Participants:
Series Code: TDYQA
Program Code: TDYQA210027A
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00:01 As you're well aware,
00:03 we're living in unprecedented times. 00:05 Join us now for Today special program. 00:12 I want to spend my life 00:18 Mending broken people 00:23 I want to spend my life 00:29 Removing pain 00:34 Lord, let my words 00:39 Heal a heart that hurts 00:44 I want to spend my life 00:50 Mending broken people 00:55 I want to spend my life 01:01 Mending broken people 01:15 Hello, I'm Jill Morikone, 01:16 and we want to welcome you to another 3ABN Today, 01:19 Bible Q and A. 01:21 You know, I love these programs because we open up 01:23 the Word of God, 01:25 and we get to take your questions 01:27 and the Word of God answers them. 01:29 We have, of course, our panel here, 01:30 which I'll introduce in just a moment, 01:32 but we don't possess wisdom. 01:33 God has wisdom and His Word is living and powerful, 01:37 as it tells us in Hebrews 4:12, 01:40 sharper than any two-edged sword, 01:42 and it pierces our hearts and the Holy Spirit 01:45 uses the Word of God to bring conviction. 01:47 So we just thank you for tuning in. 01:49 We thank you for being part of our family. 01:51 Want to encourage you to send in your questions, 01:54 which we will answer on an upcoming 01:56 3ABN Today Bible Q and A. 01:58 You can send in those questions two ways. 02:00 You can text us at (618) 228-3975. 02:05 That number again is (618) 228-3975. 02:09 Or you can email us at 3ABNâ | 02:13 BibleQA@3abn.tv 02:16 Let me get that email address correct. 02:18 It's BibleQA@3abn.tv 02:23 Wanna introduce our family to you right now. 02:25 At the far end, we have Pastor James Rafferty, 02:28 3ABN Director of Discipleship. 02:29 I'm so glad you're here. Good to be here. 02:32 And sitting next to you Pastor Ryan Day, 02:35 3ABN pastoral department, 02:36 and we could say singer in Israel 02:39 and very glad you're here, brother. 02:40 Amen. 02:41 It's a blessing to be here as always. 02:43 And I'm excited to answer some questions. 02:44 Amen. 02:46 Last but not least, sitting next to me, 02:47 my sister, Shelley Quinn. 02:49 And we're so glad that you're here. 02:50 You know, I love this program. 02:52 I love being here. There's only one thing wrong. 02:54 I love it when you're answering Bible Q and A, 02:57 and you're hosting today. 02:58 All right. 02:59 Well, today I get to hear the answers from you all. 03:02 So, they're all students of the Word, 03:04 but most importantly, the most important thing 03:06 we can study, and it means nothing 03:08 unless we seek to find Jesus. 03:09 Amen. 03:11 And unless we seek to when we study 03:13 and what we learned, we wanna put it into practice. 03:15 We don't want to just be a hearer of the Word, 03:18 but we want to be doer as well. 03:20 So before we go to the first question, 03:22 let's go to the Lord in prayer. 03:23 Pastor James, would you pray for us? 03:25 Yes. 03:26 Father in heaven, thank You so much 03:27 for the opportunity we have to open Your Word. 03:29 There are many questions that have 03:30 come in that we are privileged to seek 03:33 answers for our viewers. 03:35 And I pray that Your Spirit will guide us 03:36 and them as they listen, and as we share from Your Word 03:40 the answers to these important questions. 03:43 Be with those who are struggling, 03:46 maybe some of the questions we're not able to get to, 03:48 or they're still struggling with maybe some of the answers, 03:52 guide their hearts to You, give them more light 03:54 and understanding, comfort and direction. 03:56 We pray in Jesus' name. 03:58 Amen. Amen. 03:59 Thank you so much. 04:01 First question coming to Pastor Ryan. 04:02 All right. 04:04 "What is the unforgivable sin exactly? 04:07 I feel like I've committed it. 04:08 Can you do it in your mind?" All right. 04:11 Well, I can tell you straight up the person 04:13 who submitted this question, 04:14 the fact that you're asking about it, 04:16 that you're concerned about it is a great sign because someone 04:19 who has committed this unforgivable sin or the, 04:22 as the Bible puts it blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. 04:25 Of course, this is a person 04:26 who has completely resisted the Holy Spirit. 04:28 And that's what we're gonna get into right now. 04:30 Let's go to Matthew 12:31-32. 04:33 Of course, this is where Jesus references that unforgivable, 04:35 and you call it a sin, but notice what it says here. 04:38 It says, "Therefore I say to you, 04:39 every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, 04:41 but the blasphemy against the," notice this, 04:44 "the Spirit will not be forgiven men." 04:46 This is blasphemy of the Spirit. 04:49 Now, we have to understand 04:51 and connect this with 1 John 1:9. 04:53 Because in 1 John 1:9, 04:55 it reminds us that if we confess our sins, 04:58 He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, 05:00 to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 05:01 Now that text tells me that there's any sin that you 05:05 confess, Jesus Christ. 05:06 If you are sincere, 05:07 He will not only forgive your sins, 05:09 but He will cleanse you from all unrighteousness. 05:12 So that lets me know that this blasphemy 05:13 of the Holy Spirit is not a type or kind 05:16 of sin in the way that murder is a sin or stealing is a sin. 05:20 But rather it is, as you put in your question, 05:22 can you do it in your mind? 05:23 Yes, it is a state of mind. 05:24 It's a state of being. 05:26 It's when a person reaches the point 05:28 where they resist 05:29 the Holy Spirit's work in their life, 05:31 where they don't fully surrender to Jesus Christ. 05:34 Acts 7:51 gives us a hint. 05:36 It says, "You stiff necked 05:38 and uncircumcised in heart and ears. 05:40 You always resist the Holy Spirit 05:43 as your father did, so do you." 05:45 This is Stephen preaching to the Sanhedrin court there, 05:48 and he's telling them, you resist 05:49 the Holy Spirit in a sense that resisting 05:51 of the Holy Spirit, it's very much 05:53 a blasphemous act because they're rejecting 05:55 the power of God in their life. 05:57 The Holy Spirit is to teach us all things, 06:00 to bring all things to our memory, 06:01 to convict us of sin and to bring us into all truth, 06:05 as well as to glorify Christ. 06:07 We get that from John 14:26, 06:09 as well as John 16:8 and verse 13. 06:12 We need to allow the Holy Spirit 06:13 to work in our lives. 06:15 So, God cannot forgive us if we don't ask forgiveness. 06:19 So a person who has committed blasphemy of the Holy Spirit 06:22 is in a state of resistance. 06:23 They're resisting the Holy Spirit. 06:25 As Paul would say, they're quenching 06:26 or they're grieving the Holy Spirit. 06:28 And we need to make sure that we're surrendering 06:30 our life to Jesus and allowing that 06:32 Holy Spirit to work in our lives. 06:34 Amen. Thank you. 06:35 I think if you have any desire or inkling for God, 06:38 then you know, you have not committed that sin, you know? 06:40 Absolutely. 06:41 "Shelley, Matthew 18:18, are these powers literal 06:45 and given to the 12 apostles or just Peter. 06:48 And if so, can they be handed down to successors?" 06:51 This question comes from Duke in California. 06:54 Duke, Matthew 18:18. 06:56 Jesus is addressing all of the disciples, not just Peter. 06:59 And He says, "Assuredly I say to you, 07:01 whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, 07:04 whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." 07:06 In context, He's talking about dealing with an erring brother. 07:10 He says, first, if a brother errs against you, 07:13 go to him personally. 07:14 Won't listen, take a couple of people with you. 07:16 So in the mouth of two or three witnesses, 07:18 it can be established. 07:20 And then he says, if he still won't prepare, 07:22 then take it to the church because the church 07:25 has the corporate responsibility to deal 07:27 with this, to try to restore an individual. 07:31 Now let's talk about what binding and losing is. 07:35 To loose means that it's an agreement. 07:39 Their behavior is lined up into agreement 07:42 with God's standard and they can be forgiven 07:46 and restored to full fellowship. 07:48 To bind means, hey, you're still bound in your sin, 07:52 according to heaven, according to the Word of God. 07:55 So, what we know 07:57 is that the literal translation 08:02 is whatever you bind on earth must be bound in heaven, 08:07 whatever you loose on earth must be loosed in heaven. 08:12 It's not that we're making the decision, 08:14 it's that God's will is ratifying 08:17 the church's decision. 08:18 All sin is confessed before the throne of God. 08:21 1 John 1:9, 08:23 "We confess our sins, 08:24 He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins." 08:27 The release of sin only comes through the work 08:30 of Jesus Christ in His mediation. 08:33 We cannot substitute human authority for the authority of 08:37 Jesus Christ because God's never 08:39 delegated that prerogative to mankind because man 08:45 errs and he needs grace himself. 08:47 So believers can't forgive sins 08:50 aside from what God's Word says. 08:53 Now, Matthew 16:19 08:55 is where Christ responds directly to Peter. 08:58 He says, and I've got to read this 'cause He says to Peter, 09:02 "I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven 09:04 whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, 09:06 whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." 09:09 In context, Peter has just recognized 09:12 and confessed Jesus as the Christ, 09:15 the Son of the living God 09:17 and Jesus is saying to him on that knowledge, 09:21 on this rock of truth, I will build My church. 09:26 The keys to enter the kingdom of heaven is knowledge. 09:29 And let me prove that to you. 09:31 And in Luke 11:52, Jesus said, 09:33 "Woe to you lawyers! 09:35 You have taken away the key of knowledge. 09:38 You did not enter in yourselves, 09:40 and those who were entering in you hindered." 09:44 So it's all about knowledge. 09:46 And, you know, in Matthew 28:19, 09:51 Jesus said that we are to teach the converts, 09:56 go baptize, teaching them to obey 09:59 all that He has commanded. 10:01 The church cannot require 10:05 more than what God's words require. 10:07 In other words, 10:08 as it has to be clearly revealed in the Word of God. 10:12 Amen. Thank you so much, Shelley. 10:14 And if you think that was too fast for me, 10:16 here's what you can do. 10:18 You can watch it on YouTube. 10:19 So just check out 3ABN's YouTube account, 10:21 type in the Bible Q and A. 10:22 You can pause it anytime you want, 10:25 and then you can rewind and watch it again 10:27 and get your notes in that way. 10:28 Pastor James, we are coming to you. 10:30 This is, "What is the best way to study the Bible. 10:34 My problem is I don't remember 10:36 what I read, what I read when I read it. 10:39 I can explain stuff, but I can't tell exactly 10:41 where things are taken from to give 10:42 the verses or books." 10:44 And this question comes from Montego Bay in Jamaica. 10:47 All right, from Montego Bay in Jamaica. 10:49 Well, the things that have helped me in studying the Bible 10:52 and remembering is number one to study for a present need. 10:56 So, a lot of times when you study the Bible, 10:59 if you're studying a subject that is meaningful to you, 11:02 like I became an Adventist. 11:04 I was raised Catholic, became an Adventist. 11:06 And one of the key verses that completely transformed 11:11 my understanding was Daniel 7:25. 11:15 He shall think to change times and laws. 11:17 Can't forget that verse, you know, 11:18 because that's a verse that just, wow, 11:21 God predicted this ahead of time. 11:23 I mean, it was catalystic to me. 11:26 So one of the things that we need to do 11:29 when we study the Bible that will help us to remember 11:31 is to study for a need. 11:33 I remember when I gave 11:35 my first testimony in church ever. 11:37 2 Peter 3:9, God is long suffering to us, 11:39 not willing that any would perish, 11:41 but that all will come to repentance. 11:42 That meant a lot to me. 11:43 And that's the verse I've never forgotten. 11:45 Another one was Matthew 6:33, 11:46 you know, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God." 11:49 And a year ago, I couldn't remember that. 11:50 And I thought it was Matthew 5:33. 11:52 So Bible study is like exercise. 11:55 You know, your muscles have memory. 11:57 And if you get out of exercise for a while, 11:59 and Hebrews 4:5-6 talks about exercising in the Bible. 12:02 If you get out of for a while, muscle memory will come back. 12:05 So I went where is that verse Found it again and now, 12:07 here it is, I'm sharing it with you 12:09 right from heart. 12:10 Another thing that is really helpful in remembering 12:15 the Bible, remembering is to study 12:17 the Bible to help somebody else. 12:19 So if you're struggling with an issue 12:23 and somebody else helps you 12:24 or you're helping somebody else, 12:26 many times, you're gonna remember it 12:27 because it was practical in the way that you 12:29 were able to help somebody else, 12:31 you know, with that struggle or issue. 12:33 Another thing is scripture songs. 12:36 I have so many scriptures memorize from scripture songs. 12:39 1 Corinthians 13 is a scripture song to me. 12:41 And then studying to share with others. 12:44 Generally speaking, preaching, teaching, doing Sabbath school 12:47 many times, that's how we remember the scriptures. 12:49 Beautiful. Amen. That's powerful. 12:51 I love that list. 12:52 Shelley, we're coming back to you. 12:54 Okay. This question is from Australia. 12:56 "If not the angels nor the Son know the date of His arrival, 13:00 how does that put us on an equal footing with the Father, 13:02 given that the Son and the Father are one?" 13:05 Okay. 13:07 Let's start with Mark 13:31, 13:10 'cause your question's in here. 13:12 It says, "Heaven and earth will pass away," 13:13 this is Jesus speaking, "but My words will by no 13:16 means pass away." 13:18 So that witness is His divine nature. 13:22 Then verse 32, "But of that day and hour, 13:25 no one knows," he's talking about the second coming, 13:29 "not even the angels in heaven nor the Son, 13:31 but only the Father Himself." 13:33 That clearly witnesses His human nature. 13:37 We know Philippians 3:6-8 says that God came down. 13:42 He was in the form of God. 13:44 He took on our flesh and He died for us. 13:47 So our Creator God came down 13:51 and He became the covenant Son of God. 13:56 He was perfectly human, perfectly divine, 14:00 and He purposely laid aside 14:03 the exercise of the glory of His deity. 14:06 He laid aside His omniscience, His all-knowing. 14:09 He laid aside His omnipresence. 14:11 You know, the Bible says in Luke 2:52 that Jesus 14:16 had to grow in wisdom and stature. 14:19 And as God's ambassador, He only communicated 14:23 what the Father committed to Him. 14:25 I personally believe if He'd asked the Father, 14:27 the Father would have told Him when would be the date. 14:32 But I think it's because of man's propensity 14:35 toward procrastination that they both knew. 14:38 All right, this would be good for man to know. 14:42 John 17:5 says, 14:44 this is Jesus right before He was crucified. 14:47 He says, "Now, oh, Father, glorify Me 14:50 together with Yourself with the glory 14:54 which I had with You before the world was." 14:58 So our risen Savior is the exalted Savior. 15:04 His glory has been restored. 15:06 I know that God had has no secrets. 15:10 So I'm sure now He knows the time of His return. 15:13 Good point. Amen. That's good. 15:15 We're going to Revelation for a couple of questions here. 15:17 This one's for you, Pastor Ryan. 15:19 "How do you interpret Revelation10:9." 15:24 All right. This is a good one. 15:25 Well, first of all, to understand verse 9, 15:27 we have to also back up and read verse 8. 15:28 So let's start there first, Revelation 10:8-9. 15:32 It says, "Then the voice which I heard from heaven 15:34 spoke to me again and said, 'Go, take the little book 15:37 which is open in the hand of the angel 15:39 who stands on the sea and on the earth.'" 15:41 First of all, pause there 15:42 and take in the fact that that book, 15:44 he could have easily said, 15:45 go take the book from the hand, but go get that little book 15:47 and read it or go get the little book. 15:49 And as we're gonna find out, eat it. 15:50 But yet it's interesting that he adds the word here, open. 15:54 That means if it's open, that implies that it had 15:57 previously been what? 15:58 Closed, sealed, shut, right? 16:00 And so, notice as we continue reading in verse 9. 16:02 "So I went to the angel and said to him, 16:03 'Give me the little book.' 16:05 And he said to me, 'Take and eat it, 16:07 and it will make your stomach bitter, 16:08 but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth." 16:11 That little book. 16:12 Okay, the fact that it's open means that it was 16:14 previously closed. 16:15 There's only one other little book in all 16:17 the Bible that the Bible specifically tells us 16:19 was shut or sealed. 16:21 And, of course, that is in connection with 16:22 the Book of Daniel. 16:23 Daniel's that little book. 16:25 And we find this in Daniel 12:4 and 9. 16:27 Notice what the Bible says in Daniel 12, 16:29 I'm gonna read verse 4 and 9. 16:30 It says, "But you Daniel shut up 16:32 the words and seal the book," there it is, 16:34 "until the time of the end, 16:37 many shall run to and fro and knowledge shall increase." 16:40 Daniel 12:9. 16:41 And he said, "Go your way, Daniel, 16:43 for the words are closed up and sealed, 16:46 again till the time of the end." 16:48 So this little book that it's in the angel's hand and, 16:51 of course, this angel is none 16:52 other than Jesus Christ Himself. 16:54 That's a whole another question. 16:55 Send in a question about that, 16:57 how we can prove that to be Jesus, 16:58 but nonetheless, the little book is Daniel. 17:00 So the Book of Daniel was sealed up, 17:01 but the question is in connection with verse 9, 17:05 what does it mean that he said, take it and eat it. 17:07 It'll make your stomach bitter, but it will be as sweet 17:09 as honey in your mouth. 17:11 This comes within the historical context 17:13 coming out of the dark ages, 17:14 coming out of that enlightenment period, 17:16 out of that French revolutionary time period 17:18 of the late 1700s. 17:20 We know that the time 17:21 of the in pertains to the time from 1798 and onward. 17:24 In other words, after 1798. 17:27 And what's interesting is coming out 17:28 of that French revolutionary time period 17:30 where the Bible and Christianity was being 17:32 basically completely cast down 17:35 and it was being attacked by the enemy. 17:37 Out of that, it's brought about a spark 17:39 and a response of deep, deep Bible study by Protestants 17:42 all over the world. 17:44 And it brought about what was known 17:45 as a course in history, the great Millerite movement, 17:48 William Miller and his Millerites, of course, 17:50 this Millerite movement started studying 17:52 the great time prophecies of the Book of Daniel. 17:55 And it led them to study the great time prophecy 17:57 of the 2300 days of Daniel 8:14 specifically. 18:02 And it led them to believe that Jesus was gonna come back. 18:04 When they studied that timeframe, 18:06 it led them to believe that Jesus was gonna come 18:08 back in 1844, more specifically, 18:10 October 22nd, 1844. 18:13 And out of that, of course, came a great disappointment. 18:16 Now, as they're studying these texts, guess what? 18:18 The Word was so sweet to their taste. 18:20 Oh, they're just enjoying the study of the Word 18:22 of the Lord, because they believe that Jesus 18:24 is coming back, but came October 22nd, 18:26 1844, Jesus did not return. 18:29 And therefore it launched them into a bitter disappointment, 18:32 which is why it says there in verse 9, 18:33 it says, but it says, it will make your stomach bitter. 18:37 So in this case, that's how we understand historically 18:40 and prophetically that this particular verse 18:42 pertains to that 18:43 great disappointment time period 18:44 when they were so excited about the scriptures, 18:46 it was sweet as honey in their mouth, 18:48 the beautiful prophecies of Daniel, 18:50 but out of that came a great disappointment. 18:52 Amen. Thank you. That's a juiced version. 18:54 It's fabulous. 18:56 That's really good in three minutes. 18:57 Wanna encourage you, if you wanna know 18:59 what actually happened, October 22, 1844, 19:01 we know Jesus didn't come, but what actually happened, 19:04 then send in that question 19:05 and we'll answer that in an upcoming Bible Q and A. 19:08 Pastor James, we're staying in Revelation. 19:10 "Considering that Revelation is a figurative book, 19:13 the writings are figurative in Chapter 16, 19:15 which speaks to the plagues, are those figurative? 19:19 So are the plagues figurative? Yeah. Good question. 19:21 So, we know the Book of Revelation 19:23 is filled with figurative language, 19:24 but the whole book is not figurative. 19:27 In other words, there's a lot of places in Revelation 19:28 that are actually literal. 19:30 The first chapter, the introduction 19:31 is very literal up to about verse 10 or so. 19:34 A lot of Revelation's 19:36 seven churches is literal language. 19:38 Revelation 5 has a section there where they praise God, 19:41 it's all literal toward the end and the Lamb. 19:43 Revelation Chapter 6 19:44 has a latter portion that's literal. 19:46 Revelation7, the whole back end of that is little Chapter 7. 19:50 Revelation 21 and 22. 19:52 Most of that is literal. 19:54 So the Book of Revelation is written with symbols 19:58 and in symbolic language, but a lot of it is literal. 20:01 But then that question, it's a good question, 20:04 it comes, well then how do we discern 20:06 what's literal and what's figurative. 20:08 How do we know between the two, right? 20:10 You moving through the Book of Revelation, 20:11 you're thinking, well, the 144,000 are, 20:13 you know, virgins that are males. 20:16 They, so that must be literal, the 12 tribes, 20:19 little Jewish male virgins, right? 20:21 How do you know what's literal and symbolic? 20:24 And so, there are some principles 20:25 that are prophetic interpretation 20:27 that we use to understand 20:28 how we can know if it's literal or symbolic. 20:31 We call these William Miller's 20:34 principles of interpretation, contrainterpretation. 20:38 And principle number 11 20:40 specifically applies to Revelation 20:42 and the symbols of Revelation as well as Daniel. 20:46 I'm just gonna read it to you here. 20:48 It says, "If a word makes good sense 20:50 as it stands 20:51 and does no violence to the simple laws of nature, 20:54 it is to be understood literally, 20:56 if not figuratively." 20:57 Now, when you go into the seven last plagues 21:01 and you read that these people that have the mark 21:04 of the beast are gonna get sores or ulcers. 21:06 That makes sense, literally. 21:07 When you read that the blood and the water 21:09 is gonna become like the blood of a dead man, 21:11 which is lack of oxygen. 21:12 That makes sense. We have that today. 21:14 Red tide is what we call it. 21:15 When you see that the sun is gonna scorch men, 21:17 ozone layer evaporating. 21:19 That makes sense. 21:20 So these plagues definitely make sense, literally. 21:23 And that's how we take them because of this principle 21:25 Amen. 21:27 So you references the follow-up question 21:28 to what you just shared. 21:30 You referenced William Miller's principles 21:31 of prophetic interpretation. 21:32 If people wanna find all of them, do you know 21:34 where they could find them? 21:36 They are in a book that was written by James White 21:40 called Life Sketches. 21:41 So James White, and then I have them outlined too, 21:44 in a little study note thing that I could send to 3ABN 21:46 and they could make them available. 21:48 It'd be nice to just put them in a little set up, 21:49 you know, they'll print them up in a set up 21:51 and have them available for people to grab this book. 21:54 Google's a great tool too. I love that. 21:55 Google's a great tool too. That's true. 21:57 Google's a great tool. So let's... 21:59 This is a good time to remind 22:00 you to send in your Bible questions. 22:02 And at the same time, if you're interested in this, 22:04 we'll make this available. 22:05 You can just email us at BibleQA@3abn.tv 22:10 That's BibleQA@3abn.tv 22:13 So if you want William Miller's principles 22:15 of prophetic interpretation, 22:17 we'll make sure we have that and we can send it to you. 22:18 Or if you have a Bible question that you wanna 22:20 send in for the panel to answer on an upcoming Monday, 22:24 you know, we do these programs every Monday. 22:26 So, you can always email that or you can 22:28 text us those questions, (618) 228-3975. 22:33 That number again is (618) 228-3975. 22:39 Pastor Ryan, we're coming back to you. 22:40 All right. 22:42 My question is, "Is the 2520 a sound doctrine? 22:44 Is it relevant to our salvation?" 22:47 And this one comes from Jamaica as well. 22:49 All right. 22:50 Well, I can give you two simple 22:52 answers to that two-part question. 22:53 And that is, is the 2520 a sound doctrine? 22:55 No. And is it relevant to our salvation? 22:58 No. Let me support that. 23:01 In fact, there may be someone watching this wondering 23:02 what in the world are you talking about, 2520? 23:05 Back in the day, again, early to mid 1800s. 23:08 Again, this Millerite time period. 23:11 They had come to the conclusion that out of some texts 23:13 found in Leviticus Chapter 26, 23:15 more specifically verses 27 and 28, 23:18 talking about how God would chastise 23:20 the Israel seven times for their sins 23:23 while they applied the year day principal to that seven times, 23:25 'cause seven times, 360 days in a biblical year, 23:29 and it came, comes to 2,520. 23:31 And so, they basically built a prophecy out of that, 23:35 even though it's technically not a prophecy. 23:37 And so, basically they came to the conclusion 23:40 that from about 677 BC, all the way to 1844 AD 23:45 satisfies that 5,200 and excuse me, 23:48 2,520 year time prophecy 23:51 of what they believe to be a time prophecy. 23:53 Since then, this thing has been put through, 23:55 I mean, a ton of different study 23:58 by many, many different people. 23:59 Even within the Seventh-day Adventist Church, 24:01 early on Ellen White's husband, James White. 24:03 I mean, he just publicly out, he wrote an article, 24:05 submitted articles about this in which he very much 24:08 put it through and found it wanting. 24:09 He said, this is not a time prophecy. 24:11 There was some charts made 1843, 1850, but by the time 24:15 you get to 1863, 24:17 in which the Seventh-day Adventist Church 24:18 was formulated and formally organized 24:21 as a church that on their prophetic charts, 24:23 they had removed that 2520 time prophecy 24:26 because they found that it was not legitimate. 24:28 And so, there's a lot that can be said, 24:30 we can go chase down these little rabbit holes 24:32 of the 2,520 year prophecy. 24:36 Really it's not a prophecy at all. 24:37 In fact, it's a non-prophecy, 24:39 and that's why I wanna refer you 24:40 to a couple of sources 24:42 you can study this further to kind of, 24:44 you know hone in that knowledge. 24:45 And, of course, Steven Bohr has a great paper called 24:47 the 2520 non-prophecy and our very own brother, 24:50 James Rafferty has also written a paper 24:52 called a response to the 2520 movement. 24:55 It's a great paper 24:56 and I encourage you to read those, 24:57 study it for yourself, 24:59 and you'll find that it's not a prophecy at all. 25:00 It does not pertain to our salvation 25:02 and it's not a sound doctrine. 25:04 Amen. Thank you. Anything you want to add? 25:06 Yeah. Well, no, not really. I mean, that was excellent. 25:09 So, no, good. 25:11 I was just taking him by and say, yeah, that's good. 25:14 There you go. 25:15 Yay! Praise the Lord. 25:16 Shelley, we're coming to you. 25:18 This is from Dave. 25:19 "Concerning the investigative 25:21 judgment, if my case has already been decided, 25:23 does that mean after living a lost life, 25:25 I cannot be saved even after turning my life back to God?" 25:30 Dave, I'm just really worried about your question, 25:33 whether you are being presumptuous, 25:36 or if you think maybe probation's 25:37 already closed for you, which it hasn't. 25:39 In Revelation 14:7 the first angel says, 25:43 "Fear God and give Him glory, 25:46 for the hour of His judgment is come." 25:49 Now, the investigative judgment. 25:52 This is the act of judging the works of the people. 25:56 It began in 1844. 25:58 There will be an executive judgment that carries 26:02 out the sentence of the judgment, 26:06 but that's after it's not till after God's 26:10 probation closes and probation has not closed for you. 26:15 It closes for all when the latter rain... 26:20 This is after the latter rain has been poured out. 26:22 The loud cries been given 26:24 and the saints have been sealed. 26:26 The investigative judgment 26:29 is over just before the return... 26:34 The probation closes before the return of Christ. 26:37 It's announced with this decree in Revelation 22:11, 26:41 "He who is unjust, let him be unjust still. 26:43 He's filthy, let him be filthy still. 26:45 He who is right, just let him be righteous still. 26:48 He is holy, let him be holy still. 26:52 So everybody's case 26:54 will have been concluded at that time and decided, 27:00 and then Jesus says in the very next verse, 27:02 "Behold, I'm coming quickly. 27:04 My reward is with me to give to every man 27:08 according to his work." 27:09 So you see that the investigative 27:11 judgment has to be done 27:13 before He returns because He's got 27:17 the rewards with Him. 27:18 But here's what I want to say to you. 27:21 No one knows the day or the hour that they will die. 27:24 None of us is guaranteed tomorrow. 27:27 And so, until we breathe our last, 27:30 I mean, that would be the close of probation for you 27:33 or until the saints are sealed. 27:35 The one thing that you can know 27:37 is that our gracious God will have mercy on you 27:42 if you confess your sin. 27:43 2 Corinthians 6:2, says, 27:45 "Behold, now is the day of salvation." 27:48 Psalm 95:7 and 8 says, 27:51 "Today, if you hear His voice, don't harden your heart." 27:54 So don't risk hardening your heart against 27:58 the Holy Spirit, becoming guilty 28:02 of the unpardonable sin. 28:04 Repent today, let God love you, 28:07 receive His love and His forgiveness. 28:09 Amen. I love that. 28:10 Let God love you. It's powerful. 28:12 Pastor James, and this is from Art, 28:15 "Who well is Melchizedek in the Bible?" 28:17 All right, Art. 28:19 Well, Melchizedek 28:20 is identified in scripture in about three places. 28:23 He's identified in Genesis. 28:25 That's the first place we hear about him. 28:27 And then he's identified also in the Psalms. 28:30 And then finally in Hebrews. 28:31 Hebrews 5, and 6, and 7. 28:33 He's really emphasized there 28:35 because the Book of Hebrews 28:36 is basically taking the Old Testament scriptures, 28:39 especially when it comes to the sanctuary 28:41 and the priesthood and the sacrifices 28:43 and making sense out of them as they relate to 28:46 and are fulfilled in Jesus Christ. 28:48 And guess what? 28:49 Melchizedek is just such a symbol, 28:52 a representation of Jesus Christ. 28:54 We read about Melchizedek first of all, and we'll just 28:56 look at these verses here in Genesis 14:18-19. 29:01 So Genesis 14:18-19 says, 29:03 "Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread 29:06 and wine and he was the priest of the Most High God. 29:10 And he blessed him that as he blessed 29:11 Abraham and said, 'Blessed be Abraham 29:13 of the most high God possessor of heaven and earth.'" 29:16 So, according to the Bible, 29:19 Melchizedek is king of peace. 29:23 That word peace, king of Salem, 29:25 that word Salem means peace. 29:27 So he's king of peace. 29:28 And secondly, he is the priest of the Most High God. 29:30 So he's a king and he's a priest. 29:32 All right. 29:34 And that happens to be the same designation 29:36 is given to Christ in Hebrews 5, 6 and 7. 29:41 Christ is a king priest. 29:42 Now that is a unique position for Christ to occupy. 29:46 You know, there's the Old Testament priesthood, 29:49 the Aaron, how do we say it? 29:51 The... Levitical? 29:53 Levitical priesthood, excuse me, 29:54 the Levitical priesthood. 29:55 And I was slipping there. 29:57 And so, the Levites were priests, 29:58 but they weren't kings and kings in the Old Testament 30:01 could be kings, but they couldn't be priests. 30:03 I mean, Saul tried that. 30:04 Asa tried that, didn't work, but Christ is a king priest 30:08 and He's a king priest after the order of Melchizedek. 30:12 And that designation is found, of course, in Hebrews 7 30:16 and based on Genesis Chapter 14. 30:20 So, that is, I hope 30:21 that's a good answer to your question. 30:22 Melchizedek was a king priest and a type of Christ. 30:25 Amen. That's a great answer. 30:27 Pastor Ryan, coming back to you. 30:29 "Please explain Matthew 10:34-36." 30:33 This is from Riva in Rutherford, New Jersey. 30:36 All right. Well, let's read it. 30:37 Let's go right there. Matthew 10:34-36. 30:40 Jesus says, "Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. 30:44 I did not come to bring peace but a sword. 30:46 For I have come to set a man against his father, 30:48 a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law 30:50 against her mother-in-law 30:51 and a man's enemy will be those of his own household. 30:55 He who loves father or mother more than Me 30:56 is not worthy of Me. 30:58 And he who loves son or daughter more than Me 31:00 is not worthy of Me. 31:02 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me 31:04 is not worthy of Me. 31:05 He who finds his life will lose it, 31:07 and he who loses his life for My sake will find it." 31:09 I think the key to all of what we just read 31:11 is really once you fully understand those first few 31:14 words that Christ says, because that's what really 31:16 throws people. 31:17 When He says, do not think that I've come to bring peace. 31:19 I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 31:21 A lot of people go, wait a second, 31:22 He's the Prince of peace. 31:24 And He's come to bring peace. And this is confusing. 31:26 The key word here, I think is the word earth. 31:28 He's not come to bring peace on earth. 31:30 We know that Christ wants to bring peace to men 31:33 individually, but we have to understand 31:35 that right there at the end of that, 31:37 it says, I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 31:39 It's in connection with this sword talk. 31:41 Now we know the Word of God brings division. 31:44 When Jesus come to speak, He was the living word. 31:46 And that word that He brought to the political arena 31:50 of His day was very much among the earth. 31:52 It was very divisional. 31:53 And so, we have to remember, it's been quoted already, 31:55 Hebrews 4:12 where the Word of God says, 31:58 "For the Word of God is living and powerful, 32:00 and sharper than any two-edged sword, 32:02 piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, 32:05 and to the joints and marrow, and is a discerner 32:07 of the thoughts and intents of the heart." 32:09 So the Word of God brings division. 32:11 We even see right there in Revelation 19, 32:13 Jesus coming back on a white horse. 32:15 And what does it say there in verse 15? 32:17 It says, "Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword 32:20 with which He should strike the nations." 32:22 So the Word of God brings divisions. 32:24 So Christ does wanna bring peace. 32:26 But oftentimes what happens 32:28 is when the Word of God is preached that individual 32:31 as an individual, we have responsibility to receive 32:34 the truth of God's Word. 32:36 When we receive that truth of God's Word, 32:37 oftentimes it will bring division 32:40 even among our own families, even among our household, 32:43 our mothers and our fathers. 32:44 And that's why Christ is stating below that. 32:46 You know, if you love your father, 32:47 your mother more than you love Me, 32:49 then you're not worthy of me. 32:50 So, again, what is being emphasized here 32:52 is the truth of God's Word. 32:53 Christ wants to bring peace individually. 32:55 When we accept that truth, when we accept salvation, 32:58 we have that inner peace. 32:59 But, of course, the Word of God for sure 33:01 brings division among this dreadful world. 33:05 It's a good answer. Absolutely. 33:06 We think about the great controversy. 33:07 You know, there's a great deal of division 33:09 because of Satan 33:10 and what he's brought to this earth. 33:12 Pastor James, we're coming back to you. 33:13 This is from Salvation in Symbols and Signs, 33:16 which is an incredible program. 33:18 If you have not checked it out, we encourage you to watch it. 33:22 They've done the entire, Pastor James, Pastor Ivor. 33:25 Of course, our own Jason Bradley 33:27 and Yvonne Shelton have done 33:28 the entire books of Revelation and Daniel. 33:31 Yeah. 33:32 "So on Salvation in Symbols and Signs, 33:34 Daniel 105, Pastor James mentioned near the end, 33:37 talking about Augustus and Tiberius. 33:39 And then he says 1813 to 1814. 33:43 What does that mean years? 33:44 He said, Augustus died in 1813 33:47 and Tiberius rose in 1814. 33:50 What does this mean?" 33:51 This comes from Marianna. Okay. 33:54 Well, Marianna, basically, 33:56 I think there's been a little bit 33:57 of a misunderstanding on that phrase or terminology. 34:03 We're dealing with not 1813 and 1814, 34:06 but AD 13 and AD 14. 34:10 So, this study that we're talking about here 34:13 is based on Luke Chapter 3. 34:15 And in Luke Chapter 3 we have kind of a timeline. 34:17 The whole Bible is all of it is focused on Christ. 34:21 And in Luke Chapter 2, 34:23 Christ is born under Augustus Caesar. 34:25 In Luke Chapter 3, He's baptized. 34:27 And that baptism event 34:29 is actually historically dated for us. 34:31 It's the 15th year of Tiberius Caesar. 34:34 So Tiberius Caesar in AD 13 34:36 became co-ruler with Augustus Caesar. 34:39 In AD 14, when Augustus passed to rest, 34:41 Tiberius is sole ruler, but his rulership 34:43 begins in AD 13. 34:45 Fifteen years later, you have AD 27. 34:48 And that is when Jesus Christ is baptized. 34:52 And when He's baptized, He's anointed with 34:53 the Holy Spirit, that's what the word Messiah 34:55 or Christ means to be anointed or the anointed one. 34:58 And so, in the prophecy in Daniel Chapter 9, 35:01 which is a takeoff on Daniel 8:14, 35:04 we have Christ being anointed 483 years. 35:08 That's a time for a day for a year prophecy, 35:11 483 years after the decree of 457 to restore 35:14 and rebuild Jerusalem. 35:16 Well, in the New Testament, you actually have 35:18 a date for His anointing. 35:19 It's the 15th year of Tiberius Caesar. 35:21 It begins in AD 13 with this co-rulership 35:24 with Augustus Caesar, and it takes us to AD 27. 35:27 And guess what? 35:28 When you walk back from AD 27, 35:30 which is a biblical date for the baptism 35:33 or the anointing of Christ. 35:35 When you walk back 483 years, 35:38 guess where you come to Shelley? 35:40 457 BC. 35:42 So now we have a New Testament verse. 35:45 We have New Testament evidence for the establishment 35:48 of the 2300 day prophecy. 35:49 Amen. That's powerful. 35:52 I like that. 35:53 Shelley, "Please explain 2 Peter 2:4." 35:57 This comes from David in Maryland. 35:59 Oh, David. Okay. 36:01 2 Peter 2:4 says, 36:02 "If God did not spare the angels who sinned, 36:05 but cast them down to hell, delivered them 36:07 into chains of darkness to be reserved for judgment." 36:11 I'm gonna add another verse to this because Jude 6 36:15 kind of goes along this line. 36:17 Jude writes the angels 36:19 who did not keep their positions of authority, 36:21 but abandoned their own home. 36:23 These, He has kept in darkness bound 36:25 with everlasting chains for judgment on that great day. 36:29 This is the day that God's executing His judgment. 36:33 In context, both Peter and Jude are talking 36:35 about false teachers. 36:38 And basically what they are pointing out 36:41 is that God's judgments are inevitable. 36:44 If God did not forgive the angels, 36:47 He ain't going to forgive the sinners 36:48 who don't repent. 36:50 So in Revelation 12, 36:51 we see that war broke out in heaven. 36:54 Lucifer blasphemed God 36:58 and he led this rebellion 37:01 and a third of the angels joined him. 37:03 And what happened? 37:04 These angels who had had these positions of authority 37:08 and walk in the presence of God, 37:10 well, guess what? 37:11 They all committed the unpardonable sin, 37:13 and God kicks them out of heaven. 37:16 The Satan and his followers were hurled to the earth, 37:20 cast out of heaven. 37:22 Now the word here for hell, 37:24 the only use of it in the Bible, 37:27 in the New Testament, this Greek word. 37:29 But let me just tell you 37:30 what it means that they were incarcerated symbolically. 37:35 They were in a place of death and darkness. 37:38 It's not literal incarceration for these angels because 37:43 we know that angels are still there or the demons. 37:46 These fallen angels are very active among men. 37:49 So chains of darkness, this is figurative language, 37:54 the angels can't, they've been cut 37:56 out from the presence of the Lord in His life. 38:00 And these everlasting chains for judgment can't be escaped. 38:05 They've already been, a sentence has been pronounced 38:10 and they're being reserved for the day 38:14 of judgment when the sinner is executed, 38:17 and we find it in Revelation 20:10. 38:20 Satan and his unholy angels are gonna be finally executed, 38:24 cast into the lake of fire at the end of the age. 38:28 Thank you, Shelley. 38:29 Pastor Ryan, "Why do we use Daniel," 38:32 but I think they mean the name Daniel, 38:34 "but refer to his friends by their Babylonian names?" 38:38 Yeah. 38:39 Well, you know, I've wondered that same 38:40 question for many, many years. 38:42 In fact, I've actually stood up 38:44 publicly in many of my evangelistic series. 38:46 And when I refer to Daniel and his three friends, 38:49 I always use their Hebrew names. 38:51 Let's go to Daniel 1:6 and 7, and this is what it says? 38:55 It says, "Now from among those of the sons of Judah 38:58 were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. 39:01 To them the chief of the eunuchs gave names." 39:04 And this is the Babylonian system 39:05 giving them Babylonian 39:07 pagan names and, of course, 39:08 "he gave Daniel the name Belteshazzar, 39:10 and to Hananiah, notice, to Hananiah, 39:12 Shadrach, to Mishael, Meshach, and to Azariah, Abednego." 39:16 And so, yeah, oftentimes we hear so, 39:18 many people they'll refer. 39:19 You never hear anyone say, 39:21 well, you know, if you go over and read, 39:23 Belteshazzar, Belteshazzar tells us, 39:25 we don't refer to Daniel as Belteshazzar. 39:27 We refer to him as, 39:28 as Daniel and that's to the person's 39:30 point who wrote this question. 39:31 I'm glad this person submitted this question 39:33 because when we speak of the other three friends, 39:35 we often say, you know, Shadrach, Meshach, 39:37 and Abednego in the fiery furnace, 39:38 you know, and truthfully, 39:40 we should try to get away from that. 39:42 I have a theory as to why we do that, 39:45 a couple of reasons. 39:46 For one, it just kind of rolls off the tongue, 39:47 you know, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. 39:49 It just kind of goes along the tongue, right? 39:51 Versus Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah doesn't roll off 39:55 the tongue as easy. 39:56 And plus we've just heard it ever since 39:58 we were children, right? 39:59 I remember when I was a Sunday keeper, Sunday school, 40:02 and even in Sabbath school, when I went, 40:04 you know, just hearing people say again, 40:05 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, 40:07 but we should use their real Hebrew 40:10 names because those names have meanings. 40:12 For instance, Daniel means, 40:13 God is my judge and Hananiah means, 40:15 Yahweh has been gracious. 40:17 Mishael means, who is like the mighty one. 40:20 And, of course, Azariah means, Yaweh has helped or will help. 40:24 So all of these have great, beautiful meanings. 40:26 When we get over to these other names, 40:27 given to them Babylonian names, 40:29 it's all names pertaining to the Babylonian 40:32 false pagan gods, 40:34 the God of the sun and the God of the moon 40:35 and all of these other pagan false gods. 40:37 So, yes, let's get into the practice 40:39 of using their real names. 40:41 Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. 40:45 Boy, there's a sermon there, brother. 40:46 Oh, man, absolutely. 40:50 Pastor James, this is from Rich in New Jersey. 40:53 "Why do Catholics still have Christ on the cross 40:56 while Christians have an empty cross?" 41:00 Very good question. 41:01 Being a Catholic coming from Catholic background. 41:04 This question means a lot to me. 41:05 So, Rich, there are a couple of reasons that we can 41:08 look at here that are specific. 41:11 Now, there may be more than this, 41:12 but there's two that are specific. 41:14 One of them is that many Protestants 41:17 don't like the emphasis of Christ on the cross 41:21 because it deemphasizes the resurrection 41:24 of Jesus Christ. 41:25 And we serve a risen Savior who's in the world today. 41:29 We believe that Christ not only died, 41:31 but also resurrected and that cross that is empty, 41:34 reminds us of the resurrection. 41:37 The early church felt that the resurrection 41:39 was really important. 41:41 We don't emphasize it as much today, perhaps 41:44 as the early church did, but Paul really put a lot 41:48 of weight on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 41:51 In fact, let's look in 1 Corinthians Chapter 15, 41:53 this is a powerful chapter that emphasizes 41:56 the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 41:59 Paul says here beginning with verse 12. 42:00 "Now, Christ be preached that He rose from the dead, 42:03 how say some among you that there is no 42:06 resurrection of the dead. 42:07 And if there be no resurrection of the dead," 42:09 verse 13, "then Christ is not risen. 42:10 And if Christ be not risen, then our preaching 42:13 is in vain and your faith is in vain." 42:15 What, Paul? 42:17 What are you saying here? 42:18 That if there's no resurrection, 42:21 we're preaching for nothing. 42:22 And our faith is for nothing. 42:23 You see how much emphasis he's placing on this. 42:25 And so, Protestants think it's really 42:27 important for us to emphasize the empty cross, 42:30 to emphasize empty cross that symbolizes 42:33 the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 42:34 Now there's a second reason. 42:36 One, which is probably more dear to us 42:38 as Seventh-day Adventists, because we have such 42:40 a strong emphasis on the Ten Commandments. 42:44 Image worship is forbidden 42:45 in the Ten Commandments of the Bible. 42:47 Now being raised a Catholic, I worshiped images, 42:50 I worshiped images of Mary and images of Jesus, 42:52 and images of saints, and Christ on the cross 42:55 was an image of reverence and worship. 42:57 I was an altar boy, that was part of my life 42:59 as I grew up in London, England. 43:01 And so, for Christians who are Catholics 43:05 who believe and follow the Catholic faith, 43:08 this is not a problem. 43:10 But for those of us who are Protestants, 43:12 this is a violation of the second commandment, 43:14 which by the way 43:15 has been removed from Catholic catechisms, 43:17 Catholic teaching. 43:18 And the last commandment, the 10th commandment 43:20 has been split into to make up the number, 43:22 to make sure there's still 10. 43:23 So this is a serious issue for us as Protestants. 43:26 We do not believe in image worship. 43:27 We do not believe that it's right for us, 43:31 according to the commandments of God to be worshiping images 43:33 of Mary or Jesus or the saints. 43:35 And Christ on the cross 43:37 is an image that can be worshiped and is worshiped. 43:40 At least it was in my home 43:42 and in my experience 43:44 because it's an image of Christ. 43:46 And so, that is the second reason. 43:48 So for these two reasons, Rich, number one, 43:50 we just want to place a proper emphasis 43:52 on the resurrection 43:53 and emphasize that truth, which means so much to us. 43:56 According to Paul in 1 Corinthians 15, 43:57 and the number two, 43:59 we want to avoid making idol worship 44:01 and the veneration of images by having Christ on the cross. 44:04 It's very good. Thank you. 44:06 That's powerful. Shelley, this is for you. 44:09 "What does Jesus mean in Matthew 9:5 44:12 when he asked the question, which is easier, 44:14 what is he asking?" 44:16 Okay. 44:17 I want to go to this story, but the parallel 44:20 account in Mark Chapter 2, because it gives us 44:24 a little more information. 44:26 Mark 2:5, 44:29 the men bring a paralytic to Jesus. 44:32 And Jesus says to the paralyzed man, 44:35 son, your sins are forgiven you. 44:38 And in some of the scribes who were sitting there 44:41 and they started reasoning in their hearts and they said, 44:45 "Why does this man speak blasphemy like this? 44:48 Who can forgive sins, but God alone." 44:52 So the scribes were accusing Jesus of blasphemy 44:57 when He claimed the power to forgive sins. 45:00 And really Jesus was putting Himself in God's place 45:03 because only God can forgive sins. 45:07 These words of Jesus 45:09 were a claim of divine authority. 45:13 He was claiming equality to God. 45:16 Now in verse 8, Mark 2:8 says, "Immediately, 45:21 when Jesus perceived in His spirit 45:23 that they reasoned within themselves, 45:25 He said to them, 45:27 'Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? 45:30 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 45:33 'Your sins I forgive you,' or to say, 'Arise, 45:37 take up your bed and walk'? 45:39 But that you may know that the Son of Man 45:41 has power on earth to forgive sins' as God. 45:45 He said to the paralytic, 'I say to you, 45:49 arise, take up your bed, go to your house.'" 45:52 Which is easier is a rhetorical question. 45:58 It has an obvious answer. 46:01 Forgiveness is a spiritual miracle 46:04 from God. 46:05 Healing is a physical miracle. 46:08 Both can be accomplished by God and God only. 46:11 And if Jesus couldn't do both, then He couldn't do either. 46:15 So Christ was proving His messianic power 46:19 as God and you know what? 46:22 The scribe should have fallen down 46:25 and worshiped Him. 46:26 Amen. 46:27 I've learned a lot just sitting here, 46:29 listening today to each one of you 46:30 and we hope you have as well. 46:32 Y'all are excellent students 46:34 of the Word and teachers, so thank you for that. 46:36 Praise the Lord. 46:37 This is one of my favorite parts 46:39 of the program because it's the bonus round. 46:41 We're gonna toss out the questions 46:42 and you all are welcome to jump in 46:44 and whoever wants to answer or all of you answer. 46:47 This one says, 46:49 "How many times did Jesus go to heaven 46:51 after His resurrection? 46:53 Where is the other text 46:55 besides Acts 1:9-11?" 46:59 Well, I guess I'll jump in here. 47:01 And if somebody wants to add to it, they can. 47:04 I guess it really depends on 47:05 how you interpret particular scripture. 47:07 I'm gonna go to John Chapter 19 'cause when you get to, 47:10 excuse me, John Chapter 20, let's go to John Chapter 20. 47:12 This is in the aftermath of the resurrection of Christ 47:15 and Jesus has that encounter with Mary Magdalene. 47:18 And so, we find there in John Chapter 19, 47:21 particularly verse 17, 47:23 Mary has just realized that it's Jesus talking to her 47:27 and she kind of runs at Him or launches herself at Him 47:30 I suppose. 47:31 And notice what Jesus says in John 20:17, 47:35 "Jesus said to her, 'Do not cling to Me, 47:37 for I have not yet ascended to My Father, 47:40 but go to My brethren and say to them, 47:42 'I am ascending to My Father and your Father, 47:44 and to My God and your God.'" 47:46 Now, that I just read the New King James version, 47:48 which says do not cling to me 47:49 and if you read the King James version, 47:52 King James version uses the word 47:54 and I'm reading it here it says, 47:56 "Do not touch me, for I've not yet ascended to My Father." 47:59 So depending on how you interpret that you can get, 48:02 some would argue, say, oh, no, 48:03 He didn't go to heaven until after He had met the disciples. 48:08 But yet there's a possibility that Jesus went to heaven 48:11 after this event, because notice how He says 48:14 do not touch Me, do not cling to Me. 48:16 But yet later on, when He on that same very day, 48:20 He appears to the disciples in the closed room upstairs, 48:23 He allows Thomas to touch Him. 48:26 So there are some very clear explanations 48:28 that interpret these texts that say 48:30 Jesus would have went to heaven 48:31 before His afternoon meeting or His evening night meeting 48:35 with the disciples. 48:36 And then, of course, obviously at His ascension 48:39 40 days later. 48:40 And so, if anybody wants to add to that, 48:42 so I personally believe that it's a very much 48:44 a possibility that Jesus would have went to heaven right after 48:47 His meeting with Mary Magdalene 48:50 and then came back that same day 48:52 and then He had an evening or night meeting 48:54 in which He allowed Thomas to touch Him. 48:56 But He wouldn't allow Mary to touch Him 48:58 or to cling to Him that very same day. 49:00 Yeah. 49:02 In fact, I would just affirm that, 49:03 take out the word possibility 49:04 and just add the word surety, because He's being partial. 49:07 If He's not gonna let Mary touch Him, 49:09 but then He lets Thomas touch Him 49:11 and He hangs out with all the others 49:12 and don't hinder me. 49:13 That's another translation, don't hinder me. 49:15 Well, what in the world? So then He's there for 40 days. 49:18 That would be impartial also because in Acts 1:3 it says, 49:21 and He spent 40 days with the disciples. 49:24 So definitely John Chapter 20, He's going to heaven. 49:27 I said possibly because I've heard people 49:30 explain this text and they'll say, well, 49:32 one says touch, one says cling. 49:33 He said not to cling, in other words, 49:35 not to hold on to Me, 49:37 but He would've allowed her to touch Him, right? 49:39 These are people talking, 49:40 so they twist the Word of God there. 49:41 But I do agree with you. 49:43 I believe Jesus very much did go to heaven that day and, 49:45 of course, 40 days later, so two times. 49:47 Amen. Amen. Yeah. 49:48 Well done. Anything else you wanna add? 49:50 Oh, that's well covered. We got time. 49:52 I think just a few seconds for one more question. 49:54 Let's see if we can get it in. 49:56 "In Genesis 19, how does Lot recognize 49:58 the two men as angels? 50:00 Were these the same men that appeared to Abraham 50:02 in Chapter 18? 50:03 If so, where is the third one of them?" 50:05 This comes from Australia. Absolutely. 50:09 Yeah. 50:10 Genesis 18, we see, but basically called 50:12 a Christophany here where actually Jesus 50:14 appears in the flesh as an individual. 50:16 It's very much, I believe there's these two angels 50:19 and Jesus speaking to Abraham in Genesis 19, 50:22 but then, of course, Jesus sends on 50:24 the two angels to Sodom and Gomorrah, 50:25 and He hangs back and He has this conversation 50:28 with Abraham you know, the 50 and the 40. 50:30 If there's 10 people, Lord, will you save them? 50:31 He says, "Even if there's 10, I'll save Sodom and Gomorrah." 50:35 But when you get to Chapter 19, 50:37 I believe there's some clear scriptures 50:38 here that indicate that once they came out of the city, 50:41 prior to the fire and brimstone coming down, 50:43 there's very much a possibility that this very much 50:46 could have been Jesus 50:48 and the angels based on a text here. 50:49 Notice John Chapter, excuse me, Genesis Chapter 19. 50:53 And I'm gonna read verse 24. 50:55 It says, "Then the Lord rained brimstone 50:58 and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, 51:00 from the Lord out of heaven." 51:01 Notice, it almost like there's a presence here, 51:03 the Lord's here and the Lord's there, 51:05 but He's raining fire and brimstone. 51:06 We know the angels, 51:08 two men were angels because He just 51:09 understood them to be angels. 51:11 But there's an indication here that even Jesus 51:13 was still there outside of this city, 51:15 as He called for fire 51:17 and brimstone to come down out of heaven. 51:18 So that would've been in the aftermath 51:20 of Sodom and Gomorrah. 51:22 A few seconds something you want to add. 51:23 Well, just to say that Lot didn't know that the angels 51:25 that went, went to him were angels 51:27 until they manifested themselves as angels. 51:29 Some entertained angels unawares as Hebrew says, 51:32 and Lot was one of those people. 51:33 Yeah. Yeah. Amen. 51:35 We thank you so much for turning in your questions. 51:37 We love to take your questions here at 3ABN 51:39 and to answer them on 3ABN today, Bible Q and A. 51:42 So what we're gonna do right now 51:44 is give you one more opportunity, 51:45 so that you can jot down those questions 51:47 and send them in to us. 51:49 And we'll be right back. 51:51 If you're enjoying our 3ABN Bible Q and A, 51:54 then tell your friends, 51:56 each Monday we'll bring you a fresh program, 51:58 answering the Bible questions you send us, 52:01 using God's Holy Word to shed light 52:03 on those texts that seem difficult to understand. 52:06 To have your questions answered on a future program, 52:09 just email them to us at BibleQA@3abn.tv 52:14 That's BibleQA@3abn.tv 52:18 You may also text your questions to (618) 228-3975. 52:24 That's (618) 228-3975. 52:27 Be sure to include your name and where you live, 52:30 and then watch 3ABN 52:31 Bible Q and A for answers from God's Word. |
Revised 2024-06-17