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Series Code: AFBA
Program Code: AFBA202508S
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00:03 male announcer: It is the best selling book in history.
00:05 No volume ever written has been more loved and quoted. 00:09 And it's words, sometimes simple and sometimes mysterious, should 00:14 always be studied carefully. 00:16 It is the Bible, the Word of God. 00:20 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. 00:39 Once again, that's 800-835-6747. 00:44 Now here's your host from Amazing Facts International, 00:48 Pastor Doug Batchelor. 00:49 Doug Batchelor: Hello listening friends, welcome to "Bible 00:52 Answers Live." 00:53 Would you like to hear an amazing fact? 00:55 It's been estimated that there are approximately 22,000 00:59 different species of ants in the world, but the Guinness Book of 01:03 World Records lists the Australian bulldog as one of the 01:07 deadliest species on the planet. 01:09 Bulldog ants are also known as jack jumper ants for their 01:13 jumping behavior. 01:14 When agitated, they can repeatedly leap forward four 01:17 inches in a bound. 01:18 They'll chase you. 01:19 They have superior vision and are able to follow or even chase 01:22 an intruder from the nest. 01:24 And they're very large as far as ants go, with some measuring 01:27 over one and a half inches long. 01:29 That said, most healthy people would not die from the sting of 01:33 one ant, but some humans have died from anaphylactic shock 01:37 after being bitten by a bulldog ant. 01:40 These ants have cousins in South America called bullet ants, and 01:44 they carry what is believed to be the most painful sting in 01:47 the world. 01:48 If one should bite you on the foot, it's been described as 01:51 feeling like you're walking on hot coals with a nail through 01:54 your foot or feeling like you've been shot when you've been 01:57 bitten, hence the name bullet ants. 02:00 And the worst part is that the excruciating, throbbing pain can 02:04 last up to 24 hours. 02:06 But this is nothing compared to how many Christians believe God 02:09 is going to torture sinners through eternity. 02:12 Jëan Ross: That's right, Pastor Doug. 02:14 There's a lot of confusion about, yeah, well, what happens 02:15 to the wicked? 02:17 Are they going to burn eternally? 02:18 And when they think they're just about done, well, it's only just 02:21 begun because they're burning throughout all eternities. 02:24 Isn't that what the Bible teaches? 02:25 Doug: Yeah, there's really like two extremes when it comes to 02:28 what Christians believe about what happens when the wicked 02:33 are punished. 02:34 One group says, "Well there is no punishment and, you know, 02:37 everyone's going to be saved," universalism. 02:40 And then the other group says, "Yeah, they're going to be 02:42 punished in the lake of fire and they'll burn for zillions of 02:45 years, and then zillions, and it never ends." 02:49 Just burning endlessly for the sins of, you know, comparatively 02:52 a minuscule amount of time. 02:54 And the Bible actually teaches something between the two. 02:58 There is a punishment of the wicked, but it doesn't go on for 03:01 billions of years. 03:03 Jesus said, "Each one is punished according to what he 03:05 deserves, and ultimately wicked are not immortalized." 03:09 You can read, for instance, in Malachi chapter 4, "'Behold, the 03:12 day is coming that will burn like an oven, and all the 03:16 proud,'" that's all of them, "'and all who do wickedly will 03:19 be stubble. 03:21 The day is coming that will burn them up,' says the Lord of 03:24 Hosts, 'It will leave them neither root nor branch.'" 03:27 And of course Revelation 20 says, "They're destroyed." 03:30 Fire comes down, and this is the second death. 03:33 And then Revelation 21 tells us, "There is no more pain." 03:37 And so, so many people have turned away from God because 03:41 they have this medieval interpretation of hell that God 03:45 is going to torture. 03:46 He's basically saying, "Love me or I'm going to torture 03:48 you forever." 03:49 And they have a hard time loving a God that appears almost 03:52 sadistic in one sense. 03:55 Friends, you need to know what the Bible really teaches 03:57 about this. 03:59 And then one other misconception is the devil then of all 04:00 things is in charge of hell. 04:02 And how can you trust him to give people a fair punishment? 04:06 So, we have a free offer that will give you all the scriptures 04:08 and what the Bible really says about the punishment of 04:11 the wicked. 04:12 And we do this, not to scare people, but it helps you better 04:16 understand the love of God. 04:17 Jëan: A free offer today is a study guide. 04:20 One of the "Amazing Facts's" study guides called "Is the 04:23 Devil in Charge of Hell?" 04:25 Now as Pastor Doug said, if you've never read this before, 04:27 you need to get it. 04:28 It's easy. It's free. 04:30 The number to call is 800-835-6747. 04:33 And you can ask for that free offer. 04:35 It's called "Is the Devil in Charge of Hell?" 04:37 You can also dial #250 on your smartphone, say, "Bible Answers 04:40 Live," and then ask for it by name, "Is the Devil in Charge 04:43 of Hell?" 04:45 We'll send it to you for free. 04:46 And you know Pastor Doug, it's so important. 04:47 Actually, there's good news in the subject of the destruction 04:50 of the wicked in the subject of hell, because God is a God 04:52 of love. 04:54 He always has been. He always will be. 04:55 And I think that's brought to light when you study the subject 04:58 from what the Bible says. 04:59 So, please take advantage of that. 05:01 Before we go to the phone lines, let's start with the word 05:03 of prayer. 05:05 Dear Father, we thank You once again that we have this 05:06 opportunity to study Your Word. 05:08 And Lord, we recognize the Bible is Your book, so we do pray for 05:11 the Holy Spirit to guide us as we search the scriptures. 05:14 Be with those who are listening. 05:16 We pray that You guide us to declare a Bible truth in Jesus's 05:19 name, amen. 05:22 Our first caller this evening is Glenn listening in Ohio. 05:24 Glenn, welcome to "Bible Answers Live." 05:26 You're on the air. 05:27 Glenn: Good evening, pastors, and thank you 05:29 for taking my call. 05:31 My scripture today is the fifth chapter or the fifth verse of 05:36 chapter 66 of Isaiah. 05:39 And by the way, just parenthetically, I'd love to 05:41 hear somebody do about five or six nice sermons on chapter 66. 05:47 Doug: Okay, we'll make a note of that. 05:50 Glenn: Yes. 05:51 My question concerns the fifth chapter where the hated people 05:55 in the chapter--in the first five say, "Oh the Lord be 06:00 glorified," and they say it in a jovial way, making fun of 06:03 the hated. 06:05 "So that his joy may be full." 06:08 And that was kind of a terrible thing for them to do, and they 06:11 paid for it. 06:12 My question is, what is the purpose of and the meaning of 06:16 chapter verse 5 of chapter 66. 06:20 Doug: All right, let me read this for our friends, Glenn, 06:22 because a lot of folks don't have a Bible in front of them. 06:24 Isaiah 66:5, it says, "Hear the Word of the Lord, you who 06:30 tremble at His Word. 06:32 Your brethren who hated you, who cast you out for my namesake, 06:36 said, 'Let the Lord be glorified, that we may see your 06:39 joy,' but they shall be ashamed." 06:41 Now this is talking about, through history, and Isaiah was 06:45 a victim of this himself. 06:48 Those who tremble at the Word, they're the faithful. 06:50 They believe the Word of God. 06:51 They tremble at His Word, but their brethren, you could say, 06:54 you know, part of their same faith group, the same church, 06:58 hated you and cast you out. 07:01 You know, the apostles were basically cast out of the temple 07:05 because of their faith, and they trembled at the Word of 07:07 the Lord. 07:08 They believed the Word of Jesus. 07:10 And then, as you say, it says, "'Let the Lord be glorified, 07:12 that we may see your joy,' but they shall be ashamed." 07:15 Now here where it says, "Let the Lord be glorified," I don't 07:18 think it's the wicked mocking the righteous. 07:21 I think it's saying, "God will be glorified because of your 07:23 faithfulness, but they will be ashamed." 07:26 So, it's basically saying, "If you're tempted, if you're 07:30 persecuted for your faith, even by some who claim to be 07:33 believers, follow the Word of the Lord. 07:38 You may be cast out because of your faith, but if you're 07:41 faithful in the end, God will be glorified, they will 07:45 be ashamed." 07:46 And you use the same word that they're ashamed, like when the 07:48 Lord is coming, those who persecuted you will be ashamed. 07:52 Jëan: All right, thank you, Glenn. 07:53 Great question. 07:55 We've got Randy in Florida. 07:56 Randy, welcome to "Bible Answers Live." 07:58 Randy: Thank you, pastors for hearing my question. 08:00 Doug: Thanks for calling. 08:02 Randy: Thank you. 08:03 Yeah, there's a question of music, acceptable music during 08:07 worship service. 08:08 In particular, is music like rap acceptable during 08:11 worship service? 08:13 Doug: Yeah, well, good question, and it's a difficult question 08:17 when you ask about music because so often our opinions about 08:20 music and what's appropriate are very subjective, but there 08:23 are principles. 08:24 And when you look at the principles, the most important 08:27 thing about Christian music would be not just the melodies 08:31 and the harmonies, that's very important, but what is 08:34 the message? 08:35 Music--in the Bible, the songs were to help us 08:39 remember scriptures. 08:41 We have 150 Psalms in the Book of Psalms. 08:44 We don't remember what the melodies were, that's not been 08:47 recorded, but we do know what the words are. 08:50 And you've got the song of Moses, you've got the song of 08:53 the Lamb in the New Testament in Revelation, and these 08:57 were messages. 08:58 And often young people remember scripture by having melody go 09:03 with it. 09:04 So, music can help us remember scripture. 09:07 So, now you're asking about rap music. 09:10 You know, I personally--I think that's sort of an oxymoron. 09:13 I think there's some music of the world, and just because you 09:16 throw in Christian words, it doesn't really sanctify what may 09:20 be worldly music. 09:22 And that doesn't mean that some of the worldly music is not 09:26 amazing or talented, but you have to ask, is all music good? 09:32 Follow me. 09:34 In the Bible, it tells us that King Saul would be overcome with 09:38 an evil spirit. 09:39 David would come for the king when he was being tormented by 09:42 this evil spirit. 09:43 David would play his harp and sing, and the evil spirit would 09:46 be driven away by good music. 09:49 Obviously David inspired prophet, godly music. 09:54 If there's good music that can drive spirits away, is there bad 09:57 music that can welcome evil spirits in? 10:00 And I think it's a fair question. 10:02 I think there is. 10:03 So, we need to be very careful in the choice of music that we 10:08 bring in our church, that we're bringing in the right 10:10 angels actually. 10:12 Jëan: And you know it's also good to look at the history of 10:14 the music where it's coming from. 10:16 Protestantism was built upon the Word and the teachings 10:19 of scripture. 10:20 Music played a very important part in the Protestant church 10:23 and the Protestant movement where they were seeing their 10:25 faith, and it had good theology, a lot of the contemporary style 10:29 of worship music, somewhat lacking in the depth of Bible 10:34 truth as far as deep scholarly references. 10:38 Not that all music has to have that, but some of these great 10:41 hymns like "Firm Foundation," that we have in scripture and-- 10:46 Doug: "Great is Your Faithfulness." 10:48 Jëan: I mean these have a lot of solid meaning and-- 10:51 Doug: There's nothing wrong with new songs, right? 10:53 Yeah, Bible says sing a new song, but the new song should 10:55 fit the principles of what would be God glorifying music and 10:59 words and be teaching good theology in the process. 11:03 You know, I have a book that it's called "The Christian 11:06 and Music." 11:08 And they might be able to contact "Amazing Facts" and take 11:11 a look. 11:12 I've got all the--kind of the principles laid out in there. 11:14 You can't go through every song that's ever been done and say, 11:17 "This is good, this is bad," but once you know the principles, 11:19 people sort of get the drift. 11:21 Jëan: All right. 11:23 Next caller that we have is Janean from North Carolina. 11:25 Janean, welcome to the program. 11:27 Janean: Thank you. 11:28 My question is, will I see my relatives that are--good 11:37 questions, but will I see them in heaven. 11:45 Doug: Yeah, well the Bible's pretty clear. 11:47 There is a resurrection. 11:49 There are two resurrections. 11:50 Jesus talks about the resurrection of the just and the 11:53 resurrection of the unjust. 11:54 And those who are saved will be united together with other 12:01 believers in the resurrection at the coming of the Lord. 12:04 You can read about that in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. 12:07 It says, "The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a 12:09 shout, with the voice of the archangel, with a trumpet 12:11 of God. 12:13 And the dead in Christ will rise first. 12:15 Then we which are alive and remain will be caught up 12:18 together with them." 12:19 So, it promises that believers will be together with them in 12:24 the presence of the Lord at the Lord's coming. 12:27 And, you know, in the Great Judgment Day, where he separates 12:30 the sheep and the goats, ostensibly, there'll be a moment 12:33 when everybody's going to see each other again. 12:37 So, there'll be a separation between the saved and the lost, 12:40 but, you know, in that great white throne judgment, all will 12:43 be present. 12:45 Jëan: We do have a study guide. 12:46 It's called "Are the Dead Really Dead?" 12:47 And it talks about the subject of what happens to a person when 12:49 he dies, and also talks about the hope of the Christian, which 12:52 is the resurrection of the Second Coming of Christ. 12:55 Call and ask for that, Janean. 12:56 The number is 800-835-6747. 13:00 For anyone wanting to learn more about this important subject, 13:03 you can also dial #250 on your smartphone and ask for it by 13:06 name, "Are the Dead Really Dead?" 13:08 We'll be happy to mail it to anyone who calls and asks. 13:12 Albert in California. 13:13 Albert, welcome to "Bible Answers Live." 13:15 Albert: Thank you for taking my call, pastors. 13:19 My question tonight, when the Joshua and Caleb, when they went 13:23 to visit the land and they saw, they reported to Moses that they 13:27 were giants in the lands, according to the Bible, 13:30 Numbers 13:33. 13:33 My question is, are these giants were the same size as Goliath? 13:38 Doug: Well I would think that some of them must be at least 13:41 the same size. 13:42 It seems like giants over time have slowly gotten smaller. 13:46 You know, before the flood, men lived hundreds of years and they 13:48 were ostensibly bigger. 13:50 And then after the flood, it seemed like their lifespans went 13:53 down and they probably got shorter. 13:55 The giants in the time of Moses were probably a little bigger 13:59 than the giants in the time of David. 14:02 Goliath, of course, stood out head and shoulders above 14:04 everyone else, but we had a man named Robert Waldo, who lived a 14:08 100 years ago that was eight feet plus. 14:11 Goliath was nine feet six, and I think you got a verse about one 14:14 of the kings during the time of Moses-- 14:16 Jëan: You can read about it in Deuteronomy chapter 3, verse 11. 14:19 It talks about a king by the name of Og, who was the king 14:22 of Bashan. 14:24 And it doesn't tell us his exact size, but it does tell us the 14:26 size of his bed. 14:27 And it talks about it being a certain length that works out to 14:32 about 13 feet in length. 14:35 Nine cubits, 13.5. 14:37 So, that's the size of his bed. 14:39 So, he could very well be nine foot, maybe even ten foot. 14:42 Who knows? 14:44 Doug: Now you're taller than average Pastor Ross. 14:45 Have you ever gotten in a bed where you sort of hang 14:47 off the edge? 14:48 Jëan: That happens. 14:50 Doug: So maybe, who knows, that bed might not have even been big 14:52 enough for you. 14:53 Jëan: But that's a big bed. 14:55 So, yeah, there it is. 14:57 Doug: California king. 14:59 Jëan: Thank you, Albert. 15:00 Next one that we have is Nel in California. 15:02 Nel, welcome to "Bible Answers Live." 15:06 Nel: Thank you. 15:07 My question is, what is the proper way to study the Bible? 15:11 Say, so is listening to "Bible Answers Live," a Bible study, or 15:17 does Bible study have to only be reading? 15:21 Can it be listening to a sermon or listening to other programs 15:25 who are studying the Bible with individuals. 15:28 Doug: Good, yeah, good question. 15:30 Well I think all of the above. 15:32 I certainly hope we do this program hoping that people will 15:35 gain a deeper understanding. 15:37 I would also hope this would not be the only thing that they do 15:40 in Bible study. 15:41 It's really good to have your own Bible and, you know, we have 15:45 computerized Bibles. 15:46 I do a lot of my research on the computer cause you can access 15:49 commentaries in the original languages almost instantly, but 15:53 I also really appreciate my paper Bible that I preach from, 15:57 and I've got things highlighted and underlined. 16:00 And there's just something about it. 16:02 I listen to audiobooks, you know, Pastor Ross and I are 16:05 always swapping good audiobooks we listen to of history, 16:08 and--but I also read paper books still. 16:12 So, I think it's good to have your own Bible that you study, 16:16 but certainly listening to the Bible read online, some people 16:21 are more visual, more auditory, some are more tactile, and we 16:24 all learn different ways. 16:26 I'd say all of the above, whatever works for you. 16:29 Jëan: You know, we do have a book talking about the Bible. 16:31 It's called "The Ultimate Resource." 16:33 And it'll give some principles on how to read and study the 16:35 Bible, where did the Bible come from? 16:37 We'll be happy to send this to anyone who calls and asks. 16:39 The number is 800-835-6747. 16:43 That is the resource phone line. 16:45 You can also dial #250 on your smartphone and just say, "Bible 16:48 Answers Live." 16:50 Ask for the book by name. 16:51 It's called, "The Ultimate Resource." 16:53 Again, "The Ultimate Resource." 16:55 It is a great read. 16:57 Thank you Nel. 16:58 Next caller that we have is Eli and he is in Kansas. 17:02 Eli, welcome to the program. 17:05 Eli: Hey, good evening. 17:06 Doug: Evening. 17:08 Eli: My question is, if we can overcome the sin, why are we 17:13 still called sinners? 17:15 Because--what about when you get baptized? 17:20 Isn't the--like when you get baptized cleans your sin. 17:24 And If we can like overcome the sin, why we have to lie and say 17:30 that we are sinners, if that's not true. 17:33 Like, can you explain that? 17:35 Doug: Well, you know, Paul--New Testament Christians, Paul 17:38 typically addresses them as saints. 17:40 He doesn't call them sinners. 17:42 But, you know, if a person is still living a life of sin, you 17:47 want to call him a sinner. 17:48 And, you know, Paul says, "We have all sinned." 17:51 And then the Bible says that, "Even believers may sin." 17:55 James says, "In many things we offend." 17:57 So, being a Christian, you're going to find that as you grow 18:00 in faith, there'll be some stumbling along the way cause 18:03 we're--it's a war. 18:05 We're constantly being attacked by the devil and temptation. 18:07 You just shouldn't get discouraged if you lose 18:10 a battle. 18:11 And you got to get back up and get back into the war. 18:14 So, technically, once you accept Christ, Paul in the New 18:19 Testament, they refer to us as believers and saints. 18:22 I don't think there are too many of the New Testament writers. 18:24 I'm just thinking as I'm accessing my mental hard drive 18:28 right now, Pastor Ross. 18:29 I don't know of anywhere where the apostles in their letters 18:31 call believers sinners. 18:34 Unless somebody outside of faith, yeah. 18:36 Jëan: And then he highlights that they'll change of heart. 18:40 Doug: But I know what Eli's saying is that it's true that a 18:43 lot of pastors, you know, we--they kind of talked down the 18:47 congregations as they're all sinners. 18:50 And I don't know whether that's biblical to do it that way. 18:54 Jëan: Yeah, I think that there's a balance like you say, 18:56 Pastor Doug. 18:57 I mean, we don't walk around and say, you know, "We're perfect. 18:59 We never sin--" 19:01 Doug: You don't want to claim to be saints. 19:03 Jëan: Yeah, because we're kind of setting ourselves up 19:04 for failure. 19:05 But at the same time, we can claim the promises of God, 19:07 believe that if we confess, He's faithful and just to forgive us, 19:09 and trust Him that He'll keep us from falling as the Bible says. 19:13 All right, thank you. 19:15 Next caller that we have is Dana in New York. 19:16 Dana, welcome to "Bible Answers Live." 19:18 Dana: Oh, hi. 19:19 I watched your video the other day from a few weeks back about 19:23 all the gods and all that kind of thing and the temple, and I 19:27 was just wondering, I know there is a faction of Jews very 19:31 interested in rebuilding the temple. 19:34 And if the Jews were to, you know, many will come, but--and 19:40 accept Jesus, but I'm wondering, is that maybe why they would 19:44 want to try to rebuild because they feel they need to? 19:47 And if they do try, wouldn't that result in a pretty big 19:51 war, maybe? 19:52 Doug: Well yeah, it would. 19:54 And, you know, I've been to Israel maybe three times, at 19:58 least three times. 19:59 Pastor Ross and I were there together a few years ago. 20:01 We stood where they've got the great big golden candlestick, 20:04 that there is a group in Israel of very orthodox Jews that would 20:08 love to see the temple rebuilt. 20:10 It is a very small group. 20:12 I'm sorry to say that a large part of the people in Israel 20:17 probably live like agnostics or atheists. 20:22 There are, you know, very devoted Orthodox Jews, there's a 20:25 very zealous, a lot of patriotism in Israel, but 20:29 there's not a lot of Bible reading. 20:31 I'll bet you that if you were to stop, you know, one in ten 20:35 Israelis on the street could quote verses to you from the 20:37 Old Testament. 20:39 So, the idea that there's a big clamoring in Israel to bulldoze 20:43 the dome of the rock and rebuild the temple, I would saying, no, 20:46 that's not really happening. 20:48 And as you said, it would cause World War III because the 20:52 temple, the mosque of Omar that is on the same location as 20:56 Solomon's Temple, that'd be the only place the Jews would want 20:58 to build it. 21:00 It's the third holiest Muslim site. 21:03 The idea that that could be demolished, that would certainly 21:09 get about a billion Muslims upset. 21:12 And the reason we explain that is because people misunderstand 21:14 that verse is it 1 Thessalonians, "Then that wicked 21:17 one who calls himself God will sit in the temple of God showing 21:21 himself that he is God." 21:23 People assume that for the Antichrist to sit in the temple 21:26 of God, that means the temple must be rebuilt. 21:29 But they're taking that one verse and misunderstanding that 21:33 the Antichrist sits over the temple, the spiritual temple 21:36 of God. 21:38 Paul said the church, "You are the temple of God." 21:41 So, Paul is one who wrote that verse, and you've got to read it 21:43 in the context of the author. 21:45 Jesus said, "Destroy this temple made with hands. 21:47 I will make one without hands." 21:49 He spoke of his body. 21:51 The church is the temple of God. 21:53 The Antichrist is going to sit over the church saying--putting 21:57 himself in the place of God. 21:59 It's not talking about rebuilding the physical temple 22:02 because the Jews don't practice the sacrificial system anymore. 22:05 Jëan: The verse you're referring to 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, 22:08 verse 3 and 4. 22:09 And just to add to that, Pastor Doug, you know, 22:11 if the temple was to be rebuilt, as you mentioned, they don't do 22:15 sacrifice anymore, but besides that, it wouldn't take the place 22:19 of the most sacred spot to the Jews, which is the Western Wall. 22:23 Which dates all the way back to the time of the rebuilding after 22:26 the Babylonian captivity. 22:28 That to them is far more sacred because they actually have stone 22:31 that dates back to that time. 22:32 To build a temple, you know, with marble or granite or 22:35 whatever it is right now, that's modern, but it's really the 22:38 ancient stones that really have significance to them. 22:42 Doug: And in the Jewish culture, the centerpiece for the 22:45 tabernacle for Solomon's temple was the Ark of the Covenant. 22:50 They don't have that. 22:51 They cannot copy the stones written with the finger of God. 22:54 It's just not the same thing. 22:56 So, the idea that they're just going to manufacture 22:58 another temple. 23:00 They're not pushing for that because it's like they said, 23:03 "Ichabod," the glory is departed. 23:04 They lost the ark or it's been hidden, and no one has found 23:07 it since. 23:08 Jëan: All right, next caller that we have is Dasha 23:11 from Kansas. 23:12 Dasha, welcome to the program. 23:14 Dasha: Hello, pastors. 23:15 Doug: Hi. 23:16 Dasha: I have a question. 23:19 It is from Matthew chapter 24, verse 8 and 9. 23:26 And I was studying and I flipped over 23:29 to Revelation chapter 13, verse 14, 23:36 15, 16, and 17 and I was wondering, does that--does those 23:42 verses from Revelation fit in between Matthew-- 23:48 Doug: Matthew 24:8 and 9. 23:51 Dasha: Yes, because I was trying to figure out 23:54 is this the close of probation for the church? 23:58 Doug: Let me read this for our friends, Dasha. 24:00 You're quoting verses and I want to read it so those listening 24:04 know what we're talking about. 24:05 In Matthew 24:8 and 9, 24:07 "All these are the beginning of sorrows. 24:09 'Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and 24:13 you will be hated of all nations for My name's sake.'" 24:16 So, this great persecution that you're talking about, you're 24:18 wondering if it fits into which verses in Revelation? 24:21 Dasha: It is Revelation chapter 13, and it is verse--actually 24:30 it's verse 15, 16, and 17, and I wanted to know 24:33 if that fits into there. 24:35 Doug: Talking about causing all the world to worship, and if you 24:38 don't worship the beast and his image, you cannot buy or 24:41 sell, correct? 24:43 This persecution in the last days. 24:46 The persecution that Jesus is talking about in Matthew 24 is 24:50 really twofold. 24:51 The first part he's talking about a great persecution that 24:54 came against the Jews before the destruction of Jerusalem. 24:58 And then there's a great persecution that came upon the 25:01 Christians during the Dark Ages between 538 and 1798, when the 25:07 church became a government institution and millions of true 25:12 Bible Christians were persecuted and great tribulation during 25:17 that time. 25:19 There is a final great tribulation during the seven 25:22 last plagues you read about in Daniel chapter 12 and in 25:25 Revelation, is it 15 and 16. 25:28 So--but the mark of the beast, time of trouble, that's 25:32 connected with the very last one. 25:34 Jëan: That's right. 25:35 So, when you look at Matthew 24, you have a time of trouble. 25:38 You see this first time of trouble, which took place 25:40 historically during the 12 and 60 years, but there is a repeat 25:43 of trouble. 25:45 Daniel chapter 12 was one, a great time of trouble, worse 25:47 than there has ever been. 25:49 But the good news is thy people shall be delivered. 25:51 So, God's people will be delivered through 25:53 that experience. 25:54 That's why it says in Matthew chapter 25, "He who endures to 25:58 the end shall be saved." 25:59 So, it's dealing with both. 26:01 It's dealing with the persecution that happened in the 26:03 past, but there's definitely a persecution in the future, which 26:06 is highlighted in Revelation 13. 26:08 No man can buy or sell. 26:10 Eventually, there is a death decree that is passed. 26:12 Doug: Yeah, and the close of probation you're asking about, 26:15 that happens before the seven last plagues and this great time 26:19 of trouble. 26:20 But don't worry, just be faithful. 26:22 God promises that he's going to bring us through that. 26:25 It is through tribulation we enter the kingdom of God, so we 26:29 don't need to worry. 26:30 Jesus can get us through it just like He got the Israelites 26:32 through the plagues. 26:34 Don't go away, friends, we're just going to 26:35 take a brief break. 26:37 We're going to come back, take more calls. 26:38 ♪♪♪ 26:42 male announcer: Stay tuned. 26:44 "Bible Answers Live" will return shortly. 26:50 ♪♪♪ 26:54 female: We grew up Catholic. 26:56 I went to Catholic school for nine years. 26:58 All the group of my friends and I would go to church 27:01 every Sunday. 27:02 I think as a young child, I had a closer relationship with God 27:06 than I did as a young adult. 27:08 I never really forgot Him, but I did. 27:12 From high school I went to college and then after college, 27:15 I went into the dance world and became a dancer. 27:21 Got married late in my life, but at the right time. 27:26 He also grew up as a Catholic. 27:28 My husband worked as a software salesperson in New York City. 27:32 We woke up early that morning of 9/11 and I said to him--I said, 27:36 "Why are you not going to the city today?" 27:38 He says, "Look at this day, it's beautiful." 27:40 He says, "I really want to spend the day with you and the girls." 27:43 Just as that first plane hit the towers, he dropped to his knees 27:48 and he said, "Thank God. 27:50 I was supposed to be up in the second building today." 27:56 So, we changed our lives. 27:57 We found our place in the mountains in West Virginia. 28:02 My eldest child was born on Christmas Day, so that was 28:04 always very special until Christmas Day two years ago, my 28:09 husband died on our kitchen floor. 28:12 My youngest child and I worked for about an hour doing CPR, but 28:18 living so remotely as where we live, there was eight inches of 28:22 snow on the ground. 28:23 The emergency vehicles could not get to us. 28:26 We lost him that day. 28:31 Ten days after my husband died, the gray water system was 28:35 pouring out underneath the house. 28:37 I called the plumber up and I asked him if he remembered my 28:40 husband, and he says, "Oh, I do remember speaking with him." 28:43 I said, "Well, he passed away on Christmas Day," and he says, 28:47 "I'll be over tonight." 28:48 The whole underneath the house was replaced. 28:51 "So how much do I owe you for today?" 28:53 He says, "Let me think. 28:56 Nothing." 28:58 And I just hugged him and he says, "How would you like to 29:02 come to church on Saturday?" 29:03 And I said, "Saturday?" 29:05 We ended up going to church on Saturday and his wife gave us 29:09 the Amazing Facts Bible studies. 29:12 And we couldn't get enough of it. 29:14 When the girls and I heard the story of Doug Batchelor and the 29:18 richest caveman, his story inspired all of us that, you 29:22 know, you can walk with God and talk with God and have a 29:26 personal relationship with Him. 29:28 The girls and I had decided that we're all going to get 29:30 baptized together. 29:32 That was a beautiful moment that I wish their dad was there 29:36 because I think he would be really proud that they chose to 29:39 give their hearts to Jesus that day. 29:42 I want to say thank you to Pastor Doug for all the facts 29:47 that he shares and his knowledge. 29:50 It has helped all of us grow closer to God. 29:54 ♪♪♪ 30:04 ♪♪♪ 30:10 female announcer: Did you know Amazing Facts has a free Bible 30:13 school that you can do from the comfort of your own home? 30:16 It includes 27 beautifully illustrated study lessons to aid 30:19 in your study of God's Word. 30:21 Sign up today for this free Bible study course by 30:24 calling 1-844-215-7000. 30:27 That's 1-844-215-7000. 30:37 male announcer: You're listening to "Bible Answers Live" where 30:39 every question answered provides a clearer picture of God and His 30:43 plan to save you. 30:45 So, what are you waiting for? 30:47 Get practical answers about the good book for a better 30:50 life today. 30:53 This broadcast is a previously recorded episode. 30:57 If you'd like answers to your Bible-related questions on the 30:59 air, please call us next Sunday between 7 p.m. 31:03 and 8 p.m. Pacific time. 31:06 To receive any of the Bible resources mentioned in this 31:08 evening's program, call 800-835-6747. 31:13 Once again, that's 800-835-6747. 31:19 Now let's rejoin our hosts for more "Bible Answers Live." 31:25 Doug: Welcome back listening friends. 31:26 This is "Bible Answers Live." 31:28 For those who have tuned in along the way, it's a live 31:30 international interactive Bible study. 31:33 I think we still have some lines open. 31:35 If you'd like to call in with your Bible question, that's 31:37 800-GODSAYS or 800-463-7297. 31:44 We want to get in as many Bible questions as we can. 31:47 I'm Doug Batchelor. 31:48 Jëan: My name is Jëan Ross and we have Sharon listening 31:50 in Idaho. 31:52 Sharon, welcome to Bible Answers Live. 31:53 You're on the air. 31:55 Sharon: Thank you. 31:56 My question is, when Jesus resurrected Lazarus, Jairus's 32:00 daughter, and others, were they alive a while and had to die 32:03 again, or did they go up to heaven when he went up? 32:06 Doug: Yeah, good question. 32:08 Well Lazarus, Dorcas, Jairus's daughter was only 12 years old. 32:14 Jesus ascended to heaven before they died. 32:17 I'm sure that they ended up living normal lives. 32:20 Some may have died, you know, prematurely from illness 32:23 or persecution. 32:25 The Bible doesn't say. 32:26 I don't remember if there's anything in church history about 32:28 what happened to Lazarus as far as whether he was persecuted or 32:31 not, but it seems from everything we read in the Bible 32:35 that they went on to live full lives and then they died like 32:39 everyone else does. 32:41 So, they were raised and given normal bodies that needed to 32:45 continue living and growing old and ultimately dying. 32:48 Jëan: That's right. 32:49 So, they were not resurrected with an immortal body as Jesus 32:52 was when he came from the tomb. 32:54 We do have some examples of people that were resurrected and 32:57 taken to heaven while you've got Moses, according to the book of 32:59 Jude, that was resurrected. 33:01 He was resurrected with an immortal body. 33:03 He was taken to heaven. 33:04 And then the Bible speaks of a group of people that were 33:06 resurrected at the time of Christ's resurrection. 33:09 And not much is said about them, but it does speak about a group 33:13 going to heaven. 33:15 And they serve as the first fruits of those who 33:17 are resurrected. 33:18 But all of them were resurrected with immortal bodies, whereas 33:20 the rest of the resurrections, both in the time of Christ and 33:23 in the Old Testament, they were not immortal resurrections. 33:26 People were resurrected, they lived, and then they died-- 33:29 Doug: Maybe like a healing. 33:31 Jëan: Yeah, there you go. 33:32 It's not the second death though that you read about in the book 33:35 of Revelation. 33:37 The second death has reference to the wicked and that final 33:40 destruction that takes place. 33:41 There are just a few exceptions, those who are resurrected at 33:44 this time. 33:45 Doug: Yeah, now it'd be terrible if someone that Jesus 33:47 resurrected then died lost because they'd died three times. 33:52 Jëan: That's right. 33:53 They could. 33:55 Theoretically, yeah. 33:56 Doug: Let's hope they're all safe. 33:57 Jëan: That's right. 33:59 All right, Maurice in Utah, Maurice, welcome to the program. 34:01 Maurice: Hello, Pastor Jëan, Pastor Doug. 34:03 Question for you. 34:04 I always was taught that in the Bible references, you know, 34:09 fleeing to the mountains in the end-times. 34:11 But if you could explain in Revelation chapter 16, verse 20, 34:16 that, "Every island fled away and the mountains could not 34:18 be found." 34:19 So, should we be going to the mountains or where should we 34:22 be going? 34:23 Doug: Yeah, good question. 34:24 If it says in Matthew 24 and Luke, "Those that be in Judea 34:28 flee into the mountains." 34:30 During the small time of trouble, God's people are going 34:32 to be living in isolated places when there's persecution. 34:36 But when it talks about the islands and the mountains being 34:40 swallowed up, that's after probation closes, and I think 34:43 that actually happens after the saints are being caught up to 34:46 meet the Lord in the air. 34:47 That behind, there's going to be just total devastation. 34:52 You can read about that in Jeremiah chapter 4. It says, 34:55 "The cities were broken down by the presence of the Lord and by 34:59 His fierce anger." 35:01 And so, that's when the islands disappear and the 35:02 great earthquake. 35:04 I forget what verse revelation talks about an earthquake such 35:06 as there never has been. 35:08 Jëan: That's all under the seventh plague, which is 35:10 connected right with the second coming of Christ, as you 35:13 mentioned Pastor Doug. 35:14 So, you don't have to worry. 35:15 You're not going to have to flee to some island or some mountain, 35:17 and suddenly you have it disappear and then you still 35:20 have to find a different place to live. 35:21 No, when the islands are disappear and the mountains 35:24 collapse, well that means you've been transported to heaven if 35:26 you're saved. 35:28 Doug: At that point. 35:29 Jëan: All right, thank you, Maurice. 35:31 We've got Joshua in New Jersey. 35:32 Joshua, welcome to the program. 35:33 Joshua: Thanks, pastors, God bless you. 35:36 Doug: Thank you. 35:37 Joshua: Here's my question. 35:39 So, the Bible calls us to be sober, right? 35:40 Throughout the entire New Testament. 35:42 But in 1 Timothy 5:23, Paul says, "Drink no longer water, 35:48 but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine 35:51 often infirmities." 35:53 And so, is Paul referring to new wine or fermented wine? 35:58 Doug: Well I'm guessing that he's talking about new wine, 36:03 which grape juice actually has antiseptic properties. 36:07 A lot of the water in ancient times, they, you know, they 36:09 often shared the streets with the animals and 36:12 animals--sometimes the wells became contaminated. 36:16 They had a lot of dysentery problems, but the juice that 36:19 came from the grape, you could trust it and it actually would 36:23 kill some germs and bacteria. 36:26 So, it didn't need to be alcoholic for that. 36:30 It's hard to imagine Paul recommending, "Don't drink 36:32 water, but drink booze." 36:35 So, I think he's saying drink grape juice. 36:37 Now, keep in mind in Bible times, grape juice, you know, 36:41 they squeeze it out during the harvest. 36:44 Sometimes they would condense it for transportation to make it 36:47 lighter, then they'd add water later to reconstitute it. 36:51 But they didn't have little labels on the wine skins that 36:56 said this is 1% alcohol, 2% alcohol. 36:59 So, you know, as time went by, sometimes it would become old 37:02 wine, and it would expand, and that's why Jesus said, "You 37:05 don't put new wine in old wine skins" because they'll quickly 37:09 expand from fermentation and burst. 37:12 It wasn't a precise science in Bible times, but I'm pretty sure 37:15 Paul is recommending a new wine. 37:17 And I got a book on Christian and alcohol. 37:19 I think talks about that. 37:20 Jëan: We do, yes, and we'll be happy to send that to 37:22 anyone who calls and asks. 37:23 The number is 800-835-6747. 37:26 You can ask for the book. 37:27 It's called "Alcohol and the Christian." 37:29 You can dial #250 on your smartphone, and you can ask for 37:32 it that way as well. 37:34 Take advantage of it. It's free. 37:36 Next caller that we have is Dr. Latif in Michigan. 37:40 Dr. Latif, are you there? 37:42 Dr. Latif: Yes. 37:43 Good evening, pastor. 37:45 Thank you for taking my call. 37:48 My question is, at what age or stage did the Lord Jesus 37:55 recognize who He was and what was His mission and what was 38:01 facing Him? 38:02 Is it age 12 or age 30 or later on? 38:08 Thank you for taking my call. 38:10 Doug: Great question. 38:12 At what point, you know, Jesus as a baby, clearly did not 38:14 toddle around and say, "I'm the son of God, and I've come to die 38:17 for the sins of the world." 38:19 But as His mind developed as in, you know, He was a human. 38:22 As his mind developed and His divine mission became clear, I'm 38:27 sure He was spirit-filled as John the Baptist was. 38:30 It seems that we don't know this for sure, but the closest we can 38:34 come is when He was 12 and He went to the temple, and He was 38:37 asking questions and answering, and the leaders and the 38:43 religious teachers marveled at His answers. 38:45 You can't help but wonder, was Gamaliel in the group that day, 38:48 because later He was much older when the disciples were being 38:52 tried and they heard this answer--these answers. 38:57 And when His parents came and said, "Why did You leave us? 38:59 We didn't know where You were." 39:01 He said, "Wist ye not I must be about My Father's business." 39:04 I think when Jesus went to the Passover at 12, today when a 39:08 Jewish boy is 13, they're bar mitzvahed. 39:11 In Christ's time, it was 12 years old. 39:13 And so, He went, and I think it became clear to Him that, 39:18 through the Holy Spirit, He saw the sacrificial system and the 39:20 light dawned on His mind that that was His special mission 39:23 that He had been called. 39:25 It doesn't say that explicitly, but I think from the context, He 39:29 was 12 when it began to dawn on Him. 39:31 Jëan: And definitely when He began his public ministry at the 39:33 age of 30, He was baptized and He went to the wilderness. 39:36 It was very evident cause immediately after that, the 39:39 first miracle we have recorded is where Jesus turned the water 39:42 into wine at the wedding. 39:43 And at that point, His mother said to Him, you know, "The wine 39:47 has failed." 39:48 And Jesus said, "My hour has not yet come." 39:50 He did help, you know, He did the miracle, but He was very 39:54 aware of the timing. 39:56 So, the whole mission was laid out at that point. 39:58 Doug: Yeah, good point. 40:00 Jëan: All right, thank you, Dr. Latif. 40:01 Now we got David in California. 40:03 David, welcome to "Bible Answers Live." 40:05 David: Thank you. 40:06 Thanks for putting on the program too. 40:08 I really appreciate it. 40:09 Doug: Thank you. 40:10 David: Question is--I was writing--I'm writing up a Bible 40:12 study for the Three Angels message, 40:13 so I was studying up on it. 40:16 My question is on Revelation 14:9. 40:21 Now, in King James, it says, "His mark in his forehead or in 40:27 his hand," but on my New King James and I looked at five other 40:31 versions, they all have on forehead or on your hand. 40:37 So, how do I explain that to somebody or which one do I use 40:39 because to me in and on are completely different? 40:42 Doug: Yeah, well I'll say something. 40:44 Pastor Ross probably has a lot more he can add, but to 40:49 understand Revelation, you need to go back in the Bible. 40:53 And most of the keys for understanding these things are 40:56 found in the Old Testament. 40:58 Moses, when he gave his great sermon at the end of his life in 41:01 Deuteronomy, and he gives the Great Shema, "Hear, O Israel, 41:05 the Lord our God is one. 41:06 Thou shalt love the Lord with all your heart." 41:08 He had just finished quoting the 10 Commandments in chapter 5. In 41:11 chapter 6, he says, "These words that I command you shall be in 41:14 your heart," and he says, in there. 41:17 And he said, "You shall write them for a sign on your hand, 41:20 and they shall be frontlesss between your eyes." 41:23 All three are figures. 41:25 One place that says, you know, between your eyes, on your hand, 41:27 in your heart. 41:28 I don't think the emphasis is, you know, was it on, was it in? 41:32 I think the emphasis is that it's talking about the law of 41:36 God as a symbol in the heart, in the actions, that's in the hand, 41:40 in the mind. 41:42 Some people have tried to make it out that the mark of the 41:45 beast is like a tattoo. 41:46 I think one paraphrase, it might be the Good News Bible, and 41:49 that's a terrible misreading of what it actually says. 41:53 It's not a tattoo on the hand. 41:55 And that's confused a lot of people. 41:57 It's basically in the original--I think it's a mark in 42:00 the hand, meaning it's in your actions, it's in your thoughts. 42:03 Jëan: And the word that's used there for the word mark in the 42:06 original Greek is "charakter." 42:09 And we get the English word character from the 42:11 Greek "charakter." 42:12 But it has the idea of a seal. 42:15 So, you know, back in Bible times, they'd carve out a seal 42:18 out of stone or out of wood, and they'd put wax and then impress 42:22 that seal on that wax. 42:24 So in one sense, it was in the wax, but it was also on the wax. 42:28 So, to have the mark of the beast, it's not just on the 42:31 forehead, but it's in the forehead, you might say. 42:34 It has to do with character, it has to do with will, it has to 42:37 do with choice. 42:38 And of course, it's symbolic. 42:39 There's not only the mark of the beast, but there's also the seal 42:41 of God. 42:43 And seal and mark are used interchangeably. 42:45 You'll find in the Old Testament that God's people are marked in 42:48 the forehead. 42:49 So, you can go back and forth. 42:51 So, yes, it has to do with the mind. 42:52 Doug: Now try and remember it in the New King James version, 42:54 does it say the seal of God is in? 42:56 Jëan: I believe it says on in the New King James. 42:58 Doug: All right, so there you have it. 43:00 It's got everybody going around with a mark on their forehead. 43:03 That can't be what it's talking about. 43:04 It's got to be a symbol. 43:06 Jëan: It's a symbol, yeah. 43:07 So, the New King James says on the forehead, the King James 43:10 says in the forehead, but again, it's the idea of that seal that 43:13 was impressed upon the mind, upon the heart. 43:16 All right, thank you, David. 43:17 We've got Anthony in Michigan. 43:19 Anthony, welcome to "Bible Answers Live." 43:20 Anthony: Hi, my question was--it's kind of trivial, but 43:25 in the new Jerusalem, do you think that there will be the 43:28 activity of horseplay? 43:30 I'm wondering cause it's like a harmless activity that could 43:33 turn into a conflict, but at the same time, I would think that we 43:37 would have the maturity to certainly never let that happen 43:39 if we were to partake in something like that. 43:42 Doug: Yeah, no, it's a good question in heaven. 43:44 Well, first of all, we're on holy ground when we talk about 43:47 heaven, because Paul said, "The eye has not seen, the ear has 43:51 not heard, neither has entered into the heart of man, the 43:53 things that God has prepared for those that love Him." 43:56 So, there's a lot--it's going to be bigger, better, more 43:59 beautiful, just conceptually so different from what we can 44:02 even imagine. 44:03 But will there be play? 44:05 And I'm trying to remember, I think it's Zephaniah and a 44:08 couple of verses says, "Children will be playing in the streets." 44:13 And so, there are children. 44:14 It says that, "A child will play on the hole of the 44:18 venomous serpent." 44:19 That's in Isaiah maybe verse--chapter chapter 11. 44:22 "It will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountains." 44:24 So, it does say in at least two verses that children will be 44:28 playing in heaven, and that's a happy thing, you know. 44:31 One of the signs of peace in a kingdom or a neighborhood is 44:34 when children are out playing with each other. 44:37 It's just like when you see puppies and calves kicking up 44:39 their heels in the field. 44:41 God has made them to run and to play. 44:43 And so, will it ever turn into conflict or violence? 44:47 Not in heaven. 44:49 No, never. 44:50 It'll be joyful. 44:51 Jëan: Yeah, the verses you referred to there, Pastor Doug, 44:53 you mentioned, Isaiah chapter 11, talks about the children 44:57 playing, Zechariah 8:5, talks about the children playing in 45:01 the streets. 45:02 So, there are different references to that. 45:03 Yeah. 45:05 Good question. 45:06 Thank you, Anthony. 45:07 Next caller that we have is Robert in Washington. 45:09 Robert, welcome to "Bible Answers Live." 45:10 Robert: Good evening. 45:11 Doug: Good evening. Thanks for calling. 45:15 Robert: I was going to ask the question. 45:17 You've probably heard that there's a church that teaches, 45:20 believes that we were in heaven before we were born kind 45:26 of thing. 45:27 And I'm wanting to know--that they used this verse, and I'm 45:32 wanting to know what you think about it. 45:35 John chapter 9, verses 1 and 2, 45:37 "Now as Jesus passed by, He saw 45:39 a man who was blind from birth. 45:42 And His disciples asked Him, 45:44 saying, 'Rabbi, who sinned. 45:46 This man or his parents that, he was born blind?'" 45:51 Doug: Yeah, how could he have sinned to be born blind? 45:56 And the way that the Jews understood it is that because 46:00 God is all knowing, God knew this man was going to sin 46:03 in advance. 46:05 And so, he punished him in advance. 46:07 It wasn't saying that he had lived in a prior life. 46:09 Their idea was not that, you know, he had been reincarnated 46:13 in some way, but that because God is all knowing, He knew this 46:17 man was going to turn towards wickedness and so he got 46:19 punished in advance. 46:20 That's bad theology, but there was a lot of things that the 46:24 religious leaders had adopted that were not good theology in 46:27 the time of Christ and that's why Jesus spent so much time 46:31 trying to straighten them out. 46:32 Jëan: And of course, they also believed that you were alive in 46:34 your mother's womb. 46:36 And the question is, well, did he sin from his mother's womb 46:39 before he was actually born? 46:41 And that's why they were so puzzled by this. 46:43 They said, "Lord, how could this be? 46:44 Did he sin? Did his mother sin? 46:46 I mean, well, what happened?" 46:48 Doug: And keep in mind, Jesus's answer is no. 46:50 He said, "Neither this man's sin, nor his mother's, but that 46:52 that God might be glorified." 46:54 So, yeah, Jesus didn't say, "Yeah, in his prior life, he was 46:57 really bad, so he's catching it now." 46:59 If Christ had said something, then we'd have more pause 47:02 for questioning. 47:03 But, you know, Jesus brushed that aside. 47:05 Jëan: All right, very good. 47:07 Lenore in Arizona. 47:08 Lenore, welcome to the program. 47:09 Lenore: Thank you. 47:11 My question is, if Moses, or when Moses wrote the first five 47:17 books of the Bible, I would like to know in his short life, as we 47:22 would call it, how would he have enough time to write personal 47:26 things about certain events and he wrote thousands and thousands 47:32 and thousands of words. 47:34 And what did he write on? 47:36 How could he write all that? 47:38 Doug: All right, good. 47:39 Well keep in mind, Moses lived 120 years. 47:42 Moses was also educated in one of the most advanced 47:45 civilizations in the world. 47:47 He spent 40 years in Egypt before he fled into 47:49 the wilderness. 47:50 Certainly he knew how to read and write, and the Egyptians 47:54 also had mastered paper. 47:56 It was called papyrus. 47:58 And so, with simple ink, they would make ink out of an oil 48:02 and charcoal. 48:03 They could make a simple black ink. 48:04 Moses could have easily written. 48:07 And the first book that he wrote was probably the book of Job. 48:10 And the book of Job is telling about, you know, this great 48:13 battle between good and evil. 48:15 And then Moses probably wrote the book, well, it says he wrote 48:18 the book of Genesis. 48:19 And I'm guessing that Moses was relating what he had received 48:25 through the Holy Spirit and through oral tradition being 48:28 passed down. 48:29 Keep in mind, they had almost photographic memories back then, 48:33 and they would pass down the holy truth about origins. 48:37 And Moses recorded them guided by the Spirit to make sure it 48:40 was all accurate. 48:42 So, he had plenty of time in the wilderness, 40 years, before he 48:45 even went to Egypt to lead the children of Israel out. 48:48 So, he had 40 years in the wilderness with papyrus and 48:52 whatever you would need to do that writing. 48:54 Jëan: And then, of course, from Exodus onwards, that's actually 48:58 real time. 48:59 So, Moses could be writing down as the events are happening. 49:01 He's recording different things. 49:03 There are some portions that maybe he had a scribe after the 49:07 fact where it talks about Moses's death and when it 49:09 talks about-- 49:11 Doug: Yeah, Joshua may have written that. 49:12 Jëan: Joshua or somebody probably finished it off, but 49:13 without a doubt, the bulk of the writing of those books were 49:16 by Moses. 49:18 All right, thank you. Good question. 49:21 Tricia from Montana. Tricia, welcome to the program. 49:23 Tricia: Okay, thanks. 49:25 I just have always assumed God was--is a man. 49:31 Jesus tells us to pray, "Our Father, which art in heaven." 49:36 A church member said that they don't know what gender God is, 49:40 so I just wanted to clarify. 49:43 Doug: Yeah, well if you're going to use the Bible as your guide, 49:48 the Lord typically refers to Himself in a patriarchal sense, 49:52 as opposed to a matriarchal sense. 49:55 So, you know, God is referred to as our Father. 49:59 They use the word He when referring to the Lord as 50:02 opposed--doesn't ever refer to God as she. 50:04 I'm not trying to be misogynistic. 50:08 I'm just saying this is what the Bible says. 50:10 And, you know, we can't be changing the words of scripture. 50:13 Now does the Lord have some of the same love as a woman? 50:18 Well, yeah. 50:19 The Bible says that, you know, as a mother loves her children, 50:23 and can a woman forget her loving or her nursing children? 50:26 God says, "I will not forget you." 50:28 And Jesus said, "I would have gathered you under My wings as 50:30 a hen." 50:32 That's a female chicken, under her wings. 50:34 He--so, you know, there's attributes where God talks about 50:38 the love of a mother, and He compares it to His love. 50:41 But for the most part, God seems to identify Himself and man 50:45 being made in the image of God and woman was after that. 50:51 I think we're missing something when we try to--first of all, I 50:55 want to spend a lot of time thinking about God's gender 50:57 plumbing because I'm sure that it's nothing like what we're 51:00 imagining or what we deal with on earth, but He does identify 51:04 Himself in the masculine in the Bible. 51:06 So, let's accept that and not try and rewrite it based on 51:10 cultural, social changes right now. 51:14 Jëan: All right, thank you. 51:15 Our next call that we have is Juan in Ohio. 51:17 Juan, welcome to "Bible Answers Live." 51:19 Juan: Hey, good evening, guys. 51:20 Doug: Evening. 51:22 Juan: I was watching this new series "House of David" on 51:25 Amazon Prime. 51:26 It seems to indicate that he--that his parents are not his 51:31 real parents and I can't find any verse in the Bible that 51:36 proves that. 51:38 Doug: Yeah. 51:39 Well I haven't seen the series you're talking about, but I can 51:42 be very careful about basing your theology on Hollywood's 51:46 Creed of license. 51:49 David, it tells us as plainly as it tells us anything else in the 51:52 Bible that his father was Jesse. 51:57 It refers to his father and mother many times and he had 52:03 seven brothers and one sister. 52:07 Talks about Joab, Asahel, and, was it Abishai, the sons of 52:12 Joab, the son of Zeruiah. 52:15 Doug: Yeah, that was David's sister, I think. 52:16 Yeah, Zeruiah. 52:19 So, he's got one sister, brothers. 52:22 When Samuel comes to anoint him as King, Samuel says, "Do you 52:27 have any other sons?" 52:28 He said, "I got one more, the youngest, he's sort of a 52:30 daydreamer," and they bring him in, and everything makes it very 52:32 clear that they were his real parents. 52:35 You even find it in the book of Ruth that David is the great 52:38 grandson of Ruth and Boaz. 52:40 So, if they're making this stuff up in Hollywood trying to make 52:44 the story more interesting, first of all, I don't think it 52:47 does make it more interesting, but oh, I've said enough. 52:50 Jëan: And then also in the genealogy that you read in the 52:52 New Testament, it traces all the way to Matthew. 52:54 Doug: Chapter 1 of Matthew. 52:55 Jëan: Yep, all the way back to David and Jesse and so on. 52:57 Yeah, pretty clear. 52:59 All right, thank you. 53:00 Chloe, age eight, listening in Ohio. 53:03 Chloe, welcome to the program. 53:04 Chloe: Hi, thank you. 53:06 Doug: Hi, thanks for calling. 53:09 Chloe: When we get to heaven, will we wear crowns? 53:13 Doug: The Bible does tell us that we will have crowns 53:16 in heaven. 53:17 And it tells us in Revelation that there--they'll be 53:21 given crowns. 53:22 And some people will have stars in their crowns. 53:25 I think it tells us that in Daniel chapter 12. 53:28 They will--those who turn others to righteousness will be like 53:30 the stars forever and ever. 53:32 And you've got that verse here, Pastor Ross, where he talks 53:35 about the crowns in Revelation? 53:37 Jëan: Yeah, well Paul says in 2 Timothy chapter 4, verse 8, 53:40 that, "There is a crown of righteousness laid up not only 53:43 for him, but for all of those at the second coming of Christ." 53:47 James speaks about a crown, "Blessed are those who face 53:50 temptation," or endure a temptation, "they'll receive a 53:53 crown of life." 53:55 1 Peter talks about a crown. 53:56 So, there's a lot of--I'm just looking at-- 53:58 Doug: In Revelation, doesn't Jesus say, "Don't let anyone 54:00 take your crown?" 54:01 Jëan: Yeah, that's right. 54:02 Jesus says to the church of, which one is it? 54:04 I forget. 54:05 One of the churches, "Don't let anyone take your crown." 54:07 I think it's Sardis. 54:08 Doug: There's lots of crowns that it's pretty clear. 54:10 Now you don't have to wear your crown all the time, but, you 54:15 know, you may want to go climb a tree and play with your friends 54:17 and not have your crown on. 54:19 You may want to take it and cast it at Jesus's feet when you 54:21 see Him. 54:23 But yeah, crowns are going to be real in heaven. 54:24 Yeah, let me see if we can get another question in 54:26 here, pastor. 54:28 Jëan: Oh we got Ruben in New Jersey. 54:29 Ruben, welcome to "Bible Answers Live." 54:30 Ruben: Good evening, pastors. 54:32 My question is, why did some of the--some of God's people in the 54:37 Old Testament have more than one wife, like Solomon? 54:41 And I know that Solomon heard the book of Genesis where it 54:45 says that Adam and Eve became one flesh. 54:47 The question is why did God didn't tell them that it 54:50 was wrong? 54:52 Doug: Well I think God did tell them in the writings of Moses, 54:57 and I forget the verse Pastor Ross when it says, "These are 54:59 the rules about a king, he will not multiply horses from Egypt, 55:02 and he will not multiply wives." 55:05 So, Solomon did everything wrong he could do, but, you know, not 55:08 just Solomon is always the example people look at cause he 55:11 had like hundreds. 55:12 One reason that kings did that, it was a custom, and Solomon was 55:15 following the custom of the times that a king wanting to 55:19 make sure that his monarchy lasted. 55:21 He would have lots of sons, and they would have different 55:24 appointments in the kingdom and different office, and you could 55:26 guarantee that your name would be carried on. 55:30 David, I think, had like ten concubines and five wives. 55:34 And Jacob, of course, he only wanted one wife, he only wanted 55:38 Rachel, but he ended up with three extra ones. 55:41 Jëan: Of course Deuteronomy 17:17 is the counsel that was 55:45 given to kings not to multiply unto themselves wives because 55:48 it'll turn their hearts away from God. 55:49 Well that's what happened. 55:51 Doug: That's what happened with Solomon. 55:53 And Jesus said, "No man can serve two masters." 55:55 So, it's pretty clear that a man should only have one wife. 56:00 So, this was, you know, clearly God's plan. 56:02 In Bible times, a lot of men went to war and there was a lot 56:07 of mortality and often after years of war, you might have 56:12 seven women for each man. 56:15 That's why you've got that verse in Isaiah that said, "In that 56:19 day seven women," that's Isaiah chapter 4, verse 1, I believe. 56:23 "Seven women will lay hold of one man, saying, 'We will eat 56:26 our own bread, we will wear our own apparel; Only let us be 56:30 called by your name, to take away our reproach.'" 56:32 So many men had been killed off by the wars that men often would 56:36 take many wives to help make sure that they had offspring, 56:40 take care of them in old age. 56:42 It was their social security. 56:44 Jëan: Well Pastor Doug, we're going to take some of our email 56:46 questions the folks have sent to us here. 56:49 And if you'd like to send us an email question, just simply 56:52 email balquestions@amazingfacts.org. 56:56 All right, Pastor Doug, first question that we have, when Mary 57:01 received the Holy Spirit and Jesus was born to her, 57:04 obviously, Christ is a divine being, did that somehow make 57:07 Mary divine? 57:09 Doug: No. 57:10 And, you know, God had His presence in the 57:13 middle of Israel. 57:14 They didn't all become divine. 57:17 When we get the baptism of the Holy Spirit, as long as we walk 57:20 with the Lord, God's in us, but we don't become gods. 57:23 And so, when Mary was chosen to be a vehicle for bringing God's 57:28 son into the world, Jesus was also fully human, so that part 57:31 of Him wasn't Mary. 57:32 He was born like other children are born. 57:34 So, it didn't turn her into a god. 57:36 Nowhere does the Bible say we should worship her, anywhere. 57:39 Jëan: Another question that we have, the Bible tells us that we 57:41 need to pray for others, but it also says that we have freedom 57:44 of choice. 57:45 So what difference do our prayers make? 57:47 Doug: Yeah. 57:49 Well it is true that people have freedom of choice, but by our 57:50 intercession for others, I believe it frees the Holy Spirit 57:54 and God to work in their lives through others, through 57:56 providence in ways that would not happen if we did not pray. 58:00 So, by all means, friends, intercede for the ones that you 58:03 love because God will work in their lives. 58:05 Jesus prayed for us, we should pray for others as well. 58:08 God bless. We'll study together next week. 58:13 male announcer: Thank you for listening to today's broadcast. 58:15 We hope you understand your Bible even better than before. 58:19 "Bible Answers Live" is produced by "Amazing Facts 58:22 International," a faith-based ministry located 58:25 in Granite Bay, California. |
Revised 2025-05-31