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Series Code: AFBA
Program Code: AFBA022230S
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00:00 (triumphant 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, providing accurate 00:23 and practical answers to all your Bible questions. 00:28 This broadcast is a previously-recorded episode. 00:31 To receive any of the Bible resources mentioned 00:34 in this broadcast, 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, listening friends. 00:51 Would you like to hear an amazing fact? 00:54 Jim Lewis and Jim Springer were identical twins 00:58 that were separated at four weeks of age 01:00 and then raised in different families. 01:02 After some searching in 1979, 01:05 the twins were finally reunited at the age of 39. 01:09 When they got to talking, they were astonished to discover 01:12 how many ways that they had lived identical lives. 01:15 For example, they both suffered from tension headaches, 01:19 they were prone to nail-biting, 01:20 they smoked Salem cigarettes, 01:22 they drove the same type of Chevrolet car, 01:25 and even vacationed at the same beach in Florida. 01:28 Both had similar jobs in security. 01:31 Jim Lewis was a security guard, 01:33 while Jim Springer had been a deputy sheriff. 01:35 Both married and divorced women named Linda. 01:38 They both remarried women named Betty, 01:41 and they both had a childhood dog named Toy. 01:44 They both had a proclivity for math and woodworking 01:47 but were terrible at spelling, 01:49 and they both named their sons James Alan, 01:52 though one spelled Alan a little differently. 01:55 That's so bizarre. 01:55 It almost sounds like 01:57 they were predestined to live a certain way. 02:00 - That's right, Pastor Doug. (Pastor Ross laughs) 02:01 It's odd when you hear about these stories of people 02:03 that just lived lives that were so similar to one another, 02:06 and you wonder, wow, was there somebody 02:08 coordinating events or putting this all together? 02:11 Now, of course, there's genetics connected with that 02:13 and certain personality traits. 02:15 But sometimes, people ask the question, 02:18 are there some predestinated to be saved, 02:21 and are there some predestinated to be lost? 02:25 Can we do anything about our eternal destiny? 02:28 - Yeah, you hear a story like this, and you might think, 02:29 well, we have no choice. 02:31 It's all controlled by our genes. 02:33 But this is one of those, it's a rare coincidence. 02:36 This is not always the case with twins that are separated. 02:39 Sometimes their lives are entirely different, 02:41 even though they're identical twins. 02:43 But there are people who think that our lives are all 02:47 mapped out by God, and we really don't have a choice. 02:50 But the Bible tells us that people's eternal destiny 02:54 will largely hinge on how they respond 02:57 to the sacrifice that Jesus has made. 03:00 A number of verses illustrate this, 03:01 but even if you go to one of the last verses in the Bible, 03:04 Revelation 22:17, it says, 03:07 and this is a great invitation that closes the book, 03:09 "And the Spirit and the bride say, Come! 03:13 "Let him who hears say, Come! 03:16 "Let him who thirsts come, and whoever desires, 03:20 "let him come and take the water of life freely." 03:23 This makes it pretty clear that the invitation to be saved 03:27 is not only restricted for a few people, but it says, 03:30 whoever hears, whoever reads the words of this book. 03:34 I know there's a number of places where the Bible says, 03:36 "God is not willing that any should perish." 03:39 Well, though some are gonna perish, 03:40 that obviously is not His will. 03:42 That means not everything that happens 03:44 in this world is the will of God. 03:46 Some of our Muslim friends, whatever happens, they say, 03:48 "Oh, it must be the will of Allah." 03:51 But no, the sin and misery in this world is not God's will. 03:55 That's why in the Lord's Prayer we say, "Thy will be done." 04:00 Why would we pray for something 04:01 that's already gonna happen anyway? 04:03 So we're praying for God's will 04:05 because a lot of things that happen are not God's will. 04:09 Of course, Joshua made the statement that explained 04:12 we all have a choice. - That's right. 04:14 One of the key verses here, it's an appeal 04:17 to receive the Lord just before the children of Israel 04:20 would enter into the Promised Land. 04:21 Joshua said to the people, 04:23 "If it seems evil to you," this is Joshua 24:15, 04:26 "If it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, 04:28 "choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, 04:32 "whether the gods that your fathers served 04:34 "that were on the other side of the river, 04:36 "or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. 04:38 "But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." 04:42 So there you see a choice. 04:43 We need to choose who we wish to serve. 04:46 And Pastor, there might be some confusion, 04:47 because you're reading Paul's letters, 04:49 sometimes he talks about God predestinating, 04:53 and people are wondering, is that referring to a person's 04:56 eternal destiny, but the confusion is there, 04:58 it is true that God predestinated the nation of Israel 05:01 to be the nation that would be the one 05:04 through whom the Messiah would come. 05:06 That was a choice God made; it didn't have anything 05:08 to do with Israelites being better than anyone else. 05:11 But that's not referring to individual choice 05:14 or individual destiny; it's referring to the nation. 05:16 God raises nations up, and God takes nations down. 05:20 Maybe in that sense, you can understand the predestination 05:23 of God, but individually, we have that freedom to choose. 05:27 - Right, some people think, 05:28 for instance, Judas, since prophecy said 05:30 Judas would betray Jesus, Judas had no choice. 05:33 No, God knew what was gonna happen, but ultimately, 05:35 it was Judas that made these series of choices that led 05:38 to his very bad choice, his decision to betray Jesus. 05:43 Now, we've got a free offer I think that helps explain this 05:46 with all the Scriptures. - We do. 05:47 It's a popular book. 05:48 If folks wanna learn more about the subject, 05:50 it's called Can a Saved Man Choose to be Lost? 05:53 That's our free gift to anyone who will call and ask. 05:56 All you need to do is just call the number 800-835-6747, 06:02 and you can ask for the book. 06:03 It's called Can a Saved Man Choose to be Lost? 06:05 Again, that's 800-835-6747, 06:09 and tell them you're listening to Bible Answers Live, 06:11 and you'd like the free gift. 06:12 It's called Can a Saved Man Choose to be Lost? 06:16 Another number that you might wanna write down is 06:18 our phone line here to the studio with your Bible question. 06:21 The number for that is 800-463-7297, 06:26 800-463-7297. 06:28 We've got some phone lines that are still open. 06:30 This is a good time for you 06:31 to pick up your phone and give us a call. 06:34 We also, Pastor Doug, wanna greet those 06:35 who are listening on Amazing Facts Television. 06:38 We also have folks who've tuned in on social media 06:41 on the Doug Batchelor Facebook page, 06:43 on the Amazing Facts Facebook page. 06:45 I believe you're also live 06:47 at the Amazing Facts YouTube channel. 06:49 So, many ways that you can participate, 06:51 and of course those who are listening 06:52 on land-based radio stations and also satellite radio. 06:56 So welcome to the program. 06:57 - That's right, you can listen, 06:59 you can watch and listen, and we invite either. 07:02 But before we go to our questions, 07:04 we're gonna ask God for His guidance. 07:06 - Let's have a word of prayer. 07:08 Dear Father, once again, we are grateful for the opportunity 07:10 to be able to open up Your Word and study, 07:12 and Lord, we do recognize that this Bible, 07:14 this book that You have given us, is a powerful book 07:17 containing truth, and it's Your book, 07:19 so we ask for Your Spirit, the Holy Spirit, 07:21 to guide us as we study together. 07:23 Be with those who are listening, 07:25 watching, wherever they might be. 07:26 We ask this in Jesus's name, amen. 07:29 - Amen. 07:30 - Well, we are ready to go to the phone lines. 07:31 The first caller that we have is Sophia, 07:34 listening in Tennessee. 07:35 Sophia, welcome to the program. 07:38 - [Sophia] Thank you. 07:40 - Thank you! 07:41 And your question? 07:43 - Is the United States in the Book of Daniel, 07:47 and if so, where are the passages? 07:50 Thank you. 07:51 - All right, good question. 07:53 Now, you do find the United States mentioned 07:55 in the Book of Revelation 07:57 as the second beast you find in Revelation chapter 13. 08:01 But Pastor Ross, I guess the events 08:04 connected with the United States would be 08:08 following the last beast that you find in Daniel, 08:12 well, it would be following the iron and the clay. 08:15 It's not specifically mentioned. 08:17 It'd probably be following those 10 toes. 08:19 Maybe it's the toenails. 08:21 - That's right, just prior to the stone that comes 08:22 and disrupts the image. - That's right. 08:23 - It seems the focus of the Book of Daniel 08:26 deals more with kingdoms that of course from Daniel's time 08:29 lead you all the way up to the second coming of Christ. 08:32 But most of the kingdoms referred to has to do with Europe 08:35 or influencing the land of Israel, whereas you find 08:38 the expansion of that of course in the Book of Revelation. 08:41 Revelation 13 in particular, 08:42 there is a beast power that arises, the second beast, 08:46 and that is the United States in prophecy. 08:49 - By the time you get to the Book of Revelation, 08:51 the prophets seem to go into more detail. 08:54 In fact, it even happens, 08:56 and I know I've heard you say this many times, 08:58 that what's happening in the prophecies of the Bible 09:00 is it's stating the truth, and as it goes on, it expands, 09:04 and you're getting the same truth from different angles. 09:08 Daniel two, you've got those five major kingdoms, 09:10 being Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome, 09:14 and then the divisions of the Roman Empire, 09:16 and you also get that, well, it's in Daniel seven, 09:18 it's in Daniel eight, it's in Daniel nine, 10, 11, 09:21 and each succeeding vision 09:24 seems to expand and give more detail. 09:27 - Now, we do have a magazine at Amazing Facts. 09:29 It's called the US in Bible Prophecy. 09:31 This is one of our most popular sharing magazines 09:34 that we have, and we will make that available 09:36 to anyone who calls and asks. 09:38 The number to call for that is 800-835-6747. 09:43 You can ask for the magazine. 09:44 It's called the US in Bible Prophecy. 09:47 It's quite an in-depth study, Pastor Doug, but it looks 09:49 at these various prophecies, and it's really inspiring. 09:52 Read it for yourself, and then give it to a friend. 09:54 It's a very important topic. - Amen. 09:56 - All right, thank you for your call. 09:57 The next caller that we have is Dianna, listening in Texas. 10:01 Well, Dianna, welcome to the program. 10:04 - [Dianna] Thank you, pastors, good evening. 10:06 My question is, in the Book of Mark, when Jesus healed 10:10 the leper, He asked him not to tell anybody, 10:13 and He's done that a couple of times. 10:14 I just wanted to know why He would do that. 10:17 - Yeah, and it's funny, because in almost every case, 10:20 He said, "Don't tell anybody," and they did. 10:23 You know, if you've been blind or you've been a leper 10:25 and you've had all that misery and then all of a sudden, 10:27 you're healed, it is hard to keep the good news to yourself. 10:30 I think one reason Jesus did that is because 10:34 there were already enemies that were very jealous 10:37 and looking for some reason to obstruct His ministry. 10:43 He knew that when He did these especially powerful miracles, 10:49 that as word about that spread, 10:52 it just intensified the persecution and the scrutiny. 10:55 He wanted to help these people, 10:57 but He didn't want to see the work limited. 10:59 He said, "Now, don't mention that." 11:00 It also tells you about the humility of Christ, 11:03 and it also reminds us 11:04 that it's hard to keep good news to yourself. 11:07 So I would think that would be the main reason. 11:10 He was just trying to prevent too much resistance 11:14 so early in His ministry. 11:15 - Although the time does come 11:16 where Jesus talks to His disciples and He says, 11:19 "Then what you hear in secret, you blaze from the rooftops." 11:22 So it was clear that there was gonna be a time 11:24 when everything that Jesus did was to be loudly proclaimed. 11:27 - And then by the time he healed Lazarus, 11:29 right by Jerusalem, it was front-page news. 11:32 - Absolutely, and Christ didn't hide that in any way. 11:35 Well, thanks for your call, Dianna. 11:36 We've got Angela, listening from Illinois. 11:39 Angela, welcome to the program. 11:42 - [Angela] Hi, Pastor Doug and Pastor Ross. 11:45 I wanted to understand, in chapter 11 of Daniel, 11:51 it talks about the kings of the north and south. 11:54 So can you just tell me, 11:56 who is the king of the north and south? 11:58 - Well, now, I'll let you know, I'll do my best. 12:01 But if you ask 10 different pastors 12:04 what they believe about Daniel 10 and 11 12:08 and even into 12, you'll get 12 different answers. 12:14 It's probably the most complex 12:16 and detailed prophecy in the Bible. 12:18 I can't think of one that, maybe some in Ezekiel 12:21 or Zechariah, but this is pretty complex. 12:23 My belief is, and I think Pastor Ross would agree with me, 12:26 the king of the north would be what we call the papacy, 12:31 'cause the papacy as a power, a religious power, 12:35 is outlined in both Revelation 17 during the same 12:39 time period and the other chapters of Daniel. 12:43 The king of the south 12:45 is where you're gonna find some difference of belief. 12:47 Some believe that it's atheism. 12:51 Some believe it's the king of Turkey. 12:53 Some believe it's Islam. 12:56 Now, I am probably more inclined to believe 12:58 that the king of the south is Islam, 13:00 and I could be wrong, but my reason for that is, 13:03 you see these two great powers that are at war, 13:07 and the two biggest religions 13:08 in the world today are Christianity and Islam. 13:12 I can just see where that would be the catalyst 13:14 for a great battle that would bring about the final events. 13:17 So, yep, gotta keep studying. 13:20 Like I said, I'm not dogmatic about that. 13:22 - Mmhmm, I think you're right, Pastor Doug. 13:25 You know, if you look at the difference 13:26 between the king of the north and the king of the south, 13:28 there is significance geographically. 13:30 So you have Rome, which of course, you have pagan Rome, 13:33 which gives way to papal Rome, 'cause papal Rome 13:36 is still very much active and powerful, even today, 13:39 and then there is a power or an entity 13:42 standing in opposition to papal Rome 13:44 preventing papal Rome from having worldwide influence. 13:48 Well, the Muslim religions does seem to fit into that. 13:52 So I think there's something there. 13:54 But also, atheism could play. 13:56 There's a number of interesting things. 13:58 Some of what we read 13:59 in Daniel chapter 11 is yet in the future. 14:02 So when these events begin to take place, 14:04 I think it'll make a lot clearer understanding. 14:06 A lot of chapter 11 is historic 14:08 and has already been fulfilled, 14:10 but when you get down to the last few verses, 14:12 starting around 43, I believe, somewhere in there, 14:14 it's still referring to events in the future. 14:16 So we'll have to see what happens. 14:19 - That's right, Jesus said, 14:20 "When these things come to pass, then you will know." 14:24 So someone once said, 14:25 "A prophecy is best understood looking back," so we'll go, 14:31 "Oh, yeah, God was right on!" (Pastor Doug laughs) 14:33 - All right, thanks for your call, Angela. 14:34 We've got Aaron listening from New York. 14:37 Aaron, welcome to the program. 14:39 - [Aaron] Hi, pastors. 14:40 - Hi, thanks for calling! 14:42 - [Aaron] My question is in Matthew chapter four verse one, 14:46 it says that Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit 14:49 into the wilderness to fast and be tempted by the devil. 14:53 But in the model prayer in Matthew chapter six, 14:56 Jesus mentioned in verse 13, "Lead us not into temptation." 15:03 What does He mean by that? 15:05 - Yeah, when you say the Lord's Prayer in that verse, 15:09 as we commonly say in English, 15:11 "lead us not into temptation," it almost creates 15:13 a word picture that God is wanting to put a leash 15:16 around our necks and walk us off into temptation, 15:19 and we're begging Him not to. 15:21 But then you read in James, "God tempts no man." 15:25 God would never deliberately try to entice us to evil. 15:28 God is not setting up a sting operation through entrapment. 15:32 Sometimes, if we drive the Lord away, 15:34 we'll be left to our own devices, 15:35 and we will be subject to the devil's temptations, 15:39 but really, the way the Lord's Prayer 15:41 would probably be more accurately stated is, 15:44 "lead us away from our natural tendency to evil." 15:50 Now, when you read where it tells 15:51 about the temptation of Christ in the wilderness, 15:52 He was led of the Spirit, well, when Jesus was baptized, 15:56 He was filled with the Holy Spirit. 15:57 The Bible says He was anointed with the Holy Spirit. 16:00 That's why He's called the Christ or the anointed. 16:04 He went into the wilderness to pray about His mission. 16:06 So He's led by the Spirit into the wilderness. 16:09 Well, while He's there, He is severely tempted 16:12 of the devil not to go through with His mission. 16:14 But the Spirit was not saying, 16:16 "Okay, let's go get You tempted, if We can." 16:18 The Spirit was really leading Him into the wilderness 16:20 to pray about His mission. 16:22 There the devil tempted Him, 16:24 and He of course resisted and overcame the devil. 16:27 So God allowed that, no doubt, 16:29 but it wasn't though the Spirit was tempting Him. 16:33 God would never tempt with evil. 16:36 - You know, we've got a book, Pastor Doug, 16:37 called Tips for Resisting Temptation. 16:39 It's got a number of good Bible scripture there, 16:42 and we'll be happy to send this 16:43 to anyone who calls and asks. 16:44 The number to call is 800-835-6747. 16:48 That is our resources phone line. 16:50 You can ask for the book. 16:51 It's called Tips for Resisting Temptation. 16:53 Now, it's not a sin to be tempted, 16:55 and the Bible makes that clear, 16:57 but when temptation comes, how do we overcome? 17:00 The Bible calls us to be overcomers. 17:02 We can be overcomers, and there's some wonderful 17:04 promises in the Bible that we can claim. 17:06 So call and ask for that book. 17:08 You will be blessed. 17:09 Next caller that we have is, 17:11 let's see, we've got Doug listening in Colorado. 17:13 Doug, welcome to the program. 17:16 - [Doug] Well, good evening, pastors. 17:18 - Evening. 17:19 - [Doug] My question might seem a little unusual. 17:21 There is a country song 17:24 that speaks of the day that Christ was born on earth, 17:28 and it talks about the angels crying, 17:31 because they knew what was before Him. 17:37 Is there any biblical evidence to that? 17:40 I know the only thing I've read in the Bible 17:42 that I can think of about angels' emotions were sorrowful, 17:47 but is there anything to that? 17:50 - You know, it actually tells us that when Jesus was born, 17:53 that the angels met the shepherds and said, 17:55 "Rejoice, we've got good news!" 18:00 The angels were singing, 18:02 and they said, "Peace on earth, joy!" 18:04 So angels definitely have emotions. 18:07 I believe angels are grieved when we sin. 18:10 I'm sure angels were crying when Jesus was on the cross, 18:13 and I might be missing something, Pastor Ross, 18:15 but I don't think there's any verse 18:16 that says angels were crying at His birth. 18:18 Actually, it sounds like it was the opposite. 18:20 - It was. - They were rejoicing, 18:21 "Good will to men!" 18:22 (Pastor Ross laughs) 18:23 - Seems like there was great joy, because it was 18:25 through the birth of Christ that salvation would come. 18:27 So I don't know if the angels fully understood 18:30 everything that was gonna happen. 18:31 I mean, I'm sure they understood 18:33 that Christ's mission would involve sacrifice and suffering. 18:36 But they like us witnessed this great plan of redemption 18:40 play out for the salvation of mankind. 18:44 I'm sure they would have willingly come down to rescue Jesus 18:48 from the cross, but they knew it was not part of God's plan. 18:51 - Well, I even think for the angels, the idea 18:53 of the incarnation, how God the Son could become a human, 18:57 was both mysterious and a wondrous thing for them. 19:00 They beheld that and thought, "Wow, what condescension, 19:04 "the humiliation of Jesus, 19:05 "going from God to being a creature." 19:08 I think that left them in marvel at His love. 19:13 "Boy, this is good news for man." 19:15 So they couldn't wait to announce that their King had come. 19:19 - All right, next caller that we have is Michael, 19:20 listening in California. 19:22 Michael, welcome to the program! 19:25 - [Michael] Why did Nehemiah build the wall of Jerusalem? 19:35 - Yeah, well, because during the time when the Babylonians, 19:40 they were enemies of Israel, they had conquered Israel, 19:44 and they destroyed the wall. 19:45 So after the Babylonian kingdom fell, 19:48 the Persian king let the Jews go back to Jerusalem, 19:51 but the city walls were broken down, 19:53 and they had no protection from their enemies. 19:55 These cities, they needed walls 19:57 so the citizens could go in and be fortified 20:00 and protected against the enemies if there was a war. 20:04 They had no protection, and of course the temple was there. 20:06 All their leadership was there. 20:08 The capital needed security, 20:10 and they needed to build up the walls. 20:12 - And there was a prophetic significance 20:15 to them building the wall, because according to Daniel, 20:17 there was a time period that would begin. 20:19 The prophetic time period begins with the restoration 20:22 and rebuilding not only of the temple, 20:24 but of the city of Jerusalem. 20:26 - The walls, yeah. - Which required the walls. 20:28 That was 457 B.C., a very significant date 20:31 in that time prophecy. - That's right, good point. 20:33 Thank you, Michael! 20:34 Hope that helps, appreciate your question. 20:36 - We've got Danny listening in Arizona. 20:38 Danny, welcome to the program! 20:41 - [Danny] Hey, how you doing, pastors? 20:43 - Doing great. 20:45 - [Danny] Awesome, awesome. 20:46 Well, my question comes from Colossians 2:16. 20:50 So a friend of mine came to me and said, 20:51 "Hey, so guess what? 20:53 "When I read this verse," he said that the Sabbath 20:57 no longer applies in the New Testament. 21:01 So I'm like, what, that doesn't make sense. 21:04 - Well, first of all, 21:05 I don't know what version you're reading, 21:06 but if you look at in the King James or the New King James, 21:08 most versions, it says, "Let no one judge you in food 21:11 "or drink or regard to festival or new moon or sabbaths." 21:16 Now, the seventh day of the week sabbath 21:18 is completely unique and different from the Jewish 21:21 annual Sabbaths that came during the Exodus. 21:25 They were connected with the temple and its services. 21:28 The sabbath at the end of every week 21:31 is a day of rest for mankind. 21:33 That's why Jesus said the sabbath 21:34 was made for man, not for Jews. 21:37 That happened before Adam and Eve ever sinned, 21:40 God made the sabbath. 21:41 It was part of His perfect plan. 21:43 When Paul is talking here, 21:44 he's talking about these ceremonial Sabbaths. 21:46 They were annual feasts, 21:48 and there were other days they called sabbaths 21:50 that had nothing to do with the weekly day of rest. 21:53 So Paul is addressing the ceremonial laws 21:56 that were nailed to the cross. 21:58 It has nothing to do with blotting out 22:00 one of the Ten Commandments. 22:01 And by the way, of all the Ten Commandments, 22:04 why would God take the one commandment 22:06 that begins with the word "remember" and say, 22:08 "Now that's the only one you're supposed to forget"? 22:11 That wouldn't make any sense, and of course 22:13 people still need a weekly day of gathering and worship, 22:17 and this is what the sabbath was all about. 22:19 So yeah, Colossians two, talking about annual Sabbaths. 22:22 That's why it's plural there in the original Greek. 22:25 - I think the very next verse 22:27 helps to explain that a little bit. 22:28 It says, "Which are a shadow of things to come." 22:31 So of course if you look at the festivals, 22:33 you look at the new moon or the monthly services 22:35 or programs, the ceremonial Sabbath, it was always 22:38 pointing forward to Christ, to the plan of redemption, 22:41 whereas the seventh-day sabbath points back to creation. 22:44 So that verse helps to explain. 22:46 - Yeah, they were shadows, the ceremonial Sabbaths. 22:49 Hope that helps. 22:51 Now, we have a book called Feast Days and Sabbaths. 22:52 - Yes, that's right. 22:53 - And we're be happy to share with a free copy of that. 22:55 - To receive that, just call the 800-835-6747, 22:59 and you can ask for the book Feast Days and Sabbaths. 23:02 We'll be happy to send that to anyone 23:03 who calls and asks, 800-835-6747. 23:08 Next caller that we have is David, listening in California. 23:11 David, welcome to the program. 23:14 - [David] Yeah, thank you, Pastor Doug and Ross. 23:16 My question is about tithing, a little different spin here, 23:21 about giving tithes to churches that have the sabbath 23:27 on Sunday, believe in, you die, you go to heaven. 23:33 The pandemic had a lot of churches and states come together. 23:35 I just can't see supporting the church when so many of 'em 23:38 are teaching different things on the Bible 23:41 that I don't think are correct. 23:42 - Yeah, well, you know, I would say first and foremost, 23:47 that when it comes to tithe, if you're attending a church, 23:52 then you would want to support that church 23:55 from which you are drawing benefit. 23:59 God outlines a plan in the scriptures, 24:01 and by the way, we'll send you a study guide 24:04 that has a number of scriptures on tithing. 24:06 Tithing is a biblical principle, 24:07 not just for the Old Testament. 24:09 Tithing predated the time of Moses. 24:11 Talk about Jacob paying tithe, 24:13 and Abraham gave a tenth to Melchizedek. 24:17 It's the only plan that God has 24:19 in the Bible for the ongoing support of ministry. 24:23 You do need to make sure you're belonging 24:25 to a Bible-based church and/or denomination, 24:29 so that when you're supporting it whether your presence, 24:32 whether your influence, whether your gifts, 24:34 you wanna be supporting the proclamation of truth. 24:38 So that's an important principle. 24:40 But yeah, we'll be happy to send that to you 24:42 or anyone that has questions 24:43 on what does the Bible say about tithe and offerings 24:46 and how does a New Testament Christian respond to that? 24:50 - The number to call is 800-835-6747. 24:54 You can ask for the Amazing Facts Study Guide. 24:56 It's called In God We Trust. 24:58 We'll be happy to send you that lesson on, 25:00 what does the Bible have to say about money, 25:02 and how are we to use our money? 25:04 Again, it's 800-835-6747. 25:08 Ask for the study guide In God We Trust. 25:10 - Also, we have the best half of the program still coming. 25:13 If you wanna call in with your Bible questions, 25:16 simply call 800-GOD-SAYS, that's 800-463-7297, 25:22 and you can not only listen on the radio, 25:24 but we are streaming on the internet. 25:26 These programs are going out on the Amazing Facts 25:29 Facebook page, the Doug Batchelor Facebook page, 25:33 the YouTube page, and Amazing Facts Television, 25:36 and we've got some announcements we'll share with you soon 25:39 about how the Amazing Facts Bible Answers Live program 25:42 is gonna be going forth onto some other 25:44 major networks we're very excited about. 25:46 But we're just taking a break right here. 25:49 Gonna get a drink of water, 25:50 come back to answer more of your Bible questions, 25:52 so don't go anywhere. 25:54 (triumphant orchestral music) 25:57 - [Announcer] Stay tuned. 25:58 Bible Answers Live will return shortly. 26:00 (triumphant orchestral music) 26:04 - [Announcer] Have you ever skipped a meal? 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29:18 Get practical answers about the 'Good Book' 29:21 for a better life today. 29:23 (triumphant orchestral music) 29:25 This broadcast is a previously-recorded episode. 29:28 If you'd like answers to your Bible-related questions 29:31 on the air, please call us next Sunday 29:33 between seven p.m. and eight p.m. Pacific Time. 29:37 To receive any of the Bible resources mentioned 29:40 in this evening's program, call 800-835-6747. 29:45 Once again, that's 800-835-6747. 29:51 Now, let's rejoin our hosts for more Bible Answers Live. 29:56 - Welcome back, listening friends, 29:58 to Bible Answers Live, and we're gonna be 30:00 going back to the phones in just a moment. 30:01 If you've tuned in along the way, this is a live, 30:04 international, interactive Bible study. 30:07 You're invited to call in with your Bible questions. 30:09 The phone number if you're calling 30:11 in North America, 800-GOD-SAYS. 30:13 That's 800-463-7297. 30:18 My name is Doug Batchelor. - My name is Jean Ross, 30:21 and we've got a number of folks waiting on the phones, 30:23 so we're gonna go to Philip, who's listening in Texas. 30:25 Philip, welcome to Bible Answers Live. 30:29 - [Philip] Good evening, pastors. 30:31 - Evening. 30:32 - [Philip] And my question is on Job 42:7. 30:35 The Lord tells Job's friends that they have not 30:37 spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has. 30:40 Now, I know they had a mistaken idea that Job 30:43 must have sinned to cause all the calamity on him. 30:45 Is that what God's talking about, or is there something else 30:48 they said that was not right about God? 30:52 - Well, most of what Job's friends said 30:54 was absolutely true in a general sense. 30:57 They were talking about the ways that God judges the wicked 31:02 and how it's so much better to be righteous, 31:04 but they were wrong about Job. 31:06 Job's particular sufferings were a unique experience. 31:10 Sometimes, God sends the rain on the just and the unjust. 31:13 In other words, good and bad people experience trials. 31:17 Bad people sometimes experience blessings. 31:19 This is what Job is saying in his response, is that 31:23 he's seen wicked people look like they're prospering, 31:26 and he's seen righteous people look like they're suffering. 31:28 His friends are saying God blesses the righteous, 31:32 and He punishes the wicked. 31:34 This is sort of the dialog that goes on through the book. 31:36 So what Job's friends said was wrong 31:39 was accusing Job of guilt. 31:42 They are saying, "Job, no way would anyone 31:44 "go through all of the mishap that you've experienced 31:47 "unless he had done something to provoke God." 31:50 Job said, "No, I've been faithful." 31:53 And in the end, as God says, "Your friends have not spoken 31:57 what was right," they were sort of pre-judging Job. 32:00 And Job's like a type of Christ. 32:02 Jesus went through all this suffering, 32:03 not because of His sin, but for our sake. 32:07 - And if you were to judge Christ just based on suffering, 32:09 you'd say, he must be a great sinner, 32:10 because look at all the terrible things that happened. 32:12 He was nailed to the cross and deserted by His disciples. 32:15 - They even said that to Him while He was on the cross. 32:18 They said, "If God's with you, then why is this happening?" 32:22 - All right, good question, Philip, thank you. 32:24 Joel is listening in North Carolina. 32:26 Joel, welcome to the program. 32:29 - [Joel] Hi, pastors. 32:30 - Hi, thanks for calling. 32:33 - [Joel] I have a question about the remnant. 32:35 I was wondering, is the remnant 32:38 that Jesus is coming back for, it's people. 32:42 It's not a denomination, right? 32:45 - Correct. 32:47 Now, it does, but lemme clarify 32:49 just so that we don't misunderstand. 32:52 In the Old Testament, Joel, would you agree that God had 32:56 a particular people, a nation He was working through, 33:00 and namely, that would be Israel. 33:03 Does that make sense? 33:05 But not every Israelite was saved, 33:08 and not every Gentile was lost. 33:11 You still with me? 33:13 - [Joel] Yeah. 33:14 - So in the last days, 33:15 is God working through a particular movement? 33:18 Yes. 33:19 Does that mean everybody 33:20 that is a member of that movement is saved? 33:22 No. 33:23 And does that mean everybody who is not is lost? 33:26 No. 33:28 The Lord has His people, and that's why Jesus said 33:31 many will come from the east and the west and sit down 33:33 in the kingdom with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 33:35 But God does work through nations. 33:38 I think God especially rose up the United States 33:41 to be sort of a beachhead 33:42 for great international missions when it was established. 33:47 That doesn't mean every American is a Christian 33:49 or every American is saved, 33:50 but God certainly worked through the nation, 33:52 just as God raised up Israel for a particular purpose. 33:59 They were to be, even Jesus said, 33:59 "Salvation is of the Jews." 34:02 That didn't mean every Jew was saved. 34:05 Likewise, Paul says, 34:06 "To Israel were committed the oracles of God." 34:09 So we do have a book actually that talks, do we have a book 34:11 that talks about the remnant per se, Pastor Ross? 34:13 - Well, we've got one called The Bride of Christ. 34:15 - Yeah, there you go. 34:16 - That talks about how God is working through his people, 34:18 and the verse for that, Pastor Doug, 34:19 Revelation chapter 12 verse 17. 34:22 It says, "And the dragon," Satan, 34:23 "was enraged with the woman," the church, 34:25 "and he went to make war with the remnant," 34:27 or the rest of offspring, "those who keep 34:30 "the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus." 34:33 So here you have God's people in the last days. 34:35 They keep His commandments, they have the testimony 34:37 of Jesus, and the dragon, Satan, is enraged with them. 34:41 Well, the study guide The Bride of Christ 34:43 has a lot more information about Revelation, 34:45 about God's people in the last days. 34:48 If you'd like to receive that, just call and ask. 34:50 The number to call is 800-835-6747, 34:54 and you can ask for the study guide. 34:56 It's called The Bride of Christ, and we'll be happy 34:58 to send that to anyone who calls and asks. 35:01 - All right, who's next, then? 35:03 - We've got Ryan, and Ryan is listening in Tennessee. 35:06 Ryan, welcome to the program. 35:08 - [Ryan] Hey, good evening. 35:10 Hi, I was putting my seven-year-old daughter to bed tonight 35:12 and she reminded me about the show this evening, 35:14 so she decided to watch the show tonight and stay up late. 35:17 And I thought I'd call in with a question. 35:19 It's about Revelation 21:1. 35:21 It says, "I saw a new heaven and a new earth, 35:23 "because the first heaven and earth 35:25 "had disappeared and the sea was gone." 35:27 I'm curious, is that a specific sea that's being referenced 35:30 there, or is that the entire, all the oceans on the earth? 35:33 Will they be gone? 35:34 - Well, when you think about an ocean, it's interesting. 35:37 We've got the Great Lakes, and we have Great Lakes here 35:42 in North America that are bigger than the Sea of Galilee. 35:45 Well, they call the Sea of Galilee a sea, 35:48 and it's full of freshwater, and then you've got 35:51 one of the Great Lakes, I think it's Superior, is saltwater? 35:54 I forget which one. 35:55 It's saltwater, so the terms are sort of interchangeable. 35:58 I think God is saying in the new earth, the typical sea 36:01 that we have now is not gonna hurt people's eyes. 36:05 It's not gonna be salty and undrinkable, 36:08 and there's not gonna be a large, 36:09 vast expanse of water that will separate people. 36:12 There will definitely be bodies of water, 36:15 because it says there's a river 36:16 that is flowing from the throne of God. 36:18 So if you've got a river, rivers flow into lakes or seas. 36:23 So I just think we're not gonna have that big briny, 36:28 salty sea separating the people of the world. 36:32 All right, hey, thanks, good question, Ryan. 36:35 - All right, next caller that we have 36:37 is Brittany listening in California. 36:39 Brittany, welcome to the program. 36:42 - [Brittany] Yeah, my question is, 36:44 what does the Bible say about college degrees? 36:49 - Well, I think it tells us that they ask Jesus, 36:54 or they ask others, how does Jesus 36:56 know all these things, having not learned? 36:59 I think the phrase they're using there is like saying, 37:03 He doesn't seem to have any formal education. 37:07 Now, God can work with people that may not have 37:09 formal education, but formal education's very valuable. 37:12 I don't think there's a scripture. 37:15 Solomon, I've done a lot of graduations 37:17 where I talk about Solomon's statement on wisdom: 37:19 "Get wisdom; with your getting, get understanding." 37:22 So the Bible is very clear, He wants us to use our minds 37:25 and to learn all we can, 'cause you'll be more productive. 37:29 But I don't know if you find the word college degree. 37:32 - Yeah, 'cause the Bible gives you the principle 37:34 that whatever you find to do, do it with all your might. 37:36 In other words, do the best job you can. 37:38 Pastor Doug, if you're sick and you're gonna go see a doctor 37:41 or a nurse, you sure hope they've done some education, 37:45 they know what they're doing. (Pastor Ross laughs) 37:46 So I think there's nothing wrong 37:48 for Christians to learn and to be the best that they can be 37:50 in whatever area God is leading them in. 37:53 - Yeah, you think about the story of Daniel, 37:56 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, they went through 37:58 intensive training for three and a half years, about, 38:03 so that they could stand in the king's palace. 38:05 Because of their education and they were able to speak 38:09 the language of the Chaldeans as well as Aramaic and Hebrew, 38:14 they were able to do a lot more, 38:15 and God was able to use them. 38:17 So, even though it was not a Hebrew education, 38:21 they had both actually, didn't they, the Lord was able 38:25 to use them because they had that additional wisdom. 38:27 So college is good learning. 38:29 Just pick a good college. 38:31 - That's right, not everything you learn in college is good. 38:34 - [Doug] That's right. 38:35 (both laughing) 38:36 - All right, next caller that we have is Tim, 38:37 listening in Washington. 38:38 Tim, welcome to the program. 38:40 - [Tim] Yeah, this is the truck driver 38:43 that went and saw you in Vegas that time, 38:46 and that was the best experience I've ever had. 38:50 So one of my other truck driving friends, 38:54 I always make sure that this truck shuts down 38:58 Friday night and doesn't move 'til Saturday night 39:03 to the earliest, the best I can. 39:05 So I was explaining to him about the importance 39:09 of taking a sabbath and stuff like that, and he doesn't. 39:14 He says that, well, the time that we live in now, 39:22 he can't do that, but also, so my question is, 39:26 I also went into the three angels message about. 39:35 - Hey, Tim, lemme ask you a question, if I could, 39:36 and by the way, thanks again 39:37 for coming to the meetings there in Vegas. 39:40 Is your friend a Christian? 39:43 - [Tim] He says that he is, but he does not go to church. 39:46 - Well, you know, it seems to me 39:48 that if you're gonna work on a person, 39:50 there are varying degrees of commitment. 39:54 The first thing a person would want, 39:56 I wouldn't go to a person and talk to 'em about the sabbath 39:59 if they've not yet made a complete surrender to Jesus. 40:04 First and foremost is that a person accepts Christ 40:07 and the sacrifice, and you wanna focus on those things. 40:11 Then as they make their commitment to Jesus, 40:13 they're gonna say, you know, I wanna obey Him. 40:15 Jesus said, "If you love Me, keep my commandments." 40:18 Then as they learn those things, 40:20 they're wanting to do what pleases the Lord at that point. 40:22 So it's sort of progressive in that way. 40:26 - [Tim] That is why I was talking to him about the sabbath, 40:30 is because he says yes, you're supposed to keep 40:34 what is written down on the stones, 40:36 and I tell him, "Well, the sabbath commandment is." 40:39 But my question was, so, he believes that you can have 40:45 the Mark of the Beast but still go to heaven. 40:49 - Okay, let's talk about that. 40:52 You know, if there's one thing that's exceedingly clear 40:55 in the Bible is if you read in Revelation chapter 13, 40:59 it says, for instance, verse nine, 41:01 sorry, in Revelation 14 verse nine, 41:03 "Then the third angel followed them with a loud voice, 41:06 "If anyone worships the beast and his image 41:08 "and receives his mark on his forehead or in his hand, 41:11 "he himself shall also drink of the wine 41:13 "of the wrath of God which is poured out 41:16 "full strength into the cup of his indignation. 41:19 "He will be tormented with fire and brimstone 41:21 "in the presence of the holy angels 41:23 "and in the presence of the Lamb." 41:25 It makes it pretty clear that those that receive 41:31 the Mark of the Beast receive the fate of the wicked. 41:32 It's completely out of God's will. 41:35 They're kind of making themselves enemies of God, 41:37 and they receive some of the most severe 41:39 judgments mentioned in Scripture. 41:41 - You know, we do have a study guide talking 41:43 about the three angels' message, and it's called 41:45 Messages from Space, Angel Messages from Space. 41:48 One of those messages is talking 41:50 about the Mark of the Beast. 41:51 So we'll be happy to send that 41:52 to anyone wanting to learn more about the subject. 41:55 The number to call is 800-835-6747. 41:59 You can ask for the Amazing Facts study guide 42:01 called Angel Messages from Space. 42:04 You will be blessed by reading that. 42:06 Thanks, Tim. 42:07 And we've got Will listening in Canada. 42:08 Weil, welcome to Bible Answers Live. 42:12 - [Will] Hello, pastors? 42:13 - Yes, hi, Will. 42:14 - [Will] Yeah, my question is 42:16 in Genesis chapter one verse 28. 42:20 I would like to know, does this still apply to us today, 42:24 people living in the end time, especially 42:28 "be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth"? 42:32 Does this still apply to us? 42:34 I believe that we are living really at the end of time. 42:38 - Yeah, you need to mix this verse, well, first of all, 42:41 keep in mind that when God first tells Adam and Eve 42:44 to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth, 42:46 the world "replenish" is also the word "fill." 42:49 He wanted to populate the world 42:50 with the humans that He made in His image. 42:54 But clearly, by the time you get to the Flood, 42:57 man had become so wicked that God depopulated the earth. 43:03 Then after Noah and his family were saved, 43:04 He again tells them, "Be fruitful and fill the earth." 43:07 Well, the earth is getting pretty full, 43:08 and then Jesus tells us in Matthew 24, 43:11 speaking of this great time of trouble, He says 43:13 "Woe to those who are with child and nursing in those days." 43:17 On the way to the cross, He talked to the women 43:19 that were weeping for Him and said, "Don't weep for Me. 43:21 "Weep for yourself, 'cause the days are coming 43:24 "where you're gonna say, Blessed are the wombs 43:26 "that did not bear and the breasts that did not nurse." 43:32 Even Paul said, during this great Roman persecution, 43:34 he said, "It might be better not to marry," 43:38 because you get married, and in the progression, 43:40 you bring children into a world 43:41 where Christians were severely persecuted. 43:44 So I think you need to take a lot of things into account. 43:49 Far be it from me to tell a couple 43:53 you shouldn't get married or shouldn't have children. 43:55 That's something every individual needs to pray about. 43:58 But there will come a time in history where it's gonna be 44:01 probably prudent not to have a lot of children. 44:05 - All right, thanks for your call, Will. 44:06 We've got Theo listening in Toronto. 44:08 Theo, welcome to the program. 44:11 - [Theo] Hello, hi. 44:12 - Hi! 44:14 - [Theo] My question is, what should you do 44:17 to not dwell on certain continuous problems that occur? 44:24 So a couple months ago, I graduated, and I was playing 44:27 basketball, and I tore my meniscus and ACL. 44:30 So I just wanted to know, what should one do to not focus 44:36 on the past and how to navigate continuous trials? 44:40 - Yeah, well, first of all, 44:42 we'll pray that your knee heals up. 44:44 I know people that have had that problem, and they did heal. 44:48 Hopefully you're younger, and it'll get better. 44:54 You know, whenever you go through a trial, 44:56 know that God, for a believer, God can use 44:59 every hardship and every trial is a redemptive way, 45:02 and He can turn it for good. 45:04 I mean, you might find, well, because you've torn your knee, 45:08 now you're gonna take some time 45:09 and you're gonna start studying and learning a new language 45:11 that will bless you the rest of your life, 45:13 and you'll look back and say, 45:14 "Wow, I was glad I hurt my knee. 45:16 "I never would have learned that new language." 45:17 I'm just making that up, but God can work things for good. 45:22 And so, we do have some encouraging things online 45:28 that talk about how to endure trials. 45:31 I have a new book I've written that talks about 45:34 how to live in peace in a world full of worry. 45:39 There's a lot of trials in the world, 45:40 and people are wanting to know, 45:41 how can I have peace in spite of my trials? 45:43 That's kinda what you're asking right now. 45:46 - And I don't think, Pastor Doug, 45:47 we have that book available today. 45:48 - No, well, it's at the Amazing Facts bookstore. 45:50 It's not expensive, but you'd have to buy that one. 45:52 - It is, just go to Amazing Facts website. 45:53 Yeah, absolutely. 45:55 All right, next caller that we have 45:56 is Suzie, listening from Colorado. 45:59 Suzie, welcome to the program. 46:01 - [Suzie] Hi, thanks for taking my call. 46:04 Before I ask you my question, 46:05 I just wanna say, because of you 46:08 and many prayers and the working of the Holy Spirit, 46:11 my son and grandson were baptized. 46:13 - Amen, that's encouraging. 46:15 - [Suzie] So I just appreciate your programs. 46:17 - A double blessing, praise the Lord. 46:18 - [Suzie] My question, yes, it is. 46:20 My question is Isaiah 14:13. 46:24 Satan is saying, "I wanna sit on the mountain 46:26 "of the meeting in the sides of the north," 46:28 and I don't understand any of that. 46:31 - Yeah, well, this is a passage in Isaiah, 46:34 for our friends that are listening, 46:38 and you said Isaiah 14:15? 46:40 - [Suzie] Isaiah 14:13. 46:42 - Oh, 13, all right, lemme read this for our friends. 46:44 This is a prophecy in the Bible where Isaiah, 46:48 he starts out talking about a king, 46:50 and then he transitions to the power, 46:52 the evil power behind the king, which is the devil. 46:55 "For you have said in your heart, I will ascend into heaven; 46:57 "I will exalt my throne above the stars of God. 47:01 "I'll also sit on the mount of the congregation 47:03 "on the farthest sides of the north." 47:05 People in the ancient world, and even people today, 47:08 you say you're in Australia, they call it "Down Under." 47:12 You look at the globe, and you figure north is top or up. 47:16 Even the ancients used to look towards the North Star, 47:19 and that was considered the heights of the heavens. 47:22 So when the devil is saying he wanted to sit 47:25 in the farthest parts of the north, he's basically saying 47:28 he wanted to be on the top of the pile. 47:30 He wanted the highest position. 47:33 You keep reading, it says, "I'll exalt my throne 47:35 "above the stars of God. 47:36 "I will sit on the mount of the congregation 47:39 "on the farthest sides of the north. 47:41 "I will ascend above the heights of the clouds. 47:43 "I will be like the Most High. 47:46 "But you will be brought down to Sheol, 47:47 "the lowest depths of the pit." 47:49 This is the devil wanting the position of God, 47:51 the highest position, and "the farthest sides of the north" 47:55 was sort of an ancient way of saying that. 47:57 - You know, we do have a study guide 47:58 that talks about the origin of sin. 48:01 It's called Did God Create the Devil, and it actually 48:04 gets into this very passage in Isaiah chapter 14. 48:07 We'll be happy to send that to anyone who calls and asks. 48:09 The number is 800-835-6747, and you can ask 48:13 for the study guide Did God Create the Devil. 48:16 It'll look at these different Old Testament passages, 48:18 also New Testament, that talks about 48:20 our adversary the devil and who he came from. 48:23 It's an informative study. 48:24 Thank you for your call, Suzie. 48:26 We've got Joshua listening in Indiana. 48:30 Joshua, welcome to the program. 48:34 - [Joshua] Hello, thank you, pastors. 48:38 Good evening to you. - Evening! 48:41 - [Joshua] My question is, who is Lilith? 48:45 Is she a real person from the Bible, 48:49 or is she a myth, and while we're on that, how do we know 48:53 which stories that are connected to the Bible and the Torah, 48:59 how do we know if they're mythological or real? 49:03 - Well, first of all, the books of Moses 49:06 have been unanimously believed by Jews and Christians 49:11 to be a sacred history that is accurate. 49:15 Lilith is from a tradition that is not found 49:19 in any Jewish history until much later. 49:22 I think it was following the Babylonian captivity. 49:26 A lot of myths drew out, and I think some of the apocryphal 49:29 books that you might find, for instance, 49:31 in the Catholic Bible, these are sort of manufactured. 49:36 But they're nowhere near the level of the Torah, 49:39 the Pentateuch, the books of Moses. 49:42 Lilith, for our friends that are listening, 49:44 there's a legend that Adam had a first wife before Eve, 49:48 and something went south with her. 49:51 Her name was Lilith, and then later, Eve came along. 49:54 That is a myth. 49:57 Don't let the myths, 50:01 don't let the broke glass distract you from the diamond. 50:03 There's no difference, I mean, there's no comparison, 50:05 I should say, between the scriptures that you would find 50:09 in the Bible that have stood the test of time 50:12 and some of these traditions and fables. 50:14 The Bible is the best-selling book in history, 50:16 not the legends of Lilith. 50:18 - You know, many of the stories that you read about 50:20 in the Bible are referenced by other writers in the Bible, 50:23 even Jesus Himself, for example, Jonah. 50:25 Jesus said Jonah was in the whale 50:28 three days and three nights. 50:30 - Jesus doesn't mention Lilith. 50:31 - No, He doesn't. (both laughing) 50:33 But He does talk about Adam and Eve. 50:34 - Neither does Peter, James, John, 50:35 or the other Bible others, Isaiah. 50:38 So you won't find any of them referencing that. 50:40 You do find Ezekiel talking about Job, he talks about Noah, 50:43 he talks about Daniel, so they were real characters. 50:46 So they cross-reference, as you say, the others. 50:48 - Okay, good question. 50:49 Next caller that we have 50:50 is we've got Scott listening on Florida. 50:54 Scott, welcome to the program. 50:56 - [Scott] I know you don't have much time, 50:57 so I'm gonna get right to it, Revelation three and 10. 51:03 "Because you have kept my word in patience and endurance, 51:10 "I will keep you from the hour of trial 51:14 "which is coming to the whole world." 51:17 I'm having a lot of trouble 51:20 when I'm talking to people about the pre-tribulation 51:24 and they keep on bringing this verse up, 51:26 saying, "Well, what do you have to say about this?" 51:30 I say, well, it's not gonna be a secret rapture. 51:34 It's going to be at the same time. 51:36 He's just gonna protect us, the church of Philadelphia, 51:41 which, without getting into the two churches 51:43 and the candlesticks and the two witnesses and all that, 51:46 how can I kinda snub that 51:50 without getting into this big theological speech 51:54 and getting into the 144,000 and the two witnesses? 51:58 I just want a quicker answer, 52:00 I guess. (Scott laughs) 52:01 - Well, the promise that God makes to the church 52:03 of Philadelphia is talking about the experience 52:05 of the church in a certain age of history. 52:08 It is not the last age. 52:09 The last age is when you get to the church of Laodicea. 52:13 The idea that God is gonna keep us 52:15 from the hour of temptation, 52:17 God does keep His people through trial and temptation. 52:20 God kept Israel through the 10 plagues 52:24 that fell on the Egyptians. 52:25 They were in Egypt during the plagues, 52:28 but He kept them, He preserved them. 52:30 So the idea that you can use this verse 52:32 to say that God is gonna rapture the church 52:34 out of the world because He loves us too much 52:37 to allow us to go through trial, 52:39 that's inconsistent with everything else in the Bible. 52:42 Paul said in the Book of Acts that all that live godly 52:45 in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. 52:47 Actually, that's in Timothy. 52:48 Paul said, "It is through much tribulation 52:52 "we enter the kingdom of God." 52:56 Joseph was redeemed through tribulation. 52:59 You find Job being saved through tribulation. 53:01 God preserved them through the tribulation, 53:03 but they experienced some trials. 53:06 And so, God preserving His church does not mean that... 53:10 You know, all that live godly will suffer trials. 53:13 All that live ungodly will suffer trials. 53:16 So to use this verse to say that this is evidence 53:18 that God is gonna rapture the church out of the world 53:21 before the time of trouble, Jesus said, 53:23 "He that endures to the end, the same will be saved." 53:26 Endures what? 53:27 Well, we're gonna be here, 53:28 and there'll be something to endure. 53:29 But He preserves His people. 53:32 Psalm 91 says, "No plague will come nigh your dwelling. 53:35 "You'll look to your right and your left, 53:37 "and only with your eyes will you see 53:39 "the destruction of the wicked." 53:40 You're there, but He's preserving you. 53:43 So the seven last plagues, 53:45 very similar to the plagues that fell on Egypt, 53:47 Israel was in Egypt during the plagues, 53:50 and He preserved them. 53:51 We will be preserved during this time of trouble. 53:54 Don't fear it, but it doesn't mean 53:56 we're raptured out of the world. 53:58 - I think specifically you mentioned there, Pastor Doug, 54:00 the the message here is the church of Philadelphia. 54:03 There are seven divisions, seven churches that we find 54:05 in Revelation chapter two and three, 54:07 and they represent seven time periods of the Christian era. 54:10 It's very clear, there's a number of theologians 54:12 and Bible scholars that recognize this. 54:15 The church of Philadelphia, 54:16 their time period ends around 1844. 54:19 Well, of course, we've been here since then, 54:21 more than 150 years, whatever it's been. 54:23 It's really to the seventh church, the church of Laodicea, 54:26 that we actually have the church 54:28 at the time of the plagues and the second coming of Christ. 54:32 - Exactly, so hopefully, that makes sense and it explains. 54:38 You know, we do have a book that talks 54:40 about the rapture and the tribulation, Scott, 54:43 and we'll be happy to send you a free copy. 54:45 It's called Anything But Secret. 54:48 - The number to call for that is 800-835-6747, and again, 54:52 you can ask for the book called Anything But Secret. 54:55 - There is a rapture. 54:56 It is not a secret. 54:58 He's coming like a thief, 54:59 but the heavens will pass away with a great noise, 55:01 and all elements will melt with fervent heat. 55:03 Hey, listen to me, friends, it's been a delight. 55:05 This is one of the fastest hours in the week. 55:07 We're coming back in a few minutes 55:09 with rapid-fire Bible questions, 55:10 signing off with our satellite listeners. 55:13 (triumphant orchestral music) 55:15 - [Announcer] Thank you for listening to today's broadcast. 55:18 We hope you understand your Bible even better than before. 55:22 Bible Answers Live is produced 55:23 by Amazing Facts International, 55:26 a faith-based ministry located in Granite Bay, California. 55:30 (triumphant orchestral music) 55:32 - Hello, friends, welcome again for our internet questions. 55:35 Thank you for sending in your emails and your questions. 55:38 Pastor Doug, we've got a number of great questions 55:40 that's come in, and we're gonna see 55:42 how many we can get to in the next two minutes or so. 55:44 So here's question number one: "Does the Bible say that 55:47 "the wicked will burn up at different lengths of time 55:50 "depending upon their wickedness?" 55:53 - It doesn't word it that away, but Jesus is pretty clear. 55:55 He said, "He that knew his master's will and did not do it 56:00 "will be beaten with many stripes." 56:01 Of course, we're not gonna be whipped in heaven. 56:03 It's talking about suffering, 56:05 "and he that did not know his master's will 56:07 "and did not do it will be beaten with few stripes." 56:10 And then of course, the Bible tells us 56:12 every man is judged according to his works, 56:14 and they're rewarded according to their works. 56:16 So if there are varying works, there are obviously 56:19 varying degrees of reward and punishment. 56:22 So, I think the teaching is certainly there in the Bible. 56:25 - Okay, next question that we have, this is from Mary, 56:28 and she's asking about clarification 56:30 on paying tithe on Social Security. 56:33 Do you pay on the gross amount, 56:35 or what do you do if you're not working? 56:38 - All right, so when you have Social Security, 56:42 if when you are receiving your paycheck 56:45 and something's being taken out for Social security, 56:48 if you are paying on your gross income 56:50 during those working years, you're paying tithe in advance, 56:55 really, on the Social Security. 56:56 So when you get your check in retirement, 56:58 you say, I already paid tithe on that. 57:00 Now, if you're deducting your Social Security 57:03 during those working years and saying, 57:04 I'm not paying tithe on that income because it was deducted, 57:07 well then, when you get it later, 57:08 you should probably pay on it. 57:10 If you wanna play it safe, try and outgive the Lord. 57:13 You can't do it, friends. 57:14 He'll open the windows of heaven and bless you. 57:16 - Another question that we have, Emmy's asking, 57:19 "Is there a difference between heaven, 57:21 "paradise, the New Jerusalem? 57:24 "Are they all the same place, 57:25 "or do people go to different places?" 57:28 - Well, they're really all the same place. 57:29 When we think about heaven, 57:31 we think about the dwelling place of God. 57:33 It sometimes is called the paradise of God. 57:35 Paradise is speaking more 57:37 about the Garden of Eden in the city of God. 57:39 Sometimes we might say, "I'm going to heaven." 57:41 it's talking about the whole realm of the redeemed, 57:43 which would be everything up there. 57:46 The New Jerusalem is gonna be the capital of the world 57:50 made new we read about in Revelation 21 and Revelation 22. 57:56 - All right, maybe one more quick question, Pastor Doug. 57:58 "How do you love somebody 58:00 "who is unrepentant and have done terrible things?" 58:03 - Well, hopefully you can ask 58:05 for the Spirit to help you do it, 58:06 because while I was yet a sinner, Christ loved me. 58:12 I was unrepentant for a good part of my life, 58:14 and He still loved me and forgave me. 58:15 Ask for His Spirit to do the same. 58:17 God bless, friends. 58:18 We'll study again next week. 58:20 (triumphant orchestral music) 58:21 - [Announcer] Bible Answers Live, 58:22 honest and accurate answers to your Bible questions. 58:27 (triumphant orchestral music) |
Revised 2022-12-01