Doug Batchelor: Hello, friends, this is Doug Batchelor. How about an amazing fact? DNA is a miraculous thing, more precisely known as the deoxyribonucleic acid. The DNA molecule is the blueprint of all living things. Like an enormous recipe book, DNA contains our unique genetic code. It holds the instructions for making all the proteins in our bodies. The color of our eyes, hair and skin, how our lungs and heart will work, is all determined by our DNA.
DNA has an amazing double helix shape like a long spiraling ladder, and there's so much information in one DNA molecule it is simply mind-boggling. Now don't try this at home, but if you uncoiled the DNA and all the cells in your body, it would stretch 10 billion miles from here to Pluto and back. Put another way, it would take a person typing 60 words per minute, eight hours a day, around 50 years to type the human genome.
Yet incredibly, in 2013, the world's largest cooperative biological venture called the human genome project, composed of a team of scientists and students from around the world, succeeded in mapping the three billion possible sequences in the human genome.
When you consider the staggering complexity required for life to exist, it is inconceivable the molecular machinery in our bodies fell into place by accident. Stay with us, friends. We're going to learn more, as Amazing Facts brings you this edition of Bible Answers Live.
Voice Over: Welcome to Bible Answers Live, with author and evangelist Pastor Doug Batchelor. Is understanding God's Word a challenge? Are there passages of scripture that are a mystery to you? Maybe it's difficult to reconcile what you've read in the Bible to what you've always believed. If you have Bible related questions, stay tuned to get honest practical answers straight from the Word of God on Bible Answers Live.
Bible Answers Live is a production of Amazing Facts ministries dedicated to spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ to the entire world. Our lines are open. So call us now at 800-GOD-SAYS, that's 800-463-7297. Now, here's your host, Pastor Doug Batchelor.
Doug: Welcome, listening friends, to Bible Answers Live. And if you have a Bible based question, give us a call, we have lines open, and it's a free phone call. That's 800-GOD-SAYS, 800-463-7297, that'll bring your Bible question into our studio. Are you ready? One more time. 800-463-7297. Bible Answers Live, my name is Doug Batchelor.
Jean: My name is Jean Ross, good evening, friends, and Pastor Doug, once more, let's begin the program with prayer. Dear father in heaven, we thank you for the opportunity for us to study your word together, and we ask your blessing upon this program, be with those listening wherever they might be. And Lord, we ask the Holy Spirit to guide our minds as we search the Scriptures for answers. For we asks this in Jesus' name, Amen.
Doug: Amen.
Jean: Pastor, you began the program this evening by talking about something that really is sort of the blueprint for every person, their DNA, and how incredible it is. The more that scientists study the DNA, the more compelling the argument that there must be a designer who put this all together.
Doug: Yes, there are so many different variations in the DNA. It's basically encoding all the minute details of what makes every individual unique. Not as human's DNA, and there's fish, flowers, cabbage, I mean, everything's got DNA. People wonder when two cells combined of a man and woman. The DNA helix is somehow able to pull apart the two different sides of the ladder, so it's only 50%, and it'll join with the DNA of the male or the female, and form that new person.
It's just absolutely a miracle how that would happen by a lightning strike in a puddle--, you can't conceive of how something like that would ever develop. It is just a mysterious miraculous detail, and they're still only beginning to discover one thing that's come out recently, is that a person's life experience changes their DNA. What you do and you think, and how you live can actually minute changes to your DNA. So that when you transfer it on, you can actually transfer on tendencies[sp] that have been developed during your life.
It's just so incredible that that genetic material could be preserved that way through experience. This is what the Bible has always taught. So for people who think that-- and I respect them-- but I still can't comprehend. I used to be one of them, can't comprehend how people can believe that the absolutely incredible, astounding, fabulous, wonderful, complexity, symbiotic relationships of life could have developed without intelligence.
You'll never get anything like that through scientific demonstration. You always have to insert intelligence for these people from around the world to decode the DNA, to record it. It took massive intelligence of supercomputers and universities around the world just to try to decipher or to record all the sequences of DNA in the genome project.
Friends, there is a God out there, there has to be. There's too much intelligence and inter working systems in the universe. Maybe you'd like to read a good book that talks about the wonders of God's creation. We have a free gift that we'd like to make available.
Jean: It is a book called Amazing Wonders of Creation. We'll be able to send that to anybody who calls and asks. Our resource line is 800-835-6747, again, that number is 800-835-6747. You can ask for the book called Amazing Wonders of Creation. And if you have a Bible question, the phone line here to the studio is 800-463-7297, again, that's 800-463-7297.
Our first caller this evening is Milo, listening in Bakersfield, California. Milo, welcome to the program.
Milo: Thank you, bless you.
Doug: Likewise. How can we help you tonight?
Milo: I have been studying this for a while, and it's still find of like blurry in my mind. But I think I have it straight in my head and my heart. Talks about Noah in Genesis 5:32, and is also speaking of Genesis 6:3, where God, "My spirit will not strive with man always, and that his days will be in 120 years." But then I continued to study even the words that Jesus said in the New Testament, in that, "Even the days of the elect should be shortened, or else nobody would be saved."
It hit me back to Genesis 7:11, where it says that he is-- that Noah-- [crosstalk]
Doug: In the 600th year of his life?
Milo: Yes. Did he really stayed a 120 years making the Ark? Or was it just a hundred?
Doug: Noah from the time that God gave him the warning, that's about the time God called Noah, says, "Noah found grace," and he said, "My spirit will not strive with man forever, his days will be 120 years." So there's a 120 years until the time of the flood. Pastor Ross said verse in Peter where he said that preaching to the spirits in prison[sp], in the days in which to Noah was preparing the Ark, in which eight people were saved.
Peter actually refers to this verse, and God's Spirit, through Noah, preached to the people that were dead and sinned back in the days of the flood, so it was a 120 years said--.
Jean: That's 1st Peter, chapter three, verse 18 and 19.
Doug: I do think it was a 120 years. You look at the size of the Ark--, you still there? Yes, go ahead, you're saying?
Milo: Yes, there is 600 years, and the year of Noah's life, and the second month, and the 17th day of the month, the same day where all the [unintelligible 00:09:01] was broken.
Doug: Yes, Noah was 480 years old when he got the call, and a 120 years later is when the flood came, and he was 600. So he lived, and at the end, I think Noah lived over 900 years, I forget the exact number.
Milo: Yes, after the flood. But there's another part that I kept questioning, but I haven't found that verse. It says, "Two years after the flood, his youngest son had a boy born onto him, and he was only 98 years old." I can't see the 120 going to that point.
Doug: Noah's youngest son was not--, I'm not sure what you're talking about, you're talking about when one of Noah's sons had offspring?
Milo: Yes, an offspring, and he was only 98 years old.
Doug: God may have called Noah before he had his three sons, and they were born obviously before the flood, because the Bible says that there were Noah and his sons, and his sons' wives, but they hadn't had children yet when he went on the ark. There were eight people, Noah and his wife, three sons and their wives.
Jean: We have a website that, Milo, you might enjoy taking a look at, it's Biblehistory.com. It actually plots out the life span of these different patriarchs, it talks about Noah, it talks about Abraham, talks about those before the flood. It's a great resource if you want to get the big picture, and the various timelines and the ages of the various individuals in the Bible. Take a look at it, Biblehistory.com, and fascinating study.
Doug: Amen. You'll enjoy that, we appreciate your call. Milo, also you get the free study book tonight. Amazing Wonders of Creation, we'll send you a copy of that, as well.
Jean: The number again for our free resource is 800-835-6747, you can ask for the book called Wonders of Creation. The next call is Lenore, listening from Greenville, North Carolina. Lenore, welcome to the program.
Lenore: Thank you for taking my call. My question is about the word spirit. I understand people think that when you die, your spirit goes back to God, and I do understand the teaching that you have taught about that. I don't have a problem with that. My question is when the Bible talks about John 4:24, that if we worship God, God of the Spirit, we have to worship Him in spirit and in truth. All the references the Bible makes about the Spirit or the Spirit coming up on someone. What exactly does that mean?
Doug: Jesus said when he was speaking in John, for to the woman at the well, that God is a Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship Him in Spirit. When we say spirit, it's not really talking about the ghost. It means with your heart, it shouldn't be just a regiment. I think you also find, I didn't see it just yet, the 1st Corinthians 14, he talks about, here it is, "I'll pray with my Spirit, and so I will sing with the Spirit, I'll also pray with the understanding." Having a Spirit filled prayer means that your heart is in it, there's a genuineness to it.
Jesus often talked about when you give, don't do it for others, give because you love God, for the right motives. That's what you mean, spiritual giving, spiritual praying, fasting, whatever it is. He wants it to be from the heart, not just to be outward for display.
Lenora: Thank you so much, that confirms my answer. I thought that was-- but I just wanted to hear it from you.
Doug: Thank you, Lenore, we'd be happy to send you a book that we've written recently, and it's talking about the beauties of Prayer, we'll be happy to send you a free copy.
Jean: The number to call is 800-835-6747, and the book is called Teach Us to Pray. Again, that number is 800-835-6747, ask the book on prayer called Teach Us to Pray. Our next call is Juan, listening from Columbus, Ohio. Juan, welcome to the program.
Juan: Hi, guys, thank you for taking my call.
Doug: Hi.
Juan: Hi. My question today is, you know how we shouldn't eat some of the unclean meats, like our shrimp and pork. I have a lot of Israeli friends. They do not mix dairy with meat, and so they cannot eat a cheeseburger or nothing like that. If they eat ice cream, they have to wait five hours to eat meat. Are we supposed to follow that as Bible Christians? Does the Bible say anything about mixing dairy with meat?
Doug: There's a place where it says, "Do not boil a kid, kid goat, in its mother's milk." I don't know if you can find that, Pastor Ross. I think King James says, "Do not not seed a kid in its mother's milk," that really had nothing to do--, now, you're talking to me, while I'm a vegan, so I'm already a fanatic in that,but it's not because you have to be biblically, it's a health choice I make. Some people take the verse, what is it, Pastor Ross?
Jean: It's actually mentioned three times. Exodus 23:19, and then 34:26, and Deuteronomy 14:21.
Doug: Why don't you read one of them?
Jean: It says, "The first of the first fruits of the land, thou shalt bring into the house of the Lord thy God, thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk."
Doug: Now, the idea of that really had nothing to do with not mixing meat and milk. It meant that if the mother's milk is supposed to keep the young kid alive, there's something that is incongruent about boiling a baby goat in its mother's milk. It had nothing to do with the health principle. It had to do with just the nature of it. There's a principle there. It doesn't say you cannot see the kid in milk, it said don't seethe it in its mother's milk. You know what I mean?
Juan: I think that's the same verse that they were trying to tell me.
Doug: I'm pretty sure that's where it comes from, but it has nothing to do with not having cheese on your burger. Now, I'll preach a different sermon to you about how bad cheeseburgers are, but it will have nothing to do with this verse, it will just have to do with the benefits of vegetarian diet.
Juan: I actually don't eat meat, but I'm not a vegan. I'm just a vegetarian.
Doug: Bible doesn't say you have to be a vegetarian. Bible doesn't say you have to be a vegan. I was having a long conversation with my son this week about the environment, and how much energy it takes to produce meat compared to vegetables. We were saying, for the environment sake, he might even be a vegetarian, but Bible doesn't require it. It does say, though, that in heaven, God's ideal plan is a vegetarian diet, that's what Adam and Eve had in the Garden of Eden.
And science has confirmed that there's a lot less disease and cancer if you follow the diet that God gave Adam and Eve. I'm just getting ready for heaven by eating that way now.
Jean: We have a study guide called God's Free Health Plan, talks about these biblical principles about healthful living. We'll be able to send it to anybody who calls and ask, the number is 800-835-6747, you can ask for the Amazing Facts study guide called God's Free Health Plan, and we'll be happy to send that to you. Madeline is our next caller, and she's listening in Kansas. Madeline, you're on the air.
Madeline: Hi, thank you so much for taking my call. I have been told and I believe also that God knows the end from the beginning, and that He can see the entire lifespan of a person and knows how his or her life will end. Now, that being said, can God save a young person while they are in their rebellious stage knowing, Him knowing that if that person would have had a chance to grow, he or she would have repented. Meaning if God came at the time in which this young person, either in their teen years or young adult stage, but they haven't had that chance, physically, on this planet.
Can God see into the future, see that person [crosstalk] exactly the way I'm going to see them? Also if you can provide the local references that would be great, because the only example that I found was by just Abijah was with Gerald Glamston[sp], but it doesn't explain in Scripture how old he was or anything like that.
Doug: Concerning Abijah's son, I think the Prophet said there is some good thing found in him. I think we need to be very careful because that is a sword that cuts both ways, that would be like saying a person's living a good life and they die while they're following the Lord and living a good life, but God doesn't let him into heaven because he knows if he had kept living, they were going to turn bad. All we're doing is flipping it around and saying they were living a bad or rebellious life, and then they died.
But God's going to save him, because he knew if they had lived long enough, they would have turned around and been good. There's a verse in Ezekiel 18 where it said that if a righteous person turns, I think it's in Ezekiel 18. Pastor Ross, you remember--, if a righteous person turns from his righteousness, all his righteousness is forgotten in the wickedness that he has done in his sin. If he dies in his wickedness, that's what he's going to pay for. If he turns from his wickedness and does what is right, that's what he'll pay for.
Did you have in that passage? It says here, "The righteousness of the righteous will be upon him, the wickedness of the wicked will be upon him and the soul that sins it will die." I'm pretty sure it's Ezekiel 18, that the whole passage there talks about that in detail. You got it, Pastor Ross?
Jean: Yes, it's Ezekiel chapter 3, verse 20.
Doug: I was off. You want to read piece of that to us?
Jean: Sure, it says, "Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die because you did not give him warning." He's just talking about giving warning. And then I think over in chapter 18 verse 24, "But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and thus according to all of the abominations of the wicked man, shall he live? All the righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered because of the unfaithfulness in which he is guilty."
Doug: Let's see you go on in that verse, it says the opposite also. It pretty much says where you're at, and I always hesitate to say this because there are people who have loved ones. They're clinging to the hope that-- I know that they were running from God or living in rebellion, and then something happened, and they died. But God, he's going to show them mercy because he knew that if they had a little more time, they would have turned around. There's always hope, but the Bible doesn't really teach that, that's how God operates.
Trying to think, if we have anything that deals -- we have that verses -- we do have a book, actually called Facing the Judge, that talks about how does God judge, what are the principles, and that'll deal with some of these issues.
Jean: Again, the number to call is 800-835-6747. You can ask for the book, Facing the Judge, where in fact, I believe it's a study guide. We can send that to somebody who asked for it. It's 800-835-6747. If you have a Bible question, our phone line here to the studio is 800-463-7297.
Doug: I think the booklet, I was thinking about -- you're right, that is our study guide, Facing the Judge. We have a booklet called, Pending-Your Case in Court, that also talks -- we'll send you both, and you can actually read Your Case in Court online right now for free at AmazingFacts.org.
Jean: Our next caller is Seth, and he's listening from Hilo, Hawaii. Seth, welcome to the program.
Seth: Hello.
Jean: Hi.
Doug: Hi. You're on, you're question.
Seth: Thank you very much. My question is on 2 Timothy 4:10. Paul speaks about Titus leaving him as he went in their mission. I think-- my question is, is this is how it's relating the book of Titus?
Doug: Yes, it is probably the same Titus. You're talking about -- I want to make sure that we got the right verse. 2 Timothy 4:10, "For Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed to Thessalonica, Crescens to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia." Is that the verse?
Seth: Yes.
Doug: Yes, That's the same Titus, but Titus did not forsake Paul. Paul is saying Demas forsook me. He's saying the others had to go for other reasons, and then he says only Luke is with me, in verse 11. Paul is feeling very lonely when he writes his second letter to Timothy. This is the last letter Paul writes before he's killed by Nero.
The persecution of the Christians in Rome had driven the others out, but Demas didn't leave because of the persecution. Demas left because he had loved the present world, he gave up his faith. It was different, is that what you're wondering if you -- if Titus had given up his faith or something?
Seth: That's what I was wondering, yes.
Doug: Yes, Titus didn't give up his faith. Titus was taking messages from Paul to the other churches. He was taking final messages, just like this letter that Paul writes here in 2nd Timothy. He's having sent to Timothy through one of the Apostles. As far as we know, Titusdid not lose his faith. He was faithful to the end.
Seth: Thank you very much.
Doug: All right. Thank you, good question, Seth.
Jean: We have Mike listening in Cincinnati, Ohio. Mike, welcome to the program.
Doug: Mike, Cincinnati, are you there?
Mike: Yes, I am.
Doug: Hi.
Mike: How are you doing? God bless.
Doug: Your question.
Mike: My question is about the man of God in 1 Kings 13:26. God had told him not to go back and eat in that place. He went back because he was deceived by a false prophet out of that place. My question is, will he still be saved? Because he was deceived, basically. He was on his way back, he left the place, but then the false prophet came in, deceive him and brought him back. [crosstalk]
Doug: It's a very interesting story. It's a very unique story. But my personal belief is, is this is a prophet who goes and he gives a message to Jeroboam. The prophecy comes true, the altar cracks, the are ashes spill out, Jeroboam's hand is paralyzed, everything he says happens. But he makes a mistake. God had told him don't stop with anyone along the way, come back, the land is corrupt, don't even stop and eat there. But he got tired and he got hungry, and then someone lied to him.
False prophet said, "Okay. No, God told me you can come and eat with me." And he believed it. And then the false prophet suddenly gets the spirit. God speaks through him, it's like God is saying -- look he thought he was a prophet. Here's a prophecy, you weren't supposed to stop in this country, and on your way home, a lion's going to kill you, that's what happens. But I think that he repented.
One reason is years later when his other prophecy comes true, this prophet actually, and his name is never given, that's why we just call him this prophet. He prophesied about King Josiah. He prophesied about Josiah by name that he would dig up the bones of the false prophets.
When Josiah comes to the grave of this prophet, he said don't disturb his grave because he is a true prophet. I'm hoping that he had repented before the lion got to him, because he realized he had done the wrong thing and that he will be saved. He did go on a mission for God, but he made a mistake. There are some prophets that were killed in the line of duty. I'm hoping that this is one that he was saved, but even though he got in trouble for -- another example would be -- Mike, are you still there?
Mike: Yes, I am. I'm here.
Doug: Will Samson be saved? See, Samson ended up in the temple of Dagon because of bad behavior, but the last act of his life is filled with God's Spirit, so he could bring down the temple of Dagon. You think, if God fills him with his spirit, he's going to be in the kingdom. It seems to say in Hebrews that Samson will be saved. Just because you make a mistake, God doesn't judge us based on the occasional good deed or misdeed, but what are the habitual words and acts. Normally, this was an obedient prophet. I expect he'll be saved.
Mike: Good.
Doug: That makes sense?
Mike: Yes, it does make plenty sense, right there.
Doug: All right. I appreciate your call. Thank you so much, Mike.
Jean: A next caller is Rick, and he's listening in Florida. Rick, welcome to the program.
Rick: Good evening, pastors, can you hear me?
Doug: Loud and clear.
Rick: Good, God bless you both. I was reading the book, The Good Book. In the New Testament, the soldier, when Jesus is on the cross, thrust his spear into the side to make sure he's dead. It really goes to a point to say, blood and water came out in separate streams. There's some kind of meaning to that, because I know if you stab me you're just going to see blood. I was just wondering about that.
Doug: I think there is, John especially talks about -- he has a lot to say about living water, he also talks a lot about the blood, he talks about being born of the water, washed in the blood. There's a spiritual significance to it. Doctors have explained to me and others that when a person dies from a broken heart, the ruptured pericardium around the heart that the blood can -- I'm afraid what that medical term is, but the blood separates.
It just happened that where they stabbed him by the heart, the water in your blood serum separated from the blood, and it seemed two completely distinct streams came out. John was saying that was a prophecy. They are-- prophecy, probably not the right word, but there is a prophetic or a spiritual meaning in that.
We're washed in the water, that's what baptism is a symbol of, and we're washed in the blood. That's talking about taking up our cross and laying down our lives. It was a symbol of both of those. Hey, thank you, Rick.
We're going to be taking a break here for our listening friends. That question crawled right over the edge a little bit. We're not done with our Bible questions. If you have one, call 1-800-GOD-SAYS. You're listening to Bible Answers Live. We're going to be back in a few minutes and answering more questions. Don't go away.
Jean: Bible Answers Live will return in just a moment. If you're looking for Bible-based materials for further study, sign up for Amazing Facts' free correspondence Bible study course, or check out our sale catalog featuring hundreds of inspiring books and tapes. To order, call our resource line at 800-835-6747, that's 800-835-6747. Amazing Fact is a faith-based, listener-supported ministry, operating exclusively through the generosity of your prayers and financial gifts.
We would love to hear from you. Write to us at P.O Box 909, Roseville, California, 95678, or online at AmazingFacts.org. You're listening to Bible Answers Live with Pastor Doug Batchelor. If you have a Bible related question, call us now to receive clear honest answers directly from Scripture. We have a few lines open. Please give us a call. The phone number to the studio is 800-GOD-SAYS, that's 800-463-7297.
Voice Over: If you've enjoyed Bible Answers Live, you'll love Pastor Doug's Book of Bible Answers straight from the broadcast, the very best questions and answers have been compiled as an awesome resource for Bible study and personal evangelism. Each answer has been expanded with more Bible verses and insightful commentary. The Book of Bible Answers can be yours today for just $12. Call now 1-800-835-6747, and request offer, 257. That's 1-800-835-6747.
Doug: Welcome back, listening friends, and for some who may have joined us in the journey, this is Bible Answers Live. You can call in with your Bible questions, we do have some lines open. It is a free phone call. Of course, it's just about everywhere now for a long time, North America. 800-GOD-SAYS, 800-463-7297. One more time, 800-463-7297 brings your question in. Have a pencil handy, because we're also be giving out the Amazing Facts website. Since I mentioned it, I'll tell you what it is, amazingfacts.org. And then we also have a resource line, where you can call in with your request for resources.
Had to split those phone numbers, because we get a number of calls come to the studio. Number of calls come to request the free offers. So there'll be two different number. My name is Doug Batchelor.
Jean: My name is Jean Ross. And we're ready to go back to the phone lines. We have Gina listening in Rio Linda, California. Gina, welcome to the program.
Gina: Thank you so much. Pastors, this is my question is on Matthew 5:5, "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." Please, there's a presidential candidate running that he gets mocked quite often, for being, I guess, gentle. To me, that's a trait I would like to-- I wish I could emulate that and get the victory over my tongue like he has.
And to me, he's showing a lot of self control. So please, could you expand on the verse, the gentle are in fact inheriting the earth. Why do people have such a problem with that? When again it's showing extreme self control.
Doug: Yes, for one thing, when Jesus says, "Blessed are the meek, they'll inherit the earth." He's actually quoting from psalm 37:11. Many people don't know that, but that's one of the Psalms, "But the meek will inherit the land and delight themselves in the abundance of peace."
So meekness is not weakness. Meekness is actually having power and restraining yourself from using it because of humility. So a meek person is not a weak person. Jesus is strongest person who ever lived, and yet he manifested meekness.
Unfortunately, in the world it seems like with the programs everybody seems to glorify the arrogant. Football player gets a touchdown, he doesn't humbly walk away and just mind his own. They usually do a victory dance and slam the ball, and jump into the arms of the fans. It's kind of the opposite of meekness. So the the world sort of embraces this kind of a braggadocious attitudes.
But you're right, Jesus wasn't like that. He would heal somebody, and say, no, don't tell anybody. I'd probably call the newspaper. If I was able to do some of those things [laughs]. I hope not, we all have the capacity. So I think I know what you're saying. But I've got a whole sermon that I've done on meekness. You could probably find at the Amazing Facts website.
Gina: Okay.
Doug: I was really talking to myself when I preached it. But it is a very important subject because it's one of the characteristics of Christ we all need to model. To have his meekness. And he says, hey, I want to be in heaven. It's the meek that will delight themselves in the abundance of peace. And that's why I want to have that peace. I want to be one of those that inherit the earth.
I heard a pastor say one time that today, sheep graze where dinosaurs thundered. And some day, the meek are going to inherit the earth. Where God makes a new world. Where nuclear bombs were blowing off from dictators. So things are going to be different in the future.
Yes ,take a look, Gina, and you might find that sermon on meekness. If you just type in meekness at the Amazing Facts sermon search bar. It'll show you what the title that is. Appreciate your call.
Gina: Thank you so much.
Doug: You're welcome.
Jean: Our next caller is Joseph. Listening from Farmville, Virginia. Joseph, you're on the air.
Joseph: Hello. Hello. Hello.
Doug: Evening.
Joseph: I want to say off right off the back that, Doug, I really appreciate and agree with your position on four women, being actually one woman.
Doug: Talking about there in Isaiah. What you're talking--
Joseph: No. No. Four women in the New Testament, Mary Magdalene.
Doug: Yes. I know what you're saying now.
Joseph: Because Mary audacity equals the woman caught in adultery, equals the woman that comes in. And why did Jesus see with her hair. I want to say that I agree with-- [crosstalk]
Doug: Yes. All good so did you read the Mary book?
Joseph: I think you missed one point there. It says Mary Magdalene, Jesus cast seven demons out of her. Right?
Doug: Yes.
Joseph: If you think of that not so much as a number of demons that were in her. You think of it in terms of what it could mean in a code sort of way. Seven is a number of the commandment in the Ten Commandments for adultery. And adultery is a word that actually covers things like prostitution. So the seven demons could simply points to- [crosstalk]
Doug: The seventh commandment being broken.
Joseph: -that maybe was guilty of adultery or prostitution.
Doug: You know I never thought of that. That's pretty interesting. Now, was that your question for the night?
Joseph: No. That was just on the side. Let me get to my question. The idea was that-- I've heard a Reverend Wahlberg on the SDA station talk about the silent rapture. How wrong that was, everything. I wanted offer you an interpretation that you might not have heard before. [crosstalk]
Doug: Now you got to make this as a question. We going to run out of time if we're not careful.
Joseph: Okay. The idea was that you look in 1 Thessalonians 4:17, it says, "We will be caught up," And then four verses later, it says, "There'll be sudden destruction." What I do is that I put the two together, and I say the sudden destruction is killing people's bodies. And that's why souls are departing the world.
In other words, it's purely natural, there's nothing supernatural so far. The supernatural part would be where Christ comes and the angels come. And the dead in Christ which have become angelic, they come down and usher the saved people into heaven. And the ones that are not saved they go to damnation. And so-- [crosstalk]
Doug: So what is the question?
Joseph: The question is, do you see the logic, can you see the possibility and do you see that-- I ask you to chew on that and what is your reaction? I know it's not fair to ask you to respond right away. But since it's a question, I'm supposed to be asking a question. Let me ask you that question then.
Doug: All right. When it comes to the second rapture, one of the verses, we believe the second coming of the Lord, the word rapture simply means to be caught up. And we believe that. And I know that Pastor Wahlberg believes that, too. That the dead in Christ will rise and be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. We just don't believe it's a secret. Because it says in 2nd Peter chapter 10, where he talks about the Lord coming like a thief, people think that's quiet.
But you read that verse in 2nd Peter 10, "The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night." This is 2nd Peter 3:10. And they say, "Oh, see, he's coming as a thief. Can He sneak in take people away and then life goes on for seven more years?" No. Says the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise. And the elements melt with fervent heat. Both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.
So the world's going to get destroyed when Jesus comes like a thief. It just means it's a surprise. It doesn't mean that it's quiet. Says the Lord is going to roar from on high. We have a free book that we can offer you that deals with the subject of the second coming and the the secret rapture.
Jean: The book is called Anything But Secret, and we'll be happy to send it to anybody who calls and ask. The number is 800-835-6747, and the book again is called Anything But Secret. Dealing with the second coming of Jesus. What's going to happen to the earth. What's going to happen to the righteous. What's going to happen to the wicked. It's all there. Again, 800-835-6747, ask for the book Anything But Secret.
Our next caller is Kevin, and he's listening in Illinois. Kevin, welcome to the program.
Kevin: How are you doing tonight?
Doug: Doing good, thanks for calling.
Kevin: Yes, thank you. My question, I believe it's Daniel 11. I forget which verse it is, but it says, "And at this time, Michael will stand up and proclaim with a loud voice, let he who is clean remain clean. And he who is unclean remain unclean." Does that refer to a time when people can no longer be saved? And if so, how would we know this as Christians?
Doug: You're combining actually two verses. The verse in Daniel chapter 12, you're close. Daniel 12:1 says, "At that time, Michael will stand up and there'll be a great-- who watches over the sons of your people. And there'll be a time of trouble such as there never was." Then I think, Pastor Ross, in Revelation 22, it says, "Those that are clean will remain clean. And those that are filthy will remain filthy."
Now the principle is true. That when Michael stands up, is often when a judge is finished ruling, he stands up. Or when a priest was done interceding, he would leave the sanctuary. And that meant that the intercession was over. Cases were over. And many believe this indicates a time once probation closes for the human race, there is a great time of trouble just before the resurrection.
Jean: The verse say in Revelation, is Revelation 22:11, "He that is unjust, let him be unjust still. He that is filthy, let him be filthy still. He that is righteous, let him be righteous still. He that is holy, let him be holy still." And that verse sort of summarizes what happens when Michael stands up. It is the end of of probation for the human race. Life goes on for a while. You have the civilized place to get poured out. But every decision has been made either for God, or against God.
Doug: You also have the story of Noah. Noah and his family got on the ark, and the door was shut, and they were in there, but the rain didn't come right away. Life went on on the outside for seven more days. Life went on on the inside, but the ones on the outside were sealed out. They were lost. The ones in the inside were saved. It's kind of like when Lot was taken by the angels out of Sodom, once they and the angels left, those in the city were doomed. Life went one for a little while, we don't know how long, but there was no more hope.
There'll be a time just before Jesus comes back when the door of mercy will close, and nobody else will be saved beyond that point. The lost are lost, and the saved were saved. That's what happens when Michael stands up. Does that sound like what you're talking about, Kevin?
Kevin: Yes, it does. Thank you.
Doug: Now, we have a study guide that I believe talks about that. Does the Millennium talk about when probation closes?
Jean: The Millennium I think does. It's a A Thousand Years of Peace. It's an Amazing Fact's study guide. It talks about events at the beginning of the thousand year period, also events at the end of the thousand years. Which at the beginning, you have the second coming of Christ. We'll send that to anybody who calls and asks. You can ask the study guide again, called A Thousand Years of Peace, the number is 800-835-6747. It's 800-835-6747. Ask for the study guide called A Thousand Years of Peace.
We have Anna Marie who's listening in Colorado. Anna Marie, welcome to the program.
Anna Marie: Hi Pastor Bachelor and Pastor Ross.
Doug: Hi. How are you?
Anna Marie: Good. How are you?
Doug: Great. And your question?
Anna Marie: I promise I'll mention really quickly. My family and I just had a great conversation with Karen. We just joined the online church family, so I promised I'd mention what a great conversationalist she is.
Doug: Bless your heart. Thanks for calling in.
Anna Marie: My question is Jeremiah 1:5. "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. Before you were born, I sanctified you." Question is, does God know what he will be sending to Earth or that's being born? Does he know it already? Are spirits already planned out?
Doug: God knows everything. One of the definitions for God is he's not only all-powerful, he's all-knowing, omniscient. There's nothing that God doesn't know. God can't learn anything. To learn anything, you have to not know something. By the way, who would teach him? [laughs] You have to be smarter than God. Does the Lord know what people will be born? Yes.
Not only did he know about Jeremiah before he was born, God foretold. I mentioned earlier tonight, King Josiah, God foretold the work of Josiah years, 300 years, I think, before he was born what he would do. And he foretold King Cyrus--
Jean: I was going to mention that Jeremiah spoke about Cyrus, but that was before he was born.
Doug: So, Anna Marie, the Lord knew about you thousand years ago. Now, that doesn't mean that God is just doing this cookie-cutter thing up in the sky. It just means he knows what's going to happen. Obviously, people have freedom of choice. My mother and father, and your mother and father, they make choices, and God allows their choices to inter work with his providence.
Not everything happening into the world is God's will. He knows what's going to happen, but he doesn't like everything that's happening. That's why we pray, "Thy will be done," because somethings that happen are not his will. You know what I'm saying? People see the tragedies and the shootings, and things, and people why is God letting this happen. God doesn't want it to happen. There's an evil power rampaging in the world right now.
So he does know, but that doesn't mean that person was alive or aware before God, through his providence, brought them into life. This is just like everybody. We're not pre-existing before we're born. That's kind of like reincarnation. That's not what you're asking, though, is it?
Anna Marie: No [laughs]. No.
Doug: Did I answer your question?
Anna Marie: I think you've answered it.
Doug: Did that make sense?
Anna Marie: Yes, it does. Definitely.
Doug: All right. Well, welcome to the online family of Granite Bay.
Anna Marie: Thank you. Thank you.
Doug: Thanks for calling in with your question, Anna Marie.
Anna Marie: All right.
Jean: Next caller is Eugene, and he's listening in Pontiac, Michigan. Eugene, welcome to the program.
Eugene: Hello.
Doug: Hi, welcome.
Eugene: Hi. I didn't know how to ask this, but it was dealing with the end-time view of the Sabbath, the controversy over the Sabbath. One of the things that are happening in this day and age is people are trying to change the calendar. I don't know if you've noticed it, but now I've seen a number of attempts to make Monday the first day of the week, and therefore Sunday, the seventh day of the week. Try to turn what is the first day of the week into the seventh day of the week to justify Sunday worship.
They're trying to change the calendar every so often, even on one of my phone, there's a calendar that will take to it that starts on Monday, and ends on Sunday, to make Sunday the seventh day of the week. I was wondering if this was part of the prophecy about Sabbath being the center of controversy in the end times.
Doug: It certainly does contribute to confusion, because even in my Microsoft Outlook program in your calendar, there's a setting option where if you want, you can have your weeks start with Monday. In my calendar, I pick the typical month, week, where the first day day of the week is Sunday which is accurate. If you look in the encyclopedia or the dictionary, it'll tell you Sunday, first day of the week.
It always has been since the Romans named the day. It does create confusion. I know in a lot of Europe now, they start their calendars with Monday being the first day of the week, and they end up with Sunday being the seventh. Jesus rose on the first day of the week, and they call it Easter Sunday. How can you have it say, it says really clearly in the Bible he rose early in the morning of the first day of the week, and everyone says that's Sunday.
They know right away that Sunday's the first day, it just makes it really clear in the Bible. It does create confusion, though, and I think that's the Devil's doing all he can to confuse the issue.
Jean: I think part of the confusion also arose from the idea of trying to organize the calendar, or at least the weekly schedule around the work week, obviously Monday, since it will be the first working day, or first day of work. You'll find a number of calendars, especially those related to work, they put Monday as the first day. But that doesn't change the order that we find the given way back at creation, with reference to the days of the week.
Doug: If God goes to the trouble of specifying, remember the seventh day and he says three times in Genesis 2, seventh day, the seventh day, the seventh day. And then again in the 10 commandments, it must make a difference if God specifies a particular day.
Eugene: I think it had to do with labor union, I'm not sure, that started the work week on Monday.
Doug: That's a good point. Of course, those unions are pretty strong in Europe which might explain why that's the case. Good question and we--
Jean: We do have a book called Why God Said Remember, and we'd be happy to send this to anybody who calls and asks. The number is 800-835-6747. You can ask for the book called Why God Said Remember. You can also read that for free online at the Amazing Facts website, amazingfacts.org. We have Donna who's listening from Maryland. Donna, welcome to the program.
Donna: Hi Pastor Doug and Pastor Ross.
Doug: Hello.
Jean: Hi.
Donna: I have a question that is just one of the simple things that you're going to know, that we don't know exactly. When Jesus crossed the lake and encountered the man in chains that kept breaking loose. And he cast the devil out of him into the herd of pigs. And the pigs stumped in the water, and of course, they were all dead.
Being an animal lover, I know that every animal has a function even though they are not clean animals. What happened to the demons that were in the pigs when they drowned? Where they killed, or did they go somewhere else? It doesn't really say.
Doug: I'm pretty sure the demons hopped off the pigs before they hit the water [laughs]. They rode them to the edge of the cliff there. For our friends that are listening, this is a story you'll find in Mark chapter 5, it's on Luke chapter 8. It's called the demoniac. I think Matthew says there are actually two demoniacs, Luke and Mark says they're one. Jesus allowed--, the demons requested, "Don't cast us into nothingness. Let us go to the herd of swine."
The Jews believe that the pigs were unclean, the Bible says they're unclean. And devils are unclean. So Jesus thought, "Well, I'll put the devils with the pigs." Now what happen is all those pigs, there are 2,000 of them, Mathew tells us. 2,000 of them drowned in the Sea of Galilee. Sea of Galilee, friends, is not like the Pacific Ocean. It's a glorified lake. The great lakes of America are much bigger than the Sea of Galilee. 2,000 pigs floating around in that lake, in a Jewish pond, they all knew about it, because you know they bloat and floating.
It rendered the whole lake unclean, and everyone knew about the miracle that God cared more about people than animals. I'm sure that the pigs, I'm not sure that the demons, they left, they wanted to possess the pigs that caused their problem. Jesus didn't kill the pigs, the demons did, and they wanted to cause a problem where the town folk would ask Jesus to leave, which they did. But more people heard that story because of what happened. Then if that had not happened, if Jesus had just gotten in the boat and sailed away, but because of the oil spill connected, I guess, [unintelligible 00:50:12] spill that they had in the Sea of Galilee, everybody knew about that disaster. An environmental catastrophe.
Anyway, hope that helps a little bit, Donna, and yes, God even loves dogs and pigs and unclean animals. But that is an interesting story. I wrote a book about that, that you can find online. It's called the Broken Chains. Talks about the whole story of the demoniac, it's a full book.
Jean: Our next caller is Spencer, listening in Philadelphia. Spencer, welcome to the program.
Spencer: Hi, gentlemen. It's been a while since I've made air with you guys. You may recall I'm not a believer, I'm not an atheist, but I'm not a believer, I'm an agnostic. Solidly agnostic, and one of the things that most alienates me about your-- what I call it an ideology, I think all religions are ideology. One thing that really bothers me about it is, the notion of worshiping of deity.
It seems to me-- I got no problem with respecting God, of course, respect God. Respect Christ, but I don't see that God or Christ self-worth, self-esteem is so low that they need to be worshiped.
Doug: The different concept about worship with Christ is-- suppose for a minute that Jesus doesn't want us to worship him, because it's going to make him feel better. Maybe he wants us to worship him because he's our creator, and he knows that we will actually be drawn upward by doing it. So we're not worshiping him because he's on an ego trip. We're worshiping him because it is fulfilling for us, and it's a blessing.
And worship for God is expressing love. Spencer, we've got high hopes for you, because if you're calling back it means, hey, you got something inside, it's making you ask the right questions.
Spencer: I like you guys. I like what you do. I don't subscribe to it. You remember the famous exchange between Napoleon and Laplace, the mathematician who was also an astronomer and really a polymath. Napoleon looked through his papers, and he says, well, it's very interesting ideas here, but I don't see any mention of the Almighty. Do you remember what Laplace's response was?
Doug: No, I don't, I'm waiting.
Spencer: Yes, I didn't see the need for the God hypothesis.
Doug: Yes, I'm with Napoleon on this one. That I think the Lord is- you can find Him integral in everything in life, and that we ought to bring- I mean, there's nothing bigger, the study of God and having a purpose of life is the biggest thing there is, Spencer. If you've never taken a look at it, I would encourage you-- for one thing, if you just go to the website, I used to be an atheist or agnostic, kind of like you.
Through reading the Bible in some circumstances and evidence, it was evidence that changed my mind. I became a believer. I'd invite you to, for free, you can go just type in Doug Batchelor testimony on YouTube. It's a few different sites, Doug Batchelor testimony. I'd love for you to hear my testimony, Spencer, and let me know what you think.
I would like to talk to you more, but they're telling us we are really running out of radio time for tonight. God willing, you'll give us another call. Listening friends, this is the end of the year, where we're getting close to the end of the year. And we want to thank you for helping keep the Bible Answers Live on the air. We are entirely supported by people like you who listen.
You'll notice that during the program, we don't take a lot of time to talk about it. We try to answer your Bible questions, but we are not underwritten by any denomination or corporation, institution, it's all just regular folk like you.
If you've been blessed, we need to hear from you, and you can go to AmazingFacts.org, there's a place right there online where it says, you just click donate, and you can write us a note also. Tell us if the program has been a blessing to you. And don't forget, a lot of the materials that we mentioned, we make them available for free. You can go to AmazingFacts.org, you'll see where it says there's a free library. A lot of the questions we get, we've turned the answers into more thorough books. Just take a look, they're AmazingFacts.org.
Friends, God bless you. We hope that you have a blessed time with your friends and family during this season, and God willing, we'll study His word together again next week.
Voice Over: This has been a pre-recorded broadcast of Bible Answers Live, a production of Amazing Facts ministries. If you would like to order the materials mention on this broadcast, call 800-835-6747, from 8am to midnight, Eastern Standard Time. That's 800-835-6747. If you've missed an episode of Bible Answers Live, you can find it on our website AmazingFacts.org. You'll also find our online sale catalog of books, tapes, and other materials, as well as numerous free resources on nearly every Bible topic, putting the answers to your Bible questions right at your fingertips.
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Guest Commentator: I grew up in a church-going family. I mean, we were at every meeting. I sang in four of the choirs there. I directed three, very involved, very active. It's almost seemed like busy work, sometimes. I went to Sunday school, I knew about God, I knew about Jesus, but I didn't have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. My senior year in high school, I got the news that my father had been murdered. I played it off well. No one really saw that I was struggling with it.
It just really felt like there was a hole that needed to be filled, and I tried to fill it with drugs, alcohol, with partying. After college, I just stopped going to church altogether. One day, on a Sunday, because I didn't feel like going to church with my mom, I thought, you know, I should get a little bit of work. She had the satellite system hooked up and I'm flipping through channels, and then the logo pops across, Amazing Facts presents.
I've listened to a lot of different ministers, but here, this was the first time that he's actually saying something where I had to grab my Bible, actually pick it up. I've never heard this before, let me look through and find this. I went through all the historicals. I went through all the study guides, and I just couldn't get enough. And then the Sabbath came up. And he's going through the appeal, and I'm just going, Lord, I hear you, I have to go to the church.
So I show up. It was funny, I didn't feel like I was going to be judged. Anything judgmental, anything. I walked in the door and I just felt at home. But there's still a problem. I'm still partying. I was still going out to the bars. At this time, I was selling cocaine to pay my rent. 16 days later, I find myself in a life-or-death situation. I just came back from a liquor store and I grabbed a bottle of vodka. And there I am, high off cocaine, with my Bible in hand, trying to do a Bible study.
I heard an audible voice just, look at yourself. And I did, and I was like, "What am I doing?" And I got on my knees, I said, Lord, if you do not take this away from me now, I'm going to kill myself. I was going to continue this lifestyle and I was going to end up overdosing, having a heart attack, whatever it was, you have to take this away, all of it. And that day, he lifted all of it away from me. It was all God. When God does something in your life, he does it complete.
Voice Over: For more than 45 years, the Ministry of Amazing Facts has been helping people from all walks of life understand their Bibles better than ever before through television, radio and the internet. We impact countless lives each day around the world by sharing Bible truth that transforms lives forever. If you've been blessed by our programs, will you help share in this work with a tax-deductible gift today? When you support Amazing Facts, you give lasting hope and make it possible for others to hear the good news of Jesus Christ, and experience his eternal love.
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