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Series Code: AFBA
Program Code: AFBA202308S
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00:03 male announcer: It is the best-selling book in history.
00:05 No volume ever written has been more loved and quoted, 00:09 and its words, sometimes simple and sometimes mysterious, 00:13 should always be studied carefully. 00:16 It is the Bible, the Word of God. 00:19 Welcome to "Bible Answers Live," providing accurate and practical 00:24 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. 00:38 Once again, that's 800-835-6747. 00:44 Now here's your host from Amazing Facts 00:46 International, Pastor Doug Batchelor. 00:49 Doug Batchelor: Hello, friends. 00:51 Would you like to hear an amazing fact? 00:54 Back in 1829, two men, George Wilson and James Porter, 00:59 robbed the United States mail carrier. 01:01 Both were captured, tried, and 01:03 sentenced to execution by hanging. 01:06 Porter was executed on schedule, but Wilson was not. 01:10 Influential friends pleaded on his behalf for mercy to the 01:14 President of the United States, Andrew Jackson. 01:17 President Jackson relented and issued 01:19 a formal pardon, dropping all charges. 01:22 Wilson would still have to serve a 20-year 01:24 prison term for his prior crimes. 01:26 Incredibly, George Wilson refused the pardon. 01:31 So, what do you do with a pardon that's rejected? 01:34 The Supreme Court stepped in to decide what happens to a person 01:38 that does not accept a presidential pardon. 01:40 After some research, Chief Justice John Marshall 01:43 stated, "A pardon refused is no pardon. 01:47 George Wilson must be hanged." 01:50 And he was. 01:52 Kind of hard to imagine, Pastor Ross, a person is offered a 01:56 pardon from execution, and they say, "I don't want it." 02:01 They reject it. 02:03 Jean Ross: It's kind of sad to have 02:04 a pardon and then reject it. 02:06 But in a spiritual sense, there are many in the world today who 02:09 have rejected the pardon that has been offered to them at 02:12 great cost, through the cross, through the 02:15 crucifixion of Christ, and yet they spur that 02:17 pardon, and they push that aside. 02:20 Doug: Now, they're not only being saved from death, they're 02:22 being saved from an eternal death, and the Bible 02:26 calls it the second death, and God is 02:28 extending this incredible grace and mercy. 02:31 There's a number of verses in the Bible that sort 02:32 of highlight this scorn or rejected pardon. 02:37 You can read in Proverbs 1, verse 24. 02:39 It says, "Because I called to you, and you refused, I 02:44 stretched out my hand and no one regarded." 02:48 The Lord is stretching out His hand. 02:49 He's calling to the world and saying, "Whosoever 02:51 will, let him take the water of life." 02:53 And so many people are just saying, 02:55 "No, I'm not interested." 02:57 No reason is given in history why 02:59 George Wilson refused the pardon. 03:02 You can only speculate, but he said, "I don't want it." 03:05 And how sad. 03:07 Jean: It is sad. 03:08 Well, you know, Pastor Doug, we do have a book 03:10 that talks about the riches of God's grace 03:12 and the forgiveness that God offers to everyone. 03:15 It's free. 03:16 We've got to receive it by faith. 03:18 We'd be happy to send the book to anyone who calls and asks. 03:20 The number for the book is 800-835-6747. 03:26 That is the resource phone line, and you 03:28 can just ask for offer number 152. 03:31 It's called "Riches of His Grace," and we'll be happy to 03:33 send that to anyone in Canada or in the US. 03:36 And if you're outside of North America, you can just go 03:39 to our website, just amazingfacts.org. 03:42 You can also request the book by just on your cell phone, #250 03:47 and say Bible Answers Live, and then you can ask for the book, 03:50 "The Riches of His Grace," and we'll be happy to 03:52 send it to anyone who calls and asks. 03:55 Well, Pastor Doug, we want to greet 03:56 all of those who are joining us. 03:57 I know we have folks watching on AFTV. 04:00 We also have people listening across the country on various 04:03 radio stations and, of course, on the Internet. 04:06 They can watch live on the Doug Batchelor Facebook page, 04:09 on the Amazing Facts Facebook page, on 04:11 YouTube, on Roku, some other outlets. 04:14 So, I want to welcome all of those who are joining us. 04:16 This is our live program. 04:18 So, if you have a Bible question, the phone 04:20 line to our studio is 800-GodSays. 04:23 That's 800-463-7297, 800-463-7297 04:31 with your Bible question. 04:32 Doug: Amen. 04:33 Jean: Well, before we go to the phone 04:35 lines, let's start with a word of prayer. 04:36 Dear Father, we thank you that we have this time, 04:38 once again, to open up your Word and study. 04:40 Lord, we recognize there is power in your Word, and we ask 04:43 for the Spirit to come and guide us, be with those who are 04:46 listening, wherever they might be in their car, or at home, or 04:48 whatever they're doing, Lord, and guide us into a clearer and 04:52 a full understanding of your Word. 04:54 And Jesus said, "You'll know the truth, 04:55 and the truth will set you free." 04:57 So, bless our time together, in Jesus's name, amen. 05:00 Doug: Amen. 05:01 Jean: All right, well, we're ready to go 05:02 to our first call of this evening. 05:04 We've got Gary listening in Illinois. 05:05 Gary, welcome to "Bible Answers Live." 05:08 Gary: Thank you. 05:10 In Revelation 7:3, it says that the angels are told 05:14 not to hurt the earth, until the servants of 05:17 God are sealed in their forehead. 05:19 Well, since they're servants of God already, 05:21 why do they need to be sealed in their forehead? 05:24 And if you don't have that seal, in 05:26 Revelation 9:4, you will be hurt. 05:29 So, that's my question. What is the seal of God? 05:32 Doug: You know, first and foremost, 05:34 the seal of God is the Holy Spirit. 05:37 You can read that in Ephesians chapter 2. 05:39 I think there's probably two or three places that talks about, 05:42 "Grieve not the Holy Spirit, wherewith you 05:43 are sealed unto the day of redemption." 05:46 But then there's something in Revelation beyond that. 05:49 Obviously, those who have the mark of the 05:51 beast have the spirit of the devil. 05:53 Those that have the seal of God have the Spirit of God. 05:56 I think that kind of goes without saying. 05:58 And you can read in Isaiah chapter 8, it says, "Bind up the 06:04 testimony, seal the law among my disciples." 06:09 So, when you look in Deuteronomy chapter 6, Moses says to the 06:15 children of Israel, "Hear O Israel," 06:17 this is verse 4, "the Lord our God is one. 06:19 Thou shalt love the Lord your God with all 06:20 your heart, mind, soul, and strength. 06:22 And these words I command you, today." 06:24 He had just quoted the Ten Commandments in chapter 5. 06:27 "These words I command you, today, shall be in your heart. 06:30 You shall write them on the doors of your house, 06:33 when you go out, when you come in. 06:34 They shall be as frontlets between your eyes, and they 06:37 shall be written upon your hands." 06:39 So, when he says that the law of God is to be sealed among his 06:42 people, that's talking about it is to be ingrained. 06:45 It's to be imbedded in their nature. 06:47 The Bible says that they have--he says, "I will give you 06:50 a heart where you want to do my will. 06:53 I'll write my law in your hearts." 06:55 Now, God's people have the Holy Spirit, but when they're sealed 06:59 with the Holy Spirit, they reach the point 07:02 where they just can't be lost, just like those 07:04 who get the mark of the beast can't be saved. 07:06 Jean: Absolutely, Pastor Doug. 07:07 You know, it's all so interesting. 07:08 Jesus said, "If you love me, keep my commandments." 07:10 And you're speaking about the seal of God as the Holy Spirit, 07:13 but the Holy Spirit is manifest in the 07:14 life of a believer through obedience. 07:17 Revelation 12:17 talks about a group of people who have--or 07:20 they keep the commandments of God, and that the testimony of 07:23 Jesus in Revelation 14:12 says they have the faith of Jesus. 07:27 So, those who keep God's commandments, because they love 07:30 Him, and they have the Holy Spirit, in the last days there 07:33 will be two groups, those who have the seal of 07:35 God and those who have the mark of the beast, 07:36 and the issue revolves around worship. 07:38 And, you know, we do have a study guide that talks about, 07:40 well, it talks about the mark of the beast, but by default it'll 07:43 also talk about the seal of God, because you need both of them. 07:45 If you'd like to learn more about 07:47 this subject, just call and ask. 07:48 Ask for the study guide. 07:50 It's called "The Mark of the Beast," and we'll be happy to 07:51 send that out to anyone who calls and asks. 07:54 The number again is 800-835-6747. 07:57 That is our resource phone line. 07:58 You can also dial #250, say "Bible Answers Live," and say, 08:02 "I want that study guide, 'The Mark of the Beast.'" 08:05 If you have a Bible question, our phone line here 08:07 to the studio is 800-463-7297. 08:12 Thank you, Gary. 08:13 We've got Archie listening in California. 08:15 Archie, welcome to the program. 08:17 Archie: Pastor Ross, Pastor Ross. 08:20 How are you doing, Pastor Doug? 08:23 Doug: Good. Appreciate your calling. 08:26 Archie: Okay, my question involves Deuteronomy 08:32 14, verse 22, and then 24 to 26. 08:39 I'd like to know--it doesn't seem like it's telling people to 08:44 use their tithes for what it's meant for. 08:48 Doug: Yeah, good question. 08:50 Yeah, I appreciate that. 08:51 And before we even give the answer, for anyone out there 08:55 that has a question about what does the Bible say regarding 08:57 tithe, we will mention the free offer we have 09:00 called, "In God You Trust," in God we trust. 09:03 We also have that book called "Thieves in the Church." 09:07 But let me get to the point of your question here. 09:09 There are two kinds of tithes. 09:11 There was the regular tithe that was given throughout 09:13 the year on their increase, whether that 09:16 increase was crops or herds or money. 09:19 They were to consecrate a tenth of all their increase. 09:22 That was a general, across the board tithe. 09:24 A tenth of their income, their increase was to 09:27 be consecrated to the Lord, given to 09:29 the Levites for their work of ministry. 09:32 The Levites, keep in mind, they're not just the pastors 09:35 that taught the Word of God throughout the land. 09:37 They were something like the doctors, as well. 09:39 They were the judges. 09:40 And so it was, you know, you can call it a tax, 09:43 but it was more of a spiritual tax. 09:45 But the tithe that's being mentioned here in Deuteronomy 14 09:47 was a tithe that was given especially for the feasts, when 09:52 they would come up to these annual feasts. 09:54 And not all the feasts required them to come, but I think there 09:57 were three feasts that required them to come before the Lord, 10:00 and these were tithes connected with that. 10:03 Jean: And if you want to apply that to a New Testament 10:05 type here, not only do we have our tithes, which is ten percent 10:08 of our increase, but we also give offerings, and offerings is 10:11 no set amount, but as the needs arise in the church, if there's 10:15 a special project or evangelism, well, just to sustain the work 10:18 of the local church, that's what offerings are used for. 10:21 Doug: Yeah, New and Old Testament 10:23 talk about tithe and offerings. 10:25 And, of course, in the Old Testament, you've got Malachi 10:27 chapter 3 talks about that, and Jesus mentions the 10:30 tithe in, I think, it's Matthew 23:23. 10:34 Jean: And we do have a study guide talking about that. 10:36 It's called "In God We Trust." 10:38 And, again, just call 800-835-6747. 10:41 Ask for the study guide. 10:43 It's called "In God We Trust." You can also ask for the book. 10:45 It's called "Thieves in the Church." 10:48 And just ask, and we'll be happy to send 10:49 it to anyone who calls and asks. 10:52 Next caller that we have is Cathy 10:53 listening in North Carolina. 10:55 Cathy, you're on "Bible Answers Live." 10:58 Cathy: Hi, gentlemen. Thank you for taking my call. 11:01 Doug: Yeah. 11:03 Cathy: Okay, I've got a question on praying multiple 11:06 times for the same object, I mean, it seems to me if you just 11:12 ask in faith, you sit there and you go, "Okay, well, you either 11:16 are going to say yes, no, or wait a while." 11:18 And--but I sort of get the impression from some scripture 11:21 that, like, Jesus talking about the woman, like, her going to 11:25 the judge and going, hey, you know, please, please, please, or 11:28 going to some guy and going please, please, please give 11:30 me, and finally her persistence wore him 11:32 down, and he gave her what she wanted. 11:35 And I wasn't sure if that was Jesus saying, you know, keep on 11:39 going until you get some sort of answer, or I mean, 11:42 just, like, I don't do that with my kids. 11:44 I don't say, okay, if you keep begging me enough you'll get a 11:46 different answer, 'cause you won't. 11:48 You don't beg me. 11:49 It's yes, no, or I'll think about it, 11:50 but you just, then you shut up. 11:52 Doug: Yeah, I agree with you on that. 11:54 And by the way, you're quoting a parable that Jesus shares in 11:58 Luke 18 about the persistent widow, who continues to pray 12:02 until she gets the answer from this unrighteous judge. 12:04 There's nothing wrong with praying 12:07 multiple times over something. 12:09 I think anyone who is a parent out there 12:11 prays all the time for their kids. 12:14 And in the Lord's Prayer, it says, 12:16 "Give me this day my daily bread." 12:18 That implies that--it doesn't say, "Give me 12:21 my bread for the rest of my life." 12:22 You know, some things we just continue to thank the Lord for 12:25 and pray for an on ongoing basis. 12:29 Jesus said not to pray in vain repetition, meaning, 12:33 you don't just repeat a memorized prayer. 12:35 There's no value in that--that just wears God down--but to have 12:38 an ongoing issue that you're praying about. 12:41 Now, Paul continued to pray to the Lord about 12:44 what he called the thorn in his side. 12:46 I forget what that verse is. 12:49 And after he prayed about it three times, God said, "Let's 12:52 not talk about it anymore, I'm not answering that prayer." 12:54 And so--but Paul, obviously, he prayed more 12:57 than once about it, so there was no sin. 12:59 Elijah prayed seven times for rain in 1 Kings. 13:04 After the fire came down from heaven, 13:07 he then prayed seven times. 13:08 He kept sending his servant to see, "Is God sending the rain?" 13:12 So, sometimes you want a persistent prayer, if you know 13:15 that it's something according to God's will. 13:18 You may be praying for loved ones for years. 13:20 Jean: Yeah, I was just going to add, I don't 13:22 think God doesn't want to hear us praying, 13:25 but I think He wants sincerity in our prayer. 13:27 So, if it's just a vain repetition, we don't mean what 13:30 we're saying, that isn't of value. 13:32 But if it's an earnest desire--and maybe there are 13:34 times we've got to bring up something multiple times before 13:37 the Lord for strength, our own strength, to gain the victory, 13:41 or in the situation of, you know, a relationship, or a need 13:45 for healing, but we don't want to do the vain repetition. 13:48 Doug: Right, yeah. I pray for mercy every day. 13:50 Jean: We need that, yeah. All right, we do have a book. 13:54 It's called "Teach Us to Pray," and we'll be happy to send this 13:56 to you, Cathy, or anyone wanting to learn more. 13:59 The number is 800-835-6747. Ask for the book. 14:03 It's called "Teach Us to Pray." 14:04 We'll be happy to send it to you in Canada, 14:06 if you're listening, or in North America. 14:08 If you're outside of the US, just go 14:10 to our website, amazingfacts.org. 14:13 And if you have a Bible question, our phone line 14:15 here to the studio is 800-463-7297. 14:20 Randy's listening in Indiana. 14:21 Randy, welcome to "Bible Answers Live." 14:25 Randy: Good evening, Pastors. Thank you. 14:27 My question is about hell. 14:31 The Bible does say in Revelation that at the very end, when the 14:36 wicked finally say, "Just and true are thy ways," that fire is 14:42 going to come down from heaven and devour them. 14:46 My question specifically is, is that fire literally going to 14:50 come down, or is God going to reveal His face to the world, 14:55 and they're going to basically be incinerated? 14:57 Because the Bible also says that no man 14:59 has ever seen God and lived. 15:01 Doug: Right. 15:03 Well, you're actually, you're on to something. 15:04 You're looking at two different events. 15:06 The wicked are destroyed by the brightness of His coming. 15:09 I believe that's 2 Thessalonians. 15:12 So, when Jesus comes, the brightness of His coming is 15:15 going to just destroy the wicked. 15:16 But at the end of the 1,000 years, it says the rest 15:19 of the dead don't live until the thousand years are finished. 15:21 That's Revelation 20. 15:23 That means the rest of the dead, the wicked are 15:25 raised at the end of the 1,000 years. 15:27 They are then ultimately judged, and 15:30 then God rains fire down upon them. 15:32 He literally rained fire upon 15:34 the people in Sodom and Gomorrah. 15:36 The Bible says the destruction of the wicked will be like Sodom 15:39 and Gomorrah, and it keeps raining down just like in the 15:42 days of Noah, when it rained down. 15:43 It finally turned into a flood and a lake. 15:46 The whole world was covered. 15:48 It rains down outside the New Jerusalem, 15:49 and it creates what they call a lake of fire. 15:52 And, of course, the devil and his angels must be 15:55 physically thrown into that lake of fire. 15:58 It tells us that's what happens to them. 15:59 So, the wicked, the devil, and the angels 16:01 are all cast into this lake of fire. 16:04 God rains it down. 16:05 You could see it coming from every direction. 16:08 Jean: You know, we have a study guide. 16:09 It's called "Is the Devil in Charge of Hell?" 16:11 And it talks about this fire that 16:12 consumes the wicked at the end. 16:14 How long is the fire? What does the fire accomplish? 16:16 All of that's answered in the book, 16:18 "Is the Devil in Charge of Hell?" 16:19 The number for that is 800-835-6747. 16:24 And, again, just ask for the study guide. 16:25 It's called, "Is the Devil in Charge of Hell?" 16:27 And we do have a website, Pastor Doug. 16:29 It's called helltruth.com. 16:31 Just helltruth.com. 16:32 A lot of great information there, also 16:34 some studies, some Bible references. 16:36 So, take a look at that. 16:38 We've got Joshua listening in Kentucky. 16:40 Joshua, welcome to "Bible Answers Live." 16:42 Joshua: Hey, how are you guys, tonight? 16:45 Doug: Doing good. Thank you for calling. 16:47 Joshua: I remember seeing Doug at 16:49 the "Reclaim Your Faith." 16:51 I think I scared him in DC once. I put my hand on his shoulder. 16:54 I said, "Hi, Doug." He turned around. 16:56 Doug: I don't remember being scared, 16:58 but sorry, I don't remember. 17:02 Joshua: I've got a question for you. 17:03 You know, the 144,000 is a topic that seems to keep coming up in 17:08 this last day theology that I'm hearing about. 17:11 There's only going to be 144,000 perfect people standing when 17:18 Christ comes back that will be translated to heaven, and I just 17:21 find that hard to believe, based on if there is an exacting 17:26 number of 144,000, the percentage of that compared to 17:30 8 billion people on planet earth would 17:32 be very slim possibility of going to heaven. 17:35 And the other factor is the predestination theology. 17:40 Is there really only 144,000 that are predestined 17:44 to go to heaven and be translated? 17:47 And I think the theology is, like, out 17:50 of control, spreading like a wildfire. 17:53 And I just find that hard to believe. 17:55 And, you know, the judgment, the other part of the question is 18:01 people are scared of the judgment, this 18:03 investigated judgment that's going on. 18:05 I said, "Well, why are you scared? 18:06 You're going to be looked at whether you're dead or going 18:08 through the books, or what you're doing before 18:11 in your life when Christ is coming back." 18:13 I would just like you to expound on these 18:15 two topics briefly, if you can. 18:17 Doug: Okay. 18:18 First of all, the 144,000 mentioned in Revelation chapter 18:22 7, Revelation 14, is it a literal number? 18:26 I believe it is, but they are not the only ones saved. 18:30 So, I would just say the 144,000 it talks 18:33 about 12,000 from the 12 tribes. 18:37 Jesus had 12 apostles that reached a great multitude. 18:41 Jesus not only had 12 apostles. 18:43 Jesus had 70 disciples He sent out. 18:46 On the day of Pentecost, it says there was 120 18:49 in the upper room and 3,000 were baptized. 18:52 So, if you read the whole chapter of chapter 7, you read 18:55 in verse 9, it says, "And after these things, I looked, and 18:58 behold, a great multitude that no one could number, of all 19:01 nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, 19:03 standing before the throne and the Lamb. 19:05 They are clothed in white robes." 19:07 So, there's a great multitude that cannot be numbered. 19:10 And John says, "Who are these arrayed in white robes?" 19:15 And the angel says, "These are they 19:16 that came out of great tribulation." 19:18 So, if you think of the great tribulation at the 19:20 end of time, it says there's a great 19:22 multitude that comes out of that. 19:24 Don't think of the 144,000 as the only ones saved. 19:28 Think of them something like they are the leaders. 19:31 In Acts chapter 2, God had the 12 apostles. 19:34 After they replaced Judas--they were down 19:36 to 11, because Judas hung himself. 19:37 They replaced Judas. 19:39 Then God pours out the Holy Spirit. 19:41 The 12 start preaching, plus the 120 in the 19:43 upper room, and a great multitude is reached. 19:47 It's the same scenario in the last days, except it's not 12. 19:50 It's 12 times 12,000 Spirit-filled leaders that'll be 19:54 around the world doing this work. 19:56 They are not the only ones saved. 19:58 Jean: We have a book, Pastor Doug. 20:00 It's called, "Who Will Sing the Song? 20:01 Understanding the 144,000." 20:03 And it's about this important group you 20:05 read about in Revelation chapter 7. 20:06 Just call and ask. 20:07 We'll be happy to send you the book. 20:09 The number again is 800-835-6747, and you can ask 20:13 for the book, "Who Will Sing the Song? 20:15 Understanding the 144,000." 20:17 You can also get that by pressing #250 on your phone, and 20:21 just say, "Bible Answers Live," say, "I want 20:23 the book, 'Who Shall Sing the Song?'" 20:25 And we'll be happy to send it to anyone who calls and asks. 20:27 That's right. All right, thank you, Joshua. 20:29 We've got Tammy listening in Washington. 20:31 Tammy, welcome to the program. 20:34 Tammy: Hi, Pastors. 20:36 Thank you for taking my call. 20:38 I'm also a friend of Pastor Samuel 20:40 Thomas, who knows Pastor Batchelor. 20:43 Doug: Yes. 20:44 Tammy: And he has a lot of respect for 20:46 you, and he's a very busy person. 20:50 And I know you have this show, so I have a question. 20:54 It's in regards to Revelation, where God says that He's going 21:00 to wipe all the tears from our eyes and take our sorrows away. 21:06 My kids were dedicated in the church, 21:09 and I have a granddaughter. 21:10 And I know I had saw something earlier on a program you did 21:15 about saying that you're not sure if all children 21:18 will be in heaven or not before the age of accountability 21:22 if one or both parents are not saved. 21:26 So, my question is, is how is God going to 21:29 wipe away those memories, if we have loved ones 21:32 like that, that are not going to be in heaven? 21:37 Doug: Yeah, and I think everybody has faced that, and 21:40 probably, if you've lived a little while, you've gone to a 21:42 funeral before, and you really had serious doubts about whether 21:46 the person had accepted Christ, and what 21:48 are they going to see in the resurrection? 21:50 Are they going to be ready? 21:51 And how do you cope with that? 21:53 Well, you know, one thing you do is 21:55 you put it in the hands of the Lord. 21:57 The Bible has an interesting statement. 21:59 It's a very short verse. 22:01 King David had a son named Amnon. 22:03 Of course, he had three sons that kind of went sideways. 22:07 We had Amnon, Absalom, and Adonijah, all begin with an A. 22:12 And Amnon did some terrible things, and he died suddenly. 22:17 And David mourned for him. 22:18 And then it says in 2 Samuel 13:39, "And David 22:23 longed to be with his son Absalom. 22:25 For he had been comforted concerning 22:27 Amnon, because he was dead." 22:30 In other words, David said, you know, "I'm going to cry, I'm 22:32 going to mourn, but I'm not going to cry forever, because 22:35 I've got other children that need my attention, and I've got 22:38 the kingdom that needs my attention, and I'm going 22:40 to just put this in God's hands." 22:42 And that's why it says God wipes the tears from our eyes, 22:46 because, you know, facing eternity without 22:48 someone you love is a horrendous thought. 22:52 But it would take a God then to comfort you at times like that. 22:56 And think about this. 22:59 Who loves people the most? 23:02 Any earthly parent or God? 23:04 And how does God feel about the millions, if not billions that 23:10 are going to be lost forever, that could've had eternal life? 23:14 He understands how we feel. 23:16 And I think the whole universe, there'll be a little mourning. 23:19 There'll be some sorrow, but God then, at the end 23:22 of the 1,000 years is when he says he wipes 23:23 away all the tears from our eyes. 23:26 All right, appreciate that. 23:27 Jean: Very good, thank you, Tammy. 23:29 We've got Paul listening in Tennessee. 23:30 Paul, welcome to the program. 23:32 Paul: Hello, yeah, thank you so much for taking my call. 23:34 Doug: Thank you. 23:36 Paul: Yeah, my question is in regard 23:38 to what happens after death. 23:40 Been watching you a long time. I've learned a lot. 23:43 And I just want to know if, you know, when we die, if we're dead 23:47 asleep, or if we're dead until the resurrection, 23:49 or if we go straight to God in heaven. 23:52 And I've talked to you. 23:53 I've heard you talk about Corinthians 5:8, "To be absent 23:57 from the body is to be present with the Lord," and I've heard 23:59 you speak on that one, but I'd like for you 24:00 to touch on Philippians 1:23-24. 24:05 The part that's confusing me is, "But it's more 24:07 necessary for you that I remain in the body." 24:10 So, is he saying he does leave the body when he dies 24:12 and is he consciously with the Lord? 24:15 Doug: Well, when you die, your consciousness certainly 24:17 leaves the body, because your body decomposes, and you don't 24:22 resume your consciousness again until God raises you at the 24:25 resurrection, which for a believer is 24:29 going to seem like just a moment. 24:33 There are 12 examples of resurrections 24:36 in the Bible, approximately. 24:38 And in all of those cases, none of those resurrected ever made a 24:44 comment on being aware of anything while dead. 24:48 Solomon said, "The living, though they'll 24:50 die, the dead don't know anything." 24:52 Jesus said, "Our friend Lazarus is asleep." 24:55 And then they thought, "Oh, that's good, he's resting." 24:56 Jesus said, "No, he's dead." 24:58 But Jesus referred to it as asleep. 25:01 So, that's what Paul says. 25:03 We don't need to sorrow concerning those who have fallen 25:07 asleep, and that's 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. 25:09 We don't sorrow as others that have no hope. 25:12 So, consistently through the Bible it 25:15 refers to the dead as they're asleep. 25:19 For them their next conscious thought is 25:22 the presence of the Lord in the resurrection. 25:24 So, you know, I understand people say, "Oh, our loved one's 25:26 with the Lord," but it gives the wrong 25:28 impression, because they're not there yet. 25:30 Jesus hasn't come yet. 25:31 The judgment hasn't taken place yet. 25:34 So, a person's theology just runs into a whole gauntlet of 25:37 problems when they think that people die and go right to 25:39 heaven before the resurrection and the judgment. 25:43 And indeed, the idea that they would die and go 25:46 to the lake of fire before the resurrection and 25:48 the judgment is also a big problem. 25:50 So, the dead are unconscious until these resurrections 25:54 mentioned in Revelation, the first and second resurrection. 25:58 Jean: So, when Paul talks about being absent from the 26:00 body, he's not talking about a soul ascending 26:03 to heaven separate from the body and being aware 26:06 of what's happening here on the earth. 26:07 He's just simply meaning that to be dead, 26:09 that is to be absent from the body. 26:11 And then, of course, the resurrection is the next 26:13 conscious thing you know or you see. 26:15 So, there's no time lapse for the person who died. 26:17 The very next conscious thought is 26:19 the second coming of Christ, right? 26:20 Doug: And let me--you know, I never did the justice 26:22 of reading the verse he was asking about. 26:24 So, let's read that real quick, Philippians 26:25 chapter 1, verse--I'll go to 22. 26:29 "But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my 26:33 labor; yet what I choose I cannot tell. 26:35 For I am hard-pressed between the two, having 26:37 a desire to depart and be with Christ." 26:39 Of course, if he dies, the next thing 26:40 he knows is the resurrection. 26:42 He's with the Lord, "which is far better. 26:44 Nevertheless to remain in the flesh 26:45 or the body is more needful for you." 26:47 He said, "If I stay here in this life, it's 26:49 going to be more beneficial to you." 26:51 But when Paul died, he was executed 26:54 by Nero, he went to sleep. 26:57 He closed his eyes, and it's been 2,000 years, 27:02 but for him it's not going to seem like that, yeah. 27:06 Hopefully that--we have a study guide that 27:07 talks about are the dead really dead? 27:09 Jean: Yeah, we do. 27:10 The study guide is called, "Are the Dead Really Dead?" 27:12 And if you'd like to receive that, 27:13 the number to call is 800-835-6747. 27:16 So, ask for the study guide. 27:18 It's called "Are the Dead Really Dead?" 27:19 We also have a website called deathtruth.com, 27:22 and you just go to it right now. 27:23 There's some sermons on there, some great resources, 27:26 and we'll be happy to send that to you. 27:27 You can also dial #250 on your phone and just say, 27:31 "Bible Answers Live," and ask for that 27:32 resource "Are the Dead Really Dead?" 27:35 We'll be happy to end it to anyone who calls. 27:37 Doug: All right, friends, we're going to take a brief 27:40 break, but we're coming back with more Bible questions. 27:43 Go ahead, text your friends. 27:44 Tell them to tune in, call in with your Bible questions. 27:47 We'll be back in just a couple of moments. 27:52 announcer: Stay tuned. 27:53 "Bible Answers Live" will return shortly. 27:59 female announcer: Did you know Amazing Facts 28:01 has a free Bible school that you can do 28:03 from the comfort of your own home? 28:05 It includes 27 beautifully illustrated study lessons 28:08 to aid in your study of God's Word. 28:10 Sign up today for this free Bible study course 28:13 by calling 1-844-215-7000. 28:16 That's 1-844-215-7000. 28:20 ♪♪ 28:30 ♪♪ 28:39 ♪♪ 28:41 male announcer: You're listening to "Bible Answers 28:42 Live," where every question answered provides a clearer 28:46 picture of God and His plan to save you. 28:49 So, what are you waiting for? 28:51 Get practical answers about the Good Book 28:53 for a better life today. 28:57 announcer: This broadcast is a previously recorded episode. 29:01 If you'd like answers to your Bible-related questions 29:03 on the air, please call us next Sunday between 29:06 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. Pacific time. 29:09 To receive any of the Bible resources mentioned in this 29:12 evening's program, call 800-835-6747. 29:17 Once again, that's 800-835-6747. 29:23 Now let's rejoin our hosts for more "Bible Answers Live." 29:29 Doug: Welcome back, listening friends, to "Bible Answers 29:31 Live," and we're here to do our best to 29:33 answer any Bible questions you have. 29:35 We don't have all the answers, but we've got our Bibles here, 29:38 and we will search the Word together. 29:39 Call in with your questions. 29:41 That's 800-GodSays, 800-463-7297, and you could also 29:47 be watching and listening on the Amazing Facts 29:50 Facebook page, Amazing Facts YouTube page, 29:52 Doug Batchelor Facebook page, Roku, AFTV. 29:57 I forget. 29:58 The Lord is blessing, the program's expanding. 30:00 My name is Doug Batchelor. 30:02 Jean: My name is Jean Ross. 30:03 And, of course, in addition to, as you mentioned, Pastor Doug, 30:06 television and the Internet, we've got probably the bulk of 30:09 our listeners are on radio, whether it's satellite radio or 30:12 whether they're listening land-based stations. 30:14 And we just want to greet a few of our listeners. 30:16 We have a radio station, WRHP, listening in Alabama. 30:22 We want to greet those who are listening 30:23 in Alabama and also KQQJ in Alaska. 30:26 So, if you're listening on either of those two radio 30:29 stations and you have a Bible question, give us a call. 30:32 The number is 800-463-7297. 30:36 That'll bring you here into the studio. 30:37 We're going to go to the phone lines. 30:39 Our next caller is Glen, listening in Ohio. 30:41 Glen, welcome to the program. 30:43 Glen: Good evening. 30:45 Thank you very much for taking my call. 30:47 And, you know, I've got kind of a toughie here. 30:49 Doug: Okay. Glen: A surprise ending. 30:51 If I may say that right out of the clear blue sky, God said, 30:56 "In the beginning," and when He said that, He started a 30:59 dispensation of time, and I think we're living in that 31:03 dispensation of time right now and have the Bible, which is not 31:06 only history, but also prophetic events, and it takes us--God 31:11 said that He would never pull anything off on His creation 31:15 that He didn't tell them about ahead of time. 31:17 So, I think a lot of the book of Revelation is in this setting, 31:21 things that are scheduled that could take place. 31:25 But the question I have is this. 31:30 When in Matthew it says that things will get so 31:34 bad that even the very elect would be in trouble 31:39 and time would be shortened because of that. 31:43 And then when time's going to be shortened, there's also a place 31:45 that says, "And time shall be no more." 31:49 My question is, is when we come to that time in the Bible in 31:52 history, prophetic and historical things, 31:57 and it says time shall be no more, what can 31:59 we expect after time should be no more? 32:02 Doug: All right, thank you. 32:03 Well, you're talking really about two things there, Glen. 32:06 When Jesus said, "For the elect's sake, those days will be 32:10 shortened," meaning there'd be a time of persecution and 32:13 deception near the end, and God is not going to prolong the 32:17 misery of the righteous. 32:19 The elect will be spared, because the time of the 32:22 persecution and deception will be shortened. 32:25 But in Revelation, when it says, "And time shall be no more," 32:28 there's a couple of things happening. 32:30 One is, I understand, of course, that would 32:31 mean prophetic time is no more. 32:33 All the prophetic times in the Bible are fulfilled. 32:36 And the other thing is we've entered eternity. 32:39 The righteous all have eternal life, and so our view of time is 32:42 going to be different from that point on, in that, 32:47 yeah--do you really celebrate birthdays every 32:50 year when you live billions of years? 32:53 But that's beside the point, I guess. 32:56 Jean: I think specifically you're referring to the phrase 32:58 where in Revelation chapter 10 the angel that's 33:02 seen in that vision lifts his hand towards 33:04 heaven and says, "Time shall be no longer." 33:06 And it's specifically referring to prophetic time, 33:09 because that ties in with the prophecy you 33:11 find in Daniel chapter 8, verse 14. 33:13 But time goes on after that--at least not prophetic 33:17 time, not a date per se, but time does go on 33:20 until you have the close of probation. 33:22 And then, of course, the seven last plagues 33:23 and the second coming of Christ. 33:25 All right, well, thank you, Glen. 33:26 We've got Ben listening in Tennessee. 33:28 Ben, welcome to the program. 33:30 Ben: I thank you very much. 33:31 I'm so excited about talking to you both, 33:34 Pastor Batchelor and Pastor Ross. 33:37 I have a quick question. 33:39 I believe, strongly believe that Jesus didn't die on a Friday. 33:43 Why are we celebrating Good Friday today 33:47 as Jesus's crucifixion and death? 33:49 Doug: Okay. 33:51 If Jesus didn't die on Friday, why 33:53 are we celebrating Good Friday? 33:56 Well, first of all, most Protestants don't 34:00 make a holiday out of Good Friday. 34:02 That's--so when you say we celebrating it, 34:05 most Protestants don't celebrate it. 34:08 You've got, like, Ash Wednesday. 34:09 Those are usually Catholic traditions. 34:13 But let me come back to you. 34:14 Why are you saying that Jesus did not die? 34:17 Because I believe the Bible says Christ was executed on the 34:20 preparation day, which would be Friday. 34:22 So, I don't have a problem with that. 34:23 What is your reason for not believing that? 34:26 Ben: Well, I believe that He was crucified on a Wednesday 34:29 evening, because of the fact that He said that He was going 34:32 to be dead three days and three nights, three full days and 34:36 three nights, and then that wasn't the Passover day. 34:40 The next day will be the Feast of the Unleavened Bread, 34:44 which was to be the high Sabbath, 34:47 which was on Thursday, okay? 34:49 Doug: Yeah, let's talk about that for a second. 34:50 I suspected that you were talking about-- 34:52 there's one verse in Matthew 12 where Jesus--I 34:55 think it starts in verse 38 or 39. 34:58 He said, "It's an evil and adulterous generation 35:01 that seeks after a sign, and no sign will be 35:03 given except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 35:06 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the 35:08 belly of the fish, so the Son of Man will be three days 35:11 and three nights in the heart of the earth." 35:13 And some people believe that means 35:15 that Jesus would be dead three days. 35:17 I think I heard you just say that. 35:20 And not only that, but I believe that some people assume that 35:26 that means He must have been crucified sooner. 35:29 When Jesus says three days and three nights there in Matthew 35:32 12, He's talking about His sufferings. 35:35 The suffering is both suffering and death. 35:38 The penalty for sin is not just death. 35:40 It's suffering and death. 35:41 Jesus didn't just die for our sins. 35:44 He suffered and died. 35:46 And Thursday night, when Christ was betrayed, He said in the 35:50 Garden of Gethsemane, "Now is the hour of darkness." 35:54 The disciples had fallen asleep while they were praying. 35:57 That's when His sufferings began, when the mob came to 36:00 arrest Him, Judas betrayed Him, he was in the heart of the earth 36:05 for three days and three nights, not talking about the grave. 36:08 It's talking about in the clutches of the devil. 36:10 Nowhere in the Bible do we call the grave 36:12 the heart of the earth anywhere else. 36:14 So, people have assumed that was talking about just the tomb. 36:17 Christ was in the midst of the devil, in the hands 36:19 of the devil for three days and three nights. 36:23 Thursday night, Friday night, Saturday night, 36:25 and He rose Sunday morning. 36:27 So, hopefully, that helps. 36:29 I have a book called "The Sign of Jonah" that 36:31 will give you more information on that, Ben. 36:33 We'll send you a free copy, or anyone 36:34 who wants to know about that. 36:35 Jean: That's right. Just call 800-835-6747. 36:38 You can ask for the book. It's called "The Sign of Jonah." 36:41 It talks about that verse where Jesus said he'd be in the heart 36:44 of the earth for three days and three nights. 36:46 Our next caller would be Tony, also listening in Tennessee. 36:49 Tony, welcome to the program. 36:52 Doug: Tony might be in muted. 36:54 Tony, one more time, Tennessee. Are you there? 36:56 Tony: Yes, I'm here. Doug: Okay. 36:59 And your question? 37:01 Tony: My question is in Luke 17:3. 37:05 It's talking about forgiveness. 37:09 If my brother trespass against me, do I have to forgive him? 37:18 Doug: Well, I think what Jesus said in the Lord's Prayer 37:21 that says, "Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors." 37:24 Now when you say forgiveness, you know, I think you should 37:28 always forgive people, because if you have bitterness in your 37:32 heart and unforgiveness, that hurts you. 37:34 That doesn't mean if someone has taken advantage of you, you need 37:37 to allow them to take advantage of you again. 37:40 It doesn't mean if someone has stolen your car that you need to 37:43 just let them off without them being prosecuted, because 37:45 they'll just go steal someone else's car. 37:48 Forgiveness, you know, is talking about you need to just, 37:53 you know, release the anger and the bitterness, and let it go 37:56 out of your heart and forgive them. 38:01 You can read that parable in Matthew 18, where Jesus said, 38:05 "If we don't forgive others, considering how much God has 38:07 forgiven us, our forgiveness is revoked." 38:11 The Bible says if we want to be forgiven, we must forgive. 38:14 So am I answering what you're asking? 38:18 Tony: Yeah, I understand that, but I was reading in Luke 17:3, 38:26 says that if he trespass against me, I can rebuke him. 38:30 Doug: Yes. 38:32 Tony: But if he don't ask for forgiveness, 38:34 then I don't have to forgive him. 38:37 Doug: Yeah, I think He's talking about--like 38:39 I said, when it comes to forgiveness, there 38:41 are all kinds of different scenarios. 38:45 And, you know, if your brother does something that is 38:49 inappropriate behavior, there's nothing wrong with 38:52 having tough love and telling him that what he 38:56 did was wrong, but then forgive him. 39:02 But I think even if they don't ask for forgiveness, you ought 39:04 to forgive, because like I said, unforgiveness is like an acid 39:08 that destroys the container that holds it. 39:10 It'll corrode you to not forgive. 39:13 I know people that were mistreated and abused 39:15 by their parents that are dead and gone. 39:16 They're still mad. 39:18 I think, well, what are you going to do, 39:19 wait for them to ask for mercy? 39:20 They're dead. So, you've got to let it go. 39:23 Jean: All right, well, thank you, Tony. 39:26 Next caller that we have is listening 39:27 in Virginia, and that's Rhonda. 39:30 Rhonda, welcome to the program. 39:32 Rhonda: Thank you so much. 39:33 Good evening Pastor Ross and Pastor Batchelor. 39:35 Thank you. 39:37 Doug: Good evening. 39:38 Rhonda: My question is from 1 Samuel 18, verse 10. 39:42 I've been studying it, and I got stuck on the part that says that 39:46 the evil spirit from God came upon Saul. 39:49 So, my question is, how can an evil spirit come from God? 39:53 I believe God to be loving, and He's not evil. 39:56 So, what does this mean? 39:59 Doug: Yeah, it's interesting that it tells us that the Holy 40:03 Spirit came on David, but an evil spirit comes on Saul. 40:10 The evil spirit, when it says from the Lord, 40:12 it just means permission is given by the Lord, 40:15 because Saul had rejected the Spirit of God. 40:19 And when you reject the Spirit of God, none of us is a vacuum. 40:23 If you say, "I want the light out of my room, by virtue of 40:28 your rejecting the light, you're inviting the darkness. 40:32 And it's like the story of Job, where the devil 40:35 came to God and said, "The only reason Job serves 40:38 you is because you've protected him. 40:40 Withdraw your protection, and he'll curse you." 40:43 So, God gave the devil permission to test Job. 40:48 God had to give permission for these evil spirits to take over 40:52 Saul, because Saul had ultimately rejected the Lord. 40:57 So, I don't know. I'm hoping that makes sense. 41:00 Rhonda: Yes, it does make sense, because 41:02 I just knew that God is not evil. 41:05 So, how does this verse, like, make sense to me? 41:08 So, thank you for answering. 41:10 Doug: Yeah, and, of course, you've got the passage there in 41:12 James where it says God doesn't tempt anybody, 41:15 neither can he be tempted with evil. 41:16 And then again it says every good 41:18 and perfect gift comes from God. 41:20 God does not send bad. 41:21 He sends good. 41:23 But sometimes God withdraws His protection, 41:25 and bad will come in. 41:27 And in a sense, someone might say, "Well, He's responsible." 41:30 God does sometimes allow things to happen, 41:32 because we've rejected His protection. 41:35 Jean: Okay, the next caller that we have 41:36 is Anna listening in Oregon. 41:37 Anna, welcome to the program. 41:39 Anna: Hi. How are you guys? 41:40 Doug: Hello. 41:42 Much better than we deserve. 41:43 Anna: Oh, well, that's awesome, so-- 41:47 Doug: And your question. 41:48 Anna: My question is Revelation 4, verse 5. 41:57 "And from the throne proceeded lightnings, and thundering 42:02 voices, seven lamps of fire were burning before the 42:07 throne, which are the seven spirits of God." 42:10 And the seven spirits of God is what I'm confused about. 42:15 Doug: Yeah, I believe that the seven spirits, it's not that 42:19 God has got seven ghosts up in heaven floating around. 42:22 These seven spirits are seven attributes of God the Spirit, 42:27 and the closest I think you find of that is in Isaiah chapter 11, 42:32 and you read verses 1 and 2, and it says, "There 42:36 shall come forth a rod from the stem of Jesse, 42:38 and a branch will grow out of His roots." 42:40 This is a prophecy of Jesus, who is called the Anointed. 42:44 The Anointed with what? The Holy Spirit. 42:46 Listen to what it says in verse 2. 42:49 "The Spirit of the Lord will rest upon Him." 42:51 That's one. 42:52 The spirit wisdom, two, understanding, three, 42:55 counsel, four, might, five, the spirit of 42:58 knowledge, six, the fear of the Lord, seven. 43:01 And so it kind of gives us seven facets 43:04 or attributes of God the Spirit. 43:08 And sometimes the Holy Spirit, the wisdom of 43:09 the Spirit is highlighted, and sometimes the fear 43:11 of the Lord is highlighted, so forth. 43:14 So, do you have anything to add to that? 43:16 Jean: No, I think you're right, Pastor Doug. 43:18 It's highlighting seven attributes of the Holy Spirit. 43:20 And it is interesting the seven burning lamps of fire. 43:22 If you look at the sanctuary imagery, it was the seven branch 43:25 candlestick, which the Bible makes pretty clear. 43:28 It was one candlestick that had seven branches coming out. 43:32 It wasn't seven separate candlesticks. 43:34 Doug: That's a good point. 43:35 Jean: So, it's one Spirit, but there's 43:37 seven attributes brought to view. 43:38 Doug: Very good. 43:39 Jean: All right, thank you, caller. 43:41 Now we've got Tim listening in Tennessee. 43:43 Tim, welcome to the program. 43:47 Tim: Thank you. Doug: Thanks. 43:49 Tim: I've got a simple question for you, I'm sure. 43:55 My question is in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. 44:00 And I'd like to focus on verse 3. 44:06 This is talking about the second coming. 44:10 It says, "Let no one deceive you by any means; for that day will 44:15 not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin 44:21 is revealed, the son of perdition." 44:25 I've always kind of thought that was talking about 44:28 a event that happened during the Reformation. 44:32 But as I think about it, it could be something 44:36 around the end times maybe during the mark 44:39 of the beast when there's no gray area. 44:43 You've got to either follow God or follow this man of perdition. 44:48 Doug: Yeah. 44:49 Tim: I just wondered if this has already 44:51 taken place or not, I guess. 44:53 Doug: I think it's taking place. 44:55 It says that there'll be this falling 44:58 away that happens before Jesus comes. 45:01 The falling away is not talking about falling in the 45:04 world, because Adam fell 6,000 years ago. 45:06 That's already happened. 45:07 It's talking about a falling away in the church. 45:09 This is a great falling away, a great apostasy that took place 45:14 during the dark ages where a man, and most Protestants 45:18 believe this was the position of the Pope. 45:20 But a man sits in the temple of God. 45:23 The church is called the body of Christ. 45:25 Christ said, "Destroy this temple made with hands. 45:27 I'll make one without hands." 45:29 The Bible says we are living stones in this temple. 45:33 Paul said, "Don't you know that ye are the temple of God?" 45:35 It's talking about the church. 45:37 And that this power would sit, saying he is in charge of the 45:42 church, a man, and to be worshiped as God, sitting in the 45:46 temple of God showing himself that he is God. 45:49 And, you know, you can even see pictures of the Pope. 45:51 And, again, I'm not trying to be unkind. 45:52 I'm just telling you what Protestants believe. 45:54 You can see pictures of the Pope, and he's 45:56 sitting on his throne between two cherubim. 46:00 Well, that's what you had in the temple in heaven. 46:02 God was between the two cherubim. 46:04 So, it's like a man putting himself in the place of God. 46:07 And certainly, that power had incredible 46:11 sway through the dark ages. 46:15 Received a deadly wound and came back into power again. 46:17 And once again, it's an independent country. 46:20 So, we have a whole study on "Who 46:22 Is the Antichrist of Revelation?" 46:24 we'll be happy to send. 46:25 Jean: The number for that is 800-835-6747. 46:28 You can ask for the study guide. 46:30 It's called, "Who Is the Antichrist?" 46:32 We'll send it to anyone who calls and asks. 46:34 You can just dial #250 on your smart phone and say, 46:37 "Bible Answers Live," and also ask for that 46:39 study guide, "Who Is the Antichrist?" 46:41 Our thanks for your call, Tim. 46:43 We've got Lee listening in Texas. 46:45 Lee, welcome to the program. 46:47 Lee: Yes, can you hear me? 46:49 Doug: Yes, we do. Lee: Okay. 46:51 Good evening, Pastor Doug and Pastor Ross. 46:55 My question is how do I know I have the Holy Spirit? 46:59 Is there more than just the fruits of 47:02 the Holy Spirit or are there other ways? 47:06 Doug: Well, certainly, Jesus said, "You'll 47:07 know them by their fruits." 47:09 So, one reason is you'll know by the fruits of the Spirit. 47:13 Now, I don't know that that means that every person is going 47:16 to have all of the fruits of the Spirit all at the same time. 47:20 But, you know, a Christian should know what it means to 47:22 experience love and joy and peace and patience. 47:26 These are things we're learning. 47:28 Also keep in mind, and this is so important, people can have 47:33 the Holy Spirit in different degrees. 47:37 Otherwise, the disciples certainly had the Holy Spirit 47:40 when Jesus sent them out teaching and preaching. 47:43 But when they were baptized in the Holy Spirit, that was a 47:46 special filling of the Holy Spirit above and beyond what a 47:49 person might utilize every day in their walk with Christ. 47:52 So, you know, don't doubt. 47:55 Now, I'm trusting that you do have the Spirit if you've asked. 47:58 The Bible said, if God's willing to give--or rather if a human is 48:01 willing to give their hungry child food, 48:04 how much more will your Father in heaven give 48:06 the Holy Spirit to those that ask Him? 48:08 If you've asked God for the Spirit, and you've asked Him to 48:10 forgive your sins, and if you do feel conviction 48:13 of sin and a desire to do God's will, that's 48:15 the Holy Spirit that gives you that desire. 48:18 Jean: You know, we have a book. 48:19 It's called "Life in the Spirit," and it talks about the 48:21 fruit of the Spirit, and this will be a great resource for 48:24 you, Lee, or anyone wanting to learn more about 48:26 what does it mean to have the Holy Spirit? 48:28 The number for that is 800-835-6747. 48:32 You can ask for the book. 48:33 It's called, "Life in the Spirit," and we'll be happy to 48:35 send that to you, or just dial #250 on your smart 48:39 phone, and you can ask for it that way. 48:41 The next caller that we have is Spencer listening in Oklahoma. 48:45 Spencer, welcome to the program. 48:47 Spencer: Yes, thank you, and God bless you 48:49 guys for your work on this program. 48:51 Doug: Thank you. 48:53 Spencer: My question is I recently heard something that I 48:56 had never heard before, and it was a statement that said that 49:01 not all Christians would participate in the millennium, 49:05 but those who had been rewarded, because there 49:10 were several parables that Jesus had given where some 49:14 are given rewards and some are not. 49:18 And they, when they took it, that is the 49:23 millennium and that reign where some would be 49:26 in charge of cities and some would not. 49:29 Like, I just never heard of anyone putting it that way. 49:34 I had always just assumed that all Christians would go into the 49:37 millennium, but it was interesting to me, and I was 49:42 just curious what your thoughts about that were. 49:46 Doug: Yeah, the way I understand it, as you read, most 49:49 of what you find about the millennium 49:50 is in Revelation chapter 20, that all of 49:54 the saved are there during the millennium. 49:59 They may be doing some different things during that time, but I 50:02 don't see another resurrection where the saved come up separate 50:06 from those that will enjoy the millennium. 50:08 Jean: And, you know, when you read about 50:10 it in Revelation chapter 20, it talks about 50:11 the redeemed living and reigning with Christ. 50:14 Sometimes people think, well, if they're going to 50:16 be reigning, who are they reigning over? 50:18 Are they reigning over the wicked, meaning the wicked? 50:20 Are they alive during the thousand years? 50:22 But the emphasis there, when it talks 50:24 about reigning, the greatest act of reigning was 50:26 when a king sat on his throne in judgment. 50:29 So, the redeemed are going to be participating in the judgment 50:33 that occurs during the 1,000 years, and it's a judgment of 50:35 the wicked, because the righteous are already saved. 50:37 So, that's what's really happening with this reigning. 50:40 It's not that they're dictating to people 50:42 what to do, because the wicked are dead. 50:43 They're waiting for their resurrection at the end of the 50:45 thousand years, but they are involved in reigning in the 50:48 sense of judging and looking at their works. 50:52 And Jesus said, "Every man is rewarded according 50:53 to his works," and the redeemed are going 50:55 to have some part to play in that judgment. 50:58 Doug: Amen. 50:59 So, hopefully, that helps a little bit. 51:01 And we appreciate your call. 51:03 Jean: You know, we have a study guide that's called, "1000 51:04 Years of Peace," and it talks about this 1,000-year time 51:07 period you read about in Revelation chapter 20. 51:09 And, of course, we'll be happy to send 51:10 that to anyone who calls and asks. 51:12 It's 800-835-6747 or #250 on your phone. 51:17 Doug: Thank you, Spencer. 51:18 Jean: Next caller that we have is Alberto, 51:22 I believe it is, from Rhode Island. 51:24 Alberto: Hey, thank you so much for taking 51:27 my call, Pastor Batchelor and Pastor Ross. 51:31 And I pray that the Lord continues to bless and 51:34 strengthen you both in this mission you guys are doing. 51:37 It's fantastic work, and I've followed 51:41 you guys for a very long time. 51:43 This is my first time, you know, making a call. 51:45 Doug: Oh, praise the Lord, thank you. 51:48 Alberto: Yeah, so my question is found at--on Job 1:6, 51:56 and I can read if that's okay. 51:58 Doug: Go ahead. 51:59 Alberto: It says, "Now there was a day when the 52:02 sons of God came to present themselves before the 52:05 Lord, and Satan also came among them." 52:09 My question is this. 52:10 If Satan originated from Lucifer, the devil, and he was 52:15 the first sinner, how come he was able to see God and not burn 52:20 on that, you know, in that verse? 52:22 God used to walk with Adam before sin, 52:25 but not after sin, because of sin. 52:27 Moses asked to see God and His glory, and God said, "You can't 52:32 because you'll burn," because he was a sinner. 52:34 So, the question is, so my question is how come the devil 52:37 was able to see God if he was the sinner? 52:41 Doug: Yeah, good question. 52:44 And, you know, I'd have to tell you that 52:46 my answer would be some speculation. 52:51 The devil lived in the presence of God for, who knows, 52:55 it may have been hundreds of thousands of years, as he 52:57 slowly--he was a good angel named Lucifer, and he slowly 53:00 began to resent God's position and rebel ultimately, 53:05 and then finally it broke into an open 53:06 revolt, and he was kicked out of heaven. 53:08 The devil is a spirit. 53:09 Paul says we don't wrestle against flesh 53:11 and blood, but against spirits. 53:13 And so, you know, being a spiritual being may be different 53:18 than what would happen to a human when we're brought into 53:22 the presence of a Holy God with sin. 53:25 But, yeah, the devil, not just here in the 53:28 book of Job, but even before his fall, was in the 53:31 presence of God with sin in his heart. 53:35 So, it is somewhat of a mystery. 53:37 Jean: That's right. Okay, well, thank you. 53:39 The next caller that we have is Emannuel listening in Maryland. 53:43 Emannuel, welcome to the program. 53:44 We have about a minute. 53:46 Emannuel: How you doing, Pastor Doug? 53:48 Doug: Hi, thanks for calling. 53:51 Emannuel: I must admit, like, I really love 53:53 your program, and it really helps me a lot. 53:56 Doug: Praise the Lord. Thank you. 53:57 Well, real quick, what's your question? 54:01 Emannuel: My question is about free will and salvation. 54:04 But when Adam and Eve disobeyed, he blamed them. 54:08 So, how does it really--how does free will 54:11 in that process relate to our salvation? 54:14 Doug: Yeah, well, actually, the very fact that God had a 54:17 penalty for disobedience, He told Adam and Eve, if you eat 54:21 from the forbidden tree, you will die, it's because 54:25 they did have a free choice, and they made 54:28 the wrong choice, that there were consequences. 54:31 If they had no choice, if they had been predetermined to do it, 54:34 then why would God punish them for doing 54:36 what they were preprogrammed to do? 54:38 So, it's because they had accountability 54:40 that there was a consequence and a punishment. 54:43 But we do have a book, says, "Can a Saved Man Be Lost?" 54:47 And we will send you a free copy. 54:48 That's 800-835-6747 to ask for that. 54:53 And Pastor Ross, we just want to tell our 54:55 friends that are listening, if they did not know, 54:57 the end of the program we sign off in two stages. 55:00 We say farewell, goodnight to our satellite audience, 55:03 but stay tuned the rest of you. 55:05 We're coming back for some rapid fire Bible 55:07 questions in just a moment. 55:12 announcer: Thank you for listening to today's broadcast. 55:14 We hope you understand your Bible even better than before. 55:18 "Bible Answers Live" is produced by Amazing Facts International, 55:22 a faith-based ministry located in Granite Bay, California. 55:28 Jean: Hello, friends, welcome back. 55:29 We thank you for your Bible questions. 55:31 And a number of you have emailed Bible questions to us. 55:34 We're going to try and take the next two minutes or 55:35 so to answer as many questions as we can. 55:37 If you'd like to email us a Bible question, the email 55:40 address is BALquestions@amazingfacts.org. 55:45 All right, Pastor Doug, the first question that we have here 55:47 from Leann, she's asking, "How do you know if you 55:51 have been baptized by the Holy Spirit?" 55:55 Doug: Yeah, well, the baptism of the Holy Spirit, as we 55:57 mentioned a moment ago, is different from just the 56:00 conviction of the Holy Spirit, and the leading of the Holy 56:03 Spirit, and peace you may receive. 56:05 Baptism means that you are--you know, the word baptism means 56:09 immersed, every fiber is saturated. 56:12 It's like the ground in California right now. 56:14 It can't get any wetter. 56:15 And so when you're so full of the Holy Spirit--this is what 56:18 happened to David when he was anointed. 56:20 He was filled with the Holy Spirit. 56:21 Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit. 56:23 At Pentecost, the apostles were filled. 56:26 But you know what? 56:27 That began to dry out, because then they're filled with the 56:29 Holy Spirit again in Acts chapter 4. 56:32 So, the Holy Spirit can, you know, baptize you, fill you for 56:35 ministry, and you'll know that when you just are just full of 56:40 the Spirit, and you feel compelled to share the Word of 56:43 God, and do His will, and obey Him. 56:45 It's a signal. 56:47 Jean: Okay. 56:49 Another question that we have, Ashley is asking, "Why didn't 56:51 Jesus speak of paying tithe during His 56:54 three-and-a-half years of ministry?" 56:56 Doug: Well, actually, He did. 56:58 Yes, some people--Jesus told the scribes 57:01 and Pharisees, He said, "You pay tithe." 57:04 And this is, what? Matthew 23:23, I think. 57:07 He said, "You pay tithe of your mint, 57:08 and your anise, and your cumin," these are herbs. 57:11 "And you've neglected the weightier matters 57:12 of the law: justice, mercy, and faith." 57:16 He says, "These you ought to have done 57:18 and not leave the other undone. 57:20 Do not leave the tithe paying undone." 57:23 So, and then not just Jesus, but, of course, 57:26 Paul in Hebrews and others talk about tithe. 57:29 Nothing in the Bible says that it was revoked. 57:32 So, it's still in place. 57:34 Jean: Okay, another question that we have, Joseph is asking, 57:36 "God says that He will establish a covenant with Israel, but the 57:40 Bible also tells us that God is no respecter of persons. 57:43 Is this a contradiction?" 57:45 Doug: Well, the Lord loves everyone and wants to save 57:47 everybody, but God needed to pick a nation to 57:50 make them the demonstration of His grace. 57:54 So, because He picked Israel to make them that demonstration and 57:57 be the recipients of His promises and the guardians of 58:00 the oracles did not mean that He loved them more than others. 58:03 It means He had to have someone be 58:04 the messenger and the courier. 58:06 And, friends, He wants you to know that truth and accept it. 58:09 Thank you for tuning in, and we'd love to hear from you. 58:12 Check out more from Amazing Facts on amazingfacts.org. 58:16 God bless until we study next week. 58:19 announcer: "Bible Answers Live," honest and 58:22 accurate answers to your Bible questions. |
Revised 2023-10-20