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Series Code: AFBA
Program Code: AFBA202310S
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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 00:23 and practical answer to all your Bible questions. 00:28 This broadcast is a previously-recorded episode. 00:31 To receive any of the Bible resources mentioned in this 00:33 broadcast, call 800-835-6747. 00:38 Once again, that's 800-835-6747. 00:43 Now here's your host from Amazing Facts International, 00:47 Pastor Doug Batchelor. 00:50 Doug Batchelor: Hello, friends. 00:51 Would you like to hear an amazing fact? 00:53 English dye casters Leslie Smith 00:56 and Rodney Smith founded Lesney Products in 1947. 01:01 And along with their partner, Jack Odell, 01:03 they began making small toys. 01:05 In 1952, Odell was challenged by a rule at his daughter's school. 01:11 The rule permitted students to only bring toys to school 01:14 that were small enough to fit inside a matchbox. 01:18 So, he scaled down Lindsey's little steam roller package 01:22 and put it in a matchbox and sent his daughter off to school. 01:25 The Matchbox car was born. 01:28 Since 1953, Matchbox cars have sold around the world. 01:33 The first little car sold for 39 to 48 cents and came 01:37 in a small matchbox-like container. 01:40 The toys are made by measuring real, full size cars or trucks 01:44 with a laser and then reducing the dimensions 01:47 to be about 1/64th the size of the original model. 01:51 To date, there have been more than 12,000 individual Matchbox 01:55 models with a total production of over three billion miniature 02:00 toy cars and trucks. 02:03 You know, the Bible speaks of three structures 02:05 that were made as miniatures of heavenly copies. 02:09 Jean Ross: That's right, Pastor Doug. 02:11 When you think about the Matchbox car, I think just about 02:13 every little boy, at some point in time, has seen one or played 02:16 one or I know [inaudible] 02:18 Doug: You've got a few boys. Did they have? 02:19 Jean: They sure did. 02:21 Doug: We've still got a bucket, I think, 02:22 of Matchbox cars in the attic. 02:24 Jean: And I think what's appealing is that they look 02:26 just like the real thing, but, of course, miniature. 02:29 Doug: And then shrunk. Jean: That's right. 02:31 That's kind of neat to look at it and say, 02:32 "Wow, this is what the real thing looks like." 02:33 Well, you know, the Bible talks about a miniature structure that 02:36 was recreated here on the earth. 02:38 Doug: That's right. 02:40 The Bible tells us that when Moses went up Mount Sinai, 02:43 not only did he get the Ten Commandments, 02:45 but he received a lot of the laws, both civil, health, 02:48 and religious while he was on the mountains, 02:51 and God gave him plans, specific plans. 02:55 The same way Noah was given specific plans for the ark, 02:58 God gave Moses specific plans to build a tabernacle, 03:02 a sanctuary that was a miniature model of a heavenly sanctuary 03:08 that you read about several places in the Bible. 03:11 And one example would be-- 03:13 you can look in Hebrews chapter 8, verse 4. 03:16 It says, "For if He were on earth, He would not be a priest, 03:20 since there are priests who offer gifts according to the 03:22 law, who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things. 03:26 As Moses was divinely instructed 03:29 when he was about to make the tabernacle." 03:31 That's the sanctuary. 03:32 "For He said, 'See that you make all things according 03:35 to the pattern shown you on the mountain.'" 03:37 Like, we know the Ark of the Covenant 03:41 was the golden box of the Ten Commandments. 03:43 On the top, there were golden angels. 03:45 Well, in heaven, God doesn't sit enthroned between 03:48 two golden statues of angels. 03:50 He sits between living angels. 03:53 Just like a little Matchbox car--well, the doors don't open. 03:56 I mean, it's a little model, but the very real temple in heaven, 04:00 instead of having a wallpaper with angels like the earthly 04:03 sanctuary, it's probably a living wall of angels that 04:06 surrounds the Lord. 04:08 And I said three, because there are three times it was built. 04:11 You've got the mobile tabernacle in the wilderness. 04:13 Then Solomon ultimately built, at David's instruction, 04:18 and David provided for it, one of the wonders of the world, 04:21 the temple of Solomon. 04:24 And that was then destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar. 04:26 And after the Babylonian captivity, it was rebuilt during 04:30 the times of Ezra and Nehemiah, later refurbished by 04:33 Herod the Great, but it was basically the same temple. 04:36 And so these are all miniatures of the heavenly model, 04:40 and that temple teaches us, Pastor Ross, 04:43 something about how God saves people. 04:45 Jean: That's right, the Bible says, "Thy way, O Lord, 04:46 is in the sanctuary." 04:48 So, looking at the services of the sanctuary, of course, you've 04:51 got the sacrifices that took place in the sanctuary that the 04:53 priesthood and the work that the priests did, and all of 04:55 the articles of furniture, they all teach a lesson that points 04:58 us to the plan of redemption in Jesus our sacrifice 05:02 and also great High Priest. 05:04 And also, living the Christian life, 05:05 that's also present in the sanctuary. 05:07 So, we do have a study guide that talks about 05:10 the sanctuary that's called "God Drew the Plans," 05:12 and this is our free gift. 05:13 We're going to send it out to anyone who calls and asks. 05:16 The number for that is 800-836-6747. 05:19 You can ask for Offer #129 or ask for it by name. 05:22 It's called "God Drew the Plans." 05:24 You can also dial #250 on your phone and say, 05:27 "Bible Answers Live," and then ask for "God Drew the Plans." 05:31 You can also receive the free gift that way. 05:33 I would also like to greet those who are listening on some radio 05:37 stations that we have across the country. 05:39 We want to greet those tuning in on KWRG in Arizona. 05:43 Those who are listening there, welcome. 05:45 And also KPGC in Arkansas. 05:48 So, if you have a Bible question, and you're listening 05:50 through these two, one of these two radio stations, 05:52 we'd love to hear from you tonight. 05:54 And for anyone who has a Bible question, 05:57 the number to call is 800-463-7297. 06:01 That's 800-God-Says, 800-463-7297, 06:06 and that'll bring you here into our program. 06:09 We also want to greet those who are watching on YouTube 06:11 and Facebook, also on AFTV, and some other networks 06:15 that are going to be rebroadcasting this program. 06:17 We thank you for being a part of our Bible study. 06:20 Well, Pastor Doug, before we go to the phone lines-- 06:22 I know there's quite a few callers waiting-- 06:23 let's start with prayer. 06:25 Dear Father, we thank you once again that 06:27 we do have this time to open up your Word and study. 06:29 The Bible is the most important book, 06:31 a book that you have given us to show us the way of truth. 06:34 The Bible says that "Thy Word is a lamp to our feet." 06:37 So, guide us, Lord, as we study together. 06:38 In Jesus's name, amen. 06:41 Doug: Amen. 06:42 Jean: Well, our first caller this evening is Brittany, and 06:44 she's listening in California. 06:45 Brittany, welcome to "Bible Answers Live." 06:47 Brittany: Hey. Doug: Hi. 06:53 Brittany: Yeah, my question is why do bad things 06:56 happen to good people? 06:58 And are the past week's events part of the sign of the times? 07:02 Doug: Yeah, that is a great question. 07:04 And, you know, I--for those who are listening, sometimes these 07:07 programs are rebroadcasts, and last week, at the time 07:12 of this recording, there was another school shooting. 07:15 Innocent kids were killed, and a lot of people 07:17 just have very serious questions. 07:20 I think there's so much evil in the world with innocent people 07:23 suffering at the hands of wicked. 07:24 And why does God allow this? 07:26 If He's a loving God, if He's all powerful, 07:28 why doesn't He just stop it? 07:30 If there's a devil, why would God make a devil, 07:33 if He's a good, loving God? 07:34 And people have a lot of questions. 07:37 First, I'd recommend that anyone who has those questions, if you 07:40 have not seen the "Cosmic Conflict" DVD--and, of course, 07:45 it's on YouTube--just type in Cosmic Conflict, and you'll see 07:50 a DVD that was produced. 07:52 It explains where did evil come from? 07:55 Why does God not just destroy the devil as yet? 07:58 He will, the Bible tells us. 08:00 And why are there innocent 08:02 people suffering here in this world? 08:04 But you read in the book of Job, where Job was a good, 08:08 just, upright, righteous man, 08:09 and just all these terrible things happened. 08:11 The book of Job sort of gives you a picture behind the scenes, 08:14 that the bad things that happened to Job came from the 08:18 devil, and there's--the devil has highjacked this world, 08:22 because our first parents were made free, and God said, 08:27 "Don't disobey and eat this forbidden fruit," and the devil 08:30 said, "Listen to me, don't listen to God." 08:31 And when Adam and Eve chose to listen to the devil, they really 08:34 kind of handed over the keys of our world. 08:37 They surrendered dominion of this world to the enemy. 08:39 Paul says in Romans chapter 6 that "Whoever you obey, 08:43 that's whose servants you are," and they basically 08:46 gave the world to the devil. 08:48 Even Jesus refers to the devil as the prince of this world. 08:51 So, that's why there's so much suffering. 08:53 We ought to be asking the question, since the penalty 08:55 for sin is death, "Why aren't we all dead?" 08:58 It's the goodness of God that protects us and is giving us 09:01 some probationary time to make another decision to choose 09:05 Jesus and choose forgiveness. 09:07 Good question. 09:08 And I think we've got a lesson on "Did God Make a Devil?" 09:12 Jean: We do, but we also have a book that might be 09:14 a little more directed to your question. 09:16 It's called, "The Brook Dried Up." 09:18 Why do Christians suffer? 09:19 And that's free. 09:20 We'll send it to anyone here in the US and Canada. 09:23 The number to call is 800-835-6747, 09:26 and you can ask for the book, "The Brook Dried Up," 09:29 and we'll be happy to send it to you. 09:30 If you're listening outside of North America, we want to 09:33 encourage you to go to our website at amazingfacts.org. 09:35 Click on our free library, and you'll be able to read the book 09:39 right there online. 09:40 It's called, "The Brook Dried Up." 09:41 Gary in Illinois. 09:43 Gary, welcome to the program. 09:44 Gary: Thank you. 09:46 In Revelation 16:9, it says that men are scorched with a great 09:50 heat, and they did not repent. 09:53 Well, this could be, you know, solar flares. 09:56 So, my question is are natural disasters and the bowls of the 09:59 wrath of God one and the same? 10:02 And that's why people aren't repenting when these, you know, 10:08 horrific, extraordinary natural disasters happen? 10:13 Doug: Yeah, well, through history, not connected with the 10:16 seven last plagues, but through history, I think that God has 10:19 sometimes allowed natural disasters as a judgment, but not 10:22 every natural disaster is from the Lord. 10:25 You read in the book of Job, we just referenced, the Bible says 10:28 the devil went forth from the presence of the Lord, and he 10:30 brought a tornado that killed the children of Job. 10:34 The house blew down. 10:36 And we had tornadoes this last week. 10:37 It doesn't mean God sent them. 10:39 Sometimes the devil can even influence nature. 10:42 He was the most powerful of God's creation, and he's got a 10:47 lot of power even over the weather. 10:49 But the seven plagues, many of them appear to be nature 10:55 reacting somehow. 10:57 Many of the seven plagues are sort of similar to the plagues 11:00 that fell on ancient Egypt, namely the blood, the sores, 11:03 and the darkness on the seat of the beast. 11:07 People being scorched with great heat, it may also be connected 11:13 with something happening in the atmosphere or solar flares. 11:19 Jean: Yeah, I mean, God often uses natural things 11:22 to do a judgment. 11:25 For example, in the case of Egypt, when the plagues came, 11:27 there were literal locusts that infested the land. 11:30 So, God can use the sun, but it's clearly 11:34 an act of judgment that comes. 11:36 Why do the people not repent during the seven last plagues? 11:39 Well, at that point, the Holy Spirit has been withdrawn from 11:43 those who have rebelled against God. 11:45 Probation is closed, and we go through what we call the great 11:48 time of trouble that you read about in Daniel chapter 12, 11:50 verse 1. 11:52 So, people's minds are pretty much made up at that point. 11:54 And instead of these plagues bringing them to a point of 11:57 repentance, the Bible says that they curse God, they blame God, 12:01 they blaspheme His name for sending the plagues. 12:03 So, they know where it's coming from, but their hearts are hard, 12:06 and they're set in doing evil, and the plagues reveal that. 12:09 Doug: Yeah. 12:11 Jean: All right, thank you. 12:12 Next caller, we're going to try Gerry one more time. 12:14 Gerry in Texas, are you there? 12:16 Gerry: I'm here, guys, finally. 12:18 Hey, thanks, Pastor, for taking my call. 12:21 Doug: Yeah. 12:22 Gerry: I have several Bible texts in reference to 12:24 the question I'm asking. 12:25 And, you know, you have 12:27 to get spiritual knowledge through that. 12:30 What is the true physical nature of His physical nature? 12:35 We have in Genesis angels held swords, and we have Paul in Acts 12:41 19:15-16 that the men that were wanting to get the Holy Spirit, 12:48 the angels there pounded on them you know, beat them up or so. 12:54 And then we have Roger Moray's dog was kicked by an angel. 12:58 And then in Ezekiel, I guess we have that Satan had fire erupt 13:04 from his abdomen, in his wings. 13:06 I guess he did have a crown. 13:09 Doug: Yeah, so it seems sometimes, you know, one place 13:12 it says that the angels--and Pastor Ross says, I think, 13:15 they're his ministering-- 13:17 It says they're spirits. 13:19 We don't wrestle against flesh and blood. 13:20 That's Ephesians 6. 13:21 But also in Hebrews, when it talks about the angels, they are 13:23 ministering spirits that are sent forth to minister for those 13:27 who will inherit eternal life. 13:28 Jean: Hebrews 1:14. 13:30 Doug: Thank you, that's the one. 13:32 So, we've got several verses that tell us that angels are 13:34 spirits; but at the same time, we see them interacting in a 13:38 physical way with our world on many occasions, where they are 13:41 moving things and doing things, both good and bad angels. 13:45 Typically, the devil, when he interacts with the environment, 13:49 he does it through a creature or a person that's possessed. 13:52 I mean, even the demons cast out of the man, they said, 13:55 "Put us in the pigs." 13:56 You know, do something like that. 13:58 And Satan, he operated through the medium of a serpent, but 14:02 they are able to somehow interact with our dimension, and 14:07 so they are very real creatures. 14:09 I think the confusion comes in that we don't understand 14:14 what the spiritual realm is. 14:17 We assume that when something's spiritual, that means 14:19 that it has no substance the way we understand it. 14:23 But there's a whole dimension that in which 14:25 the angels live and operate. 14:26 And I would just say to everyone listening, the miracle by which 14:29 you're listening now or watching on television, we didn't know 14:33 about 100 years ago. 14:34 We didn't know about radio waves, and those frequencies, 14:36 and gamma rays, and x-rays, and there's a whole world 14:39 that we can't see, we now understand. 14:42 Well, I don't think we've yet figured out the equipment 14:45 to diagnose and measure the spiritual realm, 14:47 but it's very real. 14:49 And so angels somehow are able to interact with our physical 14:53 world when they choose to reveal themselves. 14:55 The Bible says Satan can appear as an angel of light, and they 14:58 can do miracles, and they can move things. 15:00 So, it is something of a mystery. 15:03 Jean: All right, well, thank you for your call, Gerry. 15:06 We've got Johnny listening in Kentucky. 15:08 Johnny, welcome to the program. 15:09 Johnny: Hello, thank you. 15:11 I was wondering, do you have any advice on how to witness to 15:17 family members who are running away from God and spend nearly 15:20 all their time on violent video games, violent movies, 15:24 and violent media in general? 15:28 Doug: Well, you know, there's three things you can do for 15:30 the people you love. 15:32 And I know it's heartbreaking when you see people you care 15:35 about and you love that don't seem to be interested in 15:37 eternity and the Holy Spirit and serving God. 15:41 But there's really only three. 15:43 I say three, and it's technically four things that you 15:46 do that you, when you want to reach somebody. 15:49 The one is you be a good witness. 15:52 Let your light shine. 15:54 The other would be pray for them. 15:57 God does things when you pray that would not happen otherwise. 16:01 Prayer really does make a difference. 16:03 The other is if they're open, share information. 16:08 So, if you've got friends, and they're preoccupied with 16:11 watching media that's not good, say, "Hey, I've got this video. 16:13 It's called "Cosmic Conflict." 16:15 Or "I've got this video called, 16:17 "The Bride, the Beast, and Babylon." 16:19 These are a couple done by Amazing Facts. 16:21 Say, "You really would enjoy this." 16:22 And if they're open--but sometimes you can't, 16:26 you know, your friends won't listen. 16:27 They won't read material. 16:29 They won't watch something you give them. 16:31 So, the fourth thing is you do the first three persistently. 16:36 Don't give up. 16:37 Pray for them, be a good witness, and share information 16:40 when they're available. 16:41 Don't nag them, don't badger them with information, because 16:44 you can drive them away. 16:46 You don't want to do that, but keep praying their hearts will 16:48 be open, and study with them, if they're open. 16:51 Jean: Absolutely. 16:53 And, of course, that's something we need to do. 16:55 We need to be the best witness that we can for our family and 16:57 our friends, and we need to pray that God gives us 16:59 wisdom to know when to speak or when to be quiet. 17:02 So, that's something that we need 17:04 to be connected to God with. 17:05 We've got Carly listening in--is it Nebraska? 17:08 Carly, welcome to the program. 17:10 Carly: Thank you very much and thank both of you for having 17:14 this program and being there. 17:16 I have a verse, Colossians 1:24, that I have never really 17:21 understood, and today in my daily reading I've come across 17:25 something that has a brand-new thought that kind of bothers me, 17:32 when I read it, and I wanted to run it by you. 17:38 Doug: Well, let me read the verse for our friends 17:40 that are listening. 17:41 I'll read Colossians 1:24. 17:42 Is that right? 17:44 Carly: Yes, and I understand that Paul is not speaking of 17:46 Christ's suffering here, that he's explaining to the people 17:49 his own sufferings-- 17:52 Doug: Yeah, let me read it real quick for those listening. 17:55 "I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up my flesh 17:59 in what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, 18:01 for the sake of His body, which is the church." 18:04 Okay. 18:06 Carly: Well, I never quite understood the lacking part, 18:10 and I, what I read was, like I say, a brand-new thought, 18:16 that there's been several explanations, but it could be 18:20 possibly that this text indicates Christ's afflictions 18:25 did not end after His ascension, and I'm reading this now, and 18:30 that consequently He continues to identify Himself with the 18:34 church, that as the believers fulfilled the mission of the 18:40 church, Christ is now being afflicted by the afflictions of 18:44 believers, suggesting that he is somehow experiencing 18:47 them in Himself. 18:49 And He says this will come to an end at His return in glory. 18:54 And I thought, Christ isn't afflicted anymore, 18:58 and the thought that He's being afflicted? 19:01 Doug: Yeah, well, let's talk about that. 19:03 That's an interesting observation. 19:05 You know, it tells us in the Bible that Jesus is not 19:09 physically, you know, He's in heaven now at 19:11 the right hand of the Father. 19:12 He's not physically suffering on the cross anymore. 19:15 He was crucified once. 19:17 Jesus does feel everything. 19:20 And so He said, "Inasmuch as you've done it to the least of 19:22 these, you've done it to me." 19:24 So, whether we do something kind or whether someone does 19:26 something evil to another person, Christ feels the pain in 19:32 that, you know, He empathizes with the pain of His creatures. 19:36 So, in that sense, He suffers. 19:38 Paul is probably not referring to that here. 19:40 When he talks about the afflictions of Christ, I think 19:42 he's talking about where Peter said that, you know, 19:45 "Don't be shocked if we share in His sufferings; 19:47 but if we do, rejoice." 19:49 And Paul, probably more than any apostle, he did go through a lot 19:53 of hardship and sufferings. 19:55 He was beaten, and stoned, and imprisoned. 19:57 And so he said, "Look, you know, I killed Christians, and 20:00 the Lord is letting me taste some of those sufferings now." 20:03 What do you think? 20:05 Jean: Yeah, I think so. 20:07 You know, He said, "My strength is made perfect in weakness." 20:10 And Paul was an example of faithfulness, even despite 20:12 terrible suffering. 20:14 And then, of course, you read about Paul's list, and you 20:16 mentioned some of them. 20:18 Another one was shipwrecked, imprisoned. 20:19 Eventually, he was beheaded for his faith. 20:21 So, you know, Christians can look at that and say he had so 20:23 many things happen to him; and, yet, look how positive and 20:25 convinced he was of the love of God. 20:27 Look at how strong his faith was. 20:29 So, he's an example. 20:31 And, you know, Paul is acknowledging there my 20:32 affliction is probably not over. 20:34 There's probably more that's going to come. 20:35 Doug: That's right. 20:37 And when he said, "Fill up the measure of suffering," 20:38 he meant sometimes God has to let us suffer to learn things. 20:41 And Paul said, "I'm still learning." 20:43 So, God's going to fill it up. 20:45 Jean: Yeah. 20:46 Doug: All right, thanks so much. 20:48 I hope that helps Carly. 20:49 Jean: We've got Anna listening in Oregon. 20:50 Anna, welcome to the program. 20:52 Anna: Hi, thank you for taking my question, again, guys. 20:54 Doug: Thank you. 20:58 Anna: So, my question is--you probably get it all the 21:01 time--but the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 21:06 And sometimes I think I get it, and then I don't, and then I do, 21:10 and then I don't. 21:12 I would like you to explain it to me. 21:16 Doug: Yeah, well, you know, it'll be hard in 3 minutes to 21:18 explain God. 21:20 The Bible says His ways are higher than our ways, 21:24 than the stars are above the earth. 21:27 And Job said God is past finding out. 21:31 So, you know, if we ever got where we could wrap our brains 21:34 around God, someone who's lived from everlasting to everlasting, 21:37 that made the cosmos, you know, it's quite literally a 21:41 mind-blowing thought. 21:42 But there is information revealed about the functions, 21:46 for lack of a better word, of the Father, Son, 21:50 and Spirit are different. 21:51 I heard you explain it once, Pastor Ross, 21:53 in kind of three phases. 21:54 Do you know what I'm talking about? 21:56 Jean: You've got to remind me. 21:57 Doug: Actually, well, you know, the Father's the 21:59 authority, and Jesus is the medium that reveals the Father. 22:05 He's the one who saves us. 22:06 And the Holy Spirit is, He's going and doing the bidding of 22:10 the Father and the Son, and leading the teaching, 22:12 the convicting, the guiding, and there's verses 22:14 that support these things. 22:16 You know, Jesus even said, "God the Father created 22:18 all things through the Son." 22:20 So, God the Father seems to--there's a willing submission 22:24 of the Son and the Spirit to the Father, because the Father is 22:28 the one who so loves the world, He sends His Son. 22:30 And then you've got the Father tells us He commits judgment 22:33 to the Son. 22:35 He commits creation to the Son. 22:37 The Spirit you see, of course, right there at creation, 22:38 is there in every facet of creation and salvation, and He's 22:42 sort of constantly the one communing between the Father, 22:48 and the Son, and the Spirit. 22:50 Anyway, we do have a book that is called, "Understanding the 22:55 Trinity, and we'll be happy to send you a copy of that, Debbie. 23:00 Is that Debbie asking that? 23:02 No, that's Anna. I'm sorry. 23:04 And, hopefully, that'll help a little bit. 23:06 Jean: The number to call for that is 800-835-6747. 23:10 You can ask for the book, "The Trinity: Is It Biblical?" 23:12 We'll be happy to send it to you. 23:14 The next caller that we have is Debbie. 23:16 Excuse me. 23:17 Listening in Canada. 23:19 Debbie, welcome to the program. 23:21 Debbie: Hi, how are you? 23:22 Doug: Good, thanks for calling. 23:24 Debbie: Okay, first of all, I want to say, Pastor Doug, 23:27 I still have your "Richest Caveman" 23:28 book with your signature in it. 23:30 I remember fighting over--not fighting, 23:32 but pushed my way through a crowd to get you to sign it. 23:34 Unbelievable book. 23:36 Changed my whole life. 23:37 Doug: Oh, praise the Lord. Debbie: Yeah. 23:40 Okay now, the question I have is not really--I would think it 23:44 would be a biblical--I'm trying to keep my body clean-- 23:46 well not trying, I am. 23:48 But when I die, I just filled out my health card, and they 23:52 ask you, a question on the health card, protégé thing 23:56 is do you want to be an organ donor? 23:58 Doug: Yeah. 24:00 Debbie: Do you want to donate your organs? 24:01 And I said yes. 24:03 Is that against Bible principle? 24:05 Doug: Well, it's a great question. 24:06 I had to ask myself the same question. 24:09 My driver's license also says yes just because I know I'm 24:15 getting a new body. 24:17 And if, you know, if there's any of my parts that are of any 24:20 use--and the older you get, the less likely that is--but, you 24:26 know, if, you know, if there's some part that is going to give 24:29 someone else sight, that--we lost a son about 20 years ago, 24:34 and they asked us, they said, "You know, would you be willing 24:39 to donate his cornea that could be transplanted in someone else 24:41 to help them see?" 24:42 And we said, "Absolutely." 24:44 Because, otherwise, it's just, you know, it's going to turn 24:46 back into ashes, the Bible tells us. 24:48 And so--and we feel the same way. 24:51 Now, I don't think that--I don't support cremation, because 24:55 that's just basically, you know, burning up your body. 24:57 But, you know, if there were some parts that could help 25:01 another person have life, 25:03 Jesus is all about sacrifice for others. 25:05 Jean: Yeah, there's no biblical reason not to. 25:08 Doug: No moral dilemma there. 25:09 Jean: Absolutely, if you can help. 25:10 All right, we're going to jump to James in Texas. 25:12 James, welcome to the program. 25:14 James: Yes, sir. 25:16 My question is, I intend to be re-baptized on Easter Sunday. 25:20 Doug: Oh, wow. 25:21 James: But is there going to be--is there a special order 25:24 for my repentance? 25:26 Like, is there baptism, confession, repentance, 25:30 or any kind of special order I have to end up doing? 25:33 Doug: Yeah, well, you'll read in Acts chapter 2, when the 25:36 people said to Peter, after Peter preaches his sermon-- 25:39 and I forget--it's like verse 38 maybe--they said, "Men and 25:43 brethren, what shall we do?" 25:44 Peter said, "Repent and be baptized." 25:47 And John the Baptist, he said, "Repent and be baptized." 25:50 So, repentance is a sorrow for sin and a willingness 25:56 to turn away from sin. 25:57 It's a U-turn where you turn from your old ways and you would 26:00 walk in a newness of life. 26:02 That should definitely come before baptism. 26:05 So, it's like if baptism is like marriage, and if you're going 26:09 to marry a particular girl, she's going to say, 26:11 "I want to make sure you're done dating all the other girls 26:13 before we get married." 26:14 You don't say, "Well, after we get married, then I'll try 26:17 and stop dating the other girls." 26:18 So, you want to--it doesn't mean you need to be perfect before 26:22 you're baptized, but you should, you know, express sorrow for 26:25 your sins, confess your sins to God, repent from your sins, 26:28 and then when you are baptized, you have followed the criteria, 26:33 you then come from the water, and all your sins are forgiven, 26:37 and God says He cleanses you from all unrighteousness 26:39 when we confess our sins. 26:43 Hey, friends, you can tell we're going to take a break. 26:45 Don't go too far, because we've got a lot more Bible questions 26:48 coming, and I think we've got a special offer we can make 26:51 available to Glenn when we come back. 26:54 God bless. 26:56 ♪♪♪ 26:59 announcer: Stay tuned. 27:00 "Bible Answers Live" will return shortly. 27:04 ♪♪♪ 27:07 female announcer: Life can be overwhelming. 27:08 Where can an on-the-go woman find quality time with God? 27:11 The new "Amazing Treasures of Faith" box set from 27:14 Amazing Facts empowers your devotional life 27:16 with inspiring resources that will bring 27:18 lasting peace into your busy life. 27:20 This beautifully-designed box set by women, for women, comes 27:23 with a 31-day devotional, recipe, and Scripture cards, 27:26 and special messages from Pastor Doug and Karen Batchelor. 27:29 Get your "Amazing Treasures of Faith" box set today. 27:31 Just call 800-538-7275 or visit afbookstore.com. 27:37 male announcer: Doug Batchelor was the teenage son 27:38 of a millionaire father and show business mother. 27:41 Yet, he was living in a cave. 27:43 He had everything money could buy, everything but happiness. 27:47 But all of the fun and excitement he enjoyed 27:49 left his life out of control. 27:52 His search eventually led him to a cave above Palm Springs 27:55 that became his home. 27:57 While Doug scavenged for food in garbage bins, his father 28:00 owned a yacht, a Lear jet, and an airline. 28:03 But in his cave home, he discovered a dust-covered Bible. 28:07 As he began to read, he soon learned 28:09 of his true purpose in life. 28:12 "The Richest Caveman" is the extraordinary true story of 28:15 Doug Batchelor that tells how a rebellious teenager who once 28:19 lived in a cave became a tremendous soul winner 28:21 for Jesus Christ. 28:23 It's a thrilling testimony of the transforming power 28:26 of God's Word. 28:28 To order your copy of "The Richest Caveman." 28:30 Call 800-538-7275 or visit AFBOOKSTORE.COM. 28:37 ♪♪♪ 28:39 announcer: You're listening to "Bible Answers Live," 28:42 where every question answered provides a clearer picture 28:45 of God and His plan to save you. 28:48 So, what are you waiting for? 28:49 Get practical answers about the Good Book 28:52 for a better life today. 28:54 ♪♪♪ 28:57 announcer: This broadcast is a previously recorded episode. 29:00 If you'd like answers to your Bible-related questions 29:01 on the air, please call us next Sunday between 7 p.m. 29:06 and 8 p.m. Pacific time. 29:08 To receive any of the Bible resources mentioned 29:11 in this evening's program, call 800-835-6747. 29:16 Once again, that's 800-835-6747. 29:21 Now let's rejoin our hosts for more "Bible Answers Live." 29:28 Doug: Welcome back, listening friends, 29:29 to "Bible Answers Live." 29:31 And we've been doing this program for over 27 years now. 29:34 If you've got a Bible question, then you just can give us 29:38 a phone call at 800-God Says with your Bible question, 29:43 and we'll do our best to answer it. 29:45 We've got some Bible resources at the tips of our fingers here. 29:48 We're streaming now on Facebook. 29:50 That's the Amazing Facts Facebook page, 29:52 the Doug Batchelor Facebook page, and YouTube, 29:55 the Amazing Facts YouTube page. 29:57 We're on AFTV and a number of other stations, 30:00 radio and television. 30:02 My name is Doug Batchelor. 30:04 Jean: My name is Jean Ross. 30:05 And we've got Hughley listening in Pennsylvania. 30:08 So, Hughley, welcome to the program. 30:10 Hughley: Hi there. How are you? 30:12 Doug: Good, thank you for calling. 30:14 Hughley: All right. 30:16 So, I had a question for you. 30:18 I basically wanted to know about what the symbolism was with 30:24 Ezekiel and the wheel. 30:26 What was that encounter like? 30:29 Doug: Yeah, you not only find the wheel within the wheel here 30:32 in Ezekiel chapter 10. 30:35 It's also mentioned in chapter 1. 30:39 And you can read in Ezekiel 1, it says, "Now as I looked at 30:41 the--" And this is Ezekiel 1:15. 30:43 "Now as I looked at the living creatures, behold, a wheel was 30:46 on the earth beside each living creature with its four faces. 30:51 And the appearance of the wheels and their workings 30:53 was like the color of beryl. 30:56 And all four had the same likeness." 30:58 And he says that--you go on, it says, "The appearance of their 31:01 workings was, as it was, a wheel in the middle of a wheel. 31:05 And when they moved, they went towards any of the four 31:07 directions, and they did not turn aside as they went. 31:10 For their rims, they had so high, and they were awesome." 31:13 And then it says, "Their rims were full of eyes all around." 31:17 And I've had people say, "Well, this is Ezekiel saw a UFO, 31:22 or he saw an alien. 31:24 And folks have all wondered what is this? 31:27 It's a wheel within a wheel. 31:29 It's like a watch or the gears inside. 31:31 Or is it some kind of a Caterpillar where you've got 31:34 the tracks turning the wheel within a wheel? 31:36 And people have been all over the map with this. 31:40 But Pastor Ross, as far as I know, Ezekiel is having an 31:42 apocalyptic vision here, and so there's symbolism. 31:44 And the idea of a wheel within a wheel is telling us that, you 31:49 know, God is really in charge of all time, and the idea that 31:53 there's eyes all around, it means He has His interactions 31:57 that are helping make every little providence happen 32:02 and that God is completely in control. 32:06 The purpose of Ezekiel's vision, he's trying to wonder why these 32:11 terrible things happen to the nation of Israel. 32:13 They're conquered and carried off, and by the Babylonians, 32:15 and then the Persians, and God is saying, you know, 32:17 "I'm working out my perfect plan. 32:19 And to you, it may look like a wheel within a wheel, but 32:22 everywhere those wheels go, there's a direction 32:26 and a purpose. 32:28 So, it is a mystery. 32:29 Jean: And if you look at the throne room described in 32:31 Revelation chapter 4, it talks about the four living creatures, 32:34 and it says there are six wings, and they have eyes. 32:37 So the symbol of eyes being all knowing. 32:41 God is aware of everything. 32:43 And then the wheels, the throne of God appears to move. 32:45 So, there are some parallels, I think, in describing God's 32:48 throne, as you see it in Revelation, but also the 32:50 symbolic application of that. 32:52 Doug: Yeah. Jean: Absolutely. 32:54 Doug: And the four creatures are very similar in Ezekiel 32:56 to the ones you see, if not identical, 32:57 to the ones you see in Revelation. 32:59 So, I hope that helps a little bit. 33:02 All right, Glenn, we sure are--sorry, that was Hughley. 33:06 We sure appreciate your question. 33:08 Jean: The next one caller that we have, we're going to try 33:10 Glenn one more time, I think. 33:12 Glenn, are you there in Ohio? 33:14 Glenn, welcome to the program. 33:16 Glenn: Yes, thank you very much for taking my call. 33:18 I hope we made it through this time. 33:20 Doug: You did, you're on. 33:21 Glenn: Good. 33:23 My Bible study, I'm studying in the wonderful book of Zechariah, 33:26 the 8th chapter, and I got to verse 19, and it talks about the 33:32 four fasts, of four months, the fourth month, fifth month, 33:37 seventh month, and tenth month. 33:39 I'm concerned what that fast is about and what calendar is it 33:43 talking about? 33:45 Can you help me? 33:47 Doug: Yeah, I think he's referring back to the feasts 33:48 that you'd find in Leviticus, where you've got the-- 33:52 what was it? 33:54 Seven annual feasts, and some of them involve fasts. 33:56 There were days of fasting. 33:58 And so this would be what they called the spiritual calendar 34:02 that began with the Passover. 34:05 Now, Israel had both a civil calendar that was a little bit 34:12 different from their religious or spiritual calendar. 34:16 And in the Jewish spiritual calendar, they had their fall 34:18 festivals, and then they had their spring festivals, and then 34:21 there was the Day of Atonement, which was the last festival at 34:23 the end of the spiritual year. 34:24 And I know there was a fast at the beginning of Passover, 34:27 and there was also a feast with Passover. 34:29 So, they had both. 34:30 And I'm pretty sure that Zechariah is also talking about 34:34 those fasts that you find there. 34:36 Now, we do have a book we can share that talks about 34:38 "Jesus and the Feast Days." 34:41 And I looked on our new lineup of books, and we do have 34:47 a book that talks about the feast days, yeah. 34:48 So, if Glenn wants to call--I'm sorry. 34:51 Is that Glenn, is that right? 34:53 Yeah, if he wants to call and ask for that, 34:54 we'll be happy to share that. 34:56 Jean: The number to call for that is 800-835-6747. 34:59 You can ask for the book on "Jesus and the Feast Days," 35:02 and we'll send that to anyone here in the US or in Canada. 35:05 The next caller that we have is Ty, 35:07 and he's listening in Minnesota. 35:08 Ty, welcome to the program. 35:12 Ty, you're on the air, hi. 35:14 Ty: Hi. 35:16 Doug: And your question. 35:18 Ty: Why hasn't God destroyed Satan? 35:22 Doug: Okay, good question. 35:23 Why doesn't God just destroy Satan? 35:26 Well, you know, when children sometimes disobey their parents, 35:31 parents are very loving and patient. 35:34 They want their children to understand and obey them, 35:36 because they love them, because what they're asking 35:38 is good and reasonable. 35:43 That's the reason that God did not destroy the devil right 35:46 away, is He did not want the other angels obeying, because 35:49 they were afraid they were going to get killed 35:52 if they didn't disobey. 35:54 God doesn't want us motivated just by fear of punishment. 35:56 God wants us to obey Him because we love Him. 35:59 And the devil was accusing God of some terrible things, 36:01 so God had to allow Satan to demonstrate to the world 36:07 what was going to happen. 36:09 He's showing the world by His patience that following 36:11 the devil leads to all kinds of pain. 36:14 People had to find out and see what was going to happen. 36:16 So, you would enjoy--tell your parents to help you watch 36:19 the "Cosmic Conflict" DVD. 36:21 It's free. 36:23 You can watch it online. 36:24 Just go to YouTube and type in Cosmic Conflict. 36:27 It's the one with Pastor Doug, and you'll see it there. 36:30 Thanks so much, Ty. 36:32 Jean: The next caller that we have is Terry listening 36:33 in Tennessee. 36:34 Terry, welcome to the program. 36:36 Terry: Thank you, Pastor Ross. 36:39 Hi, Pastor Doug. Are you guys all right? 36:41 Doug: We're doing great. Thank you for calling. 36:44 Terry: No, thank you. 36:46 Jean: And your question? 36:48 Terry: Hello. Doug: Yeah, you're there. 36:50 Terry: Yeah, yeah. 36:53 It's not so much on the Scriptures, but I just kind of 36:55 wondered when the exiles that were put in Babylon, 37:02 when Jeremiah was a prophet, they stayed there 70 years, 37:07 and then they returned, okay. 37:09 Doug: Mm-hm. 37:11 Terry: Why didn't they set up the kingdom like it 37:13 was before the exile? 37:16 With their own king and everything 37:18 from the house of David? 37:20 Doug: Good question. 37:22 Yeah, they would loved to have done that; but when they were 37:25 allowed to go back from Babylon to Israel, they did it 37:28 under the rulership of the king of Persia. 37:32 In other words, all they could do was have a governor. 37:35 And so the king of Persia said, "You don't have a king anymore. 37:38 I am the king, and you will pay tribute to me. 37:42 But I'm going to give you your freedom, 37:44 and you'll have your own governor." 37:45 And from the time of the Babylonian captivity, there may 37:49 have been a brief period where they broke away 37:51 from the Greeks during the time of the Maccabees. 37:53 But other than that, they were under the Persians, then they 37:55 were under the Greeks, and then they were under the Romans, 37:58 and then the Romans destroyed the city. 38:01 They never had a monarchy again. 38:03 But when Jesus comes, He is the Son of David that 38:06 will reign over the New Jerusalem. 38:08 So, all the promises about Israel and God's people 38:12 inhabiting the world will be fulfilled in the Son of David, 38:15 Christ, when He establishes His kingdom. 38:18 Thanks so much. 38:19 I hope that helps a little bit. 38:21 Jean: All right, we've got Terry listening in Virginia. 38:23 Terry, welcome to the program. 38:24 Doug: Another Terry. Welcome. 38:27 Terry: Yes, hi. Thank you for taking my call. 38:31 Doug: Yes, and your question. 38:34 Terry: Is 1 Corinthians chapter 11:1-16, 38:42 Paul's opinion or is it a message from God? 38:45 And how should we understand it, please? 38:49 Doug: All right, well, you quoted a lot of verses, but I 38:52 think you're talking about where it talks about women covering 38:55 their heads when they pray, and that's the section, 38:58 if I'm not mistaken, right? 38:59 Terry: Right. Doug: Yeah. 39:02 So, the big question that people have here is was this a custom 39:07 of was this a commandment for every people in every age, 39:11 that women should not pray in public without 39:14 having their heads covered. 39:16 And most of the commentaries believe that Paul is addressing 39:21 the custom of respect during his time. 39:24 There's no command in the Old Testament we can find where 39:27 it says a woman must cover her head when she prays 39:30 or when she's in worship. 39:31 You do have examples of women that were praying in public. 39:36 It doesn't tell us what they might have had on their head. 39:38 I would say, first of all, if a person feels convicted about 39:41 this, well, by all means do it. 39:43 You know, if you go to Russia, still a lot of the Orthodox 39:46 churches, the woman always cover their heads when they pray, 39:48 and I've worshiped in Pentecostal churches, years ago, 39:52 whenever they prayed, they covered their heads, 39:55 if a woman was praying in public. 39:57 And but Paul mentions later in the verse--and I'm trying to 40:01 remember where it was--he said, yeah, verse 16, he says, 40:05 "If anyone seems to be contentious, we have no such 40:09 custom, nor do the churches of God." 40:11 So, he's using the word "custom" there, and it makes us think 40:14 they're talking about a custom of respect. 40:17 This is the only place this is mentioned. 40:20 So, you know, I don't know that they had these apostle Taliban 40:26 that were telling all the women that they had to cover their 40:28 heads or get thrown out of the church. 40:30 But there was a custom, and they were having problems in Corinth. 40:34 Some have said that, you know, the immoral women in the cities, 40:40 they used to braid their hair with chains of gold 40:43 and leave it uncovered. 40:45 And so to show that you are a believer, that you would cover 40:46 your hair, which was your glory, as a sign of submission to God 40:49 and even your husband. 40:51 So, this is the understanding I've seen from those verses. 40:53 Jean: All right, I think the point there is showing 40:56 respect and reverence. 40:57 Doug: Yeah. 40:58 Jean: And, of course, that's applicable not only to women, 41:00 also to men. 41:01 In our culture, if a man enters into a church, and he's wearing 41:04 a hat, the appropriate thing is to remove the hat, 41:07 a sign of respect. 41:09 If you go to different cultures, in other places around the 41:10 world, they also have different types of customs. 41:14 You go to some places where you have to wear a hat. 41:16 Doug: Yeah, you go into a Jewish synagogue, 41:18 you put the hat on. 41:20 So, you go to some churches, you take your shoes off. 41:22 Jean: Right, right. 41:23 So different places, but the principle there is the same, 41:26 showing reverence and respect. 41:28 Doug: Thank you, Terry. 41:29 Jean: We've got Bryan listening in Oklahoma. 41:31 Bryan, welcome to the program, Bryan in Oklahoma. 41:33 Bryan: Hi, thanks Pastors. 41:35 I appreciate y'all's ministry. 41:36 Doug: Thank you. 41:38 Bryan: So, my question is, is I think I've heard Pastor Doug 41:40 refer to Moses as a Christ type or a type of Christ. 41:43 Doug: Yes. 41:45 Bryan: And I was wondering if you could explain that for us. 41:47 Doug: Yeah, there's probably many ways where you could find 41:49 typology, how Moses is a type of Christ. 41:52 First of all, you don't want to get it from me. 41:55 You listen to what Paul says in 1 Corinthians chapter 10, 41:58 and he shows how the whole Exodus experience 42:02 is an allegory of salvation. 42:05 They were saved from the bondage of the devil, as we are saved 42:08 from the bondage of--they were saved from the pharaoh 42:11 as we're saved from the devil. 42:13 Moses was born from slaves, but he never served as a slave. 42:16 And Jesus was born of humans, but He never sinned. 42:20 Moses was what we call a mediator. 42:22 He would go up the mountain, and God would speak to him, 42:25 and he'd bring the message, and then they'd talk to Moses, 42:27 and he'd bring the message to God. 42:29 And Jesus is our mediator. 42:31 Moses was interceding for the people. 42:33 He would lift up his hands, and they would win the battle. 42:36 He stretched out his hands, and Jesus stretched out His hands. 42:37 The word Moses means drawn from the water. 42:41 Moses is actually an Egyptian word. 42:44 They even had some pharaohs that were called Tut-Moses. 42:46 It means drawn from the water. 42:49 And Jesus, you know, the Bible tells us in Revelation 17, the 42:52 waters represent multitudes of peoples and nations. 42:55 Jesus came from the people. 42:57 He came from the slaves to save the slaves, and Jesus came 43:00 from humanity to save humanity. 43:03 So, you've got Amram and Jochebed had three children. 43:06 You had a trinity of children, and they were all 43:09 prophets--Miriam, Aaron, and Moses--all prophets. 43:13 You have the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. 43:16 They've got all kinds of illustrations. 43:18 And Moses had to die just before they crossed over. 43:20 Jesus had to die for us to be able to cross over. 43:23 So, I could go on and on. 43:25 I have a book I wrote on this. 43:27 Matter of fact, we're doing a new study series called 43:29 "Shadows of Light" on types of Christ in the Bible. 43:31 Moses is one of those lessons. 43:33 But there's a book. 43:35 You can just go to Amazon and type in "Shadows of Light," 43:38 Doug Batchelor, and you'll see our book where 43:41 I've got a whole section on Moses. 43:42 Jean: All right, very good, thank you. 43:44 Next caller that we have is Kay, listening in Michigan. 43:48 Kay, welcome to the program. 43:50 Kay: Well, thank you. 43:51 I have just a quick question for you. 43:55 Sixty-six years I've been in the church, and I've always thought 43:59 I knew about the clean and unclean foods. 44:02 And my husband was listening to STR the other night, and a 44:09 pastor on there said he could not find in the Bible where you 44:15 could not eat duck. 44:17 And I can't find it either now, 44:20 but all my life I've been told no. 44:23 What is your opinion? 44:26 Doug: Well, first of all, I'd say if you're in doubt, 44:27 do the safe thing. 44:29 So, don't eat it. 44:31 But I do believe, at least in the King James Version, 44:34 it refers to swans as being unclean fowl. 44:39 And ducks and swans are in the same category. 44:41 I can't remember the scientific genus of how you say that. 44:45 But, you know, ducks are not a foraging bird. 44:49 The clean birds were usually the foraging birds that go around. 44:51 They peck. 44:53 Karen and I were walking today, 44:54 and we got surrounded by a herd of turkeys. 44:56 Are turkeys a herd? 44:57 Anyway, and, you know, they go around, they peck, they eat 45:01 seeds, they eat bugs, and there are pheasant, quail, 45:04 they're all the clean birds, the partridges, so forth. 45:07 They were safe for sacrifice. 45:10 You never see them sacrificing a duck or a swan. 45:13 So, I would say they're in the unclean category. 45:16 They usually muck around in the lakes. 45:18 They just have a whole different diet. 45:20 Anyway, I hope that helps a little bit. 45:23 Thank you. 45:25 Jean: Thank you, Kay. 45:26 We've got Mark listening in Arkansas. 45:28 Mark, welcome to the program. 45:30 Mark: Yeah, I was really having a hard time. 45:33 A lot of times we keep charging our acts and the influence of 45:38 the evil ones, and my understanding was Jesus says 45:41 that we've been led astray by our own natural tendencies. 45:44 And so I went to Jeremiah, the prophet Jeremiah, and he was 45:49 trying to tell us that the human heart is deceitful above all 45:53 things, and sometimes even desperately wicked, and that we 45:57 fall into something like foolish fears, diverse lusts, envy, 46:04 enslaving pleasures, malice, envy, and even vengeful hatred. 46:09 So, it seems to me that we are our own enemy, 46:13 and Satan really ain't our enemy. 46:15 It seems to me that we are. 46:17 Maybe I'm wrong, but if you're not connected to the vine, 46:20 Jesus Christ, then it's kind of hard to produce good fruits. 46:25 And I just was wondering what you thought about 46:27 the prophet Jeremiah, to tell us. 46:31 Doug: Well, absolutely, I agree completely 46:33 with the prophet. 46:34 I agree with all the Word, but I agree with Jeremiah 46:37 that the Bible does teach that an unconverted person, 46:41 the human heart is selfish and desperately wicked. 46:44 We all inherited these fallen natures from Adam and Eve. 46:48 And, originally, God created man to be motivated by love. 46:52 But because of sin, the compass was broken. 46:55 The needle now points inward instead of outward. 46:57 Instead of pointing it away from ourselves and loving God, 47:00 and loving others, it points to love of self as first. 47:03 And then but when you're born again, through the Holy Spirit, 47:08 you get a new nature, and you start learning, through 47:11 the Spirit, to love, and old things are passed away. 47:17 All things are become new. 47:19 You have new motives and new desires, and it doesn't change 47:21 all at once, but many things can change just through prayer and 47:25 accepting Christ, where you get the Holy Spirit. 47:28 You start thinking about love for God and how much He gave, 47:31 and we love Him because He first loved us. 47:32 We love others because we see how much He loves others. 47:36 And yes, the unconverted heart is evil and desperately wicked. 47:41 The Bible says, "All we, like sheep, we've gone astray. 47:44 We've turned each one to his own way. 47:47 The selfish, unconverted heart turns to its own way. 47:50 But when we encounter Jesus, and we're born again, we're made 47:54 new creatures, things change, and that's called conversion, 47:57 and that's what we all need to be praying for. 48:00 Keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, we become like Him. 48:03 Jean: All right, thank you, Mark. 48:05 We've got Megan listening in Canada. 48:07 Megan, welcome to the program. 48:10 Megan: Hi, thank you for having me. 48:12 Doug: Thanks for calling. 48:14 Megan: My question is about 1 Corinthians chapter 13, verse 1. 48:19 I've always understood tongues to mean languages. 48:24 But where it's talking about "if I speak in the tongues of men 48:29 or of angels," that made me wonder what 48:31 is speaking in tongues of angels? 48:34 'Cause I'm wondering if that's what some people use to explain, 48:40 like, sometimes there's, they would say they're speaking in 48:43 tongues, but it's not something that can be translated. 48:46 Doug: Yeah, I think you need to continue reading. 48:49 Well, first of all, I'm sure angels do have a language. 48:51 So, I don't doubt that for a moment, 48:53 because they do communicate. 48:55 Man is made a little lower than the angels, and we speak. 48:58 I'm sure the angels speak. 49:03 But when Paul says, "Though I speak with the tongue of men 49:05 and angels, and have not love, I'm just a sounding brass or 49:07 a clanging cymbal," Paul was not saying that he spoke 49:10 with the tongue of angels. 49:12 The word "though" means even if, because you read on. 49:15 He says, "And though I have the gift of prophecy and understand 49:18 all mysteries and have all knowledge," well, clearly, Paul 49:21 did not understand all mysteries and have all knowledge. 49:25 "And though I have all faith so I can move mountains, 49:27 if I have not love it's nothing." 49:29 And then he says, "And though I give my goods to feed the poor, 49:33 and though I give my body to be burned--" 49:35 Paul did not give his body to be burned. 49:37 He didn't give away all his goods to feed the poor. 49:40 So, Paul is saying that even if you do all these wonderful 49:42 things--he didn't say he did them all. 49:46 So, when he says, "Though I speak with the tongues of men 49:48 and angels," Paul is just using an illustration there. 49:51 He is not saying that he or anyone in the world speaks 49:54 with the tongue of angels. 49:55 So, does that make sense, Megan? 49:58 Megan: Yes, it does. 49:59 Thank you so much. 50:01 Doug: Okay you know--thank you. 50:02 And do me a favor. 50:03 There's a book we'll send you for free. 50:05 And anyone who wants to understand the gift of tongues 50:06 a little better, and these very verses, and just call, 50:09 and we'll send it to you, no strings attached. 50:11 No one's going to knock on your door and try and sell you any 50:13 hallelujah oil or anything. 50:15 Just call and ask for the book, "Understanding Tongues." 50:19 We'll send you a free copy, and 50:21 Pastor Ross will give you the number. 50:23 Jean: The number is 800-835-6747. 50:26 And, again, you can just call and ask. 50:27 We'll send it to you for free. 50:29 It's called, "Understanding Tongues." 50:30 You'll be blessed if you'd call and receive that. 50:33 You can also dial #250. 50:35 I almost forgot about that. 50:36 And you can just say, "Bible Answers Live," 50:38 and then ask for the book called, "Understanding Tongues," 50:40 and we can send it to you. 50:42 Let's see, we've got Robert listening in Washington. 50:44 Robert, welcome to the program. 50:47 Robert: Hey, Pastor Ross and Pastor Batchelor. 50:50 Doug: Hi. 50:51 Robert: Hi there. 50:53 Glad I could be squeezed in. 50:56 Doug: Yes, sir. And your question? 50:59 Robert: It's regarding a thing that I've heard before, 51:02 people saying that once we die and go to heaven, there's three 51:11 levels of heaven: celestial, telestrial, and terrestrial. 51:17 And I've heard that it's supposed to be in 51:22 1 Corinthians 15, I think 37-42, something like that. 51:26 Doug: Yeah. 51:28 Robert: But that's the only place that it's referred to, 51:33 but I've always thought there's just one, there's only like 51:37 we either die or else we live forever. 51:42 There's only two options, I thought, but some people 51:45 tell me that there's three. 51:46 Doug: Yeah, the--I don't think that 1 Corinthians 15, 51:50 verse 35 and 40, rather, where it says there are celestial 51:55 bodies and terrestrial bodies and the glory of the celestial 51:58 is one body, the glory of the terrestrial is another. 52:02 There's also the glory of the sun and the moon. 52:05 The three heavens that it speaks about, that Paul talks about, 52:08 it's not talking about this. 52:10 It's a completely different teaching, a different-- 52:13 what do you call it? 52:16 It's a different application. 52:17 The three heavens, they had the heaven that was 52:20 the atmosphere around the earth. 52:23 Then they have the heaven that was the starry bodies of space. 52:27 You can call them the celestial. 52:29 Then they have the heaven that is the dwelling place of God. 52:31 That's called the third heaven. 52:33 When Jesus comes back, it says, 52:34 "I'll make a new heaven and a new earth." 52:36 The heavens and the earth that now exist are going 52:38 to be burned up, meaning the atmosphere in the world. 52:41 You know, God separated the heavens from the heaven 52:43 there in Genesis. 52:45 The atmosphere is going to burn up. 52:46 That's one heaven. 52:48 When it says that you've got the stars in heaven, that's in 52:51 the moon, and the sun, and the stars, and the heavenly bodies. 52:54 That's the celestial bodies. 52:56 The heaven where paradise is, 52:58 the dwelling place of God is the third heaven. 53:00 So, I wouldn't make a strong tie between 1 Corinthians 15:40 53:05 and the three heavens. 53:08 Okay, Pastor Ross, we've got 2 minutes. 53:11 What can we do in that time? 53:12 Can we squeeze in half a call? 53:14 Jean: Absolutely, we've got, let's see, D-Rod listening 53:17 from New Jersey. 53:18 D-Rod, welcome to the program. 53:20 D-Rod: Hello, gentlemen, how are you doing? 53:22 I have a quick question about climate change. 53:24 It says in the book of Matthew like it was in the day with 53:27 Sodom and Gomorrah, and the days of Noah. 53:30 Climate change. 53:31 What's the cause of climate change? 53:34 To me, it's sin. 53:35 I just wanted to know. 53:38 Doug: That's a good question. 53:39 You know, I'm kind of rushing, 53:42 because we're against the clock here. 53:43 But, you know, the Bible tells us that the earth waxes 53:46 old like a garment, and the earth is being crushed 53:50 under a burden of sin. 53:52 And some, no doubt, man has had an impact on the environment. 53:59 You know, how much the warm and cold spells that 54:03 are in the extremes in weather are affected by, 54:06 you know, man's construction and CO2. 54:10 There's all kinds of debates about that, but there's no 54:12 question man is impacting the environment, just 54:15 in the deforestation and stuff. 54:17 I wish I could say more, but we are out of time. 54:20 Friends, don't go away, because we sign off. 54:23 Our regular listeners know that we've got people listening 54:26 on satellite radio. 54:28 They're on a different clock than the land-based stations, 54:30 so we will be bidding them farewell in just a moment, but 54:32 we're going to stay by and answer some rapid fire Bible 54:36 questions that have come in from those who email us questions. 54:40 Some people don't want to call. 54:41 They say, "I'd just like to email it 54:43 and listen off the air." 54:44 What's the address to do that, Pastor Rodd? 54:46 Jean: BALquestions@amazingfacts.org. 54:49 That's the email address. 54:50 Doug: Okay, BALquestions@amazingfacts.org. 54:53 You can send us questions. 54:54 For the rest of you who are listening on satellite stations 54:58 around the country and other parts of the world, God bless. 55:00 We'll look forward to studying with you next time. 55:02 The rest, stay by. 55:04 We'll be back momentarily with rapid fire Bible questions. 55:08 ♪♪♪ 55:10 announcer: Thank you for listening to today's broadcast. 55:12 We hope you understand your Bible even better than before. 55:16 "Bible Answers Live" is produced by Amazing Facts International, 55:20 a faith-based ministry located in Granite Bay, California. 55:26 Jean: Hello, friends, welcome back to "Bible Answers Live." 55:28 We want to thank you for your email questions 55:30 that you've sent in. 55:31 We're going to try and get through 55:33 as many of these questions as we can. 55:34 And as we mentioned before the break, if you have an email 55:37 question, just simply send it to BALquestions@amazingfacts.org. 55:41 All right, Pastor Doug, the first question comes from Harry. 55:44 He's asking, "What is the sign mentioned in Matthew 24 that 55:48 talks about the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven?" 55:51 Doug: Yeah, well, some have wondered is that, like, when 55:55 Elijah said he saw a cloud the size of a man's hand coming 56:01 as a signal that the storm was coming? 56:03 Or is it where the Bible says the heavens will depart 56:07 as a scroll when it is rolled together, 56:08 and all the stars fall out of their place? 56:10 It's going to be some cosmic splitting sign that I think 56:14 everyone will recognize. 56:16 'Cause Jesus said it's like lightning going from 56:18 one end of the sky to the other. 56:20 So, something, when you look up, 56:21 says every eye will see when He comes. 56:23 So, something's happening 56:25 in the sky that's going to be unmistakable. 56:27 Jean: Okay, another question that we have, "Is the Spirit 56:30 referred to in Genesis 1, verse 2, is that the Holy Spirit? 56:33 And if so, is it the Spirit of the Father 56:36 or the Spirit of Jesus?" 56:38 Doug: Well, the Holy Spirit is not just talking about 56:42 the Spirit of the Father, the Spirit of Jesus. 56:44 The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Godhead, 56:46 and He is equally connected with God the Father and God the Son, 56:50 and yes it is the same Spirit. 56:52 You find the Bible beginning in Genesis, it talks about water 56:57 and the Spirit. 56:59 And then you go to Revelation. 57:02 It says, "The Spirit and the Bride say, 'Come.' 57:03 Whoever is athirst, let him come and take the waters of life." 57:06 So, you've got the Holy Spirit and the waters in the beginning 57:08 and at the end of the Bible. 57:09 It's God the Spirit. 57:10 Jean: Okay, we've got Ty asking from the UK. 57:14 "Are the 144,000 symbolic or literal?" 57:17 Doug: Yeah, good question. 57:19 You know, I think people think the 144,000 are the only ones 57:24 that are going to be saved in the last days. 57:26 On the Day of Pentecost in the upper room, you have the 12 57:30 apostles that were filled with the Holy Spirit, plus there was 57:33 120, and then a great multitude was baptized through them. 57:37 In Revelation 7, when it talks about the 144,000, 57:40 they're not the only ones. 57:43 It says through their ministry, have a great multitude that 57:46 comes out of the final tribulation 57:48 that no man can number. 57:50 So, they're not the only ones saved, but it may be a literal 57:53 number, just like the 12 apostles was a little number. 57:55 So, whenever you look at the 144,000, 57:59 just think they're like last-day apostles. 58:02 They're certainly not the only ones saved, 58:03 but they've got a special work. 58:05 All right, listen, friends, now we're serious. 58:07 We're out of time. 58:08 We hope that you'll let us know that you're blessed 58:10 by the programs. 58:12 Connect with us. 58:13 Study the Word, amazingfacts.org, 58:14 back next week. 58:17 ♪♪♪ 58:18 announcer: "Bible Answers Live," 58:20 honest and accurate answers to your Bible questions. 58:24 ♪♪♪ |
Revised 2023-11-21