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Series Code: AFBA
Program Code: AFBA022147S
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00:00 (victorious orchestral music)
00:03 - [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," 00:22 providing accurate and practical answers 00:25 to all your Bible questions. 00:28 This broadcast is a previously recorded episode. 00:31 To receive any of the Bible resources 00:33 mentioned in this broadcast, 00:35 call 800-835-6747. 00:39 Once again, 00:39 that's 800-835-6747. 00:44 Now here's your host from Amazing Facts International, 00:48 Pastor Doug Batchelor. 00:50 - Hello friends. Would you like to hear an amazing fact? 00:55 I don't know if you're aware of the Starlink company 00:57 founded by Elon Musk? 00:59 He's begun the process of launching a network of as many as 01:02 42,000 satellites to provide low-cost internet 01:07 to even the most remote locations on Earth. 01:10 Each solar powered satellite weighs around 570 pounds, 01:14 and it's about the same size as a small dining table. 01:17 This mega constellation of Starlink satellites 01:20 circling the planet, 340 miles up, 01:23 is meant to carry large amounts of information rapidly 01:27 to any point on Earth. 01:29 It appears that soon the whole world will be connected 01:33 to the internet superhighway. 01:35 This developing picture of international communication 01:38 fits perfectly in the scheme of Bible prophecy, Pastor Ross. 01:42 - That's interesting, Pastor Doug, 01:43 mentioning how that the world is connected 01:45 through these satellites that are being launched 01:47 and placed in space. 01:49 I think at the end of the day, 01:50 not only are people able to log on with their computers, 01:53 but I think ultimately the goal would be is to have 01:55 a cell phone that is dependent not upon land-based towers, 01:59 but you can be anywhere 02:00 and you can connect directly to a satellite with your phone. 02:03 - Yeah. 02:04 - And you can talk to somebody 02:04 on the other side of the world. 02:06 - I actually know somebody now who has 02:07 already signed up for this service 02:09 and they're already receiving it, 02:10 but there's pretty long line. 02:11 - I'm sure. 02:12 - They just managed to get to the head of the line. 02:13 (Jean laughing) 02:14 And they said, "It works." 02:15 - [Jean] Huh. 02:16 - Which is, you've been to our place in The Hills, 02:18 it'll be really helpful where you're off the grid 02:20 and you can still be connected to the world. 02:22 Just think about that. 02:24 But you know, that also fits in with Bible prophecy 02:28 because there's some prophecies that talk about 02:30 international communication, if you will. 02:32 - Mm-hmm. 02:34 You know, in the Book of Revelation 02:35 we have in chapter 13, a description of two powers, 02:38 it's called beast. 02:39 The first beast that comes from the sea, 02:41 another beast that comes from the earth. 02:43 And the Bible, when talking about these political, 02:46 and the one is a political religious power, 02:48 it says in Revelation 13:8, 02:51 it says: 02:52 All who dwell upon the Earth shall worship him 02:54 whose names have not been written in 02:55 the Lamb's Book of Life. 02:57 And then in verse 16 of chapter 13, it says: 03:00 He calls us all, both small and great, rich and free, 03:03 slave, to receive a mark in his right hand, 03:05 on his forehead. 03:07 So the time's gonna come where through mass communication, 03:09 the world will be united in worshiping this beast power, 03:13 except for those whose names are written in 03:14 the Lamb's Book of Life. 03:15 Well, I think it's pretty important for us 03:17 to know what is that beast power? 03:19 What is the mark of the beast? 03:20 And even more importantly to know, what is the seal of God? 03:23 Because at the end, there's just two groups. 03:24 Those who have the mark of the beast, 03:26 those who have the seal of God. 03:27 And it seems as though communication is gonna be key 03:30 in getting the whole world together. 03:32 After all, the devil's gonna try and deceive people. 03:34 I think it's gonna be broadcast over the airwaves 03:37 and around the world through satellite. 03:39 But not only is mass communication used by the devil 03:42 in the last days, but there's actually some good news. 03:45 - Yeah, that's right. 03:46 You can read where Jesus says in Matthew 24:14: 03:49 "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached 03:52 "in all the world for a witness to the nations 03:54 "and then the end will come." 03:57 And so it tells us there'll be a day 03:59 when the gospel is going to the whole world. 04:00 And so it's rather exciting. 04:02 Even this broadcast right now, 04:04 we're streaming around the world through the internet 04:07 and there's still some remote locations 04:09 that don't get reception, 04:11 but it looks like Mr. Musk is gonna help resolve that. 04:14 (Jean laughing) 04:15 - That's right. 04:16 - And we encourage you to call in 04:17 with your questions tonight. 04:18 We are live on "Bible Answers Live." 04:20 We're back in our saddles again 04:23 and we have an offer that has something to do with 04:25 how do we know what the beast is up to 04:28 and what they're gonna be communicating in the last days? 04:30 - Oh, we have a book that's called, "The Scarlet Woman" 04:33 and it ties in with Revelation 17 04:35 where you have a woman representing a church 04:37 that is controlling a political power, 04:39 represented by a beast. 04:41 And this book tells you all about it, 04:43 tells you what that political power is, 04:45 what that religious power is, 04:46 and what's gonna happen. 04:47 According to the Book of Revelation, 04:49 what's gonna happen as we near the end of time. 04:50 We will send this for free to anyone who calls and asks. 04:54 It's called, "The Scarlet Woman" 04:56 and the number to call for that is 800-835-6747. 05:00 And again, you can just ask for the book. 05:01 It's called, "The Scarlet Woman." 05:03 We'll be happy to get it in the mail to you, 05:04 if you're in North America. 05:06 If you're outside of North America, 05:07 just go to the "Amazing Facts" website. 05:10 It's just amazingfacts.org or.com, 05:13 and you can read the book there online. 05:15 Again, if you have a Bible question, 05:16 our phone lines are open. 05:18 The number to call is 800-463-7297. 05:22 That's 800-463-7297. 05:24 You might also wanna text your friend and say, 05:26 "'Bible Answers Live' is live this evening, 05:29 "so tune in right away." 05:30 You can also watch us on "Amazing Facts" TV, 05:32 and of course on the Doug Batchelor Facebook page, 05:36 the "Amazing Facts" YouTube channel. 05:38 So take advantage of that. 05:39 In addition to just listening on the radio, 05:41 you can actually participate with us online. 05:43 - Absolutely. 05:45 Well with that, maybe you can have a word of prayer 05:47 and we'll go to the phones and see what the questions are. 05:49 - Let's do. 05:50 Dear Father in Heaven, again, 05:51 we are so grateful that we have this opportunity 05:53 to open up your Word and study. 05:54 It's been a few weeks that we've had 05:56 a chance to do this live, 05:57 and, Lord, we are looking forward to just allowing 05:59 your Spirit to lead us as we search the scriptures. 06:02 Be with those who are listening, wherever they might be, 06:04 and guide us, Lord, as we open the Bible. 06:06 In Jesus' name, amen. 06:08 - Amen. 06:09 - Okay, well, our first caller this evening 06:11 is calling from New York. 06:12 We have Anthony. 06:13 Anthony, welcome to the program. 06:14 You're on the air. 06:17 - [Anthony] Hello. Good evening, Pastors. 06:18 Glad to have you back. 06:19 - Thank you. It's good to be back. 06:22 And your question? 06:24 - [Anthony] Yes. 06:25 So my question has to do with the Commandments. 06:29 I've heard it said, I've even heard you say different times 06:33 that there will be people, sincere people, 06:37 who did not know the truth about the Sabbath, 06:42 who didn't have a chance to keep the Sabbath on Earth 06:44 before they died or before Jesus comes 06:47 and that they will be in Heaven. 06:48 There will be plenty of people in Heaven 06:50 that did not keep the Sabbath on Earth. 06:51 But I wondered does that same principle apply 06:54 to the other sins? 06:56 Something like, people who worship other gods, 07:00 other idols or pagans, 07:01 or people who are liars, thieves, 07:05 murderers, things like that? 07:06 Does the same principle apply to those other Commandments? 07:10 - Yeah, I think that you can find examples for 07:13 God judges us largely about what we know. 07:16 And Jesus says that, 07:18 and Pastor Ross might look up the reference for me, 07:20 at the times of this ignorance God winked at is one. 07:23 That's Acts 17:30, I'm pretty sure. 07:26 And the other one is where Jesus said, 07:28 "If you did not know, you would have no sin. 07:30 "But since you see, your sin remains." 07:34 And another place Christ tells us, He said, 07:39 "God allowed divorce because of the hardness of your hearts, 07:41 "but from the beginning, it was not so." 07:43 So there you can see that God sometimes 07:45 has tolerated some misguided behavior, 07:48 'cause people just didn't understand. 07:50 It is not God's will for someone to have more than one wife. 07:54 If I were to take more than one wife at a time, 07:57 I mean, if you become a widow, you can remarry, 07:59 but that would be polygamy 08:04 or bigamy if it's two, 08:05 and that would be a sin and I'd be lost. 08:09 But you'll have people in Heaven that didn't know that, 08:12 like Abraham and Jacob and David and many others, 08:18 'cause it was just rife during the times 08:19 in which they lived. 08:20 So God always wants us to obey 08:23 and to follow the Holy Spirit, 08:24 but there are areas, I think there'll be people in Heaven 08:27 that maybe did not understand 08:29 the commandment about idolatry. 08:30 Very devoted, love the Lord, 08:32 but they were growing up in an age where 08:33 they were surrounded by idols in church. 08:36 And I think you've gotta be careful not to say that 08:38 everybody that attended a church that had idols in it 08:41 or statues of Mary, that they're all lost. 08:45 Maybe they just didn't understand 08:47 or they were misled by a Priest. 08:49 So I think God judges everybody on a case by case basis. 08:52 But sin is sin and the blood of Jesus covers those sins 08:56 where a person sins in ignorance. 08:59 - Just the verse your refer to, Pastor Doug, John 9:41. 09:02 It says: 09:03 Jesus said to them, "If you are blind, you'd have no sin. 09:05 "But now you say, 'We see,' therefore your sin remains." 09:09 I'm also thinking of another area that we mentioned. 09:11 Those who know the will of the Master and they don't do it, 09:15 they're beaten with many stripes. 09:16 Those who did not know the will of the Master 09:18 and did that worthy of stripes 09:20 will be beaten with few stripes. 09:22 So people are held accountable for what they know. 09:25 - Exactly. 09:26 - Especially as it comes to this. 09:27 - Too whom much is given, much is required. 09:28 - We do have a study guide called, "Written in Stone" 09:31 and it's all about the 10 Commandments 09:32 and we'll be happy to send this out to anyone who calls 09:34 and asks. 09:36 The number again for our free offer is 800-835-6747. 09:40 You can ask for the study guide. 09:41 It's called, "Written in Stone." 09:43 And if you have a Bible question, 09:44 the number here in the studio is 800-463-7297. 09:49 - [Doug] Amen. 09:50 - Now we've got Jerry listening in Texas. 09:51 Jerry, welcome to the program. 09:53 - [Jerry] Hey guys, enjoyed your programs. 09:55 My question is tonight is that Adam and Eve, 09:59 they suppose they lost their covering of light 10:03 'cause they were naked and they had to have fig leaves. 10:06 Does Lucifer still have, wear that covering of light 10:11 when God created him as an archangel? 10:14 - Yeah. 10:15 Well, I don't know the Bible ever tells us 10:16 Lucifer was the archangel. 10:18 That's a title you only see connected with Michael. 10:21 But to his robe, 10:24 the Bible, if he's still clothed with light, 10:26 the Bible tells us in, I think it's 2 Corinthians 11, 10:30 that Satan himself can be transformed 10:32 into an angel of light. 10:35 So angels are ministering spirits. 10:38 They're different from people like Adam and Eve. 10:41 And so, when Adam and Eve sinned, 10:43 they had these robes of light or glory 10:45 or something that went out that helped them to realize that, 10:47 "Oh, something's gone. We're naked." 10:49 But angels are really kind of a different 10:52 category of creature. 10:54 They are ministering spirits. 10:56 And so I think the devil can emanate light if he wants. 11:02 - The verse you're referring to is 2 Corinthians 11:14. 11:04 It says: 11:05 No wonder, for Satan himself is transformed 11:06 into an angel of light. 11:08 Now you mentioned 11:10 Lucifer's never referred to as the archangel, 11:12 but he is referred to as the angel that covereth 11:14 or the covering cherub. 11:15 - [Doug] Right. Correct. 11:17 - Which is a little different than the archangel. 11:18 Okay, thanks for your call, Jerry. 11:19 We got Rodney listening from Texas as well. 11:22 Rodney, welcome to the program. 11:24 - [Rodney] Yeah. 11:26 I'm a truck driver and my work sent out a memo saying that 11:31 we have to take the vaccine to stay working here. 11:35 - Mm. 11:36 - [Rodney] I was just wondering if there was any scriptures, 11:38 because what I understand is they're not giving anyone 11:42 religious excuses not to take the vaccine. 11:46 - [Doug] Right. 11:47 - [Rodney] But is there any scripture that would help 11:50 to combat that? 11:51 - Yeah. Well, that's a good question. 11:53 And of course, it's a very relevant question 11:54 in our world today. 11:57 I'll tell you what. 11:58 There's no scripture that's gonna mention vaccine or virus. 12:02 There are scriptures that say that medicine, 12:05 there is good medicine. 12:06 In Ezekiel it talks about the leaves of the tree, 12:10 trees will be for medicine 12:12 and a happy heart doeth good like a medicine. 12:15 And so there are. 12:16 The Bible does speak favorably that there are 12:19 some good medicines. 12:21 You have Paul who says, 12:23 "Luke, the beloved physician, is with me." 12:26 And sometimes physicians would administer herbs 12:29 or medicines to help relieve people's suffering. 12:32 But so there's no moral problem with taking a vaccine 12:38 and we just wanna be clear about that. 12:39 Now there's another issue that you're alluding to in this 12:43 and that's at what point it's almost like 12:47 a political question with patriotism. 12:50 At what point is the government overstepping its bounds 12:54 in requiring people to take something? 12:59 And I've thought a lot about this 13:01 'cause we get a lot of questions. 13:02 And by the way, there are some companies that are providing, 13:04 in some states, it varies from state to state, 13:07 are providing religious exemptions. 13:09 And Pastor Ross and I, we support people's decisions 13:12 if they want to take the vaccine, if they don't. 13:14 We believe in freedom. 13:17 I think we're not doctors, so we don't issue medical advice 13:22 and we're not experts in the constitution or politicians. 13:25 We're pastors. 13:27 But so that may vary from state to state. 13:30 We have written a few letters to people explaining that 13:33 we've got a member of the church and for some health reason, 13:36 they're asking if they might get an exemption 13:38 for religious conviction or a health reason, 13:42 and some have been accepted, some have not. 13:44 I think it varies from company to company. 13:47 But for me, I've thought a lot about this. 13:52 And 13:54 in our culture today, there's an element of risk in life. 14:01 And every culture decides how much risk 14:04 they're willing to accept to have freedom. 14:08 And for example, I don't drink. 14:11 Pastor Ross, I think it's safe to say, 14:13 doesn't drink alcohol. 14:15 People have a right to drink alcohol in our country 14:18 even though we know that a certain number of those people 14:23 are going to get sick or make other people sick 14:25 or have accidents. 14:27 And we say, "Look, we're going to respect their right, 14:29 "even though we know there's a risk involved." 14:32 I think smoking is a very bad idea, 14:34 but it's still legal to smoke 14:35 and the government of course accepts tax money from that. 14:38 And so the culture has accepted a certain amount of risk 14:41 to allow that freedom. 14:43 And so I think one of the questions that 14:45 some people are grappling with is not whether 14:47 the Bible forbids it, but they're wondering about 14:50 at what point are we, 14:54 for the illusion of security, are we taking away freedoms? 14:57 And so that's, I think, another very important issue. 14:59 But we can't really give you a scripture on vaccines. 15:02 - Well, you know, Pastor Doug, 15:03 you do mention something that's maybe 15:04 worth just referencing. 15:05 As far as the Bible goes, if you look at end time events, 15:08 Book of Revelation talks about a time where, 15:11 it's not a vaccine that's forced, 15:13 but it is a form of worship that's forced. 15:15 And eventually, people can't buy and sell 15:18 if they refuse to go along with this law 15:21 dealing with worship. 15:23 It is interesting that when people are afraid, 15:25 they're willing to, 9/11 and onwards, 15:27 when people are afraid, 15:29 they're willing to surrender their rights very quickly 15:31 for security. 15:32 - For the illusion of security. 15:33 - For at least the illusion of that. 15:34 (Doug laughing) 15:35 But at some point, 15:37 it seems as though when things go from bad to worse, 15:40 the only thing that you end up gaining is 15:42 just a loss of freedoms at the end. 15:43 You don't really gain that security 15:45 or that safety that people are looking for. 15:46 So it is an interesting question. 15:48 And of course, it's playing out today. 15:51 But I think individually we need to make decisions 15:54 based on health reasons. 15:56 If a person is a high-risk category, 15:58 they need to talk to their doctors, 15:59 they need to figure out what's the best thing 16:00 for them to do. 16:01 And it's not, as you mentioned, Pastor Doug, 16:03 it's not a... 16:05 The Bible doesn't speak against it 16:06 and the Bible doesn't speak for it. 16:08 - Yeah. 16:08 - The Bible does say that 16:10 your body's the temple of the Holy Spirit, 16:11 so you wanna take care of yourself the best you can. 16:12 - Yeah. There's no moral dilemma with taking a vaccine. 16:16 There's been a lot of plagues 16:17 and things that have been stayed by, 16:21 like smallpox or polio or other things, 16:23 that have been eradicated by health measures. 16:26 And the Bible talks about sanitation. 16:29 The Bible even talks about if there's something contagious, 16:32 how to deal with that. 16:33 - [Jean] Mm-hmm. 16:33 - Well, we can go on and on. 16:34 This is a very relevant question, 16:36 but we have some other people lined up. 16:38 Thanks so much. Appreciate that, Rodney. 16:40 - Thanks Rodney. 16:41 We've got Randy listening in Indiana. 16:42 Randy, welcome to the program. 16:45 - [Randy] My question is, 16:48 if a person survives or endures to the end, 16:54 the Bible says he who endures to the end, he will be saved, 16:57 can that person still, 16:58 even though he endures to the end, be lost? 17:03 - Okay. Thank you. 17:04 I think you're quoting from Matthew 24, 17:05 where Jesus is describing the persecution of God's people 17:09 in the last days. 17:10 And Jesus talks about a great tribulation such as 17:13 there never has been. 17:14 And He says that, 17:16 "But he that endures to the end will be saved." 17:19 Those people, who are God's elect, 17:21 that are faithful enduring to the end, they are saved. 17:24 And so when you talk about enduring to the end, 17:27 He's not talking about enduring trial or torture, 17:29 He's talking about their faith endures to the end. 17:32 They are obviously saved. 17:33 - And we have a group described in Revelation 7, 17:36 talks about those who have the seal of God 17:37 in their foreheads. 17:39 Well, if you have the seal of God, 17:40 it means you surrender to Him 17:42 and He's gonna take care of you. 17:43 During the tribulation, you need not fear. 17:45 So if we surrender our life to Christ every day, 17:49 we're gonna receive that seal 17:50 and we need not fear when the time of trouble comes. 17:53 - [Doug] That's right. 17:54 - Thanks for your call. 17:55 - [Doug] Thank you, Randy. 17:56 - We're gonna go to E. Frank now in New York. 17:57 E. Frank, you're on the air. 17:59 - [E. Frank] Good evening, Pastor Doug and Pastor Ross. 18:02 - Evening. 18:04 - [E. Frank] My question for you gentleman this evening 18:05 is as follows: 18:08 Did 18:10 Jesus 18:12 resurrect on the third day in His full glory? 18:16 And were there any eyewitnesses, according to scripture, 18:20 that saw Jesus going to Heaven directly after the third day 18:24 or was it a 40 day period of ascension? 18:28 Because I'm a little bit confused how 18:30 Jesus rose on the third day 18:33 and then He stood on Earth for 40 days, 18:36 and then He went into Heaven 40 days later. 18:42 And scripture never stated if they actually saw Jesus 18:45 go into Heaven directly. 18:47 - All right. 18:49 I think that if you look in the Gospel of John 20, 18:52 it tells us that after the angel came 18:56 and threw away the stone, 18:58 the Roman guard that was there guarding the tomb, 19:00 they saw the angels and they fled in fear. 19:02 First they fell down as though they were dead 19:04 and then they fled. 19:05 And when the women came, they saw two angels, 19:09 the stone was rolled away, they left to go tell the others 19:13 and Mary was there by herself, weeping. 19:15 She stayed. 19:16 That's where you pick up the story in John 20:11. 19:19 Mary stood outside the tomb weeping, Jesus appears to her, 19:23 she goes to grab His feet and worship Him. 19:25 And He says, "Do not cling to me," 19:27 this is verse 17, 19:28 "For I've not yet ascended to My Father, 19:31 "but go to My brethren and say 19:33 "I am ascending to My Father and to your Father, 19:36 "to My God and your God." 19:38 Later that day, when He sees them, they worship Him. 19:41 So between the time He saw Mary, 19:44 He waited for Mary, He revealed Himself, 19:47 said, "Go tell the disciples and Peter I'm alive." 19:49 And that evening meeting, when He says, "All hail," 19:52 He invites their worship, 19:53 He ascended to Heaven and came back again 19:56 to have His sacrifice declared successful and victorious. 20:00 And time in Heaven can be different than time on Earth. 20:03 It may have been 20 hours up there 20:05 and seemed like four hours here, I don't know. 20:07 Nothing's too hard for the Lord 20:08 when you study the theory of relatively and time travel. 20:12 (Doug laughing) 20:13 But so then Jesus continued to go to and from Heaven 20:17 and appeared to the disciples on Earth 20:20 over a period of 40 days. 20:22 When He made His final ascent, the way I understand it, 20:26 10 days before Pentecost, 20:29 and He ascended somewhere by Bethany with many witnesses, 20:32 at least the 12 Apostles were witnessing that. 20:34 - In Acts 1. 20:36 - [Doug] Yeah. 20:37 - Verse 12. 20:38 Actually, verse nine. 20:39 - Right. 20:40 So I think the Lord, 20:41 He was not restricted to Heaven or Earth, 20:43 He was going to and from Heaven 20:45 from the time of His resurrection until His final ascension 20:51 in Acts 1. 20:52 Like I said, 40 days after. 20:54 So hopefully that made sense, E. Frank. 20:56 - All right, thanks for your call, E. Frank. 20:58 We got Tony listening in Indiana. 20:59 Tony, welcome to the program. 21:02 - [Tony] Hello. Thank you. 21:03 I have a question about the Queen of Sheba 21:06 giving King Solomon 666 talents of gold. 21:10 And legend is that he committed adultery with her 21:12 and had a child. 21:13 And is there a literal connection to prostitution 21:16 and the mark of the beast 21:17 beyond just selfishness and the 10 Commandments? 21:20 - All right. 21:22 Well, when you talk about the Queen of Sheba, 21:23 the notion, you'll find this in 1 Kings 10. 21:29 And Sheba was a country that was 21:31 probably somewhere in the vicinity of Saudi Arabia 21:34 or could have been Ethiopia. 21:37 They're not sure. 21:38 But they calls her, 21:39 Jesus refers to her as the Queen of the South. 21:41 And it says the Queen of the South will stand 21:43 in judgment of this generation. 21:45 She came a great distance to hear the wisdom of Solomon. 21:47 And Jesus said, "Now a greater than Solomon is here." 21:51 And so Jesus speaks of her in a very positive way. 21:56 The idea that she had an affair with Solomon, 21:59 there's not a shred, a thread, 22:01 of anything in the Bible that hints of that. 22:03 She came with purely altruistic motives of seeking wisdom, 22:08 and Solomon answered her questions and she gave a gift. 22:12 It was customary that when you go visit a King, 22:14 you give a gift. 22:15 And if royalty visits royalty, it's a big gift. 22:18 I do think the number 666 is interesting because, 22:21 when you read the account of Solomon, 22:23 everything continues to go from glory to glory 22:26 until you get to chapter 10. 22:28 And right after it says he received 666 talents, 22:33 you then read in the next chapter, 22:34 "But Solomon loved many foreign women." 22:37 Now it mentions the women, 22:39 but it never mentions the Queen of Sheba. 22:42 This was the daughter of Pharaoh and the Moabites 22:44 and Edomites and Hittites. 22:45 These are local women he ended up intermarrying with. 22:48 Never says anything about having a marriage or an affair. 22:51 I mean, he had 300 wives and what was it? 22:54 600 wives, 300 concubines. 22:56 He didn't need one more. 22:59 And we don't know, she might have been 70 years old. 23:01 The Bible doesn't tell us anything about that. 23:03 It seems, Pastor, that this was an official state visit. 23:06 - [Doug] Yes. 23:07 - I think the point it's even mentioned is that 23:09 Solomon's fame not only reached to the area close to Israel, 23:12 but his fame had reached all the way down 23:14 to quite possibly Ethiopia to the Queen of Sheba, 23:17 and she said, "I've gotta come see for myself." 23:19 - [Doug] Yeah. 23:20 - "I've gotta see if these things are so." 23:22 So it was an official state visit and she was amazed, 23:24 not so much by the majesty of Jerusalem and Solomon 23:28 and the wealth, 23:29 but just the wisdom and the God that he worshiped. 23:32 - Mm-hmm. 23:33 And everything looked really good in the story of Israel 23:36 until you hear that number 666, and then it says: 23:39 But he loved many foreign. 23:41 And the kingdom starts going south, pardon me for the pun. 23:44 Starts going bad direction after that number. 23:46 So that I always thought was interesting 23:48 and probably not a coincidence. 23:50 - Hey, thank you, Eric. I hope that made some sense. 23:52 - Alright. We've got Jill listening from Florida. 23:54 Jill, welcome to the program. You're on the air. 23:57 - [Jill] Yes, hi Pastors. How are you tonight? 24:00 - Fine. Thank you, Jill. I appreciate your calling. 24:04 - [Jill] I have a question. 24:05 I don't know if I'm wording this right, 24:07 but when God created Adam and Eve, what color were they? 24:13 Because I'm trying to find out 24:15 how did all these races come to be 24:18 if they were just a certain color? 24:21 - You know, a good answer for that question is 24:24 the same answer when people say, 24:25 "Where did all the languages come from? 24:27 "There's so many different languages, 24:28 "what language did Adam and Eve speak?" 24:31 Well, Adam and Eve probably spoke an original tongue, 24:34 and everything we talk, we use now as sort of like fragments 24:38 of that original language of Canaan and Eden. 24:42 So at the Tower of Babel, when everybody was scattered, 24:45 different groups stayed together 24:47 and through intermarriage within a smaller pool, 24:52 a smaller gene pool, 24:53 different genetic traits became predominant. 24:56 And so some have said, "Well, the three children of Noah 25:01 "formed the three major races of the world." 25:04 I've heard people say that before and it's really, 25:06 it's not true at all that Noah had three kids 25:10 and one was black and one was white and one was Asian, 25:13 or something like that. 25:14 I've actually heard that. 25:15 But the division didn't really happen until 25:18 the Tower of Babel, 25:19 the same time the languages were divided. 25:22 And you even see this with animals around the world. 25:26 You're gonna see a difference in the canines 25:29 that you find in America 25:31 than the ones you're gonna find like the African wolves, 25:34 they're spotted black and white dog. 25:37 - [Jean] Hyenas. Yeah. 25:38 - And then you got hyenas 25:39 and then you come to America, you get the coyotes, 25:40 and you go, "Well, because they're kinda isolated, 25:42 "they breed and certain genetic traits become prominent." 25:47 What color were Adam and Eve? 25:49 Probably like a melding of all, I don't know, 25:53 that would be tan or something. 25:55 I'm not sure. 25:57 I think the word Adam is like the word edum, 25:59 it means ruddy or reddish is what I've heard. 26:02 But I know that's what the word means, 26:04 but I can't picture Adam being red. 26:06 - You know the interesting thing is that 26:07 God gave, in creating Adam and Eve, 26:10 He gave incredible diversity within the gene pool 26:13 so that there is a certain degree of adaptation 26:16 to the environment where they went. 26:17 - [Doug] Yeah. 26:18 - Those who went to hotter areas, 26:19 their skin color began to change to help with the heat. 26:22 Those who went to cold areas, 26:23 their skin became lighter to absorb more sunlight. 26:27 And so all of that was built into the genes of Adam and Eve 26:30 for all of the different groups 26:32 and all of the different races that we see today. 26:33 It's amazing. 26:34 - Yeah. 26:35 And the people who were native 26:37 to the areas around the Equator 26:38 are a lot less susceptible to skin cancer from the sun. 26:42 - [Jean] Mm-hmm. 26:43 - God gave them some mechanisms to resist that. 26:47 All right, I hope that helps a little bit. 26:48 We appreciate your question, Jill. 26:50 (soft upbeat music) 26:51 - So friends, don't go away. 26:52 We're gonna be right back. 26:53 If you have a Bible question, 26:54 the number to call is 800-463-7297. 26:58 And right after the break, 26:59 we will take more of your Bible questions. 27:01 We'll be right back. 27:04 (victorious orchestral music) 27:07 - [Announcer] Stay tuned. 27:08 "Bible Answers Live" will return shortly. 27:15 - [Announcer] Did you know that Noah was present 27:17 at the birth of Abraham? 27:18 Okay, maybe he wasn't in the room, but he was alive 27:22 and probably telling stories about his floating zoo. 27:25 From the creation of the world 27:27 to the last day events of Revelation, 27:29 Biblehistory.com is a free resource where 27:32 you can explore major Bible events and characters, 27:35 enhance your knowledge of the Bible, 27:37 and draw closer to God's Word. 27:40 Go deeper. 27:41 Visit Biblehistory.com. 27:45 (relaxing music) 27:47 - [Announcer] "Amazing Facts" offers 27:48 some of the best Christian resources for all ages. 27:51 We hope our products will enrich your life 27:53 and your walk with the Lord. 27:56 What does Bible prophecy reveal about 27:57 the world's two largest religions? 28:00 Explore the ancient conflict in, 28:01 "Islam, Christianity and Prophecy," 28:04 a compelling three-part series with Pastor Doug Batchelor. 28:08 - [Announcer] Get yours today by calling 800-538-7275 28:12 or visit afbookstore.com. 28:16 (dramatic music) 28:17 - [Announcer] What if you could know the future? 28:21 What would you do? 28:23 What would you change? 28:26 To see the future, you must understand the past. 28:30 - [Instructor] Alexander the Great 28:31 becomes King when he's only 18, but he's a military prodigy. 28:36 - [Instructor] 150 Years in advance, 28:38 Cyrus had been named. 28:41 - [Instructor] Nebuchadnezzar built this city 28:42 as a showcase to the entire world. 28:46 - [Instructor] Rome was violent. 28:48 They were ruthless. (crowd murmuring) 28:49 They were determined. 28:53 - [Announcer] This intriguing documentary, 28:55 hosted by Pastor Doug Batchelor, 28:57 explores the most striking Bible prophecies 29:00 that have been dramatically fulfilled throughout history. 29:05 "Kingdoms In Time," an extraordinary adventure 29:08 through the Bible's most amazing fulfilled prophecies. 29:12 Kingdomsintime.com. 29:14 (victorious orchestral music) 29:17 - [Announcer] You're listening to "Bible Answers Live," 29:20 where every question answered provides 29:22 a clearer picture of God and His plan to save you. 29:26 So what are you waiting for? 29:27 Get practical answers about the Good Book 29:30 for a better life today. 29:34 This broadcast is a previously recorded episode. 29:37 If you'd like answers to your Bible-related questions 29:40 on the air, please call us next Sunday between 29:43 7:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. Pacific Time. 29:46 To receive any of the Bible resources 29:48 mentioned in this evening's program, 29:50 call 800-835-6747. 29:54 Once again, 29:55 that's 800-835-6747. 29:59 Now let's rejoin our hosts for more "Bible Answers Live." 30:06 - This is where we have the most fun. 30:07 "Bible Answers Live," friends, we are here to do our best 30:09 to answer any Bible question you might have 30:12 or questions about living the Christian life. 30:14 We're broadcasting, not only on radio, 30:17 we're on "Amazing Facts" Television 30:19 and we're adding TV stations as time goes by. 30:21 We're on satellite radio across the country 30:24 and the internet where you can listen on 30:26 the Doug Batchelor Facebook page, 30:28 the "Amazing Facts" Facebook page, 30:30 the "Amazing Facts" YouTube channel. 30:32 And my name is Doug Batchelor. 30:34 - My name is Jean Ross and, friends, 30:35 we're ready to go to the phone lines again. 30:37 If you have a Bible question, 30:38 you might be wondering what's the number? 30:39 It's 800-463-7297. 30:42 That'll get you right in here to our studio. 30:45 We have Shawanda listening from Mississippi. 30:48 Shawanda, welcome to the program. 30:51 - [Shawanda] Thank you. 30:53 - Yeah? 30:54 - [Shawanda] My question is according to 30:56 the Parable of the sower in Mark 4, Luke 8 and Matthew 13, 31:03 where it talks about the seed was on four 31:06 or three ground, the stony, the thorny, 31:09 and there was one ground that produces good fruit, 31:13 30, 60, and a hundredfold. 31:14 So my question is, what happens to those who produce, 31:18 who don't produce? 31:20 The stony and the thorny ground? 31:21 Is it either loss of reward 31:25 or are they literally banished out of the Kingdom? 31:27 - Well, the first one is the seed that falls on the pathway. 31:31 It's not the stony ground or the shallow ground. 31:34 And the ravens snatch it away and Jesus later explains that 31:38 when some people hear the Word, the devil then comes 31:41 and takes it out of their heart so that 31:43 they become unproductive. 31:46 But what's your understanding of that, Pastor Ross? 31:49 - Yeah, absolutely. 31:50 We got the seed is the Word 31:53 and the grounds represent the hearts that receive the Word. 31:57 So we wanna be the fruitful ground that produces a harvest. 32:00 Those that have stony ground, 32:02 it means their hearts are not right for the gospel. 32:05 Unfortunately, some have rejected the gospel 32:07 because they've held into the things of this world. 32:10 And ultimately, it is costing their salvation. 32:14 Is that answering your question a little bit, Shawanda? 32:16 - [Shawanda] Well, the thorny ground is my question. 32:18 Like, they're producing. 32:19 I mean, they receive the Word, 32:21 but then if cares of this life 32:24 and things come in to choke the Word, 32:26 that it's unfruitful, is that just a loss of reward 32:29 or are these literally not entering to the Kingdom? 32:34 Those people who the Word was received, 32:37 but the cares, everything in life just choked out the Word 32:40 that where they were unfruitful? 32:42 Are they just not entering into the Kingdom of God? 32:45 Or- 32:46 - Yeah, I think that in the parable, 32:47 there's only one out of the four that is described as saved. 32:52 The other ones become distracted with the world 32:54 or they spring up 32:55 and then they wither soon because they have no root. 32:58 The only one that really thrives 33:00 and is alive is the fourth category. 33:02 - You know, Jesus said, 33:03 "He that endures to the end shall be saved." 33:06 So there needs to be an endurance. 33:09 It's not good enough just to receive Christ 33:11 as your personal Savior 33:12 and then allow the world to crowd Him out, 33:15 we wanna receive Christ and hold onto Him. 33:17 That's why the Apostle Paul said, "I die daily." 33:19 So it's a day by day experience where we come to Christ 33:22 and we ask for forgiveness 33:24 and we receive His grace and we trust in Him. 33:26 So it's not a one time thing. 33:28 If it's a one time experience, 33:29 then that experience could very well be over-choked 33:32 or overcome by the cares of this world. 33:34 - That's right. 33:35 - So we wanna be that fruitful soil. 33:37 All right, thanks for your call, Shawanda. Appreciate that. 33:39 We have Ellen listening in New Mexico. 33:41 Ellen, welcome to the program. 33:43 - [Ellen] Hi. 33:44 I wondered if you could explain to me 33:48 what the references in the Bible to the towers falling. 33:53 Did that have anything to do with the Twin Towers? 33:58 - No, I don't think so. 33:59 And there is a passage in, 34:01 I don't know if it's talking- 34:03 In the question I think you mentioned Judges, 34:05 but in the Book of Isaiah, 34:07 it talks about, I think it's Isaiah, 34:09 where it says, "The towers fall." 34:11 But they had watch towers in all of the capitals 34:16 and Isaiah often, a lot of his prophecies have to do with 34:19 the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians 34:21 because of their unfaithfulness. 34:22 And the walls were destroyed and the towers fell. 34:27 There is a time where it talks about, 34:28 Jesus refers to a tower that fell on those of Siloam 34:32 and 18 men were killed. 34:36 But I don't think those are talking about 9/11. 34:39 - Not specifically, but I think the principles that we find 34:41 that as we near the end of time, 34:43 judgment will increase just like judgment that came upon 34:45 Sodom and Gomorrah and these other sinful cities. 34:48 I think as we near the end of time, 34:50 the cities are gonna become judged to some degree 34:54 and the wickedness that is so ripe in the cities. 34:58 And God in His mercy is still allowing 35:00 a certain degree of protection and freedom, 35:02 but just in the last year, Pastor Doug, 35:04 we've seen an increase of violence in the cities. 35:07 I think that is to some degree, a warning for believers. 35:10 - Yeah. 35:11 And the verse I think she's talking about is Isaiah 30:25. 35:14 It says: 35:15 There will be on every high mountain, on every high hill, 35:17 rivers and streams of waters in the day of great slaughter 35:21 when the towers fall. 35:23 And so some have looked at that passage, that verse there, 35:26 and they said, "Oh, that's talking about the Twin Towers." 35:29 Well, in World War I, with the bombing, 35:32 a lot of towers fell. 35:33 In World War II, a lot of towers fell. 35:35 And this was another example of a judgment 35:37 or certainly a trial when the towers fell. 35:40 I don't think Isaiah was specifically talking about 35:43 9/11 here. 35:44 - But I think the tower in that context is a military tower. 35:47 It's part of a stronghold or a city, 35:49 not a financial building. 35:50 - Yep. There you go. 35:51 Good. Good answer. 35:53 - All right. Well, thank you for your call, Ellen. 35:54 We've got Marquis listening from Indiana. 35:56 Marquis, welcome to the program. 35:59 - [Marquis] Hey, how are you guys doing today? 36:00 - Doing well. Thanks for calling. 36:02 - [Marquis] Alrighty, my question- 36:03 Thank you. 36:05 My question comes from John 21:15, when Jesus asked Simon, 36:10 He said, "Son." 36:11 He said, "Simon, son of Jonah, 36:12 "do you love me more than these?" 36:14 Was that the same Jonah 36:16 that was mentioned in the Old Testament? 36:18 - No. 36:19 In the New Testament, 36:21 there are a number of people that were named after 36:23 Old Testament heroes. 36:26 And Jonah was, of course, 36:27 a very popular Old Testament character 36:30 and Peter's father was evidently named Jonah. 36:35 And so Jesus referred to him as Peter, the son of Jonah, 36:39 or Peter bar Jonah, bar means son of. 36:42 Jesus was called Jesus, the son of Joseph. 36:45 And so it's not the Jonah from the Old Testament, 36:47 this is Peter's father. 36:48 Jonah was a very common name. 36:51 It means dove. 36:52 And 36:54 so, yeah. 36:56 Same name, different people. 36:58 You got several people in the Bible that have similar names. 37:01 There's more than one person named Moses. 37:03 There's several people named John. 37:04 There's even two or three named Jesus. 37:06 - That's interesting. 37:07 You got Saul who converts and becomes Paul. 37:09 But if you look at the Old Testament character of Saul, 37:11 it's probably not somebody you wanna name your son after. 37:14 - Yeah. 37:15 - And yet, Saul was a popular name, 37:16 at least as far as we know back in Bible times. 37:18 - Well, he was good for a while. 37:19 - Yeah, he was. (Doug laughing) 37:20 - He was. 37:21 All right. Thanks for your call, Marquis. 37:23 We got Barbara listening in Sacramento, California. 37:25 Barbara, welcome to the program. 37:27 - [Barbara] Oh, thank you, Pastor. 37:29 My question is I'm thinking when God sent His beloved Son 37:35 to Earth to suffer and die for us, 37:37 and I cannot visualize a loving Father 37:42 sending His Son to suffer. 37:44 And I'm wondering why God Himself didn't just come down 37:48 to suffer for us. 37:49 Why did He send someone He loved? 37:52 - Well, it's not that God the Father ordered His Son. 37:56 The Father and the Son seen the dilemma of mankind 38:00 and they knew the only way to redeem mankind 38:02 was if one of them paid. 38:05 And by the way, all three of them suffered. 38:08 God the Father, the Son, 38:10 and the Holy Spirit all suffered equally. 38:12 In some ways you'd think the Father suffered more. 38:15 Any parent, when you see your children suffering seriously, 38:18 you'd often say, "I would trade places with them 38:20 "rather than see them suffer." 38:23 So this was done. 38:25 It was a cooperative decision. 38:27 And keep in mind, we broke the law of the Creator. 38:31 The Bible tells us that all things that were created 38:34 were created by Jesus the Son. 38:36 And so here, you've got the Creator dying for His creation 38:41 and the Father allowing that. 38:44 He so loved the world, He gave His Son. 38:46 - You know Pastor Doug, 38:47 that was the point I was just gonna mention is 38:49 that famous verse: 38:50 For God so loved the world that He gave 38:52 His only begotten Son. 38:54 It wasn't a requirement. 38:55 The Father didn't say, "All right, Son, you need to go." 38:58 But out of love for us- - [Doug] He allowed it. 39:00 - He gave His Son, and what a sacrifice. 39:02 - [Doug] Yeah. 39:03 - So the Father suffered and the Son. 39:04 And just speaking from a parent's perspective, 39:06 how hard it must have been for God the Father 39:09 to witness what they did to His Son 39:11 and to go through all of that. 39:12 It's just without a doubt, 39:14 the Father suffered greatly because of man's sin. 39:17 - Yeah, absolutely. 39:18 - Does that help, Barbara? 39:20 - [Barbara] Yes, it does. 39:21 But now you just brought up another question. 39:24 I thought God didn't have any emotions, 39:27 so how could He suffer? 39:29 - Now, why would you think God has no emotions? 39:32 - [Barbara] Well, how could He? 39:35 I mean, He is God. 39:36 He just exists. 39:37 - Well, the Bible says we're made in God's image 39:41 and we are fraught with emotions. 39:43 And God, the Bible says, has joy. 39:46 The Bible says God sings. 39:47 We get our emotions from Him. 39:48 We're made in His image. 39:50 The Bible tells us that God has anger, He has wrath, 39:53 He has jealousy. 39:54 (Doug laughing) 39:55 He says, "I'm a jealous God." 39:57 So every spectrum of emotion people have. 40:01 But now God's emotions are only going to be in harmony 40:04 with good. 40:06 Sometimes we'll have misplaced jealousy 40:08 or misplaced emotions. 40:10 God's are always coming from love 40:12 and love can be an emotion. 40:13 - Love's an emotion. 40:14 Yeah, absolutely. 40:15 - So, yes, God does, definitely does, have feelings 40:18 and Jesus loves us desperately. 40:20 There's a verse in the Bible in Deuteronomy 5 where 40:23 God says, "Oh." 40:24 And just that phrase. He says, "Oh." 40:27 And even when it says in John 3:16: God so loved the world. 40:31 You know, that phrase kind of denotes passion. 40:36 And He says, "Oh, that there was such a heart in them 40:38 "that they would fear me and keep my Commandments always." 40:41 And in Genesis, God says, 40:42 "It broke God's heart that He made man." 40:45 And He said, "I'm gonna clean the Earth from them 40:47 "except for Noah." 40:48 - Yeah. 40:49 - Yeah. You see the passion of God many places in the Bible. 40:51 - Even in the Old Testament, Pastor Doug, 40:52 you got God saying, "Oh, turn, turn. Why will you perish?" 40:56 - [Doug] Yeah. Pleading. 40:57 - And He's crying out, saying, "Please stop." 40:59 Without a doubt, 41:00 some beautiful emotion displayed in the Bible. 41:02 All right. Well, thank you for your call, Barbara. 41:03 We're gonna go to Kathy in Tennessee. 41:05 Kathy, welcome to the program. 41:07 - [Kathy] Well, thanks to Facebook, 41:09 I'm calling you guys this evening, surprisingly, 41:12 but I don't think by accident. 41:15 So my question is around receiving the gifts of the Spirit. 41:21 I don't have scripture to offer you, 41:22 only a question and hoping that you can 41:27 provide me perhaps with some living guidance, 41:29 scripturally-based, as this actually happened to me, 41:34 about a year ago, very unexpectedly. 41:39 I found myself praying one day 41:41 and I wound up 41:45 speaking in tongues 41:46 and it was utterly overwhelming. 41:49 Not something I've ever aspired to do, 41:51 not something I've ever known anyone to do. 41:54 I didn't even know what it sounded like or it looked like, 41:57 and then there I was doing it. 42:00 And what's the best way to process that, 42:03 receive that and shepherd it? 42:06 And then beyond that, what is going on? 42:09 In the world today, 42:10 is there a abundant outpouring of the Spirit going on? 42:14 Because the same thing happened to my aunt 42:17 about the same time it happened to me. 42:20 - Well, now you attend church? 42:23 - [Barbara] I do. 42:24 I'm not going as regularly as I used to. 42:27 I've been slow to get back in. 42:28 - Okay. 42:29 - [Barbara] Since COVID. 42:30 But I do. 42:31 - All right. 42:32 So the church that you go to, 42:33 do the people there believe in 42:34 and practice praying in tongues? 42:36 - No. No. 42:37 - So this is a little unusual for your church, even? 42:39 - [Barbara] Very. 42:40 - Yeah. 42:41 - [Barbara] It's unusual for any. 42:43 This has never happened to anyone in my family, 42:45 that I know of, and really no one else that I know. 42:47 - All right. Well, let's talk about that for just a minute. 42:49 Now, if you're wanting to process 42:51 if what I'm doing is right or wrong or what to do with it, 42:55 first place you wanna look is in the Word. 42:57 So in the Word, Jesus is our example. 43:02 Do you find an example where Jesus prays in tongues 43:04 in the Bible? 43:08 - [Barbara] Um, well, I guess I need to look. 43:10 (Barbara laughing) 43:12 - Well I guess I'll give you the answer. 43:13 The answer's no. 43:15 - [Barbara] Okay. 43:16 - There's three examples of speaking in tongues 43:19 in the Bible. 43:20 It's Acts 2, Acts 10, 43:22 and Acts 19. 43:24 Now, when I first became a Christian, 43:26 I'm just, you asked, I'm telling you honestly. 43:28 I first became a Christian. 43:30 I worshiped with charismatic Christians 43:32 and all of my friends spoke in tongues 43:33 and they wanted to encourage me to speak in tongues 43:35 and pray in tongues. 43:36 - [Barbara] Yeah. 43:37 - And I kept thinking, "Well, am I missing something?" 43:39 So I spent a lot of time studying this because 43:42 I certainly wanted the baptism of the Holy Spirit. 43:46 It's not uncommon that some people have been praying 43:48 and they're so overcome with emotions 43:50 that they're at a loss of words 43:52 and they may break out in some unintelligible speech, 43:57 and it sounds like what you're saying has happened. 44:00 Sometimes. - [Barbara] Yeah. 44:01 - Yeah. You can't find words and... 44:03 But now there's no meaning to what you're saying. 44:06 In other words, if you say, 44:07 "Well, what exactly did I just say?" 44:08 You probably couldn't interpret that. 44:11 Is that right? 44:12 - [Barbara] No. 44:13 - Yeah. 44:14 - [Barbara] No. I had no idea of what I was saying at all. 44:15 - So the Bible says we should pray in the Spirit, 44:17 but we should pray with the understanding. 44:19 So if you're praying a prayer, 44:20 you would wanna know, what am I asking? 44:23 And how do you know if you get an answer? 44:26 We have a book that we'd like to send you. 44:27 I think that would- 44:29 Free. 44:30 And it'll help answer that. 44:31 - [Barbara] Okay. 44:32 - And any of your friends that are listening 44:33 that have the similar question. 44:34 - Yeah, all you need to do, Kathy, is call 44:36 800-835-6747. 44:40 That is our free resource phone line. 44:42 Again, you'll see it if you're watching on Facebook, 44:43 it's on the screen. 44:44 800-835-6747. 44:47 Ask for the book, it's called, "Understanding Tongues." 44:50 That'll give you a lot of scriptures 44:51 and I think you'll find this book to be enlightening 44:53 as you compare with what the Bible says, 44:55 and it'll kind of bring into perspective your experience. 44:58 So take a look at that. 44:59 Call again, 800-835-6747. 45:02 Ask for the book, "Understanding Tongues," 45:04 and we'll be happy to send it to you right away. 45:07 Again, thank you for calling. - Thank you. 45:08 - We've got, let's see, we'll go to Bridget. 45:11 Actually, we go to Julia next in Michigan. 45:13 Julia, welcome to the program. 45:15 - [Julia] I have a question. 45:16 I'm reading through the Bible. 45:20 - Okay. 45:21 - [Julia] And I'm doing "Walk Through the Bible," 45:24 by HMS Richards. 45:25 - Yeah. 45:26 My wife's done the same study. It's a good one. 45:28 - [Julia] Yeah. Okay. 45:30 So, all right. 45:31 And I'm into Ezekiel 45:35 40 and 41, 45:37 and it talks about another temple that was going to be built 45:43 while it was described by Ezekiel. 45:44 And it was described in a lot of detail 45:50 that he talked about, but that it was never built. 45:55 So my question is, 45:58 approximately about what time would that have been built 46:02 if it had been? 46:04 And then because HMS puts in there that he says that 46:10 it would've been a fourth temple. 46:12 But there would've been Solomon's and then Zerubbabel's. 46:16 But Zerubbabel's temple was added on by Herod, 46:20 so really that was a third temple, or a second temple, 46:25 so it would've been a third temple? 46:26 - Yeah, well, no. 46:27 It would've been a fourth if it had been built. 46:29 But let me just- 46:30 This is a serious chapter. 46:32 Matter of fact, it's not only in chapter 40, 46:35 he references this temple all the way through 46:37 the end of his book. 46:39 You've got the first temple being the one in the wilderness. 46:42 It was a portable tabernacle, 46:43 but it was considered a temple. 46:45 So you got that one. 46:46 Then you have Solomon's temple. 46:47 Then you have Zerubbabel's temple, 46:49 that was modified by Herod. 46:51 And so I think HMS Richards was saying this, 46:55 if it had been built 46:57 when they came back from the Babylonian captivity, 46:58 its dimensions were bigger, it would've been a fourth. 47:01 There are two theories, two principle theories, 47:04 about what is Ezekiel's temple. 47:06 He goes to great length to give detail about it, 47:08 the rooms and the size, and it's all measured, 47:10 and an angel's showing him all this. 47:11 Some have said, "Well, if they had been obedient, 47:14 "God would've given them independence again 47:16 "and this would've been the international temple 47:18 "for the nation." 47:20 So that's one theory. 47:21 The other theory is since the New Testament tells us 47:24 that Jesus said, "Destroy this temple made with hands 47:26 "and I'll make one without hands," 47:28 and He's talking about His body, the Church, 47:31 and the Bible says the Church, we are living stones, 47:33 that we are a temple of God, 47:35 that Ezekiel is using symbolic language 47:38 to talk about God's Church. 47:41 And which adds another layer of questions. 47:44 What do all those measurements and things mean? 47:48 So we actually have a study that "Amazing Facts" has done 47:51 on "Secrets of the Sanctuary" 47:53 that you might 47:56 enjoy looking at, 47:57 where we talk about some of the symbolism 47:59 in the sanctuary services that teaches us about 48:01 the plan of salvation. 48:03 - And you're thinking about the magazine that we have 48:05 dealing magazine dealing with the sanctuary. 48:06 - And the magazine, yep. - Yep. 48:07 If you'd like to learn more about that, 48:08 for this one, you'll probably need to go to 48:09 the "Amazing Facts" website, 48:11 just amazingfacts.com or.org. 48:13 Type in there- - Divine design. 48:15 - Yep. "Divine Design" is the name of the magazine. 48:17 And you'll be able to find out more information about that. 48:19 We've got Marvins who is listening from Canada. 48:22 Marvins, welcome to the program. 48:26 - [Marvins] Hello, both of you. 48:27 - Evening. 48:29 - [Marvins] Yeah. How you are? I'm good. 48:30 My name is Marvins and I'm from Montreal, Canada, okay? 48:33 - Mm-hmm. 48:34 - [Marvins] I have a question for you. 48:36 And first of all, I'm not very good. 48:38 I speak in English, 48:39 so I hope you will understand my question. 48:42 - So far so good. 48:43 - [Marvins] So thank you. 48:46 Praise the Lord. 48:47 According to Matthew 27:52, 53, 48:53 I will read for you. 48:56 And the graves were opened 48:57 and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep 49:00 were raised. 49:02 And 53. 49:03 And coming out of the grave after His resurrection, 49:06 about Jesus, they went into the holy city 49:09 and appeared to many. 49:11 So my question is, why some other people, 49:15 the people, why some other people, 49:18 rise up after the resurrection of Him 49:22 while He said that people will only rise up 49:26 at the end of the world? 49:28 - Okay. So good question. 49:30 We understand there's a special resurrection that happens 49:33 at the time of Christ's death. 49:35 During the earthquake, during the time of His crucifixion, 49:38 the graves were split open. 49:41 And then it tells us that when He rose, 49:43 there's a small group, it's not thousands, 49:47 but there were many of the saints who had slept 49:49 that were brought out of their graves 49:50 and taken as a first fruit to Heaven. 49:53 - Mm-hmm. 49:54 And the Bible says when He ascended on high, 49:55 He led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men. 49:59 And that is a reference to Christ's ascension 50:02 when He ascended to Heaven. 50:03 Those who were resurrected 50:04 at the time of Christ's resurrection, 50:06 ascended as first fruits of a much bigger resurrection 50:09 that would occur at the second coming of Christ. 50:12 So who's in Heaven now? 50:13 Well, Pastor Doug, you've got Enoch, you got Elijah, 50:16 you got Moses who was resurrected and taken to Heaven, 50:18 and then you have this group. 50:19 We don't know how many are in the group, 50:21 but there is a group that was resurrected 50:23 and they're in Heaven now. 50:24 And then the rest will, of course, 50:25 be resurrected at the second coming. 50:27 - Yeah. 50:28 In the Hebrew economy, whenever they had a harvest, 50:30 they would take a handful, they called it the sheaf. 50:33 They would harvest the grain 50:34 and kinda bind up a sheaf that could be carried, 50:37 like we have bales of hay, 50:39 and they would present that to the Lord. 50:40 It's like Jesus took a trophy, a sheaf, 50:43 a first fruit to Heaven of those who will be redeemed 50:47 at the final resurrection. 50:49 But thank you. We appreciate that, Marvins. 50:50 I hope that helps a little bit. 50:52 - We've got Alancio from California. 50:56 Alancio, welcome to the program. 50:58 - [Alancio] Yes, hi. Welcome. 50:59 - Hi. Thank you. 51:01 - [Alancio] I just have one question 51:04 and it's kind of a filled question, 51:07 and I've heard both sides. 51:09 Whether the Calvinistic Reformed biblical interpretation 51:13 is more biblical than the Arminian side? 51:17 Whether it's solely on predestination 51:19 or solely based on the free will? 51:22 And I have questions in my own reference to like Romans 9, 51:26 Ephesians 1 and Ezekiel, it talks about how God 51:29 takes the heart of stone and makes a heart of flesh. 51:32 So I don't know if that happens before 51:34 and if that is necessary for someone to have faith, 51:37 or is it solely, 51:40 from my understanding what Arminians are saying, 51:42 it's just solely your faith. 51:43 If you just have faith in what the gospel says, 51:46 then that's what it is. 51:47 Or did Christ die for His people alone 51:49 and only His sheep hear His voice? 51:51 - All right. 51:52 Well, you have opened the big box of Christian questions 51:55 right there. 51:56 And for our friends that are listening, 51:58 one of the great debates among Christians, 52:01 you might call it predestination and free will, 52:04 you've got John Wesley on one side 52:06 and George Whitfield on the other, 52:07 or Calvin 52:09 and Arminius, 52:11 is where you get Arminianism, Calvinism. 52:14 And the idea is did Jesus only die 52:17 for the ones that are saved 52:18 or did He die for everybody? 52:21 We believe that Bible says Christ died for all 52:24 and that means all. 52:25 Not all took advantage of that great sacrifice. 52:28 And then the other question that's in that question is that, 52:33 does the Lord just appoint from Heaven who's gonna be saved 52:36 and then they really have no will or choice in the matter? 52:40 And Arminian Christians believe, well, 52:44 or you might even have Baptists that are called 52:46 Free Will Baptists, 52:47 they believe in people do have a choice. 52:51 To say that humans have no choice 52:54 and the majority of people will be lost, 52:56 Jesus says, "Broad is the way that leads to destruction," 52:59 that implies that God made a lot of creatures 53:02 that have no choice but to sin, 53:04 and then He's gonna punish them for sinning. 53:06 So that almost would make God sound like 53:09 an accomplice in the sin. 53:11 And that He makes creatures and said, 53:12 "I'm not gonna give you an opportunity to be saved 53:13 "or have a change of heart. 53:15 "Or you don't even have a choice, 53:16 "but I'm gonna punish you for sinning." 53:19 - You know Pastor Doug, 53:20 I think where some of the confusion is, 53:21 when you look at some of those passage in New Testament, 53:23 it talks about God predestinating some, 53:26 people think, "Well, is that has to do with salvation?" 53:28 No, it's not a predestination for salvation, 53:30 but it is God who chose, who predestined Israel 53:34 to be the people through whom the Messiah would come. 53:37 And that was a choice that God made. 53:39 So there is a distinction between individual predestination 53:43 versus a nation being chosen by God for a specific purpose. 53:46 - Right. 53:48 - And that's where the confusion comes in. 53:48 Of course, individually, 53:49 God wants each of us to choose to serve Him 53:52 and it's the goodness of God that leads us to repentance. 53:55 We can't repent without the Spirit of God. 53:57 - Yeah. 53:58 - But that Spirit is available to all 53:59 because He's not willing that any should perish, 54:01 but that all should come to salvation. 54:02 - Exactly. 54:04 People do have the freedom to make decisions, 54:05 and to process. 54:07 You know, the longer I've spent time studying this, 54:09 the more I've come to believe that the truth 54:11 actually lies somewhere in the middle. 54:13 In that, there's no doubt that God is involved 54:16 in drawing us. 54:17 So He's expressing His sovereignty in drawing the heart, 54:21 but we must respond to that drawing. 54:24 And He does give us freedom, 54:25 'cause you can't love if you're pre-programmed to love. 54:27 It's forced. 54:29 Well, friends. Thank you. 54:30 I hope that helps a little bit. 54:31 We do have a free offer that talks about, 54:32 "Can A Saved Man Be Lost?" 54:35 If you'd like that, 54:37 the gentleman who just called. 54:39 - Alicia. - Alicio. 54:39 - Yep. - Yeah. 54:40 You will just go to the "Amazing Facts" website. 54:43 - Or you can just call, 800-835-6747, 54:46 and ask for the book. 54:48 It's called, "Can A Saved Man Choose To Be Lost?" 54:49 And it's filled with great scripture. 54:51 - Yeah. 54:52 Now for our friends that are listening, 54:53 we sign off actually on our satellite time a little sooner, 54:57 but then we stay on "Amazing Facts" Television 55:00 and most of our land-based stations, 55:01 and we kind of go through some rapid fire Bible questions 55:04 for about two minutes. 55:06 We'll be back in a moment for those who stand by. 55:08 (victorious orchestral music) 55:10 - [Announcer] Thank you for listening to today's broadcast. 55:13 We hope you understand your Bible even better than before. 55:17 "Bible Answers Live" is produced by 55:19 Amazing Facts International, 55:21 a faith-based ministry located in Granite Bay, California. 55:26 - Hello friends. 55:28 We wanna welcome you back to our special question section. 55:33 We look forward to this. 55:34 We've got two minutes, Pastor Doug, 55:35 and we're gonna try and answer as many questions as we can. 55:36 These are questions that folks have emailed 55:38 to "Amazing Facts." 55:40 And if you wanna email us a question, 55:41 just simply BALquestions@amazingfacts.org. 55:46 All right, question number one. 55:47 When Lucifer was cast out of Heaven, 55:49 was this before or after Earth was created? 55:52 - That's Revelation 12. 55:53 And we believe that was before. 55:55 That war in Heaven was before the creation of the world, 55:58 and as Satan went roaming through the universe 56:00 trying to recruit support, 56:02 he then came to our planet shortly after we've been created. 56:04 But he was cast out first. 56:06 - Okay. Question number two. 56:07 Is it possible to hasten God's second coming? 56:11 - Peter tells us that as we share the gospel, 56:14 it says we look forward to 56:16 and hasten the coming of the Lord. 56:18 So Christ said that after the gospel goes to all the world, 56:22 then the end will come. 56:23 We can participate in taking the gospel to all the world 56:25 and so, in a secondary sense, we're helping to hasten that. 56:29 - Okay, next question that we have. 56:31 Luke 17, Matthew 24 says: 56:33 Two men will be in one bed, the one taken, the other left. 56:35 Two women grinding at the mill, one taken, the other left. 56:38 Is this talking about a secret rapture? 56:41 - Well, he is talking about when the Lord comes, 56:43 but he's not talking about a secret rapture, 56:45 'cause the disciples ask in the same passage, "Where?" 56:48 Meaning, where are they taken? 56:50 And Jesus says, "Wherever the eagles, the vultures are, 56:52 "or wherever the body is, 56:54 "that's where the vultures gather together." 56:55 And so it sounds like the ones who are taken 56:57 are taken away in judgment. 56:59 Talks about the wicked, 57:00 who the flood came and took them away. 57:03 Children of Israel would disobey 57:04 and they were carried away to Babylon or Assyria. 57:08 So some folks have totally misunderstood this passage 57:11 and I don't think it's talking about the secret rapture. 57:13 Talk about two classes, the saved and the lost. 57:16 - All right. 57:18 Well thank you, friends, again for your questions. 57:19 We look forward to seeing you next week 57:21 on another live "Bible Answer Live." 57:23 Until then, God bless. 57:24 (victorious orchestral music) 57:25 - [Announcer] "Bible Answers Live." 57:27 Honest and accurate answers to your Bible questions. 57:36 (cheerful music) 57:38 - [Announcer] Can't get enough "Amazing Facts" Bible study? 57:40 You don't have to wait until next week to enjoy 57:42 more truth-filled programming. 57:44 Visit the "Amazing Facts" media library 57:47 at aftv.org. 57:49 At aftv.org, you can enjoy video and audio presentations, 57:56 as well as printed material, all free of charge, 57:58 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 58:00 right from your computer or mobile device. 58:03 Visit aftv.org. 58:07 - [Announcer] Did you know "Amazing Facts" 58:08 has a free Bible school that you can do 58:10 from the comfort of your own home? 58:12 It includes 27 beautifully illustrated study lessons 58:15 to aid in your study of God's Word. 58:17 Sign up today for this free Bible study course 58:20 by calling 1-844-215-7000. 58:23 That's 1-844-215-7000. |
Revised 2022-07-30