Hello friends, how about an amazing fact? Many years ago, Al Capone virtually owned Chicago. He was notoriously enmeshed in the windy city in everything from gambling to murder. Capone had a lawyer named Easy Eddie. Eddie was very good. In fact, Eddie’s skill at legal maneuvering kept Al Capone out of jail for many years.
Despite his involvement with organized crime, Eddie tried to teach his young son right from wrong. He wanted his son to grow up to be a better man than he was. Yet, with all of his wealth and influence, there were two things that he couldn’t give his son – he couldn’t pass on a good name or a good example.
One day, Easy Eddie reached a difficult decision. He decided to testify against Al Capone in the attempt to clean up his reputation and set a good example for his son. He knew that this was a dangerous decision. And within a year, his life ended in a blaze of gunfire on a lonely Chicago street. His efforts, however, to teach his son a better way did not go without results.
Several years later during World War II, a fighter pilot assigned to the aircraft carrier, Lexington, took off with the squadron on a mission in the South Pacific. After airborne, Butch O’Hare looked at his fuel gauge and realized that someone had forgotten to fill up his tank. He would not have enough fuel to complete the mission and then get back to his ship.
Reluctantly, he dropped out of formation and headed back to the fleet. On his way back, he saw something that turned his blood cold – a squadron of Japanese planes headed straight towards the American fleet. Laying aside all thoughts of personal safety, he dove into the formation of Japanese planes, firing at one and then another until all of his ammunition was spent.
He then continued his assault by weaving in and out amongst enemy planes trying to clip a wing or a tail. Finally, the exasperated Japanese squadron took off in a different direction and Butch limped his badly damaged plane back to the carrier.
The film from the gun camera on his plane told the story. It showed the extent of his bravery to protect his fleet. He had, in fact, destroyed five enemy aircraft. This took place on February 20, 1942. And for that action, he became the first navy pilot to win the Medal of Honor. A year later, he was killed in aerial combat at the age of 29. His hometown named the airport in his honor – the Chicago O’Hare International Airport.
Now what is the connection between Butch O’Hare and Easy Eddie? Well, Butch was Eddie’s son. He learned from his father the lesson of doing what was right at any cost.
Did you know friends that the Bible tells the story of another Son who did what was right at an incredible cost? Stay tuned for more as Amazing Facts brings you this edition of Bible Answers Live.
[PROGRAM INTRODUCTION]
Welcome to Bible Answers Live with author and evangelist, Pastor Doug Batchelor. Is understanding God’s word a challenge? Are there passages of scripture that are a mystery to you? Maybe it’s difficult to reconcile what you’ve read in the Bible to what you’ve always believed. If you have Bible-related questions, stay tuned to get honest, practical answers straight from the word of God on Bible Answers Live.
Bible Answers Live is a production of Amazing Facts Ministries dedicated to spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ to the entire world. Our lined our open so call us now at 800-GOD-SAYS that’s 800-463-7297.
Now, here’s your host, Pastor Doug Batchelor.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Hello friends, Pastor Doug Batchelor is out this evening. This is Pastor Jëan Ross and you are listening to Bible Answers Live. It’s a live, international interactive Bible study. If you have a Bible-related question, we would love to hear from you this evening. Our phone lines are open. This is a good time to pick up your phone and give us a call. It is a toll-free number, 800-463-7297. That is 800-GOD-SAYS, 463-7297.
And joining me here in the studio working the phones and helping answer question is Dr. Alan Davis, the executive vice president at Amazing Facts. Alan, again, thanks for joining us.
Dr. Alan Davis: Good evening Pastor Ross. Thank you very much for having me here. You know, I was listening to the amazing fact and it got me to thinking a little bit about commander O’Hare giving his life. And you know, the Bible tells us that “greater love has no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
And you know, the very fact that he showed gallantry in combat was definitely a testimony to what his father had taught him. And you know, if you’re ever at the Chicago O’Hare Airport, you can go over to terminal two and you can see a static display…
Pastor Jëan Ross: That’s right.
Dr. Alan Davis: Of the airplane very similar to what he flew in those missions.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Fascinating history and just this bravery in taking on a group of enemy planes vastly outnumbered not thinking about his own safety, but rather, the safety of you know, the navy men on the boats where these planes were headed and he did what he could to try and he was successful.
Dr. Alan Davis: And it’s amazing. An entire squadron could take out an aircraft carrier or any other associated boats within the vicinities.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Yeah.
Dr. Alan Davis: So it was impressive.
Pastor Jëan Ross: You know, I’m reminded of a verse I’ve been reading in scripture about another Son. And of course we’re talking about the greatest sacrifice of all – and that is the sacrifice of Jesus.
Philippians 2:5 says, “Let this mind be in you, which is also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God did not consider it robbery to be equal with God.” In other words, He is equal with God. Verse 7 says, “But He made Himself of no reputation taking on the form of a servant – a bondservant – and coming in the likeness of man and being found in the appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”
You know, the greatest sacrifice that was ever made is the sacrifice made by Jesus for us on the cross. Friends, if you would like to learn more about that great sacrifice, demonstration of God’s love, we have a book that we’ll send you. It’s for free. It’s called, “Three Steps to Heaven.” Maybe you’ve wondered, “What exactly do I have to do in order to get to heaven? What does the Bible teach?”
Well, we’ve got this book that outlines these important Bible principles and it’s free. Just give us a call on our resource line and we’ll be happy to send that to you. Again, the book is called, “Three Steps to Heaven.”
Dr. Alan Davis: And you can call 1-800-835-6747 for our resource line. Again, 800-835-6747. Pastor Ross, before we go to the phones this evening, why don’t we have a word of prayer?
Pastor Jëan Ross: Let’s do that.
Dr. Alan Davis: Father in heaven, we just want to thank You for the opportunity to be here this evening. Father, we want to extend a special blessing to all those listening this evening and those who might be calling in. We simply ask that Your Holy Spirit would be blessing each and every one of us and Your holy angels would attend to us and bring us into wisdom and knowledge in the precious name of Jesus. Amen.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Amen. Well friends, if you have a Bible question, the number here to the studio is 800-463-7297 that’s 800-GOD-SAYS. Maybe we could go straight to the phone lines. Who is our first caller this evening?
Dr. Alan Davis: Our first caller is Aaron from Carmichael, California. Aaron, good evening. You’re on the line.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Hi Aaron, welcome to the program. Aaron, are you there?
Aaron: Yeah, I’m right here. Can you hear me?
Pastor Jëan Ross: Yes. We can hear you now.
Aaron: Okay. All right, so I have a question in regards to – now, I understand that premarital relations before your marriage is a sin and even looking for a woman with lust. But is there any guidance in the Bible in regards to if you have gone down that path, some sort of guiding source forgiveness or like once you get to the point when you’re getting ready to marry someone?
Pastor Jëan Ross: Sure. Well you know, you’re right. The Bible does tell us that sexual relationships is to be in the framework of a committed marriage relationship. So it is something that is too special created by God. It’s a beautiful experience, it builds intimacy within the marriage but it’s designed by God to be in the marriage relationship.
Now what about somebody who has not followed that guidance? Is there hope for them? Absolutely! And God is willing to forgive, He wants to forgive. There are consequences though. God doesn’t always remove the consequences of bad behavior or sins that we might commit. And unfortunately, there are many who are suffering emotional distress and other situations because of a lack of following God’s guidance.
But there is hope for anyone who feels or comes to the realization that they sinned against God and they humbled their hearts and they asked God for forgiveness. God is more than willing to forgive. The Bible tells us, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Now if somebody is convicted and they’re in that type of relationship, then they need to pray and say, “Lord, give me wisdom and strength to make the right decision.” We don’t just want to ask for forgiveness and then continue in the same sin over and over again. We believe that God not only can forgive us but He empowers us and we ought to conform to His will and trust in Him to give us the strength to do that.
So sometimes difficult decisions do need to be made and changes need to take place but we can have confidence that if we ask with sincerity, God will forgive us and He will give the strength to do what’s right.
Aaron: Okay.
Dr. Alan Davis: Does that help?
Aaron: Yeah, yeah. I mean, I deserve it. I mean, yeah, it definitely helps so basically moving, long story short, basically moving forward you want to confide in God and you want to make sure that you want to be completely honest and…
Pastor Jëan Ross: Absolutely. You know, be honest with God and be true to Him, and then follow what He tells, you know. Follow His leading and guiding in His word.
Dr. Alan Davis: And both individuals have to come together in this decision as well. And both need to be resolute and understand that the Lord does want to forgive you and that forgiveness though mean, you know, “Go and sin no more,” that’s what Jesus said.
Pastor Jëan Ross: You want to make a change. Absolutely.
Dr. Alan Davis: Absolutely.
Aaron: Yeah, I mean, the basis of the question is because I had been actively in that sin for a stretch of years in the past when I was quite yet younger. But now that I’m trying to do God’s labor, I just wanted to get past that and whoever I ended up with, I guess, I got to be honest without black stripes.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Right. Right at the beginning of the relationship, you say, “You know, this is what God is asking, this is what I want to follow.” But you know, take courage. God does forgive. If you commit your heart to Him and you choose to follow Him, whatever the past, that’s gone. The Bible says, “We’re new creature in Christ Jesus.”
Dr. Alan Davis: Right.
Aaron: All right, thank you.
Pastor Jëan Ross: All right, thanks for your call, Aaron.
Dr. Alan Davis: All right, next on the line we have Nick calling from Fort Pearce, Florida. Nick, welcome to the program.
Nick: Hello! How are you doing?
Pastor Jëan Ross: Doing well, Nick. You’re on the air.
Nick: My question is from Matthew 4:8 and in King James it says, “Again, the devil taketh Him up” – that’s Jesus – “into an exceedingly high mountain and showeth Him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them.”
Pastor Jëan Ross: Right.
Nick: My question is, this mountain doesn’t exist. There is no mountain that you can see all the kingdoms of the world from – how could this possibly be true?
Pastor Jëan Ross: Okay. Right. All the kingdoms that were shown to Jesus weren’t current kingdoms – active kingdoms – but Satan taking Christ up to this high mountain so to display before Him. Remember, Satan has tremendous power. He was the highest of all of the angels in heaven before he rebelled against God. And the Bible says, “The devil can transform himself into an angel of light.”
So he has these powers that are still very active. Of course he uses them now for evil purposes. But somehow, he was able to present to Christ all of these various kingdoms of the earth and he said to Him, “If you bow down and worship me, I will give you all of these kingdoms.”
Now, the reason there was a temptation that came to Christ is because Christ knew that the way that He was to obtain the kingdoms of this earth was through His sacrifice on Calvary. And Satan is saying, “You know what? You don’t have to go through with that. You just recognize me and bow down and worship me then I will just give it to You.”
Now, of course, it wasn’t really Satan’s to give to begin with, anyway, but that was the temptation that he brought against Christ. So it wasn’t the kingdoms that were currently on the earth when Jesus was there but Satan was able to sort of just do the panoramic view of these various kingdoms. Maybe he showed Christ Babylon and Medo-Persia and Greece and Rome, which was a current kingdom. And maybe even some of the kingdoms that were yet in the future – the description of them, to some degree.
Dr. Alan Davis: And you know, another consideration on this very thing – and I agree with Pastor Ross here – I’m very certain that the very vision that Nebuchadnezzar had that Daniel revealed unto him was Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. In many ways, what I think is going on here is that the devil is trying to force Christ into setting up that kingdom.
Remember, the stone that came and crushed the statue there at the end of time?
Pastor Jëan Ross: That’s right.
Dr. Alan Davis: He’s trying to force Jesus to that ahead of time before His time. Remember, Jesus always said, “My time has not yet come.”
Pastor Jëan Ross: Right.
Dr. Alan Davis: Does that help, Nick?
Nick: Yeah, that’s an interesting explanation. Yeah.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Yeah. Now recognize first of all, you have Satan taking Jesus places so Satan has certain power to do that. He’s also able to transform himself and present himself, probably came to Christ in the form of an angel and speaking very eloquently, you know, “If You’re the Son of God, turn these stones to bread.”
And then he took Jesus up to a high point of the temple. He said, “If You jump off this and God will send His angels to take care of You.” So he does have the ability to do certain things and in this case, he presented these various kingdoms to Christ.
Nick: The thing is, how does Matthew even know about these things? I mean, he wasn’t there with Jesus so how did he find out to be able to write these down?
Pastor Jëan Ross: Well, Matthew along with Mark, and Luke and John – those who wrote the gospels – even though they were eye witnesses to many of the things that happened, when it came to them recording these things, they were under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. So they possessed the prophetic gift – they were given the gift of prophecy and the Holy Spirit guided them and they were taken off into vision and they witness these things and they recorded them.
So some of the events, first hand. In other cases, it was the Holy Spirit that revealed it to them in vision. For example, you have Luke. Luke wasn’t one of the disciples that followed Jesus around in the same way that John and Matthew did, and yet he wrote the gospel of Luke. And so it was through the Holy Spirit, and probably some of the input from the other disciples but he was taken off in vision and he witnessed these things.
Nick: Well, thank you very much for your answer.
Pastor Jëan Ross: All right. Well, thank you for calling. We appreciate it.
If you have a Bible-related question, we have a few lines that are open. This will be a good time to get in. Actually, I think we have two more left. The number to call here to the studio is 800-463-7297. Again that’s 800-463-7297. If you have a Bible question, we’d love to get your question in on tonight’s program. Who’s our next caller?
Dr. Alan Davis: Our next caller is Frank, calling on WMCA out of New York. Frank, good evening, you’re on the program.
Frank: Hi. My question is, now it says from the Bible that Jesus, when He was on the cross, said to the thief next to Him, “Today, you will be in Paradise with me.”
Dr. Alan Davis: Right.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Yes. Luke 23:43.
Frank: Great. Now, it also says that Jesus descended into Hades and took captivity captive. So how could He be in Paradise with the thief and also He descended into Hades taking captivity captive?
Pastor Jëan Ross: That’s a good question.
Dr. Alan Davis: Good question.
Pastor Jëan Ross: That’s a good question.
Frank: How can He be in two places at once?
Pastor Jëan Ross: Yeah, all right. Well, let’s give it a try here. You know, if you back up a little bit more and that verse that we’re referring to specifically is Luke 23:43 but if you go up a little bit earlier, you know you have the story of Jesus on the cross and the other two thieves – one on each side – and the one thief said to Christ, “If You are the Son of God, why don’t You come down off the cross and save us, too?” And the other says to that other thief, it says, “Don’t you fear God? We deserve what we’re receiving, but speaking of Jesus, this Man has done nothing wrong – he’s done nothing amiss.” And then faith awakens in this thief’s heart and he says to Jesus – and this is the key point – he says, “Lord, remember me,” this is verse 42, “when You come in Your kingdom.”
So the thief was not expecting to receive a reward that day. He was saying, “Lord, remember me when You come again, when You come in Your kingdom.” That, of course, is the second coming of Christ. So he was looking forward to a future event when he would receive his reward. And then Jesus assured him that very day. He said, “Assuredly, I say unto you today, you will be with Me in Paradise.”
Frank: Right.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Now, one thing you need to bear in mind when you’re looking at the English translation, the original – the Greek – did not have punctuation that we have it in English. And so it was the translators who translated from the Greek to the English or whichever language they might have translated into, they’re the ones that add…
Frank: Right. He did say, “Today, you will be with Me in Paradise.”
Pastor Jëan Ross: Right. So depending upon where you put the emphasis. For example, if you say, “Assuredly, I say unto you, today you will be with me in Paradise,” that sounds as though Jesus is promising that man that very day that they were going to be in Paradise together or depending upon how you put the punctuation, “Assuredly, I say unto you today,” – comma – “you will be with Me in Paradise.”
In other words, Jesus was assuring that thief that very day that He would remember him. He would remember him when He comes in His kingdom, he would be with Him in Paradise. But, as you pointed out, Jesus didn’t go to Paradise that day. A matter of fact, He went into the tomb and He rose early on Sunday morning. And Mary Magdalene met Jesus and Jesus said, “Do not detain me – do not cling to Me – for I have not yet ascended to My Father in heaven.”
So it’s quite clear from Christ’s own words that He didn’t go to heaven that very day. Does that make sense? Frank, are you there?
Frank: Yeah. I’m here. He didn’t go to heaven that day?
Pastor Jëan Ross: No, He didn’t go to heaven that day.
Dr. Alan Davis: In fact, He spent another 40 days with His disciples and He ascended.
Frank: I was taught that Yeshua – Jesus – rose on Saturday that He didn’t rise on a Sunday.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Well, He died on Friday afternoon and then He spent the Sabbath – the seventh day of the week – in the tomb, and he arose early the first day of the week. And the Bible is quite clear on that. It speaks about Christ being resurrected on the first day of the week, early in the morning even before the sun arose.
The ladies went to the tomb and the tomb was open and Jesus had resurrected. He was, you know, He had left the tomb.
Frank: So you’re saying that He didn’t go to Paradise that day with the thief?
Pastor Jëan Ross: No, He didn’t. He was in the tomb. Now, by the way, the word ‘Hades’ there means the grave, and that’s exactly what happened to Christ. He was placed into the grave and then He arose from the dead and He ascended to heaven.
So the thief was looking forward to a future event when Christ would come in His kingdom and would remember him, meaning that he would be resurrected. And Christ will resurrect him the second time. He gave him that assurance on that very day when Christ was dying. He said to the thief, “You will be with Me in Paradise.” He gave him the assurance that very day.
Of course, the resurrection doesn’t happen until the second coming of Christ.
Frank: Right. So how did He, if He gave him that assurance that he’ll be with Him that same day in Paradise, how did He then descend unto Hades?
Pastor Jëan Ross: Well, Christ gave him the assurance that day but the man didn’t go to heaven that day. In other words, Jesus said, “I’m telling you today,” in other words, “You can hold on to this promise, I’m telling you…”
Frank: Oh, He was just telling him but he didn’t really go with Him, right.
Pastor Jëan Ross: No, He didn’t, because the man wasn’t expecting to go with Jesus that day. He said, “Lord, remember me when You come in Your kingdom.” And as you already pointed out, Jesus didn’t go to heaven that very day because He was in the tomb and He rose then, and then He ascended to His Father in heaven.
So when you look at the passages of scripture, it begins to make sense. And again, the punctuation here in the English doesn’t always accurately describe the essence of what the Greek is trying to convey.
Dr. Alan Davis: And Frank, we do…
Frank: Oh, the translation is different, you mean?
Pastor Jëan Ross: It is. There’s no punctuation in the original Greek so that’s added afterwards.
Dr. Alan Davis: Frank, we have a lesson that might help you. You can call our resource line at 1-800-835-6747, and ask for offer number 10, “Are the Dead Really Dead?” It’s a Bible study lesson.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Study guide.
Dr. Alan Davis: A great study.
Pastor Jëan Ross: A matter of fact, there is a section in the back specifically talking about this verse, about the thief on the cross. It’s a great explanation, a lot of Bible verses there. So again, call our resource line and just ask for the study guide, “Are the Dead Really Dead?” And for anyone wanting to learn more about this, call that number, it’s free. What’s that number again, Alan?
Dr. Alan Davis: That number is 1-800-835-647.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Thanks for your call, Frank. Who do we have next?
Dr. Alan Davis: On the line next is Sam calling from Santana Island, New York. And Sam, good evening. You’re on the program.
Sam: Evening.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Hi Sam, and your question this evening.
Sam: Well, my question is just how do I know when Christ is coming the second time? I sometimes kind of think that He’s coming but I can’t explain that. I just want to know how I know this time is the end times here. My phone is kind of [inaudible] out so I’ll just turn on the radio…
Pastor Jëan Ross: Okay. All right, sure.
Sam: And listen to your answer.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Okay. Well, good question, Sam. How do we know when Jesus will come? Now, the Bible doesn’t give us a specific date when Christ will return but in Matthew 24, and in Luke 21, and also in the book of Revelation as well as the book of Daniel, certain signs are given that tells us where we are in the stream of time. And when we look at all these different signs taking place around us in the world, we’d begin to realize that Jesus is coming soon.
Now, no man can give the day or the hour, and I’d be real nervous if somebody says, “Oh, I know exactly when Jesus will come.” As the Bible says we can’t do that. But we can know when His coming is near and here is just a couple of signs.
Number one, Jesus says, “It will be as it was in the days of Noah.” And in the days of Noah it says violence filled the earth. So do we see a lot of violence in our world today? And the answer is yes. It also says ‘in the days of Sodom and Gomorrah’ where we have moral decay. It will be like that before Jesus comes. Do we see the same thing happening in our world and our society today?
There’s also signs in the natural world. You see an increase in earthquakes and famines and floods. We see these things happening as well. There is also certain political signs that Jesus gave us. It says, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.” There will be political unrest.
There will also be certain movements in the religious world where there is a coming together, the forming of sort of a one-world-type church – maybe not in name but at least in philosophy or idea. And we can begin to see certain things happening even in the religious world that help us understand that Christ’s coming is near.
So there’s a number of signs that the Bible gives us. We have a study guide talking about the second coming of Christ and it actually gives some of these signs that we read about in Matthew 24. And Alan, I’m thinking of the name of that study guide. It is called, “Ultimate Deliverance.”
Dr. Alan Davis: Yes.
Pastor Jëan Ross: All about the second coming of Christ. And we’ll send it to anyone that calls and ask for it.
Dr. Alan Davis: And you can call us at 1-800-835-6747. Again, 1-800-835-6747.
Pastor Jëan Ross: And again, the name of the study guide is called, “Ultimate Deliverance.” It’s all about the second coming of Christ. This is a great study.
Dr. Alan Davis: Yup.
Pastor Jëan Ross: I think we have time for one more before the break. Who do we have?
Dr. Alan Davis: I think we do. On line 6, we have Dave calling from Michigan. Dave, welcome to the program.
Dave: Good evening.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Hi Dave, you’re on the air.
Dave: Hi. My question’s out of the book of Jeremiah chapter 10, primarily verses 11 through 14. But looking at verse 13, there’s a declaration here which says, “When He, the Lord, utters His voice,” it says, “there’s a multitude of waters in the heavens and He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth. He makes lightning with rain and brings forth the wind out of its threshers.”
Now the context of which I was just looking at of this chapter is the word of the Lord is addressed to the house of Israel concerning the heathen at this time. I’m wondering, what is God trying to say here with meaning He utters His voice with a multitude of waters in the heavens?
Pastor Jëan Ross: Okay, good question. You know, one of the key things that God over and over again emphasizes when He’s talking to Israel is that He is the Creator God and the other gods worshipped by the pagan nations surrounding Israel, they’re just manmade images. But He’s the one that made the heavens and the earth. And the reason the He’s worthy of worship and obedience is because He’s the Creator – He made all things.
And this verse in particular – in verse 14 – it speaks about the vapors, He utters His voice, and talks about a multitude of waters and the winds, it’s referring to, first of all, creation – Genesis chapter 1 where it speaks about God separating the waters above versus the waters below, and the creation of the atmosphere or the firmament.
But I also think there’s a reference here to the flood. You know, God spoke and the floodwaters came, and because of the wickedness of the world, judgment came upon the [inaudible]. And then also, at the end of the flood, the Bible says God brought a great wind to blow upon the earth. And that, of course, if referenced there in verse 13 where it says, “He brings His wind out of its threshers.”
So the point being here that God is the Creator. He’s not only the Creator but He’s also the judge. I think those two ideas are emphasized in this passage of scripture.
Dave: I do see that. That is helpful. I was looking for a little bit more of a spiritual context with this knowledge because I just don’t see how waters and Him speaking and people hearing His voice really work together. You know what I mean?
Pastor Jëan Ross: Well, you know what? In the Bible…
Dave: That’s quite a nominal statement to say to someone that the living God speaks and there’s a multitude of waters in the heavens.
Pastor Jëan Ross: If you’re looking for a prophetic connection here, in the Bible, water represents multitudes and nations, kindreds and tongues – according to Revelation chapter 17.
Dave: Okay.
Pastor Jëan Ross: So there is that connection. Wind is also a symbol used in scripture for the Holy Spirit and it is God who communicates to the multitudes and nations and the role of the Spirit in convicting the heart.
You’re listening to Bible Answers Live. Well, I want to thank you for that call, Dave. We’re coming up on our break here in just a few moments but the program is not over. We’re going to be back with more Bible questions and if you do have a Bible-related question, it’s probably a good time to pick up the phone and give us a call. That number once again is 800-463-7297.
Just before we take the break, you know, Alan, we’ve got an exciting thing coming up and well, two months from now, Pastor Doug is going to be doing a full Bible prophecy seminar. It’s going to be taking place in Albuquerque, New Mexico. And the date for that is October 31.
Dr. Alan Davis: Right. And then we’ll run through November 22.
Pastor Jëan Ross: And if you’d like to learn more about that, go to the Amazing Facts website, just AmazingFacts.org and there’s a link that says, “Landmarks of Prophecy.” Click on that link. It will give you a whole lot more information about this exciting upcoming event.
Don’t go away friends, we’ll be right back!
[COMMERCIAL BREAK]
Pastor Jëan Ross: Hello friends, this is Bible Answers Live. Pastor Doug Batchelor is away this evening but the phone lines are open. My name is Jëan Ross and we take in your Bible-related questions. If you have a Bible question, the number to call is 800-463-7297, 800-463-7297.
Alan Davis is helping working the phones here. Who’s our next caller, Alan?
Dr. Alan Davis: Our next caller is Keith calling from Sitka, Alaska on KQQF. Keith, you’re on the air. Welcome to the program.
Keith: Hey, good evening.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Hi Keith.
Keith: Hi. Hey, first of all, I just want to thank you guys. Man, you guys are really knocking it out of the park with everything that you’re putting online and I’m always listening to your stuff with iPhone and that’s when I’m working so…
Pastor Jëan Ross: Oh, good. Well, we’re glad it’s a blessing.
Keith: Yeah, it is a blessing. Say, I got two college girls here who got on a couple mission trips down the [inaudible]. And they’re working with a couple non-denominational girls and they’ve been witnessing to them and they get hung up on this one text. You probably answered it a hundred times – it’s Revelation 20:10.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Okay.
Keith: And they shared the text [inaudible] with the girls, all the other texts. But these girls just cannot get past that “tormented day and night forever and ever.” And can you kind of maybe talk about the Greek or just how do they share that text?
Pastor Jëan Ross: Sure, yeah. Let me read the verse for those who might be driving in their car.
Keith: Thank you.
Pastor Jëan Ross: We’re looking at Revelation chapter 20 and it’s verse 10. And it’s speaking about the final destruction of the devil and the wicked angels, and the wicked at the end of the 1,000-year period of the millennium that you read about in the first part of Revelation chapter 20. It says, “The devil who deceived them was cast into the Lake of Fire,” – that is hellfire – “the Lake of Fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”
So the question that’s often asked is, “Does this fire that consumes the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet, does it burn eternally? What does it mean ‘forever and ever’ and what about this ‘day and night’?”
Well, if you look at what the rest of the Bible has to say with reference to hellfire or hell, the Bible is quite clear that the fires of hell will burn upon the earth. Nobody is burning in hell right now. But there will come a time when the wicked will mount and attack upon the New Jerusalem, according to Revelation chapter 20, which comes down out of heaven. The wicked will mount an attack upon the New Jerusalem and then fire comes down from God and devours them. That’s Revelation chapter 20.
But then it says, “The devil and the beast and the false prophet, they’re thrown into the Lake of Fire, tormented day and night forever and ever.” What does that ‘forever and ever’ mean? It means simply as long as life shall last. That’s what it means. In the same way that Samuel was given to the service of the Lord forever by his mother that was as long as life shall last. And a servant who committed himself to his owner saying, “I want to stay with my owner,” will be committed to stay with him forever. That is, as long as life shall last.
So the devil, it appears from this verse, is tormented in hellfire until he is consumed but it appears from this verse that that torment will be at least a day and a night because it says, “They will be tormented day and night forever and ever,” meaning as long as life shall last.
So I think in hellfire, some will be consumed in a moment. Others might suffer a little longer, and of course Satan himself will probably suffer the longest, but the fires of hell do go out because you read in chapter 21, it speaks about God creating new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness. And He will wipe every tear from every eye. There’d be no more pain, no more sorrow, no more death.
Keith: Absolutely.
Pastor Jëan Ross: So finally, anything related to sin and sinners will be over – Satan will be no more. And the purpose of hellfire is to cleanse the earth. And then God creates a new earth.
Dr. Alan Davis: And Keith, you might want to go to our website at AmazingFacts.org or give our resource line a call at 1-800-835-6747 and look for “Hell Fire: A Twisted Truth Untangled.”
Pastor Jëan Ross: You know, this truth about what the Bible says to its reference to hell, it’s something that has been discovered by Christians all over the world. There was a famous book released several years ago called, “The Fire That Consumes,” and it talks about what the Bible says is going to happen to the wicked in the fires of hell.
And you know, the good news is that God is a God of love and yeah, there is a judgment for the wicked and they will be punished according to their works. But God is not a sadistic God which will punish people for one life of sin throughout the long ages of eternity. Anyway, take a look at that study guide. I think you’ll enjoy studying it and looking at it. It’s called, “A Twisted Truth…”
Dr. Alan Davis: “Hell Fire: A Twisted Truth Untangled.” Try saying that five times.
Pastor Jëan Ross: I know, it’s quite a name. You may also ask for the study guide on the subject of hell. It’s called, “Is the Devil In Charge of Hell?” and we’ll be happy to send that to anyone who calls and ask. Our resource line is 800-835-6747. You can just call and ask for that study guide or go to the Amazing Facts website. You can read it for free online.
Dr. Alan Davis: Right. At AmazingFacts.org.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Who do we have next?
Dr. Alan Davis: All right. Next on the line is, we’ve got Matthew calling in from Toledo, Washington. Good evening, Matthew, you’re on the air.
Matthew: Hello!
Pastor Jëan Ross: Hi Matthew, welcome to the program.
Matthew: Thank you. I have a question about a scripture in 1 Corinthians 15:29.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Yes.
Matthew: It says, “Else what shall they do which are baptized with the dead if the dead not rise at all, why are they then baptized with the dead?” I’m just kind of trying to figure out where that comes into play today if it does or what Paul is even talking about.
Pastor Jëan Ross: All right, good. This is one of those verses that can be confusing in English and sometimes the transfer from Greek, which of course the New Testament was originally written in, to English doesn’t always put through the meaning as clearly as it could.
This is a fairly simple verse. The point that Paul is speaking about here in 1 Corinthians is referring to the resurrection – the hope of the resurrection. There were some in Corinth who were following an idea that there was no resurrection. And so Paul is trying to correct this error and he’s using an example which they believed in which is baptism.
And so Paul is saying, “What’s the purpose of somebody getting baptized and then they die? If they’re not going to be resurrected, what’s the purpose of them getting baptized to begin with? In other words, what are you being baptized for? What’s your hope? What are you looking for? What are you anticipating? If this is all we have, then why get baptized to begin with?
So Paul is not, in anyway, encouraging that we are to be baptizing people on behalf of the dead because the Bible is quite clear that every man is judged according to his own works based upon what decisions we make in life. And once a person has died, his probationary time is come to an end.
Are you still there? We might have to press line 2 one more time. I think we lost Matthew.
Dr. Alan Davis: Yeah. Matthew…
Pastor Jëan Ross: Matthew, you’re still there?
Dr. Alan Davis: You there?
Pastor Jëan Ross: We lost you for a minute but we’re back. All right, were you able to hear that?
Matthew: Yeah. Yeah, yeah. So is baptism a necessary thing then?
Pastor Jëan Ross: You know, if… here’s what it is. The Bible says, “If you believe and are baptized, you will be saved.” And the reason being is baptism is a public profession of our faith in Jesus. Now there are circumstances where a person can’t physically be baptized – maybe illness, and they are bedridden – but they choose Jesus as their Savior, yes, they are forgiven and they will be resurrected.
But if the person is able to be baptized, then they should want to be baptized because that’s the example that Jesus set and we are blessed if we’re following the example of Christ. The other question of course would be is if a person does receive Jesus as their Savior and they realized that Christ asked them to be baptized. Jesus said to Nicodemus in John chapter 3, “Except a man be born of water,” – that’s baptism – “and of the Spirit, he can’t enter into the kingdom of heaven.”
So if a person receives Christ and say, “You know what? I don’t want to get baptized,” then that’s probably an indication of something else going on. If we received Jesus, we should be willing to testify for Him and say, “I’m going to be baptized to show my dedication and my commitment to Jesus as my personal Savior.”
Dr. Alan Davis: And Matthew, we do have a resource for you. It’s called “Baptism: Is It Really Necessary?” You can go to AmazingFacts.org or call our resource line at 800-835-6747.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Again, that book is called “Baptism: Is It Really Necessary?” Does that help, Matthew?
Matthew: Yeah, yeah. A little bit.
Pastor Jëan Ross: All right, great. Thanks for your call.
Dr. Alan Davis: Next on the line is Bera calling from San Diego. Bera, good evening, you’re on the air.
Bera: Oh yes, good evening and thank you for taking my call.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Oh, you’re welcome and thank you for calling?
Bera: You’re welcome. I have two questions here. The first question is regarding the book of Revelation chapter 20 – the millennium?
Pastor Jëan Ross: Yes.
Bera: Where Satan is bound here on this earth for a thousand years.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Correct.
Bera: Okay. My question is now, where are the third of the angels that were kicked out of heaven with him? Where are they?
Pastor Jëan Ross: They’re probably on the earth with Satan.
Bera: Okay, because it just mostly just speaks you know, about ‘he’ as Satan, the devil.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Yes, yes. Revelation chapter 20 speaks about laying hold of the dragon and binding him for a thousand years.
Bera: Exactly.
Pastor Jëan Ross: But by default, it’s probably his angels as well. And that wouldn’t be a very happy place to be. Can you imagine the devil and his evil angels stuck together for a thousand years and they were blaming each other for things that went wrong? It wouldn’t be a happy place to be.
Bera: That’s true because earth’s going to be…
Pastor Jëan Ross: Everything’s broken down.
Bera: Yeah.
Pastor Jëan Ross: The cities are broken down. The righteous are in heaven with Christ for a thousand years and the wicked all destroyed by the brightness of Christ’s coming. It’s not just Satan and his angels.
Bera: That’s correct because you know, I deal with a lot of Bible studies from different Pastors and I’ve learned like a whole lot, you know. So the earth is going to be void and desolate just like the beginning.
Pastor Jëan Ross: That’s right.
Dr. Alan Davis: That’s right.
Bera: Back in Genesis.
Dr. Alan Davis: Origin.
Bera: Okay, my second question is as Christians, are we supposed to be Christ-like – following Christ? Okay, so are we responsible for not reading the Bible and also if we read the Bible it says to do this and we don’t do it like the Sabbath?
Pastor Jëan Ross: Okay. Well, what do we do if we find truth in the scriptures that we’re not following? Well, you know God only reveals things to us that is for our ultimate good.
Bera: Yes.
Pastor Jëan Ross: And we need to always remember that God is a God of love. So He’s not going to ask us to do something that’s going to harm us or that is not for our ultimate good because God loves us. So if we find something in scripture where God is saying, “Do this,” it will be a blessing for you. Then we need to say, “Lord, give me the strength to do what you’re asking me to do,” and trust in Him to give you that strength. God’s not going to ask you to do something that you can’t do.
So if a person discovers truth in the word that they are not following, then we need to say, “Lord, give me the strength to follow all the light that you have revealed to me.”
Bera: Okay.
Pastor Jëan Ross: And the Sabbath will be one of those wonderful blessings that God has given to us. And, yeah, I can tell you story after story of people who have come to a knowledge of the truth of the Sabbath and they’ve committed to keep the Sabbath and what a blessing that has been in their lives.
Bera: Well, I’m one of those because I used to go to church on Sunday and I heard about the mark of the beast and it just, you know, kind of like just lives on my mind until I found out the truth. And once I found out the truth, I started reading the Bible and the Bible has been so right about the Sabbath.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Amen. Right. [inaudible]
Bera: And you know, yes, and I know people that read the Bible and they read in there about the Sabbath but they just ignore it.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Again, you know, if God’s asked us to do something, there’s always a blessing in us doing it.
Bera: Yes, and He expects us to do it.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Right, absolutely.
Bera: Okay. Okay, so then, we’re held accountable.
Dr. Alan Davis: That’s true.
Pastor Jëan Ross: We’re held responsible for what we know and what we could know. In other words, if God has revealed something to us and we say, “Well, don’t tell me anymore because I don’t want to be responsible,” that doesn’t work.
Dr. Alan Davis: Right. Jesus tells us, “To whom much has been given, much is required.”
Pastor Jëan Ross: Correct.
Bera: That we’re held accountable for what we know, what we don’t know, correct? If we read the Bible and it says, “Okay, the Sabbath…” Blah, blah, blah, then you read it.
Pastor Jëan Ross: That’s right. Then you read it and that’s the word of God and we want to follow it.
Dr. Alan Davis: Amen.
Pastor Jëan Ross: You know, we have a study guide dealing with the Sabbath. We get questions from time to time and people I know will, “What does the Bible say about that?” We’ll be happy to send that study guide to anyone who calls and asks for it.
Again, the study guide is called, “Lost Day in History,” and we’ll be happy to send it to anyone who calls and ask. The number for our resource line is 800-835-6747 and ask for the study guide on the Sabbath called, “The Lost Day in History.” Who do we have next?
Dr. Alan Davis: All right, next on the line is David calling from New York on WMCA. David, welcome to the program.
David: Thank you. I’m enjoying your show. I had a question in regards to the previous caller when Jesus said, “Today, you will be with me in Paradise.”
Pastor Jëan Ross: Yes.
David: “Absent with the body…”
Pastor Jëan Ross: “Present with the Lord.”
David: “Present with the Lord.”
Pastor Jëan Ross: Correct.
David: And also I wonder if that’s tied in with “one day is like a thousand years and a thousand years is like a day.”
Pastor Jëan Ross: It’s like a day with the Lord.
David: The reason I ask this is because my parents passed away and I guess I would like to think that they’re with Jesus. I appreciate your…
Pastor Jëan Ross: Sure, absolutely. You know, the good news is this. When a person dies in faith – when they’re trusting in Jesus – their very next conscious thought that they have is the glorious coming of Christ. They’re resurrected and they’re brand new immortal body.
You know, to us, a loved one might die and time goes on for us. But for the one who breathes their last and their confidence is in Christ, the next conscious thought they have is the second coming of Jesus. They’re not in a world that 10, 15, 20, 100, 120, 1,000 years have passed. The very next thing they know is they’re praising with the Lord. Jesus is coming. He’s coming to take them home and that’s the great Christian hope. It’s the glorious second coming of Christ.
The good news is that those who have died in faith are resting in Jesus and they’re not aware of the pains in the world or struggles that maybe family members might be going through. They’re at peace. The very next thing they’re going to know is when Jesus calls them forth from the grave and they are resurrected immortally.
David: Okay. I appreciate that.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Does that help you out, David?
David: It does. Thank you so much.
Pastor Jëan Ross: You know, we do have a book called, “Are the Dead Really Dead?” It’s a beautiful book that goes into this subject and it gives great hope. There is hope for the Christian and that is centered in the second coming of Christ.
If you call our resource line, 800-835-6747, ask for that study guide, “Are the Dead Really Dead?” We’d be happy to send that to you.
Dr. Alan Davis: All right. Thank you for your call, David. Next on the line, we’ve got Randy calling from Fremont, California. Hi Randy, welcome to the program.
Randy: Yes. Hi Pastor Ross. Something I’ve wondered for years and I’ve never heard of explained is when Christ returns for His church and takes them to heaven for the thousand years, and all the wicked dead and on the ground, and Satan and his angels are on earth, what’s going to happen to all of the animals that are alive at that time?
Pastor Jëan Ross: You know, it’s a sad thought but a true thought would be the animals would be destroyed just like at the time of the flood. It’s unfortunate but because of man’s sin, there are consequences. And you know, the dumb animals, they haven’t done anything.
Randy: Yeah.
Pastor Jëan Ross: But unfortunately, the consequences of sin. And at the second coming of Christ, the Bible describes how things are turned upside-down – there are great earthquakes, there are fires that break out, the wicked are destroyed with the brightness of Christ’s coming, and doubtless, the animals at that same time kind of like at the time of the flood.
Now there are animals in heaven. We know that from scripture and they’ll also be animals in the new earth.
Randy: Yeah.
Pastor Jëan Ross: So you know, it’s going to be beautiful animals because there won’t be any sin or anything – no consequences of sin or rebellion when the earth’s made new.
Randy: Yeah. Okay, I just wondered about that for a long time. I’ve never heard it addressed but I thank you.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Absolutely.
Dr. Alan Davis: Thanks again for your call. All right, next on the line, we have Larry calling from North Carolina on WGHT. Larry, welcome to the program. Good evening.
Larry: Thanks sir. My question, the duration of time between the crucifixion of Jesus and the stoning of Stephen.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Yes?
Larry: What are the web marks in the Bible to you know, at least date that time period?
Pastor Jëan Ross: Sure, absolutely. If you go to Daniel chapter 9, you have a prophecy called the 70 weeks. Now one prophetic day is equal to one literal year. So 70 week, you’ve got 70 times seven, that’s 490. So you have a total of 490 years.
Larry: Then I don’t understand that. I’m assuming there’s a chapter in the Bible that says it. It talks about, you know, that gives dates or events, you know.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Okay, for the time period? Well, if you start with the beginning of the 490, which we know of from scripture as well as from history, is 457 BC. That’s when they decree to restore and build New Jerusalem. And you go forward 490 years, you end on the date, AD 34.
Now there’s some other events associated with AD 34. That’s rather significant. You remember when Jesus ascended to heaven, He said to His disciples, “Don’t go out to the Gentiles but rather go to the lost sheep of Israel.” And the work that was done by the apostles for the first three and a half years was focused primarily on the Jewish people.
Now there were some Gentile believers that joined the group but primarily, the focus was on the Jewish people. But at the stoning of Stephen, in 34 AD, you have that very same year the conversion of Saul to Paul on the road to Damascus. And then there’s severe persecution that break out against the Christians in Jerusalem and they’re forced to go out amongst the Gentiles.
Of course Paul is the apostle to the Gentiles. So after 34 AD, you see this big emphasis in evangelism towards the Gentile people and there are many that responded to the preaching of the apostles and joined the Christian church at that point in time.
So the stoning of Stephen then serves as the ending of that 490-year period that you read about in Daniel 9.
Larry: Okay, thanks sir.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Okay, thanks for your call, Larry. Good question.
Dr. Alan Davis: All right, next on the line, we have Virginia calling from Queens, New York. Good evening, Virginia. Welcome to the program.
Virginia: Good evening, thank you. I’d like to ask you a question.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Yes.
Virginia: Where in the Bible does it say the dead know nothing? I have found it before but I haven’t been able to find it again. Can you tell me where I can find that please?
Pastor Jëan Ross: Yes. Ecclesiastes chapter 9 and verse 5. Let me read that for those who might not have their Bibles handy. Ecclesiastes 9:5 says… Ecclesiastes 9:5, “For the living know that they will die but the dead know nothing and there’s no more a reward for the memory of them is forgotten.” That’s Ecclesiastes 9:5.
Virginia: Thank you very much. I appreciate that. God bless you and your love ones. One other thing I’d like to say that when people say that Jesus went to hell, He went to Abraham’s bosom, He did not go to hell.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Right. The Bible speaks of Him being in the tomb for that time period.
Virginia: No, when he went to hell, some people say that He went to hell but He went to Abraham’s bosom.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Right. Sometimes there is a mix up in what that means. Well, thanks for your call, Virginia. Good question.
Virginia: God bless you and your loved ones. Thank you.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Thank you.
Dr. Alan Davis: Thank you Virginia. Our next caller is on line 8. Marie, looks like calling from Georgia on WJOU. Welcome to the program.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Hi Marie.
Marie: Hello, thank you.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Hi.
Marie: Thank you, hello. How are you doing? Good evening.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Doing good, and your question this evening?
Marie: Good evening.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Yes. We can hear you.
Marie: Yes sir. Thank you. I want to know about what the Bible says about marriage that is abusive. I want to know – I really need to know.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Sure.
Marie: I know from growing up in the church about divorce and how God does not like divorce. I just want to know about abusive relationship marriage.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Sure.
Marie: Not a dating relationship that to me is common – you should walk away safely. But a marriage with children is different.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Right.
Marie: I want to know.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Well, you know, that’s a very difficult situation and requires fervent prayer and also some counsel from some godly people that you can trust. They kind of give some wisdom and guidance.
I think first of all, we need to recognize that it’s never God’s will that a person purposely stay in a relationship or a situation that threatens their life or threatens their health or the health of their children. And there is nothing wrong in pulling away from that type of relationship. That’s not necessarily the same thing as getting a divorce. It does mean though moving out or moving away from that situation.
As far as what the next step needs to be, that’s probably where you want to counsel with a Pastor and say you know, “What would be the best thing in this situation?” And of course each situation varies from time to time.
What we do know though is that if someone is in a dangerous situation, don’t stay in that situation, especially for the children.
Marie: Yes. I understand. Well, besides fasting and praying fervently and getting counseling, I know…
Pastor Jëan Ross: We’re going to run out of time here. Sorry for interrupting you, Marie.
Marie: Yes.
Pastor Jëan Ross: But we do have a resource and I wanted to share this before we ran out of time.
Marie: Okay.
Pastor Jëan Ross: It’s a book written by Pastor Doug Batchelor dealing with the subject of marriage, divorce, and remarriage.
Marie: Okay.
Pastor Jëan Ross: And it looks at a number of important Bible principles.
Marie: Okay.
Pastor Jëan Ross: And we’ll send that book to you for free if you would just call our resource line and ask for the book on marriage. It’s called, “Marriage, Divorce, and Remarriage.” And that will deal with these issues that we’re talking about.
Dr. Alan Davis: And the number you can call, Marie, is 800-835-6747.
Marie: Okay. Great. God bless each and every one of you and your families. I really appreciate you.
Dr. Alan Davis: Thank you.
Pastor Jëan Ross: And we thank you for your call. You know, I think we might have time to squeeze in one more quick call. Let’s see, who do we have next?
Dr. Alan Davis: All right, next on the line is Carlos calling from Austin, Texas, near my hometown. Welcome to the show, Carlos.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Hi Carlos. We’ve got about 60 seconds.
Carlos: I’ll make it quick.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Okay.
Carlos: Thank you guys. Old Testament saints and believers, do they appear on the ramp show when the church does or is that a separate event?
Pastor Jëan Ross: No, they’re resurrected at the same time. We have the second coming of Christ, they are resurrected and they are taken to heaven. Those who are alive when Jesus comes, and are righteous, they’ll be changed in a moment – in a twinkling of an eye, the Bible says – and they’ll be caught up to meet the resurrected ones in the air and that’s when they meet and Jesus is there and they go to heaven.
1 Thessalonians chapter 4. It says, “The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of the archangel and the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first,” – that would be everyone from Adam to the last person who dies just before probation closes.
And then it says, “We that remain are caught up with Him in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and thus, we shall ever be with the Lord.” And that’s 1 Thessalonians 4.
Dr. Alan Davis: And another passage, real quickly, John 5:25-29 will help you as well.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Again friends, thank you so much for calling in with your Bible questions. We have run out of time and if we didn’t get to your call this evening, give us a call next week and we’ll try and answer as many as we possibly can.
Until then, be sure to visit our website. It’s AmazingFacts.org. Just simply www.AmazingFacts.org. Thank you again for joining us, until next week. God bless.
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