Hello friends this is Doug Batchelor. How about an amazing fact? Back between the years 1939 and 1941 some massive oil storage tanks were excavated out of the solid rock hillside in Hillshire, Scotland. The ancient downed oil storage tanks were dug amid concerns that German bombing during World War II would interrupt the shipping fuel to the Royal Navy. Each of the concrete tanks is twice the length of a soccer field with a high vaulting arch roof and concrete walls eighteen inches thick. The colossal reservoirs were designed to hold sixteen point six million gallons of fuel oil.
After their discovery it was found that their unusual shape and location make these cisterns a sonic wonder. Guinness’s world records have certified that the ancient downed oil storage tanks have the longest recorded echo in the world. When tested by firing a starting pistol inside the tunnel, the sound reverberated for a full one hundred and twelve seconds. That means if you were to play a single note on a saxophone in one of these tanks the sound would echo nearly two minutes. Did you know that the Bible speaks of another sound that will resonate through eternity? Stay with us friends we are going to learn more as “Amazing Fact” brings you this edition of “Bible Answers Live”.
[PROGRAM INTRODUCTION]
Pastor Doug: Hello listening friends and welcome to “Bible Answers Live”. We are having a fresh installment and a new program. If you have a Bible question give us a call. It’s a toll free number and we have lines open. Here is the number: 1-800-GOD SAYS that will bring your Bible question into our studio here in Sacramento, California. That’s 1-800-463-7297 and one more time in case you weren’t ready. 1-800-463-7297 is a free phone call with your Bible question. This program is dedicated to better understanding the word of God. We don’t have all the answers, but we have a lot of Bible resources at our fingertips here and we will search the word together. And before we do that we are going to begin the program tonight with a word of prayer.
Father in heaven, thank you so much for the opportunity and privilege to study your word with our worldwide family of listeners and we pray right now that your spirit will be present and that you will guide both the questions that are asked and that the answers that are given will all be in harmony with the truth. We thank you and pray this in He whose name is the truth Jesus Christ. Amen.
Welcome again friends my name is Pastor Doug Batchelor. Pastor Jean Ross is in the air somewhere between California and Chicago. And if you have Bible questions just give us a call 1-800-GOD SAYS. Now during our amazing opening fact I was amazed to hear about the storage tanks. I saw pictures of them online that are just massive underground cathedrals. That id you can imagine playing a football or two soccer games inside these dark tanks. You can’t even take a door into it. You have to crawl through an eighteen inch pipe to get into these tanks that are so big that the echo can reverberate and it has been tested on electronic equipment for just less than two minutes.
You could sit back and clap and shout and even have a funeral and your words would be going on longer that you. It is amazing that echo continuing. A fellow said one time that because of the way that sound waves travel if you could go to a remote part of our solar system and you had the right electronic equipment and a satellite gathering dish you could capture words that were spoken on earth as they traveled off into space assuming it was not too interrupted by the atmosphere. But, you know the Bible tells us that there are some words that will never end. Jesus tells us in Matthew 24: 35”Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” The words of Christ are the words of God and they go on for eternity. When God speaks something happens and the Bible says when God spoke and our world came into existence.
Well maybe you would like to know more about the power of God’s word and we have a special free gift that we would like to give you tonight. It is a first lesson in a series and we’ll send this to you free. It is a series of Bible study lessons that will just greatly enhance and inspire you. It is an “Amazing Facts:” Bible study series and the first lesson is called “Is There Anything Left You Can Trust?” It is about the word of God and how dependable the Bible is. The lesson is documented by scriptures, but it is filled with amazing facts like I share here on the program. It is illustrated with pictures and you will really enjoy them. So if you would like a free copy of that study guide “Is There Anything Left You Can Trust?” call our resource number. Those numbers is 1-800-835-6747 and keep in mind we are giving out two numbers. One is for the free resources and one brings your question into our studio. For the resource the number is 1-800-835-6747 and to bring your question into our studio it is 1-800- GOD-SAYS that’s 1-800-463-7297 and with that we are going to go to our first phone call and our first question for tonight. We are talking with Shelby who I calling from Kentucky. Shelby you are on the air with “Bible Answers Live”.
Shelby: Hello.
Pastor Doug: Hi how are you? And your question tonight?
Shelby: I’m good. My question is: Did Jesus go to hell when He died?
Pastor Doug: That concept comes from a verse that you find in 1 Peter Chapter 3: 8 and I will start with verse 18, “For Christ is also suffered once for sin the just for the unjust, that He might bring us all to God being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit. In other words He is resurrected by the Spirit. “By which He went and preached unto spirits in prison which sometime were once disobedient when the long suffering waited in the Days of Noah while the ark was preparing.” Now some people have read this and have said now Christ preached to spirits that are in prison somewhere from the Days of Noah. Now right away we have to ask ourselves does that mean that after a person dies that the Lord destroyed the people back in the Days of Noah because of their wickedness that they can get preached to and get another chance? Well there is nothing in the Bible that teaches that and it says that it is appointed once unto man to die and to give you a second chance—well that flies in the face of everything else in the Bible. So what is this they are saying? It is simply saying that the same spirit that resurrected Jesus spoke back in the Days of Noah to the people that were imprisoned by sin. You find that verse in Genesis Chapter 6: where God says, “My Spirit will not always strive with man.” But, He would give humanity another one hundred and twenty years before the flood came. So through the same Spirit that raised Jesus Christ preached through Noah to those that were in prison and the Bible talks about people that are captives to sin. Jesus came to set the captives free to bring liberty and so it’s a metaphor and it is misunderstood. Jesus did not go down to Hades and give people another chance and preach there. He did go to the grave and the word Shelby for grave in Hebrew is “sheol” and sometimes that is translated “hell”. It just means the grave, so Christ went into the grave, yes. But, did He go to some place where souls are being held captive and in a waiting room to preach and give them a second chance? No, that is a misinterpretation. And if you would like we have a study guide that we can send you on that. That is called “Are the Dead Really Dead”. And it talks about the state of man and death and I think it addresses this verse imparticular and if you would like a free copy of that Shelby just call that number 1-800-835-6747 1-800-835-6747 and tell them you would like the study guide “Are the Dead Really Dead?” Okay?
Shelby: Okay.
Pastor Doug: Alright.
Shelby: Alright thank you.
Pastor Doug: Thank you appreciates your call and question tonight.
Pastor Doug: Now we are going to go talk to Tristan who is calling from Washington. And you are on the air Tristan.
Tristan: I have a question and thank you for letting me on the program tonight.
Pastor Doug: It is my honor. And your question?
Tristan: Will a husband and wife here on earth remain a husband and wife in heaven?
Pastor Doug: Not quite like it is now. And Jesus talks about this in Matthew where they brought a scenario to Christ where they said will people in heaven be married again? Let’s see here go to Matthew—well actually you can go to Mark it is in both gospels. Mark Chapter 12: 25 Jesus says, “25 For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage but are as the angels which are in heaven.” (KJV) So what Christ is saying there is that God told Adam and Eve, “Be fruitful and fill the earth.” The earth is going to be populated with the redeemed in the resurrection of the just. God is going to make a new heaven and a new earth. Blessed are the meek they will inherit the earth. So there will be a lot of saved people living on the planet. It won’t be overpopulated, but it will be pretty full. Men and women will not get married then. There will probably still be love and there will not be procreationists as we know it. Now that raises another question: If people are married here on earth does God give them divorce papers when they get to heaven? No, I think if you have people like Adam and Eve and people who didn’t have a lot of convoluted marriages then in heaven there’s no reason they can’t spend time together and be married. But, they are not going to be like they are here on earth. They are going to be more like the angels that serve and glorify God and will travel through the Universe and minister to His other creatures. But, Jesus said marriage won’t be the same. And there will probably be no new marriages. Are you there?
Tristan: Yip, yip.
Pastor Doug: Okay. Hey you know I have a study guide that deals with the subject of marriage and we’ll be happy to send that to you. It’s called “Keys for a Happy Marriage” and call for your free copy it is 1-800-835-6747. Anybody listening if you would like to know more about what the Bible says about marriage it is free and I would do it 1-800-835-6747 and you can even go to the “Amazing Facts” website. That is simply “Amazing Facts dot org” and in our free library you can find all of our lessons. And with that we have another line open and if you have a Bible question 1—800-463-7297 and we are going to talk to Mark who is calling from Pleasantville, California welcome to the program.
Mark: Hi Doug. Pastor I was wondering when do you think probation will close.
Pastor Doug: Alright I will tell you what for our friends let me first describe what okay what we mean by probation closing. Right now as far as salvation is concerned God is very merciful. We sin and we fall and we ask God to forgive us and He forgives us and there is a door of mercy that is open until Jesus comes. The Bible tells us when those seven last plagues fall that Jesus will declare that the just remain just and the unjust are unjust. The clean are clean and the filthy are filthy. There will be no more changing sides anymore and life will go on for a short period of time, but there will be no one being lost and no one being saved. The saved are sealed and the lost are lost kind of like it was in the Days of Noah just before the flood. Noah and his family were sealed inside the ark for seven days and the wicked were locked outside and the door was shut and so there will be a time when the door of mercy shuts and that is called the close of probation. And when do I think that happens? That happens right at the end of the small time of trouble. In the Bible it talks about when this beast power in the last days which we are entering into right now. This beast power is going to try to compel people to worship a certain way and if they don’t they can’t buy or sell. Ultimately they will make a death decree that those who so not worship the image of the beast would be killed. That’s when the great time of trouble starts. Great tribulation and seven last plagues at that point probation closes. All that are saved are saved and the lost are lost. So I hope that helps a little bit Mark and I appreciate your cal and we do have a study guide that talks about the second coming of Jesus and the millennium. And it is called “A Thousand Years of Peace”. You will find something in there about the close of probation. It is called “A Thousand Years of Peace”. We’re going to talk to and I am going to see if I can say his right is it—Kevon from Plano, Texas?
Kevin: Yeha Kevin Kevin. Sorry it is good.
Pastor Doug: Alright Kevin. And that’s alright I know where Plano, Texas is.
Kevin: Well alright that’s good we are on the map and you are familiar with the area. How are you doing tonight Pastor Doug?
Pastor Doug: Doing great and how about you?
Kevin: Doing well.
Pastor Doug: And your question?
Kevin: Yeah my question it is in regards to a verse and it’s in 1 Samuel Chapter 18: 10 and it says and I am just going to read it like it says, 10 “And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as at other times: and there was a javelin in Saul's hand.” And at first this verse kind of got me confused because it talks about an evil spirit coming from God. So I am wondering is God responsible for evil or evil spirits? What is really the meaning behind that? That is what I have been struggling with or quite some time just trying to get an understanding.
Pastor Doug: Well that is a good question. I can tell you how it confuses people. Let me get you to think about it this way. You know the story of Job?
Kevin: Yes.
Pastor Doug: When the devil wanted to do something to tempt and to show that Job would give up his faith in God when he was tested. God had to withdraw His protection from Job for the devil to come in and sometimes we can reject the Lord and when we reject the Lord is when as Saul did because of all of Saul’s pride and stubbornness and rebellion the Lord’s angels withdraw and the devil’s come in and some people can become demon harassed or even demon possessed. The writer is saying here that this was not just a physical depression from low blood sugar. This was a supernatural depression. So it calls it a spirit from God. It doesn’t mean that God is an evil spirit because it was God’s spirit on David that chased the evil spirits out of Saul when David would play the music. Do you see what I am saying? So it is that even Jesus said that Satan doesn’t cast out Satan. But, in the Hebrew mind they saw that God is all omnipotent and we see that He is all powerful and the devil can’t do anything without God allowing it. So you know without the Lord or God withdrawing His protection and to some degree. And so it words it that way and it sounds like God sent an evil spirit. Is God the source of evil spirits?
Kevin: No.
Pastor Doug: No. But, indirectly it was saying that God withdrew from Saul and an evil spirit came in.
Kevin: So if I pray for people—sorry for interrupting.
Pastor Doug: No.
Kevin: So basically it is just knowing the sovereignty of God that basically even though evil spirits don’t come from God He is omnipotent as in some control over thing what can be allowed.
Pastor Doug: You know in English the way I would word it to make it clear is God allowed an evil spirit to enter Saul. But, when they say an evil spirit came from God to us it sounds like God ordered it. Evil spirits want to possess everybody, but Jesus cam to cast them out. But, when we reject Jesus evil spirits can come back. And do you remember the parable that Christ tells about a man who had an evil spirit cast out? But, he doesn’t replace it with anything good and that spirit comes back with seven spirits worse.
Kevin: Yeah.
Pastor Doug: But, yeah I think it is sort of like the story of Job that God had to give the devil permission to harass Job. In this case the spirit didn’t just harass Saul it entered Saul because Saul had grieved away the Holy Spirit. Does that make sense?
Kevin: That makes sense. Thanks for clearing that up Pastor Doug.
Pastor Doug: Alright and thank you so much I appreciate your call so much Kevin. And we do have a lesson that talks about did God create a devil. We’ll send you a free copy that’s 1-800-835-6747 when you call ask for the lesson “Did God Create a Devil?” I appreciate your question and that opens another line and if you would like to call with your question 1-800-463-7297. Talking next to Mary Ann calling from Quebec, Canada. May Ann you are on the air with “Bible Answers Live’.
Mary Ann: Hello Pastor.
Pastor Doug: Good evening.
Mary Ann: You were talking about a little while ago about prophecies.
Pastor Doug: Yes.
Mary Ann: In our church we had a guest Pastor that came from out of town and I was given a prophecy and I was wondering well I got the CD today and I was listening to it for three times.
Pastor Doug: Umm-hmm.
Mary Ann: And there was a phrase in that prophecy that I literally myself spoke to the Lord about the week before.
Pastor Doug: So your speaker came and he was declaring he was making some prophecies in the spirit?
Mary Ann: Yes. And at the end of the teaching of God’s word he was just like walking around in the church and hw would come up to a certain person and ask them their name.
Pastor Doug: And he would prophesy over them?
Mary Ann: Yes. I was wondering is this really from the Bible?
Pastor Doug: Well there is no question that there are real prophets in the Bible.
Mary Ann: Yes that I know.
Pastor Doug: But, for every real prophet in the Bible it seemed like the false prophets were about ten to one. The Bible talks about many real prophets like Jeremiah, but during the time of Jeremiah the King was surrounded by false prophets that were giving the wrong information. In the story of Elijah, Elijah was a real prophet of God, but the King of Israel, Ahab, had hundreds of false prophets of Baal. And Jesus said in the last days and this is in Matthew 24: 24 and easy to remember and Christ says, 24 “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.” (KJV) So how do you really know how to tell the difference between a real prophet and a false prophet? Would you like for me to send you a study guide that specifically answers that question? What do you use and what is the Bible criterion and how do you know if there is a real prophet and a false prophet? Because there are still people that God speaks through.
Mary Ann: Umm-hmm.
Pastor Doug: We are in the last days.
Mary Ann: I know He has spoken to me. It would be seven years this fall. I was about to commit suicide and not through an audible voice, but it came so clear in my mind that it was concerning my sister who had already committed suicide and I was going through a very hard time and the Lord made me to understand that what I was about to do just wasn’t the answers. That all I had to do was to call out to the Lord Jesus. And that is what I did and I have never had that thought again since then.
Pastor Doug: Well praise the Lord. You know it is really clear in the Bible and it tells us in the book of Joel Chapter 2 in the last days it says I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh. 28 “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:” (KJV) They will prophesy and dream dreams and there is no doubt there will be two prophets and remember Jesus’ warning about in Matthew 24:24 many false prophets will arise. And a matter of fact you can read in Matthew 24: 11 “And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.” And so we have to know how to tell the difference between the true and the false. “Amazing Facts” has a study guide that we have prepared that specifically deals with the subject of true prophets and false prophets. And if you would like we will send you a copy of that and it is called “Does God Inspire Psychics and Astrologers?” about how do you know a true prophet from a false prophet. Mary Ann we will send you a free copy. All you have to do is call 1-800-835-6747 again that is 1-800-835-6747. I appreciate your call and that opens up a line again. 1-800-463-7297 is the number to call if you have a Bible question at 1-800-463-7297. We are take one more call before the break and talking to Jimmy in New York. Jimmy you are on the air with “Bible Answers Live”.
Jimmy: You know I am trying to investigate if the Bible indicates there is going to be a type of the John the Baptist to usher in Jesus’ second coming? But, I also wanted to know John the Baptist what is the word and what does this mean, “The Baptist”?
Pastor Doug: Alright first thing on the first part of your question. John the Baptist Jesus said came in the Spirit and the power of Elijah and that’s in Matthew 11. So John the Baptist had a special ministry to prepare the world for the Jesus first coming. In the same way I think you are correct that God is going to have another person or people that will have the same ministry or mission of John the Baptist I preparing people for Jesus’ second coming. You can read in Malachi Chapter 4 where it said behold I send you Elijah the prophet before the great and dreadful day of the Lord. That’s not just talking about when John the Baptist came. That’s talking about when Elijah came and that there will be another power of Elijah or someone coming in the Spirit of Elijah in just before the second coming of Jesus. Now the first person to come in the Spirit and Power of Elijah was Elisha and that is in 11 Kings Chapter 2. Elisha received the Spirit and the Power of Elijah. John the Baptist and he was called the Baptist because the word baptize means to immerse. People came the Jordon River and they were being immersed and it is the sign of symbolic cleansing and of filling of the Spirit and of new birth. And he said you need to repent and be washed from their old sins. He said prepare the Messiah is coming and that’s where he got the name “The Baptist”. Yeah so I hope that helps a little bit and if you go to the “Amazing Facts” website and that is simply “Amazing Facts dot org” I wrote an article and it is called “The Last Elijah Message”. If you just type in a search at the “Amazing Facts” website it will bring up that article and you can read that for free. One more time the website is “Amazing Facts dot org” and you will find that there Jimmy. I appreciate your call. And listening friends I just wanted to remind you “Amazing Facts” has a number of Bible study websites one of those websites is called “666 Truth” and I have a lot of questions and was dealing with one today where somebody was asking about 666 and what does it mean? Is the devil going to tattoo people in the last days on their hand or on their forehead with this ominous number? What does the Bible say about that and it is somehow connected with the anti-Christ power of the beast of Revelation 13 and the number is only found a couple of places in the Bible. One is in the Old Testament during the time of Solomon and then there in Revelation Chapter 13. Would you like to understand this subject? Matter of fact you might better the subject of the beast power and who is the beast? Who is this anti-Christ in the last days? Simply go to the website “666 Truth dot org” you will see video sermons and video information and much more and it will be a blessing to you. You are listening to “Bible Answers Live” and in just a moment friends we are going to be coming back and taking some more phone calls.
But, allow me before we do to remind you that and this program— and I don’t often do this, but it is important in the summer time. This program is 100 percent completely supported by people like you who are listening and we are so thankful for those of you who say you know this is a blessing and I would like to keep up “Bible Answers Live” on the air. These people support “Amazing Facts” and summers are a challenging time for all ministries. And of course we want you to support your local church, but if you believe in the International Mission Work of Evangelism and just giving people direct Bible answers we would be very appreciative.
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[COMMERCIAL BREAK]
Pastor Doug: Welcome back listening friends to “Bible Answers Live” my name is Doug Batchelor. My co-host Pastor Jean Ross is traveling right now. And if you have joined us along the way this is a live, international, interactive Bible study and you get to participate. If you would like to call in with a Bible question that is how we operate this program. We do our best to answer your Bible questions as quickly and succinctly and as Biblically as we can. There are some of these questions that could take three or four hours, but we do our best to budget each to three minutes to cover as many as we can. And one more time we have a couple of lines open and that number is 1-800-GOD-SAYS or 1-800-463-7297 it brings your Bible question into the studio. With that we are going back to the phones to talk with Jerry who is calling from Medford, Oregon. Jerry you are on the air with “Bible Answers Live”.
Jerry: Hello Pastor Doug and thanks for entertaining my question. I am looking at Zachariah Chapter 14: 16 through 19. These are obviously talking about the end time because they harmonize with the book of Revelation meaning at time when the wicked attack a New Jerusalem and their eyes rot in their sockets and their tongue rots in their mouth that’s the sort of thing.
Pastor Doug: Well right.
Jerry: So Chapter 14: 16 say, “Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King the Lord Almighty and to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles.” Then it goes into to talk about plagues that will occur to those that don’t do this. And then verse 19 says, “This will be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all nations that do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles.” So my question is if the Feast of Tabernacles is going to be celebrated in the future and it is celebrated in the past and we were never told not to celebrate it should we be celebrating it now?
Pastor Doug: Alright first of all these are the apocalyptic prophecies. And the apocalyptic prophecies would be those like Daniel a lot of dreams and visions and symbols. Zachariah full of it and Ezekiel, Revelation and these apocalyptic prophecies are not written chronologically in sequence. They do go back and forwards several times. They are also written in obvious symbolic language. Zachariah talks a lot about trees and olives and horses, matter of fact Revelation draws on the four horsemen of Zachariah. When it talks about the Feast of Tabernacles for friends listening of the Jewish feasts the Feast of Tabernacles was the one where they were rejoicing about being saved from the slavery of Egypt. And I think in the typical language of the prophets, Zachariah is saying here, he does talk about the Lord coming and standing on Mount Zion. That is definitely future. But, the he backs up and says those who do not keep the feast of tabernacles and those who have not accepted salvation who don’t rejoice in deliverance from the slavery of Egypt that they are going to be the enemies and that judgment comes upon them. Is he saying that we now need to back up and keep the Jewish ceremonial laws? No because all the Jewish ceremonies are ceremonial laws and holidays were saying something about salvation. Because keeping many of these feasts involved sacrificing lambs and we know we don’t do that anymore because Jesus is the lamb. And for the Jewish priests the circumsion was just part and parcel like Paul said circumcision is nothing now. And so the ceremonial laws that all kind of led to Christ when the veil in the temple was ripped from top to bottom, those things all met their fulfillment in Christ. He is the Lamb of God. And the Feast of Tabernacles is celebrating the salvation we have from in the Passover. So do we need to keep literally the Jewish feasts now? I don’t think so. I think Paul tells us that Christ is our Passover and he shows that Jesus has fulfilled those things. That is why he says in Romans 14 you know that one man regards one day above another and another man regards every day alike. And I think Paul is specifically talking to Jewish Christians that want to continue to keep the feasts and they were saying you shouldn’t be putting this on the Gentile believers. But, a good question and I appreciate that Jerry and I hope it helps a little bit. Zachariah is deep stuff and I am glad you are studying your Bible. Talking next with Bill and Bill is on line 5 without Pastor Ross here I get confused. Bill welcome to the program with your Bible question.
Bill: Well thank you very much and I have got a question in Peter Chapter 3: 6. Sarah called her husband Abraham master. Why is that such a joke in today’s church?
Pastor Doug: Well you are right it certainly is not possible—popular rather. But, I have a whole study that talks about the distinction between men and women. And there is an appropriate Christian relationship where women respect their husbands as the spiritual leader of the family. Going all the way back to the Garden of Eden—well even in the creation it happened. Adam was created first and Paul references that and then the Bible tells us that after sin your desire would be to your husband and he should be to rule over you. It tells us that in Genesis.
Bill: Right, but women will not stand for that kind of talk can they?
Pastor Doug: Well you’re right I think there are some women who go to church that really are some are sincere and they have just been influenced by the feminism in our culture.
Bill: Well feminism has no roots in the Bible. Is that correct?
Pastor Doug: No well I –let me just be clear. I believe that people who do equal work in our culture should get equal pay. Now that is one thing, but the distinction of roles between men and women is a whole different issue. In the family and the church is an extension of the family theirs is no example of a woman serving in the capacity of pastor or a priest or an apostle. And the men they were to be the servant priests and the leaders of the family. There is no example of a woman offering a sacrifice only men did that. And when you get—not only did Jesus choose twelve men as apostles, but when you get to Revelation the foundation of the City of God has the twelve tribes which are all men and the name of the twelve gates into the City have the twelve apostles and again all men and were to be the priests of the families. Yeah so is it popular in our culture. No it’s—can I be very clear with you Bill? Are you still there?
Bill: Yes you can. Yes.
Pastor Doug: Every church or I shouldn’t say every church, but just about every church that has capitulated to the feminism in saying there is no difference in men and women other than the plumbing then they eventually say there is no difference in gender and then the next step is they say there is nothing wrong with gay marriage. And we see that that is kind of cascading in our culture right now.
Bill: Pastor I love what you said there. Pastor, great job! Great job I appreciate that. One I was actually asked to leave the church because I debated a female pastor on her being called into ministry. And I ended up in a church where they preach that wives are to be submissive. And many of the liberal churches will not stand for that kind of talk. And I appreciate you standing for the word of God because that is exactly what it says.
Pastor Doug: Well I will send you a book for free on the subject.
Bill: Well thank you. Thank you Pastor Doug.
Pastor Doug: Absolutely. You can call this number though. You have to ask for it. It is a free phone call and they won’t pester you, but if you just call 1-800-835-6747 and ask for the book it is called “Women in Ministry”. “Women in Ministry” and it deals with this sensitive issue you are right. It won’t get you any brownie points in our culture if you tell the Bible truth on this subject, but if I m going to be a Bible teacher then I have to stick to the word. Thank you Bill I appreciate your call. Talking next with Nicholas in Fort Lauderdale. Hey I was in Florida this week. Hello Nicholas welcome to the program.
Nicholas: Oh hello Pastor Doug I just wanted to say that I am a youth and I am really, really –admire “Amazing Fact” and what it has been—it has been changing my life.
Pastor Doug: Praise the Lord. What’s your question tonight?
Nicholas: Well my question is how do we know if the Holy Spirit is actually telling us right from wrong? And it’s not our conscience.
Pastor Doug: Well it’s the Word. In other words if what you are being told conflicts at all with the teachings of Jesus and the word then it is not the Holy Spirit. The purpose of the Holy Spirit Christ said is to bring to remember the things I have said. And so the Holy Spirit will remind you of the things of the truth of God’s word. The Holy Spirit doesn’t work like some little tornado you know that pulls us right and left as we go through our day. He wants you to use your reasoning powers and the Holy Spirit will impress you and the conscience is something that needs to be guarded, but the conscience can be fooled. In other words you may sin and repent of your sin and you tell God you are sorry and He forgives you. The devil might come and play with your conscience and say you are not really forgiven. And you might say is that God telling me or is that the devil? And so you have to go back to the word and if the word says if we confess and repent of our sins and turn from our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from al unrighteousness and you say God said it I believe it and the conscience feels better because it is based on faith in the word. So I have a book I can send to you on the Holy Spirit and how the Holy Spirit speaks to us. Would you like that?
Nicholas: Yes thank you.
Pastor Doug: Absolutely call the resource number and the title of the book is “The Need of the Spirit” and just calls 1-800-835-6747 and just tell them you are listening to “Bible Answers Live” and you are requesting that free offer that is “The Need of the Spirit” and you can also read that online right now if you can get to the internet Nicholas. Just go to “Amazing Facts dot org” and type in “dot com” you’ll get there and “dot TV” you’ll get to our TV website. But, click under the free library you’ll see that book and you can read it right there. You can download it or whatever you want to do. Thank you Nicholas. Talking next to Greg who is calling from Ohio Greg you are on the air with “Bible Answers Live” and listening on the 104.5.
Greg: Hello Doug.
Pastor Doug: Good evening.
Greg: Good evening and I have a very simple question and I would appreciate a very simple answer.
Pastor Doug: Alright. I will do my best.
Greg: Okay. Can you tell me which book and which chapter and which verse in the Bible prescribe which message where a man and a woman become a man and a wife?
Pastor Doug: Now which book in the Bible says when--
Greg: Yeah I know there is lots of a place in the Bible that says things like how we’re supposed to be baptized and all, but how are we supposed to be married? Which book, chapter and verse tells us that?
Pastor Doug: Well for one thing let me answer you Song of Solomon talks about marriage. The whole book is about marriage. It is a marriage poem.
Greg: Song of Solomon?
Pastor Doug: Yeah.
Greg: Alright.
Pastor Doug: And it is very interesting that in the Old Testament the further back you go God performed the wedding service of Adam and Eve right. He said to Adam here is your wife. He pronounced them man and wife. Jesus said what God has joined together let not man put asunder.
Greg: Okay now we are getting complicated and I asked you for a simple answer to a simple question.
Pastor Doug: Alright. Well my answer is Song of Solomon.
Greg: But, if you want to expand on that then we will expand on that and my theory is if two people come together by God then they are a man and a wife. By a priest and there is nothing there. So it is a matter of your heart isn’t it?
Pastor Doug: Well I think you should be legally married where it is respected in your culture.
Greg: Well by law, but as far as I am concerned the government shouldn’t have nothing to do with marriage. But, I am libertarian, too.
Pastor Doug: Doesn’t it say for the lord say to obey the laws of the land?
Greg: Right, but as far as I am concerned the marriage license that is all a bunch of hooey.
Pastor Doug: No not really. First of all Jesus said don’t be doing something going to be causing a bad witness. And so if you are just leaving the idea you are just living with someone and calling it marriage why wouldn’t you get legally married. What prevents you from it?
Greg: Well how about if you believe in the separation of church and state?
Pastor Doug: You can still believe in the separation of church and state and be legally married.
Greg: Right, but what is legal to you?
Pastor Doug: Well the reason it should be recognized in the culture you are in it should be publically acknowledged. There is no down side to it.
Greg: Well right and there will be when they see it isn’t working out. I was in Puerto Rico a few years ago. Many years ago and I brought my girlfriend with me. They called her my wife. As far as they were concerned she was my wife.
Pastor Doug: Well you now and what you just said right there Greg was you took someone to Puerto Rico and she was your girlfriend, but she thought she was your wife and so how are you going to be sure that other people aren’t thinking your girlfriends are your wife? If you have a covenant and how are you going to make sure that it is sealed if not in the public the vows so your society will affirm this very sacred institution? It is very important to children and for people to kind of slough it off and say oh well you know it is as long as we love each other in our hearts the piece of paper doesn’t matter. I was talking to a young couple not too long ago. They said oh we are married in our hearts and so I said well if you guys have a fight and separate will you need to get a legal divorce? And they said no. So part of the reason people don’t want a legal marriage is they want an easy out if it doesn’t work out. So at least that is my opinion. Hey I wanted to give you one more verse Greg and that would be Mark 10:9 “Jesus said what God has joined together let not man put asunder.” And marriage is an institution of God. Alright and with that we are going to talk to Phil listening in Grand Rapids, Michigan listening on XMBL Phil you are on the air with “”Bible Answers Live”.
Phil: Thank you Pastor Doug. My question has to do with the tribulation period. Can you explain your understanding of 144,000 Jewish believers, the two witnesses and the everlasting angel?
Pastor Doug: Wow you have a lot of real estate there to cover in just three minutes. Very quickly the 144,000 I do not believe they are literal Jews. And that list is found by the way in Revelation Chapter 7. It also talks in Revelation 14 about the 144,000. The reason I don’t they are literal Jews and by the way for those who don’t know my mother is Jewish. The reason is that the tribes that are mentioned many of them are virtually extinct. They were scattered among the Assyrians before Jesus was born and several hundred years before Jesus was born and they intermarried and the only ones that came back to Israel were Benjamin, Judah and Levi. And so we believe these were spiritual Jews and it is interesting because it is an exact number of 12,000 out of each of these tribes. Now there may be literal Jews in that group, but the Bible says that if you are Christ’s then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise. You know if you wouldn’t mind Phil because you have asked a broad question, but I have an answer in a book I wrote on the 144,000. I also have another book on the two witnesses. So one is Chapter 11 of Revelation and the other is Chapter 7 and 14 it is just too much to cover in a quick answer, but I will send you a free copy of my book “Who are the 144,000”. All you have to do is call 1-800-835-6747. Ask for the book “Who are the 144,000” or read it for free on the website at “Amazing Facts dot org” under the free library. Thank you Phil for your call and Justin has been waiting very patiently. Justin you are on the air with “Bible Answers Live”.
Justin: Hello.
Pastor Doug: Hi thanks for waiting and your question?
Justin: No problem I just wanted to say that the Lord told me about six months ago and through messengers and ministries like yours I am going to be baptized this Sabbath. I just wanted to testify to say we serve a Lord and living God that is able to save to the uttermost.
Pastor Doug: Praise the Lord. Okay. Amen. Well thank you so much that does encourage me.
Justin: Well my question is I believe through the Lord’s Holy Spirit I just had a great awakening and understanding of the prophetic visions that you and throughout the millenniums. And more specifically to put together current events in the United States over the past century and it troubles me greatly because not only have I been seeing what is going on, but I believe that I see what is about to happen. And this is a message that I am not hearing in any pulpit. You know the word teaches us no to have any fellowship with the works of darkness rather to expose it so my question is are we to sound the alarm and try to make a difference as a church or might all these things be fulfilled and the real question is whether there is a place in the church for political activism?
Pastor Doug: Well that is a very good question and I do think it is important for us to do all –I mean even though we know—I mean all Christians know that Jesus said the world is going to end and all Christians know that sometime there will be a great time of trouble that political powers of the world will kind of unite on a religious platform and persecute genuine believers. I mean that is very clear, but shouldn’t we do everything we can in the meantime to promote religious freedom as much and long as we can and my answer to that would be absolutely. I think that Christians if you live in a free country and want to maintain your freedom then you ought to be involved in a democratic process to vote and to articulate your desires. And when I say democratic I mean I am talking about the democratic process. We all have a voice and we need our freedom and we ought to do how the Lord inspires us to agitate for those freedoms. To preserve the freedom to preach the gospel and to as long as possible and someday it is going to reach an end. But, as long as we can keep the doors of mercy open we should do all that we can and I appreciate your question Justin and that was a good one. You are just going to have to pray about you and God’s will in politics because being a Christian in certain arenas is a real challenge. And I have got some friends in both the Senate and Congress and some have said they are watching our programs and being able to maintain their Christian integrity is hard. Daniel was in politics. You might say so was Joseph and it is a real challenge so you just have to pray that that is what the Lord wants you to do. Thank you very much and appreciate your call and with that we are going to be talking to Alice who is calling from Hopkins, New Jersey. Alice you are on the program.
Alice: Yes how you doing Pastor?
Pastor Doug: Doing good and we just have a few minutes. Do you have a quick question?
Alice: Okay yes okay a couple of minutes. I need clarity. Now I know there are two resurrections. There is the resurrection of the just and the great throne judgment and the millennial kingdom. Now chronologically how does this happen because I know it says in the first resurrection there will be like two in the field and one will be taken and the other left. Now will this occur before the millennial kingdom here on earth and then the great throne judgment?
Pastor Doug: Alright. Well first of all the verse you are referring to about two in the field and one was taken and one was left to one sleeping in the bed one taken and the other one left. Those aren’t referring to as much the judgment as the second coming of Jesus. One will be ready and one will not is simply what that is saying and the outwardly they are doing the same thing. It talks about two men in the bed sleeping. There are two kinds of people the one is dead sleeping and the other one lost. There are two kinds of churches. The woman is a church and they are grinding grain working with the word and the true and the false. Two kinds of people out doing mission work out in the field the true and the false and that is Jesus saying outwardly people may be doing the same thing, but they may not be changed in their heart and so that is why the important thing is the heart change, but when Jesus comes the first resurrection takes place the wicked that are alive when Jesus comes are destroyed by the brightness of His coming. They live and reign with Christ for 1000 years during the millennium in heaven and at the end of that 1000 years period the Lord comes down to earth in Zachariah 14 his feet touch the Mount of Olives and He calls for the al the wicked who have ever lived they are judged and that is the great white throne judgment. And they try to attack the city of God and they are called Gog and Magog. Fire comes down from God out of heaven and destroys them. Let me send you the lesson that deals with the millennium. It is called a “1000 Years of Peace” and you can call for it at 1-800-835-6747. Listening friend, hey I apologize we have run out of time. Just want to thank you for staying tuned in. Give us a call next week God willing we will be on then. Go to the “Amazing Facts dot org” website to keep studying the word. Remember that Jesus is the truth.
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