Hello friends, this is Doug Batchelor. How about an amazing fact? During World War II, the allies created an entire army of inflatable tanks, trucks, jeeps, phony artillery pieces, plywood aircraft, soldiers and dummy boats. This fake army was set up en mass in Northern England to distract Hitler from where the real location of the D-Day invasion would cross the English Channel.
"Operation Fortitude" became the largest and most successful military deception in history. The key to effective deception is getting someone to focus on the diversion while the real attack goes unnoticed. You know the Bible says that in the last days Satan will launch a master piece of deception and distraction to fool the whole world, well almost the whole world. Stay with us friends. We're going to learn more as Amazing Facts brings you this edition of Bible Answers Live.
[PROGRAM INTRODUCTION]
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Hello listening friends. Welcome to Bible Answers Live. We are very thankful that you’ve tuned in. We hope it’s by plan, if not by providence. This is a live, international, interactive Bible study. If in the next few minutes you have a Bible question, we're here for about an hour. Just call in. We have lines open.
Here's the number if you want to call in with a Bible question. It's 1-800-GOD-SAYS. That will make it easy to remember. If you have a pencil, you can write down 1-800-463-7297; one more time, 1-800-463-7297. Of course, it's a free phone call and will do our best to answer your Bible questions. My name is Doug Batchelor.
Pastor Jëan Ross: My name is Jëan Ross. Good evening listening friends. Pastor Doug, let's start the program with prayer. Dear Father, once again we thank You that we have this opportunity to spend time studying Your Word together. We ask Your special blessing upon this program. Be with those who are listening wherever they might be. For we ask this in Jesus' name, amen.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Amen.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Pastor Doug, just before we get talking about the fact that opened the program, just a reminder for those who are near their computers. If they'd like to join us via the web, they can actually watch us here in the studio as we take Bible questions and answer them. The website is Live.AmazingFacts.org. You can click on that link and you can participate with us here in the studio for the program.
Now, you started the program by talking about an entire army made out of inflatable balloon-type tanks and wooden airplanes that were really important in finally making the invasion of Europe successful.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: That’s right. In this case we were very thankful that the deception was effective, because they amassed this artificial army in the North so that Hitler and the access powers would have to just re-direct all these forces for this imaginary army. They even had Patton going up to North England and parading around like he was inspecting an army that wasn’t really there; and so when the D-Day invasion actually happened, Hitler thought that was just the phony invasion, that they were really going to come from the North. They never had the forces to repel the allies, and so the D-Day invasion was ultimately successful and Europe was liberated.
But while we cheer for that diversion, it reminds us in the tactics of war how it’s very common to create a diversion to deceive and distract from where the real attack is going to be. The Bible tells us in the last days the devil is going to us that. Now, humans might use, in the art of war, deception. Even Joshua in his battles to take the Promised Land they, at one point, used some deception in their battle with Ai, as did Rahab. But God can’t use the devil's tools to do His work. He only uses truth.
But the devil is going to use a major deception in the last days; he has been sharpening his skills of deception for 6,000 years. You read in Mathew 24:24, “For there will arise false Christs and false prophets” speaking of the last days, “and they will show great signs and wonders, in so much if it were possible, they will deceive the very elect.” And Satan himself is going to impersonate Christ and create a great diversion.
Even before that, I think there are so many counterfeit interpretations of Scripture out there right now that the devil has people looking the wrong direction for the second coming, and Satan is going to really surprise them. He's setting the world up for this masterpiece of deception. Now, if you'd like to know what the Bible really says about the sequence and how Jesus is coming in the last days, we have a free offer that will share all that information from the Bible.
Pastor Jëan Ross: The book is simply entitled, Anything But Secret. For anyone who's listening and would like to learn more about this important subject, give us a call on our resource line, that’s 1-800-835-6747. You can ask for the book, Anything But Secret. You can also go to the website, AmazingFacts.org. You can click on the link that says Free Library and you can read it right online.
Again, that resource line is 1-800-835-6747. We're going to go to the phone lines. Our first caller this evening is Glen and he’s listening in Stockton, California. Glen, welcome to the program.
Glen: Welcome, welcome Pastor Doug.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Hi!
Glen: Hello. Yeah, I called because I need a little extra ammunition here. I study the Word daily, but I do have people that, now and then, come to me or come to my door. They keep insisting that Jesus was the archangel, Michael. I keep trying to refer them to the book of Hebrews and also the book of John the first chapter. Now they're throwing something at me with Proverbs chapter 8, verses 22-34, 35, meaning that He must have been created by God because that must be pointing to that. I’m kind of stumped here.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Well first of all, let’s talk about Proverbs. Proverbs has nothing to do with Jesus and the archangel. Some people point to Proverbs and they try to detract from the divinity of Christ. Here in 22 it says, “The LORD processed me in the beginning of his ways, before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was,” and it goes forth and talks about this.
Proverbs--they're just talking about wisdom. This is an allegory of wisdom. It’s talking about how wisdom has always been with God and it has nothing to do with either Jesus been created or Michael the archangel. It’s just really saying that, from the very foundation of the universe, God has always had wisdom with Him.
The appeal of Solomon’s book is for people to embrace wisdom. It says in the beginning of Proverbs that, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,” and that’s a theme all through the book. So, if they try to make it sound like Proverbs 8, and I've had people do this before, attacking the divinity of Christ; they say, “Jesus was created.”
Jesus is from everlasting to everlasting. He says that He is the "I am." And for me, when it says in the New Testament that, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God; all things that were made were made by him and without him nothing was made that was made. All things were made by him.”
So, if Christ was created by the Father, then He didn’t make all things. It would say, “All things were made by him, except himself.” But it doesn’t say that. It says, “All things.” So Christ is eternal, He is self-existent just like the Father.
Glen: So is there anything that you can send me, either an offer or something?
Pastor Doug Batchelor: We have a book on Michael the archangel we will send you. That's the name of the book. It says, "Who is Michael the Archangel?" and it has lots of Scripture in it.
Glen: Yeah, I do know that Jesus has always--He was the Word. He was God before He became Christ. But I try to teach these people different things and, you know, you don’t want them to be lost. You want them to know the truth.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Right…
Glen: So we still try to work with all people.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: You know, I've got another book that you can read; and I know you'll believe everything in it and then share with your friends. It’s simply called, The Trinity. There are a lot of people out there; and many of them are very sincere, very dear people, but they have problems with the idea that God the Father, Son and Spirit are all three co-eternal and that they all three are individual, distinct Persons that make up God. Of course, in the beginning God said, “Let us,” that’s plural, “make man in our image.” But anyway, I won’t tell you everything in the book. As for the book, "Who is Michael the Archangel?" and we'll send you the book on The Trinity, both for free. How does that sound?
Glen: Is that online, also, I can get?
Pastor Doug Batchelor: You can read them both online, yep. Go to Amazing Facts. There's a tab that says Free Stuff. We were just there before the program.
Pastor Jëan Ross: The number to call for those resources, Glen, or anyone that is listening, the number is 1-800-835-6747. You can ask for the book, "Who is Michael the Archangel?" And at the same time, ask for the book talking about The Trinity. We'll be happy to send that out to anybody who calls. Again, 1-800-835-6747. That is our resource line.
If you have a Bible question, the number to call here to the studio is 1-800-463-7297. Our next caller is Fred and he is listening in Connecticut on WMCA. Fred, welcome to the program.
Fred: Yes, thank you. I just wanted to ask you about Romans chapter 14, verse 5. What is that really saying?
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Well, let me go there real quick and read it to our friends. “One man esteems one day above another. Another man esteems every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. He that regards the day,” I’m reading verse 6 also. “He that regards the day regards it to the Lord. He that regards not the day to the Lord, he does not regard it. He that eats eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he that eateth not to the Lord, he eateth not and giveth God thanks.”
The big issue that Paul is grappling with is, Paul is dealing with Romans, they are non-Jews, who were accepting Jesus. But there were also Jewish believers in Jesus that were telling the Roman converts, or the Gentile converts to Christianity, that they needed to keep the Jewish ceremonial sabbaths and they could not eat any food that had been butchered in the public markets because they often offered it to idols before they killed it.
So Paul said, “Look, the idol is nothing. If you don’t believe you can eat something offered to idols, don’t eat it.” And again, he was saying that they didn’t need to worry about these ceremonial feast days, and that’s talking about the annual Jewish feasts, and that’s still true today.
You know, I tell people that some folks wonder--just to make this verse modern--some folks wonder, "Well if you’re a good Christian, you’re going to keep Easter." Well, that’s wonderful if you want to go to church and remember the resurrection of Christ. There is no command to do that. See what I’m saying?
There is no command to remember the 25th of December as Jesus' birthday. If someone wants to celebrate Christ’s birthday, then that’s wonderful. Let them do it to the Lord. Don’t do it to Santa Claus. But, some people have tried to say, "Well, these verses are saying Christians don’t need to worry about going to church every Sabbath, because if you want to regard the day to the Lord, great. Otherwise, stay home." That’s not what Paul is talking about.
Pastor Jëan Ross: You know Fred, we have a book dealing with the subject called, Feast Days & Sabbaths. I believe this very verse is explained further in that book. If you or anyone are wanting to learn more about this, just give us a call on our resource line and take a look at the book. The number is 1-800-835-6747. You can ask for the book, Feast Days & Sabbaths.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Will that help Fred?
Fred: Yes sir.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Okay, well God bless and appreciate your call.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Our next caller is Resin listening on KSVA from New Mexico. Resin, welcome to the program.
Resin: Hi, good evening...
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Good evening.
Resin: ...Pastor Doug, and the other Pastor [chuckles]
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Old what’s his name? [chuckles]
Pastor Jëan Ross: [Laughs]
Resin: I'm sorry about that.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: That’s Pastor Ross.
Resin: Pastor Ross, yeah. I really appreciate your ministry and I thank God for your ministry. As a matter of fact, I made you my third beneficiary after my mom and my sister.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Oh!
Resin: But anyway, I want to go direct to my question. My question is what's your point of view about Christians carrying a gun or a firearm as self defense, keeping a self-defense, you know, firearm in their home?
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Alright, good question. This is one of those questions that there is no easy answer for; and I believe that Christians can disagree agreeably on this.
In my opinion--you know Paul said, "Sometimes I share things by permission and not by commandment.” In my opinion, what a gun is, it’s a tool that fires a projectile. I know people that use .22’s. They actually use them to drive nails in concrete. There's actually a tool that uses a .22 shell to drive nails in concrete. It’s a tool.
It can be a tool to kill a rattlesnake or rabbit-skunk. We have a place up in the hills and we've got a few guns; and they are largely to protect us from the critters out there. If I felt my family was in danger and I needed to fire some shots in the air, I wouldn’t hesitate to do that. I’d be very reluctant to want to kill someone with a gun. If you could scare them off, that would be the ideal.
My son was once walking through the woods and he encountered a mother bear and two cubs. Well he just fired into the air and that’s all he needed to do. So as a deterrent or a tool, I would think it would be the very last resort for a Christian to fire and actually wound somebody, and, worse yet, to kill somebody, because you sure don’t want to take life. You want to redeem. But, I think everyone needs to grapple with that.
Some Christians say, "Well, if you've got enough faith, you'll never even be confronted with that. You don’t have to worry about it. God will take care of you when that time comes." And I respect that opinion as well.
Resin: Very clear Pastor Doug. Thank you so very much.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Alright, thank you. Sure appreciate your call.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Our next caller is Merriam and she is listening in Pennsylvania. Merriam, welcome to the program.
Merriam: Hi. I’m a little bit nervous. Pastor Doug, I wanted to share with you, the first time I heard you I came across you on the television program. It was the first I had ever heard a Pastor speak in a way that was very relieving for me, not so much for myself, but for loved ones; the idea that the possibility that people who don’t believe won’t be spending eternity in hell. Because that has always disturbed me quite a bit.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Right.
Merriam: And it actually--it was one of the reasons it was very difficult for me to at first accept the Lord, but that isn’t actually my question. I just wanted to thank you for the message.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Well thank you.
Merriam: My question is, I struggle with two different interpretations of the basis for salvation. It’s not for myself, because I have the assurance Jesus is my Lord and Savior, but it’s for my loved ones. There's a born-again Christian view, where you need to acknowledge that Jesus paid for your sins and you confess Him as Savior and have that personal understanding.
And yet, there's Scripture that says, “He who believes in Me shall not perish, but shall have eternal life.” And, I guess I’m questioning those two different interpretations. I have a lot of family and friends that I love dearly who believe in Jesus, but I don’t know if they've actually gone through and experienced, quote, unquote, being born again. I guess I’m just confused.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Well, that is a very good question. Of course Jesus said, “Except you are born again, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven,” He told Nicodemus in John chapter 3. I think one of the big reasons, especially in the western world, we struggle with these terms of salvation is because we don’t understand the word “believe.”
You know, if I’m sitting next to someone in the prairie and I say, “There's a tornado coming,” and they say, “Yeah, I believe you," but they don’t get into the shelter, they don’t really believe me. And so, when Christ talks about "whoever believes in Me," He doesn’t mean "believe that I exist" or even believe that He loves us and died for us. The devil knows all of that.
The devil will not be saved because he believes that Jesus exists; he won’t be saved because he knows Jesus loves humanity and that he died for humanity. It’s a belief where you obey, and are willing to follow Him.
Merriam: I believe that.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: A better translation would almost be “...he that believes in Him,” or “be lives in Him.” We are to live in Christ. It starts with a faith, a simple belief; but then it should go on to a “be live.” [Cross talk] So that’s when you're born again. That’s when you're converted. I’m sorry, go ahead.
Merriam: Oh no, that’s okay. That makes perfect sense to me. But I struggle with, let’s say family or friends, that, while they believe in Christ, it hasn’t been--it’s sort of a journey they're on in terms of not being as personal, let’s say, to myself or others; but it’s not something--it seems to me a journey. It doesn’t seem, for them, that it’s a light bulb, you know, like a light switch going off. I don’t know if I’m explaining my question right.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Yeah. Some people have a dramatic, kind of an instantaneous conversion where their hearts are broken; they're born again; they're given new hearts; and they’re new creatures.
Merriam: Right.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: And other people, it’s like they're still trying to sort it out and it doesn’t transform their lives. Well, you want to pray for these people, that they do experience a thorough conversion. That’s what it’s all about. We must be converted. We must be born again. We need new hearts. You need to be a new creature.
The idea that you sort of believe it and you go to church and go through the motions, it is a cause of concern; and, of course, I have that for friends and family also. You know, Jesus did say, "Many will come in the last days saying 'Lord, Lord,'” and He will say, “I don’t know you.” So we need to know the Lord, and that's eternal Life, John 17, "...that we might know Him."
There's a lesson. We'd like to send you a copy. It’s talking about, The Ultimate Deliverance. It’s about conversion and salvation, and we would like to send you a free copy of that.
Pastor Jëan Ross: I think the study guide your referring to Pastor Doug is, Rescue from Above.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Oh sorry. Rescue from Above, yes.
Pastor Jëan Ross: We get those two confused from time to time. The pictures are similar. If you'd like to receive the study guide dealing with salvation, what do you have to do to be saved? Give us a call on the resource line. It’s 1-800-835-6747. Ask for the study guide, Rescue from Above. We will be happy to send that out to you, Rescue from Above. Our next caller is Glen and he is listening from New York, New York on WMCA. Glen, you’re on the air.
Glen: Good evening Pastors. My question tonight has to do with abortion and birth control. I understand with abortion, I'm familiar with the Psalm, and I believe it goes, “I knew you before you were in the womb.” But, I’m a Christian, obviously, and I’m surrounded by a lot of folks that have a lot of questions about my beliefs and so forth. So from a Biblical stand point, to answer that properly from a Biblical point of view, what I’m looking for is, you know, how God would respond to thoughts on birth control and abortion?
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Alright. Well just to kind of clear any misconception, I believe that the Bible teaches that something supernatural and sacred takes place at the moment of conception. I mean, they've even taken some astounding footage of that instant where there's almost this flash, when that sperm penetrates the egg; and all of a sudden, these cells begin to multiply and all the DNA of this new creature is present at that moment.
It’s just a miraculous thing that can’t even be explained. From that point on there's something sacred there. It’s very dangerous when we start saying, "A person has to be this many weeks along before we're going to consider it human life." When Bathsheba found out she was pregnant with David’s baby, she didn’t say, “I’m with fetus,” you know. She said, "I’m with child," and as soon as she was aware they had conceived.
Now, preventing conception is something entirely different. Jesus said, “If a man is going to build a tower, he needs to plan and make sure he has enough to finish." And I think when it comes to a family, you shouldn’t be having more children than you can adequately care for and educate and watch over. There are a number of methods that don’t involve hurting a conceived baby that would prevent conception. So that, to me--I'm not with the pope on that one, where you just have endless children like bunnies. I think people ought to plan. So that's kind of where I, and I think a number of other Protestants, draw the line.
Glen: I’m in agreement with your position as well Pastor Doug. Thank you.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Alright. Hey, thank you very much. I don’t really have a book or something we can share on that, but maybe we should.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Next caller is John and he’s listening on Sirius XM Radio from Indiana. John, welcome to the program.
John: How are you doing Pastor Doug?
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Good evening John. Get close to your phone. We can barely hear you.
John: Can you hear me now?
Pastor Doug Batchelor: That’s better.
John: Perfect, perfect. My question is pretty simple, and the question is this. I know people go to church on Saturday to worship on Saturday. I know people who worship on Sunday. Two questions, which day is the right day? And secondly, are you sinning if you go to church or worship on the other day?
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Okay, we'll do our best to answer that. We're going to turn your volume down a little bit because we're hearing a little road noise. Anyone who has listened to this program for any length of time knows that we are in the camp of believing that the Ten Commandments are still in effect.
They're not the ten recommendations or suggestions, but they're Commandments of God. The Fourth Commandment is, “Remember the Sabbath day.” It’s just as important as the others. It goes all the way back to Creation. It was not just for the Jews. It was given to Adam and Eve in Genesis chapter 2. There's still no question about which day is the seventh day that God blessed.
It says it's what we commonly call "Saturday." Jesus rose on the first day. Well, what about the millions of Christians that go to church on the first day? Are they all sinning? Not necessarily. A sin, the Bible says, is knowing to do good and not doing it. And so when a person knows God's will, not just regarding the Sabbath truth, but regarding anything, if a person knows God's will and they don’t do God's will, that becomes sin.
Jesus said, “If you did not see, you would have no sin; but know that you see, your sin remains.” I think that’s John chapter 9.
So, if the question is which day is the Bible Sabbath, it’s Saturday. We've got a whole study guide on that, The Forgotten Day of History, we'll send to anyone that wants to know more about that. Well, what about all these dear Christians? Does that mean if they're going to church on Sunday that they're lost, or that they don’t love the lord?
Not at all. I think the vast majority is just uninformed. They've been swept up in a popular tradition that doesn’t really have a Bible.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Now I think the verse you’re referring to, Pastor Doug, is John chapter 9, verse 41, where Jesus is speaking to the Jewish leaders. And he said, “If you were blind, you would have no sin: but now you say, We see; therefore your sin remains.”
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Right. So, I think that, obviously, people need to study this out. Not only are we responsible for following the truth we know, we're somewhat responsible for the truth we can know. God says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” But He also goes on to say, “Because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee.”
Pastor Jëan Ross: I think the second part of the question that John had was reference to is it okay, then, to worship on some other day of the week other than the Sabbath?
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Well, a person needs to know. In other words, if a person knows what the Bible teaches, they need to follow what the Bible teaches in every area of their lives. For instance, there's going to be people in heaven that had too many wives. Well they didn’t know. They were living in an age of ignorance and the Bible says, “God winked at their ignorance,” like King David or Abraham. But if you and I take extra wives, we know better. And that’s another Commandment, of course.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Right.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: So God expects us--and it would be sin--so He wants us to walk in the light that we have received. If a person wants to know the Bible truth about what the Sabbath is, then again, there's a website they can go to. Its called SabbathTruth.com. By the way, you can also see that website in Spanish. It's SabadoBiblico.com. Hey friends, you’re listening to Bible Answers Live.
Pastor Jëan Ross: You know Pastor Doug, just before we take our break coming up here, this mid-program break, we'd like to let our listeners know about an exciting program that starts next month. It’s called, The Ultimate Purpose.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: That’s right. We're excited! We're going to Southern University, going to Tennessee, just outside of Chattanooga. We're going to be doing a special program for college students October 11, 12, and 13. There will be four presentations, because we have two presentations on Saturday, and we should have thousands of young college students there.
We're going to be talking about what is truth, and where did we come from, just the basics; because during those critical years between 17 and 25, approximately 75% of young people who are raised in Christian homes, at least temporarily, stop going to church. So we want them to look at what is the ultimate purpose of life. And we are going to address some of the main reasons that their faith is shaken during those years.
You might want to tune in friends. There's more information at the Amazing Facts' website, AmazingFacts.org. We'll come back with more questions in just a little bit.
[COMMERCIAL BREAK]
Pastor Doug Batchelor: We are back friends. If you have just tuned in along the way, this is Bible Answers Live. We're very thankful to spend a few minutes with you doing our best to answer Bible questions. We love the Word of God. It has changed our hearts. It has changed history. We’d like you to know the reasons for that.
If you have a Bible question, I see two lines open, maybe three. That number, 1-800-GOD-SAYS; that’s 1-800-463-7297. 1-800-463-7297 with your Bible questions, and have a pencil or something nearby because we also give away a lot of free resources during the program and we'll give you that number when the time comes. My name is Doug Batchelor.
Pastor Jëan Ross: My name is Jëan Ross. Pastor Doug, before the break we were talking about a series of programs coming, actually a four-part series that you are going to be doing called, The Ultimate Purpose. It’s going to be in Tennessee. The dates for that are October 11th through 13th and it’s going to be broadcast on 3ABN. So, anyone who has the Dish Network who is able to get 3ABN, you will be able to watch it live or go to the website and see.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: We have friends that are probably listening to 3ABN Radio right now so they will know what we are talking about.
Pastor Jëan Ross: If you’d like to join us live in the studio here via the internet, you can go to Live.AmazingFacts.org. We're streaming the programming again this evening. We're going to go to the phones lines. Our next caller is Rahema and she is calling from Michigan. Rahema, welcome to the program.
Rahema: Hi.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Good evening.
Rahema: I have a question that’s in Ecclesiastes. I’m looking for it right now because my husband read it to me; well, he was reading me the whole book.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Okay. Get real close to your phone. What is the question though? What's the Scripture you’re looking for?
Rahema: I’m trying to find it right now, but I know a part of it says, Out of a thousand women you cannot trust one, but out of a thousand men you can only trust one. I was wondering if they were referring to Jesus?
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Well, I think you’re talking about Ecclesiastes 7:28. Shall we read that for you real quick?
Rahema: Okay, yeah that’s…actually it's right in 7. Oh my gosh, I didn’t finish. Okay thank you.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: It says, “Which yet my soul seeketh, but I find not: one man among a thousand I have found; but a woman among those I have not found.” Well first of all, the record isn’t very good for men or women. He only found one out of a thousand.
Rahema: Yeah, I know.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Jesus is called "the fairest of ten thousand,” so he's speaking of Christ.
Rahema: Yeah.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. That would be men and women, but he only found one among a thousand. That’s really a type of the Messiah. Keep in mind, Solomon had approximately a thousand wives. He had, I think, 300 concubines and 700 wives so it’s about a thousand; and you read that’s it says, “They turned”--he married pagan wives…
Rahema: Uh-huh.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: ...and they turned his heart away from serving God. I don’t know that there's a record that he married a single--no record--that he married a single Hebrew wife. I’m sure he did, but it always talks about wives of the Moabites, and the Edomites, and the Egyptians, and they all kind of turned his heart towards their gods in his old age. So that could also be part of why he said that.
Rahema: I see, yes. I had thought that he was meaning Christ in that.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Well your right when it says, “I have found one among a thousand" in Song of Solomon. Solomon writes there that Jesus is the "chiefest among ten thousand."
Rahema: Yes. And I was also thinking that, you know, you can trust people that are fully, like, in Jesus as well, you know what I mean? So I would feel like it doesn’t always apply to a very devout Christian also as well, right?
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Well keep in mind, Solomon wrote Proverbs. In the last chapter of Proverbs, he talks about the perfect wife; so he must have thought that they're out there somewhere because he describes this wonderful wife and woman, the ideal woman, and wife and mother.
Rahema: I see, okay. Well thank you, that really cleared it up for me. I mean, I always thought, “Okay, he’s got to be talking about Jesus,” you know what I mean? I mean, who else could it be?
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Right, well you’re on the right track.
Rahema: Alright, thank you.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Thank you very much, appreciate your question.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Our next caller is William and he is listening in New York, listening on WMCA. William, you are on the air.
William: Yes, hello. How are you gentleman doing?
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Doing well William. And your question?
William: God bless you. Okay, my question has to do with Isaiah 54, verse 18.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Okay.
William: My question is does that apply today, or is that something future? Because I'm wondering, if--in other words, if somebody shoots, or stabs or kills somebody or something like that, is that saying that even though we die, we'll be resurrected in the coming kingdom? Or is that saying that it’s like a shield around us and nothing can happen?
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Now, are you talking about Isaiah 54:17? Because there is no verse 18.
William: Isaiah chapter 54, verse, I believe it's...
Pastor Doug Batchelor: It says, “No weapon that is formed against you will prosper.”
William: Right.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Yeah, that’s verse 17.
William: Okay.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: So, when it says, “No weapon formed against you will prosper,” are you wondering about is that in the future or was it the past?
William: Yes, yes, correct.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: It's really a principle that you find in the Bible that whenever God is with you it seems like the weapons of the enemy are powerless. You remember how with Samson, when he was full of the Spirit of the Lord, it didn’t matter if a thousand Philistines were coming after him. He was able to whip them. Now, I always wish I had a video of how do you do that. I can see if, you know, you’re like Bruce Lee or something and you fight off ten guys that come at you once, but how do you it with a thousand that are, like, throwing spears and firing arrows and, he must have been just really fast!
William: [Laughing] right.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: So that principle, if God is with you, it’s all through history; no weapon formed against you will prosper. It’s a promise to His people; it was a promise to the nation when they were close to God.
Pastor Jëan Ross: I also think this verse is a special application for a future judgment, because if you look at the last part of verse 17 it says, “...and their righteousness is from me, saith the LORD.” And it also says in verse 17, “...every tongue which raises against you in judgment you shall condemn.” So when you’re trusting in Jesus, His righteousness covers us, and in the judgment we're saved against the condemnations of our enemy, Satan, and also those that rise up against us even now.
William: Okay, thank you so much.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Alright. Hey thanks, appreciate your question.
Pastor Jëan Ross: The next caller is Mike and he is listening in Montana via satellite. Mike, welcome to the program.
Mike: Yup, Hi Pastor Doug.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Yes.
Mike: Thanks for taking my call. I had a question on the death penalty. I was talking to some people. Is there a position on the death penalty in the New Testament?
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Well, when Jesus said, “Turn the other cheek,” He's really talking about interpersonal relationships. Paul seems to say in Romans that, "The army does not bear the sword in vain," and Pastor Ross might have to look that up for me. I’m trying to remember where it was.
But God has appointed government powers and armies and even police in authority; and they don’t bear the sword in vain, meaning that if you break laws, that there's punishment for that. And based on the severity of the law, there will be, supposedly if there's justice, a corresponding severity of the punishment. Do you have that?
Pastor Jëan Ross: Yeah, Romans 13:4. It says, “For if he is God's minister to you,” speaking of leaders for good, “but if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain: for he is God's minister, an avenger to execute wrath upon him who practices evil.”
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Yeah. Now, swords usually aren’t used for spanking. Swords are usually pretty lethal. The Romans would behead people with swords. That's how Paul ended up dying.
Mike: I know. That’s good, that’s exactly…
Pastor Doug Batchelor: In the Old Testament it’s, "An eye for an eye, tooth for tooth, wound for wound and life for life." In the New Testament Jesus says, “In your personal relationships, if someone smacks you, you can turn the other cheek.” Well, you know, a person being smacked in a fit of rage, that’s not going to kill you.
Mike: No, I understand judgment.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: So, that’s pretty small. But, obviously, if people are taking premeditated murder, biblically--I believe--should be rewarded with a corresponding punishment; because if a society does not send a message to criminals of violent crime like that, you will not be safe anywhere.
If a person knows they're going to be caught after murdering multiple people or one person in a premeditated way, that they will then be put in an air-conditioned facility and given three meals a day for the rest of their life, that doesn’t send the right message.
Mike: Right.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: You know what I’m saying? That’s my belief.
Mike: Yeah. No, that’s good. That’s exactly what I needed. Thank you.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Alright, appreciate that.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Our next caller is John and he’s listening in New York. John, welcome to the program.
John: Hi, thank you for taking my call and for having this program.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Our pleasure.
John: Oh good, okay. Well, I have a couple of Scripture verses that are puzzling to me. Maybe you could help me out?
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Okay.
John: Concerning the second coming of Christ, now I believe that when one dies, they are asleep in death until the resurrection. These verses, 1st Thessalonians 3:13, it talks about Jesus coming with all His saints.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Okay.
John: Also in revelation 19:14, “...armies and heaven following Jesus.”
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Yep.
John: And one more, Jude 1:14, “He came with many thousands of his holy ones.” I’ve read these before and I just kind of set it aside, but I thought, "Well, let me call you and see what your take is on it?" Who are these holy ones, armies, saints?
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Well it says in Mathew 24 they're the angels.
John: Uh-huh, oh.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: It says, "He'll send His angels to every corner of the earth, from one end of heaven to the other, to gather together his elect.” And so, all through the Bible, the heavenly host--remember when the angels came to announce Jesus' birth? It says one angel talks to the shepherds, and it says after he had spoken, suddenly they were surrounded with heavenly hosts of angels that were singing and giving glory to God.
So God's angels are ten thousand times ten thousand, and that’s His army. Those are what you call holy ones. It’s not saying that they're resurrected people. These are angels. The Lord is coming in the clouds of heaven with all the holy angels.
John: Well, that makes sense. Well I've heard others saying it’s the saints or holy ones, those who have died, and I just didn’t know; but it does make sense to think they're angels, and yes, okay.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Yes, He's coming. He sends the angels to gather together the elect...
John: Yeah.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: ...and in the Bible, angels are consistently called saints, holy ones and His army, His hosts. They are His messengers, His ministers.
John: Okay.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: So yeah, He's not coming alone. When He says He’s coming in the clouds, He rides upon the clouds of angels.
Pastor Jëan Ross: You know, we've got the book we mentioned a little earlier Pastor Doug, Anything But Secret, talking about the second coming of Jesus. If anyone wanting to learn more, I think it even addresses these specific verses in the book as well. If you’d call us on our resource line, it's 1-800-835-6747, and ask for the book, Anything But Secret. Our next caller is Robyn and she is listening in Fresno, California on KARM. Robyn, welcome to the program.
Robyn: Thank you so much, and thank you for taking my call.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Thank you Robyn. Get close to your phone please.
Robyn: Okay, I’m close.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: That’s better, and your question?
Robyn: My question is, I’m having a hard time finding a church to go to. I’m trying to find a church that is as close to the Bible--and then again--you can maybe help me decide on which Bible; because a lot of them have their own Bibles and, you know, which is the better Bible? And, what kind of things I should look for in a church?
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Well, you’re in Fresno. If you were in Sacramento, I’d tell you to come to my church. If you were in Granite Bay, Pastor Ross would tell you to come to his church. But what we can do is send you a lesson; and I hope every Pastor would say the same thing we just said. If the Pastors don’t invite people to their church, they're in the wrong church, right?
Pastor Jëan Ross: Uh-hm
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Wouldn’t that make sense?
Robyn: Sure.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: There's a lesson we can send you. And as far as a Bible, here in the studio I use New King James. I think Pastor Ross uses New King James when you preach?
Pastor Jëan Ross: Yep.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: And, there's New American Standard. King James is one of our favorites; so a good translation is the best thing, as opposed to a paraphrase Bible. The lesson we're going to send you is Biblical principles of how do you identify God's church, a Bible-based church, here in the last days, because you want to use those principles. Then after you apply those principles, then you might pray and get out your phone book. The name of the lesson is called, The Bride of Christ.
Pastor Jëan Ross: The Bride of Christ I think is the lesson you’re referring to Pastor Doug, but we also have a book entitled, The Search for the True Church...
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Oh, that would be perfect.
Pastor Jëan Ross: ...which would also go through those Biblical criteria that we look for when we're looking for a church. So Robyn, if you’ll call our resource line, the number again is 1-800-835-6747, and if you'd just ask the operator to send you the book entitled, The Search for the True Church, and also the study guide, The Bride of Christ, we will send them both out to you.
Again it’s, The Bride of Christ, and, The Search for the True Church. That will give you some solid, Biblical principles that you want to look for when you look for a church.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Thank you for your question.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Our next caller is Danny listening on the Internet from Long Island, New York. Danny, welcome to the program.
Danny: Hi, how are you Pastors? God bless you both in your ministry.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Thank you, and your question?
Danny: My question today is, I just want to know what the four horses in Revelation chapter 6 actually represent? I kind of have an idea but I want to get something a little more concrete as far as what they represent, as far as time, or periods or something like that. If you can elaborate on that, I will really appreciate it.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Well I’ll be able to give you a microcosm of an answer because you’re talking about the seven seals of Revelation. The four horsemen are the first four of the seven seals of Revelation. It says he opened the first seal and a horse comes out, a white horse; second seal; and so forth.
Just very quickly, in Revelation chapters 2 and 3, you've got the seven churches. That gives a religious history of the church from the first coming to the second coming. In Revelation chapters 5 and 6, you've got the seven seals. It gives a political history of the church from the first coming to the second coming.
The seven trumpets give a military history of the church between the first coming and the second coming. You know, I’m trying to think, probably the best thing that we could recommend to understand what those first four ages of the church are is at our website called, Bible Prophecy Truth. We have a website called BibleProphecyTruth.com where it talks about some of these prophecies. I think we have something there on the four horsemen of the apocalypse.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Just a quick overview Pastor Doug. As you mentioned, the first horse that’s seen in vision by John is a white horse. There are many Bible scholars that believe that symbolizes the first century from about 31 to 100 A.D. The Gospel was going forward with power and purity. The next horse is a red horse, and the red horse symbolizes persecution. That describes the time of persecution from about 100 A.D., all the way through to about 313 A.D.
The next one is a black horse, and that describes a time of compromise. Then the pale horse, a symbol of death, representing, to some degree, the established church of the day experienced a period of spiritual death when it came to the truth of God’s Word. So the horses have been described as these time periods of Christian history.
Danny: Oh okay, well thank you very much Pastors.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: And they correspond, also, with the seven ages of the church.
Pastor Jëan Ross: In chapters 2 and 3.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Hey, appreciate your question. Hope that helps a little.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Our next caller is Ray. He's listening in Michigan. Ray, welcome to the program.
Ray: Hello, hi Pastor.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Hi Ray. Get real close to your phone, and your question tonight?
Ray: Yeah, I’ve been having a little issue, you know, trying to understand. I was brought up basically with King James Version. A lot lately with my ministry, they talk with the NIV a lot and all that. I really have a hard time understanding, you know, anything but the King James. I’m kind of reading an NIV Bible right now, and I was always told you don’t add anything to or take anything from; and that, through some of these translations or these newer Bibles, that some things have been either modified or taken out of content, and there could be some misunderstanding. I just want to know, you know--I mean, I believe in Christ and He’s going to lead me no matter what, but I was just curious on what your aspect and beliefs of how the Bibles are?
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Alright. First thing I want to tell you is, we're going to offer you a free book if you ask for it, and it’s basically on the Bible. It talks about the trustworthiness of the Bible. It’s called, The Ultimate Resource. I personally am very comfortable with King James because I spent years listening to Alexander Scourby read it on tape every night when I went to bed. That’s how I learned how to pronounce some of the difficult Bible names. He just did a flawless job.
I’m comfortable with the New King James because it’s almost identical. It modernizes some of the archaic English. The NIV I’m not as comfortable with. It uses some other manuscripts in its translation that I think are dubious. Every now and then translators, there are certain words that they have a choice about, “How do we want to translate these words?”
There is, sometimes, a bias in the choice they make and I thought with the NIV, there was. This is my personal opinion, that there's a little bit of a bias in some of the choices that were made and how to translate certain words. But, and again, I mentioned earlier the New American Standard I think is a good translation. I like the King James. It's how most people have memorized the Bible in the English speaking countries.
Pastor Jëan Ross: You know, another important thing that you mentioned just a little earlier Pastor Doug, is there is a difference, Ray, between paraphrases and translations. A paraphrase is where someone will take, let’s just say an English translation of the Bible and they'll read it, maybe the King James, and then they'll rewrite the verses in their own language.
Sometimes with the paraphrase, there's good devotional thinking and thoughts that go into that; but when you study, especially prophecy, you want to make sure you have a good solid translation. And as Pastor Doug said, King James is good; Revised Standard, some of these older translations, are good in conveying the essence of what the original language is trying to say.
Ray: Thanks a lot.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Appreciate it. Don’t forget, we'll send you that book, The Ultimate Resource. Just call the number and it’s yours.
Ray: Alright, appreciate that, thank you.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Okay.
Pastor Jëan Ross: The number to call is 1-800-835-6747. Ask for the book, The Ultimate Resource. And now we have William who is listening in New York on WMCA. William, welcome to the program.
William: Yes, hi. How are you?
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Doing well.
William: Yeah, I have a question. I’ve been struggling with this for awhile. I’m just going to come out and say it. Is Jesus God? I know in the Bible, when Jesus is speaking to His disciples, He refers to God as the Father; and then in some instances--I’m just looking for where, in just very clear text, that says that Jesus claims to be God. I’m looking for that clear text. I’m having a hard time finding it.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Alright. There's a Messianic prophecy in Isaiah chapter 9, verse 6. It says, "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given...and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” If you look at the definitions of God in the Bible, for one thing it says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth,” right?
William: Yes.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Well then, it tells us that Jesus, the Word, created all things. So if it says that God created everything, and then it says Jesus created everything, well, obviously, Jesus must be God. Here's another one. The Bible tells us worship only God in the Ten Commandments. Well, we are told in the Bible to worship Jesus. So if we're supposed to worship only God and then we're told to worship Jesus, Jesus must be God.
If we're told there's only one Savior, God is our Savior, and yet the Bible says that Jesus is our Savior, well then, in order for only God to be our Savior and Jesus be our Savior, Jesus must be God. And one more, only God can forgive sin. You find that in Mark chapter 2.
If Jesus could forgive sin--only God knows the thoughts of men’s hearts--2nd Kings chapter 8, but Jesus knew what was in their hearts, according to the Gospel of John. It’s just all the criteria that you find for God, Jesus fulfills. So, while He was one earth, He did not go around trumpeting, “I’m God,” but He sure made it pretty clear.
Pastor Jëan Ross: You know, just one more verse. In the New Testament, the angel speaking to Joseph says, speaking of the birth of Jesus, “Behold, a virgin shall be with child and bear a son; and they shall call his name Emanuel,” which is translated “God with us.” That’s pretty clear.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: That’s right. Yeah, and it's Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father,” Isaiah 9:6. Hey, we'll send you that book William, called, "The Trinity: is it Biblical?" It talks about the divinity of Christ. Just call that number.
Pastor Jëan Ross: The number to call is 1-800-835-6747, and you can as for the book, "The Trinity: is it Biblical?" and we'll be happy to send that out.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: You know listening friends, I apologize if we did not get to your call tonight. We did our best. If you give us another chance, God willing, next week we'll be back with more Bible questions and hopefully good answers. I want to remind you that the program can continue if you go right now to the website, AmazingFacts.org. We have gobs and oodles of resources there.
There's video, audio, books, a lot of free downloads and links to Bible studies galore. I think we've got about of a quarter of a million people. It's every couple of months they come to the Amazing Facts' website. So it has become a very popular site among Christians around the world, and we invite you to go there.
Also, please keep in mind friends, we try to dedicate the vast majority of this program to doing our best to give you free resources and answer Bible questions, but we need to remind you that times are tough. We are entirely listener-supported.
If you’ve been blessed, encouraged, edified, inspired, instructed somehow by this program, I hope that you'll take the initiative to join others who have become supporters of Amazing Facts. Any little thing you can do is appreciated. Go to AmazingFacts.org, click Contact Us and you can donate online. God bless until next week.
------------------------------------------------------END-------------------------------------------------------