Rabbits in Australia

When Dutch explorers first discovered Australia in 1606, there were no rabbits to be found throughout the entire continent. That all changed in 1859 when an English settler, Thomas Austin, released 24 rabbits on his property near Melbourne, Australia. While living in England, Austin loved to shoot rabbits for sport. At the time, he thought the introduction of a few rabbits could do little harm and might provide a touch of home and some recreational hunting. As we know, rabbits are extremely prolific creatures and they reproduce like, well, rabbits. With Australia’s mild winters, the rabbits were able to breed year round. This, with the abundant vegetation, provided perfect conditions for a rabbit population explosion.

Within 10 years of their introduction, rabbits had become so prevalent that 2 million could be shot or trapped annually without making any dent in their numbers. It was the fastest spread ever recorded in the history of any mammal anywhere in the world. In a desperate attempt to halt the spread of rabbits to Western Australia, the country built what they hoped would be a rabbit-proof fence. Beginning in 1901, the fence took 6 years to construct. When completed in 1907, it was the longest fence in the world stretching over 2,000 miles from north to south dissecting Western Australia. Unfortunately, all that fence did not stop the rabbits from migrating westward. The rabbits tunneled under the eroded sections of fence, they jumped through holes in the damaged wire, and sometimes, they simply hopped through gates that were accidentally left open. Today, rabbits are entrenched in Australia and number in the hundreds of millions.

Did you know the Bible speaks of another unstoppable population explosion and mass migration? Stay with us, friends. We’re going to learn more as Amazing Facts presents this edition of Bible Answers Live.

[PROGRAM INTRODUCTION]

Pastor Jëan Ross: Welcome to Bible Answers Live brought to you by Amazing Facts Ministries. Are you looking for a clear, concise answer to your most challenging Bible questions? Maybe you’re struggling to understand difficult passages of Scripture. If so, you’ve come to the right place. Join us now as we open God’s Word to discover His will and find honest, practical answers to your Bible-related questions.

This broadcast is pre-recorded. If you have a Bible question, call us Sundays from 7 to 8 P.M. Pacific Standard Time at 800-GOD-SAYS. That’s 800-463-7297. Now, let’s join our host, author, speaker, and evangelist, Pastor Doug Batchelor.

Pastor Doug: Hello, friends. This is Doug Batchelor and this is Bible Answers Live. If you have a Bible question, we have lines open so pick up the phone right now and give us a call and we will, good chance, get your Bible question on tonight’s broadcast. That number one more time, free phone call, it’s 800-GOD-SAYS— 800-463-7297. And each program, we try to cover as many questions as we can and then we also direct people to the Amazing Facts website where we have a virtual encyclopedia of Bible information. And so, once again, lines are open— 800-463-7297. If you have a pencil handy, during the broadcast, we also give out another number that is our resource center. And my name is Doug Batchelor.

Pastor Jëan Ross: My name is Jëan Ross and good evening, listening friends. And Pastor Doug, let’s begin the program with prayer. Dear Father, we thank You again that we’re able to do this Bible study and broadcast it across the air. We ask Your special blessing upon this program. Be with those who are listening. And we pray for wisdom as we search Scripture. With this, we ask in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Pastor Doug: Amen.

Pastor Jëan Ross: You opened the program, Pastor Doug, and spoke about this massive population explosion. Of course, you were talking about rabbits in Australia. And I understand that even now, it’s still a challenge in some of the areas of Australia where there… it just overrun with rabbits.

Pastor Doug: You know, once the genie got out of the bottle, they tried everything they could to stop the rabbits there. They introduced viruses and fleas. And through sterilization, I mean, they have tried everything they could to stop it. And sometimes, they’ll actually… it’ll back up for a while but they seem to develop a resistance to the virus and they come back in full force. And it’s pretty interesting. But you know, it reminds me of a story in the Bible.

When the children of Israel first went into Egypt, their history was, you know, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob— all their wives had problems of getting pregnant. They just didn’t seem to have a very good record of being prolific. Their wives were barren. And… but by the time they get to Egypt, the Bible says in Exodus 1:7, “But the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly and multiplied and grew exceedingly mighty. And the land was filled with them.” Then you go to verse 12, “But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew.” Then verse 22, “And the people multiplied and grew very mighty.” Some historians say it’s no wonder that the Egyptians were threatened because they could see the way they were growing that soon the Israelites would outnumber the Egyptians and they could basically take over the country. And so, that’s why they tried to subjugate them with their slavery. Finally, when Moses came and said, “Let my people go,” there was nothing that anyone could do to stop their migration out of Egypt…

Pastor Jëan Ross: Not even the Red Sea.

Pastor Doug: …and into the Promised Land. That’s right. And you know, there’s some parallels between what happened with Ancient Israel and the church. There’s quite a few in the Bible. One, in particular, is sometimes the church just doesn’t seem to grow. But then, God pours out His Spirit and all of a sudden, 3,000 are baptized in a day, 5,000 are baptized a few weeks later, and then by the time Paul was writing his book, he says the Gospel’s been preached in the entire world, meaning the known Roman Empire back then. It was going everywhere. And so, the Christians… churches began to explode with growth during that time of persecution. And there are quite a few parallels as you study the history of Ancient Israel and the church that a lot of people are wondering, “Where does Israel fit into modern prophecy?” As we speak, not only do we want to wish all of our mothers a Happy Mother’s Day, but the pope is making a historic visit to the Middle East. And so, it’s in the news a lot today. And folks are wondering where does Israel fit in? We have a special book that helps explain some of these last day prophecies relating to both the church and Israel.

Pastor Jëan Ross: The book is entitled, “Spiritual Israel” written by Pastor Doug Batchelor and Steve Wohlberg. And of course, Pastor Doug, yourself with your Jewish background and Steve Wohlberg, you take an in-depth look at spiritual Israel and how this relates to the church. To receive this book, call our resource line, 1-800-835-6747. That number again is 1-800-835-6747. Ask for the book, “Spiritual Israel,” and we’ll be happy to send that out to you.

Pastor Doug: And it’s free.

Pastor Jëan Ross: It’s free. A lot of important answers to questions that people have. How does Israel Play into Bible prophecy?

Pastor Doug: Are we ready then to check out the telephones?

Pastor Jëan Ross: We’ll go to the phone lines. First caller is Ezekiel listening on the Internet, calling from Lake Placid, Florida. Ezekiel, welcome to the program!

Ezekiel: Thank you. Thank you, guys. My question is who is the Morning Star? Is it Jesus or is it Satan?

Pastor Doug: Well, when it says in Revelation 2:28, “And I will give him the Morning Star,” you know, that’s, of course, Jesus is not giving anyone the devil. And you can then again look in Revelation 22:16, “I, Jesus, have sent Mine angel to testify unto you these things and the churches, I am the Root and the Offspring of David and the bright and Morning Star.” The Morning Star is a symbol for hope. It was the first light after darkness. And it was a signal that the night was ending. As the day began to dawn, the other stars would dim. But the brightest star, you know, something, it might have been Venus— I’m not sure, depending on where you are on the world— but it probably was a planet. It would give people hope that a bright day was coming. And so, this is a term that’s used different ways through the Bible. Lucifer is called the Light Bearer. And the word, you know, that’s where we get like “luminescence.” Lucifer was a derivative of the Greek for “light.”

Ezekiel: Right.

Pastor Doug: And… but the Morning Star here in Revelation— and this is the only place you find it— is speaking, of course, of Christ.

Ezekiel: Yeah. The reason why I asked is because in Isaiah 14:12 in the King James Version, it says it’s Lucifer. But in the NIV, it says the Morning Star. It seems like it’s calling Jesus out from heaven.

Pastor Doug: Well, see, I just learned something from you because I’ve never read that verse in the NIV before. And that’s interesting. Yeah, I would stick with the King James and that translation there because… Pastor Ross?

Pastor Jëan Ross: Yeah, well, part of the idea, of course, Lucifer means “light bearer.” And probably the translators in the NIV interpreted that as being the first star…

Pastor Doug: Yeah, you sure wouldn’t want to get Jesus and Lucifer mixed up…

Pastor Jëan Ross: That’s right.

Pastor Doug: …in your translation.

Pastor Jëan Ross: Oh, by the way, let me give you one more verse. Probably the first reference to a star or the Morning Star is the prophecy made by Balaam with reference to the promised Messiah in Numbers 24:17.

Pastor Doug: Oh, good point.

Ezekiel: Right.

Pastor Jëan Ross: And then, there is also one more, an allusion to the Morning Star, it doesn’t specifically say it, but it’s 2 Peter 1:19. It talks about “the day dawn and the day star rise in your hearts,” and that’s clearly Jesus.

Pastor Doug: And then, of course, when the Wise Men, they probably were reading the prophecies of Balaam when they followed that star, and it wasn’t part of the normal heavenly bodies because they were able to follow it. You know, the heavens moved across the sky if it’s a regular star. And so, it’s an allusion to that star that guided them to the Light of the world, which is Jesus.

Pastor Jëan Ross: Probably a company of angels…

Pastor Doug: Probably.

Pastor Jëan Ross: …that led them on the way.

Pastor Doug: Yup.

Ezekiel: Well, thank you guys. That was a really blessing. I’ll stick to the King James.

Pastor Doug: Okay [laughing]. Alright. King James, New King James, there’s some good ones out there but… nothing personal but the NIV is not my favorite. Alright. Thanks, Ezekiel. I appreciate your call.

Pastor Jëan Ross: Our next caller is Drew and he is calling from Virginia. Drew, welcome to the program!

Drew: Hey, how’s it going?

Pastor Doug: Doing fine. And your question tonight?

Drew: It’s something that was kind of bothering me. I heard that one of… that the reason why we don’t live to be 850 to 910 or so years old anymore is because of consumption of meat. Now, I know that there’s no Scripture in the Bible that says that at least from what I can tell. And I do know that we experience more radiation after the Flood because we don’t have the, you know, what someone would call the greenhouse effect. The waters that were above the firmament and kind of shielded us in a way?

Pastor Doug: Right. It blocks some of the radiation that bombards the planet.

Drew: Right. And that would, you know, automatically lead me to believe that, well, you know, it’s just like a plant. You take it out of the greenhouse, and it’s not going to last very long.

Pastor Doug: Well, you’re on the right track. There are a combination of factors, Drew. It is true that, you know, it’s well established, even National Geographic just did an article of this last year on the longest living people. And they said that vegetarians— Seventh Day Adventists in particular— living in Loma Linda, live an average of 10 years longer and one thing they credit is their vegetarian diet. But you can be the best, most careful vegetarian in the world, you’re not going to live 800 years.

Drew: That’s what I want. Thank you…

Pastor Doug: So there were a lot of environmental changes. The atmosphere changed. They know that not only from the record in the Bible but the fossil record is very clear that species were all much bigger. And presumably, they live longer, too. I mean, you look at the giant fossils. I’ve seen them all over the world— of mammals, not just dinosaurs, the mammals. Everything from, you know, giant sloths and beavers as big as a bear. I mean, it was amazing how much bigger everything was. Dragonflies had a wingspan of two feet. So, the whole environment radically changed after the Flood. And the oxygen content, the… as you said, the solar radiation changed, and man’s diet changed.

And that, just over the centuries, no lifespan has sort of leveled off at three score and ten. That’s what the Bible says. You know, King David said 3,000 years ago that, you know, we live three score and 10 years and if by reason of strength, we live four score. There’s still, you know, aches and pains. That’s a loose translation. So, there’s things you can do to prevent disease with a good diet and prolong your life but you’re not going to live like Abraham or rather… yeah, Abraham— what was he? 175?

Pastor Jëan Ross: That’s right. Well, you know, not only is it living longer but it’s living better. I think of the example of Noah, not Noah, but Moses. You know, he was 80 years when he went and led the children of Israel up out of Egypt and then wandered in the wilderness for another 40 years. And then hiked up a mountain and lay down and died.

Pastor Doug: Yup.

Pastor Jëan Ross: So, you know, living a healthy life, eating a vegetarian diet probably won’t get you to 300 and 350 years. But the 80 or 90 years, hopefully, will be better quality…

Pastor Doug: That’s right.

Pastor Jëan Ross: …than if you’re on high blood pressure or medicine or whatever that case might be.

Drew: Just out of… just for the sake of it all. You know, I myself, I’m against eating meat that’s not organic. I’m against eating any eggs or dairy products that’s not organic because it’s not the way it used to be unless it is organic. I’m sure you understand that. You know, red meat is obviously loaded with blood. So you know, that’s out of the question. Would it be possible for someone to be very healthy providing that they had a mixed diet and had, you know, some organic milk? Say, some organic eggs here and there? I mean, is it possible…

Pastor Doug: Well, you know, if a person is in moderation eating small amounts of animal products, the Bible doesn’t forbid that.

Drew: Right.

Pastor Doug: We do know in the Garden of Eden that, you know, man wasn’t eating any animal products. And once we get to heaven, that won’t be part of the plan either. We’re not… the only animal products that we’re going to eat is, it says, “Taking us to the land of milk and honey…” I don’t know what we eat [laughing].

Pastor Jëan Ross: [Laughing]

Pastor Doug: It sounds a little bit like ice cream— milk and honey. But anyway, you’re always better off. They’ve traced most disease to— in America— too much sugar, too much dairy, and too many… too much meat. As you don’t get cholesterol from peanuts. It’s from the animal products and all the sugar. And that’s why there’s so much diabetes and heart disease. So you’re always better off in moderations, small amounts are certainly going to be better. But I’m a pretty careful vegetarian and not doing too bad for 99. Do I sound 99?

Pastor Jëan Ross: [Laughing]

Pastor Doug: Hey, thanks for your question, Drew. I hope that helps a little. By the way, we do have that book we’d be happy to send on “God’s Health Plan.”

Pastor Jëan Ross: That’s right.

Pastor Doug: The study guide on “God’s Health Plan” has all these Scriptures on what the Bible says on health. Amazing Facts, you know what, we just came out with a magazine. Just… I got mine this weekend on…

Pastor Jëan Ross: Amazing Health.

Pastor Doug: Amazing Health— Eight Secrets… Eight Bible Secrets to Longer, Stronger Life. And this has been a couple of years in the planning and production but it’s taken all the Bible secrets of health— everything from rest, exercise, sunshine— the Bible also talks about these things, diet and so forth. And there’s a website where a person can go and it’s called amazinghealth (dot)…

Pastor Jëan Ross: org or com. I’m not sure which one.

Pastor Doug: I think it’s (dot) com.

Pastor Jëan Ross: Is it (dot) com?

Pastor Doug: Well, you try either one, they’re both good websites.

Pastor Jëan Ross: [Laughing] amazinghealth.com or .org.

Pastor Doug: It’ll tell about the magazine.

Pastor Jëan Ross: And that’ll tell about the magazine as well. That study guide that Pastor Doug mentioned, “God’s Free Health Plan,” the number for that is 1-800-835-6747 and it’s free. Just call and ask for the study guide on “God’s Free Health Plan,” and we’ll be happy to send that out. Pam is listening on KARM from Tulare, California. Pam, welcome to the program!

Pam: Good evening.

Pastor Doug: Evening.

Pam: I am questioning Genesis 3:14. I understand that the serpent is the lowest of all the animals and the beasts. But in the King James Version, it specifically says the cattle. Why the cattle?

Pastor Doug: Well…

Pam: Why are the cattles cursed?

Pastor Doug: No, well, the cattle aren’t cursed. The word there is probably not the… that’s translation. Keep in mind, Moses is a shepherd, Israel was a nation of largely shepherds— Abraham, Isaac, Jacob were all shepherds. The word they used for cattle was very generic word for animals because they kind of woke up and went to sleep thinking about cattle. And so, they had humans, and they had cattle. And the word there, I think, that’s chosen for cattle is kind of an all-encompassing word.

Pam: So Moses did not just take care of sheep?

Pastor Doug: Well, they had sheep, they had goats, they had donkeys. Well, Moses took care of sheep.

Pam: Okay. So then, I would think that…

Pastor Doug: But I mean, they also… you can be…

Pam: …with that Moses or Jesus would say that the serpent is it because it’s Moses is the one who’s talking, said he’s lower than the sheep.

Pastor Doug: Well, he’s saying you’re… the word cattle there again is a generic word for the land animals. Keep in mind, during Genesis, when they’re doing the creating, they talk about one day, they get the fish and the birds, the animals in the water, the animals in the air, and then they talk about the cattle and creeping things— the animals on the land.

Pastor Jëan Ross: Now, I just looked up the word “cattle” there in the Greek and the definition for that, “a Bible term describing domestic animals such as horses, camels, sheep, goats, oxen, and donkeys.” So…

Pastor Doug: Are you looking at Greek or Hebrew?

Pastor Jëan Ross: Hebrew. The actual verse there in Genesis chapter… is it 5:30? Nope.

Pastor Doug: She’s looking up for Genesis chapter 3…

Pastor Jëan Ross: Oh, sorry. Genesis 3:14.

Pastor Doug: Yeah.

Pastor Jëan Ross: The cattle there is a term that describes various kinds of domestic animals. So it’s not just cows.

Pam: Because in the other versions, it does say livestock and other animals. But in the King James Version, it says cattle, which I do understand what you just said that it’s generic for all animals. However, it’s very specific. So, just wondering.

Pastor Doug: Alright. Well, I’m actually… I’m looking at another version here and it translates the word “behemo,” it’s probably where we get the word “behemoth,” “behemo” from an unused root, properly any dumb beast, especially any large quadruped or animal. So it’s a generic word for beast that was used there for cattle. Yeah, I wouldn’t worry about that. I don’t think that God is, you know, cursing cows any more than, you know… He’s not cursing any of the animals. He’s making a comparison, really, to those that are quadrupeds to a snake.

Pastor Jëan Ross: And that’s, I think, the point that’s been made is all of these other animals go around on legs, but the snake goes about on its belly. It’s the lowest…

Pastor Doug: Yeah.

Pastor Jëan Ross: …of the animals.

Pastor Doug: No legs. It’s kind of interesting that many serpents have what they call vestigial remnants of limbs. They don’t know if they were limbs or wings or something. But a couple of their ribs have just some protrusions, and they wonder what are they? So…

Pastor Jëan Ross: Probably wings.

Pastor Doug: Yeah, probably leftovers from the wings that are plucked.

Pastor Jëan Ross: Our next caller is Loretta listening on WDNX from Savannah, Tennessee. Loretta, welcome to the program!

Loretta: Yes, thank you, Pastors. Good evening.

Pastor Doug: Evening.

Loretta: You aren’t mothers, but I hope that you contacted your mothers regarding Mothers’ Day.

Pastor Doug: Well, I just came from dinner with mother and mother-in-law and sister-in-law [laughing].

Pastor Jëan Ross: [Laughing]

Loretta: Okay, good. I guess it’s covered all basis. My question is about Joseph. Now, when his brothers were… realized that they were being accused as slaves, they said something into this effect, “This is happening to us because of what we did to out brother.”

Pastor Doug: Right.

Loretta: Now… and later on when the man found their… was relating to them about the money in their bags, he says that, “Your Lord has given you a treasure.” Now, in relation to the first part of this in terms of their trials, could they clearly relate what was happening to them as to what they had done to Joseph or is it just a supposition? And my question is, are we continually punished because of our trials in the past? Because anytime something happens to me, I could say, “Oh, it was because I did this or I did that.”

Pastor Doug: Well, there are some things that we do that consequences may follow for years. One thing is you see, God is getting ready to bless these men through Joseph. Their consciences are still bothering them years later because of what they’ve done to their brother. And you can hear them, their consciences smiting them as they think, “All these trials, it’s because of what we did to Joseph. We’re under a curse for the rest of our lives.” Well, God is getting ready to forgive them for all that.

But, you know, even though God forgives us, sometimes we don’t forgive ourselves. And this same story proves that even after Joseph forgave his brothers— when Jacob died— the brothers came back to Joseph and said, “Now, you are…” you know, “Dad said you’re supposed to forgive us. You are going to forgive us, aren’t you?” And so, they still had doubts. And that’s why it’s important that when we’ve confessed and forsaken our sin, we must believe that we are forgiven. And the devil will try to muck up our old sins and make us feel guilty. We’ve got to just shed them and believe that it’s behind us now.

Loretta: Now, in reference to the guy who put the money back and he told them that, you know, “Your God has given you a treasure,” was he referring to their God or gods in general in terms of what he was saying?

Pastor Doug: He was referring… I’m sorry?

Loretta: …he put the money back and didn’t say it.

Pastor Doug: He was, well, in his words, he was specifically referring to the God of Israel. Keep in mind, this is a servant of Joseph…

Loretta: Ah, okay.

Pastor Doug: Joseph has just saved the whole nation from utter ruin because of the revelation of his God. And so, the servants of Joseph probably were pretty well-instructed about Jehovah. And so… and now, the servant knows that these are Joseph’s brothers, he’s giving credit. He said, “Your God has put this money in your bag.” And so he is, I think, referring to their God, not a generic god. Of course, I could look it up in the original. But I think that’s accurate.

Loretta: Okay. Well, that’s basically…

Pastor Doug: I hope that helps, Loretta.

Loretta: …all I have for this evening.

Pastor Doug: Alright. Thank you. God bless you.

Loretta: …you guys have a good evening.

Pastor Doug: Likewise.

Pastor Jëan Ross: George is listening on WMCA from Bronx, New York. George, you’re on the program!

George: Hello?

Pastor Doug: Evening, George. Your question tonight?

George: How are you doing, guys? I have a question. It’s a pretty heavy question. I’m just wondering what happens to a person that gets saved, a Christian, and let’s say that Christian’s parents were drugged. He or she accidentally overdoses in a drug and they die, do they go to heaven or do they go to hell?

Pastor Doug: Well, if a person is a Christian and they accidentally take too much… are you talking about they overdose on a forbidden drug?

George: Yeah, like a hard drug, like heroin or like crack or stuff.

Pastor Doug: Well, if a person is using, you know, illegal drugs, I would automatically question their salvation because Christ doesn’t just save us from the guilt of our sin. He saves us from the power of sin. And so, if a person is still enslaved to their sin, it’s hard for them to say, you know…

George: Yeah. I mean, it’s like an experiment. Let’s say for the first time or something like that. Now, I’m not talking about a long, you know, a drug addict. I’m talking about they experiment and they accidentally overdose the first time. They, you know…

Pastor Doug: Well, you know, it’s possible there’s an exception but I would think that converted Christians would not want to experiment with something that they know is… it’s like playing Russian roulette and tempting the Lord. And the Bible says don’t tempt the Lord. And so, for a person to say, “I’m a born-again Christian but I’m going to shoot a little heroin or crack or something,” and I think a person is tampering with their eternity when they do that. So, yeah. That would be a pretty scary game to play and you know, like I said, I’m not God and I don’t know people’s hearts or what’s going on in their minds. I suppose there may be some cases where a person is so utterly discouraged that they’re really not themselves. But generally speaking, I don’t think you’re going to find a Christian— a converted Christian— experimenting with illegal drugs in a saved condition.

We have time for one more, Pastor Ross?

Pastor Jëan Ross: Before we take a break, yes. Our next caller is Russell and he is listening on WMCA from New Jersey. Russell, welcome to the program!

Russell: Yes. Thank you very much.

Pastor Doug: And your question?

Russell: My question is from Matthew 27:51.

Pastor Doug: Okay.

Russell: It says, “At that moment, the curtain at the temple was torn into two from top to bottom.” I want to know what does this mean, “the curtain tear into two” when is Christ dead? I have thought about this for a long time.

Pastor Doug: You’re wanting to know what does it mean when..?

Russell: The significance… yeah, the significance of this curtain tearing into two.

Pastor Doug: Yeah. Alright, I’ll do my best to give you a quick answer. This is where the transfer took place from the Old Jewish economy with the sacrifice of lambs to Christ, the Lamb of God. That’s where Christ said, “Destroy this temple made with hands and in three days I will make one without hands.”

Russell: Yeah.

Pastor Doug: The temple for Christians today is not a building somewhere in the world. The temple for a Christian today is the body of Christ. Jesus said, you know, “If you destroy this temple, in three days, I’ll raise it up.” He spoke of His body. And so, you and I are built on the foundation of Christ. We grow into a holy temple. Paul says, “What? Don’t you know that ye are the temple of God?” Now, we do have a lesson, Russell, we can send you about the temple— the sanctuary. Is it “God Sets a Date for the Judgment” or..?

Pastor Jëan Ross: For the judgment, yes.

Pastor Doug: And we’ll be happy to send you a free copy of our lesson on the Old Testament sanctuary. If you just ask for our study guide on the temple, there’s a lot more information in there besides just on the temple. And “God Drew the Plans,” that’s the one I’m looking for.

Pastor Jëan Ross: “God Drew the Plans.” Yes. Amazing Facts study guide. The number to call, Russell, 1-800-835-6747. Ask for the study guide, “God Drew the Plans.”

Pastor Doug: Friends, we’re just going to take a break here in a moment and again, we’d like to encourage you. Check out the website amazingfacts.org and all through the week, you can get Bible answers there. But we’re not done. We’ll be back in a few moments for the second half of Bible Answers Live.

[COMMERCIAL BREAK]

Pastor Jëan Ross: Welcome back to Bible Answers Live with Pastor Doug Batchelor. This broadcast is pre-recorded. If you have a Bible-related question, you can call us from 7 to 8 P.M. Pacific Standard Time on Sundays and receive clear, honest answers directly from Scripture. Call 800-GOD-SAYS, that’s 800-463-7297. Now, please join us as we look to God’s Word for more Bible answers live with author and evangelist, Pastor Doug Batchelor.

Pastor Doug: Welcome, friends. If you’ve joined us somewhere along the way, this is Bible Answers Live. And as you can tell from the title, it is a live, international, interactive Bible study. We have had calls from Australia, from the Caribbean, and all different parts of Guam. And if you’ve got a Bible question, call right now, 800-463-7297. That’s an acronym of GOD-SAYS, will take you to the program. My name is Doug Batchelor.

Pastor Jëan Ross: My name is Jëan Ross. And Pastor Doug, we probably need to go straight to the phone lines to get in as many questions as we can this evening. Dolores is listening on WMCA from Brooklyn, New York. Dolores, welcome to the program!

Dolores: Hello.

Pastor Doug: Evening, and your question.

Dolores: Yes. The Bible states that Isaiah prophesied 700 years before Christ’s birth?

Pastor Doug: Well, it doesn’t say Isaiah prophesied 700 years. We know from history that Isaiah prophesied— I think it’s closer to 500 years— before the birth of Christ; maybe 600 years. Let me see, the Babylonian captivity… it’s probably 550-600 years before the birth of Christ is when Isaiah prophesied. But it doesn’t say that number in the Bible. We just know from Bible chronology. See, Isaiah lived during the time of King Uzziah and Hezekiah. He was killed during the reign of King Manasseh. And we know how many kings there were in the Babylonian captivity and how much history there was from Isaiah until Jesus came. The miracle is that Isaiah foretold very accurately the coming of Jesus, like I said, 500-600 years before He was born.

Pastor Doug: Yeah, around 605 is the date for one of the Babylonian captivities when the Jews went to the captivity, so right around 600 years.

Pastor Doug: Yup, evidently a little more than that. Alright, does that answer your question, Dolores?

Dolores: Yes, it does. Thank you very much.

Pastor Doug: Thank you very much.

Pastor Jëan Ross: Alright. Next caller is Gershon listening on the Internet from Weimar, California. Gershon, welcome to the program!

Gershon: Hi, thank you. I have a question about the gift of tongues. Like, what’s the big deal with it? Is it babbles—blah, blah, blah— [inaudible 00:32:52] or is it actually another language?

Pastor Doug: Well, there… the Bible does speak about a gift of tongues, and that gift is for the purpose of communicating the Gospel in languages that were not formally studied or known. If you, for instance, look in Acts chapter 2… well, let me actually take you to Mark 16— there Jesus said one of the signs that would follow the apostles, He said, “You’ll speak with other tongues.” The word “tongues” means languages. So He told them, “You’ll speak with other languages.” Then we see the fulfillment of that in Acts chapter 2, there are Jews who are Jews by blood and religion but they’re visiting from all over the Roman Empire. They speak all different languages. They come to Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost. God miraculously gives the apostles the ability to speak in languages of these visiting Jews. And it lists right there in Acts chapter 2— I think 15 or 16 different language groups. They preached the Gospel to them in their known languages that people actually say we do hear them speak in our languages the wonderful works of God. They understood what they were saying, they weren’t babbling. They then took the Gospel back to their countries and that’s how it spread all through the Roman Empire, which was something we talked about at the start of the program. Now, today, there’s a popular counterfeit…

Gershon: Where does… that says that those who speak in tongues speak to God alone?

Pastor Doug: Yeah, well, Paul is writing a letter to the church in Corinth where folks were standing up during the services and they were speaking in languages that the people listening didn’t understand. Corinth was a seaport, it was an international trade city in the Roman Empire, it was a melting pot of people from all different languages, and the Christians were getting up and they were starting to just speak in languages nobody understood. And Paul said, “Look, nobody… you’re speaking unto God, not to men. Nobody knows what you’re saying. You’re speaking mysteries.” Paul in 1 Corinthians says, “I’d rather speak five words with my mouth that I might instruct others than 10,000 in an unknown tongue.” In other words, when you speak, make sure the people listening understand what you’re saying, otherwise, he said, just talk to yourself and God if you’re speaking a language they don’t understand.

Gershon: Oh, okay.

Pastor Doug: You know, I’ve got a book I’ll send you on this for free, Gershon, and it’s on the gift of tongues! It’s called, “Understanding Tongues.” Anybody out there, if you’re struggling what does the Bible really say about tongues, you can, you know, sometimes listen on the radio or flip through the TV channels and you’ll hear people babbling and no one around understands and they don’t understand. And I don’t see that in the Bible. That’s not the demonstration of tongues that you see happening in Scripture. So, if you’ve got questions about what is the true gift of tongues, how does the Bible describe it, we’ll send you a copy of this book. It’s a great study and it’s easy to read, “Captured by Tongues.”

Pastor Jëan Ross: The number is 1-800-835-6747 and again, the book is “Understanding Tongues,” and we’ll be happy to send that out. Our next caller is John and he is calling from Mexico, New York, listening on WVOA. John, welcome to the program!

John: Yes. Hi, Sir. How are you doing?

Pastor Doug: Is there a Mexico, New York?

John: Yeah, it’s a small town, obviously. But it’s in Central New York state.

Pastor Doug: Oh. You’d think it’d be in Southern New York. But anyway, go ahead.

John: Okay. Yeah, my question is this. I know that Jesus died and rose to life on the third day. So in between time, was He asleep in the grave or was He consciously awake some place for those two days, or three days I should say?

Pastor Doug: You know, there’s no record in the Bible that He was anything other than asleep. Now, I know that it says that Christ, when He breathed His last on the cross, He gave up the Spirit and died. There’s nothing that tells us that He went floating around anywhere. One reason is when He rises from the dead in John 21 and Mary grabs Him by the feet to worship Him— Mary Magdalene— He says, “Do not cling to Me…” King James Version says, “Don’t touch Me,” but it really just says, “Don’t hang on to Me because I’ve not yet ascended to My Father.” So you would think that if Christ was disembodied somehow after He died on the cross, He would go into the presence of the Father for Jesus said, “I’ve not yet ascended.”

By Sunday night, when He appears to the disciples, He says, “You can now worship Me. All hail!” He had been to the Father and come back again. So, we must assume that just like Jesus said, “My friend Lazarus is asleep,” and then He says, “Lazarus is dead,” that Jesus, when He died, He went to sleep and He rose Sunday morning.

John: So He ascended. I thought He appeared to like 500 or so and didn’t ascend for like 40 days or so.

Pastor Doug: Well, no. That’s after the Resurrection. I thought you’re talking about the three days when He was in the tomb.

John: Well, I am, actually.

Pastor Doug: Yeah, after the Resurrection, He did appear. He appeared to the apostles several times and He appeared to Peter individually. He appeared to disciples on the road to Emmaus in Luke chapter 24. And then, of course, Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15, I think, he appeared to 500 at one time. And we believe that was on by the Sea of Galilee. He arranged a meeting and a number of the disciples gathered there. It may have been the same place He delivered the Sermon on the Mount. And then He met with the disciples just as He ascended from Bethany back in Jerusalem. He ascended from the Mount of Olives.

John: Okay, so He ascended to… okay. So, He was resurrected on the third day…

Pastor Doug: Between the time of His death and His resurrection, there’s no record He appeared anywhere.

John: I see. Okay, then He ascended to heaven and came back down?

Pastor Doug: Yeah, after… right after He rose, the first one to see Him was Mary.

John: Right.

Pastor Doug: He tells Mary, “I’ve not ascended to My Father…”

John: Right.

Pastor Doug: “Go and tell the brethren that I am alive.” And He specifically said, “Tell Peter.” He then ascends to heaven, His sacrifices declared successful and victorious, He comes down to the world and He says “All hail,” and they worshiped Him. And at that point, He had evidently, you know, Christ travels pretty quick. He don’t go the speed of light, He probably goes the speed of thought.

John: Yeah.

Pastor Doug: And He ascended to the Father and came back.

John: I see. Alright. God enough.

Pastor Doug: Alright. Thanks, John. Good question.

Pastor Jëan Ross: Our next caller is Mario and he’s calling from Florida. Mario, welcome to the program!

Mario: Hello. How are you doing?

Pastor Doug: Very good.

Mario: Yeah. I’m calling to ask a question for my wife. She was reading in 2 Chronicles 9:13. It says, “The weight of gold that came to Solomon yearly was 666 talents of gold.”

Pastor Doug: Yes.

Mario: So I was just wondering if there was any relation between that passage and 666 in Revelation.

Pastor Doug: There may be. Let me tell you why. If you trace the history of God’s people and all the promises He made to Israel, they had a lot of ups and downs but they finally reached the top of the mountain during the reign of Solomon. Everything Moses promised that they would experience— the peace, the victory, the freedom from their enemies, the prosperity— all of that happened during the reign of Solomon. And it’s interesting after Solomon built his house, and he built the temple, Queen of Sheba comes to mention him, it tells how rich he became. And then when you get to that number 666 in Solomon’s story, then the story changes. And he begins to go downhill.

So picture in your mind a line that goes up, up, up during the history of Israel. They get to Solomon, the temple is built, the glory of God comes on the temple— everything is going great— the Queen of Sheba comes, nations are flowing to Solomon, and he then, he had gathered too much money and God said, “Don’t collect wives, don’t collect horses, don’t collect money.” He did all those things, and then it says 666, and then it starts going downhill. Eventually, his wives drew his heart away after other gods, the kingdom gets split, and it just sort of… it looks like the stock market slowly crashing from then on.

John: So it’s like it’s an indication that anything that has to do with 666, we should not take part of.

Pastor Doug: There was a turning point. Well, the number’s a symbol. I mean, if you’re at an auditorium somewhere and there’s a thousand seats and you happen to sit down in seat number 666, you don’t need to worry. Nothing bad is going to happen to you. It’s just a number. You know what? Let me tell you something. Can you get on the Internet, Mario?

Mario: Not right now.

Pastor Doug: Well, write something down. And when you can, there’s a website that Amazing Facts just released on the number 666. It’s called 666 Truth. And there’s a video at YouTube that… now we’ve got in…

Mario: Oh, I think I might have seen that…

Pastor Doug: …three weeks, we had 28,000 views. It’s called 666 Revealed, 666 Revealed. And I talk about some of the facts in history about the number 666. And so, you can go to also the website and I have a sermon on the number 666. I’ve got a few of them. So, I’d recommend you do that. Now we do have… go ahead, I’m sorry.

Mario: …revealed?

Pastor Doug: You were saying?

Mario: You said that the website is 666 Revealed?

Pastor Doug: The YouTube video is called 666 Revealed. The website is called 666truth.org or .com, either one.

Mario: Okay. Alright. Thank you.

Pastor Doug: And the website’s got a lot more information. Hey, thanks a lot, Mario. Appreciate your question.

Pastor Jëan Ross: Dan is listening on KFIA from Sacramento. Dan, welcome to the program!

Dan: Yeah. Hi. I was reading my Bible in Revelation 19:7 and I was wondering, what is the bride represent? There’s a lot of ideas out there of what the bride represents…

Pastor Doug: Well, the bride is a symbol…

Dan: …what does that represent?

Pastor Doug: Yeah, I don’t think we need to guess, Dan. The bride represents the church. The Bible says, “Husbands, love your wife, even as Christ loved the church.” When Jesus said, “I go to prepare a place for you, and I’ll come again and receive you unto Myself,” this is what they did in a Jewish wedding. When a woman accepted a proposal of a man and they had a covenant of marriage, he would go build a honeymoon chamber on his father’s house and then he would come back with his friends and get his wife. The parable of the ten virgins talks about Christ coming to get His bride. So, there’s a lot of analogies in the Bible on the church being the bride of Christ. A matter of fact, we have as study guide called, “The Bride of Christ.” It’s a beautiful full color study that talks just about this subject, Dan, and it’s filled with Scripture. Would you like a free copy?

Dan: Sure. Is there any way I can get it online?

Pastor Doug: I think you can.

Pastor Jëan Ross: You can.

Pastor Doug: But there’s a trick though.

Pastor Jëan Ross: The Amazing Facts website.

Pastor Doug: Here’s the trick. You go to the website called Bible Universe.

Dan: Okay.

Pastor Doug: The trick is you’ve got to do a few lessons before it. We want people [laughing] to go through the lessons. So, I don’t think you can just open up this lesson by yourself without logging in and you’ve got to do a few preliminary lessons. And then you get to the lesson, “The Bride of Christ.” It’s all free. But if you do the lessons online, I think it does request that you go through them sequentially and I don’t remember which number this is. Is there a way for them, Pastor Ross? I really don’t know…

Pastor Jëan Ross: I’m thinking about the Amazing Facts website in the Library Section. I think you can access the study guides there as well and…

Dan: Okay.

Pastor Doug: Well, tell you what. You try that. The lesson title is called, “The Bride of Christ.” We’ve got so much at our study guide… at our website that’s why Pastor Ross and I sometimes have to think about it. There’s hundreds of study resources there.

Dan: Okay.

Pastor Doug: A lot of them are free. Some are bigger and you have to pay for and some you do online. I know we send out these lessons and you can do them online. But I’m not sure this one is available to just read as a PDF.

Pastor Jëan Ross: You know, one of the thought on that, if you read in Revelation, the angel says to John, “I’ll show you the Lamb’s wife,” or the bride. And then he shows John the New Jerusalem.

Pastor Doug: That’s a good point.

Pastor Jëan Ross: And folks, well, that’s strange. Why is he showing him the New Jerusalem? You’re thinking, show him the church. But in Scripture, the New Jerusalem— Jerusalem is the symbol of God’s people— just like Babylon is the symbol of those who…

Pastor Doug: The wicked.

Pastor Jëan Ross: …the wicked, those who are opposed to God and His people. And so, you have two cities. And in Revelation, you have two women— one is in Revelation 12, the bride of Christ. The other is… her name is Babylon and she’s described in Revelation 17. So, two opposing forces.

Pastor Doug: Yeah, one’s the faithful, truth church; one’s the unfaithful. Yeah, good point. But… and we have a lesson on the other woman, too. It’s called, “The Other Woman.”

Pastor Jëan Ross: That’s right.

Pastor Doug: So you can request… we’ll send you a free copy or you can go to the website and it’s... one’s called, “The Bride of Christ,” the other is called, “The Other Woman,” talks about Babylon.

Pastor Jëan Ross: 1-800-83567-47, “The Bride of Christ.”

Pastor Doug: Oh, you know, I just thought— there is one lesson you can read online. It’s called, “The Beast, the Dragon, and the Woman,” and it also talks about the Bride of Christ. “The Beast, the Dragon, and the Woman” is free at the Amazing Facts website.

Pastor Jëan Ross: Okay. Fantastic. Alright, our next caller then is Michael and he’s calling from Boston. Michael, welcome to the program!

Michael: Yeah. Good evening.

Pastor Doug: Evening.

Michael: Thank you for accepting my call.

Pastor Doug: And your question.

Michael: Yeah, my question is on John 10:34 where Jesus was being accused of answering God and He quoted from Psalm 82:6, saying that, “Ye are gods.”

Pastor Doug: Yes.

Michael: Yeah. And so, I’ve been having… I have a colleague of mine and we were just discussing about as “reverence.” So I told him that all reverence belongs to God, which is in Psalm 111:9.

Pastor Doug: Right.

Michael: Yeah. Then, he said, “Okay, how come that God… Jesus called us gods.” So I was kind of confused on that verse, and I need some explanation.

Pastor Doug: Well, in Psalms, when it makes that reference in 82:6, the word is Elohim. And it… sometimes, it can apply to a leader, a king, a magistrate. And technically, men were made to have dominion of this world. And that’s why God says in the Psalms, “Have I not said that ye are gods?” meaning that the children of Israel were to be a nation of kings and priests for the world.

Michael: Okay.

Pastor Doug: But that’s not… it’s a small “g.” It’s not capitalized like Jehovah.

Michael: Exactly.

Pastor Doug: So it’s a different title, really.

Pastor Jëan Ross: Also, just to add to that, it was… commonly, that phrase “as gods” was commonly referred to in the rabbinical tradition of the day, those who studied and judged according to the Mosaic Law. A part of their title was as “gods,” but small letter “g.” And it seems that Jesus, in His response to the Jewish leader, spoke in terms of this tradition and quoting from Psalms.

Pastor Doug: Right. Yeah, and of course, they’re taking issue with Jesus saying He’s the Son of God. And He’s saying, “That shouldn’t shock you because technically, we are all sons of God when you believe.”

Michael: Yeah.

Pastor Doug: You know, the Bible says, “Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us that we should be called sons of God.” That’s 1 John 3:1. So Christ is just saying, “You don’t make such a big issue out of it. My saying that I am the Son of God, I am inviting you to be sons of God, and…”

Michael: So is it the same thing in Exodus 7:1 when God told Moses that he will be the god to Pharaoh and then Aaron will be his prophet?

Pastor Doug: Same principle, you’re on the right track. Obviously, Moses was not to be worshiped as a god. But Pharaoh had all of these pagan deities and idols that he worshiped. And when Pharaoh saw the very real power of Moses, God was saying, “Look, he’s going to respect you like you are a deity because you will be representing Me.” But it has nothing to do with God endorsing man taking the position of God…

Michael: Oh, okay.

Pastor Doug: …because that’s one of the commandments. It’s very clear. Hey, appreciate your question, Michael. Good stimulating thoughts.

Pastor Jëan Ross: Donna is listening on WMUZ from Detroit, Michigan. Donna, welcome to the program!

Donna: Hello, how are you today? Praise the Lord!

Pastor Doug: Doing well. And your question, Donna?

Donna: I don’t know how to ask this question, so hang in here with me.

Pastor Doug: Okay.

Donna: Before you die, does God give you revelation that you are going to die? Like your life flash before you or He gives you some types signs that you’re going to leave here. And also, before you leave here— now this is not when you’re dead, this is before you die— does He also give you indication when you’re going to heaven or the other place?

Pastor Doug: First question— there are some people who have been told in advance they’re going to die. And you’ve got some examples in the Bible. And even Isaiah the Prophet came to Hezekiah, and God said, “Set your house in order, you’re going to die.” He prayed and God said, “Oh look, I’ll give you 15 more years and then you’ll die.” So actually, he was being told, “You’re terminal. You’ve only got 15 years.” Really, we’re all terminal in that respect.

But, and by the way, Donna, all of us know we’re going to die if Jesus doesn’t come first in this life. The day and the hour of our demise, most people don’t know. I think for most people, we’d like to think that, you know, “I’m going to be here for a while.” That’s why most people make a terrible mistake, they never prepare a will. It’s kind of sad how many people, you know, even though they know how much more painful it is for the family and expensive it is, and the state ends up getting so much of the money. If they would just make a will or a trust, in spite of that knowledge, people think by postponing it, they’re somehow postponing their death. And so, they don’t prepare. A lot of people, obviously, are driving down the road and they’re caught off-guard with no premonition.

And then, there are people who God warns them. I’m trying to think of some other examples in the Bible. Well, King Saul was told he was going to die the next day by a witch but I wouldn’t get my information from the local tarot cards.

Pastor Jëan Ross: You know, we also have an indication in the experience of Paul on his way down to Jerusalem where someone prophesied concerning him that he would go to Jerusalem but then be taken off in captivity in chains to Rome…

Pastor Doug: And God told Paul that he was going to die. He said, “I know the time of my departure is at hand.”

Pastor Jëan Ross: That’s right.

Pastor Doug: So he did have a premonition. God… Jesus told Peter…

Donna: So do you get peace from that?

Pastor Doug: Excuse me?

Donna: Do you get… does God prepare you to be peaceful with that? You know…

Pastor Doug: Oh, I think so.

Donna: I’m thinking that, you know, there’s so many different stages of death and dying. Do you get peace from that? Do you… I’m not dying or anything…

Pastor Doug: If a person is in a good relationship with the Lord and they know that when they die, their next conscious thought is no more pain and suffering and eternal life, you can enter the shadow of… what do you call? The valley of the shadow of death, you can enter it with peace because “Thou are with me.” That’s what King David said, “If I know You’re with me, I’m not afraid of the valley of the shadow of death.” And so, a lot of Christians have just laid down on their dying pillow with a smile on their face because they knew that their lives were secure.

Pastor Jëan Ross: You know, Moses knew that he was soon to die. God told him. And we spoke about it earlier— he climbed the mountain and died.

Pastor Doug: Yeah, Moses’ regret was not that he was dying. His regret was he wanted to walk into the Promised Land first…

Pastor Jëan Ross: Living in the Promised Land…

Pastor Doug: So, God did let him look at it. He got a 3D view but he didn’t get there so far…

Pastor Jëan Ross: Then he ended up going into the real Promised Land after his death and resurrection.

Pastor Doug: He finally… yeah, I was going to say Moses did step into the Promised Land when he met Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration.

Pastor Jëan Ross: That’s right.

Pastor Doug: So, you know, we do have a study guide on the subject of death and we’ll be happy to send you a copy of that if you like, Donna. And it’s called, “Are the Dead Really Dead?” It talks about what the Bible says about the subject of death. And it sounds ominous from the title but it really offers, especially in the last part of the lesson, hope and encouragement regarding death.

Pastor Jëan Ross: The number is 1-800-835-6747 and that’s the resource line. And ask for the study guide, “Are the Dead Really Dead?” and we’ll be happy to send that out. Gary is listening in Saint Louis, Missouri, listening on KSLJ. Gary, welcome to the program!

Gary: Thank you. Hey, guys. I’ve got a question. Okay. Christ on the cross— that was the big price, the victory for us sinners to be redeemed. And I’m thinking, wouldn’t Satan had done all in his power not to have Judas kiss Jesus, not to allow Pontius Pilate to convict Him— you know what I mean? If that’s the big price and He’s going to save us, why would…

Pastor Doug: Why would the devil want to facilitate His sacrifice?

Gary: Yeah. You know what I mean?

Pastor Doug: Yeah. That’s a good question. I think what the devil really wanted was not just, of course, he hates Jesus and wanted to extract as much suffering as he can. He wanted Christ to sin. All Jesus’ life, the devil dogged him, in the temptation in the wilderness— he was trying to tempt Him to sin because if Christ sinned, we would be doomed. The fact that Jesus lived a sinless life, it’s not just…

Gary: But the Pharisees would have never brought up a problem with Him. If Pontius… if He had never seen Pontius Pilate, you know, before that…

Pastor Jëan Ross: You know, Jesus, probably, if He hadn’t been crucified, He would still have to lay down His life as a sacrifice. It just wouldn’t have been at the hands of wicked men. But He came to lay down His life as a sacrifice. And I think the devil realized that near the end of Christ’s ministry that if Jesus is going to die, he’s going to make it as horrible as he possibly could, and that’s what brought around…

Gary: Yeah.

Pastor Jëan Ross: ...brought about the cross and all of the cursing.

Gary: Yeah.

Pastor Jëan Ross: But if all that wasn’t there, if Judas… if there wasn’t a Judas, Christ would have to lay down His life at some point.

Pastor Doug: You know, there’s a study guide I think, Gary, you’d really enjoy called, “The High Cost of the Cross.” It’s actually a book, “The High Cost if the Cross.” We’d like to send you a free copy of that, Gary, and I think it will really encourage you. A matter of fact, anybody…

Pastor Jëan Ross: That’s right.

Pastor Doug: …would get a blessing from that.

Pastor Jëan Ross: The number is 1-800-835-6747 and the study guide is “The High Cost of the Cross.”

Pastor Doug: How much time do we have? We’ve got two minutes. Let’s see if we can get one more question in.

Pastor Jëan Ross: Alright. Let’s go to Carrie, and Carrie is calling from Arkansas. Carrie, welcome to the program!

Carrie: Hi.

Pastor Doug: Hi, Carrie. We’ve got about a minute and a half. Can we do a question real quick?

Carrie: I hope so. I’ve got some little girls that I’m trying to explain the Trinity.

Pastor Doug: Alright. First thing, when we’re done with the call, we’ll send you a free book and it’s called, “The Trinity: Is it Biblical?” That’s the first thing. The second thing is explain to your girls that there are three people in the family of God. It’s like sometimes, you’ll have a family. We’ve all got the same last name. They’re one family but they’re three distinct people. And Mom and Dad and Son might have different functions. But it’s one family. God the Father is the Supreme Authority in the universe. You have God the Son, Jesus, and God the Spirit Whose work is to exalt and to extol and guide people to God the Father and the Son. And so, there are three distinct persons. It’s like in the Bible when it says a man and a woman get married, they become one flesh. Well, there’s still two people, but they’re one family. And so God… there’s one God. And that’s why the Lord said, “We’ll make man in Our image after Our likeness.”

Oh, there’s a lot more to say. Carrie, please send for the book on the Trinity, and that number again is 800-835-6747.

Listening friends, we want to just thank you and stay with me for another 10 seconds or so. And I just want to remind you that this station, if you’re hearing this program, is supported by folks like you. But these are trying times. You’ve probably heard others say that ministries are struggling, we are also struggling, and we deeply appreciate anything you could do to help keep us on the air. You can just go to the Amazing Facts website. It’s amazingfacts.org, and click the Contact button. Until next week, God bless you, friends.

---------------------------------------END-----------------------------------