work on Books 3 and 4 of the Psalter, I pray God will help me understand how the Scriptures testify of Jesus, the Messiah. I am thankful to have discovered that there is good news, even in this Psalm of lament.

Tomorrow, I plan to begin my work on Psalm 89.

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Is Psalm 87 a Pentecostal psalm?

Daniel Segraves

September 13, 2024 | Daniel L. Segraves, Ph.D.

I am happy to report that I have finished my work on Psalm 87! As with my study of Psalm 86, I was once again delighted to discover new insights. In this case, my convinction was strengthened that Psalm 86:9-10 provides a profound link to Psalm 87:4-6 and points ahead to Acts 2.

I can’t describe the results of my study in this post. They will be included in the second volume of my commentary titled The Messiah in the Psalms: Discovering Christ in Unexpected Places. The first volume is available both in hard copy and ebook formats at pentecostalpublishing.com and amazon.com. My goal is to finish this second volume, which will include Psalms 73-106 and submit it to the editor by the end of this year.

Here is a paragraph from my comments on Psalm 87. As you read it, keep in mind that people from Egypt were included among those who gathered in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost. (See Acts 2:9-10.)

Psalm 86:9 suggests a link between Psalm 86 and Psalm 87 and perhaps even a prophetic connection between these psalms and the events of the Day of Pentecost as recorded in Acts 2. This idea begins as follows: “All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord; and shall glorify thy name” (Psalm 86:9). The nations mentioned in Psalm 87 include “Rahab,” an “emblematic name of Egypt,”[1] Bratcher and Reyburn explain that Egypt “translates Rahab, a poetic name for the country (see Isa 30:7).”[2] This can be seen in the Hebrew text of Isaiah 30:7, where the helpless Egyptians are identified as “Their strength is to sit still” (KJV). The NKJV renders the final three words in this verse “Rahab-Hem-Shebeth.” The Hebrew text here transliterates as rahab hēm šābet [רַ֥הַב הֵ֖ם שָֽׁבֶת]. In this context, the reason Rahab is used to represent Egypt is to call attention to Egypt’s history of arrogance and violence. Psalm 87, however, anticipates an event that will transform the nations mentioned in verse 4, an event that will be characterized by these nations coming to worship the Lord and glorify His name (Psalm 86:9). This will be connected with these nations coming to understand that the Lord alone is God (Psalm 86:10).

[1] Richard Whitaker et al., The Abridged Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew-English Lexicon of the Old Testament: From A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament by Francis Brown, S.R. Driver and Charles Briggs, Based on the Lexicon of Wilhelm Gesenius (Boston; New York: Houghton, Mifflin and Company, 1906).

[2] Robert G. Bratcher and William David Reyburn, A Translator’s Handbook on the Book of Psalms, UBS Handbook Series (New York: United Bible Societies, 1991), 759.

Now, to Psalm 88!

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