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Series Code: AFBA
Program Code: AFBA202321S
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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 00:45 Amazing Facts International, Pastor Jean Ross. 00:49 Jean Ross: Hello, friends. 00:51 Pastor Doug is out this evening. 00:52 But how about an Amazing Fact? 00:54 Though close allies during the tumultuous period 00:57 of the American Revolution, 00:58 Thomas Jefferson and John Adams 01:00 found themselves on opposite sides of the political spectrum 01:03 in the later years of their lives. 01:05 However, despite their differences, a sense of mutual 01:08 respect and admiration endured. 01:11 Their philosophical differences did not overshadow their shared 01:14 commitment to the principles that had ignited the birth of 01:18 the United States civil and religious freedom. 01:21 In an uncanny twist of fate, their lives became further 01:25 intertwined as they approached their final moments. 01:28 On the 4th of July in 1826 Thomas Jefferson took his last 01:33 breath at Monticello, his beloved home in Virginia. 01:36 Remarkably, just hours later John Adams passed away 01:40 at his residence in Quincy, Massachusetts. 01:43 This extraordinary coincidence was heightened by the fact that 01:47 that marked the 50th anniversary of the adoption of 01:51 the Declaration of Independence, a document both men 01:54 had worked on and which carried their signatures. 01:57 The alignment of their deaths with this historic milestone 02:00 stands as a profound reminder of the enduring principles that 02:04 they championed and which lay at the core of the nation's 02:07 foundation civil and religious liberty. 02:11 You know, friends, the Bible tells us that the United States 02:16 was to rise up and that it would be founded 02:20 on two Christ-like principles. 02:22 We find in Revelation chapter 13 a description of a beast power 02:26 that comes up from the earth. 02:28 It has two horns like a lamb-- 02:30 Aron Crews: But it speaks like a dragon. 02:33 Jean: It speaks like a dragon. Let me read those verses. 02:36 You find that in Revelation chapter 13 02:38 and beginning in verse 11. 02:40 "Then I saw another beast coming up from the earth, 02:43 and he had two horns like a lamb but he spake as a dragon. 02:47 And he exercised all the authority of the first beast in 02:49 his presence and caused the earth and those who dwell in it 02:52 to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. 02:56 And he performed great signs, so that he even makes fire come 02:59 down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men." 03:03 Now, if we allow the Bible to interpret itself and you look at 03:07 the various clues in the very passage, this power represented 03:10 as coming up from the earth is none other than 03:12 the United States of America. 03:14 It came just in time. 03:16 And even though it was founded on the principles of civil 03:18 and religious freedom, according to the verse there is going 03:21 to be a change that occurs in this nation. 03:24 You know, Pastor Crews, Amazing Facts has a magazine 03:27 that I think everyone needs to read. 03:29 It's called "America in Prophecy," and this is 03:32 our free gift to anyone who is watching or listening. 03:34 We'll be happy to send it to you. 03:35 All you need to do is call. 03:38 The number is 800-835-6747 and you can ask for that free gift. 03:42 It's "America in Prophecy." We'll send it to you. 03:46 It's one of our most popular magazines. 03:49 Read it and share it with somebody else. 03:50 Again, that number is 800-835-6747. 03:54 And if you have a Bible question, this is a live program 03:57 this evening, the number to call is 800-463-7297. 04:01 Again, that's 800-463-7297. 04:06 My name is Jean Ross, and working the phones 04:08 for us is Pastor Aron Crews, not a stranger to 04:11 "Bible Answers Live." 04:12 You've helped out before. You are our young adult pastor 04:15 at the Granite Bay Hilltop Church. 04:17 So thank you for joining us here at Amazing Facts. 04:19 Aron: Great to be here. 04:21 Jean: Now, of course, before we go to the phone lines we 04:23 always want to begin with prayer because we recognize 04:25 the Bible is God's book. 04:26 So why don't you open with the word of prayer? 04:28 Aron: All right. Let's pray. 04:30 Dear heavenly Father, Lord, as we spend this next hour 04:32 answering questions from Your Word, 04:35 we ask that Your Holy Spirit guide us as we direct people 04:39 to what Your Scripture says and what it means for us today. 04:43 So we ask for You to guide us in Jesus's name. 04:45 Amen. Jean: Amen. 04:48 We're ready to go to the phone lines. 04:50 Who's our first caller for this evening? 04:51 Aron: All right, let's get going. 04:53 Our first caller today is Junith calling in from Nevada. 04:56 Hello, Junith. 04:58 Welcome to the show. 05:00 What's your Bible question? Junith: Hello. 05:02 Yes. Good evening to you both. 05:04 My question is, what would have happened to the destiny 05:08 of Adam and Eve and the devil when Adam and Eve 05:12 were not deceived by the devil? 05:14 Jean: All right. Well, good question. 05:17 What would have happened if Adam and Eve did not fall prey 05:19 to the devil's deceptions? 05:21 Well, of course the Bible doesn't tell. 05:23 Now, we do know that God created a perfect world; and Adam 05:26 and Eve, they were complete and perfect and God had a beautiful 05:29 garden which was their home and had they remained loyal 05:33 or faithful to God they would have fulfilled His purpose. 05:35 God said, "Be fruitful and multiply 05:37 and replenish the earth." 05:39 The earth would have been populated with human beings 05:42 living immortal, eating from the tree of life, and worshiping, 05:45 and praising God, and having an opportunity to communicate 05:48 with the angels. 05:49 How different this world would be 05:50 had Adam and Eve remained faithful. 05:53 What would have happened to the devil if Adam and Eve 05:55 remained loyal? 05:56 Well, the Bible doesn't say. 05:58 I mean, I think there was a probationary time given 06:00 even to the devil for him to try and prove his case. 06:04 Had Adam and Eve not fallen, I don't know, maybe the end of 06:06 the devil would have come sooner. 06:08 But in giving it to the devil's temptation, the devil claimed 06:10 the earth as his sort of got a foothold, you might say, in the 06:14 universe and we see the great controversy between Christ 06:18 and Satan, good and evil playing out in our world and 06:20 of course that's even playing out in our hearts and lives. 06:23 Aron: That's right. 06:24 Well, while the Bible isn't crystal clear on what would have 06:26 happened to the devil if Adam and Eve didn't sin, we do know 06:30 that if Adam and Eve didn't sin--it says in Genesis 3, 06:32 verse 22 that because they sinned they were--had to exit 06:36 the Garden and they could no longer have access 06:39 to the Tree of Life; Right? 06:41 But at the end of the book of the Bible we have Revelation 06:44 and at the end it says all those who do His commandments 06:47 that are washed white in His robes get to have access again 06:52 to the Tree of Life; Right? 06:53 So we can guess and speculate about what would have happened 06:56 or could have happened, but we know today what will happen 06:59 to those who are faithful to Jesus and accept His sacrifice, 07:03 that we will get access again to the Tree of Life 07:05 at the Second Coming. 07:07 Jean: Amen. 07:09 So the Bible begins with the story in a garden and 07:11 it ends in a garden both containing the Tree of Life. 07:15 Who's our next caller? 07:16 Aron: All right, our next caller 07:18 is John calling in from Nebraska, hello, John. 07:21 Welcome to the program. 07:23 What's your Bible question? 07:24 John: Good evening, gentlemen. 07:26 Thanks for taking my call. 07:28 My question is on the seven last plagues. 07:32 And I told the girl chapter 17, 07:34 but it's chapter 16 of Revelation. 07:37 And my question is, are the seven last plagues going 07:41 to be in order as they are listed in the Bible here? 07:45 I have the King James Version. 07:47 Jean: Yeah, we believe that they will be listed 07:48 in order as given. 07:50 Now, they probably will be overlap and all of the plagues 07:53 will not take place universally immediately. 07:56 I mean, if you look at them, the first one is a terrible sore 07:58 that comes upon those who have the mark of the beast. 08:00 That will probably begin 08:02 in different places around the world. 08:03 And then the second plague is the sea turns to blood. 08:06 This couldn't happen universal immediately. 08:10 Otherwise, you know, you'd have people running out of water very 08:13 quickly because the third plague says water turns to blood. 08:16 So it begins in one place and then sort of spreads around 08:19 the globe, the terrible sores of breaking out 08:22 on the different people. 08:23 And then the fourth plague talks about an intense heat. 08:25 So yes, we believe that these plagues are sequential 08:29 as given here in Scripture. 08:30 The final plague brings you right up to the Second Coming of 08:33 Christ and judgment that comes upon those that have 08:35 the Mark of the Beast, those who have warred against God 08:38 and against these people. 08:39 Now, there is something interesting to add to this. 08:41 At the end of time, there's going to be--everyone's going to 08:43 be divided up into two groups. 08:45 Those who have the Mark of the Beast, according to Revelation 08:48 13 they're the ones who suffer under the plague. 08:52 Then you have those who have the seal of God in Revelation 17. 08:55 They're the ones who're protected. 08:58 God protects them during this terrible time. 09:00 So for the believer we need not fear for if we are trusting in 09:03 Jesus we'll be sealed and we'll be protected when these seven 09:07 last plagues get poured out. 09:09 Some theologians feel that it could probably take place within 09:12 the period of about a year because the Bible says a plague 09:15 shall come in one day. 09:16 One prophetic day is equal to one literal year. 09:19 So just a lot of interesting things. 09:20 You know, we do have a study guide that talks about 09:24 the Second Coming of Christ and the 1000 years known 09:26 as the millennium that happens right after Jesus comes, 09:29 and it's called "1000 Years of Peace." 09:31 And we'll be happy to send that to anyone who wants to learn 09:33 more about what the Bible says about the Second Coming 09:35 of Christ and what happens right after Jesus comes. 09:38 Just call and ask. 09:39 The number is 800-835-6747 and ask for the study guide. 09:44 It's called "1000 Years of Peace." 09:46 Thank you for your call, John. Who do we have next? 09:49 Aron: All right, next we have Gary 09:50 calling in from Illinois, Gary, hi. 09:53 Welcome to the program. 09:55 What's your Bible question for us? 09:57 Gary: Thank you. 09:58 In Revelation Jesus critiques seven churches. 10:01 Only the church of Smyrna and Philadelphia 10:04 he doesn't criticize. 10:06 Are there any churches in the present day 10:08 that are representative of these two churches? 10:11 Jean: Okay. Well, good question. 10:13 Well, of course the seven churches you find in Revelation 10:15 chapter 2 and 3 in a prophetic sense represents seven phases 10:19 of the Christian church. 10:21 Beating with the church of Ephesus and then you have the 10:24 church of Smyrna and it goes all the way down to the church of 10:26 Laodicea, which is really a description of the church today. 10:30 It's in a spiritual lukewarm condition and there is a call 10:34 for revival, a special Laodicean message you might say. 10:37 But in addition to these broad categories of seven phases of 10:41 the Christian church, it is true that different churches 10:44 might exhibit different characteristics. 10:46 In other words, you can have a church in a particular area that 10:49 is suffering severe persecution and they might be 10:51 very similar as described to the church of Smyrna, 10:54 a church during a time of terrible persecution. 10:56 Jesus didn't give any word of rebuke. 10:58 He just encouraged them to be faithful. 11:01 The church of Philadelphia was also a church that went through 11:04 some persecution, but they really wanted to find the truth. 11:08 They were committed to the truth and proclaiming the soon 11:11 coming of Jesus, and there's no word of rebuke given 11:14 to the church of Philadelphia. 11:16 So yes, they refer to seven time periods of Christian history, 11:19 but different churches can fall 11:21 into these different categories as well. 11:22 Aron: Yeah, and over beyond that, 11:24 which is a great answer, we have over and 11:27 over in each one of the churches it says this phrase: "He who has 11:31 an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." 11:35 Right? 11:37 So just like you're saying, any church where--I would go 11:39 a step further and say any individual; Right? 11:41 If you have ears to hear, to read what the message of Jesus 11:44 is to these churches, if these messages apply to you, well then 11:47 we need to take it to heart and listen to what the Spirit is 11:50 trying to tell us through these ancient messages that become 11:53 ever so relevant through the Holy Spirit today. 11:56 Jean: All right. Very good. 11:57 Well, thank you for your call, Gary. 11:59 Who do we have next? 12:00 Aron: All right, next we have someone 12:01 who has got a great name, I think. 12:03 Aaron calling in from New York. Hello, Aaron. 12:06 How are you doing? Aaron: I'm doing fine, Aron. 12:09 Aron: Yeah. Nice to hear you. 12:11 What question do you have for us this evening? 12:13 Aaron: Several times when I listen to SDA preachers and 12:16 teachers as they talk about the articles of furniture in 12:20 the sanctuary, I hear them say that the altar of sacrifice 12:25 is before the laver. 12:27 But recently I heard that they say that the priests cleanses 12:31 themselves at the laver before they do their work 12:34 at the altar of sacrifice. 12:36 My question is, which one of those pieces of furniture 12:39 is actually first? 12:41 Jean: Okay, good question. 12:43 Well, first of all, just from a geographical layout in 12:45 the sanctuary just for those who might not be familiar with it, 12:48 the Old Testament sanctuary or the tabernacle 12:50 is divided up into three parts. 12:52 You have what's called the courtyard, and then you have 12:54 the first compartment called the holy place, 12:56 and then half the size of the first compartment is the second 13:00 compartment known as the most holy or the Holy of Holies. 13:03 So three divisions of the sanctuary. 13:05 And all of this served as the shadow and a type of 13:08 the ministry and the plan of redemption, Christ's ministry 13:11 and the plan of redemption. 13:13 So in the courtyard you have the sacrifice. 13:15 That's the altar of burnt sacrifice, 13:17 and then you have a basin filled with water. 13:20 And it's true. 13:22 The priest would have to wash prior to him doing the service, 13:24 but before he actually entered into the sanctuary to sprinkle 13:28 the blood from the sacrifice on the altar of incense he would 13:31 also have to wash his hands and his feet. 13:33 So there was a cleansing both at the beginning of the service but 13:37 also prior to him entering into the holy place. 13:41 There was also a work of cleansing. 13:43 Now, all of these different articles of furniture has 13:45 spiritual significance. 13:46 Of course, the altar of burnt sacrifice symbolizes Calvary. 13:49 It's the death of Jesus. 13:50 He is the lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world. 13:53 The laver symbolizes baptism. 13:55 It is a washing, a renewal. 13:57 It is also a symbol of the death, burial, and resurrection 13:59 of Jesus because just as a person is baptized, they go 14:02 under the water and then they come up out of the water, Christ 14:05 is baptized, an example for believers; but it is a symbol of 14:08 death, burial, and resurrection. 14:10 I mean, Jesus rose from the dead, thenHe ascended into 14:13 the heavenly sanctuary there to minister as our high priest. 14:16 So the courtyard in the earthly tabernacle represents the earth 14:20 and the work that Jesus does here on the earth. 14:22 The holy place work represents the work that Jesus does or did 14:26 when He arose and ascended to heaven. 14:28 He is our mediator. 14:29 He is ministering on our behalf in heaven. 14:31 But the final phase of this work as our high priest occurs in the 14:36 most holy place, and sometimes it's described 14:38 as a time of judgment. 14:40 You're reading Daniel chapter 7 about a judgment that's set in 14:43 heaven and the ancient of days is there and the books are open 14:45 and Jesus comes in before the ancient of days of the Father 14:49 and there is a pre-advent or pre-Second Coming judgment 14:53 that takes place, and that's what symbolized 14:57 in that most holy place of the sanctuary. 14:59 So the earthly was a shadow of the heavenly and a demonstrated 15:02 God's plan of redemption. 15:03 Aron: All right. Thanks for your question, Aaron. 15:07 Moving on to our next caller, we have Glenn calling in from Ohio. 15:10 Welcome, Glenn, to the program. 15:14 Glenn: Thank you for taking my call. 15:16 I appreciate it, and good evening to you. 15:18 Aron: Good evening. 15:20 Glenn: When the apostle Paul came on the scene, he was going 15:23 about arresting people that were worshiping a false messiah until 15:29 lo and behold he discovered on the road to Damascus that 15:32 that false messiah was the true Messiah 15:36 and he started his missionary journey. 15:39 In the letter J was not in the English language 15:42 until the 17th century. 15:44 There was no such name as Jesus back when Paul did his thing. 15:48 What name did he preach under? 15:51 And if the answer is Yeshua, I would like to know who it 15:55 was that changed the name and why. 15:58 Jean: Yes, Jesus is an English adaptation of the Hebrew 16:02 or the Aramaic Yeshua, the Aramaic name. 16:06 Now, the reason we use English or the English pronunciation 16:09 of the name of Jesus is because we speak English. 16:12 If you speak Spanish, you will pronounce 16:14 the name of Jesus differently. 16:15 Or if you speak Hindi, you'll pronounce 16:18 the name of Jesus differently. 16:19 So depending upon what language you are speaking, there is 16:23 a name specifically given for Jesus and it's adapted, I should 16:27 say, from that original Hebrew word with variations. 16:31 Now, it's important for us to understand 16:34 who we're talking about. 16:35 We need to know who Jesus is. 16:37 Of course, Jesus knows all of the languages of the world. 16:40 He knows when a person is sincerely calling out 16:43 to him in prayer. 16:45 Whether they use the name in English or in Hebrew or Aramaic 16:48 or if they use the Spanish name of Jesus, Jesus knows 16:52 that they're referring to him. 16:54 And I think that's the most important. 16:56 Remember Jesus not only has the name Jesus, but he's 16:59 also referred to under different names or titles in the Bible. 17:03 He is referred to as the Word. 17:05 Jesus is referred to as the living bread, as the way, 17:10 the truth, and the life. 17:12 So there's different words that describe aspects of who Jesus 17:15 is, but we use the name Jesus just because it's the English 17:18 version of His name. 17:20 Aron: Yeah, and I mean, when Paul was going around, if he was 17:22 speaking to the Greeks he would say Jesus. 17:25 Right? In the Greek. 17:26 If he was speaking to the Hebrews, he would use--you know, 17:29 he would say that name in Hebrew Yeshua. 17:31 Right? 17:33 And I don't know if he knew any more languages, but I'm sure 17:36 he would try his best to transliterate into other 17:38 different languages. 17:40 Jean: All right, thank you. 17:41 Aron: All right, our next caller is James calling in from 17:44 the great state of Texas. 17:46 James, welcome to the program. 17:48 What's your question? James: Hello, pastors. 17:51 Yes, my question is for Hebrews chapter 11, verse 3. 17:55 Did God create other life on different planets 17:59 other than ours? 18:01 Jean: Okay. Yes. 18:03 Let me read the verse for those who are listening. 18:04 Maybe they're driving in the car. 18:06 Hebrews 11 and 3 says, "By faith we understand that the worlds 18:09 were framed by the word of God, so that the things which 18:13 are seen were not made with things that were visible." 18:16 Your question was, does God have other intelligent beings 18:19 on other worlds? 18:21 James: Yes, because when He speaks of this world 18:24 He says the world, but He's saying the worlds, 18:27 plural, other than--more than one. 18:29 Jean: Yes, now, this is one verse, but there are others that 18:33 have a reference to the idea of other intelligent beings other 18:36 than angels that are out there in the universe. 18:39 We don't know how many worlds there are--I mean, inhabited 18:42 planets but from Scripture we understand that our planet, 18:46 earth, is the only one that fell prey to the devil's deceptions. 18:49 The devil was able to deceive a third of the angels. 18:51 They joined his rebellion. 18:53 Read about that in Revelation 12. 18:54 But isn't reference to anything about the other created beings 18:57 joining Satan's rebellion. 18:59 So it's just a third of the angels that joined him. 19:02 And then of course the inhabitants of earth 19:03 deceived by the devil. 19:05 So they are these unfallen worlds as mentioned here in 19:09 Hebrews and some have wondered that the 24 elders that you read 19:14 about in Revelation chapter 4 and 5 if they might be 19:16 the representatives of groups of unfallen worlds. 19:20 So the Bible isn't getting to the exact specifics, 19:23 but there's hints to that. 19:24 I'm also thinking of the passage in Job where it says at the time 19:26 of the creation it says the stars sang for joy and Job 19:30 speaks about a day when the sons of God came to present 19:33 themselves before Him and the devil came representing earth. 19:36 So from these different passages of Scripture; 19:38 yeah, we believe there are unfallen worlds. 19:40 Aron: Yeah, Paul talks about-- 19:42 that we're a spectacle to men and to angels, 19:45 and in Ephesians he talks about how we manifest--through the 19:50 church the wisdom of God is manifested to the heavens. 19:52 Right? 19:54 So there's these little glimmers, as Jean was sharing, 19:56 that yeah, there seem to be other unfallen worlds that are 19:59 certainly not coming in and, you know, sneaking and visiting us 20:03 physically, but they're looking on to see the grace of God 20:06 working in the life of those who are following Jesus. 20:09 Jean: That's right. 20:11 It seems that our world is quarantined because of Satan. 20:13 The only ones that have access to the world is the angels and 20:15 then of course God himself. 20:18 The unfallen worlds, they can witness what's happening but 20:21 they don't interact with us. 20:22 Good question. Thank you, James. 20:24 Aron: All right, our next caller is calling in from New Jersey, 20:27 and it's Peter, hello. 20:29 Peter: The question is based on Genesis 1, 20:33 I think it's verse 9. 20:35 Is it more ideal to have a vegetarian food diet 20:38 than a meat-based diet? 20:40 I went to a vegetarian diet. 20:43 I feel much better health-wise, and I wanted to ask you if you 20:48 guys are vegetarians would you share some foods that you 20:51 guys--that we could eat, you know, maybe like French toast 20:53 or pizza bagels or bagging cheese omelets. 20:57 Maybe you can share your wisdom on it. 20:58 Thank you. 21:00 Jean: Yeah, without getting too specific about, you know, 21:01 different recipes, but I think from a biblical perspective it's 21:05 pretty clear that the original diet that God gave in the 21:08 beginning was fruits and nuts and vegetables--or grains, 21:13 fruits and grains and nuts and vegetables were added 21:15 after the fall, but that is the ideal diet. 21:18 You know, the medical world will tell you that with 21:20 the vegetarian diet your body functions the best. 21:23 It's built for that. 21:26 And you can also just see in the world of athletics a number of 21:31 endurance sports, runners, and swimmers, and cyclists, 21:34 many of them are going, believe it or not, 21:36 to a vegetarian diet because-- 21:38 Aron: Some even vegan. Jean: Even vegan, yeah. 21:40 Finding that that actually provides more energy and 21:43 it's more sustained energy by eating a plant-based diet. 21:46 So yes, it's there in the Bible. 21:48 I'm a big advocate of eating a plant-based vegetarian diet. 21:52 I am a vegetarian myself. 21:54 I'm born and raised a vegetarian actually. 21:56 Never really eat meat. 21:58 I know you, Aron, are probably a vegetarian, too. 22:00 Aron: Yeah, I'm vegetarian as well, raised as one and--yeah, 22:03 you mentioned a few vegetarian foods of which were pizza, 22:07 bagels, and such. 22:09 Well, those are vegetarian. 22:11 It's also important to have an essential part of a vegetarian 22:14 diet, vegetables and fruit. 22:17 I know growing up as a vegetarian and, you know, being 22:20 in a community where I have many vegetarian friends it's quite 22:23 amazing how vegetarians like to eat anything 22:26 but vegetables sometimes; Right? 22:28 So we need to be balanced, you know, holistic in our diet, 22:31 getting the grains and the fruits and the vegetables 22:33 to be properly filled with nutrition. 22:37 Jean: And a matter of fact try it. 22:40 You're wondering, "Well, what is vegetarian diet good for me?" 22:42 Well, we know it is. 22:44 And if you're wondering, try it. Test it and see. 22:47 Just go for a--set aside 3 weeks and say, "I'm not going to eat 22:49 any flesh foods for 3 weeks, I'm going to increase my salad 22:53 content, and I'm going to eat more vegetables and beans 22:56 and plant-based foods." 22:57 And see how you feel. 22:59 Just give yourself a 3-week test. 23:01 And I tell you, you'll feel different, you'll feel better. 23:04 All right. Thank you for your call. 23:06 You know, we do have a study guide--just thought of it. 23:08 It's called "God's Free Health Plan." 23:09 It's one of the Amazing Facts study guides, and it talks about 23:11 the biblical plan for health. 23:13 And we'll be happy to send this to anyone who calls and asks. 23:15 The number is simply 800-835-6747. 23:19 That is our resource phone line. 23:22 Just ask for "God's Free Health Plan" and we'll be happy to send 23:25 it to anyone who calls and asks. 23:26 What do we have next? Aron: All right. 23:29 Next we have Rebecca calling in from Michigan, 23:30 where I used to pastor for about 7 years. 23:33 So, Rebecca, welcome to the program. 23:34 Rebecca: Hello. How are you guys doing? 23:36 Jean: Doing well. Thank you for calling. 23:39 Aron: What's your question for us, Rebecca? 23:42 Rebecca: I have a question in Philippians chapter 4, verse 13. 23:48 I understand the basic concept of what Paul is teaching. 23:53 "I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me." 23:56 I need a more broader understanding 23:58 of what he was meaning. 24:00 Jean: Okay, well, first of all, 24:01 I think he means what he says right there. 24:04 If God asks us to do something, even though from our human 24:07 perspective we might think, "Wow, this is impossible." 24:10 From our perspective Paul is reminding us that in Christ, 24:14 through Christ, trusting in Christ all things are possible. 24:18 And that's an important lesson. 24:20 If God asks us to do something, 24:21 He will give you the power to do it. 24:24 I think of the story of Peter. 24:26 The disciples are in the boat and there was a terrible storm 24:30 and they looked out and they saw the form of somebody walking on 24:33 the water and they thought at first it was some sort of 24:37 a ghost, but it was actually Jesus. 24:38 And when they realized that it was Jesus walking on the water, 24:41 Peter said, "Lord, if it is you, call me. 24:43 Bid me to come to you." 24:45 And Jesus said, "Come." 24:47 And Peter got out of the boat and he walked on the water. 24:51 As long as he kept his eyes fixed upon Jesus, 24:53 Peter did that which humanly is impossible to do. 24:57 But then you read further in the story when he took his eyes off 24:59 Jesus; well, what happened? 25:01 He began to sink and he cried out and said, "Lord, save me." 25:03 And I think there's a lesson in that for us. 25:05 If we keep our eyes fixed upon Jesus--when we say keeping our 25:08 eyes fixed upon Jesus, it means keep your thoughts centered 25:12 on Christ and His Word. 25:14 If we are centering our thoughts and our lives on Jesus and 25:18 his teachings, the Holy Spirit enables us to do something 25:21 which we cannot do in and of ourselves. 25:23 You can take the words of Paul and claim them. 25:26 "I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me." 25:30 And of course it's in the context of doing the things 25:32 that God asks us to do. 25:34 This is not a promise for us to say, "Well, you know, 25:36 I'm going to become a millionaire because I can do all 25:39 things through Christ who strength." 25:40 That might not be God's will for your life. 25:42 But if God is asking you to do something, you can trust that 25:45 He's going to give you the strength to do it. 25:47 Aron: Yeah, and in the specific context, 25:48 if you read the two verses before, 25:51 he says, "Whatever state I am in, to be content: I know how to 25:55 be abased, I know how to abound, everywhere and in all things 25:58 I've learned to be full and be hungry 26:00 to abound and to suffer need." 26:02 Right, so that means if you're 26:03 in a condition where you're in a really difficult time 26:07 in your life, right, you can make it through through Christ. 26:10 Right? 26:12 Any situation that you're going through of difficulty in 26:15 particular, Christ can give you strength to get through that. 26:19 Jean: You know, we have a book that I think-- 26:20 we don't always offer it, but it's a great read 26:22 and it's just packed with Scripture. 26:24 It's called "Tips for Resisting Temptation." 26:26 We live in a world of sin. 26:28 We have carnal human natures. 26:30 And if you can be honest with yourself, if you want to live 26:33 the Christian life you're going to find a struggle taking place 26:36 the devil doesn't want to let you go and sin is always 26:38 present, but we can overcome we can resist, we can be victorious 26:43 if we follow the example given to us by Jesus by claiming 26:46 the promises of the Bible and looking to him. 26:48 We'll send that book for free to anyone who calls and asks. 26:52 It's called "Tips for Resisting Temptation." 26:55 I think every Christian needs to read this book if you want to 26:58 know what the Bible keys and promises for victory 27:04 in living the Christian life. 27:05 The number to call for that is 800-835-6747. 27:09 Again, you can ask for the book written by Pastor Doug. 27:11 It's called "Tips for Resisting Temptation." 27:13 We'll be happy to send that to you if you're in North America 27:17 or in Canada. 27:18 Now, if you're outside of North America and you want to read 27:21 the book, just go to our website AmazingFacts.org. 27:24 You can read the book for free. 27:26 It's there online at the free library. 27:28 We just going to take a short break and we'll be back, 27:30 friends, with more Bible questions in just a moment. 27:38 announcer: Stay tuned. 27:39 "Bible Answers Live" will return shortly. 27:46 announcer: Did you know that Noah was present 27:48 at the birth of Abraham? 27:49 Okay, maybe he wasn't in the room, but he was alive 27:53 and probably telling stories about his floating zoo. 27:56 From the creation of the world to the last-day events of 27:59 Revelation, BibleHistory.com is a free resource where you can 28:03 explore major Bible events and characters. 28:06 Enhance your knowledge of the Bible 28:08 and draw closer to God's Word. 28:11 Go deeper, visit the amazing Bible timeline 28:14 at BibleHistory. com. 28:17 announcer: Deep within the pages of the Bible, stories of 28:20 great heroes, heroes of great deeds, great love and 28:28 great sacrifice. 28:31 But behind them is another Hero, hidden in plain sight, amid 28:36 the shadows. 28:39 He was there from the beginning and He'll be there until 28:44 the end. 28:46 Discover the golden thread of a Savior woven throughout 28:50 the entire Bible tapestry. 28:54 "Shadows of Light: Seeing Jesus In All The Bible," a new book 29:00 by Doug Bachelor. 29:02 Get your copy today by calling 800-538-7275 29:07 or visit AFBookstore.com. 29:09 Once again, to purchase your copy of "Shadows of Light," 29:12 call 800-538-7275. 29:18 announcer: You're listening to "Bible Answers Live," 29:21 where every question answered provides a clearer picture 29:24 of God and His plan to save you. 29:27 So what are you waiting for? 29:29 Get practical answers about the good book 29:31 for a better life today. 29:36 announcer: This broadcast is a previously-recorded episode. 29:39 If you'd like answers to your Bible-related questions 29:41 on the air, please call us next Sunday 29:44 between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. Pacific Time. 29:47 To receive any of the Bible resources mentioned 29:50 in this evening's program, call 800-835-6747. 29:55 Once again, that's 800-835-6747. 30:01 Now, let's rejoin our hosts 30:03 for more "Bible Answers Live." 30:06 Jean: Hello, friends, and welcome back 30:08 to "Bible Answers Live." 30:10 If you're just joining us, this is a live interactive 30:12 international Bible study. 30:14 And if you have a Bible-related question, 30:15 we'd love to hear from you this evening. 30:17 The number to call for that is 800-463-7297. 30:22 That's 800-GOD-SAYS. 30:24 That's 800-463-7297. 30:28 Now, we're going to give you another number. 30:29 It's the free offer. 30:31 We're going to give you some additional study material, 30:33 and to get that it's just 800-835-6747. 30:37 That is our resource phone line, and if you'd like to receive any 30:40 of the free information that we share with you 30:43 you want to call and ask for that. 30:44 You know, Pastor Aron, we want to kind of greet 30:47 some of our friends who are tuning in. 30:48 We have folks listening not only on land-based radio stations 30:51 but on satellite. 30:52 We also have people watching on the internet, 30:55 on our various television networks. 30:57 So who do we want to greet this evening? 30:58 Aron: Yeah, all over the place, but specifically those 31:01 who are tuning in on KASK in Vacaville, California. 31:06 That's not actually too far down the road here. 31:09 And from KARM tuning in on Vasalia 31:13 here in California as well. 31:15 So just a shoutout to those who are listening 31:17 on those broadcasts. 31:18 Jean: All right, again, if you have a Bible question, 31:20 the number is 800-463-7297. 31:25 We're going to go straight to the phone lines. 31:26 Who do we have next? 31:28 Aron: All right, we've got Henry calling in from New York. 31:29 Welcome, Henry. 31:31 Henry: Yes, bless both of you, pastors. 31:34 My question is, is there written anything in the Bible anybody 31:41 who lives--alive today, can they prove that they were ascended 31:47 Solomon or David? 31:50 Jean: Okay, does the Bible say anywhere that somebody 31:53 can trace back their ancestry to David or Solomon? 31:56 Well, not directly. 31:59 However, it's important for us to realize that David and 32:02 Solomon came from the tribe of Judah, and the tribe of Judah 32:05 was one of the tribes that stayed in the vicinity of 32:08 Jerusalem--in the area where Jerusalem is. 32:10 The ten tribes of Israel were conquered--the northern kingdom 32:14 was conquered by the Assyrians. 32:15 They were dispersed amongst the various other nations. 32:18 That's where the Samaritans come from. 32:20 They intermarried with some of the other nations there. 32:24 However, the tribe of Judah and Benjamin, which was a smaller 32:28 tribe, and most of Levi, they stayed in the area 32:32 of the southern kingdom. 32:33 Judah was a very big tribe. 32:34 And when Jerusalem was conquered in 605 BC by Nebuchadnezzar, 32:38 the Jews went into captivity for 7 years. 32:40 But many of them returned back to Jerusalem. 32:43 They rebuilt the temple, and that's where Jew comes from. 32:47 The name Jew comes from the tribe of Judah. 32:50 So there are Jews today that perhaps can trace their ancestry 32:53 to the tribe of Judah. 32:55 Maybe they can even trace it back further. 32:57 The Bible's not clear. 32:59 There's no genealogy specifically, but it does lead 33:02 us down to the time of Christ there were Jews 33:05 from the tribe of Judah at that time. 33:07 Aron: All right. 33:08 Well, hey, thanks so much for calling in, Henry. 33:10 Our next caller is Mark calling in from Oregon. 33:13 Welcome, Mark. What's your question? 33:16 Mark: Good evening. 33:18 If there are no time prophecies in the Bible after 1844, which I 33:23 do believe, how do we reconcile this to someone who says 33:27 the Bible predicts Israel's return as a nation in 1948? 33:32 What's the right answer to give? 33:34 Jean: Yeah, good question. 33:36 When it comes to a specific time prophecy, you are correct. 33:38 The longest time prophecy that we have 33:40 in the Bible is Daniel 8:14. 33:42 Under 2,300 days then the sanctuary shall be cleansed. 33:45 We know from Daniel chapter 9 that the starting point for that 33:48 time prophecy was the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem, 33:51 which went into effect--the first was by Cyrus, but it was 33:54 really the third decree by Artaxerxes which allowed the 33:57 Jews not only to rebuild the temple but really the city and 34:00 create their own form of government. 34:02 That marked the beginning time period of the 2,300 days. 34:06 457 BC was that date. 34:09 You add 2,300 to 457, recognizing there's no year zero 34:13 when you go from BC to AD, you end on the date 1844. 34:17 We know that to be the longest time prophecy. 34:20 However, there are still other prophecies that we have in 34:23 Scripture that might not have a specific date attached to it. 34:25 I don't believe that 1948, even though that might be very well 34:30 the date when Israel--the modern nation of Israel was formed as 34:34 a government, that specific date is not referenced in Scripture. 34:39 There are other historical incidents that occur that might 34:42 not have a specific date connected with it. 34:44 Certain events that even take place in the future that don't 34:47 have a specific date. 34:49 I'm thinking for one that would be the close of human probation 34:51 before the seven last plagues are poured out, the enforcement 34:54 of the mark of the beast. 34:55 These are things that are going to happen in the future, 34:57 but there's no specific date that you can point to. 34:59 The last date based on prophecy, 1844. 35:02 Aron: Yeah, the--after the time of Jesus and once the Jewish 35:06 nation corporately as a group of people rejected Jesus 35:11 as their Messiah, the Israel that we find in Bible prophecy 35:15 really refers to all of God's faithful people. 35:17 Right? 35:18 Whether--whatever your ethnic heritage may be, 35:20 the true Israel of God are those who follow Jesus. 35:23 And just a verse for that real quick is Galatians 3, verse 29. 35:27 It says, "If you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed and 35:31 heirs according to the promise." 35:33 So whatever happened in 1948 where Israel as an ethnic people 35:36 group, as a political nation got restored back to that land 35:40 there, that's a nice thing to happen for them as a nation. 35:43 However, that doesn't seem to be any kind of a fulfillment 35:47 in Bible prophecy. 35:48 Jean: Especially in the time period 35:50 as we see there in Scripture. 35:52 All right, thank you. Thanks for your call, Mark. 35:55 Aron: All right, our next caller is Cindy 35:56 calling in from California. 35:58 Welcome to the show, Cindy. 36:00 Cindy: Thank you. 36:01 Good evening, Pastor Ross and Pastor Crews. 36:04 Thank you for taking my call tonight. 36:06 I was wondering, could you explain God hardening Pharaoh's 36:11 heart between each plague before the exodus? 36:14 Jean: Okay, good question. 36:16 Before I answer this, Aron, maybe you can look up the verse 36:18 where it says Pharaoh hardened his own heart as well. 36:20 So the verse speaks about God hardening Pharaoh's heart, but 36:24 then there's also a verse that talks about Pharaoh 36:27 hardening his heart. 36:28 So there's a part that God played in the hardening of 36:31 Pharaoh's heart, and that was bringing the plagues upon Egypt. 36:34 How Pharaoh responded to the plagues 36:36 was his own personal choice. 36:39 So in one sense God hardened Pharaoh's heart by bringing him 36:43 to a point of testing, and how he responded to the testing, 36:47 well, that was up to Pharaoh. 36:48 Somebody's once explained it this way. 36:51 They think of the sun and the sun shines with the same heat, 36:55 and if you have wax and you have clay the sun--the heat of 37:00 the sun will harden the clay but it will melt the wax. 37:03 It's the same sun. 37:05 And so likewise, as the plagues fell upon Egypt there was those 37:09 whose hearts was melted. 37:12 They recognized that they were sinners. 37:14 But there were those who hardened their heart like 37:17 Pharaoh and most of the Egyptians. 37:18 However, there were some Egyptians that actually came up 37:20 out of Egypt with the Israelites. 37:23 So there were some that their hearts were humbled 37:27 through that experience. 37:28 Aron: Yeah, the sun can shine upon wax and it melts, 37:31 and the sun shines upon clay and it hardens. 37:34 Right? 37:36 In Exodus 8, verse 15, this is the first time it references 37:39 Pharaoh's heart being hardened and it says that when Pharaoh 37:43 saw that there was relief he, that is Pharaoh, hardened 37:47 his heart and did not heed them as the Lord had said. 37:51 Before it ever says that the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, 37:54 it actually says multiple times that Pharaoh 37:57 hardened his own heart; Right? 38:00 Jean: In response to those plagues. 38:01 You know, sometimes in the Bible you--God is recognized 38:06 as the one doing something even though He might bring a person 38:09 to a point of decision. 38:11 The ultimate decision is up to the person, but God will bring 38:14 them to that situation, and that's what is happening here 38:17 with Pharaoh. 38:18 Aron: Yeah, that's right. Great question, Cindy. 38:20 Thanks for calling. 38:21 Our next caller is Howard calling in from Oklahoma. 38:25 Welcome, Howard, to the show. 38:27 Howard: Thank you. 38:29 I was pondering Revelation 12, verse 7 where it says 38:33 there was war in heaven. 38:35 Michael and his angels fought the dragon 38:37 and the dragon fought. 38:38 Was that like a little war where angels are killing each other 38:41 and everything or is that more of a war on words 38:44 and ideals or whatever? 38:47 Kind of like the Republicans and Democrats are battling it out 38:50 to--you know, can you shed a light on that because-- 38:54 Jean: Sure. Absolutely 38:55 Howard: I see later on in Job, you know, after this--after 38:58 you just get out of heaven Satan just pops in there like, Hey, 39:01 fellas, you know, I just come from earth," you know, whatever. 39:04 Jean: Yeah. All right. 39:05 Well, first of all, there's definitely a battle of ideas and 39:08 the devil's making accusations against God. 39:12 For one, he's saying that God isn't really fair. 39:15 We don't need His law. 39:17 Maybe even said that God is not a God of love because He expects 39:21 us to be obedient to His commandments. 39:23 So there was a clash of ideas, a clash of thoughts. 39:26 There was open discussion without a doubt because a third 39:30 of the angels joined Satan in his rebellion. 39:33 So there was a lot of talking taking place. 39:35 But at some point when this rebellion really broke out, 39:38 speaking of Lucifer in the Old Testament it says that he wanted 39:41 to take God's throne. 39:43 So that was his final goal. 39:45 He wanted to be like the most high, and I think at some point 39:49 the devil and his angels were driven outside of heaven. 39:52 I don't think they left willingly. 39:54 They were actually pushed out. 39:56 I don't think any of the angels lost their lives. 39:58 We don't know what type of battle was involved. 40:00 I'm sure they didn't use weapons of some kind, but they were 40:03 physically removed from heaven and then they kind of went 40:07 through the universe looking for another place 40:09 that they could call home. 40:10 And right around that same time the earth is being created 40:13 and the devil says, "Here's my chance. 40:15 Let me try and tempt Adam and Eve." 40:17 So that is the battle that you read about 40:18 in Revelation chapter 12. 40:20 Aron: Yeah, and how we can know that it's really more so 40:22 a battle like you were kind of mentioning over sort of like the 40:25 Republicans and the Democrats and idea over--a battle over 40:28 ideas and how to run the universe is the name-- 40:31 the titles given to the dragon. 40:33 It says in Revelation 12 that--in verse 9 that the great 40:37 dragon is called the devil and Satan 40:39 who deceives the whole world. 40:41 Right? 40:43 And so here the word devil actually means one who slanders. 40:46 Right? 40:48 So in the very name of Satan devil is slander. 40:51 That's gossip. Right? 40:52 And then it echoes back to the serpent of old. 40:54 That's Genesis 3, and in Genesis 3 we don't see Satan, you know, 40:58 suffocating wrapping his tail around Eve but 41:00 rather he's selling her on a new version of God. 41:05 "God is lying to you. 41:07 You can't trust Him." Right? 41:09 So he's attacking the very character of God 41:11 and making us believe that we shouldn't obey His commands. 41:14 Jean: Clash of ideas. 41:16 Although, you know, there was--the Bible says 41:18 he was cast to the earth. 41:20 So there was something involved there. 41:22 You know, we do have a study guide. 41:23 It's called "Did God Create a Devil?" 41:24 And we're happy to send this to anyone who calls and asks. 41:27 You might be wondering, if God is a God of love, why did He 41:29 allow the devil to be in existence? 41:32 Well, call and ask. 41:33 The number is 800-835-6747. 41:36 Ask for the study guide. 41:38 It's called "Did God Create a Devil?" 41:39 And we'll be happy to send it to you here in the US or in Canada. 41:42 If you're outside of North America, just go to our website. 41:44 Just AmazingFacts.org. 41:46 Who do we have next? 41:47 Aron: All right, next we have Robert 41:49 calling in from California. 41:51 Hi there, Robert. How are you doing? 41:52 Robert: Oh, great. How are you? 41:55 Thank you. Aron: Great. 41:57 Robert: My question is about the 144,000 in Revelation. 42:02 I just want kind of clarification. 42:04 At the very, very, very end, they are basically the purists 42:09 of the pure that have survived everything and-- 42:12 as I understand it. 42:14 At the very end when Jesus comes, will there be people 42:18 saved or alive other than the 144,000 that will go to heaven? 42:25 Jean: Okay, good question. 42:26 Well, let me just give for those who are listening a little bit 42:29 of background of the 144,000. 42:31 You read this in Revelation chapter 7, and leading up to 42:34 that the last verse of Revelation chapter 6 describes 42:37 the Second Coming of Christ and it ends with the question. 42:40 It says, "The great day of His wrath has come, 42:42 and who shall be able to stand?" 42:45 So the question is asked, who's going to be able to stand 42:47 when Jesus comes? 42:49 And then Revelation chapter 7 describes a group of people who 42:52 have the seal of God in their foreheads, and we understand 42:55 that the seal of God has to do with the anointing 42:58 of the Holy Spirit. 42:59 It is a reflection of His character in particular manifest 43:03 in obedience to His commandments because Revelation 12:17 says 43:06 here are those who keep the commandments of God, and they 43:09 have the testimony of Jesus. 43:11 So obedience in the last days motivated by love becomes 43:14 a critical part of the seal. 43:17 So at the end of time you only have two groups of people: those 43:20 are the mark of the beast, and those with the seal of God. 43:22 Now, the 144,000, they serve as God's end-time apostles, 43:26 you might say. 43:28 You have 12 apostles that helped launch 43:30 the early Christian church. 43:31 Here you have 12 times 12 times 1,000: 144,000 representing 43:36 a large group of people who are taking the three angels' 43:39 messages to the world, and as a result of their preaching and 43:44 sharing the everlasting gospel there are more than 144,000 43:47 literal people that are sealed and standing when Jesus 43:51 comes the second time. 43:53 Revelation goes on. 43:54 Revelation 7 talks about a great multitude from every nation, 43:58 kindred, tongue, and people that is standing when Jesus comes 44:02 that are resurrected--many of which are resurrected, 44:04 but those are the seal of God they're alive. 44:07 So we can get too worried about the number 144,000. 44:10 You know, the tendency is for people to start counting, and 44:13 they do the math and they think, "Wow, if only 144,000 people are 44:16 going to be alive and translated to heaven when Jesus comes, 44:19 what are my odds?" 44:21 But we got to recognize Revelation is a symbolic book, 44:23 and if you read on in the chapter 12,000 from each of 44:26 the tribes there is spiritual significance even to the numbers 44:28 that we find in the Book of Revelation. 44:30 We need not worry whether or not 44:33 there's going to be enough room for us. 44:34 If we receive Jesus and surrender to him, we can have 44:37 the promise of being sealed and being amongst those who are 44:40 ready for Jesus when He comes. 44:42 Aron: Amen. 44:43 Jean: All right, thank you. Next caller. 44:46 Aron: All right, our next caller is Ginger 44:48 calling in from Texas. 44:49 And Ginger, she is a first-time caller. 44:51 So hey. Welcome, Ginger, to the program. 44:53 Ginger: Well, thank you very much, and good evening, pastors. 44:57 I--my question is, I have a--I believe 45:03 it's the second commandment. 45:05 Love thy neighbor as thyself. 45:08 Well, I do love my neighbors, and I am a recent widow 45:12 and been blessed by my husband and the Lord. 45:17 And these temporary neighbors who are renting 45:20 from my neighbor are not so nice. 45:24 They help themselves to my property and to whatever they 45:30 want, and I pray for them every night and I'd like to know 45:36 how I cannot fear and not be angry with them. 45:41 And even as I said, I pray every night for them. 45:44 So please help me. 45:46 Jean: Yeah, absolutely, Ginger. 45:47 Well, you know, being a Christian is not always easy. 45:49 And, of course, we meet difficult people and we've got 45:52 to pray for grace, how to work with them. 45:54 First of all, you know, you can pray for them, 45:56 you can be the best example. 45:58 If they taking advantage of you, there's nothing wrong in 46:02 you explaining to them that this is not allowed to happen. 46:07 And, you know, if you have to ask them to move or have them 46:11 moved if they're renting from you, whatever the case might be, 46:13 you can do so. 46:15 You don't have to live in fear. 46:17 But despite that, you need to still pray for them, which you 46:19 do, and you need to love them. 46:21 The Bible says that we can go to Jesus with all of our cares. 46:24 We can cast all our cares upon Him for He cares for us. 46:27 So there is a balance of the one we don't want to be taken 46:31 advantage of, and there are laws in our land to help protect us 46:35 and there's nothing wrong in seeking for help in order 46:39 for--if there are laws to protect you. 46:41 But at the same time, individually we don't want anger 46:44 to eat us up because the one who really is harmed with anger is 46:47 the one who is angry at the other, kind of eats us up 46:50 from the inside. 46:52 So that's where we pray and say, 46:53 "Lord, give us a forgiving spirit." 46:55 And let the spirit of Jesus guide you. 46:57 And then just make wise choices. 46:59 Maybe speak with a godly friend and say, "You know, what do you 47:02 think would be the right thing for me to do in this situation?" 47:05 Aron: Yeah, the verse that you were quoting earlier about 47:08 casting all our cares upon Jesus is 1 Peter 5, verse 7, if you 47:13 want to mark that in your Bible and keep going back to it. 47:15 And also I'd recommend reading Matthew chapter 5 and 6 47:19 where Jesus has some words to say about 47:22 what we should do to our enemies. 47:24 Right? To pray for them. 47:25 And He also talks about if we're fearful or anxious 47:30 and what we should do. 47:31 Right? 47:33 And ultimately we are to put first the kingdom of heaven, 47:35 cast all our cares upon him, 47:36 and he'll continue to provide for us. 47:38 Jean: All right. Thank you for your call, Ginger. 47:40 Who do we have next? Aron: All right. 47:42 Next we have Dana calling in from Nevada. 47:45 Hello. Welcome to the program. 47:47 Dana: Yes. 47:49 Thank you for taking my question, which is 47:51 when Jesus died on the cross he was resurrected. 47:56 What happened to His mind? 47:59 He was half human, half holy or divine unlike us who when we die 48:07 we don't go to heaven. 48:09 Our mind--where did His mind go? 48:14 Jean: Okay, yeah, what happened to Jesus when He died? 48:16 Well, first of all, He wasn't half human and half divine. 48:19 I mean, I understand what you're saying. 48:21 He was 100% human and he was 100% divine. 48:24 However, Christ did not use his divinity 48:26 when He was on the earth. 48:28 He relied upon His Father just like we need 48:30 to rely upon our Father. 48:32 That's why when the disciples asked Him and said, you know, 48:34 "When are you coming back?" 48:35 Jesus said, "The only one who knows is my Father in heaven." 48:39 Well, Jesus knows now obviously, but that hadn't been revealed 48:43 to him by the Father. 48:44 And as Jesus grew as a child He learned, He learned 48:47 the very things that He had instructed Moses to write. 48:50 He grew in knowledge and wisdom, 48:53 and so He laid aside His divinity. 48:55 When Jesus came to the earth He was divine, 48:57 but He laid it aside. 48:58 He didn't use His divinity for himself. 49:00 It was a blessing for others. 49:02 So when Christ died on the cross and He was placed 49:04 in the tomb He was not conscious. 49:07 He was not aware of what was happening. 49:09 That divinity had been laid aside. 49:11 And when He was resurrected and He came to life, 49:14 then He was conscious of what was happening around Him. 49:17 So Jesus was not away from His body when He was in the tomb 49:21 and He was witnessing things and still conscious of what 49:23 was happening. 49:24 He was dead, and the reason we know that is because the Bible 49:27 says the wages of sin is death. 49:30 And Jesus paid the penalty for our transgression. 49:33 It was real death that Christ experienced. 49:35 So there is a mystery. 49:38 We don't understand how Christ could be 100% divine, 100% man. 49:42 There is an act of faith in just accepting what the Bible says. 49:46 Some of these things will probably be further explained 49:48 when we get to heaven, but from the Bible it's pretty clear 49:52 that when Jesus died He was dead and He rose again 49:54 early Sunday morning. 49:56 Aron: Yeah, one thing I want to add is in John chapter 20 and 49:59 verse 17 after Jesus has resurrected Mary is there. 50:02 Right? 50:04 And Mary is just so excited to see Jesus 50:06 that she clings to him. 50:08 She grabs hold of him, and Jesus responds to her and he says, 50:10 "Do not cling to Me for I have not yet ascended to My Father." 50:15 Right? 50:17 So here Jesus is making clear that, "Hey, while He 50:19 was in the tomb, He was not whisked away to heaven." 50:22 Right? Or in hell. 50:24 He was in the tomb. 50:26 Jean: Okay. Thank you. 50:27 Good question. Aron: All right. 50:29 Our next caller is Giselle calling in from Massachusetts. 50:32 Welcome, Giselle. 50:34 What's your Bible question for us? 50:36 Giselle: Hi. Yes. 50:37 My question is in Psalm 119, verse 2. 50:42 It said, "Blessed are those who keep His testimonies." 50:46 But I don't know what that means, to keep His testimonies. 50:49 Jean: Okay, good question. 50:51 Now, when you look at the Bible, it's the Old Testament and then 50:53 also the new, but beginning with the Old Testament 50:55 the Old Testament is really divided up into two parts, 50:57 especially for the Hebrew mind, for the Jew. 51:00 The first part is what they refer to as the law, 51:02 and the law was the first five books written by Moses. 51:05 And then there was what they called the prophets also 51:08 referred to as the Testimonies, and that was the writings 51:12 in the rest of the Old Testament. 51:14 So you have the law and the prophets. 51:16 That's what the Bible says in the mouth of two or three 51:18 witnesses every truth is to be established, to the law 51:22 or to the testament. 51:23 If they speak not according to this, there is no light in them, 51:25 the Bible says. 51:26 So the testimonies refers to the writings of the prophets. 51:29 Now, the New Testament is really an extension of the prophets. 51:34 So you still have those two divisions. 51:36 You have the law, the first five books written by Moses. 51:38 You have the Old Testament writings of the prophets, 51:41 and really the New Testament is an extension 51:43 of the writings of the prophets. 51:44 So we still have those two witnesses 51:46 or those two testimonies. 51:48 So when David says blessed are those who keep His testimonies, 51:51 it's not only His law but it's also those 51:54 who hearken unto the prophets. 51:57 The Bible says, "Hear His prophets, believe them 51:59 and you shall prosper." 52:01 So the testimonies in a broader sense are what God has given 52:06 His people as revealed through the writings of the prophets. 52:08 Aron: That's right. Yeah. 52:11 Thank you so much, Giselle, for the question. 52:12 Jean: You know, just one more thing just to add to that, 52:14 you know, we find the same thing for God's remnant people 52:16 in the last days. 52:18 Revelation 12:17 talks about those who keep the commandments 52:20 of God, that's the law, and they have the testimony of Jesus, 52:23 that is the spirit of prophecy according to Revelation 19:10. 52:26 So they also obedient not only to the Ten Commandments, to 52:29 the law, but also to the rest of Scripture; that which has been 52:32 revealed through the prophets, through the spirit of prophecy. 52:35 Aron: Good point, good point. All right. 52:37 On to our next question, we have Mo who is a first-time caller 52:42 calling in from our very own California. 52:44 Welcome, Mo, to the program. 52:46 Mo: Hello. Thanks for taking my call. 52:48 My question is, why are the most churches nowadays still breaking 52:56 God's rules, regulations, and commandments 52:59 of collecting tithing? 53:01 Because my understanding is that tithing was--the only one 53:07 permitted to collect tithing was the high priest out of the tribe 53:12 of Levi, and the only people that were supposed to pay 53:15 the tithing was the 11 tribes of Israel to the 1 tribe of Levi, 53:19 you know, and that high priest that was the only one allowed to 53:22 collect it had to go through a ritual ceremony and had to be 53:25 between the ages of, I think, 24 and 55 and had to come out of 53:30 the bloodline of Aaron. 53:31 Jean: Yeah, let me jump in, 53:33 Mo, while we're going to run out of time. 53:34 Good question, though. 53:36 Why do Christian churches encourage folks to give tithe? 53:39 Well, if you look at the New Testament example, 53:41 tithe is actually really the beginning of the giving. 53:44 The Bible speaks of the church of Acts where it says people saw 53:47 land and houses and they freely gave to the work of the 53:51 proclamation of the gospel. 53:53 But in New Testament times, if the church is going to fulfill 53:56 its mission of taking the gospel to the world it needs to have 53:59 support from the members. 54:01 And the tithe principle that we find in the Old Testament is 54:04 really just the starting point. 54:05 In addition to tithes, we also find offerings. 54:08 Now, it is true we don't have a temple and we don't have a high 54:11 priest as the Jews did, but we do have a heavenly temple and 54:15 our high priest is Jesus. 54:16 And even though we can't ascend up to heaven and place it in His 54:20 hand, when we give it to the furtherance of His work 54:24 we are giving it to Christ. 54:25 And so yes, we still return our tithes to the high priest Jesus, 54:29 but we do so by supporting the work of the proclamation 54:32 of the gospel. 54:33 So we are in harmony with what happened in the Old Testament 54:36 with a spiritual application, which is a little bit different. 54:39 You know, we do have a study guide that talks about this and 54:43 has a lot more Scriptures. 54:44 It's called "In God We Trust." 54:46 We'll be happy to send it to anyone who calls and asks. 54:49 Again, that number is 800-835-6747. 54:52 Again, just ask for that study guide. 54:55 It's called "In God We Trust." 54:57 We'll send it to you if you're in the US or in Canada. 54:59 If you're outside of North America, just visit our website. 55:02 Now, friends, you hear the music in the background. 55:05 We're going to say goodbye to those listening on satellite, 55:07 but for the rest of you stand by. 55:09 We're going to come back with some email Bible questions. 55:14 announcer: Thank you for listening to today's broadcast. 55:17 We hope you understand your Bible even better than before. 55:21 "Bible Answers Live" is produced by Amazing Facts International, 55:25 a faith-based ministry located in Granite Bay, California. 55:30 Aron: All right. Welcome back. 55:32 We have 2 minutes here to wrap up with some email questions. 55:36 Thank you all those who have been emailing in questions. 55:38 You can email questions into BALquestions@amazingfacts.org. 55:44 So some of the questions we have for today is Violet. 55:47 She emailed in and asked, "In reading the Old Testament, 55:51 I noticed that Israel is involved in many wars. 55:55 We preach that God is love, so I do not understand 55:58 why these wars were happening. 56:00 Can you please explain?" Jean: Okay, good question. 56:03 Yes, the Bible does contain war, but in addition to war it does 56:06 also contain acts of judgment. 56:09 For example, the ten plagues that came upon Egypt. 56:11 You have the army of the Egyptians destroyed 56:14 in the Red Sea. 56:15 You've got the flood that destroyed the wicked. 56:17 You've got fire that came down on Sodom and Gomorrah. 56:19 So there are times where God will act as judge. 56:22 In order to preserve truth, He might bring judgment upon 56:26 some wicked nation or city. 56:29 That is God doing the work, and in the case of Israel going to 56:32 war they were obeying a commandment given specifically 56:35 by God and God was very specific on which nation they were to 56:39 attack and what they were to do. 56:41 So it was an act of judgment. 56:43 However, individually the Bible tells us that we need 56:46 to trust ourselves to God. 56:48 Jesus said if somebody strikes you on the one cheek 56:50 what do you do? 56:52 You turn the other. 56:53 The Bible says, "Vengeance is mine, sayeth the Lord." 56:55 We are to love our enemies. 56:57 So on a personal application, absolutely we need to trust 57:00 ourselves to God and love and pray 57:02 for those that persecute us. 57:04 Aron: All right, next question, 57:05 we have Zach who asks, "Jesus told the thief 57:08 on the cross that he would be with Christ in paradise. 57:11 Was the thief part of the first fruits when Christ resurrected?" 57:16 Jean: Okay. Well, good question. 57:17 Well, first of all, where the thief says to Christ, you know, 57:21 "Lord, remember me," it's important to note the thief 57:23 said, "Lord, remember me when you come in your kingdom." 57:26 So the thief was an expected to receive a reward that day. 57:28 Jesus gave him the assurance that day, 57:31 "You will be with me in paradise. 57:33 Verily I say unto you, you shall be with me." 57:35 So the promise was that he would be remembered when Jesus 57:38 came the second time. 57:39 That's when the thief was to receive his reward. 57:42 Now, was he part of the special resurrection? 57:44 Probably not because he was asking that Christ would 57:47 remember him when he comes in His kingdom. 57:49 However, the Bible doesn't tell us who were the ones part of 57:53 that special resurrection that occurred at the time 57:55 of Christ's resurrection. 57:57 They were taken to heaven, and I guess we'll have to wait 58:00 until we get to heaven to find out who exactly they were. 58:02 Aron: That's right. 58:03 Jean: Well, you know, friends, 58:05 I'm looking at the clock, Pastor Aron. 58:07 I don't think we have time for another question. 58:08 Again, we want to thank you so much for emailing your questions 58:10 to us here at Amazing Facts. 58:12 We look forward to studying further again next week. 58:14 Tell your friends and visit the website AmazingFacts.com. 58:18 Till then, God bless. 58:21 announcer: "Bible Answers Live," 58:23 honest and accurate answers 58:25 to your Bible questions. |
Revised 2024-03-29