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Series Code: AFBA
Program Code: AFBA022206S
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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, that's 800-835-6747. 00:45 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? 00:54 On April 29th, 2020, 00:56 a sprawling mass of powerful thunderstorms 00:59 produced a single mega flash lightning strike 01:02 over the Southern United States 01:03 that was more than 477 miles long. 01:07 This record-breaking massive flash of electric tentacles 01:11 stretched from near Houston to Southeast Mississippi. 01:14 The record beat the 440 mile-long mega flash 01:18 that occurred over Southern Brazil on Halloween of 2018. 01:22 Using the newest weather satellites, 01:24 the World Meteorological Organization announced 01:27 that it had confirmed the mega flash lightning record. 01:30 The WMO also identified a world record 01:34 for the longest lasting lightning flash. 01:37 It lit up the skies over Uruguay and Northern Argentina 01:40 for 17.1 seconds on June 18th, 2020. 01:45 Imagine that, Pastor Ross, 01:46 one lightning strike lights up the sky for 17 seconds. 01:49 That may not sound like long, but hold your breath 01:52 and picture a lightning strike for 17 seconds 01:55 and well, that would put any dog under the bed. 01:59 - Just the brightness of that, 02:00 you could probably read with a flash of lightning that long. 02:02 - You wonder what kinda thunder it would produce. 02:04 - Oh, man. Yeah, absolutely, yeah. 02:06 - It makes me think about that verse in the Bible 02:08 where Jesus is warning regarding His Second Coming, 02:11 He's warning about not being deceived 02:13 'cause He says there's going to be false Christs 02:16 and false prophets. 02:17 Now let me read a little bit to you of this. 02:20 It's in Matthew 24:23-27. 02:25 "Then if anyone says to you, 02:26 'Look, here is Christ! Or there!' 02:28 Do not believe it. 02:29 For false Christs and false prophets will rise 02:32 and show great signs and wonders to deceive, 02:34 if possible, even the very elect. 02:37 See, I've told you beforehand. 02:39 Therefore if they say to you, 02:40 'Look, he's in the desert!' 02:41 Do not go out; or, 'Look, he's in the inner rooms!' 02:44 Do not believe it. 02:45 For as lightning comes from the east 02:48 and flashes to the west, 02:50 so also will the coming of the Son of man be." 02:54 And so He's telling us 02:56 that we don't need to be concerned about... people say, 02:59 "I'm Jesus or Jesus came," 03:00 or you get a news report that says 03:02 it's gonna be like the whole Heaven's being lit up 03:05 when He comes and everybody's gonna know it. 03:08 - I know, Pastor Doug, you spent some time in the Midwest. 03:10 I have, and boy, do they have 03:11 those incredible electric storms. 03:14 And sometimes when there's so much lightning 03:16 and thunder at night, it just lights up the sky. 03:19 It's just amazing. 03:20 Well, you can imagine the coming of Christ, 03:23 how glorious that'll be. 03:24 There's no way you can hide from that brightness 03:26 of the Second Coming of Christ. 03:28 We have a book talking about the Second Coming 03:30 and it says "anything but secret." 03:32 That's the title of the book. 03:34 Sometimes people are confused. 03:35 They wonder if the Second Coming of Christ 03:37 is gonna be secret or quiet. 03:39 Well, the Bible says just the opposite. 03:41 It's gonna be a noisy, glorious event 03:44 and we'll be happy to send this book to anyone who asks. 03:47 The book again is called "Anything But Secret" 03:49 and the number is 800-835-6747. 03:53 That is our resource phone line. 03:55 You can ask for the book 03:56 and we'll be happy to send it to you. 03:58 If you're outside of North America, 03:59 just go visit the Amazing Facts website 04:02 and you'll be able to read the book right there online. 04:04 Pastor Doug, we wanna greet our friends 04:05 who are joining us on Facebook and YouTube. 04:08 Also those watching on Amazing Facts TV, 04:11 as well as Good News TV. 04:13 And we know that you're typing in your Bible questions. 04:16 We're gonna take some time at the end of the program 04:18 to answer the written questions that have come in. 04:21 So welcome also those listening on satellite radio 04:23 and various radio stations, 04:26 and we're glad you're part of our program tonight. 04:28 Well, before we get to the Bible questions, 04:29 let's start with a word of prayer. 04:31 Dear Father, we thank you for your word. 04:33 We thank you for the opportunity to study the Bible, 04:35 and we do pray that your Spirit will come and guide us. 04:37 Be with those who are listening, Lord, 04:38 and lead us into a fuller and clearer understanding 04:41 of what the Bible says. 04:42 For we ask this in Jesus' name. Amen. 04:45 - Amen. 04:46 - Alright. Ready to go to our first call this evening. 04:48 We've got Tim listening from Michigan. 04:50 Tim, welcome to the program. Tim in Michigan. 04:56 Hi, Tim. You there? 04:57 - [Tim] Thank you. Yep. 04:59 - Hey, how can we help you tonight? 05:02 - [Tim] Well, a little while ago, 05:05 a fellow called in and asked if the rapture 05:07 and the Second Coming was the same thing, and you said yes. 05:12 And I was just wondering about that. 05:15 There's a couple, the Day of the Lord, 05:17 you gave him, 1 Thessalonians 4, 05:23 and this kinda refers to Zechariah's prophecy 05:27 when His feet touched the Mount of Olives. 05:30 I was wondering if there was a timeline between that, 05:32 between the rapture and what that prophecy was about. 05:39 - Yeah, the Bible tells us that there's actually a span 05:40 of about 1,000 years called the millennium. 05:43 The Bible refers to it as 1,000 years 05:46 between the first resurrection and the second resurrection. 05:49 Now, when Jesus' feet touch the Mount of Olives, 05:51 as you find in Zechariah 14:4, it says, 05:55 "His feet will stand on that day on the Mount of Olives, 05:57 which is before Jerusalem on the east, 05:59 and the Mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof." 06:02 Now, one reason you know this is not when Jesus comes 06:05 for the rapture, the Bible says during the rapture, 06:08 He doesn't touch the ground. 06:09 We are caught up to meet Him and He says, 06:12 "I will take you to the mansions that I prepared," 06:14 and that's John chapter 14, 06:16 but here He's actually touching the Earth, 06:18 so this is when He, some might call it the third coming, 06:20 He's coming back after the millennium 06:23 and his feet touch the Mount of Olives, 06:26 massive earthquake creates a great valley, 06:28 and the New Jerusalem actually settles in that valley. 06:32 Then later, and you read it also in this chapter, 06:34 the wicked launch an attack, 06:35 you see that also in Revelation 20, against the city of God 06:39 and fire comes down from God out of Heaven and devours them. 06:42 So yes, there is actually a 1,000 year 06:45 or the millennial period between His next coming 06:50 and this period at the end of the 1,000 years 06:53 in Zechariah 14. 06:55 - We do have a study guide that talks about the 1,000 years 06:58 spoken of in Revelation Chapter 20, 06:59 and we'll be happy to send this to you, Tim, 07:01 or anyone who calls and asks. 07:03 It's called "A Thousand Years of Peace." 07:05 And the number to call for that is 800-835-6747. 07:09 And again, you can ask for that study guide, 07:11 it's called "A Thousand Years of Peace." 07:13 If you have a Bible-related question, 07:14 the phone line here to the studio is 800-463-7297. 07:19 That'll get you on the program for tonight. 07:22 Next caller that we have, 07:23 we've got Marvins listening from Ontario. 07:26 Marvins, welcome. Montreal, rather. 07:29 - [Marvins] First of all, thank you, 07:33 for both of you for accommodating me 07:36 to ask you my questions. 07:39 - Yes. 07:40 - [Marvins] So my question is 07:42 when the door of probation will close? 07:46 - Okay, now for our friends listening, 07:48 when someone is talking about probation closing, 07:51 they're referring to a time 07:53 when life may still go on here briefly on Earth, 07:56 but the saved are all saved and the lost are all lost 07:59 and there's nobody changing teams anymore. 08:01 The people who are saved are sealed and saved. 08:03 Pastor Ross, there's that verse in Revelation 22 08:07 where he says, 08:08 "Those that are just let them be just still." 08:11 And I'll tell you about another passage that's in Genesis 08:15 when Noah was told with his family to enter into the arc. 08:20 He entered into the arc and God shut the door. 08:23 All of the animals and Noah 08:25 that were gonna be saved were in the arc. 08:27 The door was shut. 08:28 All of the lost were on the outside 08:29 and their destiny was sealed. 08:31 Life went on for a few more days. Seven days in this story. 08:35 And then the rains came. 08:36 So there may be a period of time, 08:38 a brief period just before Jesus comes 08:40 when all the saved are saved and all the lost are lost 08:42 and there's no changing sides anymore. 08:44 - Yeah, the verse he's referring to is Revelation 22:11. 08:47 It says, "He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; 08:50 he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; 08:52 he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; 08:55 he who is holy, let him be holy still." 08:57 And then the very next verse says, 08:58 "And behold, I am coming quickly, 09:01 and my reward is with Me, 09:02 to give to everyone according to his works." 09:04 So the close of probation here takes place 09:07 just before the Second Coming of Christ. 09:08 - Mm-hmm, and most people believe 09:10 that when the plagues begin to fall, that at that point, 09:14 the Holy Spirit has been withdrawn from the wicked. 09:17 And that's why they get kind of berserk 09:21 in their attempt to annihilate all Christians. 09:24 When the seven last plagues are falling, at that point, 09:26 we believe the saved are saved and the lost are lost 09:28 and probation is closed. 09:30 - Okay, thank you for your call. 09:32 Maidellyn is listening from Kansas. 09:34 Maidellyn, welcome to the program. 09:37 - [Maidellyn] Thank you. 09:38 Thank you so much for answering my call. 09:39 I really appreciate it and I love your show. 09:41 - Well, thank you. 09:44 - [Maidellyn] Okay, so I've got a quick-ish question. 09:46 So in the Book of Ezra Chapter 10, 09:51 I don't know exactly how to word it. 09:52 The lady who took my call, she helped me a bit. 09:55 I know how I feel about it 09:56 and that's the confusion regarding it. 09:59 So the foreign women and children, 10:01 they were to be dismissed from the congregation. 10:04 Apparently, the Jewish men were not supposed to do this. 10:07 They took foreign women, et cetera. 10:09 But my question is, was there no provision? 10:12 No way for those women, 10:13 the ones who accepted Yahweh as their own God? 10:16 I mean, we do see examples of Ruth and Rahab. 10:20 Why did these women have to be dismissed? 10:22 I mean, I guess I know why. 10:24 The real question is, 10:25 was there a way that they could have been allowed to stay 10:29 and not been sent away? 10:31 - Yeah, this is a difficult passage. 10:33 And just for our friends that are listening, 10:35 you find this in Ezra Chapter 10 and it talks about it in, 10:40 well, it mentions them by name when you get to Verse 18, 10:43 but the whole reason they'd been carried off into captivity 10:47 is they had compromised their beliefs 10:48 and stopped worshiping God and began to worship idols. 10:51 So now after learning their lesson, 70 years, 10:53 they come back to rebuild the temple, rebuild the city, 10:56 and the leaders start to marry pagan wives again. 11:00 And Ezra's going, "This is how we got into trouble." 11:03 Now, these are pagan wives 11:04 that are still worshiping pagan gods. 11:06 It's kinda like Ahab was influenced by Jezebel. 11:09 Ruth had accepted the God of Naomi 11:12 and Rahab had accepted the God of Salmon and the other spy. 11:16 Well, there's two spies. 11:17 We think one of them was named Salmon. 11:18 It doesn't tell us in the passage 11:19 that these wives had accepted Jehovah, so that's one thing. 11:25 Another thing is if they were told to put them away, 11:27 keep in mind, Abraham was told to put away Hagar, 11:30 but he gave her an allowance when he put her away. 11:35 They call that alimony today or some support, 11:38 but it was causing all kinds of havoc in the family. 11:42 This was a very drastic measure 11:44 because the whole nation was at the point of a new birth 11:47 and the new birth was gonna be destroyed 11:50 by these intermarriages with pagans once again, 11:52 so they took pretty drastic measures. 11:55 - Alright, well, thank you for your call. 11:56 - Thank you, Maidellyn. Hope that helps a little bit. 11:59 - We've got Syd listening from Maryland. 12:00 Syd, welcome to the program. 12:02 - [Syd] Hi, how are you? 12:04 - Good. Thanks for calling. 12:06 - [Syd] So my question is why were people getting baptized 12:09 before Jesus got baptized? 12:11 Because when people get baptized now, 12:14 they say that you are taking a stand for Jesus. 12:16 And by getting baptized, 12:18 Jesus set an example for His followers. 12:21 - Well, the first baptism was called the Baptism of John, 12:24 which was a baptism of repentance. 12:27 So John the Baptist was not saying, 12:28 "I baptize you in the name of the Father, Son, 12:30 and Holy Spirit," 12:31 John the Baptist was not saying, 12:33 "I baptize you in the name of Jesus." 12:35 John was baptizing them in the name of Jehovah 12:39 to just have a repentance and a return to God. 12:42 An example of this is found in Acts Chapter 19. 12:46 Paul meets 12 Ephesian believers 12:49 and he's preaching about Jesus and they said, 12:50 "Well, we haven't heard about this." 12:52 He says, "Well, have you heard about the Holy Spirit?" 12:54 And they said, "We didn't know if there was a Holy Spirit." 12:57 And Paul says, "Into what then were you baptized?" 12:59 They said, "John's baptism," meaning John the Baptist. 13:02 So John baptized for probably a year and a half 13:05 before he identified Jesus as the Lamb of God. 13:08 John then continued with his disciples to baptize 13:11 until he was arrested, 13:12 probably only about six months after that. 13:15 And so am I answering your question, Syd, 13:18 about what was the distinction there? 13:21 - [Syd] Yes. 13:23 - Okay, very good. 13:24 Yeah, so then once John recognized Jesus as the Lamb of God, 13:28 John said, "He must increase, I must decrease." 13:30 He had done his work, calling the nation to repentance. 13:34 The people were turning back to God 13:35 and then he kinda did a handoff to Jesus. 13:38 - Talking about baptism, it's an important subject, 13:40 Pastor Doug, and the Bible has a lot to say about it. 13:42 We have a book that's called 13:43 "Baptism: Is it Really Necessary?" 13:46 Again, there's sort of divided opinion today, 13:48 even amongst Christians as to baptism. 13:50 When is the person to be baptized? 13:52 Is it really necessary for salvation? 13:54 - How to do it? 13:55 What name? The whole thing. 13:57 - A lot of confusion, so we'll be happy to send this book 14:00 to anyone who calls and asks. 14:01 It's called "Baptism: Is it Really Necessary?" 14:04 The number to call for that is 800-835-6747. 14:07 And if you're in North America, 14:09 we'll get it in the mail, send it to you. 14:10 If you're outside of North America, 14:12 you can read it by going to the Amazing Facts website, 14:15 just amazingfacts.org. 14:16 And of course, if you're in North America, 14:18 you can also go to the website 14:19 and you'll be able to read it there. 14:21 Thanks for your call. 14:22 We've got, let's see, Angela is calling from Illinois. 14:26 Angela, welcome to the program. 14:28 - [Angela] Hi. - Hi. 14:29 - [Angela] I have a question. 14:30 In the New Testament, was it the Pharisees or the Sadducees 14:34 that did the sacrifices? 14:36 I know that in the Old Testament, 14:38 the Levites were through Aaron from the heritage. 14:44 And then I have a follow-up. 14:46 After Christ's death, 14:48 was sacrifices still being conducted? 14:51 Because, of course, he was the sacrifice, 14:53 but I just read that 14:55 and I'm just wondering what your thoughts are. 14:57 - Yeah, good questions. 14:58 Alright, let's see if we can, 15:00 I think we can answer both of those pretty quickly. 15:02 As far as the Pharisees and Sadducees, 15:04 neither the Pharisees and Sadducees 15:06 really served in the temple to offer sacrifice. 15:13 You could be a Pharisee, but you had to be a Levite. 15:16 Now, you can have a Levite that was a Pharisee, 15:18 meaning that the Pharisees were the devoted ones. 15:23 They were consecrated in a special way. 15:25 They weren't going to pollute themselves with paganism. 15:28 Now, there were some Levites 15:29 that also followed the Pharisee rules, 15:32 but you could be a Pharisee and not a Levite 15:35 like Paul was a Benjamite, so Paul never offered sacrifice. 15:38 Same thing with the Sadducees. 15:40 But many of the Sadducees were from the priestly family, 15:43 like Caiaphas, so here they are offering sacrifice, 15:46 but some of them didn't even believe in angels 15:48 or resurrection, which is really pathetic. 15:51 At the time of Christ, 15:52 the church had fallen pretty, pretty badly. 15:55 And the second part of your question, 15:57 did they still sacrifice after Jesus died on the cross? 16:00 Well, the veil was rent when Jesus died on the cross. 16:04 They probably had to repair the veil, 16:07 but they probably re-instituted the form of a sacrifice 16:11 up until the temple was destroyed by the Romans. 16:14 - There's another verse talking about that, Pastor Doug, 16:16 when Jesus left the temple for the last time, 16:19 he said to the religious leaders and to the Jews, 16:21 "Your house is left to you desolate," 16:23 meaning that he had disowned the sanctuary 16:26 and thus the sacrificial service 16:28 'cause he was the Lamb of God. 16:29 And then there's a prophecy 16:30 that you find in Daniel Chapter 9 16:33 that's talking about Christ the Messiah and it says, 16:35 "He will put an end to sacrifices," 16:37 and it's talking about His death. 16:39 So there's a number of Old Testament passages 16:41 and also in the New Testament 16:42 that said at the death of Christ, 16:43 there was no need for a sacrifice. 16:45 Jesus was the Lamb of God 16:47 that takes away the sins of the world. 16:49 - Right, so but they still probably went through the form 16:51 of a sacrificial system until the temple was destroyed, 16:53 but it was meaningless at that point. 16:56 Thank you. I appreciate your call. 16:58 - Next caller that we have is Robert 16:59 listening from New Jersey. 17:02 Robert, are you there? 17:04 - [Robert] Yeah, good evening, Pastor. Can you hear me? 17:06 - Yes. 17:08 - [Robert] Okay, great. 17:10 My question's concerning 17:12 what's the first lie recorded in the Bible? 17:14 Now, this says on the full amend, which is Genesis 3, 17:23 I think it's 3:4, where the serpent says to the woman, 17:27 "You will not surely not die..." 17:29 That's usually considered the first lie that was a recorded. 17:33 But then somebody pointed something out, 17:36 when she was having a discussion with the serpent, 17:40 "You must not eat from the fruit of the trees," 17:41 this is Genesis 3:4 I believe, or 3:3 17:46 "You must not eat fruit from the three. 17:51 You must not even touch it or you will die." 17:56 We don't hear God saying it to Adam, 17:58 so did she make that up 18:01 or was that added on later 18:04 or did she get confused? 18:06 What would that be? Was she lying? 18:10 - Okay, yeah, it sounds like Eve is adding something 18:14 to the instruction that you see earlier 18:16 where God says, "You're not to eat from the tree." 18:19 And I don't think Eve made it up 18:21 because there was no sin until she ate the forbidden fruit. 18:25 Her heart was pure and innocent. 18:26 She had no reason to lie or deceive. 18:28 I think she was expanding on 18:30 or rather I think she was giving more information 18:32 on what God had told Adam and Eve. 18:34 Keep in mind, the Bible is summarizing. 18:37 I'm sure that God said many things to Adam. 18:39 The Bible tells us God and Adam spent that day together 18:42 naming all the animals, 18:43 so I'm sure there were many things that God said. 18:47 The way that it's first recorded for us 18:49 is God says don't eat from it. 18:50 When you hear from Eve, 18:52 we realize God not only said don't eat from it, 18:54 he said don't touch it, so you stay away from it. 18:57 Of course, touching it led to eating from it. 19:01 The reason you would touch the fruit 19:02 is because you wanted to pick it and eat it. 19:04 So I think that there's not a lie involved 19:07 on Eve's part there. 19:08 I think she's absolutely sincere 19:09 when she's talking to the serpent. 19:11 - Alright. - Thank you. 19:13 - We've got Abdiel listening from Florida. 19:16 Abdiel, welcome to the program. 19:18 - [Abdiel] Hi, thank you for having me. How are you guys? 19:20 - Good. Thanks for calling. 19:22 - [Abdiel] Thank you. 19:23 So I just have a quick thank you. 19:25 So I found your program in December 19:27 and it's made a big difference. 19:29 - Well, praise the Lord. 19:31 - [Abdiel] I had a question. I'm in Luke. 19:34 So in Luke, it seems like there's a very earnest man 19:39 called Simeon and it seems like he already knows 19:42 that the Messiah is coming in his lifetime. 19:45 And I think there's a couple others 19:47 that that could have happened to, maybe like Anna, I hear. 19:51 So I guess the question is for both of you, 19:56 Jean Ross and Pastor Doug, 19:59 so is it possible to have that kind of relationship 20:05 with Jesus today if you're diligent 20:08 that He can tell you basically like, "Hey," 20:12 He might not tell you a date, 20:13 but He can tell you like in your lifetime or something, 20:17 so I'm not really sure how that goes. 20:19 - Yeah, it seems like the Lord, of course, 20:21 gave a divine revelation to the shepherds 20:24 about Jesus' coming and there was a divine revelation 20:27 that was given to the Wise Men of Christ's coming. 20:31 And then Simeon said the Lord had told him 20:34 that "You'll not taste death until you see it." 20:38 And he said, "Now let your servant depart in peace 20:40 where I've seen his salvation." 20:42 Could that happen again before the Second Coming? 20:45 God is not restricted. 20:46 The Lord could impress anybody that you're not gonna die 20:50 before you see these things be fulfilled. 20:53 That would not replace Scripture. 20:55 And God is not gonna give the day and the hour to anybody 20:58 because Jesus is very clear: 20:59 no man knows the day or the hour. 21:01 But can God give an impression? 21:04 Sure, He's the Lord. He's not restricted. 21:07 And even after Jesus ascended to Heaven, 21:10 He appeared to Paul and to some others. 21:13 And so Jesus still communicates with people today. 21:17 - You mentioned Simeon, as well as Anna. 21:19 She was also the one that confessed Christ 21:22 to be the Messiah as a baby. 21:24 The Bible does tell us in Luke 2:36 21:27 that Anna was a prophetess. 21:28 So God had spoken to her through dreams or visions, 21:32 but either way, whether it was through a direct revelation 21:35 or through the prompting of the Holy Spirit, 21:38 these two individuals had a very special, 21:40 very close connection and communion with God. 21:44 And of course, their hope, especially for Simeon, 21:46 was, "Lord, let me see the promised Messiah before I die," 21:50 and God honored that and he got to see baby Jesus. 21:52 - That's right. Amen. 21:54 Well, thank you. Hope that helps a little, Abdiel. 21:56 Appreciate your call and encourage you to keep listening. 21:59 - We've got Karen listening in Texas. 22:00 Karen, welcome to the program. 22:02 - [Karen] Thank you. 22:03 Okay, my question is I had heard that Jesus wasn't born 22:10 in just a regular barn, 22:14 but that He was born in the special barn 22:19 where the perfect sheep was taken care of 22:25 before they were going to be used for a sacrifice. 22:30 - Okay, and you wanted to know 22:31 what the Bible says about that? 22:34 - [Karen] Yes. Had you heard that? 22:36 - I had not heard that. 22:38 I've heard several things about some people 22:41 that try to extrapolate on giving more details 22:44 about the birth of Jesus, 22:46 but the Bible simply says that she brought forth 22:49 her firstborn Son and called His name Jesus 22:53 and they laid Him, they wrapped Him in swaddling clothes 22:56 and they laid Him in a manger 22:58 because there was no room in the inn. 23:00 So the assumption is a manger is a trough 23:04 in which you feed animals. 23:07 And it's interesting. 23:08 A trough is where you hold grain 23:10 and Jesus who is the Bread of Life 23:13 was placed in a bread basket, you might say. 23:15 And He was born in a town called Bethlehem 23:17 and the word Bethlehem means "house of bread." 23:19 So here you have the Bread of Life, put in a bread basket, 23:22 born in a town that is called the "house of bread," 23:25 and that in itself is interesting. 23:27 The other thing is that this is sort of a reverse 23:31 of what happened at the death of Jesus. 23:33 The birth of Jesus, He enters the world, 23:35 the troughs they used, 23:38 the mangers they used for food, 23:41 in spite of what you might see Christmastime on a corner, 23:43 they usually carved them out of stone. 23:46 A donkey will chew up a wooden trough... 23:48 I used to have horses. 23:50 So they carved them out of stone 23:52 and the manger could have been located in a cave. 23:56 Around Bethlehem, it's a very rocky country, 23:58 and a lot of people say it wasn't a barn 24:00 as you think of on the East Coast of the US, 24:02 they got these big red barns, 24:04 but it was probably more like a cave 24:06 where the animals would stay out of the rain. 24:09 And so some have wondered, 24:10 isn't that interesting that when Jesus entered the world, 24:14 He was placed in a stone box and wrapped in cloth 24:19 and He came to life. 24:20 At the end of His life, He's placed in a virgin tomb 24:24 that had never been used before, 24:25 Jesus was put in a virgin womb, 24:28 and that He was wrapped in cloth. 24:30 There's a Joseph at the birth of Jesus 24:32 and there's a Joseph at the death of Jesus. 24:34 And it's kind of interesting. 24:38 I doubt it was a typical barn. It may have been a cave. 24:41 It may have been a shed where the animals were protected. 24:44 The Bible doesn't say, 24:45 so everything anyone says about it is pure speculation. 24:50 - [Karen] Go into detail. 24:52 - Yeah, the Bible gives very little detail. 24:54 Just says she brought forth her Son 24:55 and they placed Him in a manger 24:56 because there was no room in the inn. 24:59 Hey, thank you, Karen. 25:00 We sure appreciate your calling 25:01 and hope you call back again. 25:04 - Do we have time for one more caller 25:05 before we hit the break? 25:07 - If we, yeah, get a quick question maybe. 25:08 - Let's go to Bradley in Arizona. 25:10 Bradley, welcome to the program. 25:11 We have about a minute and a half before the break. 25:15 - [Bradley] Hi. On Revelation 22:2- 25:18 my question is if we're in Heaven 25:20 and we have glorified bodies 25:21 and we have access to the Tree of Life, 25:23 why do we need the leaves for the healing of the nations? 25:26 - Yeah, and it actually says in Ezekiel 25:28 and the leaves of the tree are for medicine. 25:31 Why would we need medicine? 25:33 Well, the way it's worded here in Revelation, 25:35 it doesn't say the leaves of the tree 25:37 are for the healing of sickness. 25:38 It's the healing of nations. 25:40 And now here in this world, people are all divided 25:43 by their languages and their cultures and their races. 25:48 And in Heaven, those divisions will not exist. 25:50 As we all gather under that massive Tree of Life, 25:54 under its shimmering leaves 25:56 and eat from that fruit that helps perpetuate life, 25:59 that all of the divisions that have separated the nations 26:02 here in this world will be dissolved. 26:05 And so it almost makes it sound like 26:06 it's the healing of the nations. 26:08 There's gonna be no sickness in the Kingdom. 26:10 And there may be some... 26:14 Not healing, is not the right word, 26:16 but there might be some vitalizing power to the leaves. 26:20 What happened to Popeye when he ate spinach? 26:22 So you can't rule it out. 26:25 I think every part of the tree's gonna be edible. 26:28 So they say they got that, what is it, 26:30 the Baobab tree there in Africa and Australia 26:33 that you can eat its fruit. 26:35 You can eat its sap. 26:37 You can eat its leaves when they're young. 26:38 They're like spinach. 26:39 They say just every part of it is a tree of life. 26:42 So I don't know, that might be the answer, Tim. 26:44 Anyway, hey, thank you very much for your question. 26:46 Don't go away, friends. 26:47 We're gonna take a break 26:48 and we're gonna come back in a few moments. 26:49 We've got more questions lined up. 26:51 We see those of you who are standing in line. 26:54 Hang on and endure to the end. 26:56 We'll get to your phone calls. 26:59 (bright/ grand music) 27:02 - [Narrator] Stay tuned. 27:03 "Bible Answers Live" will return shortly. 27:10 Find out what the critics are raving about. 27:13 Top scholars and theologians from around the country 27:15 come together to reveal the hidden history 27:18 of the Book of Revelation. 27:20 With powerful reenactments and incredible visual effects, 27:23 this 95-minute masterpiece brings to life 27:26 the Book of Revelation like never before. 27:29 Revelation is no longer a mystery. Get your copy today. 27:33 Visit iTunes or afbookstore.com. 27:39 - [Female Voiceover] Life can be overwhelming. 27:41 Where can an on-the-go woman find quality time with God? 27:44 The new "Amazing Treasures of Faith" box set 27:46 from Amazing Facts empowers your devotional life 27:49 with inspiring resources that will bring lasting peace 27:52 into your busy life. 27:53 This beautifully designed box set by women, for women 27:56 comes with a 31-day devotional, recipe and scripture cards 27:59 and special messages from Pastor Doug and Karen Batchelor. 28:02 Get your "Amazing Treasures of Faith" box set today. 28:04 Just call 800-538-7275 or visit afbookstore.com. 28:11 - Terror attacks, natural disasters, 28:12 political instability, and global economic meltdown. 28:17 These are the images people generally associate 28:19 with the tribulation and the Day of the Lord. 28:22 But did you know the Bible speaks 28:24 about another Day of the Lord 28:26 just before the great Judgment Day? 28:28 Amazingly, imprinted on the very fabric of time itself 28:32 is a 24-hour period called the Sabbath 28:35 that was meant to forever be a time of restoration 28:38 for every human being. 28:40 A day the entire world has largely forgotten. 28:43 You'll be surprised to learn 28:45 how this special Day of the Lord 28:47 factors into last-day prophecies, 28:49 such as the mark of the beast, the seal of God, 28:52 and the great final tribulation. 28:54 It's all contained in this new eyeopening DVD series 28:58 called "The Last Day of Prophecy." 29:01 To order, call 800-538-7275 or visit afbookstore.com. 29:12 - [Narrator] You're listening to "Bible Answers Live," 29:15 where every question answered provides a clearer picture 29:18 of God and His plan to save you. 29:21 So what are you waiting for? 29:23 Get practical answers about the Good Book 29:25 for a better life today. 29:29 This broadcast is a previously recorded episode. 29:33 If you'd like answers 29:34 to your Bible-related questions on the air, 29:36 please call us next Sunday 29:38 between 7:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. Pacific Time. 29:41 To receive any of the Bible resources 29:43 mentioned in this evening's program, call 800-835-6747. 29:49 Once again, that's 800-835-6747. 29:56 Now let's rejoin our hosts for more "Bible Answers Live." 30:01 - Welcome back, listening friends, to "Bible Answers Live" 30:04 and this program is here for that purpose, 30:06 to do our best to answer your Bible question. 30:08 So if you have a Bible question, you can give us a call. 30:12 The number 800-GOD-SAYS, 800-463-7297. 30:18 And we're gonna get back to the phones. 30:19 My name is Pastor Doug Batchelor. 30:21 - My name is Jean Ross, 30:22 and we got Faye listening in Washington. 30:24 Faye, welcome to the program. 30:27 - [Faye] Hi. 30:27 - Hi. How can we help you? 30:29 - [Faye] I was just wondering 30:31 if you could kind of explain the Antichrist. 30:36 - We'll do our best. 30:38 - [Faye] Like what exactly it is? Yeah. 30:39 And then like other religions, 30:44 different churches being in Heaven, different religions. 30:48 - Okay. Yeah, well, first of all, will there be, 30:51 well, I believe there'll be Christians 30:54 from many denominations in the Kingdom. 30:55 So the idea that only one denomination 30:58 has a copyright on the Kingdom of Heaven... 31:02 I do think it matters what you believe, 31:04 but I think that God has sincere people 31:06 that are in many Christian persuasions. 31:10 On the first question about the Antichrist, 31:12 now, you find the word Antichrist five times in the Bible. 31:16 Interestingly, it is not found at all 31:18 in Revelation or Daniel. 31:20 It's found in 1 John four times, 31:22 the first letter of John. 31:23 And in 2 John, it's found once. 31:25 And notice what he says here: 31:28 It tells us that "My little children..." this is 1 John, 31:32 let me see, this is Verse 18 of Chapter two, 1 John 2:18: 31:37 "Little children, it is the last hour; 31:39 and you've heard that Antichrist is coming, 31:42 even now many antichrists have come, 31:46 by which we know it's the last hour." 31:50 An antichrist means against or opposed to. 31:53 So there were leaders back then, 31:55 powerful leaders that were opposed to Christ. 31:57 One of them actually put John in boiling oil 32:00 and miraculously survived. 32:02 But the main antichrist that we find 32:05 that is this little horn power from Daniel 7 and 8 and 11, 32:15 that has been identified. 32:18 Most Protestant Christians identified that with the papacy. 32:22 And I know folks are shocked to hear that, 32:23 but I'm just telling you that if you look at John Wesley 32:28 and John Calvin, Martin Luther, Charles Spurgeon, 32:32 you just kinda go up through the history 32:33 of the great Protestant preachers. 32:35 They said you cannot escape that beast power that you find, 32:39 for example, if you look in Revelation Chapter 17, 32:42 it talks about a woman, and that's a church, 32:45 that has become unfaithful, 32:47 sits among seven hills, Rome is the city of seven hills, 32:51 has a golden cup in her hand, 32:52 the golden chalice for the mass 32:54 is considered the most sacred vessel. 32:55 And they looked at Chapter 17 of Revelation by itself 32:59 and they said, "This is that antichrist power." 33:03 So I know that sounds like hate speech, 33:07 but I'm just telling you what the Protestants, 33:09 how they interpreted prophecy. 33:11 We have a lesson on that. 33:14 - We do. It's called "Who is the Antichrist?" 33:16 And I think Faye, you'd enjoy it, 33:17 or anyone wanting to learn more about what the Bible says, 33:19 this is pretty deep prophecy, so it's important though. 33:23 And the Bible talks about these various powers 33:26 and kingdoms and countries in the last days. 33:28 We'll be happy to send this to anyone who calls and asks. 33:30 The number to call is 800-835-6747. 33:34 You can ask for the study guide. 33:35 It's called "Who is the Antichrist?" 33:37 And we'll send that to anyone who calls and asks. 33:40 Next caller that we have is Daniel listening in Colorado. 33:43 Daniel, welcome to the program. 33:46 - [Daniel] Hi, I have a question. 33:50 How do we know if the dinosaurs were dead in Noah's flood? 33:58 - Okay. 34:00 Now, we know a lot of animals died, not just dinosaurs, 34:03 but lions and tigers and bears died in Noah's flood. 34:06 The only ones that were saved 34:07 were the ones that were brought on the arc. 34:10 The unclean animals, 34:12 those that could not be used for either food or sacrifice, 34:15 they came by twos and the clean animals came by sevens. 34:20 Now, when you say dinosaur, 34:22 dinosaur are these big thunder lizards, 34:24 and they're giant reptiles. 34:27 They're a whole species of creatures that are extinct now. 34:31 You could argue and say, well, we still have crocodiles 34:35 and we still have, what do they call them? 34:40 These giant monitor lizards and the Komodo dragons. 34:44 I almost said Kubota tractors. 34:46 And so you've got all kinds of great reptiles 34:50 that are still in the world today. 34:51 There also used to be giant mammals. 34:54 They had, what was it, sloths that were 13 feet tall 34:59 and beavers that were eight feet. 35:01 And just a lot of mammals, 35:02 and bison that were as big as a house. 35:05 So all of the creatures 35:06 kind of were shrunk during the flood. 35:10 Then you read in the New Test, 35:12 I'm sorry, that you read following the flood, 35:15 there was this mighty hunter named Nimrod 35:17 and mighty hunters don't hunt mice. 35:19 Mighty hunters hunt big animals. 35:21 It could be that Noah had preserved 35:23 two of some of these greater reptiles 35:26 and they all got killed off, like the Dodo birds. 35:29 They were extinct. 35:31 So they're all gone now and all we've got is the fossils 35:37 of some of these giant reptiles and even mammals. 35:39 But thank you. 35:41 We've got a book that you would enjoy, Daniel. 35:45 It's got pictures too about the dinosaurs. 35:48 It's our magazine by Jim Pinkoski. 35:50 And if you go to the Amazing Facts website, 35:53 type in dinosaurs and you'll see our color, 35:56 it's kinda like a comic book Bible study. 35:58 I think if you're seven years old, you'll really enjoy that. 36:01 - Alright. Thanks for your call, Daniel. 36:03 We've got Lee listening from North Carolina. 36:05 Lee, welcome to the program. 36:07 - [Lee] Oh, thank you so much. Hi, pastors. 36:09 My question please is about the Holy Spirit. 36:12 I know that after Jesus left, 36:14 He sent the Holy Spirit to the apostles. 36:18 My question is what about the Old Testament prophets 36:22 and just God's faithful, Jehovah's faithful? 36:26 Did they have the Spirit? 36:28 I mean, did they just have it and not know it? 36:30 I guess the Trinity started right at the beginning. 36:33 I know Jesus was prophesied 36:35 about right from the Garden of Eden, 36:37 but I just didn't know when does the Holy Spirit enter. 36:39 Thank you so much. 36:41 - Yeah. Thanks for your question. 36:42 We sure appreciate it, Faye. 36:44 The Holy Spirit has been around, of course, 36:45 since the beginning. 36:46 There in Genesis where it tells us 36:49 the Spirit moved upon the face of the waters 36:50 right there at the beginning. 36:52 And you go to the last book in the Bible, 36:54 the last chapter, it says "The Spirit 36:55 and the bride say 'come.'" 36:58 And you read in the Old Testament, 37:00 it tells us the Spirit of the Lord came upon Samson. 37:04 And then you read where Moses brought 70 elders 37:07 to Mount Sinai to present them before the Lord 37:10 and the Lord put his Holy Spirit upon them. 37:13 Well, it actually says he took the Spirit that was on Moses 37:15 and put it upon them, meaning God's Spirit 37:18 that God had given Moses, the same Spirit. 37:20 And when the Bible tells us that Elijah prayed 37:23 for a double portion of Elijah's Spirit, 37:24 well, that was the Holy Spirit. 37:27 And David, when he says in Psalm 51, 37:30 "Take not by Holy Spirit from me." 37:34 So there are many, many passages in the Old Testament 37:38 where you see the Spirit of God. 37:39 Now, you don't see the degree of the baptism 37:42 of the Holy Spirit that Jesus gave the apostles 37:44 until after the sacrifice of Christ. 37:47 The power and the miracles that were wrought 37:48 by the disciples was unparalleled 37:51 by virtually any Old Testament characters, 37:53 save Moses and Elijah, 37:54 but here you had 12 Spirit-filled prophets 37:57 going out and preaching about Jesus. 38:00 - So in other words, you're saying, Pastor Doug, 38:02 the Holy Spirit has always been active since the creation. 38:05 He's been speaking to the hearts of man, the Bible says, 38:08 it's the goodness of God that leads us to repentance. 38:10 So the Holy Spirit was speaking to the hearts of people 38:12 even before Christ came. 38:14 There were some God-fearing people who loved the Lord. 38:17 And of course, miracles did occur 38:19 in the Old Testament as well. 38:20 Some mighty miracles, even being resurrected from the dead. 38:24 - Yeah, the word spirit is found 617 times in the Bible 38:29 and many of them are Old Testament references. 38:33 Thank you, Faye, hope that helps a little bit. 38:35 And we do have a book 38:36 that talks about the need of the Holy Spirit. 38:37 You can download that or ask for it for free. 38:40 - The number to call is 800-835-6747. 38:43 And again, you can ask for that book, 38:45 it's called the "The Holy Spirit, the Need" 38:47 and we'll be happy to send that 38:48 to anyone who calls and asks. 38:50 Next caller we have is Kevin listening from Mississippi. 38:53 Kevin, welcome to the program. 38:56 - [Kevin] Yes, hi, so I was just wondering 38:59 when do a person need to be re-baptized? 39:02 - Okay, good question. 39:05 If a person falls, 39:07 at what point do they need to be re-baptized? 39:09 Now, a person can fall off a step 39:12 and they usually don't get too hurt. 39:13 If you fall off a cliff, it's more serious. 39:15 There's different kinds of falls. 39:17 It's normal for a Christian 39:19 as you're following the Lord to slip. 39:24 James says, "In many things we offend." 39:27 And as the sparks fly upwards, 39:30 so the children of men are prone 39:32 towards doing things wrong. 39:35 It's commonplace for Christians to sin in thought or action. 39:39 It should not be the pattern of their life. 39:41 And that's why we pray and we repent 39:44 and we look for God's ongoing mercy. 39:46 John tells us if we sin, to confess our sins 39:50 and He's faithful and just 39:51 to forgive us our sins and cleanse us. 39:54 And then we have the Lord's supper 39:55 as sort of a new beginning, that's like another level, 39:59 where we partake of that grape juice 40:03 representing the blood of Christ 40:04 and the bread representing the body of Christ. 40:08 And in some churches like ours, 40:09 they even participate in foot-washing service. 40:12 So we try to reenact that new beginning. 40:15 So in most cases, when a person, they make a mistake, 40:20 they might want to just look forward 40:22 to that communion service and get a new beginning. 40:24 If a person divorces themselves from the Lord, 40:26 they stop going to church, they stop confessing Christ, 40:30 and they drift away, when they come back 40:33 and they wanna make sure that they're committed 40:34 and they're back, they may need to be remarried. 40:41 And you've got examples of this 40:43 in a few places in the Bible, but we have a book on baptism 40:47 that will probably answer that question. 40:49 - The book is called "Baptism: Is it Really Necessary?" 40:51 And again, it talks about baptism, also re-baptism. 40:54 We'll be happy to send that to anyone who calls and asks. 40:56 The number again 800-835-6747. 41:00 Ask for the book and we'll be happy to send it 41:01 to anyone who calls. 41:03 Thank you for your call, Kevin. 41:04 We've got Helen listening in Florida. 41:06 Helen, you're on the air. 41:08 - [Helen] Hi, thank you for taking my call. 41:11 - Hi, thank you. 41:14 - [Helen] My question is it's concerning Revelation 21:9-10. 41:21 I guess I just need clarification on the bride of Christ, 41:26 like who is the bride of Christ? 41:28 - Let me just read this. 41:29 It says, "Then one of the seven angels," 41:31 this is Revelation 21:9, 41:34 "One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls 41:36 filled with the seven last plagues came to me 41:38 and talked with me saying, 41:40 'Come, I will show you the bride, the lamb's wife,' 41:43 and he carried me away in the spirit 41:45 to a great and high mountain, 41:47 and he showed me the great city, the Holy Jerusalem, 41:49 descending out of Heaven from God." 41:52 So the dwelling place for the people of God 41:55 is the New Jerusalem. 41:56 So it calls the New Jerusalem the bride. 41:58 It's not the buildings. 41:59 It's the people that will live in the buildings. 42:01 And so in the Old Testament, 42:04 they sometimes referred to Jerusalem as the City of God. 42:07 Well, God is not marrying stone 42:09 and two by fours and plaster. 42:11 It was the people that lived in the city. 42:14 And so the New Jerusalem again is the people, the church. 42:18 Now, one reason we know this is if you look 42:20 in Ephesians Chapter five, I think, Pastor Ross, 42:23 where it says, "Husbands love your wives 42:25 even as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her." 42:30 So we are to love our wives as Christ loves the church. 42:34 The church is like the bride of Christ. 42:35 - Yeah, that's Ephesians 5:25. 42:37 - There you go. 42:38 - One other thought on that, 42:40 the New Jerusalem is described as the bride of Christ, 42:42 of course, as Pastor Doug says, 42:43 gonna be populated by the Redeemed, 42:45 but Jesus has also promised a Kingdom. 42:47 The Bible talks about a new Heavens and a new Earth 42:49 wherein dwells righteousness, 42:51 and Jesus is gonna be the King of kings and Lord of lords. 42:54 The capital of this new kingdom on Earth 42:56 at the end of a thousand years when the Earth is recreated 42:58 is gonna be the New Jerusalem. 43:00 And the amazing thing is not only is the New Jerusalem 43:02 the capital of a world recreated, 43:05 but the Bible tells us that God is gonna be in the city. 43:08 Christ is gonna be in the city. 43:09 In essence, it becomes the capital of the entire universe, 43:12 the place that had fallen into sin, 43:15 redeemed now through the sacrifice of Christ, 43:18 is elevated as the center of the universe 43:21 because God's gonna dwell with these people. 43:23 That's an incredible thought. 43:24 - Amen. 43:25 I think we have a lesson 43:26 that's called "The Bride of Christ." 43:27 - We do, yeah. 43:28 We'd be happy to send that out again. 43:30 Again, the number to call for that is 800-835-6747. 43:34 Just ask for that book. It's called "The Bride of Christ." 43:36 One of our Amazing Facts study guides 43:39 and you'll enjoy reading that. 43:40 It's got a number of great passages from Scripture 43:43 talking about that subject. 43:44 Thanks for calling, Helen. 43:45 We've got Chris listening here in the US. 43:49 Hi, Chris, welcome to the program. 43:51 - [Chris] Hi, guys. How are you? 43:52 - Good. 43:54 - [Chris] Good, so I'm not always sure 43:55 how to word this question, 43:57 but I'm a baby Christian just since August of last year, 43:59 but my question is, would it be a characteristic of God 44:02 to allow a marriage born out of sin to end 44:07 and then use those two people newly converted 44:10 or one of them newly converted for His purpose 44:13 and then bring that marriage back together 44:14 built on a godly foundation? 44:16 - ...I wanna make sure I understand your question. 44:19 So you're asking if you've got a couple, one is converted, 44:25 they are married or they're separated 44:29 and they're coming back together again, can God use them? 44:32 Can you try and maybe restate that again 44:34 'cause I didn't catch what you were saying. 44:36 - [Chris] Yep, so you have two people 44:38 who entered into marriage built on sin in the beginning. 44:43 So God dismantled that marriage and allowed the divorce 44:46 and now one of them is converted 44:50 and being used for God's purpose or God's will. 44:52 And then God brings them back together after He's through 44:56 or brings them back together on His timing. 45:00 Would that be a characteristic of God? 45:03 - Well, I think that if you've got two people 45:05 and they were married and it fell apart for whatever reason 45:10 and one of them is converted, if they're legally divorced, 45:14 if one of them is thinking of remarrying, 45:16 I wouldn't remarry unless they're both agreed 45:19 on being Christians. 45:21 Can God do that? 45:22 He absolutely can, but I would not reenter into a marriage 45:28 where only one was converted 45:29 if they're already legally divorced. 45:32 So it'd be great if you're still friends 45:38 and you can do Bible studies together 45:40 and if you could come back together 45:42 and that can be a testimony. 45:43 I've seen that happen before. 45:46 Can God do that? He absolutely can. 45:48 - We got a book talking about the subject of marriage. 45:50 It's called "Marriage, Divorce, and Remarriage" 45:53 and I think it'll answer a lot of your questions. 45:55 The number to call for that is 800-835-6747 45:58 and you can ask for the book. 46:00 It's called "Marriage, Divorce, and Remarriage." 46:02 Thanks to your call, Chris. 46:03 We've got Jemima listening from Canada. 46:07 Jemima, welcome to the program. 46:10 - [Jemima] Good evening, Pastor Ross and Pastor Doug. 46:14 - Evening. 46:14 - [Jemima] So my question is 46:17 does God allows us to be punished 46:20 when we are being arrogant and boastful 46:27 and if we mock the Lord because from the Book of Daniel, 46:30 I read here Daniel 4:23-25 46:35 and this is talking about the seven years of illness 46:39 of King Nebuchadnezzar, 46:41 so God made King Nebuchadnezzar insane or mad 46:47 for being so boastful? 46:50 - Yes, it certainly is true that God often punishes pride. 46:55 Pride was the first great sin of the devil. 46:59 And it tells us in Proverbs, 47:01 a haughty spirit goes before a fall, 47:03 pride goes before destruction, 47:05 and a haughty spirit before a fall. 47:08 You can read in the Bible where King Herod 47:10 was boasting in Acts Chapter 12 47:14 and he was taking the prerogatives 47:16 and the worship that belongs to God 47:17 and the angel of the Lord struck him and he died. 47:22 And you can see where the Pharaoh hardened his heart 47:25 through pride and he was judged and punished. 47:28 And you've got the proud Pharisee who says, 47:31 "I thank you, I'm better than other men." 47:34 So yeah, pride is one of the most offensive things to God 47:37 and the Lord wants to save us from pride. 47:39 All of us struggle with pride in varying degrees, 47:41 but it's very hard for the Lord to reach an arrogant person. 47:45 That's why He wants us to humble ourselves... 47:47 it says the meek will inherit the Earth. 47:49 - Here's a verse in Proverbs 16:18 that says: 47:52 "Pride goes before destruction 47:54 and a haughty spirit before a fall." 47:56 That's pretty clear right there. 47:58 Alright. Thanks for your call, Jemima. 48:00 We've got Ashley listening in Washington. 48:02 Ashley, welcome to the program. 48:04 - [Ashley] Hi, thank you for having me. 48:05 I'm just wondering if it is appropriate 48:07 to decode the Book of Psalms? 48:09 I've been seeing a lot of different pastors 48:10 talking about it and I'm just wondering 48:11 if it's appropriate or biblical. 48:14 - So are you talking about where they sometimes take 48:17 the Hebrew letters and they say the Hebrew letters in Psalms 48:20 have different numerical value 48:23 and there's prophetic meaning 48:24 when you look at them that way? 48:25 Or are you talking about when they find Messianic prophecies 48:29 in the Book of Psalms? 48:33 - [Ashley] A little bit of both. 48:34 The big one I've been seeing 48:35 is that Psalms is the 19th book in 48:41 and the 48th from the end, so leaning to 1948, 48:44 and that Psalms 48 leads to the rebirth of Jerusalem 48:50 and they've tied a bunch of other prophecies to it. 48:52 I just wasn't sure if it's biblical to go off that. 48:57 - Okay, I'm glad you clarified that. 48:59 What you've just described there 49:01 is it's kinda like Bible study voodoo. 49:04 I don't think that God intended for us 49:06 to take the chapter numbers 49:08 and try to make anything out of that. 49:10 Chapter numbers were not part of the inspired message 49:16 that God is giving us. 49:18 And so if you start taking chapter numbers, 49:20 and the Psalms, the way they were arranged, 49:24 some actually have arranged the Psalms 49:25 where they take the Psalms of David 49:27 and they put them in a different category 49:28 with the Psalms of Solomon and the Psalms of Hezekiah. 49:31 The way we get it in the King James version, 49:33 they're all bundled together. 49:35 But to start trying to interpret the Psalm numbers 49:38 and chapters and verses 49:41 where you're mixing up the numerology 49:42 and trying to create secret messages, 49:47 that's like Bible bingo. 49:49 I don't think there's any message in that at all. 49:52 Now, what does blow us away, the Psalms are supernatural. 49:56 When you read in Psalm 22 where it says, 49:58 "They pierced My hands and My feet 50:00 and they gambled for My clothing, 50:02 and dogs have surrounded Me," 50:05 that's an incredible prophecy 50:06 that talks about Jesus on the cross. 50:09 So those things are very powerful, 50:11 but to start mixing up the numbers 50:12 and trying to get messages out of that and make dates... 50:15 nah, I'd stay away from that. 50:18 I hope that helps a little bit. 50:20 - Alright, thanks for your call. 50:22 We've got David listening from Illinois. 50:24 David, welcome to the program. 50:28 - [David] Hello, Pastors. How are y'all doing tonight? 50:30 - Doing great. Thanks for calling. 50:34 - [David] My question is about the last generation. 50:39 I guess the best way I can put it is 50:44 was Adam and Eve, 50:47 when they had eaten the forbidden fruit, 50:50 God told Adam "For this day, you shall surely die." 50:57 Well, one day for God was like 1,000 years for Adam 51:02 and he lived to be what, 900, and what? 51:05 - 930 years. 51:08 - [David] Okay, and then with Moses, 51:13 he told Moses that he can see the Promised Land, 51:17 but he cannot enter it. 51:18 So when he did see it, he died right after. 51:23 And the same thing with the priest that saw baby Christ, 51:29 he was told that he would see the Christ 51:31 and right after that, he died. 51:34 So I guess the heart of my question would be 51:38 with the last generation that shall not die, 51:41 how will that play out? 51:43 Will it be like with the last person of the last generation? 51:50 It's a question I've been contemplating for quite a while. 51:53 - Alright, thank you so much, David. 51:55 Appreciate your question. 51:57 It is fascinating that God told Adam 51:59 in the day that you eat thereof, you will die. 52:02 And yet the Bible tells us in 2 Peter 3, 52:06 a day with the Lord is like 1,000 years 52:08 and 1,000 like a day. 52:10 And Peter's actually quoting from one of the Psalms 52:13 where it says 1,000 years in his sight 52:16 or an evening that is gone. 52:18 And so God said to Adam and Eve, 52:20 "You're gonna die in the day." 52:22 Well, they began to die spiritually as soon as they sin. 52:25 The death process began. 52:26 A matter of fact, it tells us I think in the Hebrew, 52:28 "In dying, you will die," 52:30 so the dying process will begin, 52:32 but they didn't make it to that first millennium, 52:34 that first 1,000 years. 52:36 If 1,000 years is like a day, Adam, 52:39 even Methuselah and all the patriarchs, 52:41 died before they reached that first millennial day. 52:45 But as far as the last generation, 52:48 I think there's going to be a lot of people still alive 52:51 when Jesus comes. 52:52 He's gonna protect them and bring them out of this world 52:55 just like He saved the children of Israel out of Egypt 52:58 and He protected them from the 10 plagues. 53:01 He'll protect a lot of people from the seven last plagues. 53:04 What do you think, Pastor Ross? Can we squeeze in one more? 53:06 - Yes, I think so. Let's go to Michael in Montana. 53:09 Michael, welcome to the program. 53:11 - [Michael] It's a speculative question. 53:14 Say Adam and Eve did obey God and pass all the tests 53:20 that Satan threw at them from the tree, 53:24 what would've happened to Satan and his angels? 53:27 Would God have thrown him in some corner 53:28 or they would've just disintegrated? 53:30 I mean, this is speculation, 53:31 but I've been thinking about this. 53:33 - Okay, well it's fair enough. You're right. 53:35 It is kind of a speculating question 53:36 'cause you can have a hypothesis of what would happen. 53:43 It's hard to know without having the mind of God 53:44 and being able to interview Him, 53:46 but it could be that if every world had passed the tests, 53:52 I believe God has other unfallen worlds 53:53 that Satan probably tried to recruit, 53:55 but he found supporters down here, 53:58 if every other world had passed the tests 54:00 and Satan couldn't find any other followers, 54:02 God probably would've just destroyed Satan and his angels 54:06 'cause it says in Matthew 25 that the angel and his devils 54:12 will be thrown in his lake of fire. 54:13 - Matthew 25:41. 54:15 - Yeah, so their destruction was sealed, 54:19 but the way it works now 54:20 is anybody that follows the devil is gonna join him. 54:23 Hey, thank you so much, Michael. Appreciate that. 54:25 We do have a lesson called "Did God Create the Devil?" 54:27 and it touches on that subject. 54:29 - The number to call for that is 800-835-6747. 54:32 Again, you can ask for the study guide. 54:34 It's called "Did God Create the Devil?" 54:37 - Now friends, just so you understand what's happening here. 54:39 We broadcast on land-based stations 54:41 and we broadcast on satellite across the nation. 54:44 There's a little different schedule with both. 54:46 We're gonna be signing off and saying farewell 54:48 to our friends that are listening on satellite, 54:50 but those of you that are listening either on the internet 54:53 or you're watching on AFTV or Better Life Television 54:56 or you're listening in on a land-based station, 54:59 we're gonna be coming back for two minutes 55:01 of rapid-fire Bible questions that you email into us. 55:05 And so don't go away. 55:06 Otherwise for those on satellite, 55:08 God bless and we'll study together again next week. 55:13 - [Narrator] Thank you for listening to today's broadcast. 55:16 We hope you understand your Bible even better than before. 55:19 "Bible Answers Live" is produced 55:21 by Amazing Facts International, 55:24 a faith-based ministry located in Granite Bay, California. 55:30 - Welcome back, friends, to our special part of the program 55:33 where we're gonna answer your Bible questions 55:35 that have been emailed in to us. 55:37 If you have a Bible question, 55:38 you can just contact Amazing Facts. 55:40 Send us an email through our website. 55:42 Well, Pastor Doug, we've got several. 55:43 Let's see how many we can get through 55:44 in the next two minutes. 55:46 Question number one. Was Melchizedek God? 55:50 - Well, no, of course, Melchizedek had the Spirit of God, 55:53 I'm sure, but the Bible tells us that he was a king 55:56 and he was a priest of a particular territory. 55:58 And he brought out food, 56:00 real food to Abraham and his friends. 56:03 And he received tithe, 56:04 which back then probably wasn't money, 56:06 but it was food and practical things 56:07 that they had won in the battle. 56:09 He was a real person. 56:10 And I just talked about that last week, 56:12 if they wanna go to Facebook and see my, 56:14 or two weeks ago, I dealt with that. 56:16 - Okay. Next question that we have, 56:18 is tithing only to be paid to a church 56:22 or is it okay to give tithe to somebody in need? 56:26 - Well, there's an example in the Book of, 56:27 I think it's Deuteronomy where when they went to a feast, 56:31 they could take a second tithe and they could maybe use that 56:35 to help with the poor along the way. 56:37 It was sort of like charity during the feast times 56:39 that they'd show. But the first principle tithe, 56:43 the Bible says that the tithe is holy to the Lord 56:46 and it was given to the Levites 56:48 and that was for the proclamation of the Gospel. 56:50 It wasn't to be distributed however a person said, 56:53 "I'm gonna send it to my favorite ministry." 56:56 It was to be going for the proclamation of the Gospel. 56:59 - Okay, next question that we have, 57:00 how do we know that good angels are with us? 57:04 - Well, God promises that. 57:05 I mean, I think there's things we can do to probably grieve 57:08 the good angels that are with us, 57:09 but the Bible says the angel of the Lord encamps 57:12 roundabout those that fear Him and delivers them. 57:16 And it tells us in Psalm 91: 57:18 "He will give His angels charge over you 57:20 to keep you in all of your ways." 57:21 And so God does have guardian angels watching us. 57:26 - Okay, next question, did Cain marry his sister? 57:29 And if so, where did he find her? 57:32 - Well, he found her probably pretty close to Adam and Eve. 57:35 He married his sister. 57:37 And back then, there was nothing wrong with that. 57:40 Technically, Adam sort of married his sister in Eve. 57:42 They both came from the same family. 57:44 And it wasn't until the time of Moses 57:46 that it was forbidden to marry close of kin. 57:50 - Okay, last question that we have, Pastor Doug, 57:52 could you quickly explain three days and three nights 57:55 that Christ was in the heart of the Earth? 57:57 Does that mean the tomb? 57:58 - No that's talking about the sufferings of Christ 58:01 that began in the garden when He said, 58:02 "Now is the hour of darkness," 58:04 so that would be Thursday night, 58:06 Friday night, Saturday night, 58:07 He was suffering for the sins of the world. 58:10 Hey, friends, we love your questions. 58:11 We look forward to getting more from you. 58:13 And tune in again, we'll study His word together next week. 58:14 (bright/ grand music) 58:18 - [Narrator] "Bible Answers Live," 58:20 honest and accurate answers to your Bible questions! |
Revised 2022-07-12