What chapter(s) of the Bible would make a great movie?

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Deutoronomy (sp?) with flashbacks of Moses’ and Aaron’s memories of scenes from Exodus to show the contrast between how much the Jewish nation trusted God, to how Moses must now make watered-down laws because they couldn’t be obedient.

Definately would start the movie with a scene of the Israelites crossing the desert in procession behind the Ark of the Covenant and they come upon a pagan nation blocking their way and then they sing a hymn or psalm and the lightning and earthquakes from the Ark “clear the way” , if you know what I mean.
 
Deutoronomy (sp?) with flashbacks of Moses’ and Aaron’s memories of scenes from Exodus to show the contrast between how much the Jewish nation trusted God, to how Moses must now make watered-down laws because they couldn’t be obedient.

Definately would start the movie with a scene of the Israelites crossing the desert in procession behind the Ark of the Covenant and they come upon a pagan nation blocking their way and then they sing a hymn or psalm and the lightning and earthquakes from the Ark “clear the way” , if you know what I mean.
Can you picture the pagan soldiers “melting” like in Raiders of the Lost Ark?
 
Oh no. I wasn’t picturing them as melting, just earthquakes and a hurricane looking pillar of cloud coming from the Ark as the Levites lead the way.

Definately would have the Jewish people all bowing and singing a Psalm for mercy as the lightning chars the opposing army…yes I have this all planned out!🙂
 
Besides movies that have already been done (i.e. The Passion, The 10 Commandments, etc…) what books or chapters in the Bible do you think would make a great movie?

I think Acts 27 reads quite dramatically of Paul’s dangerous journey to Rome by ship.
  • All the historical or seemingly historical passages & books
  • most of the apocalyptic literature (Mark 13 & //s; Daniel; Revelation; parts of the Prophets)
  • Most of Leviticus, with parts of Exodus & Numbers & Deuteronomy, would not:
  • Pretty well all of Joshua to 2 Chronicles would;
  • as would the historical sections in the Prophets (such as Jeremiah 36 or Isaiah 37
    • though a difficulty for filming would be that parts of Isaiah, 2 Chronicles & 2 Kings duplicate one another to some extent)
      Genesis 1-11 would be interesting - it might need filling out, but that should not be a problem; Jewish & Christian pseudepigrapha, apocrypha & legends might be used for that. If they were, it should be easy to make a film about Adam & Eve that would be many hours long.
A film about the Maccabees might get Jewish support, which would be good 🙂
 
I’d love to see a movie about the life of Paul.

I’d love to see a movie about the Israel from Saul to Solomon.

A movie about Elijah would be a hoot, too!!!
I’m not sure if its been put onto dvd yet but in the late 1970’s British TV did a mini series movie on Paul and Anthony Hopkins played Paul. I have it on VHS.
 
I’m not sure if its been put onto dvd yet but in the late 1970’s British TV did a mini series movie on Paul and Anthony Hopkins played Paul. I have it on VHS.
I have got this movie on DVD. I bought it quite recently. I was surprised that Anthony Hopkins is in a biblically based movie.
 
A whole movie about Hell and all the scriptural citations in bold red letters.
 
I vote for Tobit and Ruth! Also Elijah and Elisha. I am really interested in the prophets but think it would be difficult to script as a screen-story. Perhaps Samuel-Saul. Prophets that have a lot of external action.

I like the idea of going across time to promise-bless/curse-foreshadow-fulfillment. Let’s take the idea of the giving of the Law. Yes, it’s a punishment for not keeping the Covenant, the testing and contention (Meribah and Massah) in the wilderness…and YHWH had to show himself as Master (Jer 31:31-14). In the giving of the Law, God says when you don’t keep the Law these things will happen to you. He pronounces curses that match historical events. So, dramatize Lev 26 and the horrors of the Jewish-Roman War.

Then, to end on a note of hope, give the promises: law written on the heart with no need to teach because everyone will know the Lord, hearts of stone to hearts of flesh, the pure offering from the rising of the sun to its setting for all the nations, rivers of fresh, living water from the Temple (cf water from Christ’s pierced side–so powerfully depicted by Gibson), all the hopeful promises…and their fulfillment.

I know, long movie! Just…it’s important not to idolize the law in stone and not connect it to the Torah of Jesus.
 
Re: depicting herem warfare.

This could be anti-evangelical (against the proclamation of the Gospel)–scandalizing the weaker brethren if God or Israel naturally or miraculously destroys the enemy–can’t love a murderous, violent God who would do this; or tempting the weaker brethren to the heresy of Marcion: God changes. OT God - mean, bad; NT God - good, nice.

God said he would inspire the nations to flee out of fear, so perhaps tone down the bloodshed a bit.

Still, could have screen interest in displaying the glory.

How about the glory departing the Temple in Jer and then returning over the Ark of the New Covenant in Luke 1? Parallel the representation: cloud and fire, angels, overshadowing.

How about John having his vision in Rev 12 depicted parallel with the OL Guadalupe event? Lots of good drama and visual parallels and motherhood of Christians revealed. The war of the beast and St. Michael and the struggle of the dying Aztec religion with human sacrifice–holding up beating human hearts! There’s so much potential there.
 
I have mulled over a script idea for a while now. Think of Christ’s life at the beginning: who was young enough to be around 30-33 years later? Many older characters in the beginning who probably didn’t live during Christ’s public ministry, passion, resurrection, ascencion, pentecost, etc.

BUT: the shepherds are often shown as youths. So, the shepherds adore the Christ child on that unusual night. What happens to them over the next 30 years? Do they encounter Christ during his public ministry? Do they witness Good Friday? Resurrection? Are they followers? Do they teach the baby church how they met the Christ child and meet his Mother all over again, much older now? With a joyful embrace? Do they see angel manifestations twice in their lives–Christmas night and the Ascension?

You can see the broad possibilities here for story development!

Think of a Two Ways story development. One shepherd becomes a rich assistant to the Roman or Herodian government. He is unchanged from the Nativity and it all seems like a dream. Then one day, he sees this Jesus guy everyone’s talking about. He asks, “Good teacher, what must I do?” The rich official that goes away sad because of his great wealth/many possessions. But maybe that’s not the end of the story…perhaps he stays lost, or accepts Jesus’ offer later, or maybe converts on Pentecost and donates all his wealth to the Christian community.

The other perhaps stays poor but virtuous. Perhaps he is one of the healed ones–a leper, a blind man, the paralytic lowered through the roof. He follows Jesus faithfully as soon as he finds him, knowing that this is the same baby from long ago!

Then the relationship of the two shepherds: are they brothers? Cousins? Neighbors? Do they interact with each other to convince or dissuade or oppress? Are they reconciled in Christ after both are Christians?

The Gospel of the Two Shepherds. Whaddya think? Purely fictional but based on bible stories and very dramatic.
 
I have mulled over a script idea for a while now. Think of Christ’s life at the beginning: who was young enough to be around 30-33 years later? Many older characters in the beginning who probably didn’t live during Christ’s public ministry, passion, resurrection, ascencion, pentecost, etc.

BUT: the shepherds are often shown as youths. So, the shepherds adore the Christ child on that unusual night. What happens to them over the next 30 years? Do they encounter Christ during his public ministry? Do they witness Good Friday? Resurrection? Are they followers? Do they teach the baby church how they met the Christ child and meet his Mother all over again, much older now? With a joyful embrace? Do they see angel manifestations twice in their lives–Christmas night and the Ascension?
Or maybe they became friends of the family, and kept in touch somehow.
You can see the broad possibilities here for story development!
Think of a Two Ways story development. One shepherd becomes a rich assistant to the Roman or Herodian government.
Um - this is unlikely, and right away it would be spotted as being unrealistic, since even up until quite recently, most people didn’t change occupations mid-career - they didn’t even change jobs, never mind careers. Those shepherds most likely watched the same flock of sheep from the time they could toddle until they died, just like their fathers and grandfathers before them, and their children’s children after them.
 
There is so much material in the two books of Maccabees. But I think a really great movie could be made from just 2 Maccabees Chapters 6 and 7 alone. That is the chapters where the king is forcing people to eat pork and several many people, including a mother and her seven sons, are martyred.

Of course some interesting writing would be needed to develop characters and a plot, but I believe it could be a great movie.

I also second NotWorthy’s and KentuckyLiz’s suggestions of Tobit and Ruth. Even the Bible can be a source of chick flicks! 🙂
 
Somone should make a movie about Revelation. Not a movie that tries to guess about what the future events are, but a movie about John and what he saw as he wrote the book of Revelation. It would be an awesome CGI movie. I can picture a scene where John sees a Fatima-Like vision of Mary and a sweet voice saying “I am the Ark of His Covenant.” in a way that is similar to what Mary said to Bernadette: “I am the Immaculate Conception”
This movie has been made. It is called “Apocalypse” and stars Richard Harris as St. John the Apostle. It was made in 2002 and uses some pretty good computer-generated effects. It was one of Richard Harris’ last movies I believe.

It has some very interesting imagery of the visions. It makes no attempt to interpret them, just to bring to the screen as the Beloved Apostle describes it.

Here is a link amazon.com/Apocalypse-Richard-Harris/dp/B0001HAHNM/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2/102-0860687-5056124?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1182294276&sr=1-2
 
Another script idea based on ideas that have come to me in praying the Scriptures.

Think of all the people who knew Jesus and predeceased him. They went to Sheol with the captive spirits awaiting their liberation.

Perhaps Simeon is first (inferred from the Nunc Dimittus), and Anna soon after. They show up and all is silent and the land of the dead is without hope, tired of long waiting, despairing. You hear sniffling in the vast dark crowd.

Then Simeon shows up and he’s glowing and provides some light. He is at first alarmed at this place of doom, but he is still elated from having seen that baby! He talks to the whole crowd and proclaims his canticle…and a murmur arises…a sign of hope! The time is near! They start singing Psalms of praise.

Then Anna the prophetess shows up, and adjusts to the scene she sees, and she brings a little more light. She addresses the crowd and tells her story about seeing the child and prophesying and going around telling everyone else in the Temple and they think she’s a crazy old woman. The crowd breaks out into song!

Then (speculate an order for this)–Zechariah and Elizabeth, the old parents of John the Baptist. Of course it’s probably years later…there is a long wait between Anna and Simeon and then Zechariah and Elizabeth. Perhaps the captive spirits revert to form and get all stiff necked and start groaning and complaining. The light from Anna and Simeon starts dimming because of the contention and griping. Fewer people are singing. But Zechariah and Elizabeth come, with their light, and the shouts of joy go up! Every time someone shows up with some light they have something to say about Yeshua! So Zechariah and Elizabeth tell their story about their miracle, and Sarah embraces Elizabeth in joy because they both had a miracle child in their barren years–this must be Messiah! ALl the former high priests crowd around Zechariah asking questions, wanting to know more! And what to make of their strange child? Elijah comes forward and embraces Zechariah–his child is the New Elijah! There is much celebration and singing.

Then Joseph shows up and has much light, for he is a righteous man uniquely chosen of God. The crowd flinches from the bright light. Joseph regales them with stories of being the father of Jesus, with many tender stories. He tells them about his awesome wife, so sweet, tender, mild, never angry, never contentious, never gossippy, a pure virtuous wife who always trusted him, who knew more about God than any faithful Jewish woman could have really known. The crowd is in rapt attention–he is telling them much more detail about Yeshua than anyone else so far! These dreams, the flight into Egypt, like the ancient Joseph who comes forward and embraces the new Joseph.

Then John the Baptist comes, blazing! Prepare ye the way of the Lord! A loud cheer goes up! John the Baptist tells the crowd of his desert prayer life, led by God, not sure what to expect, his being drawn to the river to start preparing God’s people, calling repentence to a people broken by the law and by the occupiers. He tells the story of Jesus’ baptism and God’s voice and the dove and the light and the Son, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! The crowd goes wild in praise and song and cheers and shouts. John and Zechariah and Elizabeth and Elijah embrace.

Then something weird happens. Some people, especially children, show up in Sheol very briefly and then disappear again. No one can figure out what is going on! Then Lazarus of Bethany shows up briefly–only four days–and he has light coming from him. He is telling them about his dear friend Jesus! Then poof, he’s gone again. Where did Lazarus go? This is not how Sheol works! And what is the deal with these children who show up for a little while and disappear.

Then the very longsuffering spirits from long ago…I remember this happened once before…wasn’t that Elijah and he raised a boy from the dead? A ripple of excitement goes through the crowd. Yes! That’s it! It was so long ago, just one boy, and he is here now, and his mother–but now it’s happening again. What does it mean?

continued…
 
Unfortunately, the best biblical scene has already been done:
Hear, O Israel! I have here FIFTEEN (Crash!)… No, Ten - TEN Commandments…
Best. Scene. Ever. 😉
 
Then poof–Elijah and Moses disappear. There is some fear going through the crowd, for Elijah and Moses are dearly loved. It is hard to give up their presence among them! You hear some spirits calling out…Moshe! Moshe!!!

Then, a little later, before the crowd panic gets out of control, poof, Moses and Elijah are back, burning brightly. They look amazed. They told of going to Mt. Tabor and the Transfiguration, appearing with Yeshua, and he is so much greater than they! They did not feel worthy to be in his presence, but the radiant love emanated from him–it felt like love and life and fulfillment beholding the face of God! They saw through the brightness and the cloud and there were three men grovelling on the ground beholding them, wanting to build booths. But Yeshua said no. Elijah and Moses explained to the three men that this Yeshua is the fulfillment of the law and the prophets, which they represent; Moses explained the Exodus that Yeshua was about to undergo, and then they heard the voice of God from above saying this is my beloved son, listen to HIM! And then it was over, and here they are. They were ecstatic and awestruck.

Then this thief shows up, saying, “Where’s Paradise? Is this Paradise?” He’s glowing. The crowd is confused by his mangled appearance. Surely this man did not see Yeshua. They clamored for an explanation. He told of dying on a cross next to a righteous man, Yeshua…he tells the story, but only very briefly, because not long after…

Blazing light, angels, trumpets, water, fresh air, doves, a wind rushing through this dark place. He is here. Hosanna!!!

Voice-over: Jesus preaching to the captive spirits, explaining everything, and how he is going to line them up and take them to this wonderful place, to be with the Father. Visuals: the sorrow and uncomprehending confusion of those left behind on Good Friday and Holy Saturday, in the silence of despair. Mary his Mother looks sad but peaceful, trusting God, comforting others. (A Pieta shot?) John and Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Salome and the faithful women are weeping. The apostles are dispersed to different places, lost and sad and fearful, wondering, was that IT? They are still not sure how this is supposed to work out.

Back to Yeshua preaching in Sheol finishing up: And all the promises that you thought were about an earthly homeland, it was just a hint at the glory to come, a homeland everlasting in eternal life. The crowd was amazed! They hadn’t known until this moment that they were to benefit. They were hoping their descendants would prosper and keep their country on earth, and be holy in God’s sight and stay reconciled as best they knew how. Oh, how many had failed and flown by them on the way to the part of Sheol for the unrighteous, the evildoers, the murderers, those far from God with no heir of promise; the moans! But here, the people of the Bosom of Abraham, they were being given something they never expected. Then a bright gate opens. Abraham is the first to step forward; then the patriarchs and prophets and priests and the vast multitude and they start marching forward and up into a bright light. Hosannas ring out! His love endures forever! Blessed be the God of Israel, now and forever more!

The music and celebration noise fades to dark. Then the sound of a stone moving is heard. Yeshua gets up and walks out of the tomb. (Stealing Gibson’s ending.)

Whaddya think? The Gospel according to the Captive Spirits of Sheol?
 
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