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Series Code: AFBA
Program Code: AFBA202411S
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00:03 male announcer: It is the best selling book in history. 00:05 No volume ever written has been more loved and quoted and its 00:10 words, sometimes simple and sometimes mysterious, should 00:14 always be studied carefully. 00:16 It is the Bible, the Word of God. 00:19 Welcome to "Bible Answers Live," providing accurate and practical 00:24 answers to all your Bible questions. 00:28 This broadcast is a previously recorded episode. 00:31 To receive any of the Bible resources mentioned in this 00:34 broadcast call 800-835-6747. 00:38 Once again, that's 800-835-6747. 00:43 Now here's your host from Amazing Facts International, 00:47 Pastor Jean Ross. 00:49 Jean Ross: Hello, friends. 00:51 How about an amazing fact? 00:52 In the summer of 1823 near the fork of the Grand River in 00:55 present-day South Dakota, Hugh Glass, a fur trapper and 00:59 frontiersman, encountered a grizzly bear and her two cubs. 01:03 Before he could fire his rifle, the bear charged, clawing and 01:07 biting him severely. 01:09 His fellow trappers managed to kill the bear, but Glass was 01:12 left badly mauled and unconscious. 01:15 Believing that he would soon die from his injuries, the 01:17 expedition leader, Andrew Henry, asked John Fitzgerald and a 01:22 young Jim Bridger, who would later become a legendary 01:25 mountain man himself, to stay behind with Glass until he died. 01:30 After a few days of waiting and fearing attacks by hostile 01:33 Indians, Fitzgerald and Bridger convinced of Glass's imminent 01:37 death, took his rifle, knife, and other equipment and returned 01:41 to the expedition group, reporting that Glass had died. 01:45 But against all odds, Glass survived. 01:48 He regained consciousness and he found himself alone, devoid of 01:53 his supplies, suffering from a broken leg, exposed ribs from 01:57 where the bear had torn away his flesh, and serious injuries to 02:01 his head and arms. 02:02 Nevertheless, he was determined to live and reach safety. 02:06 He used a stick to stabilize his broken leg and surviving on 02:10 wild berries and leftover meat from wolf kills, he crawled more 02:15 than 200 miles to Fort Kiowa, a journey that took him over 02:20 6 weeks. 02:21 Glass's incredible survival journey became legendary, 02:25 symbolizing the harsh realities of the American frontier and the 02:29 extreme measures that Hugh Glass took to cling to life. 02:33 You know, friends, the story reminds me of the story of Job 02:36 in the Bible who also, facing immense suffering, yet 02:40 maintained an unwavering faith in God. 02:43 During his ordeal, he declared, "Though He slay me, yet will I 02:47 trust Him." 02:49 That is Job 13:15. 02:50 Through perseverance and faith in God, we too can endure trials 02:54 and tribulations, knowing that God will ultimately deliver us 02:58 from all evil and pain and will one day make all things new. 03:02 This is the hope that has sustained Christians throughout 03:05 history, enabling them to face persecution, sorrow, and 03:10 even death. 03:11 You know, Jesus gave these words of promise to all believers. 03:15 John chapter 14 verse 1, Jesus said: 03:18 "Let not your hearts be troubled; 03:20 if you believe in God, believe also in Me. 03:23 In My Father's house," Jesus said, 03:25 "there are many mansions; if it were not so, 03:26 I would have told you. 03:29 I go to prepare a place for you," He said. 03:31 "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again 03:35 and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, 03:38 there you may be also." 03:40 That is the promise. 03:41 Jesus said He will come again. 03:43 This world is not our home, but we're looking forward to a 03:47 heavenly home, a New Jerusalem where there is peace and joy, no 03:52 more pain, no more sorrow. 03:53 God will make all things new. 03:55 And friends, do you have that hope in your heart? 03:59 Do you believe that heaven is for real, and that Jesus is 04:03 coming back and that you can have a place in that 04:06 heavenly kingdom? 04:08 I hope so. 04:09 We do have a free offer, Pastor Aron, that talks about this 04:12 wonderful hope that Christians have. 04:15 Aron Crews: Yes, we do. 04:16 And it is a booklet entitled, "Heaven: Is It for Real?" 04:20 written by actually my grandfather, Joe Crews. 04:23 And if you would like to get your hands on this for a deeper 04:26 study into the topic, you can call, as you see on the screen 04:29 if you're watching, 1-800-835-6747 and you can get 04:37 that offer right there and then. 04:39 Jean: Just call and ask for it. 04:40 Ask for it by name. 04:41 You can also get that by dialing #250 on your smartphone. 04:45 Say "Bible Answers Live" and then ask for the book by name: 04:47 "Heaven: Is It for Real?" 04:50 And you will be blessed by reading this book. 04:52 Read it, share it with your family members, give it to 04:54 a friend. 04:56 We do have hope as Christians. 04:57 This world is not our final home. 05:01 Pastor Doug is out this evening, but this is live 05:03 interactive Bible study, "Bible Answers Live." 05:06 So if you have a Bible-related question, we'd love to hear from 05:09 you this evening. 05:10 The number to call here to the studio is 800-463-7297. 05:15 That is 800-GOD-SAYS, 800-463-7297. 05:20 We want to greet all of our friends who are listening on the 05:23 various radio stations, on satellite radio, also on AFTV, 05:27 watching on the Internet. 05:29 And joining me here in the studio is Pastor Aron Crews and 05:32 he's going to be working the phones. 05:33 We appreciate him taking the time to. 05:36 He's got a wealth of information about the Bible as well. 05:39 So he'll be answering these Bible questions with me as we 05:42 take the various questions. 05:44 But Pastor Crews, before we go to the phone lines, why don't we 05:47 start with prayer? 05:49 Aron: Absolutely. 05:51 Let's bow our heads. 05:52 Dear heavenly Father, Lord, we thank You so much for this 05:54 opportunity to study Your Word and to field some of these 05:57 questions that are on so many people's minds and hearts. 06:00 So Lord, we ask for Your Spirit to be here as we share 06:04 faithfully from Your Word what the scriptures say about these 06:08 various things and give those who are inquisitive minds trying 06:11 to figure out for themselves a special blessing as they listen 06:15 for themselves, but then ultimately turn back to the 06:17 Bible and find the truth of Your Word for themselves. 06:20 We pray in Jesus's name, amen. 06:22 Jean: Amen. 06:23 All right, well, we've got a number of folks who are waiting 06:25 with their Bible question. 06:27 Who do we have first? 06:28 Aron: All right, our first question is a caller from the 06:31 great state that we're in, California, and his name is Lou, 06:34 calling in with a question about Daniel 11. 06:37 So Lou, hey, welcome to the show. 06:39 What's your question for us today? 06:42 Lou: Yeah, thank you. 06:43 My question was from-- about the king of the North and the king 06:49 of the South going to war in the very last days. 06:53 And I'm wondering if you can elaborate on that a little bit, 06:56 expand a little, and tell us who you think they might be and so 07:00 forth and so on. 07:01 Jean: Okay, great. 07:03 All right, we appreciate the question. 07:04 Of course, you read about the king of the North and the king 07:06 of the South in Daniel chapter 11. 07:08 It's the longest chapter that you'll find in the book 07:10 of Daniel. 07:11 It is also the most detailed prophecy talking about the rise 07:15 and fall of different kingdoms. 07:17 So the first reference that we have to the king of the North 07:19 and the king of the South relates to different kingdoms 07:22 over time. 07:23 Of course, you have Babylon that fell to Medo-Persia, and 07:26 Medo-Persia fell to Greece. 07:28 And then the Grecian kingdom was divided up into four 07:30 different parts. 07:32 And there were two prominent generals that sort of took 07:34 charge: the one in the north and the one in the south. 07:38 The one in the south was Ptolemy and he kind of established the 07:41 Ptolemy dynasty or Ptolemy dynasty, depending how you 07:44 pronounce it. 07:45 The Seleucid dynasty was in the north and the two powers, the 07:50 king of the North and the king of the South, through much of 07:53 the chapter describes their activities. 07:56 They were going back and forth to war. 07:57 Now, the reason those two are mentioned is because the people 08:00 of God, Jerusalem, was right in the middle, between the king of 08:03 the North and the king of the South. 08:05 And so every time they would embark on a military campaign, 08:08 it would very often affect the people of God, and Israel would 08:11 change hands from the power of the Grecian Empire back to 08:15 the Egyptians. 08:16 It would go back and forth. 08:18 But when you get to Revelation chapter the king of the North 08:20 and the king of the South, even a little before that actually, 08:23 the king of the North begins to take on more of a role of, 08:26 first, Pagan Rome. 08:27 And then it follows with Papal Rome, and much of the chapter 08:31 nearing the end deals with the king of the North representing 08:34 the papal power. 08:35 And the king of the South has been identified in two ways. 08:38 The one would be the king of the South would represent those 08:41 religions that are opposed to God, sort of paganism and even 08:47 atheism that we see coming up during the French revolution. 08:50 Some new interpretations, especially as you relate to 08:53 Chapter 40, I feel that perhaps the king of the South might be a 08:57 coalition of some atheistic kingdoms or powers that are 09:02 backing Islamic nations. 09:05 Of course, Egypt today is Islamic. 09:07 So some are suggesting maybe you have on the one side, you have 09:10 the Western powers supporting the papal power and you have 09:14 China, maybe even North Korea and Russia and some of these 09:17 others supporting the Islamic nations. 09:20 And maybe there's a big showdown. 09:21 Now, of course, chapter 40 onwards is still in the future. 09:25 So some of the specifics of this we don't quite yet know, but 09:29 that's the leading interpretation that-- the 09:31 leading idea as to who the king of the North and the king of the 09:34 South is. 09:35 It is a very detailed study. 09:36 And if you'd like to learn more about that, I'd encourage you to 09:39 take a look at some of the resources at Amazing Facts. 09:42 But it is fascinating and we're living right around that time 09:45 period after verse 40 that you read about in Daniel chapter 11. 09:50 All right, thank you, Lou. 09:51 Who do we have next? 09:53 Aron: All right, our next caller, his name is Patrick, 09:54 calling in from Canada. 09:56 Seems like, Patrick, you have a question about the Apocrypha. 09:59 Welcome to the show. 10:00 Patrick: Good evening. 10:02 Yes, my question is about the 54 books of the Apocrypha and 10:08 its relationship to the Bible. 10:10 I'm not sure if it has a relationship or I just want to 10:13 find out if it's inspired or not. 10:16 Jean: Okay, very good. 10:17 The apocryphal books, you'll sometimes find it in 10:21 the Catholic Bible. 10:22 You don't often find it in Protestant Bibles. 10:24 The reason for that is that when the Reformers were working on 10:27 putting together what we call the Canon of Scripture or the 10:29 Bible as we have it now, they recognized that the apocryphal 10:33 books didn't really line up with the other inspired books of the 10:37 Bible for several reasons. 10:39 For one, the authorship of some of the apocryphal books is 10:43 somewhat questionable. 10:45 Sometimes somebody would write a book and then they would ascribe 10:48 a name of a famous Bible character like Enoch or 10:51 something like that. 10:53 But it wasn't really the one who wrote the book, to kind of give 10:56 it credence. 10:57 Also some of the doctrine of some of the apocryphal books 11:01 actually contradict Old Testament passages as well as 11:04 the New Testament books written by Paul and the apostles. 11:07 There is some interesting history that you can read about 11:10 in the apocryphal, especially in the books of Maccabees. 11:12 But they're more historical and they describe that time period 11:15 from sort of the inter Testament time periods that bring you from 11:21 the last book written, Malachi, up until Matthew, what was 11:24 happening in Israel during that time. 11:26 So the reason they're not part of the Bible is because the 11:28 Protestants recognized that they're not inspired. 11:32 They're not on the same level as the rest of scripture and the-- 11:36 who the author is, is somewhat questionable at some of 11:38 the books. 11:39 So that's why you don't find it in the Protestant Bible. 11:43 Aron: Yeah, great answer. 11:44 All right, next question. 11:45 Our next caller is calling in from Ohio and we have Glenn here 11:49 with us on the line. 11:50 Hi, Glenn, what is your question for us this evening? 11:53 Glenn: Yes, good evening. 11:55 Thank you, gentlemen, for taking my call. 11:57 You know, when a person is converted, they are forgiven. 12:03 And then with the application of 1 John 1:9, if they do bad 12:07 they can be forgiven until the end or they can jump off the 12:11 wagon anytime and jump back on. 12:13 The love of God covers them during that period of gestation. 12:17 But if they do endure unto the end, Matthew 24:13 tells us 12:22 they will receive the gift of salvation and they receive it 12:26 eternally secure. 12:28 So therefore, the answer to the question, "Can a saved man 12:32 choose to be lost?" is wondrously, no. 12:36 Jean: All right, well, yeah, let me share a little bit about that 12:40 because it sounds like, yeah, you made an 12:41 interesting statement. 12:43 Can a saved man choose to be lost? 12:45 Well, I think we have freedom of choice. 12:47 Even a converted person doesn't lose their freedom of choice. 12:50 That's why the Bible, as you mentioned, Jesus said, "He that 12:53 endures to the end shall be saved." 12:54 But for someone that is trusting in Jesus, that is surrendering 12:58 to Him, Jesus promises that they are secure. 13:02 No one can take them out of His hand, but they can still choose 13:06 if they will. 13:08 So if we're trusting in Jesus, we can have confidence that He 13:11 forgives us, 1 John 1, verse 9: "If we confess our sins, He is 13:14 faithful and just to forgive us, to cleanse us for 13:15 all unrighteousness." 13:17 And as long as we are abiding in Him, as Jesus said, "Abide in Me 13:20 and I in you, as the branch cannot be a fruit of itself 13:22 except that abide in the vine, neither can you except you abide 13:25 in Me." 13:26 And Jesus says if you do not abide, they will be removed, the 13:29 branch will be removed from the vine. 13:30 So yes, there is an abiding that's needed and we choose 13:35 to abide. 13:36 It's something that we do. 13:37 We still have freedom right up until, you know, Jesus comes, we 13:41 can choose. 13:42 So nobody loses that freedom to choose. 13:45 We choose to be saved and we choose to remain in a saving 13:48 relationship with Jesus. 13:49 And as long as we are doing that, we have no fear that we'll 13:52 be lost because we are trusting in Him, and His blood cleanses 13:55 us from all sin. 13:57 You know, we do have a book called, "Can a Saved Man Choose 13:59 to Be Lost?" 14:00 I think that deals with this question exactly. 14:02 And we'll be happy to send it to anyone who calls and asks. 14:05 What's the number? 14:06 Aron: It's 1-800-835-6747 to get that. 14:12 I think that's the title of the book: "Can a Saved Man Choose to 14:14 Be Lost?" 14:16 Jean: And it explains that and gives a whole lot of scripture. 14:18 So yes, Glenn, call and ask for that. 14:20 You can also dial #250 on your smartphone. 14:23 Just say "Bible Answers Live" and then ask for the book, "Can 14:26 a Man--a Saved Man Choose to Be Lost?" 14:28 and we'll give you a digital download. 14:30 You'll be able to read it right away. 14:32 All right, who do we have next? 14:34 Aron: All right, our next caller is Shannon, calling in 14:36 from Georgia. 14:38 It looks like you have a question about the book 14:40 of Hebrews. 14:41 Hi, Shannon, welcome. 14:43 Shannon: Hi, yes, I'm calling-- I've been searching to find out 14:49 who wrote the book of Hebrews and some of the writing sounds 14:52 like Paul, but I can't find anywhere where it actually says 14:56 he wrote the book of Hebrews or who wrote the book of Hebrews. 15:00 Jean: Okay, good question. 15:02 You're right, the book of Hebrews does not give 15:04 its authorship. 15:05 It almost appears as though the author was recognized by the 15:09 reader as being somebody having authority. 15:12 Also, when you read Hebrews, you understand that whoever wrote 15:15 the book was very much aware of the Jewish system, the Old 15:19 Testament, the sacrifices, the priesthood, the sanctuary, and 15:22 everything associated with that. 15:24 And of course, he brings the connection between the sacrifice 15:26 representing Jesus, the priesthood representing Jesus. 15:29 He goes into great detail, talks about the heavenly sanctuary 15:32 where Jesus ministers as a high priest. 15:34 And even though it's not clearly stated, many Bible scholars 15:38 believe that actually Paul is the one that wrote Hebrews, even 15:41 though the language might be a little different in some way. 15:44 So sounds a little different from Romans, but remember the 15:47 audience was different. 15:48 So Romans was primarily to a Gentile audience, but Hebrews 15:52 was written to a Jewish audience. 15:54 But just the depth of knowledge and understanding of the Jewish 15:59 system as well as the fact that the author was considered to be 16:03 an authority, to be an apostle, many believe that that was Paul 16:06 who wrote the book of Hebrews. 16:08 Aron: When we get to heaven, we'll know for sure. 16:09 Jean: We'll know for sure, yeah. 16:10 Aron: We'll know for sure. 16:12 All right, our next caller is Gary, calling in from Illinois. 16:15 Hello, we've got Gary here. 16:18 Welcome to the program. 16:19 Gary: Thank you. 16:21 In Revelation 16, the Euphrates River dries up, demons are 16:25 released enticing the kings of the world to meet at Armageddon. 16:29 If a nuclear war should happen, would the hail, the size of a 16:32 talent be the outcome of that war, which is mentioned at the 16:37 end of chapter 16? 16:40 Jean: Okay, well, good question. 16:41 Yes, you read about this in Revelation chapter 16, verse 12, 16:45 where it talks about the drying up of the River Euphrates. 16:47 Now, this is part of what we call the seven last plagues. 16:51 It's actually the sixth plague. 16:52 And you start reading in verse 12 through to verse 16. 16:55 So there are a series of plagues that come upon the earth just 16:58 before Jesus comes. 17:00 And when it talks about a hail falling upon the earth and a 17:03 great earthquake, which is the seventh plague, that brings you 17:06 right up till the Second Coming of Christ. 17:08 So these plagues take place before Jesus comes. 17:11 The first plague, if you read about it, it's a terrible sore 17:14 that develops upon people and then it talks about the sea 17:16 turning to blood, then the rivers turning to blood and then 17:19 the sun scorches men with intense heat and so on and 17:22 so forth. 17:23 So these are literal plagues that will come upon the earth. 17:25 It hasn't happened yet. 17:27 It happens after probation closes. 17:29 So when Michael stands up in Daniel chapter 12, Jesus says, 17:33 He that is holy, let him be holy still. 17:34 He's that filthy, let him be filthy still. 17:37 That's Revelation 22. 17:38 Probation closes. 17:40 The righteous are sealed, the wicked have the mark of the 17:42 beast, and then the seven last plagues fall. 17:46 And the drying up of the River Euphrates is an interesting 17:48 plague because it has a symbolic application. 17:51 It's not only referring to the literal River Euphrates which 17:53 very well could dry up, but if you go back in Bible history, 17:57 you have the city of Babylon. 18:00 This is during the time of the Jewish captivity, the Jews are 18:02 captive in Babylon. 18:04 And in order for the Jews to be set free to go back to 18:06 Jerusalem, you have Cyrus who is the Medo-Persian leader 18:12 or general. 18:14 And in order for them to conquer Babylon, they dried up the River 18:16 Euphrates which ran diagonally through the ancient city 18:19 of Babylon. 18:20 They diverted the waters into some marsh areas and, as the 18:24 river lowered, they were able to march their soldiers under the 18:27 massive city walls, and in one night, Babylon fell. 18:30 After the fall of Babylon, Cyrus allowed the Jews to go back and 18:34 start rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem. 18:36 So symbolically, when you see the drying up of the River 18:40 Euphrates, it represents that God's people are soon to be 18:43 delivered from symbolic Babylon and taken to the New Jerusalem. 18:48 Now, water in Bible prophecy, according to Revelation chapter 18:51 17, represents multitude in nations and kindreds 18:54 and tongues. 18:56 And so this counterfeit religious system in the last 18:58 days referred to as Babylon in Revelation 17, just before Jesus 19:02 comes, the support that people are giving to this apostate 19:07 religious system will be withdrawn because the previous 19:11 plague talks about darkness upon the seat of the beast. 19:13 So people suddenly realize, hey, we've been deceived by this 19:15 power and they withdraw their support. 19:18 That prepares the way for the Second Coming of Christ. 19:21 So this is a great study. 19:22 It's referring to something yet in the future. 19:24 And this is part of the seven last plagues that you read about 19:26 in Revelation 16. 19:28 Hopefully, that helps. 19:29 Thank you, Gary. 19:30 Aron: All right, our next caller is calling in from Canada, 19:33 up north. 19:34 Caller named Deborah. 19:36 Deborah, welcome to the show. 19:38 What is your question for us this evening? 19:40 Deborah: Hello, Pastors. 19:42 How are you? 19:43 Jean: Good, thank you. 19:44 Deborah: I have a question about Mark 14, verses 51 and 52. 19:49 I have to tell you that when I read it, I got emotional. 19:54 Other people have told me that it's, you know, Mark making a 19:57 cameo appearance and I've looked up the word "nakedness" and I've 20:00 looked up the word "linen" because of the two things that 20:04 the story tells us. 20:06 And nakedness is mentioned 104 times in the Bible, and linen 20:11 represents purity, and nakedness could be-- it could mean other 20:15 things other than shameful in the Bible, depending on where 20:19 it's used. 20:20 So, could you tell me who he was or who you think he is? 20:24 And is there a significance to this? 20:27 I don't believe it's just a filler in the Bible. 20:29 And I don't really-- because of how emotional I got, I believe 20:34 there is something to this story. 20:36 Jean: Yeah, absolutely. 20:38 Let me share what we have here. 20:39 So, yes, you find this in Mark chapter 14. 20:41 This is at the time of the arrest of Jesus. 20:44 When the religious leaders came with the Roman soldiers, they 20:48 met Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. 20:49 You'll remember how Peter pulled out his sword and chopped off 20:52 the high priest servant's ear. 20:54 Jesus healed the servant and then He allowed Himself to 20:58 be arrested. 21:00 And as He's being taken away, the disciples all began to 21:04 run away. 21:05 And apparently there was a young man who heard about what 21:10 was happening. 21:11 The reason it says he was wearing a linen, it's late 21:14 at night. 21:15 He probably just grabbed a blanket or whatever he had. 21:18 He heard about this and he came out to see what was going on and 21:22 as they arrested Jesus and took Him to Caiaphas, the high 21:25 priest, for this trial, they wanted to grab as many of His 21:29 followers as well, and it seems as though the Romans grabbed a 21:32 hold of this young man and him filled with fear just took off 21:36 running in his birthday suit, so to speak. 21:39 So people believe that the reason it's even mentioned there 21:42 is that it could very well be Mark himself. 21:44 He was a young man at the time. 21:46 Mark, of course, wrote the book. 21:47 He wasn't officially one of the disciples of Jesus, but he was 21:50 there at the time and he received an eyewitness account 21:55 that came from the apostles when he wrote the book of Mark. 21:58 So yes, we believe that was him. 22:00 The point being here is that really everybody deserted Jesus 22:04 and they ran for their lives and that was a prophecy that Jesus 22:07 had mentioned would take place. 22:09 It says, "The shepherd shall be smitten and the sheep 22:12 shall disperse." 22:14 They will run away. 22:15 And that's what happened to the disciples of Christ at 22:16 that time. 22:18 Later on, you read about John and Peter that follow Jesus at a 22:22 distance and they went into Caiaphas's high-- a high 22:26 priest's place, at least the compound, and they were there. 22:29 But it seems that this young man from all accounts, as far as we 22:32 know, it was probably Mark and he ran away along with the 22:36 other disciples. 22:37 Aron: Yeah, another point is it's significant that it's only 22:39 the Gospel of Mark that records this little incident here. 22:42 So it's not unusual, we have the Gospel of John where, you know, 22:46 it's quite clear that John wrote the Gospel of John. 22:48 John never actually fully identifies himself as the 22:51 author, right? 22:53 So Mark could have been, you know, throwing this personal 22:54 anecdote in there as well without claiming, you know, 22:57 like, "Hey, this was me, by the way and I wrote this Gospel." 23:00 Jean: Yeah, he's sort of saying, "Hey, I was there, I can verify. 23:02 I'm an eyewitness account. 23:03 This is what happened to me, but I was there when Jesus 23:05 was arrested." 23:06 Very good. 23:08 Thank you, Deborah. 23:09 Who do we have next? 23:11 Aron: All right, next we have Christopher calling in 23:12 from California. 23:13 Hi there, Christopher. 23:15 Welcome to our show. 23:16 What's your question for us this evening? 23:17 Christopher: Good evening. 23:19 My question is: When is the close of probation 23:20 for everybody? 23:21 Jean: Okay, good question. 23:23 Yes, the Bible doesn't give us the exact time when probation 23:25 will close. 23:27 There are certain things that prophecy foretells needs to take 23:30 place before probation closes. 23:32 So we know for one that probation hasn't closed yet. 23:35 For example, some of the signs that Jesus gave, He said, "This 23:38 gospel of the kingdom must be preached to all the world as a 23:41 witness unto all nations, then the end will come." 23:43 If you're still preaching the gospel that means probation is 23:46 not closed. 23:47 You can also read in Revelation chapter 18, there is a 23:51 description of a mighty angel. 23:52 We call him the fourth angel of Revelation 18, because in 23:55 chapter 14, you have three angels and now you have this 23:57 fourth angel. 23:58 It says, "The earth is illuminated with his glory and 24:00 he cries mightily with a strong voice. 24:03 'Babylon is fallen, is fallen.'" 24:04 And that's referring to a special outpouring of the Holy 24:07 Spirit and a great awakening amongst God's people in taking 24:11 the last warning message to the world. 24:13 As we saw at Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came upon the 24:16 apostles and the gospel went forth with power, we will see a 24:20 similar thing just before probation closes. 24:23 That has not happened yet. 24:24 So we know that is still to come. 24:26 We also know that before probation closes, there is going 24:30 to be the issue of the mark of the beast. 24:32 In other words, people will be forced to make a decision. 24:34 Are they going to worship God according to the commandments, 24:37 or are they going to set aside one of God's commandments in 24:40 order to worship according to the beast power that's described 24:43 there in Revelation chapter 13? 24:45 That hasn't happened yet. 24:47 So there's a couple of things that still have to take place 24:49 and once these things have taken place and the loud cry is given, 24:53 then at some point, Jesus says it's over. 24:55 Now, Daniel chapter 12 verse 1, it says Michael stands up. 24:58 Michael is the prophetic name of Christ and there is a time of 25:01 trouble, worse than the world has ever seen. 25:03 That's when the seven last plagues will be poured out. 25:06 But at that time, Thy people shall be delivered, everyone 25:09 found written in the book. 25:10 Well, that's the Second Coming of Christ when the righteous 25:12 will be delivered. 25:13 So close of probation still in the future. 25:16 But of course, for us individually, probation can 25:19 close any time, right? 25:20 Because when a person dies, their probation is closed, their 25:24 decisions have been made. 25:25 That's why the Bible says, "Today is the day of salvation. 25:28 Do not harden your heart." 25:30 So every day we want to make that choice to surrender 25:33 to Jesus. 25:34 Thank you, Christopher. 25:35 Appreciate your call. 25:37 Aron: Amen, great, great answer. 25:38 And I love that emphasis on, you know, the Bible says, you know, 25:40 Jesus says, "I'm coming soon. 25:42 I'm coming soon." 25:43 Well, that was 2000 years ago, but we do believe He's coming 25:45 soon, but everyone's individual probation could close before the 25:49 corporate final close of probation. 25:52 All right, Lee we have calling in from Texas. 25:55 Welcome, Lee, to the show. 25:57 What is your question for us this evening? 26:00 Lee: Yes, my question is: Why is Greek mythology closely linked 26:04 to the Bible? 26:05 Jean: Well, when you talk about Greek mythology closely linked 26:08 to the Bible, all pagan religions have certain kernels 26:12 of truth because in reality, paganism is really the religion 26:16 inspired by the devil himself. 26:18 And yes, there is a controversy between good and evil. 26:21 Sometimes you'll read about a fall; even in certain pagan 26:24 mythologies, you even have a tree. 26:27 Of course, it's all twisted. 26:29 The serpent or the dragon also has significance in paganism. 26:32 Of course, you read about the serpent in Genesis. 26:34 So, yes, there are some connections because, you know, 26:37 paganism was inspired by the devil. 26:39 Greek mythology for the most part was built upon these pagan 26:43 religious teachings that are false. 26:46 Although, you know, a lot of Greek mythology is just made up 26:50 as well. 26:52 It's not the truth. 26:53 The Bible has the final word. 26:54 The Bible is the truth. 26:56 But there are some interesting things even in some remote 26:58 tribal groups, they talk about a flood that you read about in 27:01 Genesis, different ideas of it. 27:03 But you get kernels of truth scattered. 27:06 Well, friends, we're going to take a short break and then 27:08 we'll be back with more of your Bible questions. 27:10 So stand by, we'll be back in just a moment. 27:13 ♪♪♪ 27:17 announcer: Stay tuned. 27:18 "Bible Answers Live" will return shortly. 27:24 announcer: Jerusalem, the City of Peace, has been a place of 27:28 unending conflict for centuries. 27:30 Many now believe that Jerusalem will soon take center 27:33 stage again. 27:34 But what does the Bible say? 27:36 "The Fall and Rise of Jerusalem" presents the vital history you 27:39 need to know about Jerusalem and its role in endtime 27:43 Bible prophecy. 27:44 This "Amazing Facts" edition of the classic volume, "The Great 27:47 Controversy," is the perfect sharing book. 27:50 Get your copy at afbookstore.com. 27:54 announcer: In 6 days, God created the heavens and 27:57 the earth. 27:59 For thousands of years, man has worshiped God on the seventh day 28:03 of the week. 28:04 Now, each week, millions of people worship on the first day. 28:08 What happened? 28:09 Why did God create a day of rest? 28:12 Does it really matter what day we worship? 28:14 Who was behind this great shift? 28:16 Discover the truth behind God's law and how it was changed. 28:20 Visit SabbathTruth.com. 28:25 announcer: Find out what the critics are raving about. 28:28 Top scholars and theologians from around the country come 28:31 together to reveal the hidden history of the book 28:33 of Revelation. 28:35 With powerful reenactments and incredible visual effects, this 28:39 95-minute masterpiece brings to life the book of Revelation like 28:43 never before. 28:44 Revelation is no longer a mystery. 28:46 Get your copy today. 28:48 Visit iTunes or AFBOOKSTORE.COM. 28:51 ♪♪♪ 28:54 ♪♪♪ 28:58 announcer: You're listening to "Bible Answers Live" where every 29:01 question answered provides a clearer picture of God and His 29:04 plan to save you. 29:06 So what are you waiting for? 29:08 Get practical answers about the Good Book for a better 29:11 life today. 29:15 announcer: This broadcast is a previously recorded episode. 29:18 If you'd like answers to your Bible-related questions on the 29:20 air, please call us next Sunday between 7 p.m. 29:24 and 8 p.m. Pacific Time. 29:27 To receive any of the Bible resources mentioned in this 29:29 evening's program call 800-835-6747. 29:34 Once again, that's 800-835-6747. 29:40 Now let's rejoin our hosts for 29:42 more "Bible Answers Live." 29:45 Jean: Hello, friends. 29:47 Welcome back to "Bible Answers Live." 29:48 This is a live interactive international Bible study. 29:51 We want to welcome you with your Bible questions. 29:53 If you have a Bible question, the phone line is 800-835-6747. 29:59 My name is Jean Ross. 30:00 Pastor Doug is out of town this evening but working the phones 30:03 and helping answer the Bible questions is Pastor Aron Crews 30:06 who is one of our pastors at the Granite Bay Hilltop Church. 30:10 He's actually our young adult pastor. 30:13 Glad you're able to help us with "Bible Answers Live." 30:15 Aron: Yeah, definitely. 30:17 And I want to give a special greeting to those who-- of 30:18 course, multiple avenues that people can listen to the 30:22 program, but also want to give a shout to those who are listening 30:25 through 3ABN as well as the local radio station KPGC in 30:31 Norman, Arkansas, and KTIE in Glendale, California. 30:35 So thanks so much for tuning in. 30:37 Now, we're going to continue on with our live questions and we 30:40 have Terrence calling in from North Carolina. 30:44 Hello, Terrence, welcome to the show. 30:47 What is your question for us this evening? 30:50 Terrence: Yes, Pastor Ross, Pastor Crews. 30:52 I just have a question. 30:54 It's a simple one for you tonight. 30:55 What were Jesus's last words? 30:57 Was it Luke 23:46, Psalms 22:1, or John 19:30? 31:04 I think it's Luke 23:46 but it's conflicting. 31:09 Jean: Okay, yes, I think you're right. 31:11 I mean, there's a number of words that Jesus spoke and not 31:15 all of the Gospels record all of His words, but if you take the 31:19 different statements of Christ from all of the Gospels, you 31:23 come up with with what the total is. 31:25 Luke 23:46 says: "And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, 31:29 He said, 'Father into Your hands, I commit My Spirit.' 31:32 Having said this, He breathed His last." 31:35 So yes, from the verse, it appears pretty clear that this 31:39 was the last thing that Jesus said. 31:42 Incidentally, it's actually a quote, a quote from Psalms 31, 31:46 verse 5, that Jesus was quoting. 31:49 A number of the statements Jesus made from the cross were 31:52 actually quotes from the Old Testament, much from the book 31:56 of Psalms. 31:57 Part of that is that Jesus wanted to direct those who were 32:00 at the cross to go back and to read these passages of scripture 32:04 to help validate that He was indeed the Messiah, the 32:07 fulfillment of these various prophecies that you find in the 32:10 Old Testament. 32:12 So, yes, Luke chapter 23:46 seems to be the final words that 32:17 Jesus spoke when He said, "Into Thy hands I commit My Spirit" 32:20 and then He died. 32:21 All right, thank you, Terrence. 32:22 Who do we have next? 32:24 Aron: All right, we've got Esther calling 32:25 in from California with a question about animals. 32:28 Hello, Esther. 32:30 Esther: Hello, Pastor. 32:31 I recently saw a documentary about beavers and bees and how 32:37 they keep the Sabbath. 32:39 I was just wondering, do animals praise God? 32:42 Jean: Okay, well, indirectly. 32:45 You know, they don't consciously say, "All right, we're going to 32:47 worship God," or praise God. 32:49 But when you look at the marvels of creation and you look at what 32:54 animals do and you look at how they are made, you can see 32:58 evidence of a Creator. 33:00 You can see the handiwork of God in the things that He has made. 33:04 And so when you look at a hummingbird and you see its 33:07 beautiful colors and you see how that it can drink nectar from a 33:11 flower while it's flying and yet it has such endurance to fly 33:14 long distances. 33:15 That's all evidence that there is a Creator God. 33:18 So in them just doing what they were made to do, they're in 33:21 essence praising God. 33:23 They're revealing the glories of God. 33:25 Not that they purposely gather together. 33:28 In other words, when a bird sings, he sings because he's a 33:30 bird, but he's doing what God made him to do. 33:34 And that in a sense is praising God. 33:36 So yeah, very good observation. 33:38 Aron: Yeah, just a couple of verses along those lines. 33:41 We have Psalm 148. 33:42 Read a couple of verses here, starting in verse 1, which says: 33:45 "Praise the Lord! 33:46 Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise Him in 33:48 the heights! 33:49 Praise Him, all the angels; praise Him, all the hosts! 33:50 Praise Him, sun and moon; praise Him, all you stars of light! 33:55 Praise Him, you heavens of heavens, and you waters above 33:58 the heavens! 33:59 Let them praise the name of the Lord." 34:01 So here we have intangible things, the light, the sun, the 34:05 moon, the stars, who the Psalmist says, "Praise 34:08 Him," right? 34:09 And I love what you said there, Jean, that when something is 34:12 created by God, an animal, a sun, a moon, and they're simply 34:16 doing what they were created to do, in that sense they're really 34:21 giving praise to God. 34:22 And so we--we have a-- we're made in the image of God and we 34:26 have you could say a higher degree of consciousness and when 34:29 we intentionally and purposely do what God created us to do 34:34 that is what matters the most for us, so--. 34:37 Jean: And we're praising God in that sense. 34:39 Aron: Amen, amen, amen. 34:40 All right, our next caller who is a first-time caller, calling 34:44 in from Virginia, Keliah. 34:47 Thank you so much for calling in, and your question for us 34:51 this evening is? 34:53 Keliah: Yes, I was calling to find out does the devil worship 34:57 on Sabbath, because I have a definition from the dictionary 35:04 that says the Sabbath is a meeting of witches. 35:08 Jean: Okay, well, you know, whatever that definition is, 35:11 from the dictionary, is wrong. 35:13 The Sabbath was created by God. 35:15 It's a memorial of His creative work. 35:17 It is a day of worship. 35:18 The righteous worship on the day God set aside because that's 35:22 what He asked us to do. 35:23 God's people throughout time have recognized Him as the 35:26 Creator and have remembered the Sabbath to keep it holy. 35:28 The devil does not worship God. 35:30 He hates God and he hates anything that connects people to 35:34 God, and the Sabbath would be one of those things. 35:37 So the devil is doing his very best to cause people to ignore 35:40 or forget this wonderful truth because, you know, Jesus wants 35:44 to spend time with us. 35:45 Christ is the Creator God. 35:47 He's made us and He set aside a day where we can actually enter 35:50 into His presence in a special way. 35:52 It doesn't mean we can't worship Him throughout the week. 35:54 But this is a time that He has set aside for us to gather to 35:58 worship, and He wants to bless us with His presence in a 36:02 special way on the seventh day. 36:03 And always reminding us that He's the one that made us. 36:06 We didn't make ourselves. 36:08 So the devil hates the Sabbath. 36:09 He hates worship. 36:11 And yeah, the Sabbath is a good thing, according to the Bible. 36:15 We do have a study guide that talks about the Sabbath and you 36:18 might enjoy reading it. 36:19 All you need to do is call and ask. 36:21 It's called, "The Forgotten Day in History." 36:24 "Forgotten Day in History." 36:25 And it's about the Sabbath, what the Bible says. 36:27 If you'd like to receive it, the number to call is 800-835-6747. 36:32 Or you can dial #250 on your smartphone. 36:36 Just say "Bible Answers Live" and then say, "I want that study 36:38 guide called 'Forgotten Day in History'" or while you're on the 36:42 phone, if you call and you're speaking to one of the 36:44 operators, you can sign up for free to the Amazing Facts 36:48 Bible School. 36:49 We have a set of lessons. 36:50 We'll mail it to you. 36:52 You'll be able to read through them, look them-- look up 36:53 the Bible verses, and you'll be able to fill in the quiz, 36:56 send it back to us. 36:58 And when you've done the whole course, you will get a 37:00 certificate of completion from Amazing Facts. 37:02 It's free. 37:04 So take advantage of that. 37:05 You will be blessed. 37:06 All right, who do we have next? 37:08 Aron: All right, thank you. 37:09 Our next caller, calling in from New York, has a great name, 37:12 Eron, which is my name. 37:14 Eron, welcome to the program. 37:16 Looks like you have a question about Proverbs chapter 3, eh? 37:18 Eron: I do, Aron. 37:20 Jean: Thanks for calling, and your question tonight? 37:22 Eron: My question is: What is the meaning of that verse, 37:25 especially the word "acknowledge"? 37:27 Jean: Okay, let me read it. 37:29 Proverbs chapter 3, verse 6. It says: "In all of your ways 37:31 acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths." 37:34 So the word there, "acknowledge," means to inquire 37:38 and submit to His plans and purposes. 37:42 In other words, if you want God to direct your ways, you need to 37:47 be willing to go in the way that He leads. 37:50 You can't say, "All right, Lord, I'm going to do my own thing and 37:52 I hope this is part of Your plan." 37:54 No, if you really want God to bless, then you need to say, 37:56 "Lord, what is Your plan?" 37:58 And that's what it means when it says, "Acknowledge Him." 38:00 In other words, seek His will. 38:02 Say, "Lord, what do You want me to do?" 38:04 We want to search the scriptures, make sure that what 38:06 we are wanting to do is in harmony with the principles 38:09 given in the Bible. 38:10 Sometimes we might need to seek some godly counsel from others. 38:14 But at the end of the day, if we know this is in harmony with the 38:17 will of God, and we say, "Lord, if it's Your will, then through 38:21 providence, open up the doors. 38:22 Close doors if You don't want me to go a certain way." 38:25 We can trust that God is going to lead us. 38:28 So to acknowledge Him is to seek His will and then follow it, and 38:32 not doing your own thing, but saying, 38:34 "Lord, Your will be done." 38:36 So that's the key. 38:38 Aron: That's right. 38:39 Great question though, very, very practical. 38:41 Jean: Oh, you know what, I just remembered a book. 38:43 Pastor Doug wrote a book called, "Determining the Will of God," 38:45 and it's free. 38:47 We'll send it to anyone who calls and asks. 38:49 The number is 800-835-6747. 38:52 It deals with this very verse. 38:54 Call and ask. 38:55 It's called, "Determining the Will of God." 38:57 All right, thanks, Eron. 38:58 Who do we have next? 38:59 Aron: All right, another caller in from New York and it's Phil. 39:02 Phil, you have an interesting question for us this evening. 39:05 What is it? 39:06 Phil: I hope I do. 39:07 Thank you very much. 39:09 I'll just take a second to say your explanation about the 39:11 Euphrates was really superb because it ties together 39:15 religious and secular history. 39:17 It was excellent. 39:19 Jean: Amen, well, thank you. 39:20 Phil: My question is: Do you believe that the woke culture 39:25 and Marxist globalist ideology are somehow connected to the one 39:31 world system of the Antichrist? 39:34 Jean: Okay, well, good question. 39:36 Well, in 1798 you had the French Revolution, which really was the 39:41 beginning of a nation claiming atheism. 39:44 And of course, Marxism or Marx, Karl Marx, and what he wrote, 39:48 which kind of came out of that French Revolution, influenced 39:52 communism, atheism, evolution, and many other ISMs, 39:57 materialism, and so on and so forth. 39:59 Sort of was the catalyst for that. 40:02 What is interesting is that there are two extremes and, of 40:06 course, we can see this in our world today. 40:08 On the one hand, you would have what we maybe consider the 40:12 Liberal or the left side of things. 40:14 On the other, you'd have the Conservatives and maybe consider 40:17 that the right side, if you're dealing with politics. 40:19 But what the Bible does tell us and these two powers, these two 40:23 philosophies, seem to be, you know, at odds with each other 40:26 and they are. 40:28 But what the Bible tells us that at the end of time, the 40:31 Antichrist's power is going to be able to pull both 40:35 groups together. 40:36 He's going to unite them for a particular cause which is going 40:41 to lead to the enforcing of the mark of the beast. 40:43 Now, we don't have time to get into the exact details. 40:45 We do have a study guide that actually talks about the mark of 40:47 the beast. 40:48 But it is interesting how that you're going to have on the one 40:51 hand, those who are very pro, you might say, environmental 40:56 movements and social justice causes, uniting with those who 41:00 are directly opposite, on the religious side of things, who 41:04 believe that because of immorality, because of what the 41:08 culture is doing, the United States will be doomed unless 41:11 America gets back to God, and you have the Antichrist power 41:15 reaching sort of middle ground and pulling both 41:17 groups together. 41:19 And what is interesting about this, it's going to revolve 41:21 around a particular day. 41:24 Now, without me saying too much, get the study guide and read it, 41:28 dealing with the Antichrist's power and the mark of the beast, 41:31 but it's interesting that in the environmental movement, that 41:34 people are talking about the earth needing a day of rest, 41:37 once a week. 41:39 And on the religious side of things, you've got the religious 41:42 world saying we need to get back to God. 41:44 We need to start enforcing Sunday as a day of rest 41:47 and worship. 41:49 And it's interesting how these two ideas will eventually merge 41:51 together, being guided by the Antichrist's power in the last 41:55 days to enforce the mark of the beast. 41:58 So yes, it does. 41:59 What we see happening in politics today and around the 42:02 world, is that connected with the fulfillment of prophecy? 42:05 Absolutely. 42:06 These are signs of the times and we're living in some very 42:09 exciting times. 42:11 Aron: Yeah, and I'll just add briefly, there may be powers in 42:13 the world that seem to be totally opposite, yet both are 42:18 against or somehow contrary to the Bible and to God, and Satan 42:23 will take advantage of that. 42:25 It was, after all, the Sadducees on the left side and the 42:28 Pharisees on the right side that came together, right, along with 42:32 the state that crucified Jesus, right? 42:35 So Satan finds his friends everywhere, right? 42:39 And when it comes to attacking God's people, all the powers of 42:43 the world ultimately are going to team up together against 42:46 the righteous. 42:48 Jean: That's a good point. 42:49 You know, ultimately, we need to trust in the Bible. 42:50 We can't trust in what's happening in politics. 42:53 We can't trust in different organizations. 42:55 We've got to trust the board* of God. 42:57 That's going to be our safety in the last days. 42:59 Phil, great question. 43:00 Thanks for calling. 43:02 You might want to get that study guide called, "The Antichrist." 43:04 There's actually two: "The Mark of the Beast" 43:06 and "The Antichrist." 43:07 For anyone wanting to learn more about this very important 43:09 prophetic subject, call 800-835-6747. 43:14 Ask for those two study guides. 43:16 You'll be amazed when you read what the Bible says, who these 43:20 powers are in the last days. 43:22 Okay, who do we have next? 43:23 Aron: All right, next, we have Alexander calling in from New 43:26 York and it looks like you're a first-time caller, Alexander. 43:30 We're so excited to have you here. 43:31 Welcome to the program. 43:33 What is your question for us this evening? 43:35 Alexander: Good evening, and God bless you guys always. 43:38 Jean: Yeah, thanks. 43:40 Alexander: My question is, 'cause we're studying the great 43:44 controversy and I wanted to know if the devil had a chance to 43:51 visit all the world with his lies or was it only earth that 43:56 he got to deceive? 43:58 Jean: Okay, very good. 43:59 Well, it appears as though he did at some point. 44:02 And here's why. 44:03 In Job, you read the book of Job, it begins by talking about 44:06 a day when the sons of God came to present themselves 44:09 before God. 44:10 Now we know that these sons of God are not human beings, they 44:14 are representatives of other unfallen worlds. 44:17 The Bible in Hebrews talks about God who made the world, uses the 44:20 plural, and they are the representatives of these worlds. 44:24 And Satan shows up at this meeting and he comes 44:28 representing earth. 44:29 You see, that's why God says, "Where did you come from?" 44:31 He said, "Oh, from walking up and down on the earth," meaning 44:33 my kingdom, so the devil claims this earth is his. 44:36 So the fact that there is this meeting taking place, we would 44:40 understand that the other representatives of the other 44:43 worlds, they were aware of this rebellion. 44:46 You read in Revelation chapter 12, talks about war in heaven, 44:49 Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and his 44:52 angels, and the dragon lost and he was cast out of heaven, 44:55 probably the devil and the angels that joined his rebellion 45:00 kind of wandered through space, you might say, looking for a 45:02 place that they could claim as a capital. 45:05 They probably tempted or tried to tempt these other worlds, but 45:08 they weren't successful. 45:09 Right around that time, God then starts creating again and he 45:13 creates earth. 45:14 And the devil says, "Ah, here's my chance, man and woman created 45:18 in the image of God. 45:19 Let me see if I can deceive them." 45:20 And, of course, he comes and you know what happened 45:22 in the Garden of Eden. 45:23 So yes, the other created beings, the angels, the unfallen 45:26 world, so they're aware of this rebellion that took place. 45:31 Aron: Yeah, and I want to add one more verse there that goes 45:33 right along with what you're saying. 45:34 In Revelation 12, verse 12, it seems and the context is, is 45:38 Jesus's crucifixion and the devil being cast out in some 45:42 secondary sense, right? 45:44 It says, "Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell 45:47 in them!" 45:48 Okay, so there's this party in heaven and those who dwell there 45:51 and probably not just heaven heaven, but like, the heavens, 45:56 And it says, "Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and 45:58 the sea! 45:59 For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because 46:01 he knows that he has a short time." 46:04 So there it seems, right, that the devil after the cross in 46:08 some significant way, is sort of trapped to the earth, right? 46:12 Alluding to, before this point, he had some kind of access as we 46:17 see in the book of Job to heavens, heavenly intelligences, 46:20 other unfallen beings perhaps, to, yes, attempt to spread 46:25 his lies. 46:26 But of course, we're thankful that-- we're not thankful that 46:29 humans rebelled, but we're thankful that we are the only 46:31 planet that has rebelled and that God is working through the 46:34 plan to--. 46:36 Jean: Sort of in quarantine here on planet Earth, right? 46:38 Waiting for the restoration of all things. 46:41 All right, thank you. 46:42 Who do we have next? 46:43 Aron: All right, next, we have Jeanette calling in from 46:45 Michigan and I pastored in Michigan for almost 7 years. 46:48 So, a warm place in my heart has-- is Michigan. 46:51 So Jeanette, welcome to the program for the first time. 46:54 What's your question for us? 46:56 Jeanette: Good evening. 46:57 Aron: Good evening. 46:58 Jeanette: Good evening. 47:00 My question is in Judges chapter 19. 47:03 What happens with the Levite's concubine is really bothersome 47:07 even when she returns home in verse 29. 47:10 But my question is why do they offer their own family such as 47:16 their daughters and concubines to evil men instead of 47:19 their visitors? 47:20 Lot did the same, but he had angels. 47:22 I could understand that. 47:23 This was just, you know, random visitors, it seems. 47:26 But, you know, he offered them his daughter and concubine for 47:31 that horrible thing. 47:33 Jean: Absolutely, well, that's, you know, that's a 47:35 good question. 47:37 I-- of course, to us today, it would be terrible. 47:39 I mean, the last thing, a father would want to do is allow 47:43 anything bad to happen to his family. 47:45 You'd think he'd be the first one to step out there 47:47 in defense. 47:49 The culture was a little different back in Bible times in 47:51 that if you brought a stranger into your house, it was your 47:57 responsibility to take care of him and they took that 48:00 very serious. 48:02 So in the case, for example, of Lot, and in the case of the 48:06 story that you read about about the Levite's concubine, the 48:09 owner of the house, you know, went out and said to these 48:11 wicked men, "Please do not do this thing." 48:13 Now, of course, they wanted-- they wanted the man in 48:16 both cases. 48:17 Says they wanted to know him carnally, and perhaps the 48:20 thinking would be, as well, you know, if they send a woman maybe 48:24 they wouldn't be that mean. 48:25 But, apparently, yeah, they were wicked, on both accounts. 48:30 It's a terrible story. 48:31 You wonder why is it even in the Bible? 48:33 Well, the reason it's in the Bible is because this led to 48:36 civil war in Israel and the tribe of Benjamin was almost 48:40 wiped out and it was terribly painful for the nation. 48:44 But that was because of this wickedness that was done here in 48:49 the story in chapter 19. 48:50 So that's why it's even referenced here in the 48:52 scriptures because of the terrible things that happened. 48:55 So, yeah, it might be a little different for us today. 48:57 We might struggle to try and understand it. 48:59 But it was-- it was the most important thing back in Bible 49:03 times that you were to take care of the visitor that came under 49:06 your roof at any cost. 49:09 And that's probably what helped motivate those decisions. 49:13 Well, they're not good decisions. 49:14 You know, the Bible gives us both good and bad. 49:16 And that was a bad thing that they did. 49:19 Aron: Yeah, and then just one more principle to keep in mind 49:21 when you're reading difficult stories, in particular in the 49:25 book of Judges, there's actually two verses that sort of set the 49:29 whole theme of the book of Judges. 49:30 And it's Judges chapter 17, verse 6, and Judges chapter 21, 49:34 verse 25, which is the very last verse of the whole book 49:38 of Judges. 49:39 And it says this: "In those days there was no king in Israel; and 49:43 everyone did what was right in his own eyes." 49:48 Showing basically, that, hey, there's a lot of messed up stuff 49:52 happening here because instead of, as a caller earlier referred 49:55 to, Proverbs 3, verses 5 and 6, instead of trusting in God to 50:00 direct your paths, they were trusting in their own 50:03 knowledge, right? 50:04 And so these are the consequences. 50:05 This is the kind of gross, messed-up stuff that we see when 50:08 people do things in their own eyes and God is working with 50:12 sinful humans, even Israelites that claimed to serve Him at 50:16 that time. 50:17 And even today can go astray in different ways when they lose 50:20 sight of God's principles and His direction. 50:23 Jean: That's a very good-- and, of course, if you reject the law 50:25 of God, you reject the counsel of God, you're probably going to 50:27 get your counsel from the pagan nations around you. 50:30 And this was common in the nations around Israel. 50:33 So they just adopted these pagan traditions. 50:35 Aron: Yeah, that strong culture and then bringing in some of 50:38 those surrounding nations. 50:40 Jean: Very good. 50:41 All right, well, thank you. 50:42 Aron: Okay, our next caller is calling in from Day's 50:45 Creek, Oregon. 50:46 We have Chris here joining the program with us. 50:49 Hello there, Chris, what is your question for us this evening? 50:53 Chris: Hi there. 50:55 Thank you for taking my call. 50:56 Was Satan tricked into crucifying Jesus? 51:00 And this is a claim that's emerged from the popular 51:06 movement with the Genesis 6 confusion. 51:09 And so I'm just curious. 51:11 I think they base it off the healing of the demoniacs and the 51:15 demons seem kind of clueless to Jesus's purpose, His ministry. 51:20 Thank you. 51:21 Jean: Well, I-- you know, we don't know the mind of Satan, 51:23 but obviously, we understand that he is so bent on evil that 51:28 he can't even control himself. 51:30 I mean, he can read the Bible, he knows Bible prophecy better 51:33 than we have and yet he still continues down the path 51:36 of wickedness. 51:38 He knows what his final end is going to be. 51:40 But it's as if he's past the point of rational thinking. 51:45 He hated Jesus. 51:46 Of course, he first tried to tempt Jesus into worshiping him. 51:50 And when that failed, he did everything he can to try and 51:52 hinder the work of Christ. 51:54 He inspired, you know, Judas Iscariot, he inspired the 51:57 religious leaders and the Romans to eventually crucify Jesus, but 52:01 it almost seems that after Christ submitted to that, it's 52:06 as if the devil wanted Jesus to come down off the cross because 52:09 I think he realized that if Christ went through with the 52:11 sacrifice, you know, salvation, finally he would be overthrown. 52:16 So it almost seems that he wanted Jesus to exercise His 52:19 divine power and come down off the cross. 52:21 That was a real temptation to Christ. 52:23 That's why Jesus said, "If it's possible, let this cup pass from 52:26 Me, not My will, but Thy will be done." 52:29 So, yeah, was the devil tricked into crucifying Jesus? 52:33 No, I don't think so. 52:35 I don't think he could really help himself, he was so evil. 52:38 But when Christ actually submitted, then the devil 52:41 realized, "Man, I want Him to exercise His power and come down 52:44 off the cross." 52:45 But of course, Jesus didn't. 52:47 He remained there and that's why we have hope of eternal life, we 52:50 have salvation, because of Christ's willingness to suffer. 52:54 All right, thank you, Chris. 52:55 Aron: All right, our next caller is Samuel, calling in 52:58 from Washington. 53:00 This is a first-time caller and, Samuel, it seems that you're 53:03 quite young and you have a-- an interesting question for us 53:06 this evening. 53:07 Jean: Hi, Samuel. 53:09 How old are you? 53:10 Samuel: I am 11 years old. 53:12 And my question is: Are dinosaurs going to be in heaven? 53:14 Jean: Oh, great question. 53:16 All right, well, thank you for calling, Sammy. 53:17 We're glad you're listening. 53:19 Will dinosaurs be in heaven? 53:20 Well, I think there's going to be animals in heaven that you 53:23 can't even begin to imagine. 53:24 You know, there are dinosaurs. 53:26 Matter of fact, I think there are dinosaurs even mentioned in 53:29 the Bible. 53:30 The Bible speaks about something called the Behemoth. 53:33 And if you look at the description given in Job, it 53:35 talks about this giant animal that eats reeds is down by 53:38 the water. 53:40 He's vegetarian, but he has a thick tail and he's massive, 53:42 bigger than all the other animals. 53:44 So yeah, it could very well be that in heaven, when you get 53:47 there, you get to get a dinosaur pet. 53:51 Maybe a real big dinosaur that sleeps in your front yard, I 53:54 don't know. 53:55 But the Bible says: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither has 53:58 it even entered into the heart of man, the things that God is 54:00 preparing for those that love Him." 54:02 So yes, it could very well be that there will be good 54:05 dinosaurs in heaven, not the bad ones. 54:07 There's going to be no death. 54:09 You don't have to be afraid of any animals, but yes, there will 54:12 be some wonderful animals in heaven. 54:14 Aron: All right, our next caller is Pam, calling in 54:16 from Washington. 54:18 Hello, Pam. 54:20 Welcome to the program. 54:21 What's your question for us? 54:23 Pam: Hi, I just want to know how come when Jesus was speaking 54:27 to His disciples privately and said, "Don't go or listen to one 54:31 that comes from a desert or secret chamber, that would be 54:34 the Antichrist and it would deceive the very elect." 54:38 They happened to be His elect. 54:40 So, and then He never said anything about Paul because at 54:44 the end of that chapter, it says He's coming back as lightning 54:46 strikes, in the blink of an eye, like, blink. 54:49 Why didn't He tell them about Paul? 54:51 Jean: Okay, let me get right in there because we can run out 54:53 of time. 54:55 So when Jesus said those things, He was referring to His 54:57 disciples, but even more, it was prophetic because it's talking 55:00 about the Second Coming of Christ. 55:02 So He's talking about us in the last days and He says, 55:04 "Don't be deceived." 55:06 Friends, we're going to have to end for those listening live, 55:08 but the rest stay by. 55:10 We'll be right back. 55:11 ♪♪♪ 55:14 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. 55:28 ♪♪♪ 55:30 Aron: All right, welcome back for our final rapid-fire 55:34 question time. 55:35 And these questions are specifically taken from those 55:37 who have submitted questions ahead of time through email. 55:41 And if you would like to submit a question via email for us to 55:44 answer at the end of our program, you can submit them 55:46 to BALquestions@amazingfacts.org. 55:52 So without any further ado, let's get to our questions. 55:56 Morgan asked, "I have heard that we should long for 56:00 Christ's Second Coming. 56:02 How can I long for the Second Coming when so many people have 56:07 not yet been saved?" 56:08 Jean: All right, well, that's a good question. 56:09 Jesus says, of course, one of the prophecies in the scripture 56:13 say that "the Lord is not slack concerning His promise," talking 56:17 about the Second Coming, "but He's longsuffering towards us, 56:19 not willing that any should perish." 56:21 Why hasn't Jesus come yet? 56:22 Well, He's want to give as much time as He possibly can for 56:25 people to make that decision to serve Him. 56:27 So, on the one hand, yes, we are sad. 56:29 But on the other hand, you know, this world is getting worse and 56:31 worse and there's a lot of suffering that people are 56:33 experiencing here on this earth. 56:35 When Jesus comes, there's going to be no more war, no more pain, 56:38 no more sorrow. 56:39 He's going to make all things new. 56:40 So on the one hand, we want Him to come, but on the other hand, 56:42 we're saying, "Lord, but what about this person? 56:44 What about that person?" 56:45 God knows the perfect time and we can just trust in Him, 56:48 knowing that He's going to do everything He can to try and 56:50 save people. 56:52 Aron: All right, our next question by chairman. 56:53 He asked in relation to Leviticus, where there's laws 56:57 discussing clean and unclean meats, basically, did these laws 57:01 also apply to pets? 57:04 Jean: Okay, you know, some of the animals that we have running 57:07 around our house today would be considered unclean, for example, 57:09 dogs and cats. 57:11 You can't eat dogs and cats. 57:13 Is it okay to have pets? 57:15 Did the Israelites have pets? 57:16 Well, we know they had donkeys, and donkeys are unclean, and 57:19 they used donkeys. 57:21 You can use unclean animals. 57:22 You can have unclean pets, just don't eat them. 57:25 That's what the Bible is referring to. 57:27 Aron: All right, our next question. 57:28 Candace asks: "Do you have to be perfect to get to heaven?" 57:33 In a previous episode, Pastor Doug referred to being perfect 57:36 in order to go to heaven. 57:37 What was he talking about? 57:39 Is it perfect before Jesus comes or after or--. 57:42 Jean: Okay, when we receive Jesus as our personal Savior and 57:44 we confess our sins, the Bible says, "He's faithful and just to 57:47 forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 57:49 We are standing before God just as if we have never sinned. 57:53 And as long as we are trusting in Jesus, allowing the Holy 57:55 Spirit to work within us, we can trust that at that time, we will 58:00 be found completely clothed in His righteousness. 58:03 And yes, we will be perfect. 58:05 But as long as we keep allowing the Holy Spirit to dwell within 58:08 us, we keep trusting, He will finish the good work that He 58:11 has started. 58:13 Well, friends, thank you so much for joining us for "Bible 58:14 Answers Live." 58:16 Hopefully, we answered your question. 58:17 Join us again next week for a new episode. 58:21 announcer: "Bible Answers Live." 58:23 Honest and accurate answers to your Bible questions. 58:27 ♪♪♪ |
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