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Series Code: AFBA
Program Code: AFBA202322S
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00:03 announcer: It is the best-selling book in history. 00:05 No volume ever written has been more loved and quoted, 00:09 and its words sometimes simple and sometimes mysterious 00:13 should always be studied carefully. 00:16 It is the Bible, the Word of God. 00:19 Welcome to "Bible Answers Live," 00:22 providing accurate and practical answers 00:25 to all your Bible questions. 00:28 This broadcast is a previously recorded episode. 00:31 To receive any of the Bible resources mentioned 00:33 in this broadcast, in this broadcast, 00:38 Once again, that's 800-835-6747. 00:44 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? 00:54 A Virginia woman, Kaylin Phillips, 00:56 is lucky to be alive. 00:58 In 2021, while studying in Bali, Indonesia, she found 01:02 a cute little golden octopus with blue rings at the beach. 01:06 After catching the creature, she recorded a video of her 01:10 and her friends fondling the little animal 01:12 and passing it around before they released it. 01:15 When she posted the video on her Instagram account, 01:17 several stunned people responded, 01:20 warning her that the cute little cephalopod was 01:23 the highly venomous blue ringed octopus. 01:27 She looked it up online and discovered the animal is 01:29 among the deadliest in the ocean, 01:32 with another venom to kill more than 26 people. 01:35 The bite of the little creature can kill within minutes, 01:38 causing respiratory arrest. 01:40 Compounding her near death experience, 01:42 there is no antidote for the venom 01:44 of the blue ringed octopus. 01:47 That's a good reminder that some things might appear cute 01:49 and harmless, but they can still be deadly and you know it-- 01:53 It's amazing Pastor Ross, an Octopus is so quick 01:56 at changing its colors in, I think a fraction, 02:00 like 1/3 of a second it can completely change 02:02 not only the color, but the texture of its skin. 02:06 It's probably the most versatile of all the creatures 02:09 in the ocean. 02:10 And can you imagine the horror of this young lady? 02:14 She cried when she finally found out how close to death she was, 02:17 passing it around with her friends 02:19 and all they had to do was anger it and if it wanted to, 02:21 it could have bit them and high mortality likelihood 02:28 if you get bit by that. 02:29 Jëan Ross: Well, you know, Pastor, 02:31 you think of dangerous animals, you think of a snake, 02:32 you think of those water snakes, you think of-- 02:35 yeah, I don't know, sharks and other animals but 02:37 a little cute octopus, you don't think it's deadly [laughs], 02:41 it seems kind of friendly and nice and, 02:43 you know, people pick it up. 02:44 And yet, it's--you mentioned before the program, 02:47 it's got enough venom in one of those--one little octopus, 02:50 that it could kill multiple individuals? 02:53 Doug: Yeah, 26 people. 02:55 They say it's 1000 times more toxic than arsenic. 02:58 Jëan: Wow. Doug: So yeah. 03:01 Jëan: Very poisonous. 03:02 Doug: Cute, but deadly. 03:03 And it reminds me of that verse in the Bible where it says that 03:06 Satan can appear as an angel of light. 03:10 I think when he appeared to Jesus in the wilderness, 03:12 he didn't appear as a devil he appeared as an angel sent 03:15 from heaven, and so that he can deceive; 03:18 he's more effective. 03:20 So, you know, we've got to be careful because there's a battle 03:23 going on between good and evil and Satan, 03:26 he can use a combination of truth and error, 03:29 where God only uses truth. 03:31 For our friends who are watching, 03:33 I think we've got a special brand new offer that is 03:35 right hot-off-the-press. 03:37 Jëan: That's right. 03:38 We got a new magazine that Amazing Facts has just finished, 03:40 it's called, "Cosmic Conflict." 03:42 If you ever wondered about, did God create a devil or why is 03:45 their pain and suffering or why does God allow good people 03:48 to suffer, it's all contained in the magazine, 03:50 the answers to these important questions? 03:52 And as Pastor Doug mentioned, it's one of our newer magazines, 03:55 very popular. 03:56 We don't always offer this as a free offer, 03:58 but we are tonight, so take advantage of that. 04:01 The number to call for that is just simply 800-835-6747 04:06 or you can dial #250, say "Bible Answers Live" 04:10 and then ask for the magazine "Cosmic Conflict." 04:13 We'll send it to you if you're in the US or in Canada. 04:15 So again, the number is 800-835-6747. 04:19 You can ask for it all or just dial #250 on your smartphone, 04:24 say, "Bible Answers Live," and we'll get it in the mail to you. 04:28 Well Pastor Doug, before we go to the phone lines, 04:30 let's start with a word of prayer. 04:32 Dear Father in Heaven, we thank you once again 04:33 for this opportunity to open up your Word and study. 04:36 And, Lord, we ask that you would be with us here in the studio 04:39 and the many who are listening across the country 04:41 and even in other places around the world, Lord, 04:43 lead us together into a clearer and a full understanding 04:46 of what Your Word says. 04:48 Jesus said we shall know the truth, 04:49 and the truth will set us free, so guide us, 04:51 in Jesus's name we pray. 04:53 Amen. 04:54 Doug: Amen. 04:55 Jëan: All right. 04:57 Well, we're ready for our first caller this evening, 04:58 Pastor Doug. 05:00 We got Gary listening in Illinois. 05:01 Gary, you are on Bible Answers Live. 05:03 Gary: Thank you. 05:05 In Revelation 13, three unclean spirits go out of the mouth 05:09 of the dragon, signs that lead the kings of the Earth 05:12 to gather them to battle on that great day of God Almighty, 05:16 to a place in the Hebrew called Armageddon. 05:20 Is one of those signs 2 Corinthians 11 verse 14? 05:23 Satan appears as an angel of light, 05:26 if not, when does Satan appear as an angel of light? 05:29 Doug: Okay, good question. 05:31 A little correction, I think you're quoting Revelation 16 05:34 and I think you said Revelation 13. 05:36 This is the verse that talks about Armageddon. 05:38 And the--when it says three unclean spirits like frogs come 05:43 out of the mouth of the beast, the dragon or the false prophet 05:45 to go to the kings of the Earth to deceive them for a battle. 05:49 This is referencing a story in the Old Testament 05:52 where King Saul was deceived by evil spirits when he saw 05:58 a witch before a battle in which he was slain, 06:01 and he actually committed suicide. 06:04 But um--and so I think there's illusions to this happening 06:07 there in the Old Testament. 06:10 So, in the future it tells us that there's going to be 06:13 spiritualism that's going to be used to deceive the leaders 06:16 of the world into embracing the teachings of the beast power. 06:21 Now, is that when Satan impersonates Christ? 06:24 I'd say yes, he's got to be part of that. 06:27 It's going to be before the Battle of Armageddon 06:29 because that's when it's going to do him good, 06:31 it won't do him any good after the battle. 06:33 Jëan: And of course, Paul writes that the devil himself 06:35 can be transformed into an angel of light, 06:37 so he appears as a messenger from heaven and the devil 06:40 is going to try and impersonate Christ and maybe perform 06:42 miracles and signs and wonders and gather together the world 06:46 for this final conflict. 06:48 Now, of course, the Bible is good news, 06:49 it tells us that at the end of time there's actually 06:52 a death decree, that's not the good news, 06:54 a death decree passed against God's commandment keeping people 06:56 but before it can be enforced, Jesus comes a second time 07:00 to rescue his people. 07:01 So, those of the seal of God and they're trusting in the Lord, 07:03 they will be delivered. 07:05 Doug: Yeah, it's like the book of Esther, 07:07 where there's a death decree against all of God's people 07:10 and before it's enacted, they're delivered. 07:12 Yeah. 07:14 Jëan: Okay, very good. 07:15 Well, I think Gary, we've got another question 07:16 coming from the Book of Revelation, Steven in Florida. 07:18 Steven, welcome to Bible Answers Live. 07:21 Steven: Hello, how are you doing? 07:23 Doug: Doing wonderful. And your question tonight? 07:26 Steven: I have a question on the 144,000 07:29 and who they are and how me and my twin brother can be there? 07:33 Doug; All right, the 144,000 is found in Revelation 7 07:38 and in Revelation 14. 07:40 And as always, one of the keys to understanding Revelation is 07:44 having a familiarity with the Old Testament. 07:47 And in the Old Testament, 07:48 Solomon and David divided both their armies and their priests 07:53 in divisions of 24 and 12. 07:57 And then of course, Jesus had 12 apostles, 07:59 144,000 is 12 times 12,000. 08:02 So, in the last days, in the same way that Christ had 08:05 12 apostles, it says the 144,000 follow the Lamb 08:09 wherever he goes. 08:10 When Jesus came the first time, 12 apostles followed him 08:13 wherever he went. 08:15 Jesus told the 12 apostles to go to the lost sheep 08:18 of the House of Israel at his first coming. 08:20 Before his Second Coming, he's going to have 08:23 12 times 12,000 leaders that will be doing a special work 08:28 of proclamation just like the apostles. 08:30 The apostles were not the only ones that were spirit-filled 08:33 at Pentecost and saved, just like the 144,000 are not 08:37 the only ones that are saved, 08:39 but they've got a special mission globally to prepare 08:42 the world for the Second Coming. 08:44 And if you and your brother follow the Lamb 08:46 wherever he goes, you can be one of them. 08:48 Jëan: And you know, we have a book that we'll be happy 08:50 to send you, Steve, or anyone wanting to learn 08:51 more about the 144,000, and it's called, 08:54 "Who Will Sing The Song? Understanding the 144,000," 08:57 and we'll send it to you for free. 08:59 All you have to do is call the number 800-835-6747 09:03 or dial #250. 09:05 Ask for the book on the 144,000, we'll get in the mail 09:09 and send it to you if you're in the US or in Canada, 09:11 if you're outside of North America, 09:13 just go to our website, AmazingFacts.org, 09:16 you'll be able to read the book online at the Free Library. 09:19 Thanks for your call, Steven. 09:21 We've got Anthony listening in New York. 09:22 Anthony, welcome to the program. 09:26 Anthony: Hello, good evening, pastors. 09:27 Doug: Evening. Thank you for calling. 09:30 Anthony: Yes, I actually have several questions or--on this-- 09:34 kind of on the same verses. 09:35 But my one question is, Revelation 19 verse 20, 09:41 well 19 and 20, depicts a situation where the beast tries 09:47 to make war against Christ, Who sits on the white horse. 09:51 In verse 20 it says, "And the beast was taken, 09:54 and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before 09:56 him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark 10:00 of the beast and them that worshiped his-- 10:03 worshipped his image. 10:04 These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning 10:08 with brimstone." 10:09 Now, I've always heard and learned that the beast and 10:12 the false prophet are systems, so they represent systems. 10:16 So, what I'd like to know is, practically speaking, 10:18 if the lake of fire, which we believe is literal-- 10:21 before the Millennium, how do-- 10:25 how do systems get cast into the lake of fire? 10:29 Doug: Well, I'll do my best to explain that. 10:32 In the Bible, it talks about the devil was cast into the lake 10:35 of fire, but then it also says, "And his angels." 10:38 So, the devil represents evil and the opposition. 10:41 He has a system and he's got followers underneath him. 10:45 Not only is the devil and his angels thrown 10:48 in the lake of fire, you read where Jesus said that the goats 10:52 are going to be cast into the lake of fire that was prepared 10:56 for the devil and his angels. 10:57 So, all the wicked. 10:59 So, when it talks about the beast, 11:01 it's talking about any leadership of the beast 11:03 and all the followers along with it, so they share the fate. 11:07 When Queen Athalia was destroyed in the Old Testament, it says, 11:10 "And all that follow her." 11:13 So, I think it's just the beast as you--talking about 11:15 the figurehead, and there may be a physical figurehead 11:19 of the beast power and a false prophet, but them talking 11:22 about them and their followers that would be the system. 11:26 Jëan: And if you look at the-- the prophetic picture, 11:28 both in the books of Daniel and Revelation, 11:30 you have for example in Daniel, you have different beasts that 11:33 represent kingdoms or political powers which are conquered 11:36 by another kingdom. 11:37 So, that kingdom would have a king, a leader, 11:40 but also the citizens of that kingdom. 11:42 So, at the end of time there is a counterfeit system of worship, 11:45 but it also involves specific individuals who are leading 11:49 that counterfeit system of worship. 11:50 Doug: Right. 11:52 Jëan: So that's all going to come to an end 11:53 as we find it described in in Revelation chapter 19. 11:57 Doug: Thank you, Anthony. 11:59 Jëan: We've got Brittany listening in California. 12:01 Brittany, welcome to the program. 12:03 Brittany: Yeah, I was wondering for the-- 12:06 for the actual, you know, saved and believing Christian, 12:10 does it really matter if we study the original Hebrew 12:16 and Greek text like the original Hebrew? 12:19 Is it fine to just stick with the translation? 12:23 Doug: Yeah. 12:24 You know, I'd say that most people that are going to be 12:26 in the kingdom probably did not speak the original languages. 12:31 So, it's certainly not a requirement for salvation. 12:33 You know, for some people, they are given gifts 12:36 where they're more analytical and they--you know, 12:40 the Lord has raised up people that are professors 12:43 and teachers that go deeper. 12:44 And I like to get into the meaning of the Word 12:47 in the original. 12:48 It's very easy now with computer programs. 12:50 I can click right here on my computer program and it will not 12:54 only tell me the meaning of the word in the original language, 12:56 it will pronounce it for me. 12:58 So, there's some great tools today that even a layman-- 13:00 If you--if you read through the Bible, 13:02 read through and enjoy it but sometimes if there's a word 13:04 that piques your curiosity, 13:06 you can easily look up that word on the Internet and say, 13:09 "What's the original Greek for that, or the Hebrew?" 13:11 And you can expand, you know, the Bible says, 13:13 "Study to show yourself approved." 13:15 It's nice, but it's not required that you can read a Bible 13:18 in another foreign language. 13:21 I would say for a new Christian, 13:24 don't worry about reading it in the original languages 13:27 until you've read the whole Bible and you're acquainted 13:29 with the teachings pretty well because you not only 13:32 want to go deep, you want to go wide. 13:35 You want to make sure you get the scope of the Bible story 13:37 before you start zeroing in on one chapter 13:39 and the original verses. 13:40 Jëan: All right, we got Junith of listening in Nevada. 13:42 Junith, welcome to Bible Answers Live. 13:45 Junith: Hello, hello, a blessed evening to both of you. 13:48 Can you hear me well? 13:50 Doug: Yes. 13:51 Junith: Yes, okay. 13:53 Yes, the gist of my question is 13:57 or is related to verses Matthew 7:21, James chapter 2, 14:05 verse 10, Revelation 14:9 and Mark chapter 2, verse 28. 14:13 This is what did what or what does Jesus really mean when 14:18 He says, "Depart from Me, for I do not know you; 14:23 you are lawless." 14:24 Is this the the interpretation of the mark of the 666? 14:31 We appreciate your further explanation. 14:36 Doug: Yeah, well, the passage there 14:38 in both Matthew and in James, the emphasis is on those 14:44 that know the Lord that are listening to his Word. 14:47 He wants us to not only be hears, but doers of his Word. 14:50 Now, certainly the people that receive the mark of the beast 14:53 in the end days, they're not obeying the commandments 14:55 and doing His Word, 14:57 but I want to limit those verses to that time in history. 15:00 It's at any time in history the message of Jesus and the message 15:04 of James and the others you mentioned is basically saying 15:08 God wants us to not just be hearing, 15:10 but He wants us to be doing. 15:12 So, it says, it's not everyone that says Lord, Lord, 15:14 but he that does the will of My Father in heaven, 15:16 and then James, it says it's not those who just look 15:19 at the mirror, 15:20 but they are seeing the Word. 15:23 They hear the Word and they walk in Word. 15:25 Jëan: And you know, we do have a study guide 15:26 that talks about the mark of the beast. 15:28 Yes, Revelation talks about this beast power and he has a mark, 15:31 and we'll be happy to send you a study guide that tells you more. 15:34 It's a it's a deep study, an important study. 15:36 Just call and ask for the study guide. 15:39 It's called, "The Mark of The Beast". 15:40 The number to call is 800-835-6747 15:43 or again you can dial #250 15:46 and say I want The Amazing Facts study guide 15:49 called "The Mark of The Beast", and we'll get in the mail 15:51 and Send it to you. 15:53 We've got James listening in Tennessee. 15:54 James, welcome to the program. 15:57 James: Thank you very much. 15:59 Doug: Thank you. 16:01 James: Is the 144,000 is that number 16:05 compared to Noah's time, when there were only eight people 16:08 saved, is that because the population is so much larger 16:13 now at this time of the history of the world? 16:16 Doug: Well, there it's hard to say exactly 16:18 what the population was at the time of the flood. 16:22 I think many people believe that it was probably 16:24 much bigger than you might expect. 16:26 When you look at the life expectancy of the people 16:29 that were living before Noah, they were living centuries, 16:32 and ostensibly they were procreating. 16:36 God said, be fruitful and multiply. 16:37 They were very healthy in their virility, 16:39 and they may have had very big families. 16:41 And you do the math and there could have been a billion people 16:44 in the world back then. 16:45 So we don't know. 16:47 It's hard to to guess. 16:48 But in the last days when it says that there's 144,000, 16:54 we don't believe they are the only ones saved. 16:57 You know, right now there are approximately 8 billion people 17:00 in the world, and I did it on a calculator one time 17:03 and I think if only 144,000 people out of 8 billion 17:07 are saved, that means your chances are 17:09 about one and 50,000. 17:12 Which could be discouraging. 17:14 It's, you know, it's better than the lottery, 17:16 but it's it's still not great, but I don't think the 144,000 17:20 are the only ones that are saved. 17:22 I think when Jesus comes, he's not coming for 8:00 or 10 people 17:25 and it's going to look like a failure. 17:27 I think he's going to have a a great trophy of people 17:33 that have trusted him. 17:35 So will it be the minority? 17:37 Yes, it'll be smaller. 17:38 It's--broad road is the one to destruction; 17:40 the narrow gate and few that find it is the one to life 17:44 because few you are looking for it. 17:46 But you may also enjoy the book on the 144,000. 17:49 Jëan: Yeah, all you have to do is just call and ask for it. 17:51 The number to call: 800-835-6747. 17:54 Ask for the book on the 144,000, we'll send it to you. 17:58 You know, Pastor Doug, 17:59 I also think that perhaps God waited until the last moment 18:01 when there was just eight righteous people left 18:04 at the time of Noah and his mercy wanted to give people 18:06 as much time as possible. 18:08 And as you mentioned, they probably were others 18:10 that were saved just prior to the flood. 18:12 They might have died. 18:14 Yeah, some great patriarchs of the Old Testament 18:15 and their influence. 18:17 But at the time of the flood, 18:18 there were just eight righteous people. 18:20 Now, according to Bible prophecy, 18:21 before Jesus comes the gospel gets preached to the world, 18:24 and it'll be more than eight that received the message, 18:27 but it's small in comparison to the world population. 18:31 Okay, well, thanks for your call. 18:32 We've got who do we have? 18:34 We've got Anna listening in Oregon. 18:35 Anna, welcome to Bible Answers Live. 18:39 Anna: Hi. 18:40 Doug: Hi. 18:42 Anna: My question is, from the 9th Commandment 18:46 about not lying. 18:48 So, I have a nurse friend who works at a retirement home, 18:54 and we were talking about how the doctors tell 18:59 the nurses to basically lie to the dementia patients, 19:05 and the doctors tell everyone to basically lie to them 19:13 because it upsets them too much. 19:16 So, I was wondering, is that considered lying? 19:21 Doug: Well, like, yeah, no, I understand. 19:24 I think what you're asking is, you got a patient, 19:26 and sometimes they might be asking a question. 19:28 They've got enough knowledge to comprehend, 19:33 but they're struggling with dementia. 19:34 Their prognosis may be bad. 19:36 And if you tell them that, they get very stressed 19:38 and it makes things worse. 19:39 And so, you try and put a positive spin 19:42 on what you're saying to them and at that point, you know, 19:45 it might not even be truthful. 19:47 You know, I never think it's right to lie. 19:50 I think sometimes, like with children, 19:52 they might be asking you questions about the birds 19:54 and the bees, and they're too young for you 19:56 to explain everything to them. 19:58 And so, you share things in a in a gentle way, 20:03 but you never lie to them. 20:05 You know, I don't think you should tell your kids 20:07 that Santa Claus is the one who's bringing the presents 20:10 and deceive them in any way. 20:12 Jesus said to the disciples, 20:13 there's many things I have to say to you, 20:15 but you cannot bear them now. 20:17 So, even Christ knew that truth must be shared at a speed 20:22 that people can digest it, 20:24 and I think you know, a good doctor has ways 20:27 of not disturbing a patient, 20:32 but not lying to them. 20:33 I can't ever think of a scenario where God would say 20:35 it's okay to lie. 20:37 Jëan: Yeah, very good. You know, it is a challenge. 20:38 I think with work with dementia patients in particular, 20:42 you got to be tactful, pray for wisdom. 20:44 You might have to explain things in a very simple child like 20:47 manner and maybe emphasize the positive part of it. 20:50 But you want to be honest in all your dealings. 20:54 Doug: Yeah. 20:55 Jëan: So pray for wisdom on that. 20:56 Next caller that we have is Lilly listening from California, 21:00 Lilia or Leila? 21:02 Welcome. 21:07 Lila, welcome to the program. 21:09 Lila: Oh, thank you. Hi pastors. 21:12 My name is Lila. 21:14 Jëan: Lila, welcome, Lila. 21:16 Lila: Thank you. 21:18 And I live in Fresno, California. 21:21 My question is: is Jesus fully divine? 21:28 Because I heard the pastor saying that He's not 21:33 fully divine because He will be-- 21:37 He is always and will be always 21:39 under the command of God the Father. 21:43 What does that mean? 21:46 Doug: Well, I don't know exactly what the pastor 21:48 was thinking, and I don't want to, you know, 21:50 put words in his mouth. 21:51 But I'll tell you what the Bible says 21:53 is that Jesus is fully divine, 21:57 divine meaning holy, He is God the Son. 22:00 You don't get any higher than God. 22:03 Now, there is God the Father, God the Son, 22:04 and God the Holy Spirit, 22:06 but all three of them are co-eternal, self-sustaining, 22:12 and They have--Jesus said He's from everlasting 22:15 to everlasting, 22:16 And, you know, while Christ became a human 22:20 and He has ever associated with humans, 22:22 He has not lost His divinity. 22:25 So you know, Jesus is the Word made flesh. 22:28 He's the Alpha and the Omega, 22:30 the beginning and the end, all things that were made, 22:33 were made by Him, and the Bible says 22:35 in the beginning God created the heavens and the Earth 22:38 and Jesus is God the Son. 22:41 Jëan: Absolutely. 22:42 And of course, there's a whole study guide that talks 22:44 about the Godhead, and it's called, 22:47 "The Trinity: Is It Biblical?" 22:48 It's one of our books 22:50 Doug: Yep. 22:51 I think the new version is: "One God or Three?" 22:52 Jëan: "One God or Three?" Okay. 22:54 I was wondering about that If we changed the name. 22:55 "One God or Three?" 22:57 is then the name of the book, and just call and ask for it. 22:59 You can dial #250 on your smartphone 23:01 or 1-800-835-6747 and you ask for the book 23:07 on the Trinity called, "One God or Three?" 23:10 We'll be happy to send it to anyone who calls and asks. 23:12 Glenn listening in Ohio. Glenn, welcome to the program. 23:17 Glenn: Thank you, pastors, for taking my call. 23:20 Doug: Certainly. 23:22 Glenn: Many pastors realize that folks leaving the alter 23:25 of the confessions believe that 23:27 they have been saved and born again 23:30 but not realizing the tremendous responsibility they have 23:34 of enduring to the end so that they can be saved, 23:38 can be born again by a resurrection 23:40 like He was so they can see and enter the Kingdom, 23:43 but also receive the gift of everlasting life 23:47 all eternally secure at this time. 23:51 And the question comes out of out of 1 John, 23:54 1 John 5:18 says, He who is did not owe-- 23:59 or born of God does not sin. 24:03 Some translations go so far as to say cannot sin. 24:07 Well, I think we all agree that there's only One 24:09 that meets that criteria, 24:11 and that puts the rest of us on the other side of the ledger, 24:14 where John says in 18B, 24:17 "But he who is begotten of God, keepeth himself, 24:21 that the evil will touch him not." 24:23 And my question is that: What did John mean when he said, 24:30 "Keep himself that the evil will touch him not"? 24:33 And does 1 John 5:9-- 24:35 I'm sorry. 24:36 1 John 1:9 have anything to do with that? 24:38 Thank you. 24:40 Doug: All right. Thank you very much. 24:42 I appreciate that, Glenn. 24:43 You know, Jesus prayed for the apostles, 24:46 and He told Peter, He says, "Satan has desired to have you, 24:50 that he might sift you as wheat, 24:51 but I prayed for you that your faith fail not." 24:55 And then, Pastor Ross might find the other verse for me. 24:57 But in Jesus's intercessory prayer, 25:00 I think it's in John chapter 17, He said, 25:02 "Father, keep them that You have given me." 25:06 So, it's using the same phrase from the same author. 25:09 Jëan: John 17:11. 25:11 Doug: Want to read that for us? 25:12 Jëan: Yes, it says, "Now I'm no longer in the world, 25:14 but these are in the world, 25:16 And I come to You. 25:17 Holy Father, Keep through Your name 25:19 those whom You have given to Me 25:21 that they may be one as We are." 25:23 Doug: Yeah. 25:25 So, when Jesus is praying for the apostles that 25:26 they might be kept, and he meant being kept from evil and 25:29 kept from falling or being lost, and that same keeping power, 25:34 you know, the Lord makes available still to those 25:36 that are born again. 25:37 So, you're on the right track, Glenn. 25:39 That Jesus, He can't keep us from the evil one. 25:43 And the Bible says greater is He that is in you 25:47 than he that is in the world. 25:48 So, the Lord certainly can save us and keep us. 25:51 Listening friends, you hear the music 25:53 that just marks that we're halfway through our program. 25:55 The best is yet to come. 25:57 Don't go anywhere. We're going to be back. 25:59 You can still call in with your Bible questions. 26:01 ♪♪♪ 26:05 announcer: Stay tuned. 26:06 Bible Answers Live will return shortly. 26:13 announcer: Find out what the critics are raving about. 26:16 Top scholars and theologians from around the country 26:19 come together to reveal the hidden history 26:21 of the book of Revelation. 26:24 With powerful reenactments and incredible visual effects, 26:27 this 95 minute masterpiece brings to life 26:29 the book of Revelation like never before. 26:32 Revelation is no longer a mystery. 26:34 Get your copy today. 26:36 Visit iTunes or AFBOOKSTORE.COM 26:43 announcer: Do you feel as though your world 26:44 is spiraling out of control? 26:47 Or perhaps new life challenges are frightening you 26:49 more than they should? 26:50 Are you sinking while you're thinking? 26:53 Excessive worry can consume you, eating you from the inside out, 26:57 resulting in sickness, insomnia, and paralyzing fear. 27:00 It can also damage relationships, 27:03 ruin opportunities, and, yes, 27:05 diminish your witness for the gospel. 27:07 Doug: Worry affects everybody differently, 27:10 but it's all driven by fear. 27:12 So, how can you overcome a world full of reasons to be anxious? 27:16 I'd like to recommend for you my new book, 27:19 "Finding Peace in a World of Worry". 27:21 You'll discover a lifeline to victory, 27:24 a place where you can cast your cares upon Christ 27:27 and experience a serenity that isn't subject 27:30 to your circumstances. 27:32 announcer: Send a gift of any amount to receive your copy 27:34 of Pastor Doug's new book 27:36 "Finding Peace in a World of Worry". 27:38 Call 877-232-2871 today. 27:43 announcer: Go into all the world 27:45 and preach the gospel to every creature. 27:48 Through radio, television, print, 27:50 evangelistic events, and the Internet, 27:52 Amazing Facts International is heeding the call of Jesus 27:55 to go into all the world. 27:58 Millions of individuals in 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"Choosing Life", 28:57 I share the biblical perspective about suicide, 29:01 answering some difficult questions about faith 29:03 and salvation along the way. 29:05 And offering practical tips that should help 29:07 and encourage others. 29:09 Jesus wants us to choose an abundant life in Him. 29:16 announcer: You are listening to Bible Answers Live, 29:18 where every question answered provides a clearer picture 29:21 of God and His plan to save you. 29:24 So, what are you waiting for? 29:26 Get practical answers about the Good Book 29:28 for a better life today. 29:33 This broadcast is a previously recorded episode. 29:36 If you'd like answers to your Bible related questions 29:38 on the air, please call us next Sunday 29:41 between 7:00 PM and 8:00 PM Pacific Time. 29:44 To receive any of the Bible resources mentioned 29:47 in this evening's program call 800-835-6747. 29:52 Once again, that's 800-835-6747. 29:58 Now let's rejoin our hosts for more Bible Answers Live. 30:04 Doug: Welcome back, listening friends. 30:05 We are live with Bible Answers Live, 30:08 and if you've tuned in, this is a live, 30:09 international, interactive Bible study. 30:12 You can not only listen on this radio station, 30:14 but we're on--well, satellite stations around the world, 30:19 we're on the internet, Facebook, Amazing Facts Facebook, 30:22 Doug Batchelor Facebook, YouTube, 30:24 and you can even text your friends now and say, 30:27 tune in, send in a question to Bible Answers live. 30:29 My name is Doug Batchelor. 30:31 Jëan Ross: My name is Jëan Ross and we're going to go back 30:33 to the phone lines, the number of folks who are standing by 30:35 with their Bible question. 30:37 Allen is listening in North Carolina. 30:39 Allen, welcome to the program. 30:42 Allen: Thank you, Pastors, for taking my call. 30:44 My question is about when Jesus was first resurrected 30:48 and Mary Magdalene came across Him and He said to her, 30:52 "Do not cling to Me," in John 20:17. 30:56 Well, in Matthew 28:9 the disciples came across Him 31:00 and He had just risen, and they held Him by his feet 31:04 and there was no--said--no saying not to touch Him in that. 31:08 I was wondering why she was asked 31:11 not to touch Him in particular. 31:13 Doug: Good question, you're paying attention. 31:16 In the Gospel of John, John is telling about when Mary 31:20 is the first to see Him, before he has ascended to the Father, 31:25 and had His sacrifice declared sufficient and victorious. 31:30 Then He comes back down to earth the same afternoon, 31:33 and the rest of the apostles see Him, 31:34 and he says, "Now, all hail." 31:37 So, he tells Mary, He says, "I've not yet ascended 31:40 to the Father, but go to My brethren and tell them I ascend 31:43 to My God, your God, My Father, your Father." 31:45 And so, she runs to tell the others and then there's 31:50 an interval of time between that and when He shows Himself 31:54 to the disciples, because He doesn't see to the disciples 31:56 until He's in the room, if I'm not mistaken. 31:59 So, it's not at the tomb, it's in the room, 32:01 when they're the rest of the-- let me see here, backing up. 32:05 She went there-- 32:06 "So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear 32:08 and great joy and ran to His disciples. 32:10 And as they went to tell His disciples, 32:12 Jesus met them, saying, "Rejoice!" 32:14 They came and held Him by the feet." 32:15 Yes, so this is later, when this happens, 32:19 there's an interval. 32:21 Thank you. 32:22 Jëan: Very good and good observation. 32:23 Alright, next call that we have is Jerry listening in Texas. 32:25 Jerry, welcome to the program. 32:28 Jerry: Good evening, salaam alaikum. 32:31 Doug: Evening. 32:32 Jerry: This is Jerry from Texas, 32:34 and I have a Bible question on Revelation 4:4. 32:39 There are couple different scenarios 32:41 that different pastors attribute to. 32:43 One Bible commenter says that the 24 elders on the throne. 32:51 This one Bible commentators said they were from-- 32:55 the beings from unfallen worlds, 32:57 and the other half of the equation, 33:00 some of the pastors say, it was some of the saints 33:04 who were risen with Christ. 33:06 Can I have your guys take on it? 33:08 Doug: I think Pastor Ross and I on the same page that 33:10 these are likely representatives from unfallen worlds, that it-- 33:17 because you read in Job, where it says there's a day 33:19 when the sons of God came to present themselves 33:21 before the Lord. 33:22 Well, that's before the resurrection in Matthew 28. 33:25 And so, he had some kind of concourse with 33:31 the leaders in heaven, it's not in heaven, it's somewhere. 33:35 Because Satan is not allowed to go to heaven, 33:37 and it says Satan came among them. 33:38 So, I think the-- probably the 24 elders, 33:42 in the same way on Earth, you know, 33:44 Solomon and David often had 12 or 24 judges around them. 33:48 That they're modeling what happens in heaven, 33:51 where God has leaders from unfallen worlds. 33:57 Jëan: Yeah, and if you look at the context 33:58 of Revelation 4 and 5, Revelation 4, 34:01 you have a description of the heavenly throne room, 34:03 and God is seated upon the throne, God the Father. 34:06 He talks about the 24 elders surrounding the throne. 34:08 Jesus does not appear until chapter 5, 34:11 and then He appears before the throne as the Lamb, 34:13 as it had been slain. 34:14 So, in chapter 4, you got a picture of heaven, 34:16 this is even before the ascension of Jesus. 34:18 And those who were resurrected at the time 34:20 of Christ's resurrection, well they ascended up 34:23 with Jesus when He ascended, 34:25 and there were the 24 elders already, 34:27 prior to this in heaven. 34:29 And of course, Isaiah has an interesting verse, 34:31 this is the Old Testament, Isaiah 24:23 says, 34:33 "The Lord shall rule before His elders, gloriously." 34:37 So, we even have a reference to the elders in Isaiah, 34:39 in the Old Testament, and then as pastor Doug mentioned, 34:42 the sons of God or the representatives 34:44 of these unfallen worlds. 34:45 So, I think there's good evidence to support 34:47 the idea that there are these representatives 34:49 from these unfallen worlds, and the devil claimed to be 34:51 the representative of earth. 34:53 But, of course, now Jesus is our representative in heaven. 34:56 Doug: So, these are UFOs the governments hiding from us, 34:59 these unfallen worlds. 35:01 That's a different question, we're not gonna answer that. 35:03 Jëan: Investigation on that. 35:04 Alright, thank you, Jerry. 35:05 We got Mark in Hawaii. 35:07 Mark, welcome to the program. 35:11 Mark: Thank you for taking my call. 35:13 Just got a quick question on Revelation 13:11. 35:18 The interpretation I have heard is that this beast starts out 35:23 with the attributes of the lamb and at some point, 35:28 it transitions to the attributes of the dragon with a simple 35:32 reading of the track, excuse me, the text, 35:35 it seems to indicate that it's more like a dual nature. 35:39 That it always had the horns like a lamb and speak 35:42 like a dragon. 35:43 Is there something in the translation 35:45 from the original text that would indicate it had 35:48 a changing nature rather than a dual nature? 35:51 Doug: That's a good question, and I don't want to pretend 35:54 that I know on the tip of my tongue 35:57 what it's saying in the original Greek there, 35:58 because I haven't looked at that in while. 36:01 My thought is that the way Revelation is written, 36:04 Pastor Ross might have more on this. 36:07 The thought is that the way Revelation is written, 36:10 things can happen in sequence, where you read it in one verse, 36:15 but the space between the first part of the verse and the second 36:18 part of the verse could be hundreds of thousands of years. 36:21 So, when it says it speaks two horns like a lamb, 36:24 and many believe that this second beast is representing 36:27 the United States of America. 36:30 They'd began with lamb-like qualities: foundation 36:33 on the Word, wanting to have a city on a hill, freedom of-- 36:37 you know, ultimately, freedom of religion, 36:40 and the two horns were a country without a king 36:44 and a church without a Pope. 36:47 So, there was freedom of religion 36:49 and freedom of citizenship. 36:52 And--but it ends up speaking like a dragon in the end, 36:56 where it turns from those things. 36:59 Jëan: Yeah, and if you look at the specifics there, 37:00 it talks about speaking like a dragon and we know 37:03 a nation speaks by its laws. 37:05 So even though it has these two lamb-like principles, 37:08 as Pastor Doug mentioned, which sort of formed 37:09 the foundation of the government of the United States. 37:12 The time comes when it passes laws that actually contradict 37:15 the foundational principles of religious freedom 37:18 and personal freedoms that we find. 37:21 So, it's a transition. 37:23 It begins like a lamb, but it makes laws, 37:26 at some point that reflect more of the dragon, 37:29 that restricts religious worship. 37:30 You know, we do have a study guide called 37:33 "The US in Bible Prophecy," 37:35 and it gets into the details of this. 37:37 We'll be happy to send it to anyone who calls and asks. 37:39 The number to call for that is 800-835-6747. 37:43 Again, you can just dial #250 with your smartphone, 37:46 say Amazing Facts or Bible Answers Live 37:49 and ask for that study guide, it's called, 37:50 "The US in Bible Prophecy." 37:52 Doug: In fact, Pastor Ross, I think we also have 37:54 a brand-new magazine with a similar title. 37:57 Is it America-- 37:58 Jëan: "America in Prophecy" I think it is. 38:00 Doug: Yeah, so, we don't want to confuse you, 38:01 but those of you who may have already seen the lesson, 38:03 you may check out the magazine. 38:05 Jëan: And the magazine, I think is bigger 38:06 and it's got--it's expanded, it's a great read, great study. 38:10 So, take advantage of that. 38:12 Alright, next caller that we have is Thomas, 38:14 listening in Oklahoma. 38:16 Thomas, welcome to the program. 38:18 Thomas: I have a question for Exodus 35:3 and they say, 38:23 "Do not light a fire in any of your dwellings 38:26 on the Sabbath day." 38:29 But in my church, they say, we can--do light a fire 38:35 on the Sabbath day, but this verse says otherwise. 38:40 Doug: Yeah, well, of course, I believe what the Bible says. 38:43 Now, when it says kindle a fire, that doesn't mean 38:45 you can't have a fire. 38:47 Keep in mind, the children of Israel going through the desert, 38:51 they didn't really need a fire for heat. 38:54 And they didn't need a fire for cooking, 38:56 because God told them, He says, "Bake what you're going to bake, 39:00 and boil what you're going to boil on Friday." 39:04 And He said, "I'm going to give you twice as much manna 39:06 on Friday, so you can rest." 39:08 Kindling a fire for us right now, 39:10 I mean, if you turn on your stove, 39:12 there's really no work or labor involved. 39:14 Kindling a fire is different from having a fire. 39:17 If you started a fire on Friday and you kept it burning, 39:21 you're not kindling a fire. 39:22 Kindling a fire was often rubbing sticks together, 39:25 it was pretty labor intensive and Bible times. 39:28 And so, it's basically not starting the fire. 39:31 I know I heard one preacher say, oh, you can't drive to church 39:35 on the Sabbath because every time your spark plug fires, 39:39 you're breaking the commandment. 39:41 Well, that's not what Moses is talking about. 39:43 And then, you know, there's some people, 39:45 they take this way too far. 39:46 And in Christ's time in Jerusalem, 39:48 they had fires in their dwellings to stay warm 39:50 on the Sabbath. 39:51 The practice was: they'd start the fire the day before, 39:55 so they didn't have to go 39:56 through the labor of kindling it. 39:58 Jëan: And the practicality of that is in the desert, 40:00 there's not a whole lot of wood. 40:01 So, to gather wood for a fire, especially if you're going to do 40:04 it on the Sabbath, that's a big job. 40:06 You'd have to go out from the camp and gather 40:08 what you could and all that had to be done during the week, 40:10 and the Sabbath was a day of rest. 40:13 Doug: Yeah, and matter of fact, 40:14 Pastor Ross, if I'm not mistaken, 40:15 this command is given in connection with an experience 40:19 where a man was caught gathering wood and they said, 40:22 what do we do with him? 40:23 So, he said, look, you know, you don't need to gather wood and 40:25 kindle a fire on the Sabbath, it's kind of the two together. 40:28 Jëan: Okay, very good, good question. 40:30 Lee, in Texas. 40:31 Lee, welcome to the program. 40:34 Lee: Yes, sir, hi. 40:36 My question is--that is the Pope the Antichrist 40:40 because he speaks for the papacy? 40:43 I know he's the man of sin, but does he change 40:45 into the Antichrist being that he is speaking for the papacy? 40:49 Doug: Well, now before I answer that question, 40:51 I want to preface and say: All the Protestant reformers, 40:56 and listen carefully, not only Martin Luther, 40:59 John Calvin, John Wesley, John Knox, George Whitfield, 41:07 Charles Wesley, 41:09 they all said, and what's the-- Wickliffe, Kramer, 41:16 and many of them were Catholic priests 41:18 as they started. 41:19 They all said the office of the Pope is the Antichrist, 41:23 and what they meant was when you start putting a man 41:26 in the position of God or saying that he is the vicar for Christ 41:30 on earth, which is really the work of the Holy Spirit, 41:32 they believed that was the Antichrist. 41:34 So, when we say this, I just want folks to know-- 41:36 some folks are shocked and that's what Protestants 41:38 traditionally taught, and we still believe. 41:41 Now, there are-- don't misunderstand, 41:44 listening friends, there are just wonderful, 41:46 spiritful, lovely people in every church, 41:48 including the Catholic Church, but the system that evolved into 41:54 the present day Roman Catholic Church is anti-Christian 41:58 in its teachings. 42:01 And that was the-- what caused 42:02 the whole Protestant Reformation. 42:04 Jëan: And you know what's interesting Pastor Doug, 42:05 the official position of the Roman Church 42:07 or the Catholic Church, as far as their doctrines go, 42:10 they haven't changed. 42:11 Now, of course, attitudes have changed towards Catholicism, 42:14 and you find even Protestants now reinterpreting some 42:17 of their original understanding of prophecy to kind of soften 42:20 what they believe. 42:22 But as far as the actual Catholic Church, 42:24 they haven't changed their position and their understanding 42:27 of the role and the significance and the importance, 42:29 the infallibility of the Roman Pontiff, or the Pope, 42:32 so it is interesting when you look at that history. 42:35 Doug: Now, there was something-- I think I found it just in time. 42:39 Folks might be shocked to know that the first person, 42:42 or one of the earliest people who said that the Pope-- 42:46 the office of Pope was Antichrist was 42:49 Pope Gregory the Great. 42:51 And so, here--and he lived 540 to 604, 42:55 he was the last four of the original Doctors of the Church. 42:58 He wrote, "I confidently affirm that whoever calls himself 43:02 the universal bishop or desires to be so-called, 43:05 in his pride, is a forerunner of Antichrist. 43:08 That's an exact quote from a Pope. 43:10 So, this is not a new statement. 43:14 Some people are shocked, always, here for the first time. 43:16 Jëan: And during some of the history of the Roman church, 43:18 there were times when there were conflicting Popes claiming 43:21 to be the true Pope. 43:22 Doug: They're calling the other the-- 43:24 they're both saying the other was the Antichrist. 43:26 Jëan: Alright, well, thank you, Lee. 43:27 You know, we do have a study guide that talks about this, 43:29 and it's called, "Who Is the Antichrist?" 43:32 and we'll be happy to send it to anyone who calls and asks. 43:34 The number is 800-835-6747 and you can just dial #250 43:40 on your smartphone, say Bible Answers Live, 43:42 ask for the study guide, it's called, 43:44 "Who Is the Antichrist?" 43:45 We've got Andrew listening in Kansas. 43:46 Andrew, welcome to the program. 43:49 Andrew: Hello pastors. 43:50 Doug: Hi, thanks for calling. 43:52 Andrew: So, my question is the angel--who was the one 43:55 that was in the pillar? 43:57 The pillar of cloud in the wilderness, 44:01 on that night He was a pillar of fire? 44:04 Was that God the Father or was that God the Son? 44:07 Doug: Well, typically it is God the Son, 44:10 of the three members of the Godhead, 44:12 it is God the Son who is the link or the mediator 44:15 between God the Father and man. 44:17 And if you read in 1 Corinthians chapter 10, Paul, 44:21 describing the wilderness experience, 44:23 he says Christ was the Rock and Christ is the bread, 44:27 Christ is the water, and so, we believe that it is Christ, 44:33 you know, God the Son that was in the wilderness-- 44:36 the word angel there just means messenger, 44:39 of course, God-- Jesus is not an angel, 44:41 like a cherub or seraphim, Jesus is God the Son, 44:44 but uses the word, "the angel of the Lord" or "the messenger." 44:47 Jëan: And you know another story that connects that is, 44:49 Jesus said to Nathaniel, He referred to the story of Jacob, 44:53 when he saw the ladder coming out from heaven. 44:55 He says, after this you shall see angels ascending 44:58 and descending upon the Son of Man. 45:00 So, the ladder that connected earth and heaven, 45:02 Jesus, likened to Himself. 45:04 So, He is the intermediate between heaven and earth, 45:06 and again, Jesus said, no man has come down from heaven, 45:09 or ascended up into heaven and come down except He, 45:12 that has come down from heaven, meaning Himself. 45:15 So, Jesus is the one that came down from heaven 45:17 and has connected earth and heaven. 45:19 Doug: Another good verse on that is where it says the angel 45:22 of the Lord met with Joshua, and He says take the shoes 45:25 off your feet because this is holy ground, 45:27 and he worships. 45:28 Well, you only worship God, you don't worship an angel. 45:31 Jëan: Okay, very good. 45:33 Next caller that we have is Steve in Oregon. 45:35 Steve, welcome to Bible Answers Live. 45:38 Steve: Yes, thank you for taking my call, 45:41 and I'm calling in reference to chapter 10 in Daniel, 45:46 which it says that Daniel had been in prayer for, like, 45:50 21 days, and the angel was delayed by the prince of Persia 45:57 and his response to come to Daniel. 46:02 And just who was the prince of Persia 46:05 and how can one of God's angels 46:07 be delayed by three weeks? 46:11 Doug: Yeah, it's--well when it says the prince of Persia, 46:13 keep in mind what you're dealing with here 46:17 is the spiritual powers behind the rulers. 46:21 There are spiritual battles that we don't understand. 46:26 You read in Revelation 12, Michael and his angels 46:30 fought with the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought. 46:35 There is some striving that goes on, you know, 46:38 even Paul said, "We do not wrestle against flesh 46:41 and blood, but against spiritual principalities and powers." 46:44 And when Daniel was praying for the Persian king to now release 46:50 God's people according to the prophecies of Jeremiah, 46:53 that after 70 years they'd be allowed to go home. 46:56 The devil was influencing the prince of Persia and there was 47:00 a battle going on, maybe between his advisors, 47:02 and it shows that that Christ, sometimes He's pictured 47:06 as Michael, He was striving with Satan, 47:10 who is manipulating the prince of Persia. 47:14 You can also see this in Ezekiel where it talks about the devil 47:17 and it talks about the king of Tyrus, 47:19 and Isaiah talks about the king of Babylon. 47:22 Then we realize it's the devil behind the king. 47:24 And you go to Revelation 12, and it talks about the dragon 47:27 wanting to destroy the baby, and we realize that it was 47:30 the devil working through the Roman or the--King Herod. 47:34 So, it's the devil often working through these powers. 47:37 And that's what's happening here in Daniel 10, 47:40 there's a battle going on. 47:41 Jëan: And God doesn't force the will of these people 47:43 using the freedom to choose. 47:45 It's an interesting story here, that the prince 47:46 that's been referred to is really Cyrus the king, 47:49 and he was prophesied by Isaiah to be the one that would allow 47:53 the Jews to go back and start rebuilding the temple 47:55 in Jerusalem. 47:56 And of course, the devil didn't want that. 47:58 And so, he was doing everything he can to try 48:00 and get Cyrus not to do it. 48:01 And yet, on the other hand, you have Daniel, 48:03 who probably pointed out to Cyrus, 48:04 here's a prophecy 150 years before you were born 48:07 that mentions you by name. 48:08 There was a real controversy taking place. 48:11 Would he allow them to go? 48:12 And maybe that's what's referred to here in the verse too. 48:14 Doug: Yeah, and I think it's the same period of time, 48:16 it says Daniel was praying during that time. 48:18 So, in answer to his prayers, Michael prevailed. 48:22 Jëan: Alright, next caller that we have, 48:23 he's calling from Spain, we got Emmanuel. 48:25 Spain, listening from Spain. 48:27 Emmanuel, welcome to the program. 48:29 Emmanuel: Thank you, pastors. 48:31 Good evening. 48:33 Doug: Good evening. 48:34 Emmanuel: My question for you is if a church 48:38 that gets certain doctrines wrong can have the presence 48:43 of the Holy Spirit in it. 48:45 For example, if they get dietary laws wrong or the days 48:51 in which they want to keep the Sabbath wrong. 48:54 Can the Holy Spirit be in that church? 48:57 Doug: Yes, is a quick answer. 49:00 Now, what I'm saying is, if God's Spirit is only going 49:05 to work in and through a church that is 49:08 a perfectly correct in every doctrine, 49:12 then I can think of a lot of times in history 49:16 when God's Spirit has worked through the church, 49:18 in spite of its imperfections. 49:20 I think God's Spirit was working through 49:22 the Protestant reformation, but you know, 49:25 they didn't have everything right. 49:27 They probably didn't understand some of the laws of the Bible 49:30 about diet or even the Sabbath. 49:34 But they were coming out of great darkness, 49:35 and times like this, it says in--what is it, Acts 17:30? 49:39 "At the times of this ignorance, God winks at." 49:42 And the apostles, you know, when Jesus breathed on them and said, 49:45 "Receive the Holy Spirit," that's in John, 49:47 before his death. 49:49 And then even after the resurrection, 49:52 they say, "Jesus, will you now establish the kingdom?" 49:54 They didn't understand the nature of His kingdom 49:57 completely, but he still gave them the Holy Spirit 50:00 and they continued to learn. 50:02 When He poured out the Holy Spirit, 50:04 they didn't understand the gospel was supposed to go 50:06 to the gentiles and that took a little struggle. 50:09 So, I do think that God's Spirit works best 50:13 when we're fully committed to follow the light that we have. 50:17 And I don't think God's Spirit restricts us for what 50:20 we don't know, it's when we reject what we do know. 50:23 Jëan: And I think that's a good point, 50:24 Pastor Doug, you know, if the church knowingly 50:26 or openly--let's say a pastor leading the church, 50:28 who knows the truth and yet they turn away from the truth, 50:32 then they're living in open defiance against God. 50:36 But if folks don't know the truth, 50:38 or at least an aspect of the truth, 50:40 and they're living up to all the light of the knowledge 50:42 or understanding that they have, you know, they're sincere, 50:44 then God can kind of work through them, 50:46 but if you know the truth and you turn away from it, 50:48 and I think individually, as members of churches, 50:51 we want to make sure that the church that we're a part of, 50:54 they're living up to all the truths has been revealed 50:57 in the Word of God 50:58 as far as we can find, as far as we know. 51:00 If we come to conclusion that something's wrong in the church, 51:03 they're not following the biblical principles. 51:05 Well, then we need to find a church that is actually close 51:08 to the Word of God, as close as possible. 51:10 You know, we do have a study guide or actually, 51:12 it's a book, talking about this. 51:14 It's called, "The Search for the True Church." 51:16 How do we find a church that is Bible based? 51:19 You'll be interested to find out that the Bible tells us 51:22 how to do that. 51:23 Just call and ask 800-835-6747, we'll send you a book called, 51:28 "The Search for the True Church." 51:29 Dial #250 on your smartphone and we'll send that out to you. 51:35 Next caller that we have, let's see. 51:36 We've got Sherry in Kentucky. 51:38 Sherry, welcome to Bible Answers Live. 51:41 Sherry: Hi. 51:43 Doug: Hi. 51:44 Sherry: I have a question that's been really bothering me. 51:48 In the days when we're--later on during the tribulation time, 51:53 when we're not able to buy or sell--I'm debt-free right now, 52:01 and I own my home, but I have to pay my taxes every year. 52:06 What am I going to do? 52:07 Am I going to be without a home? 52:10 Doug: Well, I wouldn't worry about that because I think 52:14 that you--I've heard some people say, well I'm going to prepay 52:17 my taxes so they can't take my home away during that time. 52:20 I think the--when it gets to the point where they're using buying 52:24 and selling to manipulate us, it's going to pinch us a lot 52:27 sooner at the food basket than home taxes. 52:33 And so, I think that, you know, we're going to probably be 52:36 driven to places where we need to, you know, 52:39 maybe grow some of our own food. 52:40 There will be trying times whether they're going to say 52:43 we're taking away your home because you didn't pay 52:45 your taxes or something like that. 52:47 Usually, a person can go two or three years without paying 52:50 their home taxes before they foreclose on that. 52:52 I mean, but who knows what kind of laws. 52:55 You look at what happened in Nazi Germany to the Jews, 52:57 and they basically threw all rights out the window, 53:00 so it didn't matter whether they paid their taxes or not. 53:03 So, I'm not trying to worry anyone, 53:05 I'm just saying that when it gets rough like that, 53:09 there's probably nothing we can do other than making sure 53:11 our faith is strong to preserve us. 53:14 Jëan: And don't forget that the Bible does promise us 53:15 that during that time of trouble, 53:17 your bread and your water will be sure. 53:19 So, God will provide for His people, 53:21 just as He did for the Israelites 53:22 with manna in the wilderness, provided for Elijah 53:25 during a famine that was in the land. 53:28 God will take care of His people and as Pastor Doug said, 53:30 I think the most important preparation we can do is heart 53:32 preparation, and then the Holy Spirit can guide us 53:35 when that time comes. 53:36 Doug: Amen. 53:37 Jëan: Alright, thanks for your call. 53:39 Let's see, we've got Mbuto listening, Mbuto. 53:43 Mbuto: Yes. 53:44 Jëan: We've got about a minute. 53:47 Mbuto: Hello pastors, I have a question 53:50 here on Matthew Chapter 17, where Elijah, 53:57 and Moses appeared to him when he was on a mountain. 54:02 So, my question is--so I know that when somebody dies, 54:08 they don't come back to us and talk to us. 54:11 But then, here we see Moses, who had already died 54:16 in Old Testament, also appeared to Jesus here and Elijah, 54:22 whom I know that was taken to heaven. 54:26 So, I just wanna know, like, what-- 54:29 does that affirm that we can talk to people-- 54:32 after they die, they can still come back to us and talk to us? 54:36 What does this mean? 54:39 Doug: Yeah, well, let's do our best to answer that. 54:42 Just have a few minutes. 54:43 But, generally speaking, of course, 54:46 we shouldn't communicate with the dead, or try to. 54:49 Isaiah 8 tells us that that's a sin. 54:52 We know there's an exception, most of the dead are sleeping, 54:55 but Moses and Elijah are an exception, 54:57 Moses in particular, Elijah never died. 54:59 So, we're out of time for that. 55:01 Don't go away, friends, we're signing off 55:03 for our satellite listeners. 55:04 For all the rest of you, stay tuned. 55:06 We're going to do rapid fire Bible questions 55:08 in just about 30 seconds when we come back. 55:14 male announcer: Thank you for listening to today's broadcast. 55:16 We hope you understand your Bible even better than before. 55:20 Bible Answers Live is produced by Amazing Facts International, 55:24 a faith-based ministry located in Granite Bay, California. 55:30 Jëan: Hello friends, and welcome back 55:32 to Bible Answers Live. 55:34 We want to thank you for your e-mail questions 55:35 that you've sent in, and we're going to take 55:36 as many questions as we can in the next few minutes. 55:40 If you have a Bible question that you'd like to e-mail to us, 55:42 just simply BALquestions@amazingfacts.org, 55:45 and we'll try to answer your question online. 55:48 Pastor Doug, here's the first question. 55:50 Becky's asking, what kind of stone did Moses use, 55:53 when God commanded him to write the Ten Commandments again? 55:57 Doug: You know, the Bible doesn't specify. 56:00 Based on some visions of the throne room of God, 56:04 and I think it's out of Ezekiel, 56:06 talks about like a sapphire stone. 56:08 And so, some of wondered if it was some kind of a blue sapphire 56:12 stone, since blue is a color associated with the law, 56:16 that children of His were to put borders of blue, 56:19 but it doesn't specifically say, 56:22 that's kind of a beautiful guess. 56:25 We don't know what it was, and we've got some granite 56:27 Ten Commandments in our church someone made for us, 56:29 they look very nice. 56:31 Jëan: Alright, another question that we have, 56:32 and here's the question Wilma is asking, 56:35 is the Nazi regime's attempt to exterminate the Jews 56:38 found in Bible prophecy? 56:42 Doug: Well, there is a prophecy in Deuteronomy 28. 56:45 It's called the prophecy of the blessings and the cursings, 56:49 and blessings were promised for God's people in obedience, 56:52 cursings were, you know, forecast in disobedience. 56:57 And so, this is not just for the Jewish people, 57:00 but for every believer, everyone that knows the Lord, 57:02 and so, you know, some have wondered if you know 57:05 the terrible trials that came on the Jewish nation 57:08 during the Nazi regime, if that's something 57:10 that Moses was alluding to. 57:12 Now, it is true that Moses foretold, 57:14 he says, your enemies will surround you, 57:16 they'll besiege you, and that happened several times in Bible 57:20 history, in the Old Testament, but does that reach beyond to, 57:24 you know, 1939 or 41 in Nazi Germany? 57:32 Some could speculate that, but I think there's a principle 57:36 that for any people, when we turn away from the Lord, 57:40 we're, you know, there's trouble and curses that often come. 57:45 Jëan: Okay, in the next 30 seconds. 57:46 Do we have to be perfect to go to heaven? 57:49 Doug: Well, yes, but we get that perfection through Christ. 57:53 Yeah, Jesus said that, you know, He can transform us 57:57 and make us new creatures. 57:58 He gives us His righteousness, through justification and then 58:02 in sanctification, He teaches us to walk in a newness of life. 58:05 You can have that experience, friends. 58:07 We hope you tune in tomorrow, not tomorrow, 58:10 next week for more Bible questions. 58:12 God willing, we'll be together then. 58:13 Keep us on the air and go to amazingfacts.org. 58:16 ♪♪♪ 58:22 male announcer: Bible Answers 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Revised 2023-11-30