- You know, I've been studying
music for a lot of years,
00:00:01.36\00:00:04.13
and today I want to show you
what listening to music reveals
00:00:04.13\00:00:07.24
about the human brain
00:00:07.24\00:00:08.87
and how that might
be able to help you
00:00:08.87\00:00:10.54
find the ultimate
meaning of your existence.
00:00:10.54\00:00:13.41
This is a show I don't
think you're gonna want to miss.
00:00:13.41\00:00:16.91
[upbeat music]
00:00:16.91\00:00:19.51
Ever since I was little kid,
00:00:37.77\00:00:39.27
I've always been really
drawn to the music of Beethoven,
00:00:39.27\00:00:42.07
and I know that's a
little bit of a cliche,
00:00:42.07\00:00:43.84
because, you know,
00:00:43.84\00:00:45.31
everybody mentions
either Beethoven or Mozart
00:00:45.31\00:00:46.91
when they're
talking classical music,
00:00:46.91\00:00:49.11
but I've always,
always really liked Ludwig.
00:00:49.11\00:00:52.78
He's been my
favorite. [gentle music]
00:00:52.78\00:00:54.62
There's just
something about his work
00:00:54.62\00:00:57.19
that stirs up these powerful
emotions when I'm listening,
00:00:57.19\00:01:00.39
and I find it difficult to
put those emotions in words.
00:01:00.39\00:01:03.49
I can't sum it up,
but I'll tell you this.
00:01:03.49\00:01:06.13
I experience the same
thing on the same melodies,
00:01:06.13\00:01:09.60
every single time.
00:01:09.60\00:01:11.10
And there's this
strange quality to music
00:01:11.10\00:01:13.84
that you don't really
find in other forms of art.
00:01:13.84\00:01:16.47
I mean, when you
look at a painting,
00:01:16.47\00:01:18.01
you know what the
painting is about,
00:01:18.01\00:01:20.51
at least if you're
looking at classical paintings,
00:01:20.51\00:01:23.04
and not the works
of Jackson Pollock,
00:01:23.04\00:01:25.21
which I fear only he
can truly understand.
00:01:25.21\00:01:27.68
But for the most part,
when you look at a painting,
00:01:27.68\00:01:30.49
you know what the painting is.
00:01:30.49\00:01:32.12
It's a horse or a
castle or a landscape,
00:01:32.12\00:01:35.59
and the
painter's artistic ability
00:01:35.59\00:01:37.36
then shapes how you
feel about that subject.
00:01:37.36\00:01:40.70
Or take a really good book,
00:01:41.76\00:01:44.80
the kind that you just
read for the joy of reading,
00:01:44.80\00:01:47.04
because it's
beautifully written.
00:01:47.04\00:01:48.47
It doesn't matter
what the book is about.
00:01:48.47\00:01:50.34
That's how I feel about
somebody like Annie Dillard
00:01:50.34\00:01:53.34
who writes so masterfully
that I just have to read it,
00:01:53.34\00:01:56.04
even if the
subject isn't something
00:01:56.04\00:01:58.15
I would normally read about.
00:01:58.15\00:02:00.62
But then again, with books,
00:02:00.62\00:02:02.58
you know what
the subject matter is
00:02:02.58\00:02:04.45
because the writer
is describing something
00:02:04.45\00:02:06.42
from the real world,
00:02:06.42\00:02:08.39
and then she uses her
special descriptive abilities
00:02:08.39\00:02:10.96
to create powerful
mental images and emotions.
00:02:10.96\00:02:15.13
In almost every form of art,
00:02:15.13\00:02:16.90
from sculptures
to books to painting,
00:02:16.90\00:02:19.70
it's almost like the
artist is playing your brain
00:02:19.70\00:02:23.14
as if it's a musical instrument,
00:02:23.14\00:02:25.01
using their talents to reproduce
the feelings and emotions
00:02:25.01\00:02:28.68
they had when they
started to create the artwork
00:02:28.68\00:02:31.58
in the first place.
00:02:31.58\00:02:33.42
But most of these art forms,
00:02:33.42\00:02:35.35
they start with
something in the real world,
00:02:35.35\00:02:37.72
something very objective,
00:02:37.72\00:02:39.65
and they use that
objective something
00:02:39.65\00:02:41.62
to help you think about
that item in a brand new way.
00:02:41.62\00:02:45.99
With music, though,
there's something different.
00:02:47.36\00:02:50.20
With music, the
emotions come first.
00:02:50.20\00:02:52.53
You don't actually need to know
00:02:52.53\00:02:54.00
what the artist
was thinking about
00:02:54.00\00:02:55.50
when he or she
first heard that melody
00:02:55.50\00:02:57.61
in his or her head.
00:02:57.61\00:02:59.41
It's almost irrelevant, in fact,
00:02:59.41\00:03:00.98
because music stirs your
own mind, your own emotions
00:03:00.98\00:03:05.31
without you having to know
what inspired the composer.
00:03:05.31\00:03:09.08
Of course, it does add something
00:03:09.08\00:03:11.02
to know what the
musician's inspiration was,
00:03:11.02\00:03:13.42
to know, for example,
00:03:13.42\00:03:14.92
that Beethoven's Eroica
symphony was originally written
00:03:14.92\00:03:18.29
as a tribute to Napoleon
00:03:18.29\00:03:19.83
before Beethoven became aware
00:03:19.83\00:03:21.63
that Napoleon was
going off the rails.
00:03:21.63\00:03:24.53
It adds something
to know the history,
00:03:24.53\00:03:27.10
but you don't need that
to enjoy the composition,
00:03:27.10\00:03:29.94
because music moves your brain
00:03:29.94\00:03:32.91
independent of
any objective reality
00:03:32.91\00:03:35.01
that may have inspired it.
00:03:35.01\00:03:36.98
So you hear the music and it
generates ideas and emotions,
00:03:36.98\00:03:41.92
and then you kind
of apply those feelings
00:03:41.92\00:03:43.72
to something that exists
only in your personal world.
00:03:43.72\00:03:47.39
So for example, go back to
your turbulent teenage years.
00:03:47.39\00:03:51.09
You hear this sad-sounding song.
00:03:51.09\00:03:54.36
It's going to
produce feelings of sadness
00:03:54.36\00:03:56.23
or grief or gloominess,
00:03:56.23\00:03:57.70
because maybe you just broke up
00:03:57.70\00:03:59.33
with your
girlfriend or your boyfriend,
00:03:59.33\00:04:01.24
and so those feelings
of sadness are amplified
00:04:01.24\00:04:04.37
by an objective
reality in your life
00:04:04.37\00:04:07.48
that the artist was
completely unaware of
00:04:07.48\00:04:10.51
when the song was written.
00:04:10.51\00:04:12.48
Now, the same thing kind of
happens with other forms of art.
00:04:12.48\00:04:16.02
They can amplify
thoughts and feelings
00:04:16.02\00:04:17.89
that you already have.
00:04:17.89\00:04:19.79
But with music,
this is where you start,
00:04:19.79\00:04:22.76
with the raw emotion.
00:04:22.76\00:04:24.79
So in that regard, this
art form is kind of unique.
00:04:24.79\00:04:28.73
Now, there's another way that
music works with your brain,
00:04:30.17\00:04:33.17
and this one's
kind of mind-bending,
00:04:33.17\00:04:35.20
and I'm not entirely
sure I can adequately describe
00:04:35.20\00:04:38.27
what I'm thinking about,
00:04:38.27\00:04:40.31
but when you listen to a
melody, the various pitches,
00:04:40.31\00:04:44.08
the various notes in the music
00:04:44.08\00:04:45.75
actually seem to correspond to,
00:04:45.75\00:04:47.78
well, specific
locations in your brain.
00:04:47.78\00:04:52.05
Author Daniel J.
Levintin describes it like this.
00:04:52.05\00:04:55.99
"After sounds enter the ear,
00:04:55.99\00:04:57.69
they pass by the
basilar membrane,
00:04:57.69\00:05:00.23
where certain hair cells fire,
00:05:00.23\00:05:02.36
depending on the
frequency of the sounds.
00:05:02.36\00:05:04.97
The membrane acts
like a motion detector lamp
00:05:04.97\00:05:07.27
you might have in your garden;
00:05:07.27\00:05:08.97
activity in a
certain part of the membrane
00:05:08.97\00:05:10.97
causes it to send
an electronic signal
00:05:10.97\00:05:13.71
on up to the auditory complex."
00:05:13.71\00:05:16.58
So this is how music
gains entrance into your brain,
00:05:16.58\00:05:20.95
and it's what happens next
that I find so very fascinating.
00:05:20.95\00:05:24.12
Here's what he says.
00:05:24.12\00:05:25.59
"The auditory cortex
also has a tonotopic map,
00:05:25.59\00:05:30.09
with low to high tones
00:05:30.09\00:05:31.49
stretched out across
the cortical surface.
00:05:31.49\00:05:34.20
In this sense, the
brain also contains a map
00:05:34.20\00:05:37.23
of different pitches,
00:05:37.23\00:05:38.70
and different areas of the brain
00:05:38.70\00:05:40.57
respond to different pitches."
00:05:40.57\00:05:42.27
Now listen to
this part carefully.
00:05:42.27\00:05:44.37
"Pitch is so important
00:05:44.37\00:05:46.61
that the brain
represents it directly;
00:05:46.61\00:05:48.51
unlike almost any
other musical attribute,
00:05:48.51\00:05:51.48
we could place
electrodes in the brain
00:05:51.48\00:05:53.78
and be able to
determine what pitches
00:05:53.78\00:05:55.65
were being played to a person
00:05:55.65\00:05:57.72
just by looking at
the brain activity."
00:05:57.72\00:06:00.62
So in other words,
when you listen to a melody,
00:06:01.82\00:06:05.36
your brain is actually
being played by that melody.
00:06:05.36\00:06:09.23
There are specific
spots in your brain
00:06:10.40\00:06:12.50
that correspond to
the different notes
00:06:12.50\00:06:14.30
that you're listening to.
00:06:14.30\00:06:15.54
It's kind of like
when you open a piano up
00:06:15.54\00:06:17.47
and shout at the strings.
00:06:17.47\00:06:18.97
I know it sounds crazy, but
you got to try this sometime.
00:06:18.97\00:06:22.41
If you listen carefully, the
piano strings that correspond
00:06:22.41\00:06:25.75
to the various
frequencies in your voice
00:06:25.75\00:06:27.58
are going to resonate.
00:06:27.58\00:06:28.58
You can hear them vibrating.
00:06:28.58\00:06:30.72
And apparently that's kind
of how it works with your mind.
00:06:30.72\00:06:34.39
Specific parts of your
brain are gonna fire up
00:06:34.39\00:06:36.56
when you listen
to different notes.
00:06:36.56\00:06:38.63
So if somebody had the right
equipment to examine your brain
00:06:38.63\00:06:41.43
while you're listening to music,
00:06:41.43\00:06:43.26
they'd be able to
reproduce the melody
00:06:43.26\00:06:46.17
based on which
parts of your mind fire up
00:06:46.17\00:06:49.50
as you're listening.
00:06:49.50\00:06:51.27
So what you have is
really kind of spectacular,
00:06:51.27\00:06:54.34
and I'm definitely heading
somewhere with this thought,
00:06:54.34\00:06:56.58
but I have to take a
quick break right now,
00:06:56.58\00:06:58.15
so don't go away.
00:06:58.15\00:06:59.58
I'll come right back.
00:06:59.58\00:07:01.35
[soft music]
00:07:01.35\00:07:02.55
- [Announcer] Life
can throw a lot at us.
00:07:02.55\00:07:04.49
Sometimes we don't
have all the answers,
00:07:04.49\00:07:07.89
but that's where
the Bible comes in.
00:07:07.89\00:07:10.33
It's our guide to a
more fulfilling life.
00:07:10.33\00:07:13.40
Here at The Voice of Prophecy,
00:07:13.40\00:07:14.93
we've created the
Discover Bible guides
00:07:14.93\00:07:17.07
to be your guide to the Bible.
00:07:17.07\00:07:18.67
They're designed to
be simple, easy to use,
00:07:18.67\00:07:21.14
and provide answers to many
of life's toughest questions,
00:07:21.14\00:07:24.17
and they're absolutely free.
00:07:24.17\00:07:26.17
So jump online
now or give us a call
00:07:26.17\00:07:28.54
and start your
journey of discovery.
00:07:28.54\00:07:30.78
- So here's what's happening
when you listen to music.
00:07:32.21\00:07:34.38
It's almost like the music
00:07:34.38\00:07:35.78
is playing your
brain like an instrument,
00:07:35.78\00:07:37.95
because your brain
fire specific neurons
00:07:37.95\00:07:40.42
corresponding to specific notes.
00:07:40.42\00:07:43.63
[lively music]
00:07:43.63\00:07:44.56
So think about what's happening.
00:07:44.56\00:07:46.06
First, you have a
composer like Beethoven
00:07:46.06\00:07:48.30
who hears a
specific melody in his head.
00:07:48.30\00:07:50.60
It only exists in his brain.
00:07:50.60\00:07:52.90
Then he writes down that melody
00:07:52.90\00:07:54.37
using the language
of musical notation
00:07:54.37\00:07:56.57
so that other people
can pick up an instrument
00:07:56.57\00:07:58.77
200 years later,
00:07:58.77\00:08:00.61
like a violin,
and they can play it.
00:08:00.61\00:08:03.81
Then you hear that
violin playing those same notes
00:08:03.81\00:08:07.38
that once upon a
time only existed
00:08:07.38\00:08:10.19
in the mind of
Beethoven 200 years ago,
00:08:10.19\00:08:13.69
and that fires off specific
locations in your brain.
00:08:13.69\00:08:17.76
So here's, what's
really fascinating.
00:08:17.76\00:08:19.89
Those locations in your
brain actually reproduce
00:08:19.89\00:08:22.56
the same frequencies as
the notes you're listening to.
00:08:22.56\00:08:25.70
So if you listen to an A, which
is traditionally 440 Hertz,
00:08:25.70\00:08:30.51
there are actually
neurons in your auditory cortex
00:08:30.51\00:08:33.34
that emit electric
signals at exactly 440 Hertz.
00:08:33.34\00:08:38.15
The music is playing your brain.
00:08:38.15\00:08:41.02
Your brain is
another instrument.
00:08:41.02\00:08:43.89
And once you've heard
that composition once,
00:08:43.89\00:08:47.02
your brain kinda memorizes it.
00:08:47.02\00:08:49.09
You can hear it
up here in your head
00:08:49.09\00:08:51.03
for the rest of your life,
00:08:51.03\00:08:53.09
and if you hear the
same composition again,
00:08:53.09\00:08:55.23
your brain will actually
anticipate which note comes next
00:08:55.23\00:08:58.87
because it knows them.
00:08:58.87\00:09:01.04
It's been
hardwired in your mind,
00:09:01.04\00:09:03.67
and you can hear
this playing in your head
00:09:03.67\00:09:06.64
to the point where, if
you hear a song on the radio,
00:09:06.64\00:09:09.68
and it's a song you
used to listen to a lot
00:09:09.68\00:09:12.15
once upon a time,
00:09:12.15\00:09:13.85
when that song comes to an end,
00:09:13.85\00:09:15.28
your brain almost starts playing
the next song on the album
00:09:15.28\00:09:18.52
because you used to
listen to the same songs
00:09:18.52\00:09:21.36
on the same
album in the same order
00:09:21.36\00:09:24.03
over and over and over again,
00:09:24.03\00:09:26.39
at least before we learned
how to make custom playlists.
00:09:26.39\00:09:29.70
So think about
what's happening here.
00:09:30.80\00:09:33.77
It's like somebody else's
thoughts just got uploaded
00:09:33.77\00:09:37.11
into your mental computer.
00:09:37.11\00:09:39.01
It's like we
took a USB jump drive,
00:09:39.01\00:09:41.31
shoved it into
Beethoven's brain,
00:09:41.31\00:09:43.98
made a copy of what his
brain was actually hearing,
00:09:43.98\00:09:47.38
and then uploaded
it into your brain.
00:09:47.38\00:09:49.88
Now, the process
is a lot less direct
00:09:49.88\00:09:52.72
than simply copying
some digital information,
00:09:52.72\00:09:55.09
but the effect
is kind of the same.
00:09:55.09\00:09:57.89
You and I have the
ability to take our thoughts,
00:09:57.89\00:10:00.80
and through any
number of mechanisms,
00:10:00.80\00:10:02.56
upload them into each
other's mental computers.
00:10:02.56\00:10:05.67
And it kind of works the same
way with any number of things.
00:10:05.67\00:10:08.87
A Greek philosopher
living 2000 years ago
00:10:08.87\00:10:11.37
has a profound thought,
00:10:11.37\00:10:12.57
so he writes it down,
00:10:12.57\00:10:14.18
and 2000 years
later, you read that thought
00:10:14.18\00:10:16.98
and you upload that
same thought into your mind.
00:10:16.98\00:10:20.42
It's information transfer,
00:10:20.42\00:10:22.85
which means that
all day, every day,
00:10:22.85\00:10:26.45
you are loading other people's
thoughts into your own mind.
00:10:26.45\00:10:30.03
And that would
make me start to think
00:10:30.03\00:10:32.13
that I might want to be
careful or at least aware
00:10:32.13\00:10:35.33
of what kinds of
things I install in my head.
00:10:35.33\00:10:39.27
Whose thoughts, whose worldview
00:10:39.27\00:10:42.67
is being replicated
in my mental patterns?
00:10:42.67\00:10:46.37
Now, when I read
certain phrases in the Bible,
00:10:47.58\00:10:51.35
it really makes me
think about what's happening
00:10:51.35\00:10:53.31
when I open the
floodgate of my senses
00:10:53.31\00:10:55.32
to the world around me.
00:10:55.32\00:10:56.82
For example,
when the Bible says,
00:10:56.82\00:10:58.72
"Let this mind be in you
which was also in Christ Jesus,"
00:10:58.72\00:11:03.66
I have to think about
how that might happen,
00:11:03.66\00:11:06.43
because what Paul
describes next in that passage
00:11:06.43\00:11:08.96
is completely counter-intuitive
for most human beings.
00:11:08.96\00:11:12.93
Paul's talking about
the humility of Christ,
00:11:12.93\00:11:16.57
about the fact that
Jesus abandoned His own exalted
00:11:16.57\00:11:20.71
position to come here and
live among lowly, broken people.
00:11:20.71\00:11:25.18
You and I just
don't think that way.
00:11:25.18\00:11:27.65
We tend to think
of ourselves first,
00:11:27.65\00:11:29.48
using whatever information
we can get our hands on
00:11:29.48\00:11:32.05
to advance self.
00:11:32.05\00:11:34.76
We're basically selfish,
00:11:34.76\00:11:36.86
trapped in this
frame of reference
00:11:36.86\00:11:38.66
that always puts you first.
00:11:38.66\00:11:41.10
So how do you change that?
00:11:41.10\00:11:42.83
How do you fundamentally change
what's going on in your head
00:11:42.83\00:11:46.47
so that now you
think like Jesus thinks?
00:11:46.47\00:11:49.80
It seems that would
be completely impossible,
00:11:49.80\00:11:52.87
but then, listen to this
statement from the book of
00:11:52.87\00:11:55.74
Romans, and again, this
is Paul who's writing this.
00:11:55.74\00:11:58.88
He says, "And do not be
conformed to this world,
00:11:58.88\00:12:02.22
but be transformed by
the renewing of your mind,
00:12:02.22\00:12:04.55
that you may prove what
is that good and acceptable
00:12:04.55\00:12:07.59
and perfect will of God."
00:12:07.59\00:12:10.53
So think about it like this.
00:12:10.53\00:12:12.13
Everything you
read, everything you see,
00:12:13.33\00:12:15.53
everything you
hear makes an impression
00:12:15.53\00:12:17.87
on the neural
network of your mind,
00:12:17.87\00:12:19.97
and it's replicating data
00:12:19.97\00:12:21.77
that came from the
mind of somebody else.
00:12:21.77\00:12:24.67
So yes, you are
definitely your own person.
00:12:24.67\00:12:27.91
You're unique, and your
brain is different than mine,
00:12:27.91\00:12:31.11
and you should be
really thankful for that.
00:12:31.11\00:12:33.78
But at the same time,
00:12:33.78\00:12:35.38
the stuff in your
brain is hardly original.
00:12:35.38\00:12:37.99
Your thoughts have
been populated by the ideas
00:12:37.99\00:12:40.32
that came from somebody else.
00:12:40.32\00:12:42.22
You've been installing
their thoughts one by one
00:12:42.22\00:12:44.83
over the course
of your entire life.
00:12:44.83\00:12:47.30
And of course, because
you get a little bit here
00:12:47.30\00:12:50.03
and a little bit there,
00:12:50.03\00:12:51.53
the whole body of knowledge
that you've accumulated
00:12:51.53\00:12:54.30
eventually becomes uniquely you,
00:12:54.30\00:12:57.07
because you
assemble all the little bits
00:12:57.07\00:12:59.17
in ways that make sense to you.
00:12:59.17\00:13:01.58
But you can never forget,
00:13:03.01\00:13:04.81
you're getting the
data from somewhere,
00:13:04.81\00:13:06.98
and that means other people
are actually playing your brain
00:13:06.98\00:13:09.98
like a musical instrument,
00:13:09.98\00:13:11.19
whether it's intentional or not.
00:13:11.19\00:13:13.66
Now, what that means is
you should probably be aware
00:13:13.66\00:13:16.19
of which ideas
are coming from where,
00:13:16.19\00:13:18.53
and then you can
make intelligent decisions
00:13:18.53\00:13:20.86
about what kinds of things
00:13:20.86\00:13:22.03
you're gonna store
up here in your mind.
00:13:22.03\00:13:24.57
When Paul says that
we should be transformed
00:13:24.57\00:13:27.70
by the renewing of our minds,
00:13:27.70\00:13:29.34
what he's telling us is
that God is in the business
00:13:29.34\00:13:32.31
of transferring His thoughts,
00:13:32.31\00:13:34.84
and it's a kind of a
mind-bending concept,
00:13:34.84\00:13:37.55
but think about this.
00:13:37.55\00:13:38.38
Think about that nature
00:13:38.38\00:13:39.55
of how God
communicates with human beings.
00:13:39.55\00:13:41.92
Sometimes He shows up in person,
00:13:41.92\00:13:44.22
thunders from the
top of Mount Sinai,
00:13:44.22\00:13:46.29
where the children of Israel
00:13:46.29\00:13:47.52
actually hear the
sound of His voice.
00:13:47.52\00:13:49.72
Sometimes God just
whispers to your heart,
00:13:49.72\00:13:52.13
like He did with
Elijah hiding in the cave.
00:13:52.13\00:13:54.96
Sometimes He takes a prophet
and shows him things in vision
00:13:54.96\00:13:58.00
and then asks the
prophet to share what he saw.
00:13:58.00\00:14:01.64
But most of the time,
God communicates right here,
00:14:01.64\00:14:05.17
through the words of a book.
00:14:05.17\00:14:07.31
So we have another miracle,
00:14:07.31\00:14:08.54
kind of like the
miracle of music.
00:14:08.54\00:14:10.35
There's a thought
in the mind of God,
00:14:10.35\00:14:12.48
He inspires a
prophet to write that down,
00:14:12.48\00:14:14.92
so that generations of
people over thousands of years
00:14:14.92\00:14:17.72
can hear that
thought in their own minds,
00:14:17.72\00:14:21.59
and it becomes
part of who they are.
00:14:21.59\00:14:23.63
I'm kind of reminded of the
way that some of the prophets
00:14:25.06\00:14:28.03
were told to symbolically
eat the thoughts of God,
00:14:28.03\00:14:31.60
take them and absorb them
00:14:31.60\00:14:33.03
so they become a
part of who they are.
00:14:33.03\00:14:35.20
Let me give you this example
00:14:35.20\00:14:36.81
from the book of Jeremiah
chapter 15, where it says,
00:14:36.81\00:14:39.67
"Your words were
found and I ate them,
00:14:39.67\00:14:42.38
and Your word was to me the
joy and rejoicing of my heart;
00:14:42.38\00:14:45.61
for I am called by Your
name, O Lord God of hosts."
00:14:45.61\00:14:50.62
In other words,
00:14:51.22\00:14:52.65
God's thoughts can be
transferred into your brain.
00:14:52.65\00:14:55.76
It's almost like a jump drive
with the very thoughts of God
00:14:55.76\00:14:58.59
got handed to you in this book,
00:14:58.59\00:15:01.00
and you have the ability
to load them into your mind
00:15:01.00\00:15:04.33
and make them a
part of who you are.
00:15:04.33\00:15:07.17
That's what it
means when Jeremiah says
00:15:07.17\00:15:09.27
that God's Word is
the joy of his heart.
00:15:09.27\00:15:12.34
He's talking about
the mind, the brain,
00:15:12.34\00:15:15.24
which is where we store
the very thoughts of God.
00:15:15.24\00:15:19.08
Now, let me show you
something really interesting
00:15:19.08\00:15:21.82
over in the book of Revelation,
00:15:21.82\00:15:23.12
because this is really powerful.
00:15:23.12\00:15:26.02
Most of the time,
when you and I read a book,
00:15:26.02\00:15:28.39
we kind of
think like Westerners,
00:15:28.39\00:15:29.89
and we can't help it,
00:15:29.89\00:15:31.13
because we were
raised in a world
00:15:31.13\00:15:32.79
that was shaped by
the Greeks and the Romans.
00:15:32.79\00:15:35.30
So when we read a
book or an academic paper,
00:15:35.30\00:15:37.90
we tend to
think in linear terms.
00:15:37.90\00:15:40.37
The author makes point
one, point two, point three,
00:15:40.37\00:15:43.81
and then you get
the big conclusion.
00:15:43.81\00:15:45.87
So the most
important part of the book
00:15:45.87\00:15:47.84
in our way of
thinking is that the end,
00:15:47.84\00:15:50.51
and that's kind of how
it works with the Bible.
00:15:50.51\00:15:52.81
I mean, the stuff
at the end of the book
00:15:52.81\00:15:54.72
is easily the most exciting,
00:15:54.72\00:15:56.38
because in the last couple
of chapters of Revelation,
00:15:56.38\00:15:59.69
it talks about God's
plan to completely restore us
00:15:59.69\00:16:02.79
to an authentic human existence,
00:16:02.79\00:16:04.76
so the last couple of
chapters is where you find
00:16:04.76\00:16:07.40
some of my
favorite parts of the Bible.
00:16:07.40\00:16:10.93
[gentle music]
00:16:10.93\00:16:12.23
But in the book of Revelation,
00:16:12.23\00:16:13.90
you find the really big
thoughts, the major drama
00:16:13.90\00:16:17.01
in the middle of the book,
00:16:17.01\00:16:19.01
chapters 12, 13
and 14 in particular.
00:16:19.01\00:16:22.74
So you have chapter 12,
00:16:22.74\00:16:24.78
where we deal with
the problem of theodicy
00:16:24.78\00:16:26.98
or the problem of evil.
00:16:26.98\00:16:28.62
If God is good,
as He claims to be,
00:16:28.62\00:16:30.62
then where in the world
00:16:30.62\00:16:31.89
did all the pain
and suffering come from?
00:16:31.89\00:16:33.72
It's a good question.
00:16:33.72\00:16:35.59
Then you have chapter 13,
00:16:35.59\00:16:37.83
which shows the development
of evil in our world,
00:16:37.83\00:16:40.60
how the human race
detached itself from the creator
00:16:40.60\00:16:43.67
and chose to go in a new,
horribly misguided direction.
00:16:43.67\00:16:47.34
Then you have chapter 14,
00:16:48.47\00:16:50.84
which shows us God's ultimate
plan to restore the human race
00:16:50.84\00:16:54.08
to its original purpose,
00:16:54.08\00:16:56.01
and this is where
I want to show you
00:16:56.01\00:16:57.31
something really fascinating.
00:16:57.31\00:16:59.31
So here we go.
00:16:59.31\00:17:00.35
Revelation 14, verse one.
00:17:00.35\00:17:03.55
"Then I looked,
and behold, a Lamb,"
00:17:03.55\00:17:06.22
now, that's a
reference to Jesus,
00:17:06.22\00:17:07.92
"standing on Mount
Zion," the holy mountain of God,
00:17:07.92\00:17:11.79
"and with Him 144,000,
00:17:11.79\00:17:13.93
having his Father's name
written on their foreheads."
00:17:13.93\00:17:17.87
Now, honestly, we could
probably spend five or six shows
00:17:19.20\00:17:21.47
just studying that one sentence,
00:17:21.47\00:17:23.20
but the thing I really want
you to notice is the name of God
00:17:23.20\00:17:26.98
written on the forehead.
00:17:26.98\00:17:28.21
This is not talking about a
literal mark on your forehead,
00:17:29.64\00:17:32.18
like some kind of tattoo.
00:17:32.18\00:17:34.35
It's describing a process
that happens in the brain,
00:17:34.35\00:17:38.49
the gray matter located
right here behind your forehead.
00:17:38.49\00:17:42.06
This is where you live.
00:17:42.06\00:17:43.79
This back here is who you are.
00:17:43.79\00:17:45.89
The sum total of the
thoughts and patterns
00:17:45.89\00:17:48.46
loaded into your brain.
00:17:48.46\00:17:51.13
And what it's saying is that
if you want to use your mind
00:17:51.13\00:17:54.27
to its fullest capacity,
00:17:54.27\00:17:56.64
if you want to live an
authentic human existence,
00:17:56.64\00:17:59.57
then you want the name of God
00:17:59.57\00:18:01.08
to be written in your mind,
00:18:01.08\00:18:03.38
and what it means by the
name of God is His character.
00:18:03.38\00:18:06.98
It's literally having God's
thoughts become your thoughts.
00:18:06.98\00:18:11.15
How do I know that?
00:18:11.15\00:18:12.49
Well, stick around,
00:18:12.49\00:18:13.69
because after the
break, I'll show you.
00:18:13.69\00:18:15.62
[intense music]
00:18:16.99\00:18:18.23
- [Announcer] Dragons,
beasts, cryptic statues.
00:18:18.23\00:18:22.06
Bible prophecy can be
incredibly vivid and confusing.
00:18:22.06\00:18:26.67
If you've ever read
Daniel or Revelation
00:18:26.67\00:18:28.87
and come away scratching
your head, you're not alone.
00:18:28.87\00:18:31.91
Our free Focus
on Prophecy guides
00:18:31.91\00:18:34.28
are designed to help you unlock
the mysteries of the Bible
00:18:34.28\00:18:37.08
and deepen your
understanding of God's plan
00:18:37.08\00:18:39.51
for you and our world.
00:18:39.51\00:18:41.18
Study online, or
request them by mail
00:18:41.18\00:18:43.62
and start bringing
prophecy into focus today.
00:18:43.62\00:18:46.49
- What we have in the
Bible is God's plan to restore
00:18:47.89\00:18:50.53
a broken
humanity in His own image.
00:18:50.53\00:18:54.13
You might recall,
00:18:54.13\00:18:55.40
if you happen to be
a student of the Bible,
00:18:55.40\00:18:56.77
that in the book of Genesis,
00:18:56.77\00:18:58.23
we read that God originally
made human beings in His image.
00:18:58.23\00:19:02.40
Now I want to be
careful how I say this,
00:19:02.40\00:19:04.21
because some people
have taken this thought
00:19:04.21\00:19:05.97
and drawn the wrong conclusions,
00:19:05.97\00:19:09.04
but the entire creation
is a physical expression
00:19:09.04\00:19:11.95
of God's thoughts.
00:19:11.95\00:19:13.82
It's almost like Beethoven
00:19:13.82\00:19:15.08
hearing a
beautiful melody in his head
00:19:15.08\00:19:16.85
and then writing it
down as sheet music.
00:19:16.85\00:19:19.45
The universe is God's idea.
00:19:19.45\00:19:21.69
It was conceived in
the very mind of God.
00:19:21.69\00:19:25.29
So in the Bible,
00:19:25.29\00:19:26.70
you have the Psalmist
looking up into the night sky,
00:19:26.70\00:19:29.06
and he understands that
he is actually looking at
00:19:29.06\00:19:31.27
a lesson about God himself.
00:19:31.27\00:19:33.50
Now, let me read this to you,
00:19:33.50\00:19:35.00
and I know that I've
read this before on the show,
00:19:35.00\00:19:36.50
but I think this is
worth reading again.
00:19:36.50\00:19:39.04
[gentle music]
00:19:39.04\00:19:40.18
"O Lord, our Lord,
00:19:40.18\00:19:41.84
how excellent is Your
name and all the earth,
00:19:41.84\00:19:43.95
who have set Your
glory above the heavens!"
00:19:43.95\00:19:48.05
Now, again, I want
to be very careful here,
00:19:48.05\00:19:49.88
because there are people who say
00:19:49.88\00:19:52.02
that this world
doesn't actually exist,
00:19:52.02\00:19:53.92
that you and I are
nothing but a simulation
00:19:53.92\00:19:56.26
in the mind of God.
00:19:56.26\00:19:58.16
But the Bible describes a God
00:19:58.16\00:19:59.73
who is quite, well,
distinct from His creation.
00:19:59.73\00:20:02.96
You can see His
fingerprints all over it.
00:20:02.96\00:20:05.37
Creation does reveal who God
is if you study it carefully,
00:20:05.37\00:20:10.37
but God is not His creation
00:20:10.37\00:20:12.87
any more than Beethoven
is a piece of sheet music.
00:20:12.87\00:20:16.61
And I guess the
reason I'm pointing that out
00:20:16.61\00:20:18.18
is because, over the centuries,
00:20:18.18\00:20:19.35
there have been people who say
00:20:19.35\00:20:20.78
that God and His
creation are the same thing.
00:20:20.78\00:20:23.79
That's called pantheism,
00:20:23.79\00:20:25.22
where God didn't
just make everything,
00:20:25.22\00:20:27.32
He is everything,
00:20:27.32\00:20:28.82
and that's not what
the Bible actually teaches.
00:20:28.82\00:20:31.23
There is a creator
and there's a creation,
00:20:31.23\00:20:33.93
and they are not the same thing.
00:20:33.93\00:20:37.13
Think of the universe
00:20:37.13\00:20:38.93
like a musical
composition from the creator,
00:20:38.93\00:20:41.34
a thought that
emerged in the mind of God
00:20:41.34\00:20:43.51
and then was expressed
through the things that he made.
00:20:43.51\00:20:46.94
You and I can
look at those things
00:20:46.94\00:20:48.44
and feel a sense of awe
00:20:48.44\00:20:50.55
and catch a glimpse
of the great composer
00:20:50.55\00:20:52.71
who put it all together.
00:20:52.71\00:20:54.55
These amazing thoughts of
beauty, thoughts of holiness,
00:20:54.55\00:20:58.35
thoughts that only God could
imagine in the first place,
00:20:58.35\00:21:02.19
He shares them with you,
00:21:02.19\00:21:03.83
and in some small way,
they become your thoughts
00:21:03.83\00:21:07.46
and your character
becomes a little more like His.
00:21:07.46\00:21:11.77
Now, that's not to
say that every thought
00:21:11.77\00:21:14.27
that pops into your head
00:21:14.27\00:21:15.27
was actually sent from God,
00:21:15.27\00:21:16.44
because that is
clearly not the case.
00:21:16.44\00:21:19.57
There are other forces
at play in the universe
00:21:19.57\00:21:21.98
who also wish to write
their characters into your mind,
00:21:21.98\00:21:25.58
and so what God has done,
00:21:25.58\00:21:27.18
He's provided a
style guide, I guess,
00:21:27.18\00:21:30.42
to let you know
00:21:30.42\00:21:31.89
whether or not your thoughts
are in harmony with His.
00:21:31.89\00:21:34.06
This book is that style guide.
00:21:34.06\00:21:37.83
So let me now
get back to this idea
00:21:37.83\00:21:40.43
that God is writing
His name in your forehead,
00:21:40.43\00:21:42.30
because this is
a really big deal.
00:21:42.30\00:21:44.40
Back in the book of Exodus,
00:21:44.40\00:21:46.40
the prophet Moses
asks God to reveal Himself.
00:21:46.40\00:21:49.14
"Please show me
your glory," he asks,
00:21:49.14\00:21:51.97
and this is how God answers.
00:21:51.97\00:21:54.48
"Then He said, "I will make
all my goodness pass before you,
00:21:54.48\00:21:58.35
and I will proclaim the
name of the Lord before you.
00:21:58.35\00:22:00.75
I will be gracious to
whom I will be gracious,
00:22:00.75\00:22:03.08
and I will have compassion
on whom I will have compassion."
00:22:03.08\00:22:07.36
Now, I hope you didn't miss it,
00:22:08.26\00:22:11.29
but when Moses asks
to see the glory of God,
00:22:11.29\00:22:13.76
what God does is show him
His name, and what is His name?
00:22:13.76\00:22:18.60
He says that He is
gracious and compassionate.
00:22:18.60\00:22:22.07
So in other words,
God's name is who He is.
00:22:22.07\00:22:24.71
Just listen to this
just a few verses later.
00:22:24.71\00:22:27.88
"Now the Lord
descended in the cloud
00:22:27.88\00:22:30.55
and stood with him there,
00:22:30.55\00:22:31.88
and proclaimed
the name of the Lord."
00:22:31.88\00:22:34.42
So what is that name?
00:22:34.42\00:22:36.12
"And the Lord passed
before him and proclaimed,
00:22:36.12\00:22:39.42
"The Lord, the Lord God,
00:22:39.42\00:22:40.76
merciful and
gracious, long suffering
00:22:40.76\00:22:43.16
and abounding in
goodness and truth,
00:22:43.16\00:22:44.89
keeping mercy for thousands,
00:22:44.89\00:22:46.70
forgiving iniquity
and transgression and sin,
00:22:46.70\00:22:49.20
by no means
clearing the guilty."
00:22:49.20\00:22:52.13
When the Bible talks
about the name of God,
00:22:53.34\00:22:54.84
what it's not talking
about is a written name,
00:22:54.84\00:22:58.67
and that's important
because, every so often,
00:22:58.67\00:23:00.98
you'll meet people who insist
00:23:00.98\00:23:02.48
that they have just stumbled
across the secret name of God,
00:23:02.48\00:23:04.81
and unless you
learn to pronounce it
00:23:04.81\00:23:06.78
or use a specific title for God,
00:23:06.78\00:23:08.58
you're never gonna be in heaven.
00:23:08.58\00:23:10.85
That is not what
the Bible teaches.
00:23:10.85\00:23:14.22
God's name is His character.
00:23:14.22\00:23:16.76
It's who He is.
00:23:16.76\00:23:18.23
That's why Jesus
told us that He had come
00:23:18.23\00:23:20.23
to show the world God's
name in John chapter 17.
00:23:20.23\00:23:24.30
The Bible tells
us in Colossians 1
00:23:24.30\00:23:26.13
that Jesus was the very
image of the invisible God,
00:23:26.13\00:23:29.34
or as one notable
19th-century author put it,
00:23:29.34\00:23:33.41
Jesus was God's
thought made audible.
00:23:33.41\00:23:37.38
Now, I want to be
careful that I don't try to
00:23:38.75\00:23:40.88
milk an illustration
beyond its actual usefulness,
00:23:40.88\00:23:43.85
but just about
Beethoven with me one more time.
00:23:43.85\00:23:47.76
He hears a melody in his head.
00:23:47.76\00:23:49.99
He writes it down. [soft music]
00:23:49.99\00:23:51.69
200 years later,
we go to a concert
00:23:51.69\00:23:53.96
and we hear the same tune
00:23:53.96\00:23:56.00
and it plays a
specific region in our brains,
00:23:56.00\00:23:58.97
and now that tune is
also part of our minds.
00:23:58.97\00:24:03.34
That means, in some way,
00:24:03.34\00:24:05.24
there's a tiny replication
of Beethoven inside your head,
00:24:05.24\00:24:10.21
and that's kind of what
God wants to do with you.
00:24:10.21\00:24:13.31
He communicates
through the written word.
00:24:13.31\00:24:16.15
He puts his
thoughts into human language
00:24:16.15\00:24:18.62
so that you can learn about Him
00:24:18.62\00:24:20.82
and become a
little more like Him.
00:24:20.82\00:24:23.22
He describes his own character
00:24:23.22\00:24:25.33
by giving us a written moral law
00:24:25.33\00:24:28.13
that shows us the
things that God values
00:24:28.13\00:24:30.43
and the things
that He doesn't value,
00:24:30.43\00:24:32.77
and then He says, "I will
put My laws into their hearts
00:24:32.77\00:24:35.64
and in their minds
I will write them."
00:24:35.64\00:24:39.07
Then He takes on human
form in the person of Christ
00:24:39.07\00:24:41.38
so you can watch him in action,
00:24:41.38\00:24:42.88
living an
authentic human existence,
00:24:42.88\00:24:45.51
and as you learn to
love Christ once again,
00:24:45.51\00:24:48.55
you become a
little more like Him.
00:24:48.55\00:24:51.29
This is God writing
His name in your forehead.
00:24:51.29\00:24:56.29
I'll be right back after this.
00:24:57.16\00:24:58.46
[upbeat music]
00:25:00.23\00:25:01.56
- [Announcer] Are
you searching for answers
00:25:01.56\00:25:02.80
to life's toughest questions,
00:25:02.80\00:25:04.43
like where is
God when we suffer?
00:25:04.43\00:25:06.70
Can I find a real happiness,
00:25:06.70\00:25:08.50
or is there any hope
for our chaotic world?
00:25:08.50\00:25:11.67
The Discover Bible
guides will help you
00:25:11.67\00:25:13.27
find the answers
you're looking for.
00:25:13.27\00:25:15.48
Visit us at BibleStudies.com
00:25:15.48\00:25:18.05
or give us a
call at 888-456-7933
00:25:18.05\00:25:22.25
for your free
Discover Bible guides.
00:25:23.45\00:25:25.89
Study online on
our secure website,
00:25:25.89\00:25:28.99
or have the free guides
mailed right to your home.
00:25:28.99\00:25:31.53
There is never a
cost or obligation.
00:25:31.53\00:25:34.20
The Discover Bible
guides are our free gift to you.
00:25:34.20\00:25:37.30
Find answers in guides like
00:25:37.30\00:25:38.67
"Does My Life
Really Matter to God?"
00:25:38.67\00:25:40.97
and "A Second Chance at Life."
00:25:40.97\00:25:43.10
You'll find answers to the
things that matter most to you
00:25:43.10\00:25:45.47
in each of the 26
Discover Bible guides.
00:25:45.47\00:25:48.14
Visit BibleStudies.com
and begin your journey today
00:25:48.14\00:25:52.25
to discover answers to
life's deepest questions.
00:25:52.25\00:25:56.08
- Let me read you a
favorite Bible text.
00:26:00.62\00:26:02.49
I've read it before,
00:26:02.49\00:26:03.89
but this one comes from
Jeremiah chapter nine, verse 23.
00:26:03.89\00:26:07.30
"Thus says the Lord,
00:26:07.30\00:26:09.00
let not the wise
man glory in his wisdom,
00:26:09.00\00:26:11.27
let not the mighty
man glory in his might,
00:26:11.27\00:26:13.13
nor let the rich
man glory in his riches,
00:26:13.13\00:26:16.04
but let him who
glories glory in this,
00:26:16.04\00:26:18.87
that he
understands and knows Me,
00:26:18.87\00:26:21.68
that I am the Lord
exercising loving kindness."
00:26:21.68\00:26:25.05
It turns out that,
00:26:25.05\00:26:26.55
even though God's thoughts
are so much higher than ours
00:26:26.55\00:26:28.32
that we can
barely comprehend them,
00:26:28.32\00:26:30.49
God makes it possible
for you to understand Him.
00:26:30.49\00:26:34.62
Now, I'm out of time
again for yet another week.
00:26:34.62\00:26:37.13
It's hard to believe I
used it all up talking,
00:26:37.13\00:26:40.06
but I'm gonna leave you with
one really important thought
00:26:40.06\00:26:42.53
for you to think
until we meet again.
00:26:42.53\00:26:44.37
It really, really matters
what you load into your mind
00:26:45.80\00:26:48.87
because what you put in here
is going to shape who you are.
00:26:48.87\00:26:53.78
And if you want to
learn to do this right,
00:26:53.78\00:26:56.18
if you want to get to
the finish line of life
00:26:56.18\00:26:58.65
and feel like you did it right,
00:26:58.65\00:27:00.98
if you want to live a
genuine, authentic life,
00:27:00.98\00:27:04.49
you're going to want to
listen to the one who made you,
00:27:04.49\00:27:08.42
because, well, think about this.
00:27:08.42\00:27:11.19
If there are
specific parts of your brain
00:27:11.19\00:27:13.19
that correlate to
the sound of music,
00:27:13.19\00:27:15.46
what if there's a
specific part of your mind
00:27:15.46\00:27:20.14
that resonates to, that
responds to the voice of God?
00:27:20.14\00:27:25.14
What if that's what's
been missing in your life?
00:27:26.54\00:27:28.08
What if that would fill
the void that everybody feels?
00:27:28.08\00:27:31.88
What if what
you've been looking for
00:27:31.88\00:27:34.08
compliments a
specific part of your mind,
00:27:34.08\00:27:36.82
and that specific thing you're
looking for is your creator?
00:27:36.82\00:27:40.82
Wouldn't that
make life worth living?
00:27:40.82\00:27:43.36
Wouldn't that
give you the ability
00:27:43.36\00:27:45.06
to get to life's finish line
00:27:45.06\00:27:46.49
and know you did
it exactly right?
00:27:46.49\00:27:50.03
I'm Shawn Boonstra.
00:27:50.03\00:27:51.03
Thanks for joining me.
00:27:51.03\00:27:52.27
This has been "Authentic."
00:27:52.27\00:27:54.90
[upbeat music]
00:27:54.90\00:27:57.51