Hello friends this is Doug Batchelor. How about an amazing fact? Weighing in at between 40 and 100 pounds the sea otter is the world’s smallest species of marine mammal while at the same time being the heaviest member of the weasel family. Sea otters have ferocious appetites. It consists of abalone, clams, snails and about forty other marine species. They typically consume about twenty-five percent of their weight in food each day to support their high metabolisms.
It is estimated that there was once about one million sea otters around the North Pacific Coasts, but due to aggressive fur trade hunting in the early 1900's worldwide numbers were decimated to a little more than one thousand otters. Because of laws protecting the sea otter their numbers are improving and today it is estimated there is just one hundred and six thousand worldwide. But, sea otters are still categorized as endangered. So what made the pelts of sea otters so valuable and why they were nearly hunted to extinction?
Unlike other marine mammals sea otters do not have a layer of blubber to help keep them warm. Instead they have the densest fur in the animal kingdom which insulates them, from 250,000 to one million hairs per square inch. That makes this statement even more impressive when Jesus said ever hair of our head is numbered. Stay with us friends we are going to learn more as “Amazing Facts” brings you this edition of “Bible Answers Live.”
[PROGRAM INTRODUCTION]
Pastor Doug: Welcome listening friends to “Bible Answers Live” and if you have any Bible questions that is why we have this program. Give us a call we have phone lines open and the number is 1-800-GOD-SAYS or 1-800-463-7297 with your Bible questions. And if you call now there is a good chance of getting your question on tonight’s program. Once again that number: 1-800-463-7297. My name is Doug Batchelor.
Pastor Ross: And my name is Jean Ross. Good evening listening friends and Pastor Doug. Let’s start the program with prayer. Dear Father once again we thank you that we are able to spend a few moments studying your word and we ask your blessing upon this program to be with those who are listening where ever they might be. And Lord guide us into a deeper and a fuller understanding of your word. For we ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Pastor Doug: Amen.
Pastor Ross: Pastor Doug you opened the program by talking about just an incredible creature that lives in the sea, but also breathes air and yet it is remarkable with the one point imparticular that stands out is the number of hairs that the otter has. It is just incredible is it a million in just a square inch? Is that what you said?
Pastor Doug: In one square inch somewhere in between a quarter of a million and one million hairs. And they must be virtually microscopic.
Pastor Ross: Umm-hmm.
Pastor Doug: But, then you know think of that statement of Jesus found in Matthew 10: 30 “But, the very hairs of your head are all numbered.” God is showing He watches over the little things in our life. But, there is not only that verse there is a number of verses that are in the Bible where God points to creation to remind us that God is a aware of every detail of His creation. In Psalms 147: 4 it says, “He counts the number of the stars and He calls them all by name.” Now I think those even faintly acquainted with astronomy realize that there are literally billions and billions of stars and someone said there are approximately as man stars as there are grains of sand on the beach. God knows the number and He calls them all by name. And then even Jesus said in Matthew 29, “Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing and a penny and one of them will not fall to the ground without your Father knowing it.” God watches that little sparrow and knows if it falls. And so He watches you friends and even all throughout creation it reminds us of the care of God for His creatures so we might not forget and believe that He is always watching. If you would like to learn how to strengthen your faith in the creator we have a free booklet for you tonight and all you have to do is call.
Pastor Ross: The book is entitled “Amazing Wonders of Creation”. We invite you t call our resource line and ask for it and we will send it to you for free. It is “Amazing Wonders of Creation”. The number to call is 1-800-835-6747 again 1-800-835-6747 the book is called “Amazing Wonders of Creation”. Well I think we are ready to go to the phone lines and our first caller of the evening is Shantelle and she is listening in Oregon. Shantelle welcome to the program.
Shantelle: Thank you. It is good to be talking to you again.
Pastor Doug: Thank you and get real close to your phone.
Shantelle: Oh okay is this good?
Pastor Doug: It is better. Thanks.
Shantelle: Okay. Can you give me your thoughts on why prayers for wisdom and guidance would not be answered for many months?
Pastor Doug: Have you been praying for wisdom about something?
Shantelle: Yes.
Pastor Doug: Well I don’t know why that would be a case there is a promise in James that if any of us lacks wisdom that God will give it and we need to pray in faith and He says this in the same chapter. It could be sometimes that God is giving us the wisdom when we need it most. You may not get an answer right away because God may not want you to make a decision right away. Sometimes the Lord waits until you are at the fork in the road before He tells you which way to turn. And sometimes He has you waiting at the borders of the Red Sea before He parts it so you might be looking all around for a way out and God hasn’t made the way out yet or He hasn’t provided it to you. So without knowing the details of the situation and I probably don’t need to know I believe God does answer that prayer for wisdom and sometimes He asks us to have patience. And you know I have prayed for wisdom and because you pray for wisdom doesn’t mean you are kind of going to have the mind of God and always know what to do. Because when you think about it our praying for wisdom isn’t praying that we can know always what God wants us to do. He wants us to think and sometimes we will make bad choices.
Shantelle: Well I know and I believe we have a part to play in trying different options and trying to think up solutions in playing our part and all. But, there comes a point where I have exhausted every possibility I can think of and not really having too many people to get ideas from and get that kind of option. So finally I just wait and it is not that I am not…
Pastor Doug: Well you are searching for wisdom because you are not certain what is going to be a wrong decision?
Shantelle: Right I don’t know what else to do anymore so I just wait and it’s really hard sometimes not to get anxious and worry and then finally I just have to stop thinking about it because the worry can overtake me.
Pastor Doug: Exactly.
Shantelle: The waiting is just a test of faith and just waiting and that’s not that I am blaming God for anything. It is just the waiting and waiting.
Pastor Doug: Yes and you know Shantelle there is a book that we have written called “How to Determine the Will of God”. And it goes right in line with what you are talking about when you need to make a decision. How do you know and you know one of the steps and I think we give about ten or twelve steps in the book. We’d be happy if you haven’t seen it yet to send you a free copy. Or if you want answers tonight you can go to the “Amazing Facts” website and read that for free. It is called “How to Determine the Will of God”.
Pastor Ross: The number to call is 1-800-835-6747. You can ask for the book “Determining the Will of God” Shantelle we will send that to you or anyone wanting to know more about this important subject. How do you determine God’s will? Call and ask for the book we will be happy to send it to you. Our next caller is Jimmy and he is listening in Kansas City, Kansas. Jimmy welcome to the program.
Jimmy: Yes good evening gentlemen. It is a pleasure to be talking you all and I have a question.
Pastor Doug: Okay.
Jimmy: And my question is will you tell me whether this is correct or not to fear God means to respect Him? In other words I am convicted by the Holy Spirit as I study the Scriptures that he will transform me and I will set into a mode of let’s say like I will not sin anymore and say that I understand that He loves me and I want to love Him and by acknowledging that I fear Him and that is to respect Him. Is that correct?
Pastor Doug: Well there is an appropriate kind of fear and awe of respect for God. You know in the beginning when you first hear about being afraid. After Adam and Eve sinned Adam says I was afraid when I heard your voice and so I ran. So there is a fear where you run from God and He doesn’t want that. You now because the Bible says in Revelation 21:8 “The cowardly and the unbelieving they will have their part in the lake that burns with fire.” That word there for cowardly it’s fearful. And if you look in 1 John 4: 18 “There is no love in fear, but perfect love casts out fear.” This is because fear involves torment. You know fear can make you anxious and frightened. “But, he who fears has not been made perfect in love.” Someone said if you fear God the way you should in respecting God and fearing God you’ll fear nothing else. If you don’t fear God you will fear everything else.
Jimmy: So what are you saying?
Pastor Doug: When the Hebrews went into battle the priests would say whoever is afraid let him go home. He wanted them to go into battle with faith and confidence and courage.
Jimmy: So, yeah go ahead.
Pastor Doug: Well I was just going to say that you are right that fearing God means having a respect for His awesome power and a reverence.
Pastor Ross: You know there is also a connection there to finding connection in Scripture clearly to fear God and keep His commandments. A number of references it says, “The fear of the Lord is wisdom and to depart from evil is understanding.” Another verse in Psalm 11: 10 is, “The fear of the Lord is wisdom” it says “A good understanding of all those who keep these commandments. Ecclesiastes says, “Let us see the conclusion of the matter of those that fear God and keep His commandments.” So to fear God is to respect God, but a person has to commit their self to obeying God because we don’t fear God if we are not willing to obey God. So there is this strong connection that we see in Scripture.
Pastor Doug: Yeah so.
Jimmy: That is what I sort of meant. I thank you very much for your ministry. It has helped me so much in my relationship with the Lord. Thank you sir very much.
Pastor Doug: Alright. Hey thank you very much Jimmy and appreciate you calling. And that frees up another line and folks we do have lines open if you want to call in with a Bible question. Here is that number ready? 1-800-GOD-SAYS or 1-800-463-7297 brings you into the studio with your Bible questions and again 1-800-463-7297. Alright Pastor Ross.
Pastor Ross: Alright our next caller is Gardner listening from New York, New York Gardner you are on the air!
Gardner: Good evening and a lot of preachers don’t talk about the six thousand years that God gave man to sort of try to work out his own thing here on earth. I can’t seem to see it in Scripture. Can you tell me where I can find that? That God gave man this and could you help me do the math? So we can realize where we are at in those six thousand years.
Pastor Doug: Well for people who might be wondering Gardner is talking about when you add up the ages in the Bible. In other words it tells us at creation Adam lived 930 years. And we will assume that Adam and Eve did not live very long in the garden before sin because God told them to be fruitful and multiply and still they had no children. So fairly soon after creation the devil came in and all of our problems began. So when you add up the age of Adam and then his son Seth and then you go down through the line of the Patriarchs virtually all of their ages are given all the way up to Abraham. And we can fairly date history from the time of Abraham through the time of the present. We know there were about 2000 years Abraham was born in 2000 B.C. and Jesus was born around the year 0 actually 4 B.C. And so when you add up from the time of Adam from the time until Christ is about 4000 years has past. And about 2000 years from the time of Christ until the present. So that is about six thousand years of Bible history and you can do this with a calculator on your own Gardner.
Gardner: But, did God say specifically that they, He was giving us six thousand years? And that He will return after the millennium? I mean does He actually say he is giving us six thousand years?
Pastor Ross: Well let me share a thought with you 2 Peter Chapter 3: 8 and Peter writes, “But, beloved do not forget this one thing. That one day with the Lord is as a thousand years. And a thousand years is a one day.” Now there is a principle that we see in Scripture and it is work for six and then rest for seventh. Our creator worked six days and He rested on the seventh. God told each individual to work their fields for six years and let it rest the seventh year. We also read in Revelation Chapter 20 that there is a thousand year rest of the earth when Jesus comes. So just sort of putting the pieces together it seems to make sense that the earth would be inhabited for six thousand years and hen Christ comes and there is a thousand years period of rest. Now the danger is when people try to predict the year or the month that Jesus is coming. Now the Bible is very clear that no man knows the day or the hour when the Lord comes. So you now these dates that we give you are approximate because it gives you the date or the year that the Patriarch had a son, but it doesn’t give you the month. So you know the earth is about six thousand years old.
Pastor Doug: Anyways and yeah you do see that pattern all through the Bible. Since the time of Adam it has been about six thousand. We have a study that you can find online Gardner about this. It is a website called “Bible Prophecy Truth” and there are some charts and timelines that map out Bible history. I didn’t even think about this and Gardner if you are still there we have a brand new timeline we spent a year and a half developing in the Bible timeline and type it in. It takes you to the “Amazing Facts dot org” timeline and of course it is “Bible History dot com”. It is a Bible timeline and it shows you just right there and you can see all of the Scriptures. You can see all of the characters and when they lived how long they lived and when the millennium is. It doesn’t set any dates for that, but it will answer a lot of those questions. We appreciate your call and thank you very much. That opens up another line if someone has a Bible question.
Pastor Ross: Our next caller is Dominique from Long Island, New York. Dominique welcome to the program.
Dominique: Thank you and God bless. My question is about Revelation 21: 16 and it says there’s a cube twelve thousand furlongs. And when I do a rough calculation it comes out to something like two thousand miles a cube two thousand miles because it is squared length, breadth and height. So that would make it a cube and now this day and age with all of our telescopes no one has seemed to mention about finding a two thousand squared miles cube. What do you think about that?
Pastor Doug: Well actually to be more accurate it is closer to fifteen hundred miles. It still is a furlong.
Dominique: Yeah I just made this kind of calculation.
Pastor Doug: Well when the Bible says that in Revelation it says the New Jerusalem comes down from God out of heaven and you think about how big space is and you think about the idea that God would have a city that He is preparing for the saints and by the way the city does not come down until after the one thousand years. I have absolutely no problem and I don’t think astronomers would be able to pick out something two thousand miles long when you start talking about things that are hundreds of light years and thousands of light years away no telescope on earth would be able to pick that up right now. They are finding out that the heavens that there are galaxies that were the most powerful Hubble photographs that they have taken and the galaxies can be fifty billion light years across.
Dominique: Well what did John do then?
Pastor Doug: The look like a pinpoint on the most powerful deep space pictures that we have.
Dominique: How would we understand John got there?
Pastor Doug: Well this is the key. In the Bible it tells us that God and His angels they can travel much faster than the speed of light. Let me give you an example. In Daniel Chapter 9 Daniel is praying and then before his prayer is over the angel Gabriel comes and he says that at the beginning of your prayer he’s been sent from God presumably in heaven and he must have to travel not at the speed of sound, but they must travel at a speed angels know about that is faster than the speed of light. The speed of thought or something, but they can go pretty quick.
Dominique: I guess so.
Pastor Doug: So space is big and I don’t have any problem believing God has a city out there. I mean we believe that man can build a pace station why can’t God build a city?
Dominique: Yeah.
Pastor Ross: You know we have a study dealing with this called “Colossal City in Space” and it talks about the New Jerusalem found in Revelation Chapter 21 and the things that God is preparing for us who love Him. We will send that to you for free Dominique. Just call our resource line 1-800-835-6747 and ask for the study guide and we will be happy to send this to you or anyone calling and who wants to know more about this beautiful city that God is preparing for the redeemed. The number to call for our resource line is 1-800-835-6747 again that is 1-800-835-6747. Ask for the study guide “Colossal City in Space” and if you have a Bible question the number here to the studio is 1-800-463-7297 again 1-800-463-7297. We have Eric who is listening from New York. Eric welcome to the program.
Eric: Yeah thank you and God bless. You know I have a question about that I have read some books about are we living in the end times. Knowledge has been increased so much and all the signs point to it, but you were saying before about the six thousand years. Aren’t we on the cusp of that or am I mistaken?
Pastor Doug: No you are not mistaken that according to Bible chronology, but again we are not setting a day. But, according to Bible chronology we are now at that threshold of those six thousand years. In your mark from Bible history everyone knows that God preaches the gospel through the patriarchs. Patriarchs are people like Noah and Methuselah and Adam and Enoch.
Eric: Right.
Pastor Doug: Then for the next two thousand years God preaches the gospel through the children of Israel, the Jews, the Hebrews and children of Abraham. Then for the next two thousand years He preaches the gospel through the Spiritual Israel and Christ and His people.
Eric: Christ.
Pastor Doug: Yeah and so then there is 1000 years where we rest and reign with Christ. And so we are right at that twilight and that history, but the signs He talked about, you know Jesus said knowledge would increase and people would go to and fro and Revelation I think it is Chapter 11 Pastor Ross where it says that God will destroy those who destroy the earth.
Pastor Ross: Yes.
Pastor Doug: I think it may be Chapter 11: 19 maybe and we are the only generation that has had the ability to destroy the earth and you know is concerned about that.
Eric: I have one other interesting fact with that.
Pastor Doug: Yeah.
Eric: Yeah before like technology of the smart phone you know when the two witnesses it will be found out throughout the world at the same time and you know that how can you even prior to this find in this generation to even fathom that? In the last ten years that technology has come true like you’ll see a forecast all over instantaneously with everyone’s smart phone whenever it is.
Pastor Doug: Yeah exactly. Yeah and the other point is Jesus said in Matthew 4: 14: “The gospel will be preached in all the world then the end will come.” And right now through the internet and satellite television, radio, TV, DVDs and print the gospel is going to all the world. But, I have been like Pastor Ross, we have been just all over the world the last few years and there is hardly a place you can go where you don’t see them preaching the gospel.
Pastor Ross: You know even in China for so many years it was closed to the outside influences, but Pastor Doug just got back from doing a public on Prophecy seminar in China just remarkable.
Pastor Doug: Yeah it is one of the firsts and so we are just very excited about what we see happening. By the way Eric we have a study guide that talks specifically about the second coming of Jesus and it includes some of the signs and we’d love to send you a free copy of that and I think it will encourage you.
Pastor Ross: The number to call is our resource line it is 1-800-835-6747 and you can ask for the study guide on the second coming and the name is “The Ultimate Deliverance”. Again that number is 1-800-835-6747 and you can ask for the study guide “The Ultimate Deliverance”. We have Rachel who is listening from Virginia. Rachel welcome to the program.
Rachel: Hi thank you and God bless you. My question is about Abraham and my husband and I have been studying several things as far as lineages in the Bible and my basic question is what about Abraham and his lineage makes him the father of the Jews? Because the Jewish people became a whole nation of people and a whole race of people and what was it about Abraham that developed this new race of people?
Pastor Doug: Well imparticular Abraham is the father of many nations not just the Jews and people get confused by the word Jew and the word Jew is a derivative of the word Judah from the tribe of Judah. By the time you get to the tribe of Judah ten of the northern kingdom tribes were conquered by the Assyrians and carried off during the time of Hezekiah. This is in the Old Testament. They were Hebrews they were not technically Jews. But the tribe of Judah, Benjamin and Levi they were carried to Babylon, but they were allowed to come back after seventy years and they began to become known more as Jews and during the time of Jesus even the gospel writers call them that the Jews. That became sort of a broad term that was used to talk about those who returned from the Babylonian captivity. But, technically if they are descendents of the other tribes, they are Israelites or Hebrews because they are of Jacob or Israel that was his other name and anyone who is a descendent of Jacob is an Israelite. Anyone who is a descendent of Abraham is technically ascetic or a Hebrew. And the word Hebrew means one who crossed over because Abraham crossed over the Euphrates and came to a strange land. So anyway I don’t know if I am answering your question or not I hope so.
Rachel: No you are thank you I appreciate it.
Pastor Ross: But, you also mentioned Pastor Doug that Abraham is not only the father of the Hebrews, but of the Jewish people and of course he had two sons and the other one is very significant as Ishmael is from his descendents you have the Arab Nations and then there are multiple groups within that category.
Pastor Doug: Yeah Abraham originally had two sons and after Sarah died he married Keturah and he had another whole gaggle of kids. So the miracle when Abraham had Isaac was not so much for him it was for Sarah. But, so yeah quite a few nations came from Abraham, but by the way we do have a book Rachel and you will enjoy and it is called “Spiritual Israel”. It tells you a little more about the Jewish nation and their heritage and some of the prophecies and we will send you a fee copy “Spiritual Israel” just call the resource line.
Pastor Ross: The number to call is 1-800-835-6747 and ask for “Spiritual Israel” and we’d be happy to send it to anyone who calls and asks for it. Thank you. Our next caller is Magnolia listening from Toronto, Canada. Magnolia welcome to the program.
Magnolia: Hello I am a--
Pastor Doug: Hello welcome you are on the air. And your question please?
Pastor Ross: Hello yes are you there?
Magnolia: Oh yes this is Sir Magnolia from Toronto, Canada.
Pastor Doug: Hi brother we have about a minute before the break. Can we ask the question?
Magnolia: Oh yeah sure. What I want to know I have been reading the Bible already and I have been a Christian for almost ten years already and my question is this. For those people who passed away already you know everyday many, many people die. Where are the souls of those people who passed away?
Pastor Doug: Alright let me do my best to see if I can answer that question for you. First of all we have a lesson we will send to you. It is for free and called “Are the Dead Really Dead”. I want o make sure I get that in because we have a resource number 1-800-835-6747 ask for the book “Are the Dead Really Dead”. The Bible is very clear that when a person dies their soul goes to sleep and they cease to exist until the resurrection when they are raised for judgment and that is when the Lord comes. He dead in Christ will rise at the second coming of Jesus. But, there is more to say on that and you are listening to “Bible Answers Live”.
Pastor Ross: You know Pastor Doug we are coming up on our break here, but just before we do we’d like to highlight one of the website that “Amazing Facts” has and let me mention, too, the one you referred to as “Bible History dot com” or “Timeline dot Bible History dot com” it is a great resource for anybody who wants to study the Bible you can see all the different time periods of the Patriarchs and the Kings and so on. The other one is “Amazing Facts TV”
Pastor Doug: That’s right at “Amazing Facts TV” you not only have the radio program here once a week, but “Amazing Facts TV” you can watch programs 24/7. And it is a station that broadcasts across North America via satellite and internet and it is on G19. If anyone has the Glory star satellite you can get a bunch of Christian stations. Or just go on the internet to “Amazing Facts dot TV” in addition we had a question about death a moment ago we also have that website called “Death Truth dot com”. Learn a lot more about the souls and what happens Biblically when a person dies. We are going to take a brief break friends to catch our breath get a drink and we are coming right back. Don’t go anywhere.
[COMMERCIAL BREAK]
Pastor Doug: Welcome back friends. We are all geared up to take more of your Bible questions. We do have a couple of lines open and my name is Doug Batchelor.
Pastor Ross: My name is Jean Ross and good evening listening friends and welcome back we are going to go to the phone lines straight away and we have Daniel who is listening from New York. Welcome to the program Daniel you are on the air.
Daniel: Yes I have a question about John Chapter 2: 10. In that verse is wine the grape juice is grape juice.
Pastor Doug: Well they don’t use the word grape juice anywhere in the Bible. There is only one word used and it is the word wine. Wine is connected with the word vine in English and so the juice of the vine was it could have been fermented and it could have been grape juice. For instance there is Scripture in Isaiah 65 I think and it says for the new wine is in the cluster. Well obviously f it is in the cluster then it is not fermented yet. So Jesus talks about drinking at the Last Supper and Jesus says, “I’ll not drink from the fruit of the vine again until I drink it with you new in the Father’s Kingdom.” So that is obviously unfermented.
Pastor Ross: The verse you are referring to is Isaiah 65: 8.
Pastor Doug: Isaiah 65: 8 makes it clear that wine could be in the cluster and they still called it wine. So when in John 2 Jesus saves the best for last they could have had fermented wine all year long, but it was very odd to have fresh grape juice there at the wedding and that would have been the best and I know in our culture we think that the good stuff is supposed to be the stuff that has the highest octane alcohol. But, that is not how.
Daniel: He could have passed this to Israel at the beginning of the wedding feast they start with just like the wine and the later on when people were drunk He saved the grapes best for last. I mean grape juice is grape juice. I am on the same of how it can be grape juice.
Pastor Ross: Well you know grape juice to us might be grape juice, but the way they get the fresh grape juice they get that at harvest time and then they would have to degrape the grape juice to sort of a pasty type substance like concentrate and then would add water and mix it. That was the inferior grape juice. The good grape juice or the best grape juice was that which was at the harvest time. And so the comment is that at the beginning of the feast people put out the best or the freshest and then later on that has to be add water and de-concentrated whereas here is the best freshest grape juice at the end and it was a puzzle it was different. And so that is the point being made it is not referring to an alcoholic drink. After all if wine is wine and you are referring to alcohol. Alcohol is alcohol.
Pastor Doug: Yeah it is just like in our culture that you can get orange juice from concentrate or you can get fresh squeezed. And if you have had fresh squeezed you know immediately it is better and different. It is superior to the concentrate that has been pasteurized and boiled and so that is very much what it was like in Bible times. But, we do have a book on that Daniel if you like we’d be happy to send you a copy called “Alcohol and the Christian” and it goes into more detail just call the resource number. We will send it to you for free.
Pastor Ross: The number is 1-800-835-6747 and again the book is called “Alcohol and the Christian”. We’d be happy to send it to anyone who calls and asks for it. Our next caller is Elf and Elf is from Tennessee. Elve or Elve welcome to the program
Ilve: It is actually Elve “L” “V”.
Pastor Ross: There it is Elve. Okay. Spell it out for us over here.
Ilve: That is “I L V E”.
Pastor Ross: And your quick question this evening?
Ilve: Well my question comes from Isaiah Chapter 65 and it is talking about the new heavens in Chapter 17 and then in verse 25 it says the wolfs and the lambs will be together lie in one spot like the bullocks. So it is talking about heaven, but then in verse 20 it just kind of throws me for a spin and I actually had somebody ask me this question and I didn’t know how to answer them. In verse 20 it talks about death and there is not supposed to be death in heaven so I wanted to see if you can explain to me Isaiah 65: 20?
Pastor Doug: Yeah let me read that for our friends listening. It tells us first of all that the voice of weeping will no longer be heard in heaven, 20 “There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed.” (KJV) Now Hosea had quite a few problems in Isaiah’s time with infant mortality as they did in much of ancient history. Now have you ever met a hundred year old child?
Ilve: No.
Pastor Doug: Well what he is saying there if you go back in Genesis it’s very interesting that they did not even get married in the first few generations until they were over one hundred. So people age and they grew more slowly and it is simply saying the word there, die, in Hebrew is also translated “cease”. It doesn’t always mean die it means stop being and so it says that it will not stop being a child until he is a hundred years old. But, the sinner a hundred years old will be accursed because they are lost. So it is not saying the child is going to die. It is saying the child won’t stop being a child until it is a hundred years old because they grow up slowly like they did in the beginning before sin.
Ilve: Okay. Amen. Thank you so much for clarifying that for me.
Pastor Doug: Alright good question and appreciate your calling.
Pastor Ross: We have Jackie listening from Phoenix, Arizona. Jackie welcome to the program.
Jackie: Good evening. Hi how are you?
Pastor Doug: Good evening. And your question?
Jackie: I have a question. First of all I want to thank you for your ministry. It is awesome and it really is a blessing and teaching me a lot. My question is from Isaiah Chapter 10 and 11. What is Chapter 10 and 11 referring to?
Pastor Doug: Okay. Well you have got two Chapters there so I –
Jackie: I am sorry Isaiah Chapter 43: 10 & 11.
Pastor Doug: Oh okay I am sorry Isaiah 43: 10 & 11 let me go there real quickly.
Jackie: Yes.
Pastor Doug: Isaiah Chapter 43: 10 “Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. 11 I, even I, am the Lord and besides me there is no saviour. 12 I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, that I am God.” (KJV) Is there something specific about that? To me it is straight forward He is telling about to His people that there is no God before Him and there is no other saviour other than Him.
Jackie: Right.
Pastor Doug: And that there is no God formed before Him. In other words go ahead.
Jackie: I am sorry is there another verse that kind of parallels these verses 10 & 11? Is there at all or anywhere else in the Bible?
Pastor Doug: Well I think this verse is probably quoted a few places in the Bible.
Jackie: Right.
Pastor Doug: In let me see here. I am just doing a cross reference. Yeah in Hosea you can read in Hosea Chapter 13: 4. “Yet I am the Lord thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no god but me: for there is no saviour beside me.” (KJV) So that is one example of a similar verse. Yeah there is no other God, but the Lord and I think Paul refers to that as well. So God is the only one. He has been around forever. Does that answer your question?
Jackie: Yes.
Pastor Doug: Alright and thank you very much Jackie I appreciate your calling.
Jackie: Alright thank you.
Pastor Ross: Marexa is listening from College Place, Washington. Marexa welcome to the program.
Marexa: Yes good evening Pastors.
Pastor Doug: Good evening.
Marexa: My question has to do with Judges 11: 39 and my question is did Jephthah actually sacrifice his own daughter in order to fulfill the vows he had made to Jehovah which is recorded in verse 30 & 31?
Pastor Doug: Now you read your question didn’t you?
Marexa: I did.
Pastor Doug: That is okay. That is a good question. No he did not burn her. But, he did keep his vow. What his vow was is Lord if you give me victory in this battle that whatever comes out of my gates when I return home I will make as a burnt offering to you. Now he made that vow and they had their little ranch and had their family cow, their sheep, their goats and there are a number of stories we are talking about every family had sheep or a lamb or a goat or milk cow. I used to have goats and when I came out they’d run out to meet me always hoping to get milk and some grain with molasses. He expected that and when his daughter came out he knew that what that meant was he was now going to have to consecrate his daughter to the service of God the same way Hannah did with Samuel and that she would never marry and he would have no more offspring. You notice that it never says that he burned her. It says my father let me bewail my virginity, not her death. She bewails that she will never marry and you read in the book of Luke is where it talks about Anna in the temple?
Pastor Ross: Umm-hmm.
Pastor Doug: Who served the Lord I think it said four score years from her virginity or from her widowhood. And she ministered to the Lord and so there were women as well as men that helped with the sanctuary services and she was going to be consecrated to God and never marry. And so that is what you know you in the Jewish economy you never offered human sacrifice. Every first born was supposed to be consecrated to the Lord, but you offered an animal in its’ place. Even Joseph and Mary offered turtle dove sin the place of Jesus because he was Mary’s first born. So Jephthah did not kill or burn his daughter. He by the way what in a couple of more verses prove it in this point. It says 40 “That the daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year.” (KJV) The daughters of Israel went out to bewail with the daughter of Jephthah her virginity and not her death. And you remember when Hannah offered Samuel to the service of God every year she came by and she brought him a coat. And so for the remainder of her life the daughter of Jephthah whose name is never given she remained at the temple and served God.
Marexa: Okay. Great. Thank you very much that was my understanding and I just wanted to clarify it.
Pastor Doug: Yeah thank you. I appreciate that and good question.
Pastor Ross: We have Shawna listening from Walla Walla, Washington. Shawna welcome to the program.
Shawna: Oh thank you.
Pastor Doug: And your question?
Shawna: I was wondering my mother-in-law said that fat people won’t go to heaven. She said that those who are not overcomers will not go to heaven. And I was wondering about your perspective on that.
Pastor Doug: Well obviously there are going to be people who struggle from a variety of temptations and they may not have recovered from the results of those temptations, but if a person is held captive to any sin their future is in peril whether it is gluttony or whatever it might be. And you always pray they get the victory and no one wants to spend their life always being chained to some addiction. You want to be able to get the victory over those sorts of things so you know we serve the Lord. Jesus needs to be Lord of our life and it can’t be drugs, or alcohol or food or money or whatever. And so yeah it is a concern if a person is more captive to an addiction than he is to food addiction or any other, but let’s suppose that a person struggles with obesity. And they pray and accept Jesus and they are getting a grip on their eating and they die somewhere along the way. But, they are still in a saving place with the Lord because they were being sanctified. So God knows their hearts, but personally I don’t want to go to my grave knowing I was chained by the devil to anything. Does that answer?
Shawna: Okay we want to be overcomers.
Pastor Doug: Yeah. We all want to be overcomers. It is a challenge for people who are obese or extremely heavy. They visually kind of have an appetite with their struggle and there are always issues we do not understand, but you know if you can.
Shawna: Okay some are visible and some are not?
Pastor Doug: Yeah some are more visible than others.
Shawna: Right okay well thank you very much.
Pastor Doug: Alright thank you appreciate your question.
Pastor Ross: We have Bud listening from Spokane, Washington. Bud welcome to the program.
Bud: Thank you so much for taking my call. I appreciate it.
Pastor Doug: Yes and how can we help you tonight?
Bud: My question is that the Scripture calls for us to love our enemies and to pray for them. But, my dilemma is do we pray for the devil as an enemy?
Pastor Doug: Pastor Ross there is a Scripture that says it is a sin and you should not pray for it. Is that 1 John? The answer would be no the devil is your enemy and he is the adversary of Christ. The reason we especially pray for people that might be our enemies is that they still have redemptive qualities and by your loving them they might be redeemed. The devil is beyond redemption and he has committed the unpardonable sin. Do you have that verse?
Pastor Ross: Yeah 1 John Chapter 5: 16 says, 16 “If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.” (KJV)
Pastor Doug: Okay the devil has committed that sin which leads to death and there is no sense praying for that. He is set in his rebellion and will never repent. He is a committed enemy of God and he is an accuser of the brethren and it says he has come down with great wrath because he knows his time is short and he wants to kick as many as he can. That is kind of found in Revelation 12.
Bud: Thank you so much I appreciate that.
Pastor Doug: We do have a book we’ll send you if you would like a free copy or you can read it online. “Did God Create a Devil?” It tells a little bit about the devil’s rebellion and how he got to where he is.
Pastor Ross: The number to call is 1-800-835-6747 and ask for “Did God Create a Devil?” We will send it to anyone who calls and asks for it. We have Edmond listening from Sacramento. Edmond welcome to the program.
Edmond: Good evening sirs. How are you guys today?
Pastor Doug: Doing great.
Edmond: Alright my question is oaky the coming of the Lord is where it says that every eye shall see him. I have a hard time believing my powerful God my I-Phone or the internet or the radio or the TV or what if I am at work and I cannot have my phone? To me that seems ludicrous.
Pastor Doug: Well I think that verse is often misunderstood when it says every eye will see him. Jesus remember when he comes He said it will be like lightening shining from the east to the west. Nobody is going to have to elbow you and say did you catch that Jesus came because everyone will know. So as Jesus comes from whatever point in the galaxy that He comes from and He comes to our planet and because our planet is an orb He will no doubt sweep around the planet and catch up the living saints that are saved and resurrect the dead because the dead in Christ will rise to meet Him in the air. And as He goes around the planet the eye of every individual on the planet will see Him. There are blind people and some people say well what about the blind people? Well in the Bible we get a little nitpicky sometimes and in the Bible it is just saying that when He comes everybody who is alive that can see will see Him. It is just saying that it is not a secret.
Edmond: Right. But, you don’t believe that--
Pastor Doug: You don’t need to use an I-Phone to see Him.
Edmond: Right. Right.
Pastor Doug: When the Lord comes I am not too sure our cellular phone systems are even going to be working.
Pastor Ross: The Bible says that the wicked turn to the mountains and the rocks and they say fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits upon the throne. So it is going to be a most spectacular event in the history of our planet.
Pastor Doug: You know they say there is an app for everything, but there is no app for the second coming.
Pastor Ross: That’s right.
Edmond: Amen. Amen brother.
Pastor Doug: Yeah.
Edmond: Thank you for your answers though.
Pastor Doug: Alright God bless and again you might enjoy if you have not read it our Bible study called “The Ultimate Deliverance” about the second coming and we will send that to you for free Edmond.
Pastor Ross: The number to call 1-800-835-6747 and we have Gabriel calling from Queens, New York. Gabriel welcome to the program.
Gabriel: Oh thank you sir for taking my call.
Pastor Doug: Yes and your question?
Gabriel: My question is, is hell eternal?
Pastor Doug: Well the results of hell are eternal. It tells us that the wicked are destroyed with everlasting fire meaning the results of the fire are everlasting. Do people burn consciously for billions and zillions of eternal years no the Bible tells us that the wicked will be burnt up. It says that the wicked are destroyed as Sodom and Gomorrah were burned. There Sodom and Gomorrah are an example of suffering the vengeance of the eternal fire. And I think I am quoting from both Jude and 11 Peter. And Sodom and Gomorrah are not still burning they were burnt up and they were gone forever. They were still gone today. So the results of hell fire are eternal. The wicked will experience eternal separation from God. But, they are not consciously in molten brimstone for eternity for the sins of one lifetime.
Pastor Ross: You know we have a few verses saying that same thing. Psalm 37: 10 it says, “Be a little while and the wicked shall be no more. In deed you shall look carefully for its’ place, but it shall be no more.” And speaking of Satan himself in Ezekiel Chapter 26: 21, “And I will make you a terror and you shall be no more.” So even Satan himself will come to an end.
Gabriel: Is that Ezekiel 26?
Pastor Ross: Ezekiel 26:21.
Gabriel: Okay.
Pastor Doug: Yeah so it says I shall bring forth the fire from the midst thee and it will devour thee. And so even the devil is going to be burned up. And the devil may not burn right away it says day and night so it may take awhile, but the wicked are not going to burn. Is there a hellfire? Yes. Are people rewarded according to their works? Yes. Does the Lord torment people through endless ages? No. Bible tells us that God is going to make a Universe where there is no more pain, no more tears and no more suffering. He says, “I make all things new.” So anyway I hope that helps a little Gabriel and that frees up another phone line in case someone wants to call if someone still has a question and I appreciate your call.
Pastor Ross: WE have a study guide dealing with the subject of hellfire called “Is the Devil in Charge of Hell?” And we will send it to anyone who calls and asks for it.
Pastor Doug: As well as a website called that.
Pastor Ross: That’s right called “Hell Truth dot com”.
Pastor Doug: If you want to know more about what the Bible says I think it is the most popular website on the subject based on the traffic we have seen on the internet. “Hell Truth dot com”.
Pastor Ross: Our next caller is Pentone listening from Washington. Pentone welcome to the program.
Pentone: Hi thanks for having me I am a first time call.
Pastor Doug: Yeah glad to have you.
Pentone: I just want to ask about the story about Lot. Those two men that came to his house and I know these were angels and I listened to you before and I know I listened to you before and you said angels don’t have a body like us. So I was wondering if you can go through that to say if they were the same two men who came to Abraham.
Pastor Doug: Yeah the angels. Where is that Pastor Ross? Is it Hebrews where it says that some have entertained angels unaware?
Pentone: Right.
Pastor Doug: So angels evidently they are ministering spirits and angels of light and they have got the ability to appear as men. Angels appeared to the parents of Samson. Angels appeared to Gideon. And Jacob wrestled with an angel. And angels appeared to Lot. Angels appeared to Abraham and stopped him from slaying his son. Angels appeared to Joseph. Angels appeared to Mary. Angels were at the tomb of Jesus when He arose again. And they appeared to the women that came. So yeah you can find angels and there are angels in Revelation.
Pastor Ross: The verse you referred to is Hebrews Chapter 13: 10 where it says “Do not forget to entertain strangers because by doing so some have unknowingly entertained angels.” So angels appeared in human form.
Pastor Doug: Yeah Lot opened his door and brought the angels in.
Pastor Ross: Umm-hmm.
Pastor Doug: And he entertained angels and they saved his life. As did Abraham entertain the same angels. So yeah angels are powerful creatures. And we have a study guide that talks about messages “Angel Messages from Outer Space”.
Pastor Ross: It is called “Angel Messages from Outer Space”. It deals with what Revelation has to say about a special message which is a three-fold message that goes to the entire world and it is described as angels from heaven. So call and ask for that at our resource number 1-800-835-6747. You can ask for the study guide called “Angel Messages from Outer Space”.
Pastor Doug: You know it is one of my favorite subjects and I need to preach on that again. That is angels through the Bible because I think that people forget that there is a whole world that is around us right now that we don’t see. And the Bible tells us that when the devil that Satan rebelled against God brought one third of the angels with him, but that means that there is two thirds good angels and there are spiritual battles that rage around people all the time between the good angels and the bad angels. People thought that was an absurd theory for years, but just because we don’t see them we all believe in cell phones and you know we can’t see phone waves. And there are all kinds of things that we know now about wave lengths and frequencies and ultra violet rays and things that are going through the air and wind that we can’t see that we believe in and well I think there is a lot of evidence that there are angels out there as well. So make sure and send for that lesson.
Pastor Ross: You know we also have a DVD called Cosmic Conflict. It talks about this great controversy between God and the Good angels and Lucifer and his rebellion and the angels that sided with him. So anyone wanting to learn more about that go to the website “Amazing Facts dot org” or “dot com” and you can type in there “Cosmic Conflict “ and get more information.
Pastor Doug: Yeah just “Cosmic Conflict” and it will take you to it. It has been very popular. It tells about the origin of evil and the fall of Lucifer. Listening friends you hear the music and we were reluctant to take another call because we didn’t want to do them the injustice of cutting them off. But, God willing we will be back again next week. Visit us in the meantime at “Amazing Facts dot org” We are blessed to keep this program on the air and all you have to do is click contact and you can donate right there online. God bless you.
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