Pastor Doug: Welcome listening friends to Bible answers live. We're so glad that you've tuned in for a fresh installment of answering Bible questions. If you have a question, we have lines open right now. Just pick up your phone, of course, it's a free phone call in North America. You can also even call in on the Internet around the world. The number 800 God says. That's 800-463-7297. One more time 800-463-7297. My name is Doug Batchelor.
Pastor Ross: My name is John Ross. Good evening friends and Pastor Doug, let's begin the program with prayer. Dear Father, we thank you that we are able to take a few moments and open up your word and study together this evening. We ask for your special blessing to be with us through those listening wherever they might be. Lead us Lord into a clear understanding of the Bible, for we ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.
Pastor Doug: Amen. Well--
Pastor Ross: Pastor Doug, you open up by sharing some interesting facts about--
Pastor Doug: I've got a fact for you now. It's about Liquid Paper. Back in the 1950s, Bette Nesmith had a good secretarial job at a Dallas bank. This is when she noticed that there was a problem that intrigued her. Before the days of the digital word processors, correcting a typing error was a difficult and messy business. She thought there must be a better way. Having some art experience, she knew that artists often painted over their errors. At home, Bette put some white water based paint in a little bottle with a small paint brush. She took her simple invention to the office. It worked perfectly. For five years, Bette quietly used her white correction paint to cover typing mistakes.
Even though some bosses frowned on the practice. Soon all the secretaries in her building were using what she then called, mistake out. With some help from her son, at a high school chemistry teacher, they helped improve the formula so that it would dry more quickly. It became so popular that he attempted to sell the product idea various companies including IBM, but they all turned her down. In 1956, she began selling her typewriter correction fluid out of the kitchen. Later expanding to a portable metal building in her backyard. As the product became an indispensable tool to the secretarial trade. She formed her own company and changed the name to Liquid Paper. By 1979, her company employed 200 people and made 25 million bottles of Liquid Paper each year. This is when the Gillette company bought Bette's company for $47.5 million. I guess it turns out a simple invention to cover mistakes was a very popular idea. Don't you wish there was an invention that would help us cover the mistakes of life. Maybe there is.
Pastor Ross: You know, Pastor Doug, there is. That's probably a free offer that we're going to be talking about today. That talks about how a person can be forgiven. Where the sins of life can be covered.
Pastor Doug: There are some scriptures in Isaiah 1:18. It says, "Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, they'll be white as snow." Then you go to Revelation 7:14. Here it's talking about those who were saved out of the great tribulation. It says, "They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." There is in the Gospel it tells us about something that helps us wash away the mistakes of life and the sins of life. We have a book that highlights that.
Pastor Ross: We do have the book. It's entitled Baptism - Is It Really Necessary?. I'm reminded of what the people said. When Peter was preaching and they were convicted. They said, "What shall we do to be saved?" Peter said, "Well repent and be baptized." While baptism is it really necessary for the Christian today? While this book gets into that subject and explains how we can have our sins washed away. How baptism is connected with that. It's our free offer for today. If you'd like to receive it, just give us a call on our resource phone number. That number is 800-835-6747. Again that number is 800-835-6747. You can ask for the book called, Baptism - Is It Really Necessary? We'll be happy to send that to anybody who calls and asks.
Pastor Doug: All right, what do we have for the phones. If people are calling in, by the way, we do still have two lines open. If you want to call in with your Bible question 800-463-7297.
Pastor Ross: First caller this evening is Jasmine listening in Louisiana. Jasmine, welcome to the program.
Jasmine: Hello pastor.
Pastor Doug: Good evening, get real close to your phone.
Jasmine: Okay.
Pastor Doug: Your question.
Jasmine: Do you hear me better now?
Pastor Doug: I do hear you a little better.
Jasmine: Okay. Thank you, both for your ministry. My question tonight is, I've always thought that the world was populated and all of the different parts by Adam and Eve. Maybe through like a Pangaea kind of continental structure. After the flood, that they were separated, but I was thinking that as we all descend from Shem and Japheth. How did all the different areas get populated? Why were those kingdoms, like in the Americas and in the Chinese dynasties, not mentioned? Like Daniel 2:3.
Pastor Doug: All right, well good question. First of all, you are correct. That the world's nations, the continents were populated following the Tower of Babel by the descendants of Noah. There have been some studies on human migration that has been done by National Geographic. Where they track DNA. It's very interesting, it seems to be a fairly precise science. They're seeing now that for instance the Americas, the original people most of them, some came from Polynesia to South America. It's interesting, they see the few boats evidently made it. The most of them came in from Mongolia across the Bering Strait. The theory is that when shortly after the flood there was something of an ice age. They were able to cross there. Either by foot or a very short jaunt in the boat. The reason that Daniel 2, when it talks about the primary kingdoms, being Babylon, Middle Persia, Greece and Rome. Daniel 2 is only dealing with the kingdoms of the world and the empires that occupied God's people namely Israel.
Jasmine: Got you.
Pastor Doug: Babylon, Middle Persia, Greece, Rome all occupied God's people. They are mentioned in scripture in a specific way. Of course there were great empires among the Aztecs and the Incas and the Chinese and others. They're not mentioned because they had at that time no direct impact on the nation of Israel.
Jasmine: Great. Yes, that makes a lot of sense.
Pastor Doug: Well we appreciate you're calling in. We do have a timeline on that talks about some of the different kingdoms. If you type in biblehistory.com, biblehistory.com. That'll take you to the Amazing Facts' Bible history timeline. It's a great study to a lot of people have saved it in their favorites. They go there again and again. I use it.
Pastor Ross: I believe Daniel 2 is also there. You look up the different kingdoms. Babylon, Middle Persia.
Pastor Doug: Right.
Pastor Ross: Greece, Rome. It's all put in the timeline. Some of the other things that we read about in the Bible. How it all connected together. Just a great resource. Biblehistory.com. That'll give you more information. Our next caller is Marie listening from Alberta. Marie, welcome to the program.
Marie: Yes, hi there.
Pastor Doug: Hi.
Marie: Pastor Doug, I have a three part question for you. Can you hear me?
Pastor Doug: Yes, loud and clear.
Marie: Okay, can you explain exactly what is God's grace? Does it replace God's Holy Sabbath and the moral law? Where in the Bible does it say, we can pick and choose the Ten Commandments?
Pastor Doug: Okay, well first of all God's grace is the pardoning salvation of the Lord. Where we receive unmerited or undeserved favor from God for both pardon and power. People always think about God's grace is his winking at our weakness. By God's grace also supplies. He gives his power to do His will. That's part of His grace as well. The moral law, and for those listening, moral law is sometimes called the Decalogue, is another term for the ten commandments. Of course, all of the Ten Commandments are not suggestions. They're not optional. God does not give a ten or twenty percent discount on the Ten Commandments. He commands us to keep them all. That would include the fourth commandment, which is the Sabbath. That Marie was just asking about. We're not told anywhere that we get to pick and choose. I mean these are the commandments of God. Sin, according to the New Testament, sin is the transgression of God's Law. When we lie it is a sin. When we steal, when we murder, adultery those are sins. We're never allowed to break God's law without being in jeopardy of sin and the penalty for sin is death. That's why we need God's forgiving grace and His grace to give us power to live new lives. To repent of our sins and to have our sins washed in the blood of the Lamb as we mentioned earlier. We appreciate that. We do have a book, we'll send you a free copy called The Riches of His Grace, Marie. Talks about the grace of God. If you call the resource number, they'll send you a free copy.
Pastor Ross: The number to call is 800-835-6747. You can ask for the book called The Riches of His Grace. I'll be happy to send that to you Marie or anybody who calls and asks. Again that number is 800-835-6747. If you have a Bible question our phone line here to the studio is 800-463-7297. Our next caller is Fred listening from Connecticut. Fred, welcome to the program.
Fred: Yes. Good evening.
Pastor Doug: Evening.
Fred: I wanted to ask you how much you know about the Lunar Sabbath.
Pastor Doug: Well, in the Bible of course at creation, it tells us that the seventh day was the Sabbath. He created the world in six days. He made one more day for his special appointment. God in the beginning and it says he blessed that day, hallowed it. And what God did he made for man, Jesus said the Sabbath was made for man. God didn't make it for himself, he made it to be a blessing to man. Then years later during the ceremonial laws, at the beginning of every month they had they call the New Moon, their months were divided by the moon back then. That's where we get the word for moon it was the other word for month rather. They used to have a New Moon Sabbath. Well, that could come on a different day of the week just like the calendar dates fall on different days of the week. The Lunar Sabbath did not always line up with the weekly Sabbath. The Lunar Sabbath was never treated as importantly as the weekly Sabbath of the Ten Commandments. It was more part of the ceremonial law. You find it was nailed to the cross when you read in Colossians Chapter 2. Don't let anyone judge you in regard to Sabbath days which are shadows of things to come. He's talking about the ceremonial Sabbaths and feast days that were part of that ceremonial law. We do have a book that talks about feast days and Sabbaths, Fred. We can send you a free copy, would you like that?
Fred: Yes, I had called the resource line before.
Pastor Doug: All right well, if you'd like that we would be happy to send it to you. Ask you to read it and then share it with a friend.
Pastor Ross: The number to call for that is 800-835-6747. That is the resource phone line. Just ask for the book called Feast days and Sabbaths. We'll be happy to send that to anybody who calls and asks. Thank you for your call Fred. Our next caller is Eldin listening from Nevada. Eldin welcome to the program.
Elden: Yes. Hello. This is Elden Guinee from Las Vegas. Peace and blessings to both of you.
Pastor Doug: Thank you. Thank you for calling.
Elden: Pastor Doug, I have a question for you. It's 1 Timothy 4:3-5, where Timothy warns of religious leaders that tell you what to eat and what not to eat and calling unclean what God has created. Can you possibly give a little bit more information on that?
Pastor Doug: Sure, yes. I'd like to actually read the verses before to get the context. If you look in 1 Timothy chapter 4, it says, "The Spirit speaks expressly saying that in the latter times some will depart from the faith giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of devils, speaking lies and hypocrisy having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry." All right, right away it's telling us about a group that would forbid some of its people to marry. Well, there are some churches that forbid their pastors to marry. "And commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving of them that no one believed the truth." Meaning that first of all Paul dealt with people in his day. There were Jewish leaders that were saying that you could not eat food that God said was clean because it had been offered to a pagan god. Paul said, "The Idol is nothing." Someone offers their goat or their sheep or their chicken to an idol before they butcher it and you buy it at the meat market, says it doesn't mean that you're worshiping that God. It kind of like a church telling their members, "You can't eat at that Chinese restaurant because they got a little statue of Buddha by the cash register." Some people take it that far. There's also a church that says on certain days of the week you can and can't eat fish, whether it's clean or not. Biblically was not the issue. They're saying, "You can't eat things that God says you can eat." I think that we all know there was a church that sort of ruled Europe for about 1,200 years. They told their priest they could not marry. They said that you could eat fish on some days and not on other days. That fulfills this prediction pretty accurately.
Eldin: Okay.
Pastor Doug: Did that make sense?
Eldin: Yes, it does. I was a little bit confused. I spoke to a Jew regarding the Mosaic Law and I asked him about kosher laws. He asked me, "Are you Jewish?" I said, "No, I'm a Gentile." He said, "Well, if you're Gentile you can eat whatever you want." He said, "We're Jewish, and the Mosaic Law was given to Jews only and not to the Gentiles."
Pastor Doug: Well he's mistaken because the difference between clean and unclean food was clearly given to Gentiles. My argument for that would be Noah, who lived long before Abraham, and long before circumcision, was told of course, everybody listening to my voice right now in case you don't know you're related to Noah, and Noah was told to take on the ark the clean animals by sevens and the unclean animals by two. God made a distinction between clean and unclean for everybody. It goes all the way back.
Pastor Ross: A reason for that distinction that goes all the way back to all right after the fall is that the sacrificial system was instituted right after Adam and Eve sinned. At that point, a distinction was made between what animals could be sacrificed and what animals couldn't be sacrificed. That principle is an establishment from way before the flood, yes.
Pastor Doug: Anyway yes, I respectfully even though I am half Jewish, I respectfully disagree with the Jew that said that God doesn't care what Gentiles eat. I don't know why God would care that Jews are holy and not care that other people are holy. Anyway, thank you very much Eldin for your question. We do have a booklet, if you've not seen it before, it's called God's Health Plan. Talks about the clean and the unclean food and where that's mentioned in the Bible.
Pastor Ross: The number to call is 800-835-6747. You can ask for the study guide called God's Free Health Plan. We'll be happy to send this to anybody who calls and asks. Again that number is 800-835-6747. Our next caller that we have is Joe listening from Rio Linda, California. Joe,` welcome to the program.
Joe: Thank you. My question has to do with Sabbath.
Pastor Doug: Okay.
Joe: It was designed to have rest and relaxation for that period of time. Why would not going to a movie be considered relaxing?
Pastor Doug: Well the Sabbath is more than just rest and relaxation. If you look in Leviticus 23, it calls the Sabbath, "A holy convocation." That means it's a time for us to come together to worship. In Isaiah, is it 58, where God says, "Not speaking your own words or finding your own pleasure." So we're to set aside that time from worldly pleasure. Now, if a person is watching a Christian programming like sermons on Sabbath sometimes we turn on a couple of Christian channels on Sabbath then we'll listen to other preachers. That's I think consistent with doing something holy.
Pastor Ross: The verse I think is Isaiah 58:13.
Pastor Doug: That would be my response to that Joe is, would Jesus be going to a movie to watch Terminator on Sabbath? Probably not. The Bible talks about buying and selling. For the typical theater, you also have to buy a ticket, and it says on Sabbath we shouldn't be getting involved in merchandising buying and selling. I just think for a number of reasons that would probably not be consistent with a good Sabbath keeping. There's a lot of really good ways to rest though.
Joe: Yes, that was just one of my questions, thank you.
Pastor Doug: All right. We appreciate that Joe. Good question.
Pastor Ross: Next caller is Floyd listening from Antelope, California. Floyd, Welcome to the program.
Floyd: Thank you. My question is about 30 years ago I was going to revelations seminar.
Pastor Doug: Yes?
Floyd: The teacher in the revelation seminar, he would take a match and light it and burn it. This was when they had to lit a Revelation Bible. They gave those Bibles away with the revelation seminar. After they stopped giving the red ones they started giving brown ones away. I really liked the red ones better because they had more commentary in it. He would light a match and said when it burned, it burned upstroke, point a person would go to hell they wouldn't burn forever. That they would burn up. The Bible says that we are corruptible. Corruptible things would burn, like being cremated now. You would burn to ashes. Then when you raise from the dead, then the body will be incorruptible. If it's incorruptible, how could it burn up into ashes?
Pastor Doug: All right.
Floyd: A resurrected body.
Pastor Doug: Good question. First of all, the promise is that the saved, this is 1 Corinthians 15, it is only the saved that come out of the graves with incorruptible bodies. There's no promise that the wicked are going to be raised with incorruptible bodies. Secondly, if you read in Malachi 4 it says, "Behold the day comes it will burn as an oven and all the proud and all that do wickedly will be stubble. That day that comes will burn them up. It will leave them neither root nor branch but unto you, that fear my name shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings and you will go forth and tread upon the wicked. For they will be ashes under the soles of your feet." The wicked, there's no question there's a number of scriptures that say the wicked become ashes. Again it says that Revelation 20 they are consumed. It tells us the wicked will consume away into smoke. They are burned up. There's quite a few verses that say the wicked after their judgment. Every man is punished. There's a lake of fire. We don't question hell fire, that's pretty clear. As far as the time their last conscious thought, is sort of an eternal thought, that they're dying in this fire. It's frozen in time. As far as God having a torture chamber a billion years from now where people are still burning, the Bible doesn't teach that. Bible says, "All things are made new. There's no more pain no more sorrow no more crying. Sinners are not immortalized." We've got a whole lesson on that Floyd if you'd like us to send you a copy.
Floyd: Okay.
Pastor Doug: Pastor also give you a number, the lesson's called Is The Devil In Charge Of Hell?
Pastor Ross: The number to call is 800.
Floyd: What was it? Say that again.
Pastor Ross: The lesson is called Is The Devil In Charge Of Hell? That's the name of the lesson. Is The Devil In Charge Of Hell? We'll be happy to send that to anybody who calls and asks the number is 800-835-6747. Just ask for the study guide called Is The Devil In Charge Of Hell? If you have access to the World Wide Web, it seems nowadays nobody does not have access to the World Wide Web. We do have a website dedicated to the Bible truth of hell. It's called helltruth.com. It's got a lot of scriptures there. Some video you can watch on sermons related to the subject. Anything more you'd want to know about the subject of hell in the Bible, it's there on that website. Helltruth.com. So I encourage you to take a look at that. Thank you for your call, Floyd. Our next caller is Jerry, listening in Oregon. Jerry, welcome to the program.
Jerry: Yes. Good afternoon, good evening. Pastors Ross and Pat and Batchelor. I was very touched by the family members of that Charleston prayer meeting. Forgave that man who did the shooting and that kind of got me to thinking. Normally when they say they forgive this man, when you appear in court to give your victim impact statement, should you under those conditions, plead for clemency for this person? If you do. Should the jury consider it? Given Leviticus 24:17 it says, "For he who takes another man's life shall surely be put to death."
Pastor Doug: Now, that's a good question. In some cases, when family members can make a statement before sentencing. I've actually been to sentence scenes like that. Sometimes it's in the hands of a jury. Sometimes it's in the hand of a judge, usually it's in the hands of a judge. Frequently, the law or a plea bargain has already been made before families make their statements. It is the judge does have the discretion. If someone, for instance, is going to get the death penalty and the family says, "We forgive this person please forgive them and maybe give them life or something." That may factor in the judge's decision. If he's hanging in the balance. There are clear laws that the judges need to follow no matter what a person might say. If you go to the police and you say I realize this person stole my car and I just want to forgive them. Well, you may not file for civil damages, but they're still going to prosecute this person for the felony of stealing a car. Because they broke a law that other people will be threatened by. Yes, it's one thing to forgive a person. Say I have no malice towards you, but that doesn't always mean they should not pay any kind of penalty for their crime. Because if everybody forgives everybody who commits a crime pretty soon criminals are emboldened. It's remarkable when people can say that they forgive when someone has murdered a loved one. That takes a supernatural forgiveness. Thank you very much, Jerry we appreciate that. I've got a sermon online that you might enjoy called, 70 times 7. Talks about forgiveness 70 times 7.
Pastor Ross: Our next caller is Terry, listening from Nevada. Terry, welcome to the program.
Terry: Hi. My question is, when we all die and go to heaven, is it temporary? Then we come and reign on Earth with Jesus Christ in the new Earth?
Pastor Doug: Yes, well at that point good question. The time that we live in the city of God is limited. The Bible says we live in reign with God for a thousand years. Then the New Jerusalem descends down to earth. At that point, heaven basically is brought to Earth or Paradise. The New Jerusalem comes down to earth. The tree of life is in the new Earth. We will be living in a state of Paradise and bliss. The Bible says that his right hand or pleasure is forever more. I think that's Psalm 16. Heaven as we know it, this wonderful world of eternity, will be moved to the Earth. We won't be out in space where the capital of God's universes.
Pastor Ross: That's what Jesus says in Matthew, "Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the Earth." Not the Earth as we know it now, but the Earth recreated and restored after that 1,000 years.
Pastor Doug: Bible says, "I beheld a new heaven and the new earth." It says that in Revelation, and 2 Peter 3 also talks about that. Thank you very much, Terry. We're just going to run out of time right now for this first half of the program. We're not going away we've got the best yet to come. By the way, we do have a couple of phone lines open. Do you want to give us a call with your Bible question. That number is 800 God says, 800-463-7297. Also want to remind you that a lot of the Amazing Facts material can be explored and enjoyed online. A very popular website is the Amazing Facts website. You'll see we have free books there. Bible studies you can download for free. Lots of videos and sermons for free. We just operate by faith. We offer a lot of free material. You can even go to YouTube. We have a YouTube channel. We got a Facebook channel. I think last week we've had a million, last month a million people have gone to the amazing facts Facebook channel. We'll be back in just a moment.
[COMMERCIAL BREAK]
Pastor Doug: Welcome back listening friends. We assume some have joined us along the way as typically happens with radio. If you don't know you're listening to Bible Answers Live, this is a live international interactive Bible study program. You can participate by just listening as people call in. These are live questions that are coming in. We never know, we don't prime or prompt people what to ask. You can call in with your Bible questions. 800 God says 800-463-7297 we don't claim to have all the answers, but we look to the word together. We find a lot of merit. My name is Doug Batchelor.
Pastor Ross: My name is John Ross. We're going to go to the phone lines. Our next caller is Noah listening from Cedar Lake Michigan. Noah, you're on the air with Pastor Doug.
Noah: Hi.
Pastor Doug: Hi Noah, how old are you?
Noah: Eight.
Pastor Doug: Eight years old. Bless your heart. What's your Bible question tonight?
Noah: My question is when Lot was going out of the city and he took his wife and his two daughters. The angel told them not to look back. His wife looked back. How did Lot know that his wife turned into a pillar of salt?
Pastor Doug: Good question. If she was walking behind him he'd have to look back and find out, then he would have turned into a pillar of salt. Chances are that he was wanting to be between the judged cities and his family. I'm guessing that he was in the back, wife and daughters were just ahead of him. He saw his wife turn around and saw what happened. It broke his heart but he needed to keep pressing on. That's the only way I suppose that he could have seen her. She was either just to the side or in front of him. Lot didn't look back or he would have been a pillar of salt. Then again it's always possible that the Holy Spirit, when Moses was writing the story, the angel just told him what happened to Lot's wife. He knew because he was divinely told. Good question Noah, does that help?
Noah: Yes.
Pastor Doug: All right, thank you for calling in. I'm trying to think what lesson we could offer Noah. We don't really have a lesson on Lot.
[laughter]
Pastor Ross: We do, called Remember Lot's Wife. We do have a book I think--
Pastor Doug: Well, we got one also The Last Night On Earth.
Pastor Ross: Okay.
Pastor Doug: Well, both they talk about that too. Yes, we got a book called Remember Lot's Wife. You call our resource free number we'll send you a free copy. Thank you very much Noah.
Pastor Ross: The number to call for anyone wanting to learn more about that is 800-835-6747. You can ask for the book called Remember Lot's Wife. Just a number of important lessons that we can learn from that story. Our next caller is Michael listening in Florida. Michael, welcome to the program.
Michael: Hi, Pastors Ross and Batchelor. My question for tonight is about Christians and dancing. I know that there's plenty of dances and dance styles out there that are rather sensual and very not Christian like. I've heard many a pastor and many religious men say, well pretty much indicate, that dancing is something Christians shouldn't do at all. One major verse I've heard people say is, I think it's in Ecclesiastes, where it says there’s a time and a place for everything.
Pastor Doug: Yes.
Michael: A time and season for everything. They say that all these last days where we should be focused on repentance and whatnot. It's not the time for dancing. I don’t know because that always seemed a little bit strange to me because, I don't know. Let's say for instance it's someone's wedding. It's a joyous occasion of two people coming together. That would seem to be a time or season for dancing, or for happiness and everything. Another thing that may have seem strange to me was the usual overlooking of a verse in the 2 Samuel. Where it says that David danced before the Lord with all his might. I'm not sure. I was wondering what your take is on that.
Pastor Doug: Well, you can’t escape the Scriptures. I don't think we should try to say there is a certain type of appropriate dance. When the children of Israel crossed the Red Sea, Miriam led the women in the dance of rejoicing. Now, one thing you'll notice right away is when Jeff his daughter came to dance when David and Saul came back from battle and the women came and did a victory dance. You have the women just dancing with women. They're doing more of a focus victory dance, they're not dancing with men. When you have the dance of Herodias' daughter for King Herod, that was a seductive dance. That like a harem girl would do. John the Baptist lost his head, so that obviously was not a good context of a dance. When David danced before the Lord he was not dancing with women. He was doing just a dance of clapping his hands and maybe hitting the tambourine. It was more of a dance of rejoicing. You can't say there's never a time to do that. As it says in Ecclesiastes, typically 99% of the dancing that's done in the world today is men with women and they are inappropriate kinds of dance. If a man wants to dance with his wife and they're alone. [laughs] Might be one thing. I just don't see too many examples, a Jewish dance for instance, you'll notice the men dance with the men. The men will take the groom, they'll put him in the middle, they will join hands and they will dance in a circle around him to celebrate. The women will do the same for the bride but the men are not dancing with the women at an Orthodox Jewish wedding. Those were the kind of folk dances that happened Biblically. Yes, I don't know maybe I'm saying too much. Does that make sense?
Michael: Yes, it makes sense. I figured that's what I was really getting at. It's like sometimes I've heard people who criticize dancing after a wedding reception at all no matter where it was. Because, like I said in the beginning of the questions, I know that there's dances out there that are very sensual and they're very-
Pastor Doug: Yes.
Michael: -inappropriate. I know sometimes people just really generalize dancing together as wrong. It seemed weird to me.
Doug: Yes. You do have examples, of course, where people are doing folk dances and things like that. That varies from country to country. Yes, I think we have to be careful to do all things that will glorify God. I do appreciate your question. We've got a lesson that talks about in one of our study guides.
Pastor Ross: A Love That Transforms. I think that's what it's called.
Pastor Doug: Is it?
Pastor Ross: Yes.
Pastor Doug: A Love That Transforms. We've got a study guide actually talks about music and dancing and what's appropriate for a Christian. I think you'll enjoy that, Ryan
Pastor Ross: The number to call is 800-835-6747. You can ask for the study guide called-
Pastor Doug: That's Michael, sorry. Yes.
Pastor Ross: -A Love That Transforms. We're happy to send this to Michael or anyone who calls and asks. Our next caller is Janet, listening from Texas. Janet, welcome to the program.
Janet: Hello.
Pastor Doug: Hi, Janet thanks for waiting.
Janet: Yes, glad to hear you on the program. It's been very interesting tonight.
Pastor Doug: Well, thank you.
Janet: I was wondering about speaking in tongues. Is that really just for when there's an interpreter in the Church or is that a prayer language when you should be just praying?
Pastor Doug: Well, there is no example in the Bible of anybody praying in tongues. There's not a single case of it.
Janet: Okay.
Pastor Doug: Some people say when Jesus said, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" He was praying in tongues. No, he was just speaking Aramaic which was his language. The gift of tongues was when God poured out the Holy Spirit in Acts chapter two. He gave the disciples the supernatural ability to speak in the languages of these visiting Jews from around the Roman Empire. They spoke like 16 different languages are mentioned. For the purpose of preaching the Gospel. That is the gift of tongues. It was a miraculous ability to speak in languages, tongues they had formerly not known. That's what you also have happening in Acts chapter 10 and Acts chapter 19. What happens in a number of churches today, where people are speaking in tongues, they just stand up in church and start to speak. Paul is saying if you don't have someone who is an interpreter, we have visitors in our church every week, we had people from other parts of the world this week. If someone should stand up in our church and start to give a testimony in another language. Well, unless there's someone to translate. This is what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 14. Doesn't do anyone any good. He said there should be an interpreter or translator there. We have a book on tongues. We can send you a free copy, Janet. It's simply called Understanding Tongues. We'll send you a free copy. Anyone out there listening if you've had questions about what is the gift of tongues. We've all heard pastors on T.V. that kind of launch off into speaking these incoherent languages, and you think did the Apostles do that? Did that Jesus do that? What in the world are they doing? If you would like to know more about what is the appropriate gift of tongues, the biblical gift of tongues and maybe a little bit about some of the counterfeits, then you need to ask for this book. It's free, Understanding Tongues.
Pastor Ross: The number to call is 800-835-6747. You can ask for the book called Understanding Tongues. Again that number is 800-835-6747. You can go to the Amazing Facts website. Just amazingfacts.org. You can type in a little search bar there Understanding Tongues, and you'll be able to read the book for free right there online. Our next caller is Elden. He's calling back from Nevada. Elden, welcome to the program.
Elden: Thank you. Again thank you for answering my first question. I do have a second question for you. This is regards to Revelation. When an angel was showing John visions. My understanding is that Revelation covers past, present, and future situations. My understanding is that the only humans in heaven right now would be Moses, Elijah and Enoch. Who are the martyrs under the altar of God that are begging for revenge?
Pastor Doug: All right, let me read the verse for friends that are listening. If you go to Revelation Chapter 6 and you look in verse 9. It says, he opened the fifth seal. Of course, the seven seals are obviously full of symbols when you read them. He opened the fifth seal and I saw under the altar the context of Revelation is taking place in this sanctuary setting. Chapter one you got seven candle sticks and here you got the altar. Which is the altar of prayer and in Chapter, I think it's 11, you got the Ark of the Covenant. It says, the souls of those who've been slain for the Word of God in the testimony that they held, they cried with a loud voice saying, how long that they've been slain for Jesus.
That's why we're calling them martyrs. "How long the Lord, wholly and true until you judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" Then a white robe was given to each of them and it was said that they should rest a little while longer. Here these are souls resting. That means they're sleeping. They should rest longer until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who should be killed was completed. This is explaining a time of great persecution. It doesn't mean the soul started to actually speak.
If you read in Genesis, when Cain killed Abel, God says, "The blood of your brother cries to me from the ground." Well, blood doesn't speak. That is a very clear symbolic phrase that would mean justice is crying out for vindication. This is the lives of those who were slain for Jesus calling out for vindication.
Pastor Ross: Of course, the fifth seal covers a time of severe persecution that came upon Bible believing Christians. Sometimes referred to this is the Dark Ages. A period of about 1260 years. For many of the believers who are suffering persecution, and many of their loved ones had been killed. They doubtless cried out how long lord are we going to suffer these persecutions. That's echoing the experience of the believers during that time. The voice comes back, the time is not yet done. They was a certain prophecy related to this that had to meet its fulfillment, but the assurance was given. That those who gave their life as a testament of their faith, they were promised eternal life. For it talks about a wide road being given them. It's a very symbolic passage here. Referring to 1260 years during the Dark Ages.
Pastor Doug: Yes, you would hope that souls don't wake up with a bad dream crying and then go back to sleep.
Pastor Ross: Right.
Pastor Doug: I mean who would want to be that soul? [laughs] It is a symbol.
Pastor Ross: Of course, if the souls were not wearing white robes and they were given white robes, what were the souls wearing before they got the white robes? Yes, it's
It's definitely symbolic. Of course, white robes is symbolic as well.
Pastor Doug: Of the righteousness. Does that help a little bit Elden?
Elden: Yes it does, I really appreciate it. Thank you.
Pastor Doug: Thank you very much for your call and your question. Who we have lined up next Pastor Ross?
Pastor Ross: Our next caller is Jamies. I think that's the way you pronounce it from Huntsville, Alabama.
Jamies: Good evening pastors.
Pastor Doug: Evening, how are you doing?
Jamies: I'm doing well, thank you. Thanks for taking my call. My question is about Zechariah the eleventh chapter and the seventh verse. I want to know what the staff of favor in union represented and whether it was prophetic or it's talking about after exile.
Pastor Doug: Well, this is a tough passage. Let me read it to people who are listening. You talked about Zechariah 11:7?
Jamies: Yes.
Pastor Doug: Hang on a second here. You almost need to read the whole chapter here. It talks about these different staffs. It says here. Well, I'll read verse 4, "Thus says the Lord God feed the flock for slaughter whose owner slaughter them and feel no guilt. Who sell them and say blessed be the Lord for I am rich and the shepherds do not pity them. For I will no longer pity the inhabitants of the land says the Lord but indeed I will give everyone unto his neighbor's hand and into the hand of his king and they'll attack the land and I will not deliver them from their hand. I fed the flock for slaughter. In particular, the poor of the flock. I took for myself two staffs. One I called beauty, the other I called Bands and I fed the flock and I dismissed the three shepherds in one month. My soul loathe them and their soul also harbored me and all said I'll not feed you.
Let what's dying die and what is perishing perish Let those that are left each one eat each other's flesh. I took my staff beauty and cut it in two that I might break the covenant that I had made with all the peoples." Now, the two nations of Israel, the Kingdom of Israel was split into two parts. You had the Southern Kingdom of Judah. You had the Northern Kingdom of the Ten Tribes better known as Israel. They were both judged because they turned to idolatry. This sounds a lot like what the judgments that had come upon Judah and Israel. Of course, Zechariah is prophesying after that. It's almost like he's looking ahead. I don't know Pastor Ross, I don't claim to understand all of Zechariah.
Pastor Ross: I think it's clearly symbolic as you refer to the two staffs of the shepherd. Matter of fact that actually mentions that where it talks about these twos being Judah and Israel. It's talking about judgment that God allowed to come against these two entities. Of course, Israel was conquered by the Assyrians. Judah was eventually conquered by the Babylonians because of the apostasy. There was great slaughter when these nations came and brought judgment against them. Yet there is the promise in Zechariah of a remnant being saved. From that remnant, the Messiah would come. These two staffs would represent Israel, Judah, and the judgments that would come against them because of their sins.
Pastor Doug: Yes, the kings were supposed to carry a staff. This prophecy is talking about the staff of David and he was a shepherd. Then you had kings of Israel. They're supposed to care for the people, but they didn't care for them. They just took care of themselves and so judgment came. That's why you read the verse 17, "Woe to the worthless shepherd who leaves the flock a sword shall be against his arm and against his right eye." That's pretty clear. Just judgment will come on unfaithful shepherds. Jesus also told parables about that. Is it, Jamies?
Jamies: Yes.
Pastor Doug: Yes, I don't know if it helps a little or we just made matters more cloudy but--
Jamies: No, it helped that they were kind of looking back and looking forward at the same time. That's what I wasn't sure about. That definitely helped.
Pastor Doug: All right, well thank you very much. You know what you've done is you've made me want to go home and look at the commentaries on Zechariah.
Jamies: [laughs] Me too.
Pastor Doug: I certainly don't know it all yet. I'm still learning.
Jamies: Thank you.
Pastor Doug: Thank you.
Pastor Ross: Our next caller is Greg, listening in Ohio. Greg, welcome to the program.
Greg: Good evening, how are you this evening?
Pastor Doug: Doing better than we deserve. How can we help you today?
Greg: Well, I'm in a relationship with a woman. It's a dear friend of mine for like 40 years. She's a widow, her husband died. I've been divorced through a state marriage. We've been studying the Bible and we want to be Biblically married. We don't want to go through the government. We've been studying the Bible and we cannot find in the Bible anywhere where it says what you need to be married.
Pastor Doug: Well, you can be married in the church by a-
Greg: No.
Pastor Doug: -pastor and get a license. I mean, what would be you're problem with getting a license?
Greg: A license, no. I'm looking for a biblical definition of marriage.
Pastor Doug: Well, the Bible says that man and woman are joined together. They become one flesh. Typically the marriages were publicly recognized. Part of the reason they were a public event is it basically told everybody--
Greg: No. What I'm looking for is which book, chapter, verse in the Bible says what you need to do to be married?
Pastor Ross: Well, I'll give a verse. The tenth commandment says, "Though shall not covet thy neighbor's wife." It's pretty evident that if someone could covet his neighbor's wife, he would then need to know that she was indeed married to him. Marriage needed to be a public thing.
Greg: [crosstalk] how he became his wife.
Pastor Doug: Well, You're not going to be able to go back. I can tell you where a wedding took place. It says, "God took Eve and gave her to Adam and she became his wife." You're not going to have too many events like that. You do have the first miracle of Jesus that takes place at a wedding.
Pastor Ross: That's right. I was just going to say that one.
Pastor Doug: Then Jesus tells parables about what weddings are.
Greg: Okay.
Pastor Doug: That would be, or course, John chapter two-
Greg: There where times like baptism is described in the Bible as being immersed in water, right?
Pastor Doug: Yes.
Greg: Okay. The Bible doesn't really describe what marriage is except for-- What? [laughs] There's really no Biblical description for marriage except for, "And she's my wife." Right?
Pastor Doug: No. They always had. You noticed that before Joseph married Mary, it says they would betrothed. That means there had been a covenant made. In the Prophesies of Hosea, it talks about the covenant of marriage. There is a public covenant where you have witnesses, recognition, and commitment. All those things revolved in a number of books in the Bible talks about these weddings. I hope that helps a little bit, Greg.
Pastor Ross: We do have a book that talks about this in more detail called Marriage, Divorce, and Remarriage.
Pastor Doug: That's right.
Pastor Ross: There's some biblical principles on the subject of marriage. We'll be happy to send it to anyone who calls and asks. The number is 800-835-6747. You can ask for the book Marriage, Divorce, and Remarriage. Our next caller is Jack listening from Georgia. Jack, welcome to the program.
Jack: Thank you very much. That was a pretty good answers you guys just did.
Pastor Doug: Well, thank you.
Jack: I got a question. I'm probably going to muddle it up here a little bit. In the Millennial reign when we are taken and we come back to rule, and I'm talking about the saved, when we come back to rule with Christ in the Millennial reign with Jesus. My first question is who are we ruling over with Jesus? Which I believe that is the ones that were saved in the end days and the tribulation that were saved during that time. My question is, is that true? If not, who are we ruling over?
Pastor Doug: All right. During the 1,000 years, it says that they'll live and reign with Christ.
Jack: Right.
Pastor Doug: Let's just back up a little bit. Jesus said, "I'd go and prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place, I will come and receive you that where I am, you may be." The dead and Christ will rise, when Jesus comes, this is 1 Thessalonians chapter four. When Christ comes, we go up and we go to heaven. To the places he's prepared. Then it tells us after that happens, we are living and reigning with Christ for 1,000 years. We've spent 6,000 years in this world, Biblically you add up the ages. Then we'll spend a thousand years, a total of like 7,000 years, living and reigning with God in heaven. We are not reigning over the wicked because I don't think any righteous person wants that. We are reigning with Christ and we're--
Pastor Ross: This is a very important aspect of reigning. When a king was seated upon his throne and he was reigning, he was very often in an act of judgment. People would come with different cases and the king would judge between different cases. There is a judgement that the saints are involved with. You'll read in 1 Corinthians chapter six verse 2, "Do you not know that the saints would judge the world?" During that 1,000 year period, the righteous are in heaven with Christ and they're involved in the judgment. They're judging over the wicked. Now the wicked, they're not raised for this final judgment til the end of a thousand years.
Jack: Right.
Pastor Ross: The record of their life is being examined during this 1,000 year judgment time period. Somehow, the Bible is not exactly clear but somehow, the saints have a part and may bring out the rewards of the wicked or the judgments of the wicked. Some degree, but that's the type of reigning that the righteous experience within that 1,000 years. It's not that they're telling people what to do on the Earth.
Pastor Doug: Yes. We live and reign with Him at the end of the 1,000 years. The new Jerusalem comes down from heaven. That's when there's a great conflict, the wicked are all resurrected. It says, "The rest of the dead don't live again until the thousand years were finished." Then you've got the final executive judgment where God ultimately, it's called the White Throne Judgment. They are alive and present for that. He ultimately rains fire down out of heaven upon them.
We all mean a Lake of Fire better known as Hell Fire. We have a lesson that talks about the thousand years and the millennium, and what happens during that time. Jack, you would really enjoy this lesson. It lines up all the scriptures sequentially very clear. When I finally understood this subject, it's just a light went on. The final Bible history, all eschatology, all made sense to me.
Pastor Ross: That lesson is called A Thousand Years of Peace. We'll be happy to send that to anybody who calls and asks. The number is 800-835-6747. You can ask for the study guide called A Thousand Years of Peace. We'll be happy to send that to anybody who calls and asks. Friends, while you call our resource number I want to remind you, you can ask to enroll in the free Amazing Facts: A Bible Study Series. We will actually send you out some of our lessons. It's a total of 27 in all. We'll send you out a few lessons, you go through them, you'll actually fill in a little answer sheet, then send it back to us. We will grade it and send it to the next. It's all absolutely free.
Pastor Doug: That's right. Well, Pastor Ross, I don't know how much time we got left here. I'll have 30 seconds, that's not fair to do that to anybody. I don't think we're going to have time to take another caller without cutting them off. Listening friends, if we did not get your question tonight, don't give up on us. Give us another chance next week. For everybody, if you've enjoyed Bible Answers Live, we have been on the air by faith and with the help of people like you. There's folks that send donations. Some monthly, sometimes once a year. They give something to keep us on the air. We'd love you to be one of those people. Keep us on your station, put us on new stations. Just go to amazingfacts.org. You can donate online and enjoy the other resources. God bless, until next week.