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Series Code: AFBA
Program Code: AFBA202316S
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00:02 male announcer: It is the best selling book in history.
00:05 No volume ever written has been more loved and quoted, and its 00:09 words, sometimes simple and sometimes mysterious, 00:13 should always be studied carefully. 00:16 It is the Bible, the Word of God. 00:19 Welcome to "Bible Answers Live," providing accurate 00:23 and practical answers to all your Bible questions. 00:28 This broadcast is a previously recorded episode. 00:31 To receive any of the Bible resources mentioned 00:33 in this broadcast, call 800-835-6747. 00:38 Once again, that's 800-835-6747. 00:43 Now, here's your host from Amazing Facts International, 00:47 Pastor Doug Batchelor. 00:50 Doug Batchelor: Hello, listening friends. 00:51 Would you like to hear an amazing fact? 00:54 Often called water bears or moss piglets, tardigrades are 00:59 near-microscopic aquatic animals with plump 01:02 segmented bodies and flattened heads. 01:04 They've got tiny eyes and eight legs, 01:07 each tipped with four to eight claws. 01:10 The water bears are disarmingly cute. 01:12 They're also nearly indestructible. 01:15 They're found virtually everywhere on the planet from 01:17 the Antarctic to the Amazon to burning deserts. 01:20 Water bears are able to withstand temperatures ranging 01:23 from minus 270 degrees Celsius to plus 150 degrees Celsius. 01:29 That'd be 302 degrees Fahrenheit. 01:32 They can survive without water for a period of up to 10 years 01:36 and they're extremely resistant to radiation. 01:39 They can even survive in outer space. 01:42 Water bears are able to shut down their 01:44 metabolism by entering into an almost 01:46 deathlike state called cryptobiosis. 01:49 On April 11, 2019, an Israeli spacecraft crashed 01:54 into the moon during a failed landing attempt. 01:56 Its payload included a few thousand of these water bears. 02:02 Scientists expect the creatures will still be found viable when 02:05 astronauts return to the moon in the next decade. 02:09 You know, you begin to wonder, Pastor Ross, 02:11 whatever they're made of, maybe they can 02:14 synthesize that and give us some of it. 02:16 Jean Ross: That's right, Pastor Doug, it's an amazing creature. 02:18 It almost seems like a seed of some kind, you know, a plant 02:21 will have a seed and then it lies dormant 02:23 for years and suddenly, under the right 02:25 conditions, it springs forth into life. 02:27 These little animals almost go into a seedlike state where 02:30 they don't need oxygen, they don't need water. 02:33 I guess their different metabolisms slow down 02:37 or shut down and then suddenly, at the 02:39 right time, it springs back to life. 02:40 Doug: Yeah, they don't know how to 02:42 classify them because they're just very unique. 02:45 Their eyes are so small that each eye is one photoreceptor 02:50 and they--but they got, you know, the mouth, a mini, mini 02:54 brain, and they seem to--they don't have lungs. 02:58 They kind of breathe through their skin. 03:01 Just a very incredible creature. 03:03 As a matter of fact, scientists are saying, 03:05 "Yup, this proves that they can survive in space. 03:08 Maybe life was introduced to our planet by creatures like this 03:11 from another planet," and so using that argument. 03:14 But when I think about the water bears, I think about how 03:18 indestructible they are, going through the fire and the ice, 03:22 and it says in Isaiah 43, verse 2, speaking of the promises that 03:27 God makes to His people: "When you pass through the waters, I 03:30 will be with you, and through the rivers, and they will not 03:33 overflow you. 03:34 When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned, nor 03:37 shall the flames scorch you." 03:40 Reminds us of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego that went through 03:44 the fiery furnace and it just did not hurt them, or the 03:47 children of Israel going through the Red Sea. 03:49 And, you know, if we're walking with God, we are indestructible. 03:55 And I don't mean that anyone should go out there and try and 03:56 tempt the Lord by jumping off a building or walking into a fire. 04:01 But it's like George Whitefield used to say, 04:04 "I'm immortal until my work is done." 04:07 You see so many examples of how God can supernaturally protect 04:10 His people and, with that in mind, we don't 04:14 need to be living anxious, worried lives 04:18 'cause God can provide and He can protect. 04:20 And for anyone out there that is prone to 04:23 worry, we have a special offer for you. 04:26 Jean: We do, it's one that we don't offer 04:27 too often, so take advantage of this. 04:29 It's a book written by Pastor Doug. 04:30 It's called, "Finding Peace in a World of Worry." 04:34 Of course, everybody wants to have peace in their life. 04:37 What does the Bible say about it? 04:38 "Finding Peace in a World of Worry." 04:40 That is a free offer. 04:41 If you'd like to receive that, just call 800-835-6747 04:46 and you can ask for that free offer by 04:48 name, "Finding Peace in a World of Worry." 04:51 You can also dial #250 on your smartphone, say 04:54 "Bible Answers Live," and then ask for the 04:56 book, "Finding Peace in a World of Worry." 04:58 We'll be happy to send it to anyone 05:00 who is in the US or in Canada. 05:02 If you're outside of North America, just go to our website, 05:05 just amazingfacts.org, and you'll be able 05:08 to learn more information about that. 05:10 Well, Pastor Doug, before we go to the phone lines, we like to 05:12 start this program with prayer, and we're talking about the 05:14 Bible so we need the Holy Spirit. 05:16 So let's do that now. 05:17 Dear Father, once again we are grateful for the opportunity to 05:20 be able to open up Your Word and study. 05:23 Father, we ask the Holy Spirit to come and guide us here in the 05:25 studio and be with the many people who are listening, 05:28 wherever they might be: in their car or at home 05:30 or traveling, whatever it might be, Lord. 05:31 Just pray that You'd guide us all into a 05:34 clearer understanding of the Bible. 05:36 And we thank You in Jesus's name, amen. 05:38 Doug: Amen. 05:40 Jean: Our first caller this evening is Jerry, 05:42 and Jerry's listening in Texas. 05:44 Jerry, welcome to "Bible Answers Live." 05:46 Jerry: Hi, guys. Hi, guys. 05:48 I share your devotional books all the time. 05:51 Wish they were in Spanish, Pastor Doug. 05:52 Anyway, my question tonight is what happened to the temple veil 05:58 in heaven when it was torn asunder on earth? 06:01 Or was there ever a curtain? 06:03 Well, there was, yes. 06:04 Doug: Well, you know, it seems to say, now where is it 06:08 where it says that there--"We now boldly enter"? 06:11 Is it Ephesians that--behind the veil, both Hebrews and Ephesians 06:15 seems to indicate that through Christ there is no veil. 06:20 That, you know, we through faith boldly go into the Holy of 06:23 Holies and through Christ who is our intercessor 06:26 we plead into the presence of God. 06:28 I don't think a veil was torn in heaven because the reason the 06:33 veil was on earth is sinful man cannot behold the holy. 06:37 But in heaven, you know, the holy angels can behold God. 06:41 Jean: Hebrews chapter 6, verse 19 talks about this hope 06:43 that we have, an anchor of our soul, both sure and steadfast 06:47 which enters the presence behind the veil. 06:50 It's talking about the heavenly sanction. 06:51 Doug: Yeah, but that's saying that we 06:53 then go into the Holy of Holies. 06:54 Yeah, yeah. 06:56 Jean: All right, thank you, Jerry. 06:57 We do have a study guide on the sanctuary, that's right. 07:00 It's called, "God Drew the Plans," and we'll be happy to 07:02 send it to anyone who calls and asks. 07:04 The number is 800-835-6747, ask for the study 07:08 guide called, "God Drew the Plans." 07:10 You can also dial #250 on your smartphone, say "Bible Answers 07:14 Live," and then ask for that study guide. 07:17 Gary's listening in Illinois. Gary, welcome to the program. 07:21 Gary: Thank you. 07:22 In Revelation 7, verses 2 and 3, it says that four angels are 07:27 told not to harm the earth, the sea, or trees until the servants 07:31 of God are sealed in their forehead. 07:33 But in California, Canadian wildfires, 07:36 2-mile-wide-diameter tornadoes, you know, they're all over, you 07:40 know, these are harming the earth and so, I guess, the four 07:44 angels from under the Euphrates River have nothing to do with 07:48 this and, but once they're released, things are going to 07:51 get even worse and right now is the time if you're going to be 07:54 sealed, to do it, and being sealed is what? 07:58 Is being born again Christian? 08:00 John 3:3, "Except a man be born again"? 08:03 Doug: Okay, yeah, good question. 08:06 What we see, the tragedies and the trials and the natural 08:09 disasters, are they evidence that the 08:12 four angels have loosed their grip? 08:14 I don't think so. 08:16 You know, Jesus said in Matthew 24, He "You're going to 08:19 have wars and rumors of wars and there will be earthquakes and 08:22 famines and pestilence in different places." 08:25 He said, "These are the beginning of sorrows." 08:27 So He said that, you know, from the time of Christ to the 08:30 present there are going to be waves of disasters that will 08:34 come in the world and some, you know, 08:35 are used to turn people to the Lord. 08:38 Keep in mind, the devil does have some 08:40 power over even the environment. 08:42 When God gave the devil leave, Satan went from the presence of 08:47 the Lord and struck the house of Job's children with a tornado. 08:51 And fire came down from heaven, from 08:53 the devil, and burned up his flocks. 08:56 So, some of the things we see is because it says in Revelation 09:00 12, "Satan has come down with great wrath, because he knows 09:03 his time is short." 09:04 But when those angels loose their grip, now, Pastor Ross, is 09:08 that just before or just after the close of probation? 09:11 Jean: It's--close of probation is connected with the 09:13 angels letting go, after the sealing occurs. 09:16 Then, of course, you have Daniel 12 that says, "At that time 09:18 Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands watch 09:21 over the sons of his people; and there shall be a time of 09:23 trouble," worse than the world has ever seen. 09:25 Well, that's the four angels-- 09:26 Doug: And that's after, is it? 09:28 When Michael stands up, probation's close. 09:29 Jean: Probation close. 09:31 Doug: Yeah, so we're not there yet. 09:32 Now--but your bigger question is about the seal of God. 09:35 Yeah, everybody, first hear this. 09:38 The most important thing about the seal of God, 09:40 first and foremost, it's the Holy Spirit. 09:42 But I think everyone sort of intuitively knows whoever has 09:45 the mark of the beast has the spirit of the devil. 09:48 Whoever has the seal of God certainly has the Holy Spirit. 09:51 It would be hard to imagine a person 09:53 sealed by God not having the Spirit. 09:56 But there's something more. 09:57 You read in Isaiah chapter 8, and I think it's verse 16, where 10:00 it says, "Bind up the testimony, 10:02 seal the law among my disciples." 10:05 So, in the law of God, there is a special seal that contains all 10:11 the elements of these ancient seals. 10:13 A seal would have the title which means the office, the 10:17 name, the territory of a ruling monarch. 10:22 And in the Ten Commandments you have 10:24 the word "holy" in one commandment. 10:27 You folks go look up which commandment that is. 10:29 It's in Exodus chapter 20, start with verse 8. 10:32 And in that commandment you will also find the title 10:37 says, "The Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea." 10:41 It's got His name, His title, 10:42 His territory in that commandment. 10:44 Jean: You know, in Revelation there's two groups. 10:46 You've got those who have the seal of God and 10:47 you have those who have the mark of the beast. 10:49 Now, of course, at that point in time, when probation closes, 10:52 there will only be two distinct groups. 10:54 There's a lot in the Valley of Decision you might say now, 10:57 folks who are understanding the truth and making decisions. 10:59 But when that time comes and you have just those two groups, 11:02 everyone's going to be marked with something. 11:04 Either you have the seal of God 11:05 or you have the mark of the beast. 11:06 And more than just being, like you say, Pastor Doug, the Holy 11:10 Spirit, for those who have the seal of God, the Spirit of 11:12 Christ, or the spirit of Satan, it's going to be manifest in the 11:16 actions, who they obey, whose commandments are they following. 11:19 So, we do have a study guide. 11:21 It's called, "The Mark of the Beast," 11:22 and it talks about the mark of the beast. 11:23 It also talks about the seal of God and how we 11:26 can make sure we have the seal and not the mark. 11:29 We'll send this to anyone who calls and asks. 11:30 The number is 800-835-6747 and you can ask for the study guide. 11:35 It's called, "The Mark of the Beast." 11:37 Or dial #250 on your phone, say "Bible Answers Live," ask for 11:41 that offer and we'll be happy to send it to you. 11:43 Let's see, we've got Anna listening in Oregon. 11:46 Anna, welcome to "Bible Answers Live." 11:49 Anna: Hi, good evening. Doug: Good evening. 11:52 Anna: My question is from Titus chapter 3, verse 10. 11:58 "Reject a divisive man after the first and second 12:01 abomination, knowing that such a person is 12:04 warped and sinning, being self-condemned." 12:07 I was wondering if you could explain that to me. 12:09 Also, do we wash our hands of these people and have nothing 12:13 more to do with them in our lives? 12:15 Doug: Well, if they don't repent, yes. 12:19 You know, if anyone goes through a conversion, I think the 12:21 apostles would say if a brother has been restored, if they've 12:24 been reconverted, if they've gotten over their 12:27 tendency to be unnecessarily divisive. 12:30 Now, we need to know how to apply this verse. 12:34 I remember one brother that, when I disagreed with him 12:37 theologically, he said to his family, "Don't study 12:41 with him anymore because he's divisive." 12:43 I'm just sharing the truth and they pulled this 12:46 scripture out and said, "You can't study with 12:49 us anymore 'cause you're causing division. 12:50 You don't believe like us." 12:52 And I said, "Well, there's only one truth, you know?" 12:53 So I felt like they had misapplied this verse. 12:57 Now this is talking about someone who comes within a 12:59 certain body and, you know, it's the united body of faith and it 13:02 does bring in division between individuals and, you know, I 13:08 think I read it this week in my message. 13:11 Says in Proverbs, "There are six things the Lord hates, seven are 13:14 an abomination to Him." 13:16 And the seventh thing he mentions is "He that sows 13:19 discord among brethren," someone who is divisive. 13:23 God's called us to be peace-makers, 13:25 to bring people together, but if you're 13:27 dividing people, it's the opposite effect. 13:30 At some point if they don't change their behavior, you've 13:32 just got to practice tough love and say, "You know, 13:34 we're not going to work with you anymore." 13:37 You just have to sometimes people are--you're casting your 13:40 pearls before swine and you just have to know 13:42 and you say, "This is a waste of time. 13:44 We're not going to argue with you." 13:46 Jean: Yeah, there's a difference between somebody 13:47 who's sincerely wanting to know truth and maybe 13:50 they might see things a little different 13:51 but they're willing to learn and study. 13:53 But after a person understands what you're trying to say and 13:56 yet they just dogmatically wanting to argue and bring 13:59 division, that's not comfortable for anyone. 14:02 It's causing division and that's what the 14:04 Bible is saying we need to be careful of. 14:06 Doug: You know, we're pastors, and once or twice we've had some 14:08 people that have showed up at church and there's one note that 14:11 they play on the piano and with everybody, they've got this one 14:14 note they play and we've had to say, "Look, brother, sister, you 14:17 know, if you can't enmesh a little better, 14:21 then probably you shouldn't come back." 14:24 And you hate to ever say that to somebody, 14:26 but some folks just come in to cause division. 14:30 Jean: All right, next caller that we have 14:31 is Michael, listening in Colorado. 14:33 Michael, welcome to "Bible Answers Live." 14:36 Michael: Yes, Doug and Jean, thank 14:38 you so much for taking my call. 14:39 It's great to talk to you. I'm a first-time caller. 14:42 I am 27 years old and I so much have enjoyed your show for a 14:45 long time and you set a very high standard. 14:48 So first of all, thank you for all you do. 14:50 Doug: Well, thank you for calling. 14:52 Michael: Absolutely, and my Bible question is from 2 Kings. 14:57 "Elisha sent out a servant to meet him with this message: 'Go 15:01 to the River Jordan and immerse yourself seven times. 15:04 Your skin will be healed and you'll be as good as new.' 15:07 Naaman lost his temper. 15:08 He spun around saying, 'I thought you'd personally come 15:10 out and meet me, call on the name of God, wave His hand over 15:14 the diseased spot, and get rid of the disease.'" 15:16 And, you know, the Jordan River is said to have healing 15:19 properties even to this day. 15:21 Why do you think God specifically picked 15:24 Naaman to be healed of his leprosy? 15:28 Doug: Well, I think some of it is to show that 15:31 God loves people who are not Jews. 15:35 You know, the first sermon that Jesus preached 15:37 in His home church, He mentions Naaman. 15:39 He said to the people in His church in Nazareth, He went on 15:42 Sabbath to the synagogue and He said, "There were many lepers in 15:46 Israel in the days of Elisha but none of them was 15:49 healed except Naaman the Syrian," and part of 15:52 it is because he came and he asked. 15:55 He believed the message of this little girl. 15:57 You remember, he had a servant girl that said, "If my master 15:59 was with the prophet that's in Samaria, he would heal him of 16:02 his leprosy," and he took that by faith and he went, but the 16:08 way the healing message came he was a little insulted 'cause God 16:10 had to soften his pride and, ultimately, he did obey and he 16:15 went to the Jordan and he got the miracle that he wanted. 16:18 So, it's interesting that God spoke through this little girl, 16:24 then He spoke through the messenger of Elisha and then He 16:26 spoke through the soldiers of Naaman and it took several 16:30 messages to finally get through to this general. 16:32 Seems that he was a good man. 16:34 Said he was a great man, mighty man, 16:36 valiant man, but he was a leper. 16:39 It's a reminder that no matter what you have in the world, if 16:42 you've got sin, if you're dying, what profit is it? 16:45 And as God healed Naaman from washing in the Jordan, 16:50 John the Baptist baptized in the Jordan. 16:52 It's a symbol of the new birth and a washing from sin because, 16:55 of course, that's where Christ was baptized 16:57 and the children of Israel went through the Jordan. 16:59 It's a symbol of new life. 17:01 Jean: And leprosy in the Bible often is associated or 17:03 symbolized as sin, so here you have a sinner outside of Israel, 17:08 a non-Jew, and yet redemption can still be 17:10 found, or a cleansing can still be found. 17:12 So, a very interesting story there. 17:14 Good question. 17:15 Next caller that we have is Tony, listening in Kentucky. 17:17 Tony, welcome to "Bible Answers Live." 17:21 Tony: Thank you for taking my call. 17:22 Doug: Thank you for calling, yes? 17:25 Tony: Oh yes, yes. 17:26 So my question for tonight and--is Revelation 4:1 17:31 teaching that the seals happen 17:34 chronologically after the seven churches? 17:37 And is Revelation chapter 8, verse 1 teaching that 17:41 the seven trumpets happen chronologically 17:43 immediately after the seven seals?" 17:46 Doug: All right, I'll give a little part of this answer and 17:48 then Pastor Ross can probably tie it off better. 17:53 Revelation is not written chronologically. 17:57 Like the prophecy you find in Daniel, it's very similar in 18:01 that God gives Daniel several visions that outline 18:05 His kingdom and His people and they overlap. 18:09 And in Revelation you've got the seven churches, you've got the 18:12 seven trumpets, you've got the seven seals. 18:15 The seven churches sort of cover a religious history of God's 18:18 people from the First Coming to the Second Coming. 18:21 The seven seals cover something of a geopolitical history from 18:26 the First Coming to the Second Coming. 18:28 The seven trumpets are covering something of a military history 18:33 and so, these prophecies are covering some 18:36 of the same time and they overlap. 18:38 So I'll stop there. 18:40 Jean: Yeah, absolutely. 18:41 I think you summarized it well, Pastor Doug. 18:43 You've got the seven churches which really start with the 18:45 first century church which scholars say somewhere round 18:49 about, you know, Christ ascended 31 A.D. 18:52 and probation closes 34 for the Jewish people, so somewhere 18:55 around there up until about 100 A.D., around the death of the-- 19:00 Doug: Now, when you said probation closes 19:01 for the Jewish people, you mean the nation? 19:03 Jean: For the nation, not individuals. 19:04 Doug: Yeah, that's right. 19:06 Jean: But, around 100 A.D., somewhere around the death of 19:09 John, the last of the 12 apostles, they say that first, 19:12 the church of Ephesus's time period comes to an end. 19:14 Then it goes all the way through the church of Laodicea which 19:17 really describes the condition of the church today, 19:19 just before the Second Coming of Christ. 19:21 And then you have the repeat, you know, the seals and then the 19:24 trumpets but emphasizing different aspects. 19:26 Doug: Yup, very good. 19:28 Now, we have a magazine that talks about Daniel 19:30 in Revelation that Michael might really enjoy. 19:35 And I think we can still share that. 19:36 Jean: Absolutely, to receive that just call 800-835-6747, and 19:41 the magazine is on the book of Daniel and Revelation, and we'll 19:44 be happy to send that to you if you call and ask. 19:47 You can also dial #250 on your smartphone, and ask for that, 19:51 and we'll send it to whoever calls and asks. 19:53 Let's see, we've got--we're going to go to Junith in Nevada. 19:56 Junith, welcome to the program. 19:59 Junith: Pastor Jean and Pastor Doug, I reckon you can hear me? 20:05 Doug: Yes. 20:06 Junith: Yes, I have a question on 20:09 Revelation 19-- oh, just a second. 20:15 Revelation 19:16. 20:17 The focus is, is there a Judaic connotation on what he is trying 20:24 to imply to writing his name "Lord of lords and King of 20:29 kings" on his thigh? 20:31 It's understandable of the robe, you know, like when you go 20:34 to a beauty pageant, they put the title there, like a sash. 20:39 But just caught my attention about the King of 20:44 kings and Lord of lords on his thigh. 20:48 My question is there a Judaic traditional 20:54 connotation on this matter? 20:55 Can you explain further? Thank you. 20:57 Doug: Well, I'll do my best. 21:00 It was believed by the Jewish people that the largest and 21:04 strongest muscle in the body was the 21:05 thigh and covenants were sometime made. 21:09 You can read where Abraham when choosing a wife for his son, he 21:13 told his servant: "Place your hand under my thigh." 21:17 In other words, you were going to make 21:19 a covenant with my strongest muscle. 21:20 You're going to vow to me that you'll 21:22 find a believing wife for my son. 21:26 And so--and of course, King of kings, you have examples in the 21:31 Bible where Nebuchadnezzar had several kingdoms under him. 21:34 He was a king with kings under him. 21:37 Talks about certain kings ate at his table. 21:40 And same thing with the king of Persia. 21:42 And so, ultimately, the supreme title 21:46 would be the King of kings. 21:48 There is no king above Jesus and there's no lord above Him. 21:52 He is the Lord of lords. 21:54 So, it's basically saying He is the ultimate strength, being on 21:59 the thigh, the ultimate King, the ultimate Lord. 22:03 Jean: And the ultimate fulfillment 22:04 of the promise that He made. 22:05 Jesus said, "I'll come again and receive you unto myself." 22:08 So, He's coming back as King of kings and Lord of lords. 22:10 Doug: Yeah, absolutely. 22:12 Jean: All right, thank you. 22:13 Next caller that we have is Miranda listening in New Mexico. 22:16 Miranda, welcome to the program. 22:20 Miranda: Hi, good evening, Pastors. 22:21 Doug: Evening. 22:23 Miranda: My--good evening. 22:24 My Bible question is, what does the Bible say about 22:27 Satan being able to physically harm a person? 22:32 Doug: Well, you know, there's not too much evidence in the 22:34 Bible that the devil would, you know, jump out with a pitchfork, 22:38 claws, and horns and bite a person as a physical entity. 22:43 Sometimes, the way that the devil will physically 22:47 hurt a person is by tempting them to do 22:49 something foolish where they hurt themselves. 22:53 You know, he did seem to strike Job with sickness, and the 22:57 devil, you know, he has some limited power there. 23:00 But keep in mind, God has angels that guard His people. 23:05 You read, "The angel of the Lord encamps 23:08 round about those that fear him." 23:10 That's why the devil said to God, 23:12 "You've got a hedge about Job. 23:14 You're protecting him." 23:16 And in Psalm 91 it says, "He'll give 23:18 His angels charge over you." 23:20 So I don't worry day by day because one-third of the angels 23:25 followed Lucifer but there are two-thirds that stay loyal. 23:28 You've got twice as many angels on God's side 23:31 as the devil's side, and they protect. 23:33 Nothing can come to His children. 23:36 The devil never is able to access God's people because his 23:39 demons were able to outwrestle God's angels. 23:44 God's angels are much greater in power. 23:48 Anything that does come is because the Lord is allowing 23:51 some trial to work in our lives for good, and even Paul said one 23:55 time, "A messenger came from the devil that's 23:58 caused me pain, a thorn in my side, but 24:00 God's allowing this that I might glorify Him." 24:04 So I don't know if that helps what you're asking, Miranda. 24:10 Miranda: Thank you both so much. 24:12 Doug: Thank you. 24:14 Now, we do have a book that talks 24:15 about, "Did God Create a Devil?" and explains what some of 24:17 the limitations of the devil are in that study guide. 24:20 Jean: The number to call for that is 800-835-6747 and, again, 24:24 you can just ask for the study guide 24:25 that's called, "Did God Create the Devil?" 24:28 We'll be happy to send it to anyone in North America. 24:30 Dial #250 on your smartphone and you can also ask 24:33 "Bible Answers Live," and then ask for that study 24:36 guide by name, "Did God Create a Devil?" 24:38 We've got McKenzie listening from Washington. 24:41 McKenzie, welcome to "Bible Answers Live." 24:44 McKenzie: Hello. Doug: Hi. 24:46 McKenzie: Good evening, Pastors. 24:48 Doug: Evening, thanks for calling. 24:49 McKenzie: I've been listening for a long time and it's been 24:53 pretty cool to listen to you guys. 24:56 I'm LBS, but I wondered what the Bible says about infant baptism? 25:03 Doug: All right, yeah, appreciate your calling. 25:06 There's no example of infant baptisms in the Bible. 25:09 What they did in the Bible, and Jesus is an example of this, 25:12 they would dedicate children, boys in particular, 8 days old, 25:17 Christ was brought to the temple. 25:18 They would dedicate them to the Lord 25:20 and the boys would be circumcised. 25:24 And--but Jesus then went and was baptized as an adult because 25:29 the Bible prerequisites for baptism, 25:32 it says, "Repent and be baptized." 25:34 Well, babies can't repent. 25:36 And then when the Ethiopian asked Philip, "What must I do?" 25:39 he says, "If you believe with all your heart." 25:42 Well, a baby can't believe with all its heart and be baptized. 25:46 And Jesus says, "Go and teach all nations, teaching them to 25:50 observe all things I've commanded and baptize them." 25:53 Well, you can't teach a baby the fundamentals of Christianity 25:57 and--so, there's no example of a baby 25:59 being baptized in a Bible--in the Bible. 26:02 Now I know many people listening right now, Pastor Ross, they may 26:05 be, you know, very good Catholic or Orthodox people 26:07 that baptize their children as infants, 26:10 and they're saying, "What does that mean? 26:11 Does that mean I didn't give them to the Lord?" 26:13 No, you dedicated them. 26:14 That's great. That's not baptism. 26:17 Baptism is something they must do when they reach the age of 26:20 accountability which varies with children. 26:22 It could be anywhere from, you know, Christ was 12 when he went 26:25 to the temple and some kids begin to understand and believe 26:30 at 10 years old, and some it takes a little longer. 26:32 So, it varies. 26:34 And we have a lesson that talks about baptism. 26:37 Jean: We do, we actually--I was thinking about a book, Pastor, 26:39 there called "Baptism, Is It Really Necessary?" 26:41 It's got all the scriptures in there, 26:42 explains what baptism symbolizes. 26:45 To receive that, just call 800-835-6747. 26:49 You can ask for the book called 26:50 "Baptism, Is It Really Necessary?" 26:52 Or dial #250, say "Bible Answers Live," 26:56 "Baptism, Is It Really Necessary?" 26:58 and we'll get that to you. 26:59 Again, if you're outside of North America, just go to the 27:01 website, amazingfacts.org, click on the free library and you'll 27:05 be able to read it right there online. 27:07 A great book with a lot of 27:08 really good scriptural information. 27:10 Doug: Yup, well, friends, you hear the background music. 27:13 That's for half-time. 27:14 Don't go anywhere because the best of 27:16 "Bible Answers Live," we're up and running. 27:18 Got a momentum. We're coming back. 27:20 Just listen to these important messages. 27:21 We'll study some more scriptures. 27:27 announcer: Stay tuned, "Bible Answers Live" 27:29 will return shortly. 27:34 announcer: Do you feel as though your 27:36 world is spiraling out of control? 27:38 Or perhaps new life challenges are frightening 27:40 you more than they should? 27:42 Are you sinking while you're thinking? 27:44 Excessive worry can consume you, eating you from the inside out, 27:48 resulting in sickness, insomnia, and paralyzing fear. 27:52 It can also damage relationships, ruin 27:54 opportunities, and yes, diminish your witness for the gospel. 27:58 Doug: Worry affects everybody differently, 28:01 but it's all driven by fear. 28:03 So how can you overcome a world full of reasons to be anxious? 28:08 I'd like to recommend for you my new 28:10 book, "Finding Peace in a World of Worry." 28:13 You'll discover a lifeline to victory, a place where you can 28:16 cast your cares upon Christ and experience a serenity 28:21 that isn't subject to your circumstances. 28:23 announcer: Send the gift of any amount to receive 28:25 your copy of Pastor Doug's new book, 28:27 "Finding Peace in a World of Worry." 28:30 Call 877-232-2871 today. 28:38 announcer: You're listening to "Bible Answers Live," 28:40 where every question answered provides a clearer 28:43 picture of God and His plan to save you. 28:46 So what are you waiting for? 28:48 Get practical answers about the 28:49 good book for a better life today. 28:55 announcer: This broadcast is a previously recorded episode. 28:58 If you'd like answers to your Bible-related 29:00 questions on the air, please call us next Sunday 29:03 between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. Pacific Time. 29:07 To receive any of the Bible resources mentioned in this 29:09 evening's program, call 800-835-6747. 29:15 Once again, that's 800-835-6747. 29:20 Now, let's rejoin our hosts for more "Bible Answers Live." 29:25 Doug: We're back, listening friends, 29:27 to "Bible Answers Live." 29:28 If you have any Bible questions, give us a call and this is a 29:31 live international interactive Bible study. 29:34 We're not only broadcasting here on AFTV or whatever radio 29:38 station you're listening to, but it's streaming on Amazing Facts 29:42 Facebook page, Doug Batchelor Facebook page, YouTube, and if 29:47 you type in "Bible Answers Live," Google will probably show 29:49 you several ways you can watch or listen. 29:52 And my name is Doug Batchelor. 29:54 Jean: My name is Jean Ross and we have a 29:56 number of folks who are standing by on the phone 29:58 so we're going to go to our next caller. 29:59 We've got Noochie listening from California. 30:03 Is it Nookie or Noochie? Welcome to the program. 30:06 Noochie: Hi, yeah, it's Noochie. 30:07 Hi, Pastor Doug and Pastor Ross. 30:12 I post some things on a lot of religious sites on Facebook and 30:19 one of 'em is, I believe, in America, is the False Prophet 30:23 from Revelation 13:11 and I get all kinds of responses but one 30:29 that always stumps me is, "Well, the law and the prophets were 30:34 only for Israel so the western world is not even prophesized." 30:40 And I try to show them that in Daniel 8:26, the 30:44 23-year--2300-year prophecy and 30:51 also Ephesians 4:11 says that 30:55 Christ gave the gifts to the church. 30:59 But I was wondering if you had any other scripture that I could 31:03 share with them as far as that's concerned? 31:06 Doug: Yeah, I think I've got some scripture and also 31:08 some--and what my scriptures would be dealing with is that 31:12 prophecy did not stop with the nation of Israel. 31:17 The prophecies you find in Daniel and Revelation involve 31:21 any nations that had an impact, a major impact, on God's people. 31:26 The reason the prophecies talk about Assyria and Nineveh, 31:31 Babylon, Egypt, Ammon, Moab, Edom, Persia, Greece, Rome, 31:41 England, France, the United States, all of these 31:45 are in prophecy because they had a dramatic 31:48 impact on the gospel in some way. 31:52 And America, you know, right now is the country that supports 31:55 more missionaries than any other country, though I hear South 31:57 Korea's catching up, interesting. 32:01 But, yeah, it is mentioned. 32:03 America, I believe, is the second 32:04 beast you find in Revelation 13. 32:07 It starts out with two horns like a lamb, a lamb being 32:10 Christlike, but ends up speaking like a dragon in the end. 32:13 And so, America's definitely in prophecy. 32:16 Matter of fact, Pastor Ross, I think we've got 32:18 a magazine that has several scriptures, 32:20 and we can send one of those to Noochie. 32:22 Jean: Yeah, or anyone wanting to learn more. 32:24 It's one of our more popular magazines. 32:26 It's a fairly new one and it's called "The US in Bible 32:28 Prophecy," and yes, Revelation chapter 13 32:31 talks about two beasts's powers, and we believe 32:33 the second beast described there is America. 32:36 If you'd like to receive it, the number to call is 800-835-6747. 32:41 That's 800-835-6747, and ask for the magazine, "The United 32:46 States--or America in Prophecy," and we'll send that to you. 32:49 Or dial #250 on your smartphone, and say "'The US in Prophecy.' 32:53 I'd like the magazine," and we'll get it to you. 32:55 Next caller that we have is Leigh, 32:57 listening in North Carolina. 32:58 Leigh, welcome to the program. 33:00 Leigh: Oh, hi. Thank you so much, Pastors. 33:03 I have a question for you about Revelation 11, 33:06 verse 3, and the two witnesses. 33:10 I studied and believe that it was the Old Testament and the 33:14 New Testament, but then when I read on, particularly in same 33:19 chapter 11, verses 7 through 10, and I've seen some other 33:25 programming about it being possibly Moses and Elijah, and 33:30 is it possible, Pastors, it could even be both? 33:33 Could it be Moses and Elijah representing 33:35 the Old Testament and New Testament? 33:37 Thank you so very much. 33:38 Doug: Yes, Leigh. And my answer would be yes. 33:41 Now, when I say it can also be Moses and Elijah, 33:44 symbolically, you've got Moses and Elijah that appear 33:48 to Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration. 33:50 That's Mark chapter 9. 33:52 And they're in heaven. 33:54 They have glorified bodies. 33:55 They are not going to come down to earth and die. 33:57 They now have eternal life. 34:00 You know, the Bible says that when you're resurrected and you 34:02 go to heaven, you don't die again. 34:05 But Moses represents the law or the 34:08 Old Testament, Elijah represents the prophets. 34:11 These dual terms are often used for the scriptures. 34:15 You might say New and Old Testament. 34:17 It's called the law and the prophets. 34:19 It's a sword with two edges, Ten Commandments 34:21 are written on two tables of stone. 34:23 So the Word of God is often pictured in 34:26 this dual nature of Moses and Elijah. 34:29 Last prophecies in the Old Testament in Malachi chapter 4, 34:33 it says, "Remember the law of Moses. 34:35 Behold, I send you Elijah." 34:37 Moses and Elijah, two witnesses. 34:39 And then when you look at the criteria of the two witnesses in 34:43 Revelation chapter 11 and it says that they'll prophesy 42 34:48 months through sack-cloth, it's talking about 34:50 the Word of God during the dark ages. 34:53 Just--its light was obscured by persecution. 34:57 And it says, "These are the two olive trees and the two 34:59 lampstands and if anyone wants to hurt them, fire proceeds from 35:04 their mouths," well, Elijah spoke and fire came down from 35:07 heaven, "and devours their enemies. 35:09 If anyone wants to harm them, he must be hurt in this manner. 35:12 They have power to shut up the heaven, that it doesn't rain." 35:15 This is in both Moses's writings in Deuteronomy 28, 35:18 and it's also in the experience of Elijah. 35:23 Turning water to blood. 35:24 And so, you know, the illustrations are given from the 35:27 life of Moses and Elijah, these two great 35:29 prophets, representing the Word of God. 35:32 This is, in particular, when it says the two witnesses are 35:35 killed, it's talking about an attack on the Word of God when 35:39 atheism was born, prior to the French Revolution. 35:44 And if you read history, the birth of atheism, they abolished 35:47 the Bible and do we have a study guide that talks about that? 35:51 Jean: We do have one on the two witnesses. 35:53 Doug: I realize I could wax along, talking about it. 35:55 Jean: We have "The Glorious Mount." 35:58 Doug: Sure, we can send that out. 36:00 Jean: So, yeah, it's a deep study. 36:01 Does talk about Revelation. 36:03 Incidentally, just to add, talking about another nation, 36:05 France is specifically highlighted there, the beast 36:08 that comes from the bottomless pit, 36:09 talking about that power in Revelation 11. 36:12 You can just call and ask for the 36:13 book called "The Two Witnesses." 36:14 The number is 800-835-6747. 36:18 Ask for the book, "The Two Witnesses." 36:19 Also, you can dial #250 and say, "Bible Answers Live," 36:23 and then ask for "The Two Witnesses." 36:25 Thanks, Leigh. Great question. 36:27 We've got Steve listening in Missouri. 36:28 Steve, welcome to "Bible Answers Live." 36:30 Steve: Thank you for taking my call. 36:33 We're going to be in Acts 15, verse 28 and 29. 36:37 You want me to go and read it? 36:38 Doug: Sure. 36:40 Steve: Okay, "For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to 36:43 us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary 36:47 things; that--" to me, that sounds all-conclusive. 36:50 "That you abstain from meats offered to idols, and from 36:54 blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: 36:58 from which is to keep yourselves, ye shall do well. 37:02 Fare ye well." 37:03 This would have been, to me, it would have been a perfect time 37:06 for Paul to inject that she shouldn't eat the unclean meat. 37:11 And the only answer I've ever been able to come up with is 37:14 these--this is Paul's way of referencing back to Leviticus, 37:20 letting 'em, the believers, or the unbelievers, 37:24 know that you should go by the health laws. 37:27 Doug: Yeah, well-- 37:29 Steve: And I wanted to know just a little input from you. 37:31 Doug: Sure, I appreciate that. 37:32 Now, this--what they're doing here is Paul is coming down, I 37:37 believe he's with Barnabas on this trip, or Silas rather. 37:40 And they're talking to the leaders in Jerusalem, saying, 37:42 we've had some challenges with the Gentiles, and some of the 37:46 Jewish believers are putting certain laws on the Gentile 37:48 believers, and it was in particular with, you know, 37:53 keeping the law of Moses, circumcision, and different 37:55 things, and their discussion was how do 37:59 we resolve these particular issues? 38:02 Now, Paul is not giving a comprehensive answer of 38:04 everything you're supposed to obey, because there's a whole 38:06 lot of obedience issues that are left out. 38:09 He doesn't even mention idolatry but, you know, several other 38:11 places they talk about keep yourself from idols. 38:14 So, this is talking about-- 38:16 Jean: Oh, he does mention in verse 29. 38:17 Doug: Oh, the idols and-- 38:19 Jean: Yeah, he says that you abstain 38:20 from things offered to idols. 38:22 You're right, and not worshiping idols. 38:24 Doug: He was really dealing with--that Jesus was saying, you 38:27 know, you can't eat things that have been offered to idols 38:30 and/or things strangled, means with the blood. 38:33 Now, clearly, eating the blood is part of the health laws. 38:36 So that would include the health laws. 38:38 And you know, a lot of the meat sold in the markets today is not 38:42 strangled, it's--or it is strangled, you might say. 38:44 It's killed with the blood. 38:46 So, if you want to know more about what is 38:51 and isn't allowed, you can go to the Division of Peter 38:53 in chapter 10 where Peter says, "Not so. 38:56 I've never eaten anything common or unclean. 38:59 God has told me not to call any man common," 39:02 but he never eats any unclean food. 39:05 And why would God suddenly say that the food that was, you 39:11 know, forbidden in the Old Testament is suddenly clean? 39:17 That's not what this verse is dealing with. 39:19 Jean: You know, just to add to that a little bit. 39:21 In the Old Testament we have different categories of law. 39:23 You have the ceremonial law that had to do with the sanctuary and 39:27 the sacrifices and the priesthood, and then you had the 39:29 health laws that had to do with clean and unclean foods and some 39:32 other real practical health principles that we find. 39:35 There were the civil laws that really govern the nation of 39:37 Israel, and then you have the moral law, the Ten Commandments. 39:42 And it's interesting here that he references--he references the 39:46 health laws, don't eat things strangled in blood. 39:50 He talks about the Ten Commandment 39:51 law, you know, sexual immorality. 39:53 It talks about that's part of the Ten Commandment law. 39:56 But then it also includes idols or 39:59 don't eat things offered to idols. 40:01 But it doesn't--it doesn't reference the ceremonial law. 40:04 Doug: Yeah, well, it doesn't say don't have-- 40:05 it doesn't say honor your father and mother. 40:07 So it's not like those things are suddenly okay. 40:10 So he's--basically, this is a statement to 40:13 address particular challenges they were having 40:15 up north in preaching with the Gentiles. 40:17 It wasn't a comprehensive statement. 40:20 So, hope that helps a little bit, Steve. 40:22 And I'm trying to think if we have a-- 40:25 Jean: We have a book called, I think it's-- 40:27 Doug: "God's Free Health Plan." 40:28 Jean: We've got that too, "Written in Stone." 40:34 One talking about the law, the other one 40:35 on the biblical health principles. 40:38 The number to call is 800-835-6747. 40:40 You're going to ask for the study guide that's called, 40:42 "God's Free Health Plan," or you can also ask 40:44 for the one called, "Written in Stone." 40:47 We'll be happy to send it to anyone who calls and asks. 40:49 Next caller that we have is, let's see. 40:52 Who do we have next? 40:53 We've got Josiah listening in Tennessee. 40:55 Josiah, welcome to the program. 40:57 Josiah: Hello. 40:59 Doug: Hi, how are you? Josiah: Great. 41:01 Doug: And your question? 41:04 Josiah: It's why do some angels have 41:07 four faces as found in Ezekiel 10:14? 41:12 Doug: Well, good for you. I'm glad. 41:14 How old are you? 41:16 Josiah: Nine. 41:17 Doug: You're nine, and you're reading Ezekiel. 41:19 Bless your heart. 41:20 I know people that are 49, have never read Ezekiel, 41:23 and they've been going to church all their life. 41:25 So I'm glad you're reading that. 41:26 You know, you might also be interested to know, 41:29 if you go to the book of Revelation, chapter 4, 41:32 is that where it is, Pastor Ross? 41:34 Talks about these creatures that have the same four faces. 41:38 And so the big question is when John and when Ezekiel see these 41:42 unusual creatures around the throne of God, does that mean 41:46 they were literal or is this talking about creatures that, 41:52 let's look here, in Revelation 4, says, "There were four living 41:56 creatures," and this is in verse 6. 42:00 "Four living creatures full of eyes in the front and back. 42:02 First was like a lion, second like a calf, third like a man, 42:07 and the fourth was like a flying eagle." 42:08 I think those are the same that you're going to find in Ezekiel. 42:11 And these are telling us different 42:13 aspects of the character of Jesus. 42:17 God is not surrounded in heaven with these monstrous-looking 42:22 creatures that have got four faces, but each 42:24 of those faces in the visions here is telling 42:26 us something about the character of Jesus. 42:28 Jean: For example, the lion represents Christ before 42:31 he came to the earth, represents royalty and kingship. 42:34 Talks about an ox. That's an animal of sacrifice. 42:37 Jesus came to bear our sins and die. 42:39 The man is a reference to Christ as a high priest, our 42:41 intercessor in heavenly sanctuary. 42:43 And it talks about a flying eagle. 42:44 That's often associated with judgment. 42:47 When Jesus comes, he comes as King of kings and Lord of lords. 42:49 He comes to judge. 42:51 So there are some parallels there in 42:52 what we see, characteristics of Christ's ministry. 42:54 Doug: Different aspects of the Lord, yeah. 42:57 Jean: Good question. Doug: Thank you, Josiah. 42:58 Jean: Next caller that we have is Jen, listening in Jamaica. 43:01 Jen, welcome to the program. 43:02 Jen: Hi, good evening, Pastor Ross and Pastor Doug. 43:05 Doug: Evening, and your question? 43:08 Jen: Yes, the question I have is, based on 1 Corinthians 14, 43:12 verse 34, where it says to "Let your women keep silent in the 43:17 churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; 43:20 but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also 43:23 saith the law." 43:25 Could you explain to me what it means by "Women 43:27 are not permitted to speak and are 43:30 commanded to be under obedience"? 43:32 Doug: Okay, well, I think one thing we can't deny is Paul says 43:37 that there is a distinction of roles between men and women and 43:41 that's almost unheard of in churches today. 43:43 But the Bible does teach there's a distinction to be made. 43:46 Is Paul saying that women are never to speak in church? 43:49 Well, that would be sort of--that would be kind of 43:53 restrictive, you know, if you could never speak. 43:55 The question is can we find other examples of 43:57 women speaking in church, guided by the Lord? 44:01 When Jesus is dedicated as a baby in the 44:03 temple, Anna comes over and she speaks. 44:08 You've got Hannah who is praying and she's speaking when she goes 44:12 to the house of God and she talks to Eli. 44:15 So this was not a complete prohibition of women opening 44:18 their mouths and speaking in church. 44:20 I think it's more in the context of women preaching or taking 44:24 authority over men, which was what 44:27 was happening in the Corinthian church. 44:29 Now, Paul doesn't ever mention this anywhere else. 44:33 Well, I shouldn't say--this particular verse 44:35 is only mentioned in Corinthians. 44:36 But, yeah, there's--you've got women that are teaching children 44:41 in church and there's a lot you can learn from women. 44:45 I think that the point that's being made is that in the same 44:48 way that husbands were to be the priest leaders in families, the 44:53 church being an extension of the family 44:55 was to have the same recognition. 44:58 Now, I know when I go to China, there's 45:00 a lot of churches where there is no men. 45:03 And that means they'd all have to kind of use 45:05 sign language when they come, they can't talk. 45:08 So, of course, they can talk in church and--but this is really 45:13 Paul was seeing that there was a disruption of the order. 45:15 Jean: Yeah, and I think the verse 45:17 just previous to this sheds some light. 45:19 It says, "For God is not the author of confusion but of peace 45:22 as in all of the churches of the saints." 45:24 It appears that in Corinth there were some problems. 45:27 You read the whole letter that Paul's writing to the believers 45:29 in Corinth, the church had a number of issues to deal with 45:31 and one of which, which he's addressing is there was 45:33 confusion in their worship service. 45:35 People would be shouting out, there was a lot of noise, things 45:38 were not being done decent and in order, and one of the things 45:41 that Paul is mentioning here, he says, 45:43 you know, "Let the woman be silent in church." 45:46 In other words, don't argue with the 45:47 husband, perhaps, or with the men. 45:49 Listen quietly and there are opportunities to share and talk 45:52 but things to be done decently and in order. 45:55 And that's the point. 45:56 Doug: Another reason we know that Paul is not saying that a 45:58 woman can't speak in church is 'cause he has another verse 46:02 where he says, "If a woman is to prophesy, 46:04 she should do it with her head covered." 46:06 If she's praying or prophesying, that obviously is out loud. 46:09 So, I hope that helped. 46:11 Now we do have a book that talks about women 46:13 in ministry and it does touch on these verses. 46:16 We'll send you a free copy. 46:18 Jean: The number to call is 800-835-6747 where you can ask 46:21 again for the book that's called, "Woman in Ministry." 46:24 You can also dial #250 on your smartphone, say "Bible Answers 46:28 Live," ask for the book by name, and we will send it to you. 46:31 Doug: And I should mention for Jen that she's in Jamaica, 46:34 it would be better for her to read it online. 46:35 Jean: Just go to the Amazing Facts website. 46:37 Doug: Yeah, 'cause we won't be able to mail it to Jamaica. 46:38 Jean: Next caller that we have 46:40 is Patricia, listening in Pennsylvania. 46:41 Patricia, welcome to the program. 46:44 Patricia: Hello. Doug: Hi. 46:46 Patricia: Hi, so I have a question that is--I just need an 46:51 answer, a Bible answer for the question. 46:55 I have my niece and my nephew, 10 and 8 years old. 47:02 My sister was murdered in front of the kids in a murder-suicide. 47:06 So my niece had--I have them in the Adventist school so my niece 47:11 came home with the question, it's the Bible verse, "God 47:16 would never leave you or forsake you." 47:19 But my nephew started crying and saying, "But He did. 47:22 He allowed my mom to die." 47:24 How do I go about letting the kids know 47:28 from the Bible, 'cause it's hard. 47:31 This is a 10-year-old and a 8-year-old. 47:33 So my question is how do I go about letting them know how much 47:37 God loves them, even after witnessing this tragedy? 47:42 Doug: Well, you need to have a tough conversation, but you're 47:45 going to need to let them know that when you look at the cross, 47:49 you can see that God does love us but look at the suffering 47:53 that Jesus experienced at the hands of the devil. 47:56 Sometimes, you know, people make choices and God must let them go 48:04 forward with their choices and it breaks His heart but, you 48:09 know, as we place our lives in God's hands, 48:11 we don't--He doesn't want us to live in fear. 48:13 Quote the verses where Jesus said, "Don't live in fear. 48:15 Don't be afraid." 48:16 Yeah, there is evil in the world, there's tragedies, and 48:18 it's just so heartbreaking when the children see 48:20 this and it creates so many questions. 48:24 You know, as a--what you might do is 48:26 Amazing Facts has a DVD for the kids. 48:29 It's called, "Cosmic Conflict." 48:31 It explains why is there evil in the world. 48:34 Talks about the battle between good and evil. 48:36 And not everything happening in this world is God's will. 48:39 But you see Jesus on the cross, we know the Lord loves us, yet 48:43 He suffered to save us from suffering, but sometimes the 48:46 devil does things in the world and he brings tragedy. 48:50 Jean: Of course, the promise is that 48:51 God will never leave us in the world. 48:54 Even those that we, you know, we might look up 48:56 to or we might trust, they might hurt us, 48:59 they might abandon us, but God never does. 49:01 He is faithful right to the very end. 49:03 We can hold on to Him. 49:04 Doug: Yeah, so--but you could even show 49:07 'em, it's online, they can watch it for free. 49:09 It's called, "Cosmic Conflict." 49:11 "Cosmic Conflict," and that might help 'em understand. 49:14 Jean: All right, thank you. 49:15 And next caller that we have is Dylan, listening in Nevada. 49:17 Dylan, welcome to "Bible Answers Live." 49:20 Dylan: How you doing, Pastor Ross, Pastor Doug? 49:24 Jean: Doing good, thanks. 49:25 Doug: Great, thanks for calling. 49:27 Dylan: That's awesome. 49:28 I've been going--I was on a talk show, a Christian 49:31 show, and I've been going to these meetings. 49:34 They have ministries, like, radio station talk shows. 49:37 I'm just kind of shocked at these ministers and pastors 49:41 don't really have a lot of knowledge but I have mentioned 49:44 about Thessalonians, 1 Thessalonians, 'cause you know, 49:48 I've been talking with the people and then, you know, I 49:50 kind of, you know, I hold my tongue and speak when the Lord 49:54 tells me to move and speak on things and then I was like, 49:57 "Well, hey, don't look at me, man. 49:59 It says in Thessalonians 'The dead in 50:02 Christ,' you know, 'will be risen.'" 50:04 And then he asked me, "Well, where do they go?" 50:07 And I know his mother's kind of like, the hourglass is 50:10 going and her mother was there at this lunch. 50:12 We go every Thursday. 50:13 And then I was, like, "That's a good 50:15 question," 'cause it doesn't say that. 50:17 And I was just wondering do--'cause I know you guys have 50:20 a lot of knowledge, so I mean, is--I know in Revelation it says 50:24 "Hades," but from that verse from 13 into 50:27 18 it kind of sums it up where we go. 50:30 I mean, is when we die, we're dead. 50:33 We know nothing, correct? 50:34 Doug: Yeah, let's read the verse 50:36 for our friends that are listening. 50:37 You and I know what we're talking about, but a lot of 50:39 folks here, they just hear "Thessalonians," 50:40 they don't know what it means. 50:42 So in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, and I'll start with verse 13: 50:46 "But I don't want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning 50:48 those who have fallen asleep," meaning who have died, 50:51 "Lest you sorrow as others that have no hope." 50:54 Christians don't need to grieve as 50:56 others 'cause we do have hope. 50:58 "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God 51:02 will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus." 51:05 And then he tells what the order is going to be. 51:07 "For we say to you by the Word of the Lord, that we who are 51:10 alive and remain until the coming of the Lord," some of us 51:12 will never die. 51:14 We'll be alive when Jesus comes, "Will be no 51:16 means precede those who are asleep." 51:18 So when they--we get caught up to meet 51:20 the Lord, they're already with the Lord. 51:21 How does that happen? 51:23 Verse 16, "For the Lord Himself will descend from 51:25 heaven with a shout, with the voice of 51:27 the archangel, and the trumpet of God. 51:29 And the dead in Christ rise first." 51:31 The dead are caught up, they're sleeping in their graves. 51:34 They're caught up. 51:35 They meet the Lord in the air and "Then we who are alive," 51:39 verse 17, "Shall be caught up together with them in the clouds 51:43 to meet the Lord. 51:44 Thus we shall always be with the Lord." 51:45 So, the first resurrection when Jesus comes, they're raised at 51:50 the Coming, we're caught up to meet him. 51:52 You know, when a person believes and they die, it says, "To be 51:56 absent from the body is to be present with the Lord." 51:58 Their next conscious thought is the resurrection. 52:00 They have no consciousness of time. 52:01 But they're asleep. 52:03 Jesus said Lazarus is asleep and until that resurrection. 52:06 Jesus said they'll rise the last day. 52:08 That's the Second Coming. 52:10 At the end of the 1000 years, Revelation 20, the rest of the 52:13 dead do not live 'til the 1000 years are finished. 52:16 That's the wicked. 52:18 So if the dead in Christ are blessed and holy in the first 52:20 resurrection, the ones who come in the second resurrection are 52:24 not blessed and holy, they're the unholy. 52:26 And so, they're raised and they're part of that Great White 52:29 Throne Judgment and, after that, it says they are cast into the 52:33 lake of fire and all punished according to what they deserve. 52:37 So, I just gave you a quick overview and I 52:40 think that's the passage you're talking about. 52:42 But we do have a study guide that talks about the millennium. 52:45 Jean: That's right, called "1000 Years of Peace," and it 52:48 talks about the first resurrection for the righteous, 52:50 second resurrection for the wicked. 52:52 Just call and ask for that. It's 800-835-6747. 52:56 You can ask for that study guide. 52:57 It's called "1000 Years of Peace." 52:59 We'll be happy to send it to anyone who is in North America. 53:01 Also you can dial #250 on your smartphone, 53:05 and you'll be able to do that as well. 53:08 Thanks for your call. 53:09 Next caller that we have is--who do we have next, Pastor Doug? 53:12 Doug: Maybe number eight. 53:14 Jean: Number eight, okay, we've got, how do we say, Sawai? 53:19 Is that right, from Oregon, Sawai? 53:21 Sawai: Sawai, hi guys. 53:23 Jean: Sawai, hi, welcome. 53:25 Sawai: Okay, let me find it real quick. 53:30 When God created Adam and Eve, were 53:32 they equal to God before sin? 53:35 Doug: Well, they were made in the image of God, 53:37 but they certainly were not God. 53:39 They were equal in the sense that God intended them to live 53:42 forever and they could commune with the Lord. 53:47 It says the Lord would walk and talk with them, 53:49 but humans never have been divine. 53:52 We are creatures, where God is the infinite, 53:55 everlasting to everlasting Creator. 53:57 So is that answering your question? 54:00 Sawai: No, I'm sorry. 54:02 As in were they equal together, like, 54:05 were they equally one, like, were-- 54:08 Jean: Do you mean man and woman? 54:09 Sawai: Yes. 54:10 Doug: Yeah, of equal value, absolutely. 54:13 Man and woman are both creatures made in the image of God. 54:16 It says, "Male and female, he made them." 54:19 Now, of course, the functions of men and women are different. 54:22 And I think that's sort of self-evident. 54:24 But as far as their value and equality before God, absolutely. 54:30 There are differences between the role of the 54:32 husband and the wife as, I think, most 54:35 people understand but, yeah, equal value. 54:39 Jesus died to save men and women. 54:42 So, hopefully, that helps a little bit. 54:44 Friends, I apologize, we are out of time for this but, listen, if 54:47 you're listening, let me explain something you may not know. 54:51 We broadcast on satellite and we 54:53 broadcast on land-based stations. 54:55 We sign off in two stages. 54:57 For those listening on satellite, God bless. 55:00 Talk to you next week. For the rest, stand by. 55:03 We're going to do rapid-fire mail-in Bible questions. 55:09 announcer: Thank you for listening to today's broadcast. 55:11 We hope you understand your Bible even better than before. 55:15 "Bible Answers Live" is produced by Amazing Facts International, 55:19 a faith-based ministry located in Granite Bay, California. 55:25 Jean: Hello, friends, and welcome 55:26 back to "Bible Answers Live." 55:27 And we're going to take some of your 55:29 email questions that you've sent in. 55:30 If you have an email--you have an email question, just send it 55:34 to BALquestions@amazingfacts.org. 55:37 That's BALquestions@amazingfacts.org. 55:40 All right, Pastor Doug, first question, "I heard you 55:43 say that capital punishment is okay, but the 55:45 Bible says, 'You shall not kill.' 55:47 Isn't this a contradiction?" 55:49 Doug: Well, when it says I said that capital 55:51 punishment is okay, I hope that people aren't 55:54 basing their understanding on anything I said. 55:58 The scriptures say that when it comes to civil law and capital 56:04 punishment is dealing with governments and how do 56:06 governments deal with murder and criminals. 56:09 The scriptures say, according to civil law, Paul in the New 56:11 Testament says that the government does not bear the 56:14 sword in vain, meaning that they're going to use that sword 56:18 to execute those that violate, you know, a major law. 56:23 And, of course, Moses said, "An eye 56:25 for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. 56:27 Eye for eye, life for life." 56:29 And so this is what the scriptures teach on this. 56:32 Now, when the Bible says, "Thou shall not kill," 56:34 is God saying to break his own commandment? 56:36 This is often misunderstood. 56:38 In the--when you read the New Testament, when Jesus quotes the 56:41 Ten Commandments, it's a little clearer in the Greek. 56:44 Jesus says, "You shall not do any murder." 56:47 Clearly, God did not think it was wrong when 56:50 he sent his soldiers to kill enemies. 56:53 David did not break God's commandments 56:56 when he killed Goliath. 56:58 He was defending their country. 56:59 So, murder is the wrongful taking of innocent life. 57:04 The commandment says, "Thou shall do no murder." 57:07 So, that's different from capital punishment. 57:11 Jean: Okay, next question that we have, it says, "If we 57:13 are saved by faith in Jesus, why does Revelation say that each 57:17 one will be judged according to their deeds?" 57:20 Doug: Good question. 57:21 If we're saved by faith, why are we 57:23 rewarded according to our works? 57:25 Because your works--Jesus said, "You'll 57:27 know them by your-- their fruits." 57:29 Your works demonstrate if you are saved. 57:33 So once a person has accepted Jesus 57:35 by faith, there'll be a change in the life. 57:38 James says, "You can show me your faith without your works 57:41 and I will show you my faith by my works." 57:44 And so, Christ said we'll give an account for every idle word 57:47 we speak, assuming it's not repented of and forsaken. 57:52 So the Lord wants us to turn from our 57:54 sins and live lives, Paul says, of holiness. 57:57 Without holiness, no one will see the Lord. 57:59 "Blessed are the pure in heart. They will see God." 58:02 So he wants us to be converted and live new lives. 58:05 Hey, thank you, listening friends. 58:06 If they want to send in a question, what do they do? 58:09 Jean: BALquestions@amazingfacts.org. 58:11 Doug: All right, God bless, friends. 58:13 We'll be back next week. 58:14 Please support us and keep us on the air. 58:17 announcer: "Bible Answers Live," honest 58:19 and accurate answers to your Bible questions. |
Revised 2023-09-11