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Series Code: AFBA
Program Code: AFBA202326S
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00:03 male announcer: It is the best-selling book in history. 00:05 No volume ever written has been more loved and quoted; 00:09 and its 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 answer to all your Bible questions. 00:28 This broadcast is a previously-recorded episode. 00:31 To receive any of the Bible resources mentioned in this 00:33 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. 00:49 Doug Batchelor: Hello, listening friends. 00:51 Would you like to hear an Amazing Fact? 00:53 On March 8, 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 00:59 departed from Kuala Lumpur International Airport, heading 01:02 to Beijing, China, with 227 passengers and 12 crew aboard. 01:07 About 38 minutes after takeoff, while over the South China Sea, 01:11 the Boeing 777 aircraft dropped from air traffic control radar. 01:16 The Malaysian military picked up the aircraft 17 minutes later, 01:20 observing that it had attempted a nearly complete U-turn 01:24 but there was no response from the cockpit. 01:26 After flying back over Malaysia, the jet mysteriously turned 01:30 and eventually disappeared from radar as it headed south 01:34 into the most remote section of the Indian Ocean. 01:37 The disappearance of Flight 370 triggered a massive 01:40 multi-international search by air and sea in Asia 01:44 and the southern Indian Ocean that's estimated to have covered 01:47 some 46,000 square miles. 01:50 The search that began in 2014 was finally concluded on June 9, 01:56 2018, costing an estimated $160 million, 02:01 making it the longest and most expensive search in history. 02:05 In 2015, a few pieces of debris believed to be from the plane 02:10 washed up on Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean, 02:13 confirming it had crashed into the sea. 02:16 Still, the plane's location, black box, 02:19 or none of the passengers were ever found, 02:22 nor did they ever discover the reason for the disaster. 02:26 You know, that just--that's heart-wrenching when you think 02:29 all those people's lives that were shattered and no answers. 02:36 And there was actually years before--a year and a half before 02:39 they found any debris and they, you know, there are all kinds of 02:42 conspiracies and--had it been hijacked or was it 02:46 a blackmailing plot, and, as I just said, it was 02:51 heart-wrenching for the families involved. 02:53 But you look at all of the time and the money 02:56 that was spent searching for the lost. 02:58 Jean Ross: You know, it's important for them, whenever 03:02 these disasters occur, especially in aviation, 03:04 they want to find out the cause of what caused the accident so 03:06 that they can learn from that. 03:08 They can modify things, sometimes they have to change 03:10 things related to the plane. 03:11 In this case, was all of that money and time, they come up 03:14 with maybe theories but they don't have any concrete evidence 03:18 to support an idea, and so they haven't learned 03:22 from that experience. 03:23 And to think about it, the amount of money and the amount 03:25 of time--well, you remember, I remember it well, when the plane 03:27 went missing and everyone was pretty confident at first 03:30 with the modern technology and with the satellites and 03:34 being able to trace things, they--everyone thought they'd 03:36 find the plane, but it just kept going on and on. 03:39 Doug: And the black box, it's, you know, developed--it is 03:41 extremely--it's indestructible, virtually, and it emits a 03:45 locating beacon and--but it was such a remote place and they 03:51 think so deep they never found it. 03:54 But it makes me think about, you know, all that time and energy 03:57 spent to save the lost, but it wasn't really the most expensive 04:01 search because the Bible tells us about 04:04 the most expensive search. 04:06 The most expensive search cost the most expensive thing and 04:09 that would be the life of the Creator. 04:11 Nothing's more valuable than that. 04:13 And if you say you've got a mountain of diamonds, what's 04:14 worth more, a mountain of diamonds or the one who can make 04:16 a mountain of diamonds? 04:18 So, the Lord sent His Son into the world to seek and 04:23 to save the lost. 04:24 By the way, that's Luke 19, verse 9 and 10. 04:27 Jesus said, and this is in the story of Zacchaeus: 04:30 "TODAY SALVATION HAS COME TO HIS HOUSE, BECAUSE HE 04:33 IS ALSO A SON OF ABRAHAM; FOR THE SON OF MAN 04:37 HAS COME TO SEEK AND TO SAVE THAT WHICH WAS LOST." 04:40 And then in chapter 15 of Luke, Jesus said in verse 4: 04:45 "WHAT MAN OF YOU, HAVING A HUNDRED SHEEP, IF HE LOSES 04:47 ONE OF THEM, DOES NOT LEAVE THE NINETY-NINE 04:50 IN THE WILDERNESS, 04:52 AND GO AFTER THE ONE THAT IS LOST UNTIL HE FINDS IT? 04:54 AND WHEN HE FINDS IT, 04:56 HE LAYS IT ON HIS SHOULDERS, REJOICING." 04:59 And this is how desperately the Lord yearns to redeem 05:04 His lost children. 05:06 Jean: Think about the amazing thing about the plan of 05:09 redemption, it cost so much and yet so many people spur 05:13 this great gift, even though it's at infinite cost and, 05:16 of course, we have to respond, the price has been paid 05:18 but by faith we need to receive that gift of salvation. 05:22 We have a book that's called, "THREE STEPS TO HEAVEN." 05:24 What do we do to benefit from this great seek and save, 05:28 this mercy mission from heaven? 05:30 We'll be happy to send this to anyone. 05:31 Just call and ask, "THREE STEPS TO HEAVEN." 05:33 That's our free gift today. 05:35 Call: 800-835-6747. 05:37 Ask for Offer number 102, and we'll 05:40 be happy to send it to you anywhere here in North America. 05:43 If you're outside of the US, we want to encourage you 05:45 to go to our website, just AmazingFacts.org, 05:48 and you'll be able to read the book right there online. 05:51 Well, we have many folks lined up with their calls, 05:54 Pastor Doug, but let's start with prayer and then 05:55 we'll go to the phone lines. 05:56 Doug: Yes. 05:58 Jean: Dear Father, we thank You once again that we have this 05:59 opportunity to study Your Word together and, Lord, we ask Your 06:02 blessing upon this program. 06:04 Guide us into a clear and full understanding of the Bible 06:07 as we study together, in Jesus's name, amen. 06:10 Doug: Amen. 06:12 Jean: Well, we're going to go first to Debbie in Canada. 06:14 Debbie, welcome to the program. 06:16 You're on the air. 06:17 Debbie: Hi, Pastors, how are you? 06:18 Doug: Doing great. How are you? 06:20 Debbie: I'm very well, thank you. 06:22 I have a question and it's about when Moses was told that 06:28 he was not allowed to cross over to the Promised Land. 06:31 Now, in Deuteronomy 3:26 and 4:21 it says the Lord was angry 06:36 with him, but we have a debate going on, on the YouTube, 06:40 and there's three of us that think three different things and 06:44 was wondering if you could tell us which--well, not so much 06:47 which one is right but why he wasn't allowed to cross over? 06:51 Doug: I hope you'll all still be friends after I share my 06:53 answer and I could be totally-- 06:55 Debbie: [laughing] Oh, we will be. 06:56 Doug: All right, so you're talking about when it says: 06:59 "THE LORD WAS ANGRY WITH ME ON YOUR ACCOUNT, 07:01 AND WOULD NOT LISTEN TO ME. 07:02 SO THE LORD SAID, 'ENOUGH OF THAT! 07:04 SPEAK TO ME NO MORE OF THIS MATTER.'" 07:06 So he was pleading that he could physically lead the people 07:08 into the Promised Land. 07:10 And so are you wondering why was the Lord angry? 07:13 Debbie: Yes, what was He--like, we--one of us are 07:16 saying it's because he killed the Egyptian soldier. 07:19 One of us are saying because he broke the first set of 07:22 Commandments, and the third one is saying because He told him 07:25 to speak to the rock and, instead, Moses struck the rock. 07:29 Doug: Yeah, and that's a correct answer is in Numbers 20, 07:33 verse 12, it says: "THE LORD SPOKE TO MOSES AND AARON, 07:37 SAID, 'BECAUSE YOU DID NOT BELIEVE ME, AND HALLOW ME 07:40 IN THE EYES OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, 07:42 THEREFORE YOU SHALL NOT BRING THIS ASSEMBLY 07:44 INTO THE LAND THAT I'VE GIVEN THEM.'" 07:46 God had told Moses to--they were pleading for water again. 07:50 He told Moses to go and to speak to the rock, but Moses got angry 07:54 and he struck the rock twice and said, 07:56 "Shall we bring you rebels water from the rock?" 08:00 And he basically made it sound like he and Aaron were doing it. 08:03 Took the glory for himself and he lost his temper. 08:06 And, you know, God said, "It's not you that's been leading them 08:12 all this time; it's Me." 08:14 And He says, "Because you didn't sanctify Me." 08:17 Now, to mitigate that, keep in mind why God said 08:19 you couldn't physically bring them into the Promised Land. 08:22 The Lord let Moses see the Promised Land 08:25 from the top of Mount Nebo. 08:28 He could look over and God enhanced his vision 08:30 where he saw it all. 08:32 And then God resurrected Moses and you read that in 08:34 Jude verse 9, so that he could witness their being led over. 08:39 So he saw it from heaven, with the Lord at his side. 08:42 So, it was a tough sentence but Moses also represents Jesus. 08:48 And when it says He was angry with me for your sake, that's 08:53 what it says regarding Christ. 08:55 Says that the Lord basically took the anger that belongs to 08:59 us and put it on Jesus. 09:01 So Moses is a type of Christ in this story as well. 09:04 Jean: And of course, Moses did eventually stand in the 09:06 Promised Land at the time when he-- 09:08 Doug: Mount of Transfiguration. 09:10 Jean: Yeah, Mount of Transfiguration, 09:11 they were there. 09:13 So he did ultimately walk in that land. 09:14 All right, thank you, Debbie. 09:16 We've got Camora listening in Georgia. 09:18 Camora, welcome to the program. 09:20 Camora: Hey, I have a question. 09:22 I'm young and I'm considering college after high school and 09:27 my mom and a church sister and another church sister is working 09:32 on trying to get me to college. 09:35 Like, how do I know, like, which college to go to? 09:39 Doug: All right, so, well, when you're trying to make 09:43 decisions and you've got several potentially good choices 09:48 and you want to know what is God's will for me, 09:50 then there are several criteria. 09:52 The Bible tells us, and by the way, I've got a little book. 09:56 We'll send you a free copy if you'd like, and it's called 09:58 "How to Know," or "How to Determine the Will of God." 10:01 And it's designed especially for this kind of question. 10:06 But--and I won't give you all--everything in the book, 10:09 but it's basically get good Christian counsel, look for 10:14 providential openings, find which of the options lines up 10:18 best with the Word of God, pray that God's Spirit will give you 10:22 peace, and then also it says in Psalms 37 that as you surrender 10:26 to the Lord, He gives you the desires of your heart. 10:28 So, He may place a, you know, special burning desire on your 10:32 heart for a specialty, and one college does more 10:35 in that specialty than another. 10:37 That would be another sign. 10:38 So there's about a dozen ideas in the book about how 10:41 do I determine the will of God and they're all Bible based. 10:44 Then you could send for a free copy of that and we'll be 10:48 praying for you, that God tells you what to do, Camora. 10:51 Jean: The book is called, "Determining the Will of God," 10:53 and for anyone wanting to get the book, you can-- 10:55 well, two ways to get it. 10:56 One, you can call 800-835-6747 and you can ask for the book, 11:01 or there is a second way. 11:02 Just dial #250 on your smartphone and say, 11:07 "Bible Answers Live," and then ask for the book. 11:08 It's called, "Determining the Will of God," and we'll be able 11:12 to send that to anyone who calls and asks for it. 11:16 Next caller that we have is Ron, 11:17 listening all the way over in Switzerland. 11:19 Ron, welcome to the program. 11:21 Ron: Hi, good morning. 11:23 Doug: Hi, how are you doing? 11:24 Ron: A lot of my evangelical friends point out to me numerous 11:28 Old Testament Bible texts that seem to support the notion of 11:31 Jews as a race remaining favored under God's protection forever. 11:35 And I always thought that these Old Testament prophecies were 11:38 conditional and would be annulled if conditions attached 11:42 to them were not met, in other words, repentance, 11:44 turning from sin to Messiah as prophesied in Daniel 9, 11:48 but I haven't seen that happening. 11:50 So, most Jews that I know aren't even Jewish. 11:54 They're atheists. 11:56 So my question is "HOW SHOULD ONE READ 11:59 OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECIES CONCERNING ISRAEL? 12:02 AND ARE THERE ANY SCRIPTURES THAT MENTION 12:04 THE MODERN STATE OF ISRAEL?" 12:06 Doug: It's a complex answer. 12:07 First of all, the main purpose of Israel was to introduce 12:12 the Messiah to the world, which they did. 12:15 They were the guardians of the Scriptures. 12:18 Paul says in Romans that the oracles 12:20 were committed to the Jews. 12:22 And Jesus told the woman at the well, 12:24 "Salvation is of the Jews," 12:26 meaning that, you know, the Messiah came through 12:28 the Jews, but then with the death of Christ and the stoning 12:33 of Stephen, it came to the place where the Lord opened the door 12:37 to the Gentiles. 12:39 Paul said, you know, "It's--it was necessary that 12:42 we preached to the Jews first but seeing you rejected, lo, 12:45 we turned to the Gentiles." 12:46 So as they went from place to place, as the Jews might 12:48 reject--some accepted, like in Berea, but if they rejected, 12:52 then they just went to the Gentiles. 12:54 And then Paul makes it clear, he says, you know, "Now, 12:57 Gentiles can be grafted into the stock and promises of Israel." 13:01 That's Romans chapter 9, 10, 11. 13:04 But it says in Romans 11: "Has God cast off Israel? 13:08 God forbid." 13:09 God still has, I think, a special eye 13:11 on the Jewish people. 13:13 That doesn't mean anyone is saved by virtue of their DNA 13:16 or their heritage. 13:17 It's those that are of faith. 13:19 Paul says, "He that is Christ's, he is Abraham's seed." 13:22 And it's not everyone that says, you know, they're a Jew. 13:27 Jesus said, "They'll come from the East and the West and 13:29 they'll sit down in the kingdom with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob 13:32 and some of the natural children will be in outer darkness." 13:36 So it--we're only saved by faith, Jew or Gentile. 13:39 But are there any modern prophecies about Israel? 13:42 Well, you know, there--some have wondered when it says there in 13:46 Daniel and I'm just saying what some have thought, Daniel 11, 13:49 where it says that the king in the North is going to come 13:53 against the holy country, the glorious country. 13:56 They wonder, "Well, is that an illusion to Israel or is it 13:59 talking about the church?" 14:00 And then you have in Luke 21 where it says Jerusalem 14:03 would be trodden down by the Gentiles 14:05 unless the times of the Gentiles is fulfilled. 14:09 And many have thought, "Well, when they were reestablished 14:12 as a nation in 1948, that was certainly pretty remarkable. 14:16 It may be, in the same way, God chastised America to get-- 14:21 to turn us back to him with 9/11." 14:23 You know, even Billy Graham said, 14:25 "Maybe God's trying to get our attention." 14:27 It may be this recent attack, and the Lord loves His people 14:31 and sometimes He allows trials that we'll turn to Him. 14:34 So, that may have sounded like a convoluted answer. 14:37 We have a book on this called, "Spiritual Israel," and there's 14:41 also that great book, "The Fall and Rise of Jerusalem." 14:44 Jean: That's right. 14:45 Well, let me tell you about that free offer. 14:47 It's called, "Spiritual Israel," and again, this is for anyone 14:49 who'd like to learn more about what does the Bible say about 14:51 Israel, especially in our time. 14:53 To receive that, just call 800-835-6747. 14:56 You can ask for the book. It's called, "Spiritual Israel." 14:59 You can also dial #250 on your smartphone, 15:02 say "Bible Answers Live," ask for "Spiritual Israel," 15:05 and we'll be able to get that to you. 15:07 Thanks, Ron. 15:08 Next caller that we have is Anna listening in Oregon. 15:10 Anna, welcome to the program. 15:12 Anna: Evening, Pastors. 15:14 Doug: Evening. 15:15 Anna: My question is from Ezekiel 34, verses 23 and 24, 15:23 and I was wondering if Ezekiel was talking about Jesus 15:27 when he says that David, "My servant David, 15:33 he shall feed them and be their shepherd"? 15:36 Doug: Yeah, I think this--let me read it for everybody here 15:41 and this is in Ezekiel chapter 34, verse 23: 15:46 "I WILL ESTABLISH ONE SHEPHERD OVER THEM, 15:49 AND HE WILL FEED THEM-- MY SERVANT DAVID. 15:51 HE WILL FEED THEM AND BE THEIR SHEPHERD. 15:54 AND I, THE LORD, WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND MY SERVANT DAVID 15:57 A PRINCE AMONG THEM; I, THE LORD, HAVE SPOKEN." 16:00 This is what you would call a dual prophecy. 16:02 I do believe that David will be in the new heaven and the new 16:07 earth where it says, "The meek will inherit the earth." 16:10 And God's--you know, David, he always looked at the people 16:14 of Israel as his sheep. 16:16 When a terrible plague came, he said, "Lord, 16:18 what have these sheep done? 16:20 Take this out on me and my father's house." 16:22 So I think David will have a position of leadership 16:25 in the earth made new, but more than that, I think it's talking 16:28 about Jesus, the Son of David, who is the Good Shepherd. 16:32 And Jesus said, "I am the good shepherd," and He is the Son 16:35 of David, so in a bigger sense I think it's talking about Christ. 16:38 Jean: And probably, again, the book that we mentioned 16:40 just previously called "Spiritual Israel" 16:42 would probably talk on this as well. 16:44 So, again, to receive that it's 800-835-6747. 16:47 Or just dial #250, say "Bible Answers Live," 16:51 ask for the book. It's called, "Spiritual Israel." 16:54 We've got Glenn listening in Ohio. 16:56 Glenn, welcome to "Bible Answers Live." 17:00 Glenn: Good evening and thank you for taking my call. 17:03 Doug: Yes, sir. 17:04 Glenn: You know, Paul in his book of 1 Thessalonians 4:17 17:08 was pretty specific when he said: "THE DEAD IN CHRIST RISE, 17:12 AND THEN WE WHICH ARE ALIVE AND REMAIN." 17:15 So there's 4000 years of people that are-- 17:18 that existed before the Jesus era. 17:21 My question is what resurrection will they be in? 17:26 Doug: Yeah, the--you can read in Revelation chapter 20, 17:29 speaking of the general resurrection, and it describes 17:32 there are two resurrections. 17:33 Now when I first read this, I thought, "What? 17:36 I thought everyone just got raised at the end for judgment." 17:39 But Jesus says, and I'm quoting two different verses. 17:42 Jesus says in the Gospel of John the hour is coming in which all 17:46 that are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth. 17:49 "They that have done good, the resurrection of life." 17:54 Then He says, "And they that have done evil, 17:56 the resurrection of damnation." 17:57 Two different resurrections. 17:59 And you read in Revelation chapter 20 and this is talking 18:02 about, you know, the Millennium, and it says that, ah, 18:07 let me see, I want verse 5. 18:09 "THE REST OF THE DEAD LIVE NOT AGAIN 18:11 UNTIL THE THOUSAND YEARS ARE FINISHED." 18:13 Well, who are the rest of the dead? 18:15 Well, it says the dead in Christ rise when Jesus comes. 18:18 So all believers from the time of Abel and Adam, all the way to 18:23 the Second Coming, with, you know, a few exceptions like 18:29 Enoch and Elijah and Moses, they sleep until the Second Coming 18:36 when the Lord descends from heaven with a shout and 18:38 the voice of the archangel and the trump of God. 18:41 And they rise. 18:42 The wicked do not come out of their graves. 18:44 It says the rest of the dead, they come out 18:47 after the thousand years. 18:48 And then He goes on and says, "BLESSED AND HOLY IS HE 18:51 THAT HAS PART IN THE FIRST RESURRECTION." 18:53 Well, where you've got a first resurrection, 18:55 you must have a second. 18:57 First resurrection is the righteous, 18:58 second resurrection is the lost. 19:00 We have a study guide. 19:02 Jean: We have a study guide talk about it. 19:03 Important subject. 19:05 So it's called the "Ultimate Deliverance," talking about 19:07 the Second Coming of Christ and it talks about that resurrection 19:10 of the righteous at the Second Coming and then 19:12 the resurrection of the wicked at the Third Coming 19:15 at the end of the 1000 years. 19:17 So actually, two study guides. 19:18 The one's called "The Ultimate Deliverance," 19:20 talking about the Second Coming. 19:21 Then we have another one called "1000 Years of Peace," talks 19:24 about the Millennium and then what happens at the end of that. 19:26 The number to call is 800-835-6747. 19:30 That is our resource phone line. 19:32 Ask for that study guide, "The Ultimate Deliverance," 19:34 and also "1000 Years of Peace." 19:36 Or dial #250, say "Bible Answers Live," 19:39 and just ask for those resources. 19:42 Next caller that we have is Steve listening in Oregon. 19:44 Steve, you're on the air. 19:46 Steve: Yes, I've recently received one of your DVD 19:49 programs expounding on the millions and billions of stars 19:53 and galaxies in our universe. 19:56 And also stating in the kingdom to come we will be able 20:01 to visit other worlds. 20:03 If I understand this correctly, could it be possible if what we 20:09 might be witnessing today of UFOs that are from other worlds 20:15 that did not flunk the test of sin that Adam and Eve failed? 20:21 Doug: First, I'd say do we believe there's intelligent life 20:24 in other worlds, unfallen worlds? 20:27 I think absolutely. 20:29 And you can read in the book of Hebrews chapter 1, the 2nd verse 20:33 of the book of Hebrews, it says: "GOD HAS IN THESE LAST DAYS 20:36 SPOKEN TO US BY HIS SON, 20:38 WHOM HE HAS APPOINTED HEIR OF ALL THINGS, 20:40 THROUGH WHOM ALSO HE MADE THE WORLDS." 20:44 And it's plural there. 20:46 And then you read in Revelation about all the creatures on Earth 20:48 and all the creatures above are praising God. 20:51 Book of Job talks about this heavenly meeting that is not on 20:55 Earth, where Satan also comes among them and he says, 20:58 "I've come from the Earth." 21:00 So is there intelligent life outside of planet Earth? 21:03 Absolutely, the cosmos is virtually infinite and God is 21:06 infinite, so I think it's silly to say we are the first time God 21:10 thought to create anything, you know, 6000 years ago. 21:14 But the unfallen worlds, I think our planet is quarantined 21:19 because of sin. 21:21 The only interaction we have is with the hospital staff, that'd 21:24 be God and the angels. 21:26 So I don't think, you know, if there's UFOs and people 21:30 are seeing things, it could be optical illusions 21:32 or it could be demonic. 21:34 I mean, Satan can--he's an angel of light. 21:36 Sometimes, Satan can create illusions and delusions. 21:39 So, I hope that helps a little bit, but what do you think, 21:44 Pastor Ross? 21:45 Jean: Yeah, absolutely. 21:47 You know, I'm looking, Pastor Doug, do we have a book 21:48 talking about UFOs? 21:50 We might have to get one because we do get 21:51 a lot of questions on that, yeah. 21:53 'Course, the Bible does say-- 21:54 Doug: You know, I have a sermon--I'm sorry, go ahead. 21:56 Jean: I was just going to mention the Bible does say that 21:57 the devil can transform himself into an angel of light, so 21:59 wouldn't be very hard for him to, you know, use these UFOs, 22:02 and if you look at, at least the popular idea of what a UFO is 22:05 or an alien, it always presents them as very strange 22:10 and, you know-- 22:12 Doug: They're skinny with big heads. 22:14 Jean: Yeah, I mean, they're not exactly angelic beings, so. 22:18 Doug: You know, I have a sermon online if you just 22:19 YouTube "Doug Batchelor. 22:21 Is there life in other worlds?" 22:24 And it's a few years ago. 22:26 It's not looking much better then but it's actually, I think, 22:28 a good message, taking what the Bible says about that. 22:31 Jean: All right, great, thank you. 22:32 Junith in Nevada. 22:34 Junith, welcome to the program. 22:35 Junith: Hello, a blessed evening 22:38 to you both, Pastor Doug and Pastor Jean. 22:42 I have a question. 22:44 I cannot find, I don't know if I missed the mark 22:48 but I'm looking for the fruit. 22:52 What is that fruit which is the fruit of the tree of knowledge 22:55 of good and evil? 22:57 Is that an apple? 22:58 Is it another kind of fruit? 23:01 Thank you. 23:02 Doug: Yeah, thank you, Junith. 23:04 You know, people often picture--they talk about 23:07 Eve eating the apple, and I understand Apple computer, 23:11 you know, it's a picture of an apple 23:12 with one bite out of it--it's-- 23:14 Jean: It's always red, a red apple, for some reason. 23:16 Doug: So, you know, that's become sort of a logo for Eve 23:20 eating the forbidden fruit, but nowhere in the Bible 23:24 does it call it an apple. 23:27 The old English word for any kind of fruit would be "apple." 23:30 And even when the Bible talks about the apple of your eye, 23:33 it means at the center. 23:35 So it wasn't the typical McIntosh or Red Delicious 23:38 or Fuji apple. 23:40 No, no, it's not--it doesn't say what kind of fruit it was. 23:42 For all we know, it looked like a cross between a pineapple 23:45 and a pear and a banana. 23:46 We don't know. 23:48 It probably was beautiful. 23:50 It says it was, you know, good to look at, very attractive. 23:53 I think it looked much better than the average apple. 23:55 Doesn't describe the color, though, 23:57 doesn't describe the shape. 23:58 It may have even tasted great at first, 24:02 like all forbidden fruit, right? 24:03 Taste good at first. 24:05 But the effect of that was devastating to the human race. 24:09 So, no, it's not a sin to eat apples. 24:12 You know, that's why they say with a man and you got this lump 24:15 in your throat, they call it the Adam's apple because he took the 24:18 fruit that Eve gave him and I guess a piece got stuck there. 24:21 That's the story, anyway. 24:23 Jean: All right. 24:24 Doug: Thanks, Junith. 24:26 Jean: Next caller that we have is Anastasia 24:27 listening from Canada. 24:29 Anastasia, welcome to the program. 24:32 Anastasia: Hi, hi, Pastor Doug, hi, Pastor Ross. 24:35 Doug: Hi, how are you? 24:36 Anastasia: I'm good. 24:37 I hope you're doing well. 24:39 My question was about the four creatures 24:41 that John saw in the vision. 24:44 Are they symbolic or are there actually, like, four creatures 24:48 in heaven today in front of the throne with eyes all over them? 24:51 Doug: Yeah, well, I think--I think they're symbols, and 24:55 Revelation plays on a lot of the symbols you find other places 24:59 in the Bible. 25:01 And it's in Ezekiel chapter 1, he describes these four living 25:06 creatures that are almost identical to the creatures that 25:10 you find there in Revelation. 25:12 And there's been great debate and discussion on what these 25:16 creatures represent, you know, they'd be kind of bizarre, as 25:20 one's got, like, you know, a man's face and they got wings 25:23 and eyes and--hooves and wheels within wheels 25:28 and there's a lot of symbolism in there. 25:30 And Pastor Ross, he and I maybe have a slightly different view 25:34 on this but I think both may be applicable. 25:38 Many of the church fathers believe that these four 25:41 creatures are different attributes of Jesus, 25:44 that you see in the Gospels where, you know, the lion is 25:49 Jesus being presented in the book of Matthew as a King. 25:53 It was written for the Jews. 25:55 He's the Messiah. 25:56 And in Mark, it was appealing to the Gentiles, the Greeks, 26:00 and Jesus is portrayed the speed and the vision of the eagle. 26:05 And Mark is a very quick Gospel, if you've read it. 26:08 In Luke, you've got the physician. 26:10 There you have Jesus, the man. 26:12 And in John, you've got Jesus who is the sacrifice. 26:16 And so, that's one way some people have viewed it. 26:19 Hey, friends, you hear the music. 26:21 We're taking a break. 26:23 Just came up and hit us. 26:24 We'll be back; don't go anywhere. 26:29 announcer: Stay tuned. 26:30 "Bible Answers Live" will return shortly. 26:33 ♪♪♪ 26:38 ♪♪♪ 26:40 female: We were living in Phoenix at the time, a big 26:43 metropolitan area, and you started watching the Millennium 26:48 series and so then we would pick a topic for the weekend and we 26:52 would do a Bible study together and so we just experienced that 26:58 kind of revival and reformation. 27:02 And so we were changing lifestyle habits and we got 27:07 pregnant with Niko in 2011. 27:12 male: And we were like, you know, we just can't get past 27:15 that the principle is saying that we should come to Canada. 27:20 female: About a month after we had been here, a little bump 27:24 popped up on Niko's--right in here, his cheek. 27:28 So I take him to the family doctor, and the family doctor 27:32 was like, "Oh, it's probably just a-- 27:34 Niko: A cyst. female: A cyst. 27:36 So on December 21, he--we went in, thinking it would just be 27:39 a day surgery. 27:41 We had planned to leave by, like, noon and be on our way. 27:46 The plastic surgeon came out after the surgery and told us 27:52 that it was not a cyst. 27:54 It became very clear once they went in there that it was 27:56 a cancerous tumor and-- 27:58 male: With a very-- female: --poor prognosis. 28:02 It was very scary. 28:04 So a lot of this year has been chemo treatments 28:09 which will leave him not feeling well or his immune system 28:14 gets wiped out. 28:15 So then we have to do a lot of church at home, 28:18 so Amazing Adventures, right? 28:22 We watched a lot of that for home church and that's been 28:27 really interesting and fun for him and his brother, and us as 28:32 a family, to watch and we're so thankful for stuff like that to 28:37 be so that we can still have a Sabbath experience 28:40 even though we have to be home. 28:42 So it's been good for our hearts to see him 28:44 really connect with Pastor Doug. 28:47 male: Pastor Doug's Amazing Adventures really resonate with 28:50 him because he mixes the stories with the Bible and 28:55 the Amazing Facts about history and Niko really likes history 28:59 and so we've ran into some people who mentioned 29:04 that Pastor Doug 29:06 would be here to, well, to preach, and Niko got excited. 29:10 Niko: Like, immediately, I was, like, 29:12 "Okay, yeah, I want to go." 29:14 male: Depending on how his blood counts are, it affects if 29:18 he gets chemo certain times, and so you never know in the future 29:21 what days will line up with what, and it turned out that 29:25 this week was going to be a 5-day chemo which we were 29:28 bummed about because that means most likely 29:31 he won't feel up to coming. 29:32 So, you know, we'll just watch it from home. 29:35 Easy enough to do. 29:36 Niko: I had chemo and I felt sick but I still wanted to come. 29:40 male: He said he wanted to go, and so I'm a little 29:44 concerned 'cause you never know when, you know, how he'd feel, 29:47 and he does throw up on occasion. 29:50 So that night, he's like, "I want to sit up front and, 29:52 you know, I think I'm feeling good enough." 29:54 Niko: I was real excited that I could actually see him. 29:58 It just--it would be a good feeling, and something 30:02 I wouldn't forget for the rest of my life, if I did. 30:08 all: We are the Corseys and thank you 30:10 for changing our lives. 30:12 ♪♪♪ 30:19 announcer: You're listening to "Bible Answers Live," 30:22 where every question answered provides a clearer picture 30:25 of God and His plan to save you. 30:28 So what are you waiting for? 30:30 Get practical answers about the good book 30:32 for a better life today. 30:37 announcer: This broadcast is a previously recorded episode. 30:40 If you'd like answers to your Bible-related questions 30:42 on the air, please call us next Sunday between 7 p.m. 30:46 and 8 p.m. Pacific Time. 30:48 To receive any of the Bible resources mentioned 30:51 in this evening's program, call 800-835-6747. 30:56 Once again, that's 800-835-6747. 31:02 Now, let's rejoin our hosts for more "Bible Answers Live." 31:08 Doug: Listening friends, we are back for "Bible Answers Live." 31:11 We're going to take some more questions in just a moment. 31:13 This is a live international interactive Bible study 31:17 that you're invited to call in with your questions. 31:20 We usually budget about 3 minutes per question to cover as 31:23 much as we can, as many questions, as quickly and yet 31:26 being as thorough as we can. 31:28 Jean: All right, excellent. 31:30 Next caller that we have is Russell, and Russell is 31:32 listening in California. 31:34 Russell, you're on the air. 31:36 Russell: Yeah, my name is Russell and I have a question. 31:39 It's: "WAS THERE A CONNECTION BETWEEN THE TOWER OF BABEL 31:47 AND BABYLON?" 31:49 Doug: Great question. 31:50 Yes, the word "Babel" and Babylon, 31:55 they're actually connected. 31:56 I've understood that the term "Babylon" meant, like, gate of 32:01 heaven, where the word "babel" is connected with the word 32:04 "confusion" and that's where we get the modern word for baby 32:07 and babbling, because a baby babbles. 32:13 In many languages, baby is a bébé, but in any event, the site 32:21 of the Tower of Babel is the same place where the ancient 32:26 city of Babylon was built and there was a historian called 32:30 Herodotus that said that King Nebuchadnezzar, when he was 32:34 building his temple, they took some of the ancient stones from 32:39 the original Tower of Babel and they used it as interior fill 32:42 to build up the ziggurat that Nebuchadnezzar built. 32:46 And so, they were in the same location 32:48 and they're in Mesopotamia. 32:51 Jean: And of course, the city of Babel or Babylon 32:53 has some symbolic significance. 32:55 You find it very early in the Old Testament and it represents 32:58 a confusion of religion and opposition to the truth, and 33:01 then you find Babylon appearing in the Old--well, in the New 33:03 Testament, in a symbolic form, in Revelation chapter 17. 33:07 So, Babylon represents the enemies of God and the confusion 33:11 of religion, whereas Jerusalem would represent a worship 33:14 of the true God. 33:16 And the truth is found in the law--I mean, the Word of God. 33:18 So, sometimes, the Old Testament has been referred to 33:21 as the tale of two cities, Babylon and Jerusalem. 33:24 Very interesting symbolism that we see there. 33:27 Right, next caller that we have is Efrank, 33:28 listening in New York. 33:30 Efrank, welcome to the program. 33:32 Efrank: Yes, thank you Pastor Ross and Pastor Batchelor, 33:37 for taking my call this evening. 33:39 I want to ask a question that 33:41 I can't really decipher from Scripture. 33:43 It's something that I've been trying to figure out but I can't 33:48 figure it out too well. 33:49 It has to do with the Old Testament and Jesus: 33:54 "IS THERE ANY SCRIPTURE OR PASSAGES IN 33:57 THE OLD TESTAMENT THAT INDICATE THAT JESUS WAS 34:01 GOING TO HAVE A MINISTRY WITH THE 12 DISCIPLES?" 34:06 Is it predicted in the Old Testament as a fact that 34:09 that was going to occur or is that the Old Testament 34:12 and New Testament are different covenants that do not indicate 34:15 what was going to happen in general? 34:18 Doug: Yeah, I appreciate that. 34:20 You know, probably one of the places that you could look for 34:24 a parallel in the Old Testament was the Bible tells us that 34:29 Moses had 12 princes and they chose 12 representatives for the 34:33 12 tribes when he was leading them to the Promised Land. 34:36 And he had 70 elders. 34:38 Well, Jesus had 12 apostles and He had 70 disciples 34:43 that He sent out, the Gospel of Luke tells us. 34:45 I'm trying to think if there was any, you know, it talks about 34:49 the teaching ministry of Jesus in the Old Testament but I don't 34:52 know that it says, "And He would have 12 apostles." 34:54 So there's no specific prophecy that said that, 34:57 but we do see parallels. 34:58 We do see King Solomon and David surrounded themselves with 35:03 leadership in the number 12, or divisions of that number. 35:08 And there were, like, you know, 12 cycles of priests or they're 35:13 at 24, that's where you get the number 144,000 35:15 is 12 times 12,000. 35:18 There were--many people count when you look at the Judges, if 35:22 you include Samuel as one of the judges, there were 12 judges. 35:25 So, you see that number is a number that represented God's 35:29 people, and I think even Peter says, "I'm sending a letter to 35:34 the 12 tribes," and he's using it there to talk to the church, 35:37 but he calls them the 12 tribes. 35:39 Jean: So the number 12 we find in the Bible represents 35:41 God's people: Old Testament, 12 tribes; 35:44 New Testament, 12 apostles. 35:45 And of course, we find in Revelation chapter 12 that there 35:48 is a woman representing the church and she has a crown 35:51 of 12 stars so, again, 12 connected with God's people. 35:55 All right, next caller that we have is Abby, listening in Utah. 35:57 Abby, welcome to the program. 35:59 Abby: Hi, my name is Abby. 36:03 My Bible question is: "WHY DO MOST PEOPLE CHOOSE SUNDAY 36:08 AS THEIR HOLY DAY INSTEAD OF SATURDAY?" 36:11 Doug: Yeah, all right, thank you, good question. 36:13 First of all, in the Bible the Jews did not use the names that 36:18 we typically use today for, you know, we use names connected 36:21 with Roman and Greek deities. 36:24 Sunday, the sun was the principal god that was 36:27 worshiped, even in the Egyptians. 36:30 Monday's moon day, Wednesday was Odin's day, 36:34 Thursday was Thor's day, Saturday was Saturn day. 36:37 The Bible, they called it first, second, third, fourth, fifth, 36:41 and the sixth was called preparation day, preparation 36:45 for the Sabbath, seventh day was called the Sabbath day. 36:48 But they used numbers. 36:50 And so, God blessed the seventh day of the week, that's the day 36:53 we normally call Saturday. 36:56 Jesus rose on the first day of the week, there's no question 36:58 that He rose on what we would call Sunday, 37:01 but did He ever change the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday? 37:06 Well, there's no verse in the Scripture anywhere 37:09 where we are commanded to keep Sunday as a holy day. 37:12 Some people have looked at a couple of verses in the New 37:15 Testament that mention the first day of the week and they had 37:17 gatherings but it also says they gathered every day in other 37:22 places, so Sunday keeping really came from traditions that began 37:27 to grow several hundred years after Jesus and the apostles and 37:30 they're not based on any commandment in the Bible. 37:33 Jean: We have a study guide. 37:35 It's called "The Lost Day of History," and it talks about 37:36 the Sabbath and Sunday and how the change occurred. 37:39 We'll be happy to send that again 37:40 to anyone who calls and asks. 37:42 The number is 800-835-6747 or dial #250 on your smartphone, 37:48 say "Bible Answers Live," and ask for the study guide by name. 37:51 It's called "The Lost Day of History." 37:53 All right, we've got John listening in Ohio. 37:55 John, welcome to the program. 37:58 John: Yes, good evening, Pastors. 38:00 Doug: Evening. 38:02 John: My question is: "ARE THE JEWS THAT WE SEE 38:04 IN JERUSALEM NOW, ARE THEY THE ONES THAT CAME OUT 38:07 OF THE EXODUS OR ARE THEY EUROPEANS 38:10 WHO CONVERTED OVER TO JUDAISM AND MOVED BACK 38:14 TO JERUSALEM AFTER IT WAS ABANDONED BY THE ROMANS?" 38:17 Doug: Yeah, well, what happened is the Romans scattered 38:22 the Jews and God foretold this would happen. 38:25 They called it the diaspora. 38:27 The Jews really--that's where you get the idea 38:29 of the wandering Jew. 38:31 Ten of the tribes of Israel were carried off to Assyria long 38:35 before Jesus was born. 38:37 And sometimes, they refer to them as the ten lost tribes. 38:40 Well, they weren't really lost. 38:42 They largely intermarried with the Assyrians and, you know, 38:45 they pretty much were absorbed, whereas the Jews and that comes 38:50 from the tribe of Judah is where you get the word, 38:52 they were scattered but they continued to live in enclaves. 38:56 This is where we get the word "ghetto." 38:58 In Italy, they made all the Jews live in a place called Ghetto 39:00 and now we use that word to talk about, you know, 39:04 all kinds of ethnic ghettos but it was really a Jewish enclave 39:07 because they had to go before dark. 39:10 They had to be back in their city. 39:11 Terribly persecuted, but they did largely remain unique 39:14 and intermarried with other Jews. 39:16 They were very careful about that. 39:18 There was some intermarriage with other races. 39:21 You can tell from Jewish DNA today. 39:24 But we know with some certainty because of DNA that the Jews 39:28 and their--you know, they've got some influence and some blood 39:32 from people they've lived among around the world, but they are 39:36 the original Jews that were the Semitic people that lived in the 39:40 land of Israel and, yes, many of them did end up in Russia, 39:45 in Germany, in Europe and Italy, and everywhere you go 39:49 in the world now you can find a synagogue just about. 39:52 Jean: And if--I think we mentioned this last week, 39:54 the largest concentration of Jews in the world today in not 39:56 in Israel but actually in the United States. 39:59 And then second would be Israel. 40:01 Doug: Hotspots in North America would be New York City, 40:04 Florida, and in Los Angeles, and then Chicago. 40:09 So, and then I think 40% are in Israel. 40:13 The rest are scattered around the planet. 40:15 But, yeah, they are the Jews of the Bible. 40:18 Now, are the people living in Egypt now the same ones 40:22 that built the pyramids? 40:24 No, that's a completely different race. 40:26 So, I just thought I'd share that since you're asking. 40:29 Jean: And if you'd like to learn more about what the Bible 40:31 says about this, we've got a book called "Spiritual Israel," 40:34 and of course we'll send that to anyone who calls and asks: 40:36 800-835-6747. 40:39 Ask for the book. 40:41 It's called, "Spiritual Israel," or dial #250, 40:43 say "Bible Answers Live," and then "Spiritual Israel." 40:46 Rebecca in Michigan, Rebecca, you are on the air. 40:49 Welcome. 40:51 Rebecca: Hello, how are you guys doing? 40:52 Doug: Good. Thank you for calling. 40:54 What's your question tonight? 40:58 Rebecca: I have a question. 41:00 I'm having physical and mental health problems, adversities and 41:06 it brings along with spiritual problems. 41:08 I need prayer and a couple Bible verses to get my mind off it. 41:12 Doug: All right, well, ooh, let's see 41:13 if we can help you with that. 41:15 We'll pray in just a moment but some Bible verses would be: 41:18 Jesus said, "LET NOT YOUR HEART BE TROUBLED." 41:21 This is John chapter 14. 41:23 "LET NOT YOUR HEART BE TROUBLED," neither let it be 41:25 afraid, "YOU BELIEVE IN GOD, BELIEVE ALSO IN ME. 41:28 IN MY FATHER'S HOUSE ARE MANY MANSIONS. 41:31 I GO TO PREPARE A PLACE FOR YOU." 41:33 Don't let the troubles of this world frighten you because 41:36 if you give your life to Christ, this world's temporary. 41:40 God's offering you a world that lasts forever. 41:43 The Bible says that God offers us a peace 41:45 that passes understanding. 41:47 I recommend you read the book of Philippians. 41:50 I just finished reading Philippians or I'm almost done. 41:53 And it's just a book of joy. 41:55 And it--Paul just says he's bubbling over with joy and why 41:59 Christians should have joy and peace that passes understanding. 42:03 So you do that, Rebecca, and let me pray for you right now, 42:06 and those listening can join as well. 42:09 Father in heaven, we just want to lift a prayer right now 42:11 in behalf of Rebecca and give her peace. 42:15 I pray that You'll just chase away the clouds or any evil 42:19 influence that might be tormenting her and giving her 42:22 distress, and I pray Your Spirit will be released in her life and 42:25 just help her to sense Your presence, Your angels about her, 42:28 and peace in her heart. 42:30 We ask in Jesus's name, amen. 42:32 Jean: Amen. 42:34 Pastor Doug, we have a book. 42:35 It's called, "Peace in the Midst of the Storm," and we'll be 42:39 happy to send that to anyone who calls and asks, 800-835-6747. 42:44 "How to Have Peace in a World of Worry." 42:47 Doug: Yeah, that's what I was going to say. 42:48 Jean: That's exactly what it is, yeah. 42:49 Doug: Yeah, I got the book on worry. 42:51 Jean: We've got a picture of rain on the front, so I thought 42:52 storm, but it's actually, yeah-- 42:54 Doug: I think you're getting the sermon 42:55 mixed up with the book, yeah. 42:56 Jean: I think that's what it is. 42:58 Doug: I have a book and it's called, "How to Have Peace 42:59 in a World of Worry." 43:01 And that will bring you peace, Rebecca. 43:02 I think it'll help. It's free if you ask for it. 43:04 Jean: 800-835-6747, again, is the number and, of course, you 43:07 can dial #250, ask for the book, "How to Have Peace 43:11 in a World of Worry." 43:13 We've got Sean listening in Michigan. 43:15 Sean, welcome to the program. 43:17 Sean: Thank you so much for taking my call. 43:19 Doug: Yeah. 43:21 Sean: I have a question in regard to the timing of the 7th 43:24 year of the King Artaxerxes. 43:27 I've often heard it's 457 BC, but someone has sent me, like, 43:31 an introduction to the book of Nehemiah and it was from, like, 43:34 a certain analytical Bible dictionary, and it said that 43:38 that was 458 BC, and I didn't know if there's any way to 43:41 verify that from other historical sources, but I wanted 43:44 to make sure it is 457 BC because I know that relates 43:47 to the same prophecy in Daniel 8 and 9. 43:50 Doug: Yeah, well, first of all, when you're looking back 43:54 2500 years, if you're 6 months off, you're doing pretty good. 44:02 So don't--I wouldn't stress over it. 44:05 But I believe it's 457 in the history that I've read and 44:11 Pastor Ross, you might have some other references at your 44:14 fingertips but, you know, I've read a lot of books about this 44:18 because that year's actually pivotal for pinpointing not only 44:22 the Crucifixion of Jesus and the stoning of Stephen and the 44:27 baptism of Jesus but you could even go backwards 30 years 44:31 knowing that Christ would begin His ministry at 30 and get the 44:33 birth of Jesus. 44:35 And so, the only way it works is if it's 457 but that's not 44:39 the reason we believe it happened. 44:41 I think that it's documented in history. 44:44 Now, there were three decrees that talked about restoring 44:47 and building Jerusalem. 44:49 The final one is the decree of Artaxerxes. 44:51 You find it here, I'm looking at it now, 44:53 in Ezra chapter 7, verse 12. 44:55 And I'm sure you've seen that, Sean. 44:57 Jean: And I think one of the things in addition to what 45:00 Pastor Doug said, how we know it's 457, is if you do the math 45:03 and you go back into New Testament times, we know, based 45:06 upon the account given by Luke, we know when Jesus was baptized 45:09 and you trace that back and that was 27 AD, and the only date 45:13 that'll work if you follow the prophecy in Daniel 9, it has 45:17 to begin in 457 BC in order for Christ to be baptized in 27 AD 45:21 and then die in 31. 45:24 So, all the pieces fit together. 45:25 Doug: Yeah, one more thought is the issuing of decrees 45:29 in Bible times, they did not fax them. 45:32 So the king might actually sign a decree and it becomes law 45:36 when he signs 'em. 45:38 Ezra may not get it for months because of the mail system 45:41 from Persia to Israel. 45:43 They had to come by caravan. 45:45 I mean, so things did not happen overnight there. 45:47 So, there's a lot of factors and also, when you begin and end 45:51 a year biblically, is a little different, the way the Persians 45:55 did from the Romans. 45:57 Jean: All right, thank you. 45:59 Next caller that we have is Jerry in Oregon. 46:01 Jerry, welcome to the program. 46:03 Jerry: Good evening, Pastors. 46:04 Doug: Evening. 46:06 Jerry: My question pertains to the mark of the beast 46:09 described in Revelation 14. 46:13 Now, obviously, the context of this is at the end time before 46:16 Jesus's return and before the Millennium. 46:19 But it says: "THOSE WHO WORSHIP THE BEAST, THEY WILL 46:23 BE TORMENTED WITH BURNING SULFUR IN 46:26 THE PRESENCE OF THE HOLY ANGELS AND OF THE LAMB. 46:29 AND THE SMOKE OF THEIR TORMENT 46:30 WILL RISE FOR EVER AND EVER. 46:32 THERE WILL BE NO REST DAY OR NIGHT FOR THOSE 46:34 WHO WORSHIP THE BEAST AND ITS IMAGE." 46:36 Okay, that's before the Millennium. 46:40 Then Revelation 20 talks about the resurrection of the 46:44 unrighteous and it says: "AND THE DEVIL, WHO DECEIVED 46:49 THEM, WAS THROWN INTO THE LAKE OF BURNING SULFUR, 46:52 WHERE THE BEAST AND THE FALSE PROPHET 46:54 HAD BEEN THROWN. 46:56 AND THEY WILL BE TORMENTED DAY AND NIGHT 46:58 FOREVER AND EVER." 47:00 And then it talks about the unjust 47:01 going into the lake of fire. 47:05 This is the second death. 47:07 So my question is: "ARE THOSE WHO WORSHIP 47:11 THE BEAST, ARE THEY--THEY'RE NOT--ARE THEY EXCLUDED 47:15 FROM THE RESURRECTION OF THE UNJUST? 47:19 DO THEY SUFFER A GREATER TORMENT THAN THE UNJUST 47:23 IN REVELATION 20 47:25 WHO REALIZE THE SECOND DEATH IN THE LAKE OF FIRE?" 47:28 Doug: Right, you know, I think what'll solve this is when you 47:32 understand that Revelation is not written in chronological 47:36 order and what's happening from one chapter to the next in 47:39 Revelation, they back up--they cover some of the same time 47:42 period and it's the same event when it talks about 47:47 in Revelation 14, "They have no rest day or night." 47:49 It's talking about the punishment of the wicked. 47:51 But then it uses different visions to say the same thing. 47:54 There is only one time when the wicked are cast into the lake 47:58 of fire, and that is the same time as the devil and the beast 48:02 and the false prophet and all that follow the devil. 48:05 Now, proof for that would be is if you look in Matthew 25 48:10 where Jesus tells the parable of the sheep and the goats. 48:12 He says that those that are lost, He says to the unbelievers 48:17 and the goats, "Depart from Me, cursed, into the fire prepared 48:21 for the devil and his angels." 48:23 That's all at one time. 48:25 So, following the Great White Throne Judgment, there is 48:28 a decree when all of the wicked are cast into the lake of fire 48:32 and they are punished according to what each one deserves and it 48:36 says: "The smoke of their torment, it rises up for ever 48:40 and ever," and that doesn't mean for ever and ever we're sitting 48:42 there watching people burn. 48:44 That'd be a terrible thought. 48:46 It means it rises up out of sight as far as you can see. 48:49 And that was a picture they would see often in ancient wars 48:52 as smoke ascended up forever, meaning out of sight. 48:55 And that means that there's no reprieve, no second option. 49:00 It's called the second death and-- 49:03 but it all happens at the same time. 49:05 Jean: We have a study guide. 49:06 It's called, "Is the Devil in Charge of Hell?" 49:08 Talks about the destruction of the wicked and 49:10 covers these Bible verses. 49:12 The number to call is 800-835-6747, ask for the study 49:15 guide that's called, "Is the Devil in Charge of Hell?" 49:18 You can also dial #250, say "Bible Answers Live," 49:21 and then ask for that study guide. 49:23 Madeline is listening in Nevada. 49:25 Madeline, welcome to the program. 49:27 Madeline: Hi. 49:29 Okay, my question is I've been divorced four times. 49:37 My first husband got remarried, my second husband got remarried, 49:42 my third husband stayed with the woman 49:46 that he was seeing while we were married, 49:48 so they're girlfriend and boyfriend. 49:50 And my fourth husband got remarried. 49:53 I've been alone, single, for 25 years. 49:56 I'm in my middle 60s. 49:58 If I met somebody, would it be a sin for me to get married again? 50:04 Doug: Well, I don't know. 50:06 And it's not because I don't know what the Bible says. 50:09 You know, this is the kind of thing where you should 50:12 probably talk to a pastor and unpack with him 50:16 what some of the circumstances were. 50:19 You know, for one thing, I--divorce is not 50:22 the unpardonable sin but it usually involves sin as it 50:26 usually involves selfishness or sin on one or both parties. 50:30 You've got the woman that Jesus spoke to there, of Samaria, 50:34 where she said, "I've had--" She had five husbands and she was 50:39 living with someone she wasn't married to, and He reveals 50:41 to her He's the Messiah. 50:43 So, clearly, you know, there's hope in redemption. 50:45 Now, whether she went home and married the guy she was living 50:48 with, doesn't say in the Bible, but I'm hoping she kicked him 50:50 out or married him, 'cause, you know, God means for marriage 50:55 to be a permanent institution. 50:57 I'm sure that's what you were hoping for, 50:59 each time that you got married. 51:01 I do have a book I wrote that talks about some of the nuances 51:04 of this and what the Bible says about marriage, divorce, 51:07 and remarriage, and that's the title of the book. 51:09 We'll send you a free copy if you'd like, Madeline. 51:11 Jean: The book is called, "Marriage, Divorce, 51:13 and Re-marriage." 51:15 The number to call is 800-835-6747. 51:18 Be sure to ask for that book or just dial #250 51:21 on your smartphone. 51:23 If you're outside of North America, just go to 51:25 the Amazing Facts website and you can read the book for free 51:28 right there online. 51:29 Paul is listening in Tennessee. 51:31 Paul, welcome to the program. 51:33 Paul: Yes, evening, Pastors. 51:34 Thank you, I just had a question. 51:37 I was hoping you guys could just provide a little clarity here 51:40 on a couple of verses I'm confused on. 51:42 Just wondering why Jesus says in Mark 12:27 He is not the God of 51:49 the dead but of the living, and then in Romans 14:9 Paul says 51:54 basically that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living. 51:59 So, any clarity there would be great. 52:02 Doug: Yeah, well, when it tells us when God says, 52:05 "I'm the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, I'm not the God of 52:07 the dead," the Lord does not look upon the dead 52:10 that are saved as dead. 52:14 He--Jesus said, "The hour is coming in which all those 52:17 that sleep in the grave--Jesus said 52:20 "Our friend Lazarus is sleeping." 52:22 He looks upon saved people that have what we'd call it death, 52:27 Jesus says, "Well, they're asleep 'cause I'm going to raise 52:29 them with a glorified body." 52:30 So, that I think helps provide an understanding, but when Paul 52:35 says He's the God of the dead and the living, you know, 52:38 clearly, there are people that are dead. 52:40 And so, Jesus is speaking more metaphorically 52:44 when He says that, you know, there's no dead-- 52:46 the redeemed are not viewed as dead. 52:48 Jean: And of course, the context of that, at least in 52:50 Mark chapter 12, there were the Sadducees that said there was 52:54 no resurrection, they didn't believe in the resurrection. 52:55 And Jesus is saying, "Well, if there's no resurrection, God is 52:59 not the God of the dead but the God of the living, meaning 53:01 that He will resurrect those who trust in Him." 53:04 So Christ is reaffirming the doctrine or the teaching 53:07 of the resurrection. 53:09 Doug: Yeah, and it says here when Stephen was stoned, 53:12 it says he cried out and said, "'Lord, do not charge them 53:14 with this sin.' 53:15 And when he said this, he fell asleep." 53:18 I mean, does that really mean that he fell asleep 53:20 while they were stoning him? 53:22 Or does it mean he died? 53:24 But he died in a saved condition so he's just sleeping, 53:27 waiting for the resurrection. 53:29 Pastor Ross, do we have a quick question, maybe? 53:31 Jean: All right, we can try. 53:32 Who do we have, let's see. 53:34 Here we go: Bobbie in California. 53:36 Bobbie: Yes, hello. 53:39 My question was regarding Revelation 3:9. 53:43 I would like some clarity on this because I'm not sure 53:46 what I'm reading. 53:48 Doug: All right, let's read that real quick. 53:50 In Revelation chapter 3, verse 9, it says: "INDEED 53:53 I'LL MAKE THOSE OF THE SYNAGOGUE OF SATAN, 53:56 WHO SAY THEY ARE JEWS AND ARE NOT, BUT LIE-- 53:58 INDEED I'LL MAKE THEM COME AND WORSHIP BEFORE 54:00 YOUR FEET, AND TO KNOW THAT I HAVE LOVED YOU." 54:04 Well, there was a group of apostate Christians and, 54:08 you know, true Christians, Revelation 54:11 calls the children of Israel. 54:13 Counterfeit, it says the synagogue of Satan. 54:15 And I don't know if these were some from the tribe-- 54:18 the Nicolaitans which--a thing God hates, but-- 54:21 Jean: Yeah, and it's talking about those who come 54:23 and worship before your feet. 54:25 If you look at the timeframe here, it is the church of 54:27 Philadelphia when there was a great revival in studying 54:30 the Bible, in studying Bible truth. 54:32 It did occur in the protestant nations of the Earth, around 54:35 the early 1800s in particular, and it was recognized by other 54:38 nations that God was blessing, for example, the United States 54:41 and the other Protestant nations. 54:44 And in that sense, it talks about those who are opposed 54:46 to the truth will come to an understanding. 54:48 Doug: Yeah. Very good. 54:49 Hope that helps a little bit. 54:51 We needed to give some quick answers. 54:53 For those that are listening, if you're on satellite, God bless. 54:57 You have a good evening 54:58 and we'll see you in study next week. 55:00 For the rest of you, you stay by. 55:01 We're coming back for just a few moments 55:03 of rapid-fire Bible questions. 55:09 announcer: Thank you for listening to today's broadcast. 55:12 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 back 55:27 to "Bible Answers Live." 55:29 And we want to thank those who stayed by for the email 55:32 questions that you sent in. 55:33 If you have an email question you'd like to send us, it's just 55:36 BALquestions@amazingfacts.org. 55:40 So, Pastor Doug, here's our first question for this evening. 55:42 The question is, Robert asks: "Christians say that they 55:46 believe in God and if He tells us to do something He'll give us 55:50 the power to do it, but Jesus said that we need to be perfect, 55:53 as our Father in heaven. 55:55 How do we do that?" 55:56 Doug: Well, it's not talking about being perfect as in, 55:59 like, a stainless steel robot. 56:01 If you read that same verse there in the Gospel of Luke, 56:04 it says: "BE THEREFORE MERCIFUL, 56:06 EVEN AS YOUR FATHER IN HEAVEN IS MERCIFUL." 56:09 God wants us to have a perfect love, a perfect mercy, and to 56:12 just completely trust Him. 56:14 Jean: All right, another question. 56:16 Alex asked: "DOES THE BIBLE SAY THAT ADAM AND EVE 56:18 ATE FROM THE TREE OF LIFE, 56:19 AND IF YES, WHY DIDN'T THEY BECOME IMMORTAL?" 56:22 Doug: Well, immortality, it seems, they needed to continue 56:27 to eat from that tree because the fact that, I'm sure when 56:32 Adam and Eve were first created, and the time they spent in the 56:35 garden, I'm surprised that they would eat from 56:38 the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and not have eaten 56:40 from the tree of life. 56:42 I think evidence that they did eat from the tree of life is 56:44 that they and their immediate posterity lived hundreds of 56:48 years, and that's why He tells us the tree of life will be 56:51 in the new Earth. 56:53 We'll probably continue to come at least once every couple 56:56 hundred years, and eat from it. 56:58 Jean: And then our final question here, Kenny's asking 57:01 from Papua New Guinea: "HOW DO I LOVE GOD MORE?" 57:04 Doug: Oh, that's a great question. 57:06 Well, for one thing, it says that we love Him because He 57:10 first loved us. 57:11 And so, as we behold His love for us, 57:14 our love for Him will grow. 57:16 The better we know Him, the more we'll love Him. 57:19 You read in Romans chapter 10, verse 17, it says: "Faith comes 57:23 by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God." 57:25 And so as we read about Jesus and the Word of God 57:29 and we get to know Him better, that inspires us with love. 57:34 It's the goodness of God that leads us to repentance. 57:37 As we look at His love and His goodness, 57:39 that leads us to repentance. 57:41 And it increases our love for Him. 57:44 And something else happens is as we share God's goodness 57:48 and love with other people, then it inspires us to love Him more. 57:52 When we look at the cross and we see what He paid for us, and 57:56 His sacrifice, probably the best place to witness and understand 58:00 the sacrifice of Jesus is by looking at the cross. 58:03 Well, listening friends, thank you for your special questions. 58:06 You can still email questions to us anytime during the week, 58:09 but for the rest of you, God bless. 58:11 We'll study His Word together again next week. 58:17 announcer: "Bible Answers Live," honest and accurate 58:20 answers to your Bible questions. |
Revised 2024-01-24