Participants:
Series Code: AFBA
Program Code: AFBA202323S
|
00:00 ♪♪♪
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 answers to all your Bible questions. 00:28 This broadcast is a previously recorded episode. 00:31 To receive any of the Bible resources mentioned in this 00:33 broadcast, call 800-835-6747. 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 One of the greatest proofs for the supernatural nature of the 00:57 Bible is the Jewish people and the nation of Israel. 01:01 Consider, no other people in history have been driven from 01:04 their native land three times over a period of 2,600 years, 01:09 maintained their unique language, religion, 01:12 and identity, and then repossessed their homeland. 01:15 In 1660 BC, Jacob and his tribe were driven from Canaan to Egypt 01:20 by a famine. 01:22 Then, 250 years later, Joshua led them back 01:25 into their inheritance. 01:27 Afterward, in 586 BC, the Jews were conquered 01:30 by the Babylonians. 01:32 The city of Jerusalem, the temple, were burnt, and then 01:34 they were carried off to Babylon for 70 years. 01:38 But then, under the Persian Empire, they returned to Israel 01:41 and rebuilt the temple in the city. 01:44 In 30 AD, Jesus foretold that the temple would again be 01:47 destroyed and Jerusalem burned in 40 years, and it happened 01:51 right on schedule. 01:53 In 70 AD, the Romans burned and destroyed the city 01:56 and the temple. 01:57 For the next 1,900 years, the Jewish people were scattered 02:00 around Europe and the world until 1948, when Israel became 02:05 an independent state in its native land. 02:08 This is just an amazing example of how God has had His hand over 02:12 this unique people through history. 02:14 And you might be surprised to learn, Pastor Ross, even though 02:17 Israel has their own country, 30% of the Jews in the world, 02:21 16 million Jews, are in Israel, but over 51% are in the United 02:26 States of America. 02:28 Jëan Ross: That's right, Pastor Doug. 02:29 We were talking before we went on the air, and you 02:31 mentioned that there's really two strongholds where Jews find 02:33 themselves today--of course, Israel and the United 02:36 States--and the United States has more Jews, and then just 02:39 sort of a smattering here and there in other countries, Europe 02:42 and some other places, but it really seems that the Jewish 02:45 people being dispersed through these different nations for 02:48 almost, whatever, almost 2,000 years, less than that, 1,900 02:53 years, and yet being able to come back to their same land, 02:56 having the same capital city after such a long period of time 02:59 is rather remarkable. 03:01 Doug: It's amazing they survived because not just during 03:04 the Nazi regime, but through history, there have been a lot 03:06 of efforts to just annihilate them, and yet they've remained a 03:11 distinct people, and probably the central reason for that was 03:15 the Scriptures. 03:17 The Scriptures are one reason they continue to thrive, because 03:19 they would always teach the young people to read, so they 03:23 did well in education, and high offices, and finances, as well, 03:28 and it helped to maintain their identity, because their whole 03:31 culture was based on the Scriptures. 03:33 And so, and even for us as Christians, we are in 03:36 a sense spiritual Israel. 03:38 It's what gives us our freedom and our identity where we are. 03:43 Christianity has thrived and become a world religion, 03:46 and it's again because of the Scriptures. 03:48 And we have a book that talks about this and some of these 03:51 other amazing facts that we'll offer any 03:53 of our viewers tonight. 03:55 And, oh, you know, I should probably read something. 03:57 I think we had a Scripture all queued up, and I wanted to make 04:00 sure and share this with people. 04:01 I mentioned a prophecy of Jesus where he talked about predicting 04:06 the fall of Jerusalem. 04:08 If you look in the book of Luke chapter 21, verse 20, Jesus 04:12 said, "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, 04:16 then know that its desolation is near. 04:19 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those 04:22 who are in the midst of her depart, and let those who are in 04:25 the country enter her. 04:27 For these are the days of vengeance, that all things that 04:30 are written may be fulfilled, and woe to those that are 04:33 pregnant and those that are nursing babies in those days! 04:36 For there will be great distress in the land and wrath 04:38 upon the people. 04:40 And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away 04:43 captive into all nations. 04:45 And Jerusalem will be trampled down by the Gentiles until the 04:49 times of the Gentiles are fulfilled." 04:52 And all of this vividly came to pass that Christ had foretold. 04:56 And then God again brought them back to their land. 05:00 So it's just an amazing, I think, evidence of the 05:03 dependability of prophecy. 05:05 And if you wonder about the truth of the Bible, just look at 05:08 the history of the Jewish nation. 05:10 It's only supernatural that they've survived. 05:13 Any other country, when it's been conquered, dispersed, 05:16 they're absorbed, they lose their identity, they intermarry, 05:19 and they disappear. 05:21 But the Jews have just continued to persevere through history. 05:25 It's incredible. 05:26 And we have a book. 05:28 Jëan: We do. 05:29 The book is called "Spiritual Israel." 05:31 What does the Bible say about Israel, both literal Israel? 05:33 Of course, the Bible has a lot to say about that, but what 05:35 about spiritual Israel that you read about in the New Testament? 05:38 We'll be happy to send it to anyone who calls and asks. 05:40 The number is 800-835-6747. 05:43 That is our resource phone line. 05:45 You can also dial #250 on your smartphone, say "Bible Answers 05:49 Live," and then ask for the book by name. 05:51 It's called "Spiritual Israel." 05:53 We'll be happy to send it to anyone here in the U.S. 05:55 and in Canada. 05:57 If you're outside of North America, you can just go to our 05:59 website, just AmazingFacts.org, and you'll be able to read the 06:02 book there. 06:04 Again, it's called "Spiritual Israel." 06:05 The number is 800-835-6747. 06:08 That is the resource phone line. 06:10 And one more number we'll give you. 06:12 This is the phone line to our studio. 06:14 It's 800-463-7297. 06:18 If you have a Bible question, you can call and ask. 06:20 Again, it's 800-463-7297. 06:24 All right, I think we're ready to go to the phones. 06:26 But, Pastor Doug, before we go, let's start with prayer. 06:29 Dear Father, once again, we are grateful for the opportunity to 06:31 be able to open up your Word and study. 06:34 And, Lord, as we always do, we want to invite the Holy Spirit 06:36 to be with us, to guide us here in the studio, and be with those 06:38 who are listening, wherever they might be, and lead us to a 06:41 clearer understanding of what the Bible says and teaches. 06:44 In Jesus' name, amen. 06:46 Doug: Amen. 06:47 Jëan: First caller this evening is Gary, listening in Illinois. 06:50 Gary, welcome to the program. 06:53 Gary: Thank you. 06:54 It seems that Malachi 4 is a good chapter for these times. 06:58 It starts out with, "For behold, the day is coming. 07:01 It shall burn like an oven." 07:03 They're talking about planet Earth. 07:05 But my question specifically is verse 5: "Behold, I will send 07:11 you Elijah the prophet before the great and dreadful day 07:15 of the Lord." 07:16 So is the Elijah that they're talking about in Malachi the 07:19 same one who had the problem with the priests of Baal? 07:23 And how is he coming? 07:25 Is he coming like reincarnating, or how is he going to come, 07:30 and how are we going to know him? 07:32 Doug: Yeah, great question. 07:34 First of all, it's not a reincarnation. 07:37 If you read the story of Elijah before he went to heaven, 07:39 God brought him to heaven in a fiery chariot. 07:43 He had an apprentice named Elisha. 07:46 And the Bible says that Elisha prayed that the spirit of Elijah 07:49 in a double portion would fall on him, 07:52 meaning the Holy Spirit, the spirit of revival. 07:54 God doesn't, you know, transfer souls from one body to the next. 07:58 And when Elijah went to heaven, it says, "The spirit of Elijah 08:01 fell on Elisha." 08:03 Then you go to the New Testament, and you look in the 08:05 Gospel of Luke chapter 1: "When the angel appeared to the father 08:09 of John the Baptist," to let them know they're going to have 08:12 a baby, he said that the baby would go before the Messiah in 08:16 the spirit and power of Elijah. 08:19 So when it talks about I'll send you Elijah and an individual 08:22 would come that would have the same spiritual power of Elijah, 08:29 and that was in first part John the Baptist. 08:32 I think it's in Matthew 11. 08:34 Jesus said, "If you can receive it, John the Baptist is Elijah 08:37 that was to come." 08:38 But Jesus also said Elijah has come, and he will come, because 08:43 the prophecy in Malachi said, "I'll send you Elijah the 08:46 prophet before the great and terrible day of the Lord." 08:49 So before the second coming, there is going to be either an 08:54 individual or a message again that will go in the spirit and 08:57 the power of Elijah and like John the Baptist. 09:01 So, hope that made sense. 09:04 You know, I think I have an article--if you look at the 09:08 Amazing Facts website, it talks about the spirit of Elijah. 09:14 And if you search Doug Batchelor and the spirit of Elijah, you'll 09:16 probably find that just looking through Google. 09:20 Thanks so much, Gary, appreciate your call. 09:22 Jëan: The next caller that we have is Stephen 09:23 listening in Florida. 09:25 Stephen, welcome to Bible Answers Live. 09:27 Stephen: Hello, how are you doing? 09:28 Doug: Doing great, thank you for calling. 09:32 Stephen: Yes I'm doing great, as well. 09:33 I have Christ above all powers. 09:35 Doug: Amen. 09:36 And your question tonight. 09:38 Stephen: Yes, my question today is what did they wash 09:41 their robes with in the book of Revelation, 09:43 and what is that all about? 09:45 Doug: Yeah, it talks about, "and they've washed their robes 09:47 and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." 09:50 Now, you and I would typically not use blood 09:52 to wash white clothes. 09:54 This is a symbol. 09:56 It's through the blood of Christ that we are washed from sin. 10:01 And Pastor Ross might have a comment on that. 10:03 Jëan: Yeah, Revelation chapter 7, verse 14. 10:05 It's really a description of God's people in the last days 10:07 here, and it talks about those who washed their robes, made 10:10 them white in the blood of the Lamb, meaning those who have 10:13 received and accepted Christ's sacrifice. 10:16 And, Pastor Doug, you know it's important to remember that 10:18 there's two parts to the sacrifice of Christ. 10:20 It's not only forgiveness, which is very important, but there is 10:24 also the power of Christ working in us through the Spirit 10:27 to bring deliverance, to give us victory over sin. 10:29 So, you have justification, sanctification. 10:32 So, when it talks about robes in the Bible, it's talking about 10:34 character, those who by faith have received Christ's 10:37 forgiveness and received Christ's righteousness, 10:40 His Spirit working within them. 10:42 They've washed their robes, made them white in 10:44 the blood of the Lamb. 10:45 Doug: Yeah, very good. 10:47 I hope that helps a little bit. 10:48 And, you know, we have a gift book that talks about the riches 10:53 of His grace, that talks about how everyone can experience 10:56 that cleansing from the blood of Christ. 10:59 Jëan: To receive the book, just call 800-835-6747. 11:03 That is our resource phone line. 11:05 You can ask for the book. 11:06 It's called "The Riches of His Grace." 11:07 There's another way you can get it. 11:09 You can get a digital copy right away. 11:11 Dial #250 on your smartphone, say "Bible Answers Live." 11:15 And then you can also ask for the book. 11:17 It's called "The Riches of His Grace." 11:18 And you can go to the Amazing Facts website, if you're outside 11:21 of North America, and you can read it there. 11:24 Doug: You know, I was looking for a verse, 11:25 also, while you were sharing. 11:27 And it's in Romans 5:9, where Paul says, "Much more then, 11:30 having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved 11:34 from wrath through Him." 11:36 So that was one of the many verses I think 11:38 that talks about that. 11:39 Thanks so much, Stephen. We appreciate it. 11:42 Jëan: We've got Jerry listening in Texas. 11:43 Jerry, welcome to the program. 11:46 Jerry: Hey guys, thank you. 11:47 I was reading my Bible this morning and listening, 11:50 where that Jesus had met the blind man, and He healed. 11:56 And Christ came later on to reassure him and show him 12:01 that it was Christ. 12:03 But in finishing the chapter, how many outer sanctuaries were 12:08 there to the God's temple, referred to as Solomon's Temple? 12:14 Because when the people came from the east, some of Jesus' 12:18 disciples had to go into the outer place where Jesus was, 12:25 and then Jesus went to meet the kings--wait, I guess refer 12:29 to them as kings of the east, but to meet the men 12:33 from the east that came to praise Him. 12:37 Doug: Yes, and you're not going to find this probably in 12:40 the Old Testament, I don't think so; but by the time of Christ, 12:43 they had always had what they called the courtyard of the 12:46 women, because the men and women would worship separately. 12:51 They had a courtyard that only the priests could go into, when 12:55 they were offering sacrifice, but there was an outer court 12:57 where the people could gather, by the time of Christ, 12:59 because they were occupied by the Romans. 13:01 They had developed what they called the court 13:03 of the Gentiles. 13:04 There was a place where Gentiles could come; and so when Jesus 13:06 went out to speak with the Greeks, that I think it was 13:10 Philip or Andrew said, "that we're looking for him, that He 13:14 went out probably to that court of the Gentiles." 13:17 Is that your understanding? 13:18 Jëan: Yes, absolutely. 13:20 You know, it's interesting, Pastor, you mentioned that 13:21 archaeological finds have actually discovered some stone 13:23 that was inscribed by the lettering, which sort of was the 13:28 marker between the court of the Gentiles and the court of the 13:30 Jews; and if you pass that stone that had a very clear 13:34 description of those on pains of death, if you passed that and 13:37 you were a Gentile into the court of the Jews, you were 13:39 taking your life in your hands. 13:41 So, at least the Greeks, they came right up to that particular 13:45 spot, they could go no further, and so they sent a message into 13:47 Jesus, who was inside, and He came out to meet them. 13:51 Doug: Yes, remember what happened to Paul when 13:53 they accused him of bringing Gentiles into the-- 13:55 Jëan: Right. 13:57 Doug: They nearly killed him. 13:58 Jëan: Right. 13:59 Doug: Thanks, appreciate your question, Jerry. 14:01 Jëan: Marion is listening in Canada. 14:03 Marion, welcome to the program. 14:05 Marion: Thank you, Pastors. 14:06 I have a Scripture, 1 Corinthians 15:29. 14:12 "Now, if there was no resurrection, what will those do 14:16 who are baptized for the dead, if the dead 14:19 are not raised at all? 14:21 Why are people baptized for them?" 14:25 Does this mean we're supposed to be being baptized for dead 14:29 relatives or other people? 14:33 Doug: Yes, I'll do my best to explain that. 14:35 This is a difficult verse, and the reason is because while the 14:39 Scriptures are perfectly inspired, translators had to 14:43 decide sometimes where to put the punctuation. 14:47 And if you punctuate this verse in the wrong way, 14:50 it gives a very wrong impression. 14:53 Nothing else in the Bible says that we could get baptized on 14:56 behalf of people that are dead, and then maybe they'll be saved. 15:00 People are not saved by the baptism of somebody else. 15:03 The Bible says it's appointed unto man once to die. 15:06 That's in Hebrews, I forget the verse. 15:08 Appointed unto man once to die and after this, the judgment. 15:10 So, after you die, your destiny is locked, as in the parable of 15:16 the rich man and Lazarus. 15:18 There's a great gulf fixed. 15:19 There's no changing teams once you die. 15:22 Jëan: That verse, Hebrews 9:27, the one you quoted. 15:25 Doug: Yes, so let me read this verse the way it should be 15:27 read if it's punctuated clearly. 15:30 Paul is discussing the resurrection with the people in 15:32 Corinth, and in chapter 15 he spends a lot of time talking 15:35 about it. 15:37 And he says, "Otherwise, what will they do who are baptized," 15:40 comma "for the dead," comma, "if the dead do not rise at all," 15:45 comma, "why then are they baptized?" 15:47 Question mark. 15:48 "For the dead?" Question mark. 15:51 He's saying if the dead don't rise, why do the believers even 15:53 get baptized? 15:54 Are they getting baptized for the dead? 15:55 And Paul's asking it as a rhetorical question. 15:58 He's not asking them to be baptized for the dead, 16:01 and we don't believe that the Corinthians were being 16:03 baptized for the dead. 16:05 He's just saying if there's no resurrection, then why do people 16:07 get baptized? 16:08 They doing it for the dead? 16:10 He's sort of saying it with a tongue in cheek, 'cause they 16:12 think everybody, some of the Corinthians were thinking 16:14 everybody died and it was over with. 16:17 And he's saying, what good is baptism? 16:19 So, yes, nobody should be baptized on behalf of someone 16:22 else that's dead. 16:24 I know they do that in the Latter-day Saint Church, but I 16:27 think they misinterpret this verse. 16:29 Jëan: You know, we've got a book talking about baptism. 16:31 It's called, "Baptism: Is It Really Necessary?" 16:33 We'll be happy to send this to anyone who calls and asks. 16:35 The number is 800-835-6747. 16:38 You can ask for the book. 16:40 It's called, "Baptism: Is It Really Necessary?" 16:42 You can dial #250 on your smartphone. 16:45 Say, "Bible Answers Live," and ask for the book 16:48 "Baptism: Is It Really Necessary?" 16:50 We'll be happy to send it to you if you're in Canada or the US; 16:52 otherwise, go to our website if you're outside of North America, 16:55 and you can read it right there at the Amazing Facts website. 16:59 We've got Brittany listening in California. 17:01 Brittany, welcome to the program. 17:03 Brittany: Hey, yes, my question is was Joseph of 17:07 Arimathea a Christian before the death and resurrection 17:12 of Christ or after? 17:15 Doug: All right, great. 17:16 Well, I think that when Joseph--he was sort of like a 17:19 secret follower up until the time of the crucifixion, and you 17:23 might say at that point he pretty much came out of the 17:25 closet when he went and talked to Pontius Pilate and said, 17:29 "I want the body of Jesus," and then he gave Jesus his own tomb, 17:34 and he professed Christ. 17:35 He not only did that, I think that he and Nicodemus paid for 17:38 the burial materials or most of it. 17:40 The women went to get some and came back Sunday morning. 17:43 So, I'd say that even before the resurrection, right about the 17:48 time of the crucifixion, he kind of came out. 17:51 But he had been, along with Nicodemus and maybe some others, 17:55 they had been believing and feeling sympathy for the 17:58 teachings of Christ and that he might be the Messiah. 18:01 And I think at the time that he died, Joseph was converted. 18:06 What do you think, Pastor Ross? 18:07 That makes sense? 18:09 Jëan: Yes, absolutely. 18:10 I'm just looking for the verse where it talks in Acts that 18:12 after the resurrection, in the early church it says that there 18:14 were even some priests that were converted. 18:17 Doug: Yes, I think in chapter 5. 18:18 Jëan: Yes, in chapter 5 of Acts. 18:20 So, there were quite a few, even those in high positions, that 18:22 recognized Christ as being the Messiah and accepted Him. 18:25 And here we have an example with Joseph of Arimathea, and you 18:27 mentioned Nicodemus, which we read about right in John chapter 18:30 3, at the very beginning of his ministry. 18:33 All right, thank you, Brittany. 18:34 We've got James in Tennessee. 18:36 James, welcome to the program. 18:38 James: Hey, good evening, Pastors. 18:40 Love all that you all do. 18:41 How are you all today? 18:43 Doug: Doing great. Thank you, James. 18:45 James: Doing great. 18:46 I was just saying, I've always went by the Bible and the Bible 18:48 only, and I read your name of God, but always trying to keep 18:52 the Ten Commandments like the first and second. 18:54 Does the Sefer got any biblical values to it? 18:58 Because I know it's got the book of Maccabees in it, and it had 19:00 the Old and New Testament in it. 19:02 Is the Sefer of any like biblical values today? 19:05 And in it, it says the Father and Son's name was Yahua, 19:10 and the Son's name was Yahusha, if I'm not mistaken. 19:13 Is there any reference to that, the Sefer to the Bible? 19:17 Is it holy? 19:19 Any holy meaning? 19:20 Doug: Yes, well, the Bible says--first of all, I think 19:22 you're quoting from one of what they call an apocryphal book. 19:25 These are some books that they may be in some of the Orthodox 19:28 Bibles, but most Protestants do not have them in their Bibles, 19:33 because they don't recognize them as authoritative 19:37 and part of the canon. 19:39 But to the bigger question, you know, God's name 19:41 is certainly holy. 19:43 There's been quite a bit of debate in recent years. 19:46 How do you say the sacred name of God? 19:49 When God told Moses, you know, "I'll be known by this name of 19:52 Jehovah," or the I AM THAT I AM, and then some have translated 19:57 the sacred name of God as Yahweh. 20:03 There were no vowels. 20:06 It was just consonants. 20:09 And wait, am I getting that right? 20:10 Yes. 20:12 And they didn't know exactly how to pronounce it, because the 20:16 Jews would sort of use a secret code name for the Lord. 20:20 They'd make it generic whenever that name came up, 20:22 because they thought it was too sacred to utter it. 20:25 And the correct pronunciation is a mystery now because, you know, 20:29 there's no recordings of how it was said. 20:31 But people shouldn't fixate on that, because God actually uses 20:35 many names in the Bible. 20:37 It wasn't just Jehovah. 20:38 He's called Elohim, the El Shaddai. 20:41 And you look in Revelation, and I think there's like 20:44 25 different names for Jesus, everything from the Alpha 20:49 and Omega to the Beginning, the I AM. 20:52 He's called the Living Water, the Bread of Life, the Good 20:56 Shepherd, the Door, the Son of Righteousness that arises 21:02 with healing in His wings. 21:03 You go through the Bible and the different names that God gives 21:05 himself, I don't think that the Lord cuts us off from praying if 21:11 we do not pronounce a particular name in the original tongue. 21:15 Jëan: You know, it's interesting. 21:17 When Jesus gave the example to the disciples, and they asked 21:19 Him, "Teach us how to pray," and Jesus said, "When you pray, 21:22 say 'Our Father in heaven.'" 21:24 He didn't say you need to mention a specific name of God. 21:26 But you understand that God is our Father, and we pray to Him. 21:30 We have a book that's called, "The Names of God," and we'll be 21:33 happy to send this to anyone who calls and asks. 21:35 The number for that is 800-835-6747. 21:39 And the book is called "The Names of God." 21:41 You can also dial #250. 21:44 Say "Bible Answers Live," and ask for the book, and we'll be 21:46 happy to send it to you if you're in North America. 21:48 Thanks, James. 21:50 We've got Anna in Oregon. 21:51 Anna, welcome to the program. 21:53 Anna: Evening, Pastors. 21:55 Doug: Evening. 21:56 Anna: My question is about the last words 22:00 of Jesus on the cross. 22:03 So, from Matthew 27:46, and Mark 15:34, they're the same. 22:11 But John 19:30, they're different. 22:14 I was wondering why they're different. 22:17 Doug: That's a good question. 22:18 And, you know, it is something of a mystery. 22:22 I did a message several years ago on the last words of a dying 22:25 man, and I went through the seven statements that Jesus 22:28 makes from the cross. 22:31 And when I went back and forth between Matthew, Mark, and John, 22:35 and even Luke, I came to the conclusion of many others that 22:41 Jesus' final words were, "It is finished. 22:45 Father, into your hands I commit My spirit." 22:48 It says, "Saying this, He breathed His last." 22:52 So, you know, earlier, He said, "I thirst." 22:56 Earlier, he said, you know, "Eloa, Eloa, lama sabachthani. 23:00 My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" 23:02 But I think the final words were, "It is finished. 23:06 Father, into Your hands, I commit My spirit." 23:08 Because then it says, "In saying this, He breathed his last." 23:12 But several of those words happened in quick succession. 23:14 When He said, "I thirst," they gave Him the vinegar, 23:16 He tasted it, and then He made this statement. 23:20 It's like that was the last thing He did. 23:23 So, does that make sense, Anna? 23:26 Anna: Yes, yes, absolutely, thank you. 23:29 Doug: All right. 23:30 Hey, thanks so much, appreciate your call. 23:31 Jëan: You know, Pastor Doug, I think one of the reasons we 23:33 have four Gospels is each of them, they obviously read the 23:36 other Gospels, they knew; and it's as if some of them, 23:39 John, one of the oldest of the Gospels, you know what, 23:42 there's one thing he said as well. 23:43 "I was there, I heard it. 23:45 I was standing at the foot of the cross." 23:46 Doug: He was right at the foot of the cross, 23:48 put that in there, "it is finished." 23:49 So, it's kind of a fuller, broader explanation. 23:51 So, it covers everything that Jesus said. 23:52 Doug: And John was standing there by Mary when Jesus said, 23:55 "Woman, behold thy son; son, behold thy mother." 23:58 And He kind of committed the care of His mother 23:59 to the apostle John. 24:01 So, He wanted to make sure and include that. 24:02 Jëan: Yes, it's in there. 24:04 All right, great. 24:05 Next caller that we have is Anthony, listening in New York. 24:07 Anthony, welcome to the program. 24:10 Anthony: Hello, Pastor Doug and Pastor Ross. 24:12 Doug: Hi. 24:14 Anthony: My question is based on Hebrews chapter 8, verse 5, 24:21 where it says that--where God told Moses to make the temple 24:27 according to the pattern that was shown him on the mountain. 24:30 And I've always wondered, well, what is that? 24:33 What does the pattern look like in the heavens 24:34 and the sanctuary? 24:36 But then I read in John chapter 2, verse 19 and through 21, 24:41 and Jesus said, "Destroy this temple, and in three days, 24:44 I will raise it up." 24:45 And in verse 21, it says that it was talking about His body. 24:48 And then in Revelation chapter 21, verse 20--I'm sorry, 21 and 24:53 verse 22, it says--and it's talking about the holy city--it 24:57 says, "I saw a temple therein, for the Lord God Almighty and 25:01 the Lamb are the temple of it." 25:04 So I just wanted to know your thoughts on, is there anything 25:08 we could take away from this to understand what the pattern 25:12 of the temple--excuse me--looked like in heaven? 25:17 Doug: Well, you know, there is a temple in heaven now 25:19 because Jesus is there interceding as our High Priest. 25:22 As far as the exact dimensions of it, you know, I think that 25:26 the earthly temple was a miniature 25:28 of the dwelling place of God. 25:30 I'm sure the dwelling place of God in heaven is infinitely 25:32 greater than the, you know, 70 or 75 or 100 feet that 25:37 the earthly temple was. 25:39 Solomon's Temple was bigger than the one that they had 25:41 in the wilderness. 25:43 And then the third temple that was built by Ezra and Nehemiah, 25:47 it was a little smaller in dimensions than Solomon's, 25:50 but I think it had a bigger porch, or bigger acreage. 25:54 So, but when it says there's no temple in it, there is a 25:58 dwelling place of God in heaven, talks about His throne. 26:02 There is no temple that is built around a sacrificial system, 26:07 because Christ is our sacrifice. 26:09 Sin is forever done away with, and there's no need for that. 26:12 Thoughts on that? 26:14 Jëan: Yes, absolutely. 26:15 You know, it's interesting during the 1,000 years, where 26:16 the redeemed are in heaven, you have a reference to the temple, 26:19 144,000, talks about there being a temple. 26:21 But when sin and sin is no more, at the end of the 1,000 years 26:25 and the earth is recreated, then it is that you get a reference 26:27 to there was no temple therein, for the Lamb is the temple. 26:31 Well, the purpose of the sanctuary or purpose of the 26:33 temple had met its fulfillment. 26:35 Sin and sinners were no more, all things were reconciled 26:38 and made complete. 26:39 So the heavenly sanctuary exists in that fashion as a sanctuary 26:43 until the plan of redemption has met its fulfillment. 26:46 Then there's no need for that phase of the sanctuary. 26:49 So, that's why John says, "I saw no temple therein." 26:52 Doug: Very good. 26:53 I hope that helps a little bit. 26:55 That's a great question, Anthony. 26:56 And we have a book that talks about, "God Drew the Plans." 26:58 Jëan: That's right. 27:00 It's one of our Amazing Facts study guides. 27:01 We'll be happy to send it to anyone wanting to learn 27:03 more about the sanctuary. 27:04 The number to call is 800-835-6747. 27:08 You can ask for the study guide. 27:09 It's called, "God Drew the Plans," or dial #250 on your 27:13 smartphone and say, "Bible Answers Live," 27:15 and say, "God Drew the Plans." 27:18 That's the name of the study guide, 27:19 and we will send it to you. 27:21 Doug: Yes, you'll be blessed. 27:22 Friends, we're going to take a brief break. 27:24 We're just at the halfway point. 27:25 There's more to come. 27:27 Call in with your Bible questions, and we'll get back 27:28 and do our best to answer them from the Word 27:31 in just a few moments. 27:33 ♪♪♪ 27:36 announcer: Stay tuned. 27:37 Bible Answers Live will return shortly. 27:40 ♪♪♪ 27:45 announcer: Are you looking for a simple way 27:46 to share your faith? 27:48 If you've ever found yourself tongue tied when trying to 27:50 explain what the Bible teaches about the Sabbath, 27:53 the Second Coming, or the afterlife, 27:56 you'll love the new Amazing Facts tracts. 27:59 These colorful tracts feature easy-to-read type and are large 28:03 enough to grab everyone's attention, but small enough to 28:05 fit in your pocket to carry with you wherever you go. 28:10 Eleven key Bible teachings are available now. 28:12 Purchase a sample bundle to see what fits your needs, 28:15 then buy them in bulk and save. 28:17 Equip yourself and your church to reach your community 28:20 with the eye-catching Amazing Facts tracts. 28:23 Amazing Facts tracts, easy to read, easy to share. 28:27 To order your sample bundle, call 800-538-7275 or visit 28:33 AFBOOKSTORE.COM and get ready to share your faith 28:37 like never before. 28:44 Doug: The Bible tells us that salvation, of course, 28:47 emanates from God. 28:48 So, we need to know something about God to rightly understand 28:51 and embrace salvation. 28:53 Yet, in the church today there's a great deal of confusion 28:56 about the nature of God. 28:58 The Bible says that God is one God, but is He three persons? 29:02 Is Jesus also eternal God? 29:04 Because Jesus is the Son of God, does that mean there was a time 29:07 when He did not exist or He was brought into existence? 29:10 Is the Holy Spirit a person, or is He just the force and the 29:14 energy that God uses to communicate? 29:17 You know, I thought this was so important I really felt led of 29:19 the Lord to write a book on the subject called "Exploring the 29:23 Trinity," one God or three. 29:25 In this book, we answer those very important questions. 29:27 We talk about the history of the Holy Spirit in the Old 29:30 Testament, as well as the history of the Holy Spirit in 29:32 the church and how it has been much debated. 29:35 This is something we really need to understand, 29:37 because Jesus said eternal life comes from knowing God. 29:43 ♪♪♪ 29:47 announcer: You're listening to Bible Answers Live, where 29:49 every question answered provides a clearer picture of God 29:53 and His plan to save you. 29:55 So, what are you waiting for? 29:56 Get practical answers about the Good Book 29:59 for a better life today. 30:03 This broadcast is a previously recorded episode. 30:07 If you'd like answers to your Bible-related questions 30:09 on the air, please call us next Sunday between 30:12 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. Pacific Time. 30:15 To receive any of the Bible resources mentioned in this 30:18 evening's program, call 800-835-6747. 30:23 Once again, that's 800-835-6747. 30:29 Now, let's rejoin our hosts for more Bible Answers Live. 30:35 Doug: Welcome back, listening friends, to Bible Answers Live, 30:37 and we're doing our best to answer your Bible questions 30:40 if you call in live with your questions. 30:43 And that number to call in is 800 GOD SAYS. 30:46 That's 800-463-7297. 30:51 And my name is Doug Batchelor. 30:53 Jëan: My name is Jëan Ross, and we would like to just greet 30:56 our friends, Pastor Doug. 30:57 We have folks who are listening across the country on land-based 31:00 radio stations, but also listening on the Internet. 31:03 One of the very popular sites that people are listening to 31:06 Bible Answers Live is Pray.com. 31:09 And we want to greet all of those of you who are listening 31:12 on Pray.com, as well as in Colorado, KSYF radio station. 31:17 So, welcome to the program; and if you have a question, call in. 31:21 We'd love to hear from you. 31:23 Our next caller that we have is Gina listening in California. 31:25 Gina, welcome to Bible Answers Live. 31:29 Gina: Thank you. Hello, Pastors. 31:31 Please, my question comes from Revelation 2:17. 31:34 "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says 31:37 to the churches. 31:39 To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. 31:42 And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new 31:45 name written which no one knows except him who receives it." 31:49 Please, I've heard that the new name will be based 31:52 on our personality. 31:54 But please, how come we will be the only one 31:56 that knows the new name? 31:59 Doug: Well, Pastor Ross may want to add to this, but I think 32:03 that we have a personal experience with the Lord 32:06 that is unique. 32:08 And so there'll be some name that, you know, we only 32:11 understand when it says we're the only ones who really knows. 32:14 It means we really are the only ones who know the depth 32:17 of what that means. 32:19 You know, Jesus gave a new name to Peter. 32:23 He was Simon; he called him Peter. 32:25 What are your thoughts? 32:26 Jëan: Yes, absolutely. 32:27 Well, let me first say something about the white stone and 32:29 the black stone, because it's kind of neat. 32:30 There was an ancient custom familiar back in the Roman times 32:34 where if a jury found somebody innocent of some crime, or, you 32:40 know, they were accused of a crime, but they were acquitted, 32:42 they were given a white stone. 32:44 If somebody was found guilty, they were given a black stone. 32:47 Well, here you have Jesus saying, "I'll give him a white 32:49 stone," meaning their sins are forgiven, they are acquitted. 32:52 And, of course, the name is a reference to character. 32:55 And it says, "Nobody knows their name, but the one 32:56 who receives it." 32:57 So there is a relationship that we each have 32:59 individually with God. 33:01 God knows our heart, He knows our characters. 33:03 And when He gives us that new name, 33:05 it's going to remind us of some deliverance 33:07 that He has provided for us individually. 33:09 Doug: Amen. 33:10 Jëan: And that's the significance of the white stone 33:12 with the name. 33:14 Doug: All right, well, thank you very much. 33:15 Hope that helps a little bit, Gina. 33:17 Jëan: Next caller that we have is Junith, 33:18 listening in Nevada. 33:20 Junith, welcome to the program. 33:22 Junith: Hello, good evening, Pastor Doug and Pastor Jëan. 33:27 My question is, what does God say in the Bible about the one 33:32 saved is not always saved? 33:36 Thank you. 33:37 Doug: Yes, I appreciate your call, Junith. 33:39 There are a lot of dear Christians, mostly from the 33:43 Protestant faith that believe in, it's really based 33:47 on John Calvin. 33:48 Now, John Calvin was a great Protestant reformer, but he, 33:52 I think, misunderstood some of the teachings of Paul 33:55 on predestination. 33:57 Peter said, there are some things that Paul says that are 33:59 hard to be understood, and I think that was one of the 34:02 things, and the idea being that God had pre-selected 34:06 who was going to be saved. 34:08 And once you are saved, you can't be lost. 34:10 Well, the Bible has a number of statements, including right here 34:13 in Revelation, where Jesus said, "Unless you repent, 34:16 I'll take its candlestick out of its place." 34:18 Peter talks about those who were once washed, but they turn back 34:23 to wallowing in the mire, like a dog that turns 34:26 to its vomit again. 34:27 He talks about people that were saved. 34:29 Hebrews chapter--is it chapter 6, where he said, "For it's 34:33 impossible once a person has tasted the heavenly, 34:36 gift if they be turned away, to renew them again." 34:40 Now, what that verse means, it requires some explanation, 34:44 but one thing is very clear. 34:45 There are people who were in a knowing relationship 34:48 with the Lord, and they turned away from it. 34:51 And then you have examples like a Judas, who was an apostle, 34:54 casting out devils, and following Jesus, and grieved 34:59 away the Holy Spirit, until Satan entered him. 35:02 King Saul was chosen by the Lord, filled with the Spirit. 35:05 Even says he was a prophet at one point. 35:07 But he began to rebel over the years, became proud, grieved 35:10 away the Holy Spirit, killed the priest, went to a witch, 35:13 and he died lost. 35:15 So, the idea that once you're saved, you lose your freedom to 35:17 choose is not taught anywhere in the Bible. 35:21 God doesn't take away our freedom to choose to turn away. 35:25 Jëan: We've got a book that's called, "Can a Saved Man 35:27 Choose to be Lost?" 35:28 It talks about this. 35:30 Doug: A lot of Scripture in there, that's good. 35:31 Jëan: And we'll be happy to send it again 35:33 to anyone who calls and asks. 35:34 The number is 800-835-6747. 35:36 Ask for the book, "Can a Saved Man Choose to be Lost?" 35:39 You can also get it, by dialing #250 on your smartphone, say, 35:43 "Bible Answers Live," and then ask for the book, 35:45 "Can a Saved Man Choose to be Lost?" 35:48 Doug: And, you know, Pastor Ross, I really recommend 35:50 that if there's anyone out there that is a little bit fuzzy 35:53 on that subject, you should ask for that book, 35:56 because the book is really powerful. 35:58 It's written by Joe Cruz, very easy to read, full of Scripture, 36:01 because it's dangerous for a person to think they're saved 36:05 if they're not. 36:07 That's where Jesus said, "Many will come to him in the judgment 36:09 and say, 'Lord, Lord, we cast out devils, did wonderful works, 36:13 taught in your name.' 36:14 He'll say, 'I don't know you.'" 36:15 So if you're thinking, "Well, I came to the altar when 36:18 I was 10 years old, and I was saved, but I'm not really 36:20 living for Jesus now; but once I'm saved, I can't be lost," 36:24 that's a dangerous belief. 36:25 Jëan: And maybe on the other side it's true, too. 36:27 People who feel like, "I'm so bad, there's no way 36:29 I can be saved. 36:31 I must be predestined to be lost." 36:32 Doug: That's right, it'll also give them hope. 36:34 Jëan: Yes, absolutely. 36:35 Next caller that we have is Lori, listening in Michigan. 36:37 Lori, welcome to the program. 36:39 Lori: Hi, Pastor Doug and Pastor Ross. 36:43 I was reading in Isaiah 6 this morning, and I come across 36:49 between the 9th chapter and the 13th chapter, and I was wanting 36:55 to find out when was this supposed to take place? 36:59 Doug: Well, chapter 6 begins with him explaining his 37:03 conversion experience, saying, "In the year that King Uzziah 37:06 died, I saw the Lord." 37:08 And then, you know, he feels he's not worthy. 37:12 He says, "Now woe is me," and God forgives him, 37:14 and says, "Who will I send?" 37:15 And he kind of accepts the role of prophet, and then God says, 37:18 "Go tell this people." 37:20 And then as you read in the following chapters, he's got 37:23 several chapters with a message for Israel, and this is during 37:27 the time of Ahaz and Hezekiah, and I think even, is it Amos? 37:37 Anyway, Manasseh, ultimately the son of Hezekiah, killed him. 37:41 So Isaiah prophesied during the time of three kings. 37:45 Actually, I think it tells us that, yes, in the first verse, 37:48 during the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, 37:51 four kings. 37:52 Jëan: And, of course, he prophesied shortly before 37:55 Jerusalem was conquered by the Babylonians. 37:57 Doug: Right, but that was still about 60 years away 38:00 from that time. 38:02 But so the message is you're reading those chapters, 38:06 He's kind of calling them out for their disobedience. 38:10 So is that answering what you're asking? 38:14 Lori: No, actually, what I was asking is from verse 9 38:18 to verse 13. 38:19 Doug: Of chapter 6. 38:21 Lori: Of chapter 6, yes. 38:23 Doug: I see. 38:25 I thought you were going from chapter 9, okay. 38:26 Lori: I'm sorry. 38:28 Doug: So, he says, "Go tell this people: 'Keep on hearing, 38:29 but do not understand; keep seeing, but do not perceive.' 38:32 Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and 38:34 shut their eyes--" Is that the part that 38:36 you're wondering about? 38:37 Lori: Yes. 38:39 Doug: Yes, God does not want people to be lost. 38:46 I think the Lord is saying that you continue talking to them, 38:49 and they don't listen. 38:51 They ultimately grieve away the Spirit. 38:53 And through his preaching, as they continue to resist, 38:57 their hearts became hard. 38:59 So in that sense, you could say your preaching is just--as 39:02 they continue to refuse--and stop their ears. 39:05 They're hardening their hearts. 39:06 Jëan: And then, also, if you look in verse 11, I find it 39:09 interesting, he asks the question, he says, "How long?" 39:11 How long is he to prophesy? 39:13 And the answer comes back, "Until the cities are laid waste 39:16 without inhabitants, and the houses without a man, 39:18 and the land is utterly desolate." 39:20 Well, that was a prophecy that, as you mentioned, really met its 39:23 fulfillment just some 60, 70 years later with the destruction 39:26 of Jerusalem. 39:28 So, Isaiah was a prophet providing warning to the 39:31 inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the Jews 39:33 that judgment was coming. 39:35 So, it's all in that context. 39:36 And it talks about a tenth being--or a tenth will return. 39:39 It talks about those who's like a tree that's cut down 39:42 and the stump remains. 39:44 So, a remnant will return back to Jerusalem. 39:47 And, of course, that happened after the 70 years 39:49 of Babylonian captivity. 39:50 So, that's kind of the context, I think, that's being referred 39:52 to there in those verses. 39:53 Doug: Yes, and Jesus even quotes that very verse from 39:55 Isaiah when he said, "These people have ears, but they don't 39:59 hear; they have eyes, but they don't see, they don't 40:02 understand, lest I should heal them and forgive them." 40:04 So he wanted to have them listen. 40:07 Thank you, appreciate that, Lori. 40:09 Hope that helps a little bit. 40:11 Jëan: We've got Henry listening in New York. 40:12 Henry, welcome to the program. 40:14 Henry: Yes, good evening, Pastor Doug. 40:17 My question is, Noah, it took him 120 years to build that ark. 40:23 God took two of each animal. 40:28 Did he have room enough for the whales? 40:32 Doug: Yes, well, when it says that God took two of each 40:34 animal, it's talking about animals that were living 40:37 on the land. 40:38 He didn't need to put sea creatures in the ark because, 40:43 you know, they survived just fine in the water. 40:45 I'm just absolutely amazed every year. 40:49 We see the creeks around our place up in the mountains flood. 40:53 They're full of rocks and mud. 40:55 And I think there's fish in there. 40:56 How do the fish survive? 40:59 And when the water settles down, here are the fish. 41:02 I'm going, how'd they live through that? 41:04 All that mud, breathing that mud, and the rocks going, and 41:07 the torrents of water, and somehow they--I don't know 41:09 how they did it. 41:10 But I think some sea creatures probably did die out in the 41:13 flood, but most of them, whales in particular, they just go to 41:16 the surface and breathe. 41:18 So, the one that have to breathe through their gills, I would 41:20 think it'd be really tough on. 41:21 So, no sea creatures, He didn't have a little bowl with goldfish 41:24 inside the ark. 41:26 Jëan: That's right. All right, thank you, Henry. 41:28 We've got Eron listening in New York. 41:29 Eron, welcome to the program. 41:31 Eron: Good evening, Pastors. 41:32 Doug: Good evening. 41:34 Eron: I was reading the comments in the chat box on the 41:37 YouTube live stream of this very show, and I saw this question 41:41 that I would like you to respond on this very show. 41:45 The question is, did Jesus raise Himself from the grave 41:48 or did God the Father raise Him by calling Him? 41:53 Doug: Yes, that's a very important and it can be a 41:57 confusing question because Jesus does say in one place, "I have 41:59 power to lay My life down, and I have power to raise it up." 42:03 Jëan: That's John 10:17. 42:05 Doug: Thank you, yes. 42:07 So, how could someone that is dead raise themselves? 42:12 Because by virtue of being dead, it's hard to. 42:16 Jëan: You don't know anything. 42:17 Doug: Yes, it's like waking yourself up without an alarm. 42:19 And some people can do it. 42:20 But I think when Jesus said, "I have power to raise it up," 42:24 the word--you know, Jesus prophesied several times. 42:27 He said, "I will rise the third day." 42:29 The very word that He spoke, His prophecies never failed. 42:34 And so because Christ is one with the Father--it was, you 42:38 know, the Father that, of course, 42:39 I think called Him forth. 42:41 But that's something of a mystery. 42:43 I don't know. What are your thoughts? 42:45 Jëan: Yes, you know, I think you used an illustration that's 42:46 probably good of sleep. 42:49 You know, you can't wake yourself up per se. 42:52 But somebody can wake you up. 42:54 You still have to wake yourself up, but they call you, 42:56 and you wake up. 42:57 Doug: Yes. 42:59 Jëan: So, some have seen it or illustrated, as the 43:00 Father calls the Son, and the Son arises. 43:03 So, yes, Jesus had power to raise himself up, but the Father 43:07 called him, and the angel came down and rolled away the stone, 43:10 and called Christ, and He rose from the dead. 43:13 Doug: Yes, that's a good answer. 43:15 I hope that helps a little bit, Eron, and you can share 43:18 that with the friends on the chat there. 43:20 Jëan: All right, thank you, Eron. 43:22 Next caller that we have is Brad listening in Tennessee. 43:24 Brad, welcome to the program. 43:25 Brad: Hey, Pastor, thank you so much. 43:27 I appreciate your program. 43:29 Doug: Thanks, Brad. Appreciate your calling in. 43:31 Brad: This is my question for tonight. 43:33 With all the recent talk in the US government about seeing 43:37 lights in the sky, or experiencing military 43:40 silence--wait--what does the Bible say about that? 43:45 Also, I know, I was wondering if you'd ever seen something. 43:51 Doug: Okay, you're cutting, your voice is cutting out 43:53 a little bit. 43:54 But I think you're asking, you know, what do I--what does the 43:57 Bible say about the UFOs? 43:59 And have I ever seen as a pilot a UFO? 44:03 Second part of the question, of course, I'll answer first. 44:06 A UFO is an unidentified flying object. 44:10 And there's other words in terms of use. 44:12 But have I ever seen one? 44:13 Yes. 44:14 And I remember seeing one flying with Karen. 44:17 I said, "Look, there's a flying saucer. 44:19 There's this red flying saucer." 44:22 And I just couldn't resist getting closer to find out 44:24 what it was. 44:26 And someone had released a red mylar, you know, those mylar 44:29 balloons are kind of a, they look metallic, but it wasn't 44:32 a regular round balloon. 44:34 It was floating in the saucer's shape, and I started flying 44:38 over, and I said, "Oh, man, it's a balloon." 44:41 But in the sun, when the sun hit it, it looked much bigger, 44:44 and I thought it was a flying saucer. 44:48 But, yes, I was surprised that even during one of the recent 44:51 Republican debates, as someone fielded a question about UFOs, 44:56 he kind of resented that they gave him that question. 44:59 But it has been in the news lately. 45:02 You know, I don't think--I do believe there's intelligent life 45:05 on other planets. 45:06 I don't think there's any doubt about that. 45:09 You know, certainly we know God has angels, and there's fallen 45:11 angels, and Revelation talks about, you know, through Christ 45:14 God made the worlds; actually, that's Hebrews 45:17 chapter 1, verse 2. 45:19 But, and I think also in Colossians, it says that there 45:22 are other beings. 45:25 But I don't think that the unfallen worlds are being 45:27 allowed to interact with our world, because we've got 45:29 this disease of sin. 45:32 The only people involved in our planet are the hospital staff. 45:35 That would be God, the Father, Son, Spirit, and the angels. 45:39 And once we're redeemed from sin, I think we'll be able to 45:42 interact with unfallen beings again, or holy beings but-- 45:47 Jëan: And, of course, the devil has access to the earth. 45:50 And he might, you know, he's a deceiver from the beginning, it 45:52 might serve his ends to make it appear as though there's some 45:56 intelligent life, or flying saucer, or whatever it might be. 45:59 But, yes, as you mentioned-- 46:02 Doug: He's an angel of light, he can cause deception, 46:04 he can bring fire down from heaven. 46:06 Jëan: Right. 46:07 Doug: So, yes, I think a lot of these sightings, some of them 46:09 are just common misunderstandings. 46:11 Some of them may be spiritual deception. 46:14 Says in the last days, three unclean spirits like 46:17 frogs--where's that Revelation 16--come out of the mouth of the 46:20 beast, the dragon, the false prophet, and they go forth 46:23 and do miracles. 46:24 So I don't, I don't know if flying saucers are the miracles 46:27 they do or UFOs, but there is going to be deception. 46:30 Jëan: That's right. Okay, thank you, Brad. 46:32 We've got Cedric listening in Florida. 46:34 Cedric, welcome to the program. 46:36 Cedric: Thank you, Pastors. How are you doing tonight? 46:39 Doug: Much better than we deserve. 46:42 Cedric: I have a question for you, and it's based 46:44 on Revelation 22 and the second verse, 46:50 regarding the tree of life. 46:54 Doug: It says, "In the middle of its street, on either side 46:56 of the river, there was the tree of life." 46:58 Cedric: Yes. 47:01 Doug: So how can you have the tree of life, but it's on both 47:04 sides of the river? 47:06 Cedric: No, no, my question is that there is probably more 47:10 than one tree of life. 47:12 Doug: Well, you know, it's always referred to in the 47:15 singular in the Old Testament and the New Testament. 47:19 So, the way some scholars have understood that 47:22 is this is an enormous tree. 47:24 I mean, we live in California where we've got trees 47:26 that are almost 400 feet tall. 47:29 This is an enormous tree that has--it goes down on both sides 47:35 of the river, and its branches grow together above the river, 47:39 so it's almost like the river runs through it, 47:42 and it's got 12 different kinds of fruit. 47:44 So, this tree is an extraordinary tree. 47:47 And I know people are thinking, "Well, that's kind of hard 47:49 to imagine." 47:50 Well, that's good, because Paul said that you can't even imagine 47:52 the things that God has prepared. 47:54 But it's really clear, the word there is a singular tree. 47:58 It's not plural in Greek or in the Hebrew, but it's on both 48:01 sides of the river, and it's got 12 different kinds of fruit. 48:04 Cedric: In this verse, it says, "Each tree of life which 48:07 bore those fruits." 48:09 You know? 48:11 Jëan: Yes, maybe I can add to that. 48:12 If you look at the King James--I'm looking at the New 48:14 King James. 48:15 If you look at the word "tree," it is in italics. 48:17 So the italics, the words that you see in the Bible, 48:20 they were added by the translators for context. 48:23 So if you read it without that, it would say, 48:25 "Each yielding its fruit every month." 48:28 So it's talking about the tree of life that reaches on either 48:30 side of the river and each side is bearing 48:33 its fruit every month. 48:35 The word "tree" was added just for context. 48:38 Cedric: Okay. 48:40 Doug: Yes, so it's a singular tree. 48:43 Yes, the first word "tree" that you find there is singular. 48:48 Cedric: Yes, but let me ask a question. 48:51 In the new earth, you have in the new earth, where you have 48:54 millions of redeemed. 48:56 Will it be okay to have just one tree of life? 49:00 Doug: Yes, if the tree is big enough and if you don't have 49:02 to eat from it every day. 49:03 Adam ate from the tree of life, you know, Adam ate from the tree 49:06 of life a few times, and it kept him going for 900 years. 49:09 Jëan: That's right. 49:11 And, you know, it talks about 12 different kinds of fruit. 49:13 It talks about all the redeemed coming up and gathering in the 49:15 New Jerusalem every month and every Sabbath. 49:18 Well, every month you go and try out a different kind 49:20 of fruit on the tree. 49:21 So, it's a big tree. 49:23 It said, "Eye has not seen, ear hasn't heard, neither entered 49:26 into the heart of man the things that God is preparing 49:28 for those that love him." 49:30 All right, thank you, Cedric. 49:31 Good question. 49:33 We're ready with our next caller, Sean. 49:35 He's listening from Michigan. Sean, welcome to the program. 49:39 Sean: Thank you so much. 49:40 My question is from Deuteronomy 22:11, which says, 49:45 "Thou shall not wear a garment of divers sorts 49:48 as of woollen and linen together." 49:51 And I didn't know if that only applied at the time that it was 49:54 written unto Israel as a nation or if it still applies today 49:58 and how we could know. 50:01 Doug: Yes, you know, I think that he says 50:03 this also in context of several other commandments. 50:07 Well, for one thing, if you are wearing, you know, one is a 50:13 vegetable and one is an animal. 50:16 Wool comes from an animal, linen comes from a plant. 50:19 They do not wash and wear the same, they do not shrink and 50:23 warm the same, and then He goes on and He says, you're not to, 50:27 you know, you're not to hook a donkey and an oxen together. 50:31 They're two different animals, and they're going 50:33 to pull differently. 50:35 And then, you know, he also talks about that people should 50:37 not be having intimate relationships with animals. 50:41 But if you sew a patch of linen on a wool garment, 50:47 it's just going to tear it out. 50:49 They don't match, they don't mix. 50:51 And I think that's the point. 50:52 I don't--I can't think of anything we wear today 50:54 that's a combination of wool and linen. 50:57 We still don't mix them in together. 50:59 Jëan: Just from practical reasons. 51:01 And also I think, if you read the whole context of the 51:03 chapter, God is making a distinction between the dress 51:07 and the traditions of the Jews to the other nations 51:11 that were around them. 51:12 Now, I don't know if the other nations mixed these different 51:14 fabrics together, but it talks about not making cuttings 51:17 in your flesh for the dead. 51:19 It talks about not shaving their heads the way the pagans did, 51:23 the nations around them. 51:25 So, God wanted them to be modest in their dress 51:27 and also to have a distinction. 51:29 They were different. 51:30 They were his people, and they were different from the nations 51:32 there in Israel or surrounding Israel. 51:35 Glenn, Ohio, welcome to the program. 51:38 Glenn: Thank you for taking my call. 51:40 Doug: Yes. 51:41 Glenn: And my question concerns the Scripture that's 51:43 very popular, and that is 2nd Corinthians 5:8 where Paul says 51:49 that he would rather be absent from the body 51:51 and present with the Lord. 51:53 I know many Christian churches use that as verification that 51:55 when you die a Christian, you go to heaven. 51:58 But Paul did not say to be absent from the body is to be 52:02 present with the Lord. 52:03 The key word is rather. 52:05 He said I would rather be absent from the body and present 52:08 with the Lord, and that includes a whole bunch of us. 52:11 I was just wondering how you folks felt about that. 52:13 Doug: Well, I agree. 52:15 I think that Paul is making a comparison here. 52:19 But for a believer, if you die, you sleep until the 52:24 resurrection, but you have no consciousness of time. 52:28 So the next thought is the resurrection. 52:31 The Bible is pretty clear that the dead in Christ rise after 52:34 the return of the Lord, not before that. 52:37 And Jesus said to Mary and Martha--they said, "Oh, we know 52:42 he'll rise up the last day." 52:45 So they were all clear. 52:46 The resurrection was in the last day, the day of the Lord, 52:49 the Second Coming. 52:51 For a believer, when you die, and you're absent from the body, 52:54 your next conscious thought is the resurrection. 52:57 So, you know, I can comfort people when they say, 53:00 "Well, he's with the Lord now." 53:02 And I'll say, "Well, he's not yet." 53:03 But for him, if a person dies, yes, their next conscious 53:07 thought is the resurrection. 53:08 But it hasn't happened yet. 53:11 The Bible is pretty clear that those that are in the graves 53:14 will hear His voice and come forth when He returns. 53:17 And that has not happened yet. 53:19 So, what would the point be of a resurrection and a judgment if 53:22 people are already in heaven? 53:25 Jëan: And, of course, we have a study guide on the subject. 53:27 It's called, "Are the Dead Really Dead?" 53:28 And we'll be happy to send this to anyone who calls and asks. 53:31 The number is 800-835-6747. 53:34 You can ask for that study guide. 53:36 It's called "Are the Dead Really Dead?" 53:37 Or dial #250 on your phone. 53:40 Say, "Bible Answers Live," and ask for that study guide, 53:42 "Are the Dead Really Dead?" 53:44 Do we have time for one more, Pastor Doug? 53:45 We can try real quick. 53:46 Ruth, in Arizona, we have about a minute. 53:49 What's your question? 53:51 Ruth: Good evening, Pastor Ross and Pastor Doug. 53:53 Our question is, we've been reading Revelation chapter 11. 53:58 Is it talking about the two witnesses? 54:01 And if so, is it Moses and Elijah? 54:04 Doug: Well, a lot of people--I'm sorry, go ahead. 54:07 Ruth: And are they going to be coming down to earth before 54:11 Jesus comes, as well? 54:14 Doug: Thank you. 54:15 No, the two witnesses are a symbol of Moses and Elijah. 54:18 Moses and Elijah are in heaven. 54:20 They've got their reward. 54:21 They're mentioned in Mark chapter 9. 54:23 They are not coming down to the earth and dying again. 54:26 Moses represents the law. 54:28 Elijah represents the prophets. 54:30 We've actually got a free book we'll send you. 54:32 It's called, "The Two Witnesses and the Glorious Mount." 54:35 If you call in, we'll send that to you. 54:37 But we're out of time for this segment of our Bible questions. 54:41 Now, let me explain. 54:43 If you've not heard this before, we have an unusual ending 54:46 for our program, because we have satellite listeners 54:48 around the country. 54:50 They're on a different clock than our land-based stations. 54:53 And so we sign off with our satellite friends and to tell 54:56 them, au revoir until next week. 54:59 Everyone else stay tuned. 55:00 Pastor Ross and I are coming back in just 55:02 a couple of minutes. 55:04 We're going to take your rapid-fire Bible questions that 55:06 you've sent to us via email. 55:08 For all the rest, God bless until we study again next week. 55:11 ♪♪♪ 55:13 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. 55:29 Jëan: Hello, friends, and welcome back again 55:31 to Bible Answers Live. 55:32 We want to thank all of those who emailed us 55:34 your Bible question. 55:35 If you'd like to send us a Bible question via email, it's just 55:38 BALquestions@amazingfacts.org. 55:42 That's BALquestions@amazingfacts.org. 55:45 Pastor Doug, here's the first one. 55:47 It came from Capetown, South Africa. 55:48 I know that place quite well. 55:50 Doug: It's where you were born. Jëan: That's right. 55:51 The question is, is Satan the scapegoat described 55:54 in Leviticus chapter 16? 55:57 After all, it says both goats needed to be blemish-free. 56:01 Doug: Well, every creature that was brought to the 56:03 sanctuary needed to be blemish-free, 56:06 because it was a holy environment. 56:09 But the question is, what's the significance 56:10 on the day of atonement? 56:12 There was two goats. 56:13 One goat is called the Lord's goat. 56:15 It doesn't say both goats were called the Lord's goats. 56:17 So right away, that means the other goat 56:19 is not the Lord's goat. 56:21 And one dies for sin. 56:25 That's the Lord's goat, which is a symbol of Jesus. 56:26 The other one does not die. 56:28 It's not sacrificed. 56:29 The sins of the people for the year are placed on that goat. 56:33 It's taken away from the sanctuary, and it's released in 56:36 the wilderness by a fit man. 56:39 That's been understood by many, and I'm one of those, that this 56:42 is a symbol how ultimately the guilt 56:45 and responsibility of all sin. 56:46 Jesus does not bear sins forever. 56:48 He says he's coming without sin the second time. 56:52 The ultimate responsibility is going to fall on the devil, 56:56 and he's often pictured even as a goat. 56:59 So we think this other goat, the scapegoat, is the devil, 57:04 and the Lord's goat is the Lord. 57:06 They're not both the Lord's goats. 57:08 Jëan: Okay, great. 57:09 Next question that we have, Donnelly's asking, 57:11 is it wrong to gamble? 57:14 Doug: Yes, the Bible says do not make haste to be rich. 57:17 And the idea of getting rich quick, 57:20 is something wrong with that? 57:22 Anything that's addictive is not good. 57:24 Some people are addicted to gambling, 57:26 and their whole lives implode. 57:29 I would never recommend gambling for a Christian. 57:31 Jëan: Okay, next question. 57:33 Why does the New Jerusalem need walls and gates? 57:36 Is there anything bad outside? 57:38 Doug: Well, at first it says the wicked attack the city of 57:41 God in Revelation 20; but no, the walls are not only 57:44 to keep things out. 57:45 The walls are sometimes a border. 57:47 It just shows within these precincts is going to be the 57:50 dwelling place of the redeemed. 57:52 So, it just represents a border through eternity. 57:54 Nothing to fear. 57:56 We'll be able to fly over the walls. 57:57 Jëan: Okay, next question that we have, 57:59 this one's interesting. 58:00 It says, "I've received different answers every time 58:02 I ask some questions. 58:04 If everyone's going by the Bible, why does one pastor 58:07 answer differently from another?" 58:10 Doug: Because some are right and some are wrong. 58:12 Hey friends, we are out of time. 58:13 Good point to end on. 58:15 We hope we're telling you the truth. 58:16 It's based on the Bible. 58:17 We'll study again together next week. 58:20 ♪♪♪ 58:21 announcer: Bible Answers Live, honest and accurate 58:24 answers to your Bible questions. 58:26 ♪♪♪ |
Revised 2024-03-29