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Series Code: AFBA
Program Code: AFBA022239S
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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," providing accurate 00:23 and practical answers to all your Bible questions. 00:28 This broadcast is a previously-recorded episode. 00:31 To receive any of the Bible resources mentioned 00:33 in this broadcast, call 800-835-6747. 00:39 Once again, that's 800-835-6747. 00:44 Now here's your host 00:45 from Amazing Facts International, Pastor Doug Batchelor. 00:50 - Hello, friends. Would you like to hear an amazing fact? 00:54 An anechoic chamber is a very carefully insulated room 00:58 designed to eliminate all sound. 01:01 Orfield Laboratories in Minnesota has built 01:04 what is listed as the quietest place on Earth, 01:07 a chamber so quiet that the longest anybody 01:10 has been able to bear it is 45 minutes. 01:13 It's 99.99% sound absorbent, 01:17 and it holds a Guinness World Record 01:19 for the world's quietest place. 01:22 The inside of the small room is lined on all six sides 01:25 with deep fiberglass wedges, 01:27 a double wall of insulated steel, 01:30 and one-foot-thick reinforced concrete. 01:33 Inside the room, it's so silent that background noise 01:37 is actually measured in negative decibels. 01:40 It is so quiet you'll hear your heart beating, 01:43 your stomach gurgling, I hear that anyway sometimes, 01:46 and your bone's grinding. 01:48 But the room isn't just for torturing people. 01:50 Companies rent the room to test their products 01:53 and to find out just how loud they really are. 01:55 Even NASA has sent astronauts there to help them experience 01:59 the absolute silence of space. 02:03 You know, Pastor Ross, sometimes when you live in the city 02:06 and there's all this background noise, 02:07 you long to find a place 02:09 where you can have a little bit of peace and quiet. 02:11 - Mm-hmm, even if you get out of the busyness of the city 02:14 and you go to the country, you find a quieter place, 02:17 but you still hear the wind blowing. 02:19 You hear the chirping of the birds and so on. 02:21 But a place where there is absolute silence, 02:24 you can understand why somebody 02:26 can only be in there for 45 minutes. 02:28 We're not used to that kind of silence. 02:30 - Yeah, they used to call them, I think, isolation chambers 02:34 where it would kinda isolate you 02:36 and separate you from all sound. 02:38 For some reason that sounds attractive to me. 02:41 Just some people, when it's totally quiet, 02:44 it unnerves them evidently. - Right? 02:46 - I'd like to take the test here 02:47 and see if I can make it more than 45 minutes. 02:49 I'll bet you I could, but you know, it makes me think 02:52 about a verse in the Bible that talks about silence 02:56 in a place where you wouldn't expect it 02:58 to be absolutely silent, and that's Heaven. 03:02 In Revelation 8:1 it says, "He opened the seventh seal 03:06 and there was silence in Heaven for about half an hour." 03:11 Now, normally in Heaven you figure 03:13 that the angels are singing, you know? 03:16 The visions that Isaiah had of God on His throne. 03:18 The angels are crying out "Holy, holy, holy." 03:21 And in the presence of the Lord, 03:22 you just picture there's gonna be this awesome music. 03:26 And to have that, you know, they say the worst thing 03:30 you can do in radio is have what they call dead air. 03:32 That's where you have no sound 03:34 and people will change channels. 03:37 In Heaven to have dead air, 03:39 it says about the space of half an hour. 03:41 What do you think that means? 03:43 - Well, you know, it's interesting. 03:44 You do find these different time periods in Bible prophecy, 03:46 and the Bible tells us as a principle 03:49 when interpreting Bible time prophecy, 03:51 one prophetic day is equal to one literal year. 03:54 So scholars have done the math. 03:56 There are 360 days in a Hebrew year, 24 hours in the day. 04:00 So you divide 360 by 24, you end up with 15 days, 04:08 which would be our time. 04:09 But here the verse says there's silence in Heaven 04:11 about the space of a half an hour. 04:13 So you would need to cut that 15 day in a half so- 04:16 - So 15 days prophetically would be about an hour. 04:18 - One hour, then a half an hour would be, 04:20 well, seven days, about a week. 04:21 - Mm-hmm. Yeah, that's interesting. 04:23 Now, why would it be quiet in Heaven for a week? 04:26 - Well, you'd think it would be quiet in Heaven 04:27 because something very important is happening, 04:30 and we know that when Jesus comes the second time, 04:32 He's gonna bring all of the angels with Him. 04:35 - [Doug] There you go. 04:36 - And if there's anyone else left in Heaven, 04:37 I'm sure their focus is on what's happening here 04:39 on the Earth with the second coming of Christ. 04:41 So the half an hour of silence in Heaven 04:44 is really taking place in the future 04:46 when Jesus comes the second time. 04:48 - And it's at the end, it's, I guess, the seventh seal. 04:51 - That's right. - Is when that happens. 04:52 Well, that makes sense 'cause it does say there in prophecy 04:54 that when Christ comes it says, 04:56 "He's coming and all the angels with Him." 04:59 Not some angels, so if all the angels 05:02 that sing God's praise in Heaven are gone, 05:05 it would be quiet. 05:06 - Now, it is interesting if there's seven days of silence 05:09 in Heaven, well, that would mean that it'll probably take 05:12 about seven days for the journey from Earth back to Heaven. 05:14 I don't think it takes three and a half days for Jesus 05:17 to come with the angels 05:18 and then three and a half days to go back because you know, 05:20 angels can travel at the speed of thought. 05:23 So I would assume then that Christ and the angels 05:25 come quickly to the Earth 05:27 and then the journey back to Heaven takes about seven days. 05:30 - Maybe take us on a little tour. 05:31 - That's right, 05:33 - Some things to see on the way back. 05:34 - Scenic route. - Yeah, the scenic route. 05:35 Well, we're looking forward 05:36 to what the Bible calls the blessed hope 05:38 when Jesus comes again. 05:40 And there's several references to the second coming 05:42 in the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation. 05:45 We have a study guide, a free guide 05:47 if someone wants to study and learn something 05:49 about not only the nearness of Jesus' return 05:53 according to the prophecies, 05:54 but something about how He's gonna return 05:56 because we know Satan's gonna try to trick people 05:59 and they'll be false Christ and he'll maybe even try 06:01 to fabricate the second coming somehow. 06:04 We want to know something about that, 06:06 and we have a free offer. - We do. 06:08 It's one of the "Amazing Facts Study Guides," 06:10 and it's called "The Ultimate Deliverance." 06:12 And really it's all about the second coming of Christ. 06:14 All the Scriptures are there. 06:16 Just a great study if you're wondering about 06:18 what the next big thing is that's gonna happen on Earth. 06:21 Well, it's the greatest thing of all, 06:23 the Second Coming of Christ. 06:24 And we'll be happy to send that to anyone 06:26 who calls and asks. 06:27 The number is 800-835-6747, 06:30 and you can ask for the study guide. 06:32 Just ask for it by name. 06:33 It's called "The Ultimate Deliverance." 06:36 It's the study guide on the second coming of Christ. 06:39 You can also ask for free offer 105 and we'll be happy 06:43 to send that to anyone here in North America. 06:45 We'll send it to you through the mail. 06:46 If you're listening outside of North America, 06:48 and Pastor Doug, we have folks listening 06:50 from other countries at different time zones, 06:52 if you'd like to read that study guide, 06:54 just go to the Amazing Facts website, 06:56 amazingfacts.org or .com and you'll be able 06:59 to read that study guide right there at the website. 07:02 - Mm-hmm, absolutely. 07:04 - All right, well, before we go to the phone lines, 07:06 we always like to begin our program with prayer 07:08 so let's just do that right now. 07:10 Dear Father, once again we are grateful for this time 07:12 where we can just open up Your Word and study. 07:15 Study the Word of life, the Word of truth. 07:17 And Lord, the Bible is Your book 07:19 so we need the Holy Spirit to guide us. 07:21 So we ask for Your blessing. Be with us here in the studio. 07:23 Be with those who are listening wherever they might be. 07:25 In Jesus' name, Amen. - Amen. 07:29 - And of course, Pastor Doug, 07:30 we want to welcome all of those who are listening. 07:32 We have folks listening on satellite radio 07:33 and then also land-based radio stations across the country. 07:36 We have people listening on the internet, 07:38 on the Doug Batchelor Facebook page, 07:40 the Amazing Facts Facebook page, also on YouTube, on AFTV, 07:47 and I think this will be rebroadcast on some other networks, 07:48 Hope Channel, 3ABN. - Absolutely. 07:50 - So we want to welcome all of those who are tuning in. 07:52 This is a live interactive Bible study 07:55 so if you have a Bible-related question, 07:57 the number to call here is 800-463-7297. 08:01 That's 800-463-7297 with your Bible question. 08:06 Our first caller this evening is Anthony, 08:07 and he's listening in New York. 08:09 Anthony, welcome to the program. 08:12 - [Anthony] Good evening again, Pastors. 08:14 - Evening. 08:16 - [Anthony] Yes, that amazing fact 08:18 was actually perfect for the question I have today. 08:21 And as I always say, I'll try to be concise. 08:25 In general, my question is, what is the role 08:28 of the range of emotions when it comes to worship? 08:31 And I know we tend to, you know, 08:34 try to be more reserved in church 08:35 and more reflective and solemn in church. 08:38 But is there a role for the emotion of excitement? 08:41 And I'm trying to figure out, 08:42 what's the biblical balance for the two? 08:45 - Yeah, that is a great question. 08:47 You know, when you read the Bible, you'll find examples. 08:50 Well, first of all, let me just set a big context for this. 08:56 When we're in the presence of God, 08:57 the Bible teaches consistently 08:58 that there should be reverence. 09:01 Now, you find verses in the Bible that says 09:03 the Lord is in His holy temple. 09:04 Let all the Earth keep silent, speaking of silence. 09:07 So there's a time for silence in reverence. 09:11 Then you find when they gathered 09:12 for the reading of the Word in the Book of Ezra, 09:14 the people were convicted and they wept. 09:17 And then Ezra told the people, "Do not weep. 09:21 Today is a day for rejoicing." 09:23 And there are times when Solomon dedicated the temple 09:27 and the fire, God came down, the people fell on their faces. 09:30 There was fear and there was all... 09:31 So you can see based on the context of what's happening, 09:35 the preacher might be preaching a sermon 09:37 where some are greatly comforted and there's rejoicing. 09:40 Others might be convicted and there's like the publican 09:44 that smote upon his breast and said, 09:46 "Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner." 09:48 So all things should be done in the context of reverence. 09:52 We've all seen church services probably on TV 09:54 where it looks like a hootenanny 09:57 and there's just, it's chaos. 09:59 Paul says, "Let all things be done decently in order." 10:02 But that doesn't mean there shouldn't be great joy. 10:05 I think when people sing, look at all the psalms 10:07 that talk about, you know, joy to the Lord and rejoicing. 10:11 Now, if my rejoicing totally distracts the other person, 10:14 I went to a church where there was this one individual 10:18 that every time I made a point there was a loud hallelujah 10:24 that would almost make the people around them jump. 10:27 And I appreciated the encouragement, 10:29 but it was distracting everybody else 'cause it was so loud 10:32 that I had to ask them, I said, 10:35 "Look, can you dial the volume down a little bit?" 10:39 So you don't want your rejoicing or your weeping 10:42 or whatever it is to be a spectacle 10:44 that's gonna distract other people from hearing the Word 10:47 so there's that balance. 10:49 I don't know. What do you think, Pastor Ross? 10:50 - Yeah, absolutely. 10:51 You know, when one enters into the presence of God 10:53 or into a house of worship, the church, 10:55 and you're gonna worship, I think it's appropriate 10:57 to come in with reverence, with quietness, 10:59 understanding that you're in the presence of God 11:01 and you're preparing your heart for worship. 11:03 But as you mentioned throughout the worship service, 11:05 there are appropriate times for singing 11:09 and rejoicing and praising God. 11:11 But there are also other times for quiet reflection, 11:14 contemplation, listening to the Word. 11:17 So I think that you need to be balanced. 11:18 - And then Joel even says it's time to wail and, 11:20 he's talking about repentance, though. 11:22 - Right. - He says there are times 11:23 when people should repent and he said 11:25 they should wail and weep and those are, you know, 11:29 hopefully not the weekly service. 11:30 - [Jean] Right. 11:31 - But yeah, so great question, Anthony. 11:33 I don't know if that helped your answer at all. 11:35 But you know, like it says here, 11:38 you gave us a Scripture from Solomon. 11:40 "To everything there's a season 11:41 and a time for every purpose under Heaven." 11:43 So there are times for fasting in prayer and maybe weeping. 11:47 There certainly are times for rejoicing 11:50 as the angels rejoice and praising God. 11:53 The Gospel is called good news. It's the context, I think. 11:57 - Okay, very good. - Always done with reverence. 11:59 - We've got Cole listening in North Dakota. 12:01 Cole, welcome to the program. 12:04 - [Cole] Thank you. Thank you. 12:07 The question I have is from Isaiah 45:7. 12:14 It's, I'll read the text real quick. 12:16 - [Doug] Okay. 12:18 - [Cole] "I form the light, and create darkness. 12:20 I make peace, and create evil. 12:22 I the Lord do all these things." 12:24 I know other translations use words like calamity 12:27 or disaster, but I had a discussion with some people 12:31 about this and they made a point 12:33 about God does create evil for glory. 12:36 But my question is, 12:37 does God actually create evil if He's perfect? 12:42 - Yeah, no, this is actually, I think, 12:44 at least in the King James Version, 12:46 it's sort of an unfortunate translation. 12:48 We get that question a lot where God says, "I create evil." 12:53 You look at the Book of Job 12:54 and look at the calamities that came upon Job. 12:59 And here the devil came to God and said, 13:02 "You know, Job, the only reason he serves You 13:04 is because You've hedged him in with angels. 13:06 You protect him and you bless him. 13:08 And if You take away Your protection, 13:10 he'll curse You to Your face." 13:11 And God says, "Okay, I'm going to withdraw my protection, 13:14 but there's limits on what you can do." 13:15 So God is sovereign in the sense 13:18 that He had to loosen the devil's leash, 13:21 but it was the devil that did it. 13:24 So God created a beautiful angel who was given a free will 13:28 who chose to do evil. 13:31 Now, the Bible says every good, 13:33 and this is the Book of James, 13:35 "Every good and perfect gift comes from God." 13:38 Jesus said, "God is good." 13:42 And so you cannot be simultaneously light and darkness, 13:46 good and evil. - Mm-hmm. 13:47 Well, we know the consequence of evil 13:49 is sorrow, suffering, and death. 13:51 You know, it's rebellion. 13:53 And God wouldn't create something that would lead 13:56 to rebellion, suffering, and death contrary to His nature. 13:59 God is a God of love. 14:00 So if you look in the Bible- - In this verse, yeah. 14:01 - The devil's really the author of evil. 14:04 - Exactly, so this verse, 14:06 we kind of strayed a little bit from it, 14:07 but the verse that you're talking about in Isaiah 45:7 14:11 where He said, "I make peace and create evil," 14:16 as you mentioned, like the New King James 14:18 says, "create calamity." 14:20 And the word there would really be, I allow calamity. 14:23 So sometimes God allows trials to come. 14:27 And when the flood came on the world, 14:30 well, God said "I'm going to send a flood." 14:33 It's the language that He uses. It was to punish the evil. 14:37 And so Isaiah's saying I'm the One 14:40 who ultimately has sovereign final power. 14:44 Hope that helps. Good question. 14:46 - Next caller that we have is Solace listening in Arkansas. 14:49 Solace, welcome to the program. 14:51 - [Solace] Hello, Pastors. - Hi. 14:54 - [Solace] Thank you for having me. 14:55 My question is on Luke 16:9, 15:00 and it's after the parable of the unjust steward. 15:04 And it's when Jesus says, "And I say to you, 15:07 make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth 15:11 that when you fail, they may receive you 15:13 into the everlasting home." 15:15 So I'm kind of confused on that. Could you explain that? 15:19 - Yeah, this is a parable 15:20 that has left a lot of people wondering. 15:22 Jesus talks about this steward that is very unfaithful 15:27 and realizing he's gonna be fired. 15:29 He enters into agreements with the debtors of his master 15:34 so that they basically become accomplices with him. 15:37 And Jesus is, He's complimenting. 15:41 And you can read this in verse eight, I believe. 15:43 It says, "So the master commended the unjust steward." 15:46 Why would he commend somebody unjust? 15:48 He's not commending him for being unjust. 15:50 He's saying what you've done is wise. 15:52 You are looking ahead 15:54 and you are making plans to protect your future. 15:57 And you notice in the end of this parable, 15:59 He says that the children of this age 16:03 are often wiser than the children of light. 16:06 Meaning that the people in the world, you know, 16:09 they'll do things to plan to secure their future. 16:12 But a lot of people say the believers 16:14 aren't really planning for their everlasting future. 16:17 So when He says, "I say make for yourself friends 16:21 of unrighteous mammon that when you fail, 16:24 they may receive you into an everlasting home," 16:27 I think Jesus is saying that we ought to invest 16:30 using the world's resources, invest in saving people. 16:34 We're gonna see them through eternity in Heaven. 16:37 You got any thoughts on that? 16:38 - Yeah, I think you're right, Pastor. 16:40 You know, sometimes in the parables of Jesus, 16:41 Jesus uses contrast to illustrate the important truth. 16:45 So if the wicked are preparing for their eternal future, 16:49 meaning distraction 'cause they focus 16:51 on the things of this Earth, shouldn't we as believers 16:54 also be preparing for what we believe to be a future 16:57 in paradise with Christ and with the saved, 17:00 the redeemed in Heaven? 17:01 We need to be preparing for that. 17:03 We need to be getting ready for that. 17:05 And as you said, utilizing our resources and our influence 17:08 to help get other people into the kingdom as well. 17:10 - Yep, so hope that helps a little, Solace, 17:13 and we sure appreciate your call. 17:15 - Next caller that we have is Joan listening in Arkansas. 17:18 Joan, welcome to the program. 17:19 - [Joan] I think you mean Joan from Anchorage, Alaska. 17:23 - Oh there it is, okay. - That's it, sorry Joan. 17:25 - From Alaska, welcome. - That's you. 17:27 - [Joan] Well, good evening, Pastors. 17:30 I was wondering if you could help me to understand 17:34 who the eight kings are 17:37 that are mentioned in Revelation 17:10-11. 17:41 I can read that for you. 17:42 - I'll tell you what, Joan, 17:44 why don't you let us read it 17:45 because you were getting terrible feedback. 17:47 You may have your radio on in the background. 17:51 - [Joan] Really? 17:52 - Yeah, so if, I don't know if you can turn- 17:54 - [Joan] How is it now? 17:55 - [Jean] There we go. - That's better. 17:56 So you go ahead, you can read it. 17:58 - [Joan] Okay, it says, "There are also," no here, 18:02 this is verse nine, "Here is the mind which has wisdom. 18:06 The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. 18:11 There are also seven kings. Five have fallen. 18:15 One is and the other has not yet come. 18:18 And when he comes, he must continue a short time. 18:22 And the beast that was and is not, 18:25 is himself also the eighth, and is of the seventh 18:30 and is going into perdition. - Okay. 18:33 - [Joan] So I was just wondering 18:34 if you could let me know who these eight kings are. 18:37 - All right, good. We'll do our best. 18:39 Now, I'll just go, I'll tell you right at the outset 18:43 that even within my church, 18:45 there are probably four major interpretations of this. 18:48 You know, we're not cookie cutters 18:50 where everybody has every answer for everything 18:52 and so there are different views on this prophecy. 18:55 I'll tell you what I teach and what you're gonna find 18:57 typically in the Amazing Facts lessons. 18:59 It says that this woman is sitting on seven mountains. 19:02 Well, most scholars believe that the woman of Revelation 17 19:07 is talking about the papacy. 19:08 A woman is a church. 19:10 Here is a woman who's been unfaithful because the papacy, 19:14 they started to turn to idolatry and they, you know, 19:18 adopted a number of pagan doctrines. 19:20 They were seen as the harlot or the unfaithful woman. 19:25 Sitting among seven hills. Rome is the city of seven hills. 19:28 Now, this is what Luther and Calvin and Spurgeon and Wesley, 19:32 that many Protestants taught and unitedly believe this, 19:36 but it says that those seven hills are also seven kings 19:39 or kingdoms on which she sits. 19:42 It says five are fallen. 19:44 Now, some take the perspective that when John wrote this, 19:48 Rome, pagan Rome was in power. 19:50 So the five before would be, you've got the five powers 19:55 that occupied God's people which were Egypt, Assyria, 19:59 Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Greece, five are fallen. 20:04 After Greece fell, it says one is, 20:06 that would be Pagan Rome, Rome ruled by Caesars. 20:10 Then the one who is the spiritual problem 20:14 would be the seventh, which is the papacy. 20:17 But it receives a deadly wound 20:20 and recovers and comes back into power. 20:22 That's why it says he's also the eighth. 20:24 How can the seventh also be the eighth 20:25 unless it takes a break and comes back? 20:29 And it talks about this beast receiving a deadly one, 20:31 but the wound is healed in Revelation 13. 20:34 So hopefully you could take that all, and that's the way 20:37 that a number of scholars understand it, but not all. 20:43 And I think you'd find that in our lessons. 20:45 I don't remember what lesson it is. 20:48 Oh, that's the woman. 20:49 - Yeah, "The Other Woman." - The mystery, yeah. 20:52 - Is what it's called. 20:53 - It's a lesson called "The Other Woman" that you can get. 20:55 - And if you'd like to receive the lesson just call and ask. 20:57 The number to call for that is 800-835-6747. 21:01 And you can ask for the study guide. 21:03 It's called "The Other Woman," 21:04 and we'll be happy to send that out 21:05 to anyone who calls and asks. 21:07 - Thank you Joan from Arkansas, Alaska. 21:09 - Yeah, thanks for your call. 21:10 Next caller that we have is Edna from Michigan. 21:14 Edna, welcome to the program. 21:17 - [Edna] Hi, guys. Thank you for taking my phone call. 21:20 - Yeah. 21:21 - [Edna] My question tonight comes out of Revelation, 21:23 and it's about the seven last plagues. 21:26 I know the controversy is about God's seventh day Sabbath 21:30 and man worshiping on the first day 21:34 and about the time of trouble, the close of probation. 21:37 But I do not understand, 21:40 what is the purpose of the seven last plagues? 21:44 - Okay, good. 21:46 Keep in mind the seven last plagues 21:48 are something of a parallel to what happened in Exodus. 21:52 In Exodus, God was getting ready to take His people 21:55 from slavery to the promised land. 21:57 Jesus is getting ready to take His people from the slavery 22:00 of the devil in this world to the promised land of Heaven. 22:03 And there's these 10 plagues that fell on Egypt. 22:08 Now, the last seven of the 10 plagues, 22:11 God protects even the Israelites from those, 22:14 it doesn't affect the land of Goshen. 22:15 So you've got the seven plagues of Egypt 22:18 do not affect the Israelites. 22:20 The first three did. 22:21 And you're saying, well if probation's closed, 22:24 then why is God allowing this? 22:26 Well, for one thing, it's showing they did not repent. 22:31 When the plagues came on the Egyptians, 22:33 even the Pharaoh says he repented, 22:35 and the Egyptians said, "Let them go." 22:37 There was some repentance, but the wicked of the world, 22:40 they have no redeemable qualities left. 22:41 They've hardened their hearts. 22:43 There's nothing that God can do. 22:44 And He's demonstrating to their friends, family, 22:47 and unfallen worlds that the world, even under these trials 22:50 does not soften their hearts and turn to God, 22:53 but they harden their hearts and they blaspheme 22:55 and they curse God so it's something of a demonstration. 22:59 - You know, under the fifth plague 23:00 that you read about in Revelation 16:11, 23:03 well, let me start in verse 10. 23:04 It says, "Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl 23:06 on the throne of the beast 23:07 and the kingdom became full of darkness, 23:09 and they gnawed their tongues because of the pain." 23:11 And then the next verse says, 23:12 "They blasphemed the God of Heaven 23:14 because of the pains and because of the sores, 23:16 and they did not repent of their deeds." 23:18 So it's evident here that they recognize 23:20 that these are judgments coming from God, 23:22 but their heart is so hardened that they rebel 23:25 even under these judgments 23:27 and they blaspheme the name of God. 23:28 - That's right. 23:30 - So the plagues reveal the true condition of the heart. 23:32 But at the same time, you find another group in Revelation 23:35 that when the plagues have been falling upon the Earth, 23:38 they're trusting in God. 23:39 They're rejoicing 'cause they know the end is coming. 23:41 Their faith is being tested and tried, 23:43 but they are shown to be genuine, they're true. 23:46 And those are the ones that have the seal of God. 23:47 So the plagues reveal the two groups at the end of time. 23:50 - And they are something of a judgment 23:52 because when the ocean and the springs become blood, 23:55 the angel says, "They've shed the blood of the saints. 23:58 You're giving them blood to drink." 23:59 - Right. - So it's they're kind of, 24:00 it's something of a judgment as well as a demonstration. 24:04 Thanks. That's a good question, Edna. 24:07 We appreciate it. 24:08 - All right, maybe one more question 24:10 before we take our break. 24:11 We have Dez listening in Florida. 24:12 Dez, welcome to the program. 24:15 - [Dez] Hello, welcome, thank you. 24:16 - Hi. 24:18 - [Dez] I'm calling about the last days 24:20 'cause I know this is something that we talked about, 24:23 supposed to leave the city. - Mm-hmm. 24:25 - [Dez] And move into the country or somewhere. 24:28 And I don't understand. 24:30 I mean, I don't know. It's hard to say it. 24:32 - Yeah, that's a good question. 24:34 In the last days when Jesus says in Matthew 24, 24:37 "When you see the abomination of desolation 24:40 standing in the holy place, let those that be in Judea 24:42 flee into the mountains." 24:43 I think in Luke it says, 24:45 "When you see Jerusalem encompassed with armies, 24:47 let those that be in Judea flee into the mountains." 24:50 So for ancient Israel, 24:52 when the abomination of desolation came, 24:55 the Roman armies surrounded them. 24:56 That was a signal to flee. 24:58 There was a brief break in that siege and they fled. 25:03 In the last days, God's people are gonna be hedged in again 25:06 by laws, religious laws that compel worship. 25:10 First, you can't buy or sell 25:11 and ultimately there'll be a death decree. 25:13 And when we see that those laws are coming, 25:17 that's gonna be a time for, 25:19 we probably want to get out of the cities. 25:20 And especially, and that doesn't mean everybody can afford 25:23 to, you know, sell their home and go buy a country estate, 25:28 but we should be moving towards more remote places. 25:32 I think the Lord is warning us this very practically. 25:35 We saw in recent years there's been some social unrest 25:39 and cities were on fire and there are places in, 25:45 you know, Portland, Oregon and stuff, 25:47 you couldn't even drive downtown. 25:49 We had some friends that lived there 25:50 and they said it was just terrible. 25:52 And a number of Minneapolis and Florida 25:56 and Washington, D.C., you know, 25:58 police marching up the street. 26:00 You didn't see that kind of rioting going on in Podunk, 26:04 you know, these little farm towns, 26:07 they didn't have that same kind of threat. 26:09 So you're a little safer 26:10 in more remote communities during that time 26:12 and so I think that's the warning. 26:13 Then you got that verse there in Isaiah. 26:16 "Woe unto them that join house to house 26:18 and lay field to field, till there's no place 26:20 that a man can be alone on the Earth." 26:22 It's nice to have a place more alone. 26:24 We're gonna take a break, 26:25 come back with more Bible questions after these messages. 26:29 (dramatic music) 26:33 - [Announcer] Stay tuned. 26:34 "Bible Answers Live" will return shortly. 26:38 (dramatic music) 26:40 - Every year, 40,000 souls in North America 26:43 end their own lives. 26:45 Suicide is a terrible tragedy. 26:47 And while it's difficult to talk about, 26:49 we need to face it together as Christians. 26:52 That's why in my new book, "Choosing Life," 26:54 I share the biblical perspective about suicide, 26:57 answering some difficult questions 26:59 about faith and salvation along the way 27:01 and offering practical tips 27:03 that should help and encourage others. 27:05 Jesus wants us to choose an abundant life in Him. 27:11 (soft instrumental music) 27:24 - [Announcer] What if you could know the future? 27:28 What would you do? 27:30 What would you change? 27:32 To see the future, you must understand the past. 27:37 - [Narrator] Alexander the Great becomes king 27:38 when he is only 18, but he's a military prodigy. 27:42 - [Narrator] 150 years in advance, Cyrus had been named. 27:48 Rome was violent. They were ruthless, they were determined. 27:53 - [Announcer] This intriguing documentary 27:54 hosted by Pastor Doug Batchelor 27:56 explores the most striking Bible prophecies 28:00 that have been dramatically fulfilled throughout history. 28:03 "Kingdoms in "Time." 28:06 Are you ready? 28:11 (lightning crashes) (dramatic music) 28:14 - [Announcer] Written by the hand of God 28:16 and spoken with His voice. 28:20 Some words will never fade. 28:23 (dramatic music) 28:31 - [Announcer] Get Pastor Doug Batchelor's 28:32 12-part sermon series on the Ten Commandments 28:34 by calling 800-538-7275 or visit afbookstore.com. 28:40 (stirring instrumental music) 28:43 - [Announcer] You're listening to "Bible Answers Live" 28:45 where every question answered 28:47 provides a clearer picture of God and His plan to save you. 28:51 So what are you waiting for? 28:53 Get practical answers about the Good Book 28:55 for a better life today. 28:58 (stirring instrumental music) 29:00 This broadcast is a previously recorded episode. 29:03 If you'd like answers to your Bible-related questions 29:05 on the air, please call us next Sunday 29:08 between 7:00 PM and 8:00 PM Pacific Time. 29:11 To receive any of the Bible resources mentioned 29:14 in this evening's program, call 800-835-6747. 29:19 Once again, that's 800-835-6747. 29:25 Now let's rejoin our hosts for more "Bible Answers Live." 29:31 - Welcome back, listening friends. 29:32 And if you joined us along the way, 29:34 this is "Bible Answers Live," and we do our best 29:36 to answer Bible questions from around the world. 29:39 And actually we've got some lines open, 29:42 have a couple people in line, 29:44 but if you'd like to call in with your Bible question, 29:46 you can call 800-GOD-SAYS, that's 800-463-7297 29:51 or you can be watching also on the internet. 29:55 We're streaming on Facebook 29:57 as well as some television stations. 29:59 My name's Doug Batchelor. 30:00 - My name is Jean Ross, and our next caller that we have 30:03 is Paul listening from Washington State. 30:05 Paul, you're on the air. 30:08 - [Paul] Yes, I am. 30:10 My question is, what does the Bible say 30:14 about having a large sum of money in the bank 30:20 or in investments near the last days? 30:24 - Good question. 30:27 I'm looking up a verse right now. 30:29 Yeah, there's a parable that Jesus tells in Luke 12 30:34 where He said, He spoke a parable, and this is Luke 12:16. 30:39 He spoke a parable to them saying, 30:41 "The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. 30:44 And he thought within himself saying, 30:46 'What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?' 30:50 So he said, 'I'll do this. 30:51 I'll pull down my barns and I'll build bigger barns 30:55 and there I'll store all my crops and my goods. 30:57 And I'll say, "Soul, you have many goods 31:00 laid up for many years. 31:01 Take your ease. Eat, drink, and be merry."' 31:03 But God said to him, 'Fool! 31:05 This night your soul will be required of you. 31:08 Then whose will those things be which you have provided?'" 31:12 And Jesus says, "So is he who lays up treasure 31:14 for himself and is not rich towards God." 31:16 We certainly don't want to be hoarding 31:18 and stockpiling resources. 31:22 You know, and this is a great question, Paul, 31:25 because well, does that mean everybody 31:27 is to give away everything they have right now? 31:30 Does it mean we should save nothing? 31:33 And I really like the way John Wesley dealt with this issue. 31:36 He said, "A Christian should earn all they can, 31:40 they should save all they can, 31:42 and they should give all they can." 31:44 So I think there's a balance. 31:45 We don't know exactly when the Lord's gonna come. 31:49 So you know, it's probably a good idea 31:51 to have some savings for yourself and your family. 31:54 And you know, if you're working hard and you're earning, 31:57 you should also be able to give and give generously. 32:02 So that I think is the principle. 32:07 You know, even if you divided your resources 32:09 the way I just stated it, and you said, 32:11 "All right, well I'm gonna, you know, need 1/3 for living, 32:15 1/3 for saving and 1/3 for giving." 32:18 I mean, imagine how radical that would be for the Church 32:22 to say 1/3 of what I have, I'm gonna give to God's work. 32:25 Man, the Gospel would go into all the world pretty quick. 32:29 And just even the spirit that it would take to do that. 32:32 - Mm-hmm, you know, Jesus said something else in Luke 12:33. 32:35 Jesus said, "Where your treasure is, 32:37 that's where your heart is also." 32:39 So if you are utilizing our resources 32:41 to build up the kingdom of Heaven, 32:42 that's gonna be our passion. 32:44 That's where our heart is. 32:45 But if our goal is just to treasure up treasure 32:47 here on this Earth, well, our heart's in the wrong place. 32:50 - Yep, thanks, Paul. 32:52 - All right, thanks for your call. 32:53 You know, we do have a study guide. 32:54 It's called "In God We Trust," and it's talking 32:56 about what the Bible says about finance, and we'll be happy 32:59 to send this to anyone that calls and asks. 33:00 The number is 800-835-6747, 33:04 and you can ask for the study guide. 33:05 It's called "In God We Trust." 33:07 And we'll be happy to send that to anyone in North America. 33:10 - [Doug] Amen. 33:11 - We got Aaron listening in New York. 33:12 Aaron, welcome to the program. 33:16 - [Aaron] Good evening, Pastors, 33:17 and thank you for taking my call. 33:20 Jeremiah 17:21 says, "Thus says the Lord, 33:24 'Take heed to yourselves and bear no burden 33:28 on the Sabbath day, nor bring it in 33:30 to the gates of Jerusalem.'" 33:33 Well, the Jewish leaders during the time when Jesus 33:36 walked on Earth believed that one of the people Jesus healed 33:40 broke this law by carrying his bed. 33:43 But Jesus disagreed about that. 33:46 My question is, what is the meaning 33:48 of the word burden in Jeremiah 17:21? 33:53 - Yeah, well first of all, when Jesus healed a man, 33:55 He said, "Take up your bed and go to your house." 33:58 And I think he did that on a couple occasions, 34:00 once with the, well, I don't know that it was a Sabbath day. 34:02 The paralytic doesn't say it was a Sabbath. 34:06 The blind man, I think he took up his stuff and went home, 34:10 and the Pool of Bethesda. 34:11 - That was a Sabbath. - Yeah, yeah. 34:13 So that's a whole different kind of burden 34:17 than Jeremiah is talking about people 34:19 that were carrying burdens of goods to sell. 34:23 They were doing buying and selling in business 34:25 and you know, carrying... 34:27 If Jesus heals and you gotta take your sleeping bag home, 34:31 that's not Sabbath breaking. 34:34 So, you know, Jesus is saying 34:35 it's better to do good on the Sabbath day. 34:37 Some people look at the disputes 34:39 that Jesus had regarding the Sabbath. 34:41 Matter of fact, probably one of the most disputed 34:43 of the Ten Commandments that Jesus had with the scribes 34:50 and the Pharisees was regarding the Sabbath. 34:51 He never said you should not keep it. 34:53 The arguments were always about how to keep it. 34:56 And basically He said, you know, 34:59 you've put undue burdens on people asking them to, you know, 35:05 carry legalistic laws that you won't lift 35:07 with one of your fingers. 35:08 He healed a woman who was bent over on the Sabbath day 35:12 and He said, "This woman's been bound by the devil 35:14 for 18 years and you guys will untie your ox and your donkey 35:18 and water them on the Sabbath day, 35:20 or you'll milk your goat or your cow. 35:22 Why wouldn't you want to relieve the burden of this lady 35:25 on the Sabbath day and and heal her?" 35:27 So I don't know if that's answering your question, 35:31 but Aaron, hopefully that helps a little bit. 35:34 - I think the context of the whole concern 35:35 that Jeremiah has is that there were those 35:37 who were bringing in their goods into Jerusalem 35:39 on the Sabbath to sell their goods. 35:42 And finally, you know, the gates were eventually, 35:44 they had to be closed a little later 35:45 when you read about Ezra and Nehemiah. 35:47 So I think the point here 35:48 is just conducting regular business. 35:51 Of course, in those days they would go into the field. 35:53 They'd have to gather up their grain. 35:55 They'd have to carry it in into the city. 35:57 That's not an appropriate work to do in the Sabbath. 35:59 - Right. 36:00 - All right. Thank you for your call. 36:01 We've got Aaron now, also Aaron listening from California. 36:04 Aaron, welcome to the program. 36:07 - [Aaron] Good evening. 36:08 Thank you so much for taking my call. 36:09 - Yes. 36:11 - [Aaron] Pastors, I had a question. 36:12 Recently, my wife came across a video online 36:15 that had a person who, it's a personal video they made. 36:21 And in the video they sort of twisted, 36:25 I believe what they did was twist the Scripture 36:28 because they wanted to basically say 36:29 that because God created man 36:31 and God created man, male and female, 36:34 and He created them in His image 36:36 that somehow that means that God is non-binary. 36:40 And so, and I just was curious what your thoughts are 36:44 as far as perhaps maybe more specifically 36:46 what the Bible might say in reference 36:48 to how man is created in God's image. 36:52 - Well, I do think the Bible teaches us, 36:56 of course, God is a Spirit, 36:57 That doesn't mean God has no form. 36:59 The person of the Godhead that might be difficult for us 37:03 to comprehend as far as the form would be God the Spirit 37:06 who sometimes is appearing as everything 37:09 from fire and water to a dove and wind. 37:13 But when the Bible talks about the visions 37:18 that the apostles saw, Daniel and John and Ezekiel 37:23 and Isaiah, it talks about God having hands, 37:26 head, feet, legs, it says on Jesus' thigh. 37:30 And it portrays Him with, 37:33 I don't want to say it portrays Him. 37:35 It's like telling a child, your parents look like you. 37:38 Well no, they look like their parents. 37:39 So you know, Jesus is portrayed 37:42 having these features that we have. 37:44 We have them because He has them. 37:46 So I think God must have some form 37:49 because the other thing is Jesus took humanity 37:51 and He's now gonna bear that through eternity. 37:54 You know, He permanently identified himself with humanity, 37:59 and even in His resurrection form. 38:03 But to say that God is non-binary, 38:05 someone is trying to politicize or, you know, 38:11 get the nature of God caught up 38:12 in some of the cultural issues today, 38:14 and that's a sensational stretch. 38:18 God is consistently referred to as our Father in the Bible, 38:24 but I don't believe that He has gender 38:26 in the sense that we do 38:27 so it's silly to try and classify Him 38:29 as male, female, or even binary. 38:33 Anyway, so hopefully that helps a little, Aaron, 38:35 and appreciate your question. 38:37 - Next caller that we have is Armando in North Carolina. 38:40 Armando, welcome to the program. 38:43 - [Armando] Pastor John, Pastor Jean Ross, 38:45 and Pastor Doug Batchelor, how are you guys? 38:47 - We're thankful to be here. - Good. 38:49 - [Armando] Thank you guys for having me. 38:53 My question is regarding Judges 13 38:57 when the angel of the Lord comes 38:59 to speak to the wife of Manoah. 39:02 And I think in verses four and five, 39:06 the angel of the Lord starts to, I guess, specify that the, 39:13 I guess the vow will be taken on by the mother, 39:15 but then essentially Samson will have the Nazirite vow. 39:19 I just wanted to see if that's the case with Sampson 39:23 taking on the Nazirite vow. 39:25 I have a couple footnotes in a couple Bibles that indicate 39:27 that the Nazirite vow is in Numbers 6. 39:32 - [Doug] Yes. 39:33 - [Armando] And then I just had a follow-up question. 39:35 If that was the case, how was Samson able 39:38 to carry on the vow whenever he would sin or, you know, 39:44 kill a body when he was against the army? 39:47 - [Doug] Yeah. 39:50 - It's specific in Numbers about- 39:53 - [Doug] Right. - With a dead body and... 39:55 - Well let's just be honest, 39:58 Samson did a pretty terrible job 40:00 of keeping the vow of a nazirite. 40:02 His parents did their best during the gestation of the baby 40:09 and in his raising to convince him that he was special. 40:12 God had a special plan for him. He had taken a nazirite vow. 40:15 But he seems to be rebelling against that during his life. 40:18 He wasn't supposed to drink wine, but it seems like he did. 40:22 He wasn't supposed to touch a dead body, 40:23 but we know that he did. 40:25 I mean, he killed a lion and ate honey out of it. 40:27 And he picked up the jawbone of a donkey and slew 1,000 men. 40:31 And then he went and stayed with a harlot in Gaza, 40:33 which is obviously breaking the Nazirite vow. 40:36 And finally his hair not being cut. 40:39 And he betrays that secret and God says, enough's enough, 40:42 you know and He was very patient with him. 40:43 But yeah, Samson, he didn't do a very good job 40:48 in following that vow. 40:49 His parents had sort of consecrated him. 40:51 Now conversely, you have Hannah, you got Manoah's wife 40:57 who tries their best to raise Samson to follow the vow, 40:59 and he rebels against it. 41:01 You have Hannah who makes the nazirite vow for Samuel. 41:05 Samuel keeps it, and he is consecrated 41:08 through his life to the Lord that way. 41:11 So you're right, those nazirite vows 41:14 in Numbers there are pretty definitive. 41:19 - All right, thanks for your call. 41:20 We got Maggie listening in Washington. 41:22 Maggie, welcome to the program. 41:24 - [Maggie] Good evening, gentlemen. 41:25 First I wanna just tell you 41:27 that I pray for both of you daily that the Lord 41:30 should put a hedge about you for your protection. 41:34 Yeah, my question is- - Well, thank you. 41:35 - [Maggie] Are the 24 elders in the Book of Revelation, 41:39 are they the saints that Matthew 27:52 mentions 41:44 after Jesus's Resurrection? 41:46 - Well, that's another one of those verses, 41:48 and I'll also have Pastor Ross weigh in on this. 41:50 The question is, when it says there's these 24 elders, 41:54 how'd they get to Heaven? 41:56 Are they some of the saints resurrected there 41:58 in the end of Matthew? 42:00 Or are they the leaders of unfallen worlds? 42:05 Now, I'm more inclined to go with the latter. 42:07 You can read that, that says there was a day 42:10 when the sons of God's came together 42:12 before the Lord in Heaven. 42:14 And you wonder, who are these sons of God? 42:16 Well, when Luke goes through the genealogy of humanity, 42:20 it talks about Enos who is the son of Seth 42:23 who is the son of Adam who is the son of God. 42:26 So Adam is called the son of God 42:28 'cause he is created, he isn't born. 42:30 And these are the leaders, we believe, of unfallen worlds. 42:35 And in the same way that God has got 24 leaders 42:39 in the Old Testament in Chronicles, 42:41 you read about 24 leaders both militarily 42:44 and in the sanctuary. 42:46 That's 12 for the day and 12 for the night, 42:48 or 12 for a half of the year. 42:50 God divided 'em differently. 42:51 And Jesus has 12 apostles. 42:52 12 of course is, two times 12 is 24. 42:55 These are like leaders of God's unfallen universe 42:59 is one theory I've heard. 43:01 And some believe they're the resurrected saints. 43:04 What are your thoughts? 43:05 - Yeah, that's a good question. 43:06 You know, there is a verse actually in the Old Testament. 43:09 It talks about the elders, Isaiah 24:23. 43:12 It says, "The Lord shall reign 43:13 before His elders gloriously." 43:16 Now, that's the Old Testament. 43:17 Of course you have those who are resurrected 43:19 the time of Christ's Resurrection. 43:21 But then you also have in the Book of Job 43:22 it talks about the sons of God or, you know, 43:25 these representatives of these unfallen worlds. 43:27 - Morning stars sing together. - That's right. 43:29 And the devil came representing Earth. 43:31 So this was not a meeting that took place on the Earth, 43:34 it was somewhere else and you have these representatives. 43:35 So you know, if you look at the chronology 43:38 that's given in Revelation 4, 43:41 you have a description of the heavenly throne room. 43:42 God the Father is seated upon the throne 43:44 and talks about the fall of living creatures. 43:46 And it mentions there the 24 elders, 43:47 but it's not until you get to chapter five 43:50 that you see Jesus, that He appears. 43:52 So it's as if Revelation 4 43:54 describes Heaven before Christ comes. 43:57 And well, we know those who are resurrected 43:59 at the time of Christ's Resurrection, 44:01 they were taken to Heaven with Jesus. 44:03 It would seem that the 24 elders are already in Heaven 44:07 before Jesus and those who are resurrected 44:09 actually get to Heaven. - Yep. 44:10 - So that gives the idea that the 24 elders 44:12 would be something more than just those who are resurrected. 44:15 It's the other group would be the representatives 44:17 of the unfallen worlds. 44:18 - So I appreciate that. Hope that helps a little, Maggie. 44:21 And we do have a new Revelation magazine that you can read. 44:28 It's Revelation, or sorry, Amazing Facts has a magazine 44:29 on Daniel and Revelation. 44:31 You can find that at the AF Bookstore. 44:34 That's Amazing Facts Bookstore. You'll see that there. 44:36 - Next caller that we have is Angela, 44:38 and she's listening in Illinois. 44:39 She's on the road. Angela, welcome to the program. 44:43 - [Angela] Hi, I have a question, 44:45 and I think it may be Amos 4, but I'm not sure. 44:49 - Okay. 44:51 - [Angela] It says that we should not be wanting to hasten 44:53 the day of the Lord because it will be a day of great... 44:59 - Yeah, yeah. Why do you pray for the day of the Lord? 45:01 It'll be a day of distress and a day of punishment. 45:04 - [Angela] Right. - Yeah. 45:06 - [Angela] And when you put your hand on the wall 45:07 to steady yourself, and you'll be bitten by a snake 45:10 and things like that so... - Yes. (laughs) 45:13 And a serpent will bite you, yeah. 45:16 I'm looking it up right now. 45:20 Yeah, that's, here it is. It's Amos 5:19. 45:24 It says, "It will be." 45:25 Well, I can actually back up. It'll be here. 45:27 It says, "Woe to those who desire the day of the Lord." 45:30 This is Amos 5:18. 45:32 "Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord 45:34 for what good is the day of the Lord to you?" 45:36 He's talking about the wicked. 45:37 Why would you want the day of the Lord? 45:38 It's a day of darkness and no light. 45:40 "It will be as though a man fled from a lion 45:42 and a bear met him." 45:44 That's bad luck. 45:45 "Or though he went into the house running for his life, 45:48 leans on the wall and a serpent bit him." 45:50 In other words, he's saying you can run but you can't hide. 45:54 No matter where you go, calamity is gonna follow you 45:56 because it's a judgment. 45:58 The day of the Lord is the day of judgment 45:59 for those who have neglected the opportunity 46:01 to have their sins forgiven 46:03 and to know the Lord and be surrendered to the Lord. 46:06 The Second Coming is a nightmare for them. 46:09 It's judgment. Probation's closed. 46:11 - Absolutely, you look in Revelation 6, 46:13 right up at the Second Coming of Christ, 46:14 the wicked turned to the rocks and the mountains 46:16 and they say, "Fall on us and hide us from the face 46:19 of Him sits upon throne from the wrath of the Lamb." 46:21 So it's not a day of rejoicing for the wicked. 46:24 It is a day of rejoicing for the saved, 46:25 for the righteous, but not for the wicked. 46:27 - They will say, "This is the Lord. 46:28 We have waited for Him and He will save us." 46:30 And the wicked will cast their idols of gold and silver 46:34 to the rats and the bats and the moles. 46:35 And so you've got this contrast of your butterflies 46:38 and your cockroaches when the Lord comes. 46:40 Some go to the light and some run from the light, yeah. 46:44 Thank you, appreciate that. 46:46 - We got Jeremiah listening in Texas. 46:48 Jeremiah, welcome to the program. 46:51 - [Jeremiah] Thank you for having me, Pastor. 46:54 - Yeah, and we're glad to have you. Your question. 46:57 - [Jeremiah] And my question is, it's about fasting. 47:00 'Cause I see in the Bible it seems fasting has... 47:06 Like for God, it seems to elicit extra attention from God 47:11 when we add fasting to prayer. 47:15 And I came across this verse in 1 Samuel 15:22 47:22 where Samuel says, "Has the Lord as great delight 47:26 in burnt offerings and sacrifices, 47:28 as in obeying the voice of the Lord? 47:31 Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, 47:34 and to heed than the fat of rams." 47:38 So what I was wondering is, 47:41 if there is some area of sin in your life, 47:45 can that interfere with the pledge you are fasting for? 47:51 - Well, I think that when you decide 47:55 to fast and pray and reach out to God, 47:57 that should involve a willingness for total surrender. 48:02 And if you've got some area in your life 48:04 that you know is in rebellion, 48:07 that ought to be part of your fasting and your praying. 48:10 So if you're saying, "Oh Lord, I've got this sickness 48:14 and that I want to be healed," 48:15 but you know you're living in sin, 48:17 well, why do you want to be healed? 48:19 So you get sick and die forever? 48:21 Why don't you say, "Lord, I want to be healed of sin 48:24 and then I've got eternal life." 48:26 And then the physical healing is a small matter. 48:28 So you always want to have your priorities. 48:32 The worst thing that could happen to anyone 48:34 is to be living in sin, still be a captor to the devil 48:37 because that's the first thing you ought 48:40 to be fasting and praying for. 48:42 And even when we do an anointing for somebody 48:46 it talks about, and if they've committed sins, 48:48 they'll be forgiven. 48:49 It's understood when you're praying for healing 48:50 that there's some time spent in personal repentance 48:54 and getting yourself right with God 48:55 if you're gonna fast and pray. 48:57 - And you know, you got the parable of the tax collector 48:59 and the Pharisee who went to the temple to pray 49:01 and the Pharisee said, "Well, I fast twice a week, you know, 49:04 and I give my tithe and I do all of these good deeds." 49:07 And in reality his fasting didn't mean anything 49:09 because he was filled with pride. 49:10 Whereas, you know, the tax collector, he wept, 49:14 beat upon his breasts and said, 49:16 "Lord, be merciful unto me, a sinner." 49:17 And Jesus says he's the one that went home justified. 49:20 So fasting has a lot to do with attitude. 49:22 It's not just abstaining from food, 49:24 but it's abstaining from food for the right reason. 49:27 Seeking God, wanting to gain victory. 49:29 - Yep, so hopefully that helps a little, Jeremy. 49:32 We appreciate your call. 49:34 - Next one on the- - Or Jeremiah. 49:35 - Is Richard in New York. Richard, welcome to the program. 49:38 - [Richard] Good evening, Pastors. 49:40 Thank you for having me on tonight. 49:42 - Well, thank you. And your question. 49:46 - [Richard] Yes, my question is that I would like to know, 49:50 does God have a true Church on this Earth? 49:53 And should we as Christians be concerned with denominations? 49:58 - Okay, great question. 49:59 I will answer your question with a question 50:01 in that in the Old Testament, did God have a nation, 50:06 a particular nation that He called 50:08 and to make them the guardians of His oracles of truth? 50:14 That's a rhetorical question 'cause the answer is yes. 50:16 He clearly called Abraham and his descendants. 50:18 Now, does that mean they were better than other nations? 50:21 Does that mean every Jew is automatically saved? 50:24 No, Jews were like other people. 50:25 There were good ones and there were bad ones, 50:27 and some were faithful, some were not. 50:30 The early Church, you've got some of the Jewish people 50:33 that condemn Jesus, and the early Church is formed 50:36 of Jewish people like the apostles. 50:39 So does God have a movement now? 50:42 When you get into the last days, is there a remnant movement 50:45 that He has that He has made a guardian 50:49 of the oracles of truth? 50:51 I believe the answer is yes. 50:53 You know, obviously if there are hundreds 50:55 of different denominations that call themselves Christians, 50:58 and I believe there are saved people 51:00 in many different churches. 51:01 In the days of Israel, God still had faithful people 51:04 that weren't even Israelites. 51:05 Bible says that, you know, 51:07 God spoke through Moses's father-in-law, Jethro. 51:10 He was not an Israelite. 51:12 He spoke through Naaman. Naaman was saved. 51:15 And Elijah was sent to the Canaanite woman. 51:17 And you know, God had His people. 51:21 But He still had a nation, a group that He used 51:24 and then He organized them 51:26 in a special way in the Old Testament. 51:28 God has an organized work in the New Testament. 51:31 With all these different denominations, 51:33 we know that some are gonna be closer 51:36 to the Bible than others. 51:38 Some, I think we would agree, are pretty far from the Bible. 51:40 That means some are gonna be closer to the Bible. 51:42 You want to find the one that is the closest to the Bible. 51:46 - You know, we have a study guide 51:47 called "The Bride of Christ." 51:49 And in the New Testament, the Church, the true Church, 51:50 it's described as the bride of Christ. 51:52 So what does the Bible say? 51:54 What are we to look for if we're looking for a church? 51:57 We'll be happy to send the study guide 51:58 to anyone who calls and asks. 52:00 Just ask for the study guide. 52:01 It's called "The Bride of Christ," 52:03 and we'll be happy to send it to anyone in North America. 52:05 The number is 800-835-6747. 52:08 That is our resource phone line. Just call and ask. 52:11 We'll send you the study guide, "The Bridge of Christ." 52:14 Next caller that we have is, let's see, 52:15 we've got JC listening in California. 52:18 JC, welcome to the program. 52:20 - [JC] Thank you very much. 52:21 Good evening. - Yeah, good evening. 52:23 - [JC] My question is regarding the staff of Moses. 52:26 It's first mentioned in the Book of Exodus 4:2, 52:31 but not much information after that. 52:34 So where would, please tell me, 52:36 enlighten me more information you might have. 52:39 - Yeah, yeah, the shepherds, and Moses was a shepherd, 52:42 and the nation of Israel were a nation of shepherds. 52:45 Even when Joseph went, you know, Jacob said, 52:48 you know, "We're a nation of shepherds," 52:50 which was largely an abomination to the Egyptians. 52:52 Shepherds all had a rod. 52:54 The patriarchs of every family sort of had a rod 52:57 and they might be engraved. 52:58 There was some way of distinguishing them from others 53:01 because there was one time when there was a challenge 53:04 against Moses and Aaron and God said, 53:06 "Tell the elders of Israel to take their rods." 53:08 They all had a distinctive rod 53:10 and an insignia on it and they were carved. 53:12 Put 'em before the Lord and God is gonna show you 53:15 who among the elders He accepts, and it was Aaron's rod. 53:20 It starts out here in Exodus 4 talking about Moses' rod. 53:23 But you go later on, it often calls it Aaron's rod 53:26 'cause Aaron was the older brother. 53:28 And it seemed like that that terminology shifted 53:31 once Aaron got into Egypt. 53:33 But so a rod represented the authority of the family. 53:37 - And rulership, so we also find that Jesus 53:40 is said to have a rod, and Revelation talks about Christ 53:43 coming with a rod of iron, 53:46 meaning He's gonna execute judgment upon the wicked 53:48 at the Second Coming of Christ. 53:49 So rods or the rod has symbolic significance 53:52 in the Bible as well. 53:54 - Yeah, it says they're shattered as a potter's vessel 53:57 when He comes with the rod. 53:59 And so yeah, it's a symbol of that. 54:01 So hopefully that helps a little bit and we appreciate that. 54:05 I'm looking at the clock. 54:06 I tell you what, listening friends, 54:08 we do something unusual here. 54:10 Because this radio program is on hundreds of stations 54:14 that are both land-based and some are satellite-based, 54:17 their time schedule's a little different 54:19 so we sort of sign off in stages. 54:21 In just a moment, we're gonna sign off and say farewell 54:24 to those who are listening on national satellite. 54:26 But we stay on and we take some rapid-fire Bible questions 54:30 that come in via the internet. 54:32 Now, if someone wants to send us an internet question. 54:34 Pastor Ross, what's the address for that? 54:36 - All you have to do is just email the question 54:38 to balquestions@amazingfacts.org. 54:42 That's B-A-L, Bible Answers Live, 54:44 questions@amazingfacts.org. 54:46 And then we gather these questions together 54:48 and we try to answer as many questions as we could 54:50 in about two and a half minutes. 54:52 So we sign off with our satellite radio 54:55 and then we'll encourage land-based stations 54:57 and those watching on the internet, 54:59 stay with us as we're going to address 55:00 as many of these questions as we can. 55:02 - Yeah, and thank you very much 55:04 those who are listening on satellite radio. 55:07 Keep in tune and God willing we'll study with you next week. 55:11 (stirring instrumental music) 55:13 - [Announcer] 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, 55:23 a faith-based ministry located in Granite Bay, California. 55:30 - Hello friends. Welcome back to "Bible Answers Live." 55:32 And as we mentioned before the break, 55:34 this is the time where we take your Bible questions 55:36 that you've emailed to us here at Amazing Facts. 55:39 So Pastor, we have a number of great questions this evening 55:41 so I'm gonna get right to it. 55:43 The first question is, 55:44 "Why is God going to restore the Earth into a paradise 55:46 if everyone is going to Heaven when Jesus comes?" 55:50 - Yeah, well, we don't go up forever. 55:52 He first takes us up and we live and reign with Christ 55:55 1,000 years in Heaven, which is the up dwelling place 56:00 of God where He is now. 56:01 So first we go to Him. 56:03 He says, "In my Father's house are many mansions. 56:05 I go to prepare a place for you. 56:07 If I go, I will receive you unto Myself. 56:09 That where I am, that place in Heaven, we will be." 56:13 But you read in Revelation 21, 56:15 at the end of that 1,000 years, 56:17 the new Jerusalem descends from God out of Heaven, 56:19 comes down to Earth. 56:20 God creates a new Heaven and a new Earth. 56:23 And the Bible says, "Blessed are the meek, 56:24 they will inherit the Earth." 56:26 So ultimately, we build houses and we inhabit them. 56:29 We have mansions in the city. We live in this world. 56:32 God fulfills His original plan. 56:34 - All right, question number two. 56:35 It says, "I know that the sacrificial goat in Leviticus 16 56:38 represents Christ, but can you explain 56:40 who the scapegoat represents?" 56:42 - Yeah, on the day of Atonement, 56:43 there were two goats that were chosen. 56:46 One was called the Lord's goat, and it is sacrificed. 56:48 It represents the Lord. 56:49 It dies for sin. Its blood is applied. 56:52 The other goat, they used to transfer the guilt 56:55 of the nation to this goat. 56:56 It was carried off in the wilderness. 56:58 It was banished forever. 57:00 And they understand that represents 57:03 sort of the eternal separation from the devil 57:06 and sin of God's people. 57:08 That scapegoat is the one, 57:10 it's not the sin bearer the sense that Christ is. 57:13 This is the devil paying for his own sins he's instigated. 57:16 - That's right, and the scapegoat was never sacrificed. 57:18 - No, no bloodshed, and it's banished forever. 57:21 - Next question that we have, "How long did Adam and Eve 57:23 live in the Garden of Eden before they sinned?" 57:25 - You just do a little speculation, and if the last command 57:27 of God after everything's perfect, 57:30 He says, "Be fruitful and multiply." 57:31 They are perfectly healthy, 57:35 but sin happens before they procreate. 57:38 So we're assuming that it wasn't very long, 57:41 probably a matter of weeks or months the devil, 57:45 he sent a blitzkrieg and attacked them, 57:47 caught 'em off guard shortly after creation. 57:50 - All right, last question. 57:51 "What is the difference 57:52 between the old and the New Covenant?" 57:53 - Well, that's a big question for a short one. 57:55 Well, when you take your Bible and you split it in two, 57:58 you get the New Testament or New Covenant 58:00 is talking about when Jesus actually did come. 58:03 The Old Covenant is the law written on stone. 58:06 The New Covenant is the law written on our hearts. 58:09 Hey, thank you so much, friends. God bless. 58:11 Keep us in your prayers, 58:12 and we appreciate your supporting the program. 58:14 We are faith-based. Study together again next week. 58:18 - [Announcer] "Bible Answers Live," 58:20 honest and accurate answers to your Bible questions. 58:24 (stirring music) |
Revised 2023-01-10