John Porter Bowman

His first daughter, Addie, died in 1854 at the age of four months. A second daughter, Ella, grew to be a young adult but died in 1879. The final blow came a few months later when his wife Jeannie died. Grief-stricken and pining for his family, Bowman built an elaborate memorial for them in a Cuttingsville, Vermont cemetery.

The grand mausoleum was comprised of 750 tons of granite and 50 tons of marble. It costs $75,000, and that's back in the 1800's when it was a fortune. The interior of the tomb featured sculptures of the deceased and ornate stonework around the crypts. Mirrors were positioned inside to make the room seem larger.

Next, Bowman had a famous sculpturer create a life-sized marble figure of himself kneeling with a key in hand; and had it installed outside on the tomb steps. The statue looked as if it wanted to unlock the graves of his family. When completed in 1881, the mausoleum became something of a tourist attraction.

Thousands converged on the cemetery to gawk. Bowman even had a guest book placed inside the chamber and hired an usher to conduct short tours. But Bowman still wanted to be closer to his deceased family. So he built an elaborate home for himself right across the street from the tomb.

It must have been weird to gaze over at this life-sized statue of himself waiting to unlock the mausoleum. Evidently, John believed someday his family would join him in the house after his death. So before he died, he created a trust fund that would provide for the complete maintenance of his house.

For 50 years until the fund ran out, the furniture was dusted every day; the beds changed every week; and fresh food put in the pantry, ostensibly waiting for Bowman and his family to return. Yet year after year, the house stood vacant and the owners never returned.

Can the dead unlock the graves of others? And do they return to haunt their former homes? Stay with us friends. We're going to learn more as Amazing Facts brings you this edition of Bible Answers Live.

[PROGRAM INTRODUCTION]

Pastor Doug: It's still a miracle to me how sound waves can travel through the air and be captured and reproduced and heard at different parts of the planet. But that's what's happening right now. This is Bible Answers Live; and as I speak, my voice is bouncing off satellites 23,000 miles up in space and ricocheting back and forth from stations across North America and around the world via the Internet.

Friends, this is a live, international Bible study. You are invited to participate. If you have a Bible question tonight, it's a free phone call. Call the studio now. We've got lines open. That number once again is 1-800-GOD-SAYS. That acronym is to help you remember the numbers, 1-800-463-7297. And in just a moment we're going to get to our phone calls. My name is Doug Batchelor.

Pastor Jëan Ross: My name is Jëan Ross. Good evening listening friends. Good evening Pastor Doug. We've got an exciting program ahead, but before we go to the phone lines and take our questions, let's start with prayer.

Dear Father, once more we ask that You be with us this evening as we open up Your Word. We recognize the Bible is Your book; and in order to rightly understand it, we need Your leading. Be with those who are listening and we ask a special blessing upon them and this program. In Jesus' name, amen.

Pastor Doug: Amen!

Pastor Jëan Ross: In the little amazing fact that opened the program Pastor Doug, you spoke of a gentleman by the name of Bowman who was hoping to return to his house after his death. It reminded me of the Pharaohs that built these colossal tombs so that, when they died, they could return. And I guess they even believed that there was food that was necessary, and servants, and the like.

Can the dead really return to their house after their passing?

Pastor Doug: Well you know, that is something. I've been to King Tut's museum there in Cairo and they've got the jars that actually still had honey and food and seeds.

Pastor Jëan Ross: Um-hm

Pastor Doug: Most of it, of course, was all decrepit. But they said that you can reconstitute the honey that was in the pyramids because it's just crystallized.

Pastor Jëan Ross: U mm

Pastor Doug: And I don't know if anyone tasted it. I'd be afraid to. But yeah, they really thought that they would need that food and that they would need their furniture, their boats, and the things that they buried with themselves.

Part of the reason for this amazing fact is, to be honest Jëan, is you know, here we are a month away from halloween--

Pastor Jëan Ross: U mm

Pastor Doug: --and already in the stores, everywhere I turn, the decorations are there, the pumpkin candy, and all this stuff, and the costumes. And I'm going, "My, my. Do we need a whole month for that holiday?"

Pastor Jëan Ross: (Chuckles)

Pastor Doug: I mean it's just--to me (chuckles) I suppose it's the merchandising, and you begin to see the TV's are promoting the ghoulish flicks, and I'm thinking, "Wow! They dedicated so much to the subject of ghosts, and haunting, horror, and death." And uh, you know, there are a lot of people who are very confused by what happens when you die.

Pastor Jëan Ross: Um-hm

Pastor Doug: And they're spooked by it. They're enthralled with it because we all know we're heading towards the grave. The question is, once people die, are they on the other side of some veil where they're watching us? What happens? Can they come back to their house?

You know, the Bible actually addresses this point blank. First thing is, can you use a key to unlock the grave and death? Well the Bible says the only One who can unlock the grave is Jesus. Revelation 1:18, Jesus says, "I am the living one who died. Look, I'm alive for evermore; and I hold the keys of death and the grave." Only Jesus can unlock the grave, as He did for Lazarus.

Well, do dead people come back and haunt their houses? In the Word of God, Job 7, verse 9 and 10 says, "As the cloud disappears and vanishes away: so he who goes down to the grave does not come up. He shall never return to his house, nor shall his place know him any more." They don't come back to this life to haunt; I mean, short of a resurrection like in the case of Lazarus. But the dead don't go back and haunt their houses.

Now, there might be fallen angels, devils, and demons that sometimes make things go bump in the night and cause people to think they're being visited by relatives from the past. But the Bible is very clear that the dead sleep until the resurrection. And there are so many Scriptures on this that we have a free offer.

I don't think we've offered this for several years; but it's a fresh edition of the book, the classic. Tell us about it.

Pastor Jëan Ross: This is a book entitled, "Spirits of the Dead: Do They Speak and Hear?" written by Joe Crews. It's a classic Pastor Doug. It's something that I think everyone who has questions on the subject wanting to know what the Bible has to say, they need to get this book to take a look at it.

It's not a difficult book to read, but it's extremely important. To receive that, call the resource number, 1-800-835-6747. Pastor Doug, on this same subject, you know there's a lot today, especially in the media, of people communicating with the dead, with their loved ones.

Pastor Doug: Yeah

Pastor Jëan Ross: What does the Bible say about that?

Pastor Doug: Well first of all, wizards and witches, people who want to be mediums to talk to the dead, not only was it forbidden; but the Lord said that if they found those people among Israel--

Pastor Jëan Ross: Um-hm

Pastor Doug: --they were to be executed.

Pastor Jëan Ross: Um-hm

Pastor Doug: Because, in reality, they were communicating with devils.

Pastor Jëan Ross: Right

Pastor Doug: And even Paul says that when people make offerings to idols, they don't realize that they're making offerings to demons. And so, fallen angels, sometimes known as devils and demons, they pose as, they impersonate, spirits of the dead. And if we think we can communicate with the dead, then we are being set up, we're being prepared to be deceived by the devil and his angels.

Second (2nd) Corinthians 11 says, "Satan himself can be transformed into an angel of light" [2nd Corinthians 11:14]. And obviously, his fallen demons, his minions, also have those powers. So, the dead are sleeping until the resurrection. If a saved person, when they die, their next conscious thought is the resurrection, and to be present with the Lord. But that hasn't happened yet because the Lord has not come, and the resurrection hasn't happened yet.

Pastor Jëan Ross: Um-hmm

Pastor Doug: Judgment hasn't happened yet.

Pastor Jëan Ross: Okay. Very good. Here we have a question that has come in via email. "Why did the Spirit of God lead Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil?" And this person is referring to Matthew chapter 4, verse 1 where it says, "Then was Jesus lead up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil." Why did the Spirit lead Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted?

Pastor Doug: Right. Well it would seem like, why would God's Spirit lead someone to be tempted? I think to understand that experience, it helps to remember that when Jesus went into the wilderness, it was a parallel for when the children of Israel were led by the pillar of cloud. That was the presence of God, a symbol for the Spirit, into the wilderness.

If you read in 1st Corinthians chapter 10, it says that the children of Israel were baptized in the Red Sea, and baptized in the cloud, meaning the Spirit. We need both baptisms, water baptism, Spirit baptism. And so, Christ did, in His life, what Israel failed to do. He went into the wilderness, led by the Spirit, the way the children of Israel were led by the pillar of cloud; yet

He did not fall when tempted. The Israelites did fall. He was showing us that we can be victorious.

Pastor Jëan Ross: Okay, very good. Our next question then, "If a person gets into a car accident and repents of his sins before he dies on the spot, will that person enter into heaven?"

Pastor Doug: Well, the hypothetical situation here is, it almost sounds like a person might be asking, "Can I put off repentance until I'm on my deathbed and be saved?" Well there is, at least, one example of that in the Bible--

Pastor Jëan Ross: Um-hm

Pastor Doug: --the thief on the cross who, in the eleventh hour, to use that expression of his life, repented. And he will be saved. He genuinely repented. And so, there is hope for those who genuinely repent in their final hours. I know of a young lady that took a lethal dose of medicine to commit suicide.

Then after she did that, she thought, "What am I doing? I don't want to do this" and she called 911. And she was praying and asking God to forgive her for what she had done; and she still died from the medication. They couldn't save her. So, you have to ask the question, "Well, maybe she genuinely repented before the medicine took effect?" We don't know.

You just need to be very careful postponing that time to repent. Some people think, "Well I'm going to live for the devil and just before I die, I'll repent." It's like giving someone a rose after the petals fall off.

Pastor Jëan Ross: Um-hm

Pastor Doug: I mean, give Him your life while you still have something to offer. Someone asked a Rabbi one time, "What's the best time to repent?" And the Rabbi said, "The last hour of your life." And they said, "Well, what if you don't know when that last hour is?" And the Rabbi said, "Exactly!" So now is the best time to repent.

Matthew Henry said, "There is one example of a deathbed conversion in the Bible, so no one needs to lose hope. But there is only one example. So nobody dare presume."

Pastor Jëan Ross: U mm

Pastor Doug: Anyway so, hopefully that answers that question.

Pastor Jëan Ross: Okay. We're going to go to the phone lines. Mike is listening online from Calgary, Canada. Mike, welcome to the program.

Mike: Yes. I have a quick question. You say that the law of Moses is no longer on the table. I, as a true Jew, know that that's not true; for if that's the case, Jesus Himself would not be the

Messiah of us Jews. (Unintelligible) this is the feast of booths. Jews should be celebrating the feast of booths. You're nothing more than a (unintelligible)--

Pastor Doug: Uh, hey uh, I don't mind your asking a question, Mike. Is there--oh we lost Mike.

Pastor Jëan Ross: I think so.

Pastor Doug: I couldn't even hear everything he was saying. I'm sorry. Well, let's go to the next call. Sometimes folks call in and they try to use the program as a platform to say something instead of really asking a question.

Pastor Jëan Ross: You know, maybe I can paraphrase that real quick, Pastor Doug. I don't know if you picked up the same thing as Mike. He was talking about the feast of booths, or tabernacles.

Pastor Doug: Oh he was saying because we're not--

Pastor Jëan Ross: "Do we need to keep that?"--Right. That's what I would assume he was trying to get at.

Pastor Doug: Well, we can read in the New Testament, Christ is our Passover.

Pastor Jëan Ross: Um-hm

Pastor Doug: Now if Christ is our Passover, obviously we don't sacrifice passover lambs any more. The Mosaic law, the ceremonial laws, went through some kind of change--

Pastor Jëan Ross: Um-hm

Pastor Doug: --because, you know, people need to remember, when Jesus died on the cross, the moment He died, He said, "It is finished," the veil in the temple was ripped from top to bottom; meaning the whole sacrificial system was done away with. Now we don't need to sacrifice lambs. John the Baptist said Christ is the Lamb of God.

Not only that, but at the trial of Christ, the high priest tore his garments, representing it's no longer a priesthood of just one cast of people, but it is now a nation of priests--

Pastor Jëan Ross: Um-hm

Pastor Doug: --the children of God are a kingdom of priests. And no longer do we need to celebrate the Passover the way they did, or the other Mosaic laws the way they did. Now we celebrate the spiritual reality of those things, which is much bigger than the old shadows and types.

And I like to remind people that all the shadows and the types that point to Christ in the Bible, and for our friend that did pick up, he said he was a Jew--I'm a Jew too--and I believe in keeping the spiritual reality of those things. If you've got someone you love and they're away from home and you've got their picture on the wall, it's there to remind you of the real person. But once they come home, you don't kiss the picture any more, you kiss them.

Pastor Jëan Ross: Right.

Pastor Doug: And so, I really feel it's sad when people are still embracing the shadows, when they can have the reality.

Pastor Jëan Ross: Okay, absolutely. Thank you Pastor Doug. Brian is listening on the Internet from New Mexico. Brian, welcome again to the program.

Brian: Yes uh, well uh, my original question was is there a true church? But as I was waiting on the phone, I realized that, of course, there's a true church. So then my question became, "Okay, well, how can you explain Biblically to a person what the true church is, when they say it all depends on the beliefs you have, or from how you were brought up?"

Pastor Doug: Alright, that's a good question. First of all, when it comes to truth, whether it's a church or any truth, the Bible must be the Source for the definition, right?

Brian: Right

Pastor Doug: So, using the Bible to find God's Biblical church, the Bible needs to be the Book. Now, when you say, "true church," church is not really a building. A church is people.

Brian: Okay

Pastor Doug: Jesus did not die to save a building, He died to save people. Christ has people in many different denominations, but that doesn't mean all those denominations teach truth, you see what I'm saying?

Brian: Right

Pastor Doug: Because the Lord looks on the heart; and there are some people that are genuinely His people but maybe they haven't heard all the doctrines of truth yet. But they're following what they know. One of the things Christ said is, "Many sheep I have," John chapter 10--

Brian: Um-hm

Pastor Doug: "Many sheep I have, which are not of this fold: but they are going to hear My voice; and there will be one fold, and one shepherd." So Jesus' idea is to call people together into one fold.

They way to identify the church that would be the closest to the Bible is, first of all, use the Bible criteria for the doctrines; and you've got your principle doctrines of believing that Jesus is the Son of God, and His sacrifice, that we're saved by grace through faith. But because we love Him, we're willing to obey His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.

Then prophetically, we can help identify God's true church in the last days. If you look in Revelation chapter 12, it tells us that the dragon, who is a symbol for the devil most people agree, he is infuriated, or wroth, with the woman--this pure woman clothed with light--and that's God's church. And he [the devil] makes war with her, whose children "keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus." That's the "law and the prophets."

Brian: Right

Pastor Doug: Now, we've got a whole lesson on that. If you like, we'll send you a copy. It's a whole study on how do you find a true church in this day and age, where there are thousands of denominations that claim to be Christian. And it's called--

[Cross talk]

Brian: Okay well, um--

Pastor Doug: --the lesson is called, Clothed With Light. I'm sorry. You were saying something Brian?

Brian: Yeah, before you finished, when Jesus says, "...that are not of this fold," is He including outside of Christianity? Or is it just inside of Christianity?

Pastor Doug: Well I think when Jesus said it, God's people were the Jews.

Brian: Okay

Pastor Doug: When Christ first made that statement, He hadn't even died yet. And at one point, the Jewish people thought they were the only ones; and Jesus said, "I've got other sheep that are not of this fold," namely the Gentiles. So they were not Jews. Matter of fact, Jesus said when He began His ministry, there were many lepers in the land in the days of Elisha, but none of them was healed but Naaman the Syrian.

And He said there were many widows in the land in the days of Elijah, but he wasn't sent to an Israelite widow, he was sent to a Canaanite woman, a Syrophenician woman. And they nearly threw Him off the cliff for saying that. He was saying God has His people, even in other faiths, who haven't heard the truth yet but in their hearts, they're searching.

And so, I think that, first of all, they are Christians in many denominations that have not heard Biblical truth. And there are even people who are out in the world or in other religions that are searching for the truth. Their hearts are right with God because they're walking in what little light they have; and they're going to hear His voice. And then there's one fold and one Shepherd.

But hopefully, I hope you'll take a copy of that lesson. We'll send you a free copy, Clothed With Light.

Pastor Jëan Ross: Alright. To receive that, call the resource number, 1-800-835-6747. And it's the study guide--are you talking about the study guide, The Bride of Christ?

Pastor Doug: The Bride of Christ

Pastor Jëan Ross: The Bride of Christ; and just ask for that. 1-800-835-6747. Our next caller is Rafael listening on the Internet from Lexington, Kentucky. Rafael, welcome to the program.

Rafael: Hello, I've got a question on John chapter 20, verse 23. It says, "Whose soever sins you remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins you retain, they are retained." What does He mean by that? Are they forgiven? Or--

Pastor Doug: Well, sometimes it's helpful to--[call cuts off]

Pastor Jëan Ross: Rafael, are you there?

Pastor Doug: No, we've got two on at once here.... There we go. You still there Rafael?

Rafael: Yes, I'm here.

Pastor Doug: Okay, thanks. We had a little phone line mix up. We had two callers on at once. I apologize.

Rafael: Well once they receive the Holy Ghost, what does He mean by remit and retain?

Pastor Doug: Well, through distributing the Gospel, we are able to communicate the truth to other people and their sins are forgiven by that knowledge. One of the things we could do to help stay out of trouble is to realize humans do not have the power to forgive sin, or to make a person keep sin. God, and God only, can forgive sin. And that's Mark chapter 2.

Rafael: Oh, that can be misinterpreted, you know, the verse here. A lot of people probably misinterpret that.

Pastor Doug: Well I think they do. Whenever you translate something from the original language, which was Greek in this case,--

Rafael: Yes

Pastor Doug: --and then you convert it to English, sometimes it's hard to do a transliteration. In other words, to literally, word for word, translate it, because the whole sentence is structured differently.

Rafael: Yeah, I see.

Pastor Doug: But this was the translator's best attempt. The real message here is, we do have the power to help people find forgiveness by helping them find Jesus.

Rafael: Oh I see.

Pastor Doug: And when they do not hear the truth of Christ, then their sins are retained. So I think the Lord is encouraging us to get the Good News of forgiveness out there by communicating the Gospel.

Rafael: Oh, I see.

Pastor Doug: Does that help a little bit?

Rafael: Yeah. That explains it better, a little bit more.

Pastor Doug: Alright. Hey thanks a lot Rafael. Yeah--the big thing is, God only can forgive. But we can help people, through atonement, we bring them to God where they find that forgiveness. And through not coming to God, their sins are retained because He's the only way to find forgiveness.

Pastor Jëan Ross: Alright. Joseph is listening on WMCA from New York, New York. Joseph, welcome to the program.

Pastor Doug: Welcome, Joseph

Joseph: Good evening Pastors. I want to ask something concerning the saying, "John the Divine." I had read something that said that in the Scriptures John, himself, was the only one used that term in reference to himself. Is that correct sir?

Pastor Doug: Well actually, he did not use that concerning himself. You're talking about the title of the book? Where it says--

Joseph: No. No I'm talking about the reference to John as being, "John the Divine."

Pastor Doug: Where is that reference?

Joseph: I don't know. I read that reference; and I believed it was in the Scriptures. It's only referred--

Pastor Doug: Well, I don't know if you'll find any comfort in knowing, Joseph. I just did a search in the computer and there is nowhere in the Bible where John refers to himself, or is referred to, as "divine."

Joseph: Okay

Pastor Doug: But I know what you're talking about. They call him, "St. John, the Divine"--

Joseph: Oh yeah

Pastor Doug: --and you probably see it in many places. But that is actually not in the Bible. Some Bibles like, I think, the Douay version, in the beginning of the Gospel of John, it says, "The Gospel of St. John the Divine," or it may even say, "The Revelation of St. John the Divine." And they say "divine" because he was caught up to heaven and he saw the vision of Revelation. But that is actually just a title that man put there. It's not in the Bible at all.

Joseph: Yeah. As you know, Pastor, I'm positive you know that in New York City, one of the largest churches in the world is John the Divine.

Pastor Doug: Yeah, that's right.

Joseph: (Unintelligible) But that's not in the Bible is it?

Pastor Doug: It's a title that is not in the Bible.

[Cross talking]

Joseph: Okay one--

Pastor Doug: Yeah. You know Joseph, don't feel bad. You realize the word "bible" is not in the Bible?

Joseph: (Chuckles) One other thing in relation to that. Is there an expression, "the apostle that Jesus loved"?

Pastor Doug: Yes, that is in the Bible.

Joseph: Now sir, my question to that is, I'm sure Jesus loved all the apostles. He loved everybody.

Pastor Doug: Yes

Joseph: Why does that term seems to be a little puzzling? What does it mean by the one that He loved? It sounds like He may not have loved the others.

Pastor Doug: Well if you look, for instance, in John 13:23, "Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of the disciples, whom Jesus loved." And the apostle John often refers to himself as "the disciple whom Jesus loved." It's not that He didn't love the others. John did have a very close relationship with Jesus because there were three people on the inner circle of Jesus, His inner cabinet, which was Peter, James and John.

Often, He took just Peter, James and John up to the mountain. Of the three of them, James and Peter died first. John lived the longest.

Joseph: Right

Pastor Doug: He was very close to the Lord. He was probably the youngest of the apostles when Jesus began His ministry. And so Jesus, because he was young, he was tender and impressionable, Jesus put more attention into guiding him.

Joseph: But He didn't love him any more than He did the others?

Pastor Doug: You know, I don't think that. I think the Lord loves us all. I think that John may have had some tender characteristics that the Lord really resonated with--

Joseph: I see

Pastor Doug: --if that makes sense.

Joseph: Yes it does. Thank you so much.

Pastor Doug: Okay

Joseph: Thank you both.

Pastor Jëan Ross: You know Pastor Doug, it's interesting. It seems that out of all of the apostles, they all speak of the love of God. But John seems to be the one who dwells the most on the love of God. If you read the smaller, little letters that he wrote, 1st, 2nd and 3rd John, there are many references to the brethren to love one another,--

Pastor Doug: Um-hmm, absolutely.

Pastor Jëan Ross: --about the love of God. So that's a simple theme to John. Do we have time for one more?

Pastor Doug: I think we do.

Pastor Jëan Ross: Alright. Daniel is listening on the Internet and he's calling from North Carolina. Daniel, welcome to the program.

Daniel: Hey good evening uh, Pastor Doug

Pastor Doug: Good evening

Daniel: We were having a Bible study, me and another guy, and he had a, not an envision but a interpretation of how, when Jesus returns what the earth is going to be like, the condition of the earth. And he was telling me he watched this video called, The Final Events, which I'd seen too which is really good. And it showed broken down buildings--

Pastor Doug: Right

Daniel: --dead people on the ground. But I told him that I didn't see it being that way because of 2nd Peter chapter 3, 10--

Pastor Doug: "Heaven and earth will pass away with a great noise"?

Daniel: Yup, "and all the elements will be melted with fervent heat, the earth and all the works it it shall be burned up."

Pastor Doug: Yup

Daniel: And I looked at it totally being desolate; and he disagreed with me and then we started studying it. Then he started questioning it. So we, kind of, would like you to, kind of, put some uh, uh, clear that up for us.

Pastor Doug: Well I'll do my best. I've got about a minute or so before we have to take a break. If you look in Jeremiah 4:23, here the prophet says, "I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void." Now at first glance, that might sound like way back when God created it.

Daniel: Okay

Pastor Doug: But you keep reading and it says, "and the heavens, and they had no light. I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, the hills moved lightly. I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of heaven were fled," meaning they were there but they're gone. "I beheld the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down."

What caused it? "...at the presence of the LORD, and by his fierce anger. For thus says the LORD, the whole land will be desolate; yet I will not make a full end," meaning "I'll recreate it." So when the Lord comes, the heavens, meaning the atmosphere around the earth, is destroyed. That's what the word "heavens" there means, atmosphere around the earth.

It's destroyed. It's going to be completely consumed. The surface of the earth is going to probably turn to molten rock and be consumed. And then God will create a new heavens and a new earth; but He's probably going to use the same mass that is here now as He recreates it.

I'm sorry we didn't get to spend more time on that Daniel, but I hope that added a little bit anyway to your question. Friends, we're going to take a break. If you've joined us along the way, this is Bible Answers Live. The program is not over. We just have a couple of important announcements for you.

Please get a writing tool ready. We want to make sure you can write down a couple of websites. I'll start you off right now. If you've never been to amazingfacts.org, or if you haven't been there lately, you want to go there now because the whole website has received a five-year overhaul. It has been completely updated, and so many more resources, and user-friendly.

Just make sure and take a visit to amazingfacts.org. A lot of Bible studies, videos, and even these questions can be found archived. Be right back.

[COMMERCIAL BREAK]

Pastor Doug: We're back listening friends. This is Bible Answers Live. And in just a moment, we're going to go back to the phones and take some of your Bible questions. Oh by the way, we do have some lines open. If you'd like to make a call with a Bible question, that number again is 1-800-GOD-SAYS, 1-800-463-7297.

And, based on the volume I see now you've got a good chance of getting your question on tonight's program. We told you to get a pencil ready. Tonight we've talked some about death; and everything with halloween; and what happens when you die, what does the Bible teach and what does it not teach.

We have a website that we'd like to recommend to you, and it's called truthaboutdeath.com. A lot of resources there; Bible studies; Scriptures; books that are recommended; other links that can help you understand what does the Bible really teach about this. It's actually just shocking and disturbing how much spiritualism has crept into the church.

Christians going to mediums, and crystal balls, and tarot cards, and Christians getting mixed up with the supernatural and things that the Bible clearly forbids. And if you'd like to know more about what the Bible teaches...and what happens when a Christian dies?

Pastor Jëan Ross: Um-hm

Pastor Doug: Do they go to limbo? Abraham's bosom? Purgatory? Heaven? Hell? Sleep? What are they doing? This website will help answer that; truthaboutdeath.com. And, one more thing, pardon me Pastor Ross. You know, I think I probably need to mention, some of our AM stations, right during this time of year, because the days are getting shorter, because of FCC rules, some AM stations experience a power reduction halfway through our program and it's coordinated by sundown times.

And people say, "What happened? The power was dropped. We don't hear it as well." It happens every time this year. And it's wonderful in the spring time. We get a power boost halfway through the program. So we apologize if that's happening to you. Within a couple more weeks you won't notice it.

Pastor Jëan Ross: You know, we also want to let folks know they can hear this on the Internet.

Pastor Doug: That's right!

Pastor Jëan Ross: So if you do have a challenge in losing the signal, go to the Amazing Facts website. You'll be able to listen to the program live.

Pastor Doug: There you go

Pastor Jëan Ross: Alright. Let's go to the phone lines. Our next caller is Steve and he is calling from Sacramento, California, listening on KFIA. Steve, welcome to the program.

Steve: Thanks for having me. How are you guys doing tonight?

Pastor Doug: Great!

Steve: Ah great. Well my question is, I think you guys were talking about halloween earlier--

Pastor Doug: Yeah

Steve: --and is there something in the Bible that says something about that? To me, it feels like it's an evil holiday?

Pastor Doug: Well, you know, there's quite a bit in the Bible to avoid the appearance of evil. In Ephesians he tells us--Pastor Ross will help me find it--"Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, rather reprove them."

Pastor Jëan Ross: Ephesians 5:11

Pastor Doug: You already had it all triggered and ready to go--

Pastor Jëan Ross: I looked it up, yeah! (Chuckles)

Pastor Doug: He was all ready for that. I had no idea. Yeah, it says there, Ephesians 5:11, just to not have any fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness. And you know, there are a number of American holidays that, obviously, a Christian can participate. Thanksgiving, even though there's no Bible command to remember that date, but it's certainly, in principle, something good that a Christian should be able to support.

If we don't support Thanksgiving, then who will? That's a great holiday. But if there is a holiday that Christians should probably avoid and shun, I'd say it's halloween; because so much of it has all the trappings that have to do with death and evil; "If you don't give me a treat I'm doing to do a trick", and the occult, and spiritualism.

Now you know, if kids knock on your door and they're trick or treating, you can open the door and be friendly and give them something good. It doesn't mean you slam the door and scowl at them--"Bah! Humbug! I don't believe in halloween." That's really not the best way to witness. But it doesn't mean you need to participate. I think that's the principle that we teach our kids.

Obviously Steve, you're not going to find the word "halloween" in the Bible because it came long after the Bible was finished. It sprang from a Catholic holiday, "All Saints Eve." They called it, "Hallow Eve", and it's sort of been corrupted into halloween. And it was a high date, October 31, in the Druid society for consulting with the dead. It coincided with this Catholic "All Saints Day". And so, I think Christians should just avoid that.

Steve: Okay great. Thank you.

Pastor Doug: Alright. Appreciate it. God bless you and hope that helps a little.

Pastor Jëan Ross: Our next caller is Dixon and he's listening on WMCA from Brooklyn, New York. Dixon, welcome to the program.

Dixon: Yes uh, good evening

Pastor Doug: Good evening, how can we help you?

Dixon: Yes, my question is about the Trinity.

Pastor Doug: Yes

Dixon: I know that the Trinity consists of three parts--

Pastor Doug: Right. Father, Son, and Spirit.

Dixon: Right. And it says that those three parts make one God.

Pastor Doug: Yes

Dixon: The question is, when we go to heaven, are we going to see one God? Or are we going to see those three, distinct Persons?

Pastor Doug: Probably two. And again, I'm talking about God. I need to be careful because I am not God. But from what I read in the Bible, God the Father and Son they do occupy space in two different spaces.

Part of the reason I say that is when Christ was baptized, God the Father in heaven spoke and said This is My Son who was there on earth. The same thing happened on the Mount of Transfiguration. But God the Spirit, He's omnipresent; and He doesn't necessarily have a form the way that God the Father and Son do. When Jesus comes again, He specifically says, "I'm coming on the right hand of power."

Well, what is that power He is sitting on the right hand of? What power is greater than the power of the Son? Must be the power of the Father. So Christ is coming on the right hand of the power of God the Father. But I never really see that there will be a form for the Spirit. You know, sometimes the Spirit is represented as wind, a dove, water, tongues of fire.

I mean, you know, God, if He chooses, the Holy Spirit might be represented in some form there when we get to heaven. I don't know. So I'm speculating on that; but there are three, distinct Individuals. Alright?

Dixon: Okay

Pastor Doug: Alright. So I just tried to give you a few Scriptures and again, hey, when you and I get together in heaven we'll talk about it, alright?

Dixon: Okay

Pastor Doug: Thanks Dixon

Pastor Jëan Ross: Thanks for your call. Our next caller is Bruce, and he's listening on KFIA from Hidden Valley Lake, California. Bruce, welcome to the program.

Bruce: Thank you, and God bless you. Now first I'd like to say Jesus Christ is my personal Lord and Savior, but I have a really unusual question. I've never heard it asked before but I'd like to get your opinion. Now, I can base it first on John chapter 13, verses 1 and 2, where Satan tries to enter Satan at the last supper with Jesus. And then you were talking about Jesus going into the wilderness and being tempted by Satan tonight. But this is also Daniel, where...this is chapter 10--

Pastor Doug: Uh-huh

Bruce: --uh, where he's in the room. He says he suddenly saw a vision but the men with him didn't see it, but they suddenly were terrified and ran. But then further down, you know, where they explain that, you know, that since he, the day he began to pray for understanding and to humble himself before God the request had been heard in heaven. And he had been sent, the spirit, the angel, the man, they've been called in a lot of different translations. But, "I have come an answer to your prayer, but for 21 days the spirit prince kingdom of Persia blocked my way." Now when I look at people this weak, it's just--I was praying. And all of a sudden I had a vision of Mecca and all those people in their white garments, down on their knees. You know, all their lives, five, six times a day, whatever they do, but, so is that anyhow give power to Satan, seeing it's how...that is still right around Babylon where Daniel was having all this trouble, and so were the angels getting to him. But, somehow, when people pray to Allah, I mean, to me, that represents a Satanic church, does the prayers of all those faithful believers in Allah down on their knees praying...I mean, it sometimes humbles me, and almost makes me jealous because, in this country, I'd love to see everybody bring to Jesus that many times a day--

Pastor Doug: Alright Bruce, let me--if you don't mind, I'm going to jump in. Let me see if I can summarize what you're saying. "If people are praying to a false god, does that give any kind of power, or added strength, to Satan?"

Bruce: Yes

Pastor Doug: I would say it doesn't give him additional power. The only power he gets is it may give him additional influence on earth. I think it gives him glory, which, you know, he hungers for. He's proud; and Satan wants to be worshiped. And so I think it gives him some twisted satisfaction.

Of course, he's probably never satisfied, but it might give him some twisted satisfaction when people are praying, unwittingly, to him. But it doesn't give him any more power as far as in his wrestling match with God. He doesn't get any stronger against God. It just uh...the more people that give credibility to the devil here in this world, it increases his influence in this world, which is what he's after.

Bruce: One quick follow-up question. Now, at the end of the world, there's going to be a one-world government. And the anti-Christ, Satan himself, and the false prophet are going to be in charge of the entire earth for a short time. But that--that's kind of what, you know, to me it looks like some kind of supernatural power is being given by his believers to a government in the world for Satan to run?

Pastor Doug: Well, Satan is going to have, not unlimited, but he's going to have a great deal of power over the kingdoms of the world in the last days; and it says because of the way that he's going to be manipulating things. Also, right now, God's Spirit is striving with the hearts of men. And as we near the end of time, the Lord is going to withdraw His Spirit from those who have rejected it.

And those who have rejected God's Spirit, Satan is, basically, going to move into their lives at some time before the world ends. You're going to have a world that is filled with the majority of people who have grieved away the Holy Spirit. The saved will be saved. The lost will be lost; and it will be frightening when probation closes and God's Spirit is withdrawn from people who, at least, had the Spirit striving in their hearts before. That's going to be a scary time.

I hope that helps a little Bruce. I may have been rambling in my answer.

Pastor Jëan Ross: Alright. Let's go to the next caller. Carrie is listening on the Internet from Sebastopol, California. Carrie, welcome to the program.

Carrie: Hi

Pastor Doug: How can we help you tonight Carrie?

Carrie: I have a question. I want to know what the Bible says about all the conflicts that are going on in the Middle East, and you know, and about the prophet Mohammed, and the conflict on the 9/11, and all that?

Pastor Doug: Well you know, that's interesting. Our previous caller asked a similar, related question. But I don't have a complete study in my mind about what the role will be, except to say this. You read the last few verses in Daniel chapter 11. And it specifically mentions five, predominantly Islamic countries. Just before the end of the world, Michael stands up, there's a resurrection, and a great time of trouble.

And namely, it mentions Egypt, Libya, Edom, Moab and Ammon, which right now are Jordan, Syria, and the Sinai Peninsula. So these countries are mentioned. I thought it was very interesting today. Just on CNN, I surfed right around lunch time at the news and I heard a report of Islam and how so many in the Islam world are waiting for the hidden Imam to come. And it's their equivalent of a messiah.

Pastor Jëan Ross: Um-hm

Pastor Doug: They believe he's in the world today and that he's going to make his appearance. And I thought, "Wow, if Satan were to impersonate Christ and to flex his supernatural muscles, a lot of religions could be prepared for a major deception." So I think that's going to have a role. But there's no question that with the explosive growth in Islam and some of the radical fundamental Islamic believers, that it's going to have a role in last-day prophecy.

Carrie: Yeah. I just, you know, I'd never really...back when I went to Revelation seminars and Bible studies--

[Cross talking]

Pastor Doug: Yeah I don't know that there's any--

Carrie: --I just really hadn't...that had never really been covered as much and--

Pastor Doug: It's mentioned a little bit in the study on the seven seals, because they talk about Islam being used by God to, sort of, chastise the Christian religion for their apostasy. But I think they are going to have a role in the last days and I need to study that more. Dwight Nelson did a nice series of meetings on Islam. He's on television and Pastor of the Pioneer Memorial Church; and I'm going to have to listen to his study on that.

Pastor Jëan Ross: Um-hm. You know, I think as time gets closer to the end, we'll begin to see how Revelation--

Pastor Doug: It unfolds.

Pastor Jëan Ross: --it unfolds. It will make sense and come together. Our next caller is Joseph listening on the Internet from Cleveland, Ohio. Joseph, welcome to the program.

Joseph: Thank you very much. I'm listening to your fascinating program for the very first time and I wanted to ask you a question regarding Genesis. In the land of Nod, apparently the, from my understanding, the women that married the sons of Adam--

Pastor Doug: Yes

Joseph: --came from the land of Nod. And uh, not knowing much about it, not being much of a scholar at all, I've always wondered how one would go about reconciling the apparent contradiction between Adam being the first man on earth, and these people appearing from this land of Nod I know nothing about.

Pastor Doug: Well actually, it doesn't say that he got his wife in the land of Nod. I'll read it to you. It says, "And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod....And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived." So you might be assuming, or someone might assume, the land of Nod is where he got his wife.

In reality, Adam and Eve had many children besides Cain and Abel and Seth. And you read in Genesis 5, Adam and Eve had sons and daughters. There was nothing wrong in the

beginning with a man taking his sister as wife. Abraham married his half-sister; Isaac married his first-cousin. It was a lot more common as you get back in the beginning of Genesis.

Joseph: Oh!

Cain took one of his sisters. Matter of fact if you think about it, technically, Eve would have been Adam's sister (chuckles). I mean, or not even quite that. She came out of him; but they're certainly related (laughs).

Joseph: That's true, that's true.

Pastor Doug: You can't get away...so, you know, they--

Joseph: Because logic does follow that if they were the only...if Adam and Eve were the first couple, then the children would, naturally, have had to intermarry.

Pastor Doug: Yeah, and there was nothing wrong with that. Their genes were very vital back then and they didn't have the genetic challenges we have today when people intermarry to much within the clan. But it wasn't until the time of Moses they made laws against intermarriage between a brother and a sister. But up until then, even first-cousins--there was no problem with that.

Joseph: Well that's neat. Thank you very much.

Pastor Doug: You're welcome. Thank you Joseph.

Pastor Jëan Ross: Madeline is listening on KFIA from Rancho Cordova, California. Madeline, welcome to the program.

Madeline: Thank you. Pastor Doug,

Pastor Doug: Yes ma'am?

Madeline: I watch Amazing Facts and I watch 3ABN daily.

Pastor Doug: Oh bless your heart.

Madeline: (Chuckles) I enjoy it very much. My question is, will you please tell me Scripture from the New Testament that we should keep the Sabbath Saturday, as they did in the Old Testament?

Pastor Doug: Well in Hebrews chapter 4, you have--

Madeline: I'd like to write this down.

Pastor Doug: Okay, well you--

Madeline: Hebrews

Pastor Doug: Hebrews chapter 4.

Madeline: Alright

Pastor Doug: There, Paul talks about, "There remains therefore a rest," and the word "rest" there is a Sabbath rest, "for the people of God." So that's one example.

Madeline: Alright

Pastor Doug: The other example would be where it tells us that Jesus, as His custom was, went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and He read the Scriptures. Where is that Pastor Ross? There's one in Mark and one in Luke where it talks about Christ having the custom of--

Pastor Jëan Ross: Mark.

Pastor Doug: yeah

Pastor Jëan Ross: I'll have to look the reference up for you.

Pastor Doug: --of worshiping in the synagogue on the Sabbath day. Then Paul, as his custom was, and this is in the book of Acts of course, he went and he would reason continually with Jews and Gentiles on the Sabbath day.

So, you know, in the presence of hundreds of examples of Sabbaths that were kept in the New Testament, nowhere does it ever say it should be kept another day, or this Commandment has been done away with. The reference in Mark?

Pastor Jëan Ross: Mark 6, verse 2, speaking of Jesus, as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day. You know, we also have another one in Matthew chapter 24 where Jesus speaks to those following His resurrection and ascension and the destruction of Jerusalem--

Madeline: Matthew 24

Pastor Jëan Ross: Matthew 24, Jesus says, "Pray that your flight be not in winter or on the Sabbath day."

Pastor Doug: Or on the Sabbath day.

Madeline: Oh yes, yes.

Pastor Doug: And then you have in Luke, when Jesus died on the cross it says as the Sabbath began to begin, the women would not finish embalming His body because they knew

Jesus wouldn't be pleased with them doing that on the Sabbath. So they went home and kept the Sabbath according to the Commandment.

Madeline: Yes

Pastor Doug: So, even up to the end of His ministry the disciples were still keeping the seventh-day Sabbath, according to the Commandment.

Madeline: Oh, I thank you.

Pastor Doug: And that's Luke 24, or is that Luke 23--

Pastor Jëan Ross: Luke 23:56

Pastor Doug: Yeah, Luke 23:56

Madeline: Luke 23:56

Pastor Doug: Right, and read on a couple of verses after that.

Madeline: Alright. I'll do that, and I thank you very much for taking my call.

Pastor Doug: And Madeline, we have a study guide on that that I hope will help you. It's free. And it's, The Lost Day of History.

Madeline: Alright. I'd love to have it.

Pastor Jëan Ross: All you'll need to do, Madeline, is call our resource number, 1-800-835-6747; ask for that study guide, The Lost Day of History, and we'll be happy to send that out to you. Our next caller is Rhett and he is calling from Spokane, Washington. Rhett, welcome to the program.

Rhett: Yeah, how are you doing?

Pastor Doug: Very well. How can we help you tonight?

Rhett: Oh I just have a question. You know, I'm not real religious, but I know there are some promises in the Bible. I'm trying to quit smoking pot.

Pastor Doug: Okay

Rhett: And there are some promises in there that might be able to help me, or....

Pastor Doug: Well, the promises in the Bible are very powerful, but they're especially useful for those that believe. And by the way, I used to smoke pot so I can relate to you. I don't think

I was ever addicted, but I certainly did smoke plenty. Once you accept the Lord, He is the Word; then the promises start to take on power. And so, you know, I could give you some medicine, but if you don't have a syringe to put it in...you know what I'm saying?

Rhett: Yeah

Pastor Doug: And so it's faith that you must roll it up in, pardon the pun. You need to roll your Scriptures up in faith to keep them together. So if you say, "I just want the promises from the Bible, but I don't really want faith in God", well it's faith in God that makes the promises come alive.

And you've got promises that, if you're in Christ, you're "a new creature: old things are passed away; all things become new." You become a new person. The things you once loved you now hate; and the things you once hated you now love. "As many as received him, to them he gives power to become the sons of God."

God gives you power to let those things go. And He will "not allow you to be tempted above what you're able," that's 1st Corinthians chapter 10. So Pastor Ross might have a couple to add to that.

Pastor Jëan Ross: Yeah, there's a few more wonderful ones. Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ Jesus that strengthens me."

Pastor Doug: Good one!

Pastor Jëan Ross: And then I like this one, John chapter 8, verse 36, "If the Son sets you free, you shall be free indeed."

Pastor Doug: So the next step, Rhett, is hey, a life without Jesus, you're not really living.

Rhett: Yeah I know. I believe, I do believe. I just have this addiction that I'm just trying to get rid of.

Pastor Doug: Do you have a Bible?

Rhett: Um, I'm driving my car right now. I'm on my way back from Spokane.

[Cross talk]

Pastor Doug: No I don't mean...I mean do you own...I'm not going to ask you to turn. Do you own a Bible?

[Cross talk]

Rhett: No, No I--No I don't have one.

Pastor Doug: If you can remember two words, Amazing Facts. Can you remember Amazing Facts?

Rhett: Amazing Facts, okay

Pastor Doug: Everyone loves to hear amazing facts. If you either write us, call us, go to the Internet, we'll send you a free set of Bible study guides. And if you go any good Christian church Rhett, they'll give you a Bible. If you say, "You know, I just want a Bible." Come to my church, I'll give you a Bible.

So then you take a look. It'll change your life; and that's where you're going to get the power to break away from this. I promise you. The power is in God, I promise you. He did it for me and thousands of others. So I hope that helps a little bit. There's also a book we could send you by Joe Crews. It's called, The Power of a Positive No. It'll give you power to just say, "No."

Pastor Jëan Ross: Um-hm. To receive that book, call the resource number, 1-800-835-6747. For anyone listening, The Power of a Positive No. Pam is listening on KARM from Pulare, California. Pam, welcome to the program.

Pam: Good evening gentlemen and Pastor Doug. I loved your analogies a minute ago (chuckles).

Pastor Doug: (Chuckles)

Pam: Those are pretty good!

Pastor Doug: Alright

Pam: In the beginning, in Genesis, everything was perfect before sin. So we have Adam in the garden; and he's suppose to tend the garden. What is he tending? The place is perfect. What is he doing? What's his job?

Pastor Doug: No, that's good. I've been to some beautiful gardens, but the gardener is constantly training the vines where to grow. Adam probably was watching these grapes grow and he was guiding the little tentacles that go out; and wrapping them in such a way that it was creating a home for him and Eve to live in a living home.

And so they were training and arranging different flowers to grow together for the beauty of them. You know, there are a lot of wonderful things you can do in a garden besides pull weeds and thistles.

Pam: Okay

Pastor Doug: People like George Washington Carver and Luther Burbank, some of these guys just revelled in doing hybrids and cross pollinating and creating new varieties of plants

and flowers and roses. I just think Adam and Eve probably were, well, in paradise there; just working with the creation of God. I was out working in tomatoes today, except I was pulling them up because it's getting cold now. But you know, it's fun to work with the things that God makes.

Pam: Yes it is. Well thank you very much and God bless you.

Pastor Doug: God bless. Yeah, they weren't pulling weeds out there, or thistles.

Pastor Jëan Ross: They enjoyed their gardening. It was a lot of fun.

Pastor Doug: Yeah, it was probably nothing like what we do today.

Pastor Jëan Ross: Right, right. Jose is listening on WDLN from Orlando, Florida. Jose, welcome to the program.

Jose: Hi, how are you doing Pastor?

Pastor Doug: Hi, hey thanks for waiting. We might have just a few minutes for your question, Jose, so let's jump right in.

Jose: Okay. Jesus was baptized.

Pastor Doug: Yes

Jose: He had never sinned.

Pastor Doug: Correct

Jose: Ah, the baptism that John was doing was the baptism of repentance. What was the reason for Jesus to be baptized?

Pastor Doug: Alright, good question. First of all, even John the Baptist was surprised Jesus came for baptism because he said, "Lord, You should baptize me." Jesus said, "I know this may seem strange," I'm paraphrasing, "but you do this now, for it's important for this to fulfill all righteousness."

Jose: Yes

Pastor Doug: Now Jose, Jesus died for sin on the cross. Did He die for His sin?

Jose: No. He died for my sin and for your sin.

Pastor Doug: Alright. So Christ died for the sins of others. When He was baptized, He didn't get baptized for His sin either.

Jose: Uh-huh

Pastor Doug: Christ may have been baptized, in part, not only as an example for us to follow, because the Bible says He's given us an example that we should follow in His steps. So for one thing, He was baptized as our example to follow.

Jose: Yes

Pastor Doug: For another thing, Christ may have been baptized in behalf of those who could not be baptized.

Jose: Okay

Pastor Doug: For instance, the thief who died on the cross next to Jesus, Jesus promised to save him. Well that thief couldn't come down and be baptized before he died. I believe Christ was saying, "Look, I'll give you credit for My baptism. I didn't need it so you get credit for it." So, you know, there are some who are in hospital beds or prisons and they just can't get baptized. Baptism will not be an obstacle for their salvation.

Christ will give them credit through His baptism. So mostly, it's an example for you and me to follow. And it's also when He was anointed with the Spirit; it's when Christ began His ministry officially at His baptism. Anyway, hope that helps a little Jose. That's a quick study. We do have a lesson called, "Baptism: Is It Really Necessary?" We'll send you a free book.

Listening friends, before we chased away by the clock, please remember, this is a 100% faith-based ministry. If you've been blessed by Amazing Facts, we'd love to hear from you. You can not only drop us a line at the address you'll hear in a moment, you can contact us on the Internet. And, in the meantime, by God's grace, we'll see you next week.

Just remember, Jesus is the truth that sets you free.

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