Doug: Hello listening friends. Would you like to hear an amazing fact? There's an old country song that says, "If it wasn't for bad luck I'd have no luck at all." Well, that might be how Dylan McWilliams feels. Within a four-year period, Dylan was bitten by a shark, a bear, and a rattlesnake. In April 2018, he was bitten by a shark while swimming 50 yards off the coast of the beach in Hawaii. "The scariest part was swimming back," he told local news adding that he was hoping the shark wouldn't follow him back for a second bite. The leg wound required several stitches but Dylan will be fine.
In 2017, McWilliams received nine staples in his scalp after a nearly 300-pound bear invaded his Colorado campsite. "The bear grabbed the back of my head and started pulling me and I was fighting back as best as I could," he told Hawaii News Now. "It dropped me and stomped on me a little bit until my friends scared it away. Then there was the rattlesnake bite which occurred about three and a half years earlier in Utah." Luckily, McWilliams took only a small amount of venom making him briefly ill afterward.
Not surprisingly, the 20-year-old from Grand Junction says he spends a lot of time outdoors. "My parents are grateful I'm still alive," he said. The question is, are some people just unlucky? Stay with us friends, we're going to learn more on this edition of Bible Answers Live.
Advert: You're listening to Bible Answers Live. Honest answers to your Bible questions. This broadcast is a previously recorded episode. To receive any of the Bible resources mentioned in this evening's program call, 800-835-6747. Once again that's 800-835-6747. Now, let's join our host, Pastor Doug Batchelor and our co-host, Pastor Jean Ross.
Doug: Welcome listening friends to Bible Answers Live and we are live. If you have Bible questions lines are open. Give us a call. I want to welcome those who are listening on radio and by satellite around the world as well as our friends who may be listening and viewing on the Doug Batchelor Facebook page. We're glad you could join us. If you have questions relating to the word of God, give us a phone call. The number is 800 God says, 800-463-7297. That's 800-463-7297 I am Doug Batchelor.
Jean: My name is Jean Ross and Pastor Doug as always, before we take the calls let's start with prayer. Dear Father in heaven we thank you for the opportunity to once again to be able to open your word and study together. I want to ask your blessing upon this program, be with the people who are listening wherever they might be, and guide us Lord as we open up the scriptures here in the studio. Lead us to a clear understanding of the word, of the Bible. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Doug: Amen.
Jean: Well Pastor Doug that's an incredible fact you opened the program with. Talk about bad luck. Here just to be bitten by a snake would-- well that doesn't usually happen. That would-- bad luck. To be bitten by a bear, well that's pretty serious. Then to be bitten by a shark, you wonder what next. The poor guy must walk around looking for lightning. I don't know, but that would be three things that were very unexpected.
Doug: Well, any one of them, most people never experience but to experience all three. I mean so many people are afraid of sharks and afraid of snakes and maybe even afraid of bears. The paper, when they talked to McWilliams, he said, "I don't know if I'm either really lucky or unlucky." He's thinking really lucky because he survived all three without serious, I mean, he had stitches but without serious injury. I wouldn't want to test my luck by those things. I've got a friend who actually, they say you can't be struck by lightning twice. Well he was and he's lucky he lived through it.
Whenever we say lucky, if you're a Christian it's really a figure of speech because we believe that there's a God who rules in all the affairs of men, and luck, per se, is not what happens. Now that doesn't mean that every time something happens it's always God's will. A plane may go down and somebody will recklessly say, "Well, I guess everybody on that plane was displeasing God somehow," and that's not true. Sometimes the good perish with the wicked. We learn that from the book of Job.
There is a passage where it says in Ecclesiastes 9:11, "I returned and I saw that under the sun the race does not go to the swift nor the battle to the strong nor the bread to the wise nor riches to men of understanding nor favor to men of skill." What he's saying is, these things don't always happen that way, but he adds, "Time and chance happens to them all." Sometimes people are being affected by circumstances but God overrules in those things.
Now as far as being unlucky, the Bible says that if the children of Israel turned away from Him that certain curses would follow them. Amos paints a very similar picture to what Dylan went through. It said, "It will be as though a man fled from a lion and a bear met him. Or as though he went into a house and leaned his hand on the wall and the serpent bit him." So you run from a lion and you run into a bear. Then you turn, you run to the house, slam the door and lean against the wall huffing and puffing and a snake bites you. It's like this, you can run but you can't hide.
I don't believe in luck. I think that there is a God who is all-powerful and He may allow certain things and sometimes people are caught up in times and circumstances of war. God can work everything together for good, so we do believe in the providential power of God, but more importantly, God has a plan and a will for everybody's life. The main thing is you want to know what is that will? We have a special offer we'd like to make available. It's free. Maybe you've wondered, "How can I know God's will for my life?" We have a book that's got about 12 steps with biblical guidelines so you can help under-- sorry, it'll help you understand what is the will of God for your life.
Jean: The book is called, Determining the Will of God, and we'll be happy to send this to anybody who calls and asks. Again, the book's called, Determining the Will of God. The number to call is 800-835-6747. You can ask for the book called, Determining the Will of God. We'll be happy to send that to anybody who calls and asks. If you have a Bible question, our phone line here to the studio is 800-463-7297. The number once again is, 800-463-7297. If you have a Bible question I'll pass it over. I think we're ready for our first caller today. We have Cathleen listening in Arizona. Cathleen welcome to the program.
Cathleen: Hi, thank you, Pastor Ross and Pastor Doug. Nice to see you.
Jean: Thank you.
Cathleen: Thank you for taking my call. I'm calling about Revelation 16:11. It's my understanding that this is during one of the seven last plagues that is poured out and what I understand that once the seven last plagues are poured out, that you can't repent then. The proration is already closed. Why then in 16:11 does it say that-- it says, "They did not repent of their deeds?"Does the last maybe go to heaven?
Jean: Right, it's, and Pastor Ross may weigh in on all this also but it's my understanding that yes proration has closed. It's basically saying that in spite of the plagues, it's confirming they are beyond redeemable qualities. They don't repent, they show no remorse for their wickedness and so it's basically justifying that these plagues are falling on them.
Doug: Yes, when you look at the six or seven last plagues, it helps to reveal the true nature of each person. On the one hand, you have the righteous when these plagues are being falled, falling upon the earth, they had been predicted but they're looking to God for deliverance and they're trusting in him. Whereas the wicked, they're response is quite different. They're rebelling against God. Even though they know the plagues are coming because of their sins, their hearts are hard. I think that's been emphasized in verse 11 that despite all of this they're blaspheming God and they refuse to acknowledge their sin.
Cathleen: Right.
Doug: Even the pharaoh of Egypt when the plagues fell on ancient Egypt he showed some temporary remorse. The wicked in the last days are not even showing temporary remorse. Well, we appreciate your question. I'm trying to think if we have something that deals with the plagues in Revelation. We do have the book that talks about Anything but Secret speaking of the second coming tribulation.
Jean: That's right. That'll be a good book if you want to learn more about the Second Coming and events connected with the Second Coming, the number to call is 800-835-6747. You can ask for the book called Anything but Secret. We'll be happy to send that out. Again 800-835-6747, and the book Anything but Secret. The next caller that we have is, let's see, we have Malina. Malina is listening-- where are you listening from Malina?
Melanie: It's Melanie and I'm listening from the Mojave Desert.
Jean: All right well welcome.
Melanie: Hi. My question was about, I think it's in Corinthians. 1st Corinthians where the Bible talks about a spouse's faith justifying their spouse.
Doug: 1st Corinthians chapter 7.
Melanie: I have this question because I didn't think anyone's belief could justify someone else's salvation. What is that about?
Doug: Yes well you're right. Nobody can save someone else but the Bible does say, and I think it's 1st Peter 3 that a believing wife can have a converting influence on her unbelieving husband. When you have a believer in a family that is praying for their children and their spouse, that may not be believers, there's a sanctifying influence where God protects and provides because of the prayers of the believer. It's like when Lot was in Sodom and he was going to be destroyed, Abraham interceded with God for Lot, and God blessed and protected Lot because of the prayers and intercession of Abraham. Whenever you've got a believer that saves in the marriage with an unbeliever, there's a sanctifying influence while they're alive. It doesn't mean they save them, just means God's more likely to answer their prayers and protect and bless.
Melanie: All right. Thank you.
Doug: All right. Great question. That, by the way, is 1Corinthians 7 and there's several verses that talk about that. Maybe verse 10 on. Appreciate your call, Melanie.
Jean: The next caller that we have is Dan listening from New York. Dan, you're on Bible Answers Live.
Dan: Thank you. I know Martin Luther translated the Bible into German. Did he also translate the Old Testament and the Psalms into German?
Doug: I believe he did. The first thing he did was the New Testament and then he began to work on the old Testament. I know he was working on it. I'm imagining he did complete it. I don't know. I'm pretty sure the whole Bible was translated by Luther, including Psalms and he may have even done--
Dan: No, that's the curious thing to me. Where could he possibly have learned Hebrew?
Doug: Oh, well, when Martin Luther went to the university, he learned Greek and Hebrew. He was very astute in languages. Before he ever protested against the beliefs of Catholicism, he had earned his doctorate and among the things he studied was languages.
Dan: Oh, I didn't know that.
Doug: He was a pretty good theologian with Greek and Hebrew and Latin. I think he spoke, matter of fact, when he gave his defense at Wittenberg, he gave it in German, and then he gave it again a second time in Latin. He was a pretty good linguist.
Jean: I just looked it up here online. It says the New Testament was translated by Luther in 1522 and then in 1534, he translated the Old Testament and the New Testament.
Doug: Including the Psalms.
Dan: Very interesting.
Doug: It's on the internet. It must be true. No, I've read that several times in history books.
Dan: Luther was, unfortunately, an anti-semite, I don't know if you know that.
Doug: Yes, I do know that. He said some-- It's very troubling because he says so many wonderful things about Christ and Christianity and then you read some of the things he said about the Jews
Dan: That has always puzzled me because some of this is really vicious.
Doug: It is. You're right. Some people have wondered if later in his life when he wrote those things, they're wondering if there was some form of dementia that was affecting him because it seems so out of character for the earlier work in his life. No, I know exactly what you're saying. You read the beautiful things he says about the gospel and grace and love and forgiveness and then you read some of his letters about the Jews in particular, it's shocking. Hey, we appreciate your question and we do have a book on the Bible. It talks about the ultimate resource. We'll send you a free copy.
Jean: The number to call is 800-835-6747 and you can ask for the book called, The Ultimate Resource. All About the Bible and the Different Translations. Again, that number is 800- 835-6747. The next caller that we have is Alexandra, listening from Chicago. Alexandra, welcome to the program.
Alexandra: Hi, thank you.
Doug: Thank you for calling.
Alexandra: My question is personal. When I was around, I guess I'll just say me. 18, I feel like I was saved and my life became different and wonderful and I was so full of joy and happiness. Years later down the line, I feel like, it's almost like that was stripped away from me. I feel like now I question, was I ever saved? I remember Ellen White in one of her books stated that you should never question whether you were saved or not because you should believe with everything you have that you were saved indeed. My question is, can God sometimes take that away and put you through some kind of a test?
Doug: Well, the answer to that is yes. That's not that he's taken away your joy but sometimes God will test our faith. There are times when the Lord is speaking loudly and we sense His presence and His joy. There are times when trials come and even Jesus who was perfect, went through a trial where it seemed His father was separated from Him, well His father was separated from Him for our sake. Don't question, if you have taken up God's promise, if he says, "If you come to me I am faithful and just to cleanse you from all your sins. I will forgive your sins when you repent of them." You may not feel anything but you must believe it. He says, "I will never leave you or forsake you. All that come to me I will in no wise cast out."
Sometimes you can find renewal in that joy. Pastor Ross and I were talking to one of the members of our church this week and he's probably nearly 80 years old and he said, he's just been praying for the joy he felt when he first accepted Christ and the Lord gave it back to him. He looked like it too. He was just beaming. Sometimes it's seeking after the Lord and rediscovering that first love. That's what Jesus said in Ephesians. I'm sorry, in Revelation chapter two.
Alexandra: Thank you very much.
Doug: Absolutely. There is a good book that talks about that and it's called, Justification Assurance. We'll send you a free copy of my book on justification and assurance if you just call the resource line.
Jean: The number to call is 800-835-6747. Ask for the book called, Assurance: Justification Made Simple, I think is what it says.
Doug: You know it better than me and I wrote it.
Jean: The number again is 800-835-6747. Ask for the book on salvation called, Assurance: Justification Made Simple.
Advert: You're listening to Bible Answers Live. This broadcast is a previously recorded episode. If you'd like answers to your Bible-related questions on the air, please call us next Sunday between 7:00 PM and 8:00 PM Pacific time. Call us at 1-800- God- says. For life-changing Christian resources, visit AF bookstore.com.
Jean: The next caller that we have is Dave listening from Wisconsin. Dave, welcome to the program.
Dave: Greetings.
Jean: Greetings. Thank you for calling.
Dave: My question is, I know you shouldn't base your theology on any one text and this only appears once in scripture, but 1Corinthians 15:29 talks about baptism for the dead or of the dead.
Doug: Are you wondering if it means that we should be baptized on behalf of the dead?
Dave: Well, I know some different theologies. I'm trying to sort things out.
Doug: Now, what verse were you saying? 1Corinthians 15:29. I thought you said 59. I was wondering about that. This is one of those cases where putting the punctuation in the wrong place gives it an entirely different meaning. The way this verse ought to read, now, keep in mind, I believe the Bible is inspired but all the punctuation was added by English translators. Whenever you go from one language to another, there is no punctuation in the original Greek. The King James translators and others have had to say, "Well, where do we put the commas here because it changes the meaning of everything?" Let me read the verse the way it appears and then I'll tell you the way that some scholars have moved the commas to make more sense out of it.
It says, "Otherwise, what will they do who are baptized for the dead if the dead do not rise at all? Why then are they baptized for the dead and why do we stand in jeopardy every hour?" Now, this is the way I believe it should be translated, "Otherwise, what will they do who are baptized, for the dead, if the dead rise not at all, why then are they baptized, for the dead?" He's not saying being baptized for the dead, he's saying those who are baptized, if the dead don't rise, why be baptized? "Are you doing it for the dead?" He's asking rhetorically. Do you see what I'm saying?
The whole discussion 1Corinthians 15 is they're doubting the resurrection. Paul is saying, "What will they do who are baptized? Well, what good is it to be baptized, for the dead if the dead rise not at all, why then are they baptized, for the dead?" He's saying, "If you're just going to get baptized and die, what good is baptism? You don't have eternal life. There's no resurrection." He's not suggesting people get baptized for the dead.
First of all, then you look at the other verses, the Bible says, "It's appointed unto man once to die and after this, the judgment." When a person's dead, the living cannot then pray them into heaven. You can't burn candles, you can't pay money. The Bible says, "The righteousness of the righteous will be on him," I forget the verse. Is that Ezekiel 18 pastor Ross? "The wickedness of the wicked will be upon him. A man will save neither son nor daughter." Every man is delivered by his own righteousness and their own faith in Christ. The idea that the living somehow are going to intercede and change the destiny of the dead, flies in the face of everything else in the Bible.
Dave: Thank you very much.
Doug: Hopefully that helps. It's too short for a book but I ought to write something more on that because it's a great question.
Jean: The verse you're referring to is 2Chronicles 6:23, talks about each person being justified by their own faith.
Doug: Thank you very much.
Jean: Next caller that we have is another caller listening in Wisconsin. We have Ken, who is listening. Ken, welcome to the program.
Ken: Hi, good evening pastor Ross.
Doug: Evening.
Ken: I have a question on 1Corinthians 9:19-23. What does that mean? Paul, what is he saying? I have a lot of things that I'm wondering.
Doug: Let me read it, verse 19 through roughly 23. He says, "For though I am free from all man, I've made myself a servant to all that I might win them all and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win the Jews. To those who are under the law as under the law that I might win those who are under the law. To those who are without laws without law, but not being without law towards God, but under the law towards Christ, that I might win those who are without law. To the weak I became weak that I might win the weak. I've become all things to all men that I might by all means save some and now this I do for the gospel sake, that I might be a partaker of it."
Paul is basically saying, I relate to people as much as possible to reach them without sacrificing principle. Then he gives an example, "For the Jews who are still under the ceremonial laws," Paul said, "I went to Jerusalem," you can read in the book of Acts. "I shaved my head, I took a vow, I went to the temple, I went through one of the ceremonial laws to try to relate to the Jews so I could reach the Jews, because if they think that I had cast off the laws of Moses, it's harder to reach them." He said, "For their sake, I did that to reach them." Then when he was with the Gentiles, he said, "I was as one without the law," meaning without the ceremonial law, "That I might reach those who are without the law," being the Gentiles.
He clearly specifies halfway through verse 20, "Not being without law towards God." He says, "I'm not breaking the moral law but the ceremonial laws," he would try and reach those. He didn't practice circumcision. He didn't believe in keeping the feast days. The Jew said he weren't supposed to eat with the Jew, with a Jew with a Gentile. Paul said, "I disregarded all those laws that I might reach the Gentiles." Paul is saying, as far as possible, be respectful of people's customs relate to people as much as you can, without violating a principle so you can reach them.
Ken: Also on the 1Corinthians 8:9, what is he saying again, "Beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak?"
Doug: Paul is saying, and he also says in Romans 14, he said, "Don't do anything that's going to make your brothers stumble." Basically what Paul is saying is-- Let me give you the background. There was a dispute in the early church, and you can read about it, I forget where it is in Corinthians, where he says, "Eat whatever is sold in the market, not asking questions for conscience's sake." Many of the very zealous religious Jews would not even eat meat. Clean meat, we're talking about. They wouldn't even eat clean meat that was bought in a Gentile marketplace for fear that it had been offered to a pagan god before they butchered it. Did you get that verse?
Jean: Yes. 1Corinthians 10:25.
Doug: You want to read it real quick?
Jean: It says, "Eat what every soul in the meat market, asking no questions for conscience sake."
Doug: Now the question you weren't supposed to ask was, you're not supposed to say, "I don't care whether this is a pig or a goat or lamb." The question you weren't supposed to ask was, "Is this offered to a pagan god?" Some people have had a very sensitive conscience. Paul is saying, "Look, you don't want to go if you're with a Jew, who is very sensitive about buying meat in the marketplace, a Gentile marketplace, because it could have been sacrificed to a pagan god, don't do it in front of them because it's going to bother them, but you are free. You realize the idol is nothing," and that's, I'm quoting Paul, "They can't do anything. They have no power over it. It doesn't change the essence of what you're buying." He said, "It doesn't bother me, but if it bothers someone else, I won't do anything like that in front of my brother because it'll make him stumble."
That's the freedom that Paul is talking about. He says, don't let your liberty, knowing that the idols aren't anything and that you have liberty to buy this food in the marketplace, the pagans may be offering it to their gods. An example is, let me give you a modern example. I like Chinese food. I like Thai food. Frequently, I'll go to a Chinese or Thai restaurant, they got a little statue of Buddha there with incense burning. Now they may be Buddhists, I don't feel guilty eating there because there's a statue of Buddha in the restaurant. It doesn't bother me. I don't worship Buddha. I pray that God will bless my food and I pray to Jesus before I eat. I maybe have gone to the restaurant with somebody said, "Oh, we can't eat here. Look, the idol." I'll say, "Okay. Let's go somewhere else." For their sake, their conscience is sensitive, I'll do something different. That's the kind of thing Paul is talking about. Hopefully, that makes sense. We're going to bump into a break here in just a moment. Did that help a little bit?
Ken: Yes.
Doug: Thank you.
Jean: We do have a book called Why the Old Covenant Failed. I think it will deal with this idea, especially something Paul's dealing with here in Corinthians. To receive the book, all you have to do is call our resource phone line. It's 800-835-6747. You can ask for the book called Why the Old Covenant Failed. Our next caller that we have is Dennis listening in Vacaville. Dennis, welcome to the program.
Dennis: Yes, I know in Daniel, 70 weeks are determined upon my people. Then, of course, after the crucifixion, the Romans scattered the Jews. Is there a prophecy that comes later in time of the Jews coming back like after the Holocaust with Hitler? Is there a prophecy of them coming back in 1948 or any other time like that? Or is there no prophecy for that?
Doug: I'll tell you what, you can hear the music we're going to go into a break your question and the answer to your question is going to be first thing on the other side of this break. We need to take a moment friends to identify our station for a number of our affiliates around the country in the world but don't go anywhere. We're coming back with more Bible questions.
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Every Bible question you have answered moves you one step closer to the fullness of God's will for your life. What are you waiting for? Get the answers you need for a fuller, richer, more confident life. You're listening to Bible Answers Live. This broadcast is a previously recorded episode. If you'd like answers to your Bible-related questions on the air, please call us next Sunday between 7:00 PM and 8:00 PM Pacific Time. To receive any of the Bible resources mentioned in this evening's program call 800-835-6747. Once again, that's 800-835-6747. Now let's join pastors Doug Batchelor and Jean Ross for more Bible answers live.
Jean: Welcome back listening friends. We are live. If you are listening and you joined us along the way, this is a live international interactive Bible study. You can call in with your questions, 800 God says. That's 800-463-7297. You can listen on satellite radio, there're a number of stations, and we're streaming live video and audio on Facebook, and that's the Doug Batchelor Facebook page.
We started before the break with a question about were there's some prophecies in the Bible, talking to Dennis, whether there are some prophecies in the Bible that specified that the Jews might come back after they were conquered and scattered by the Romans. Is that right, Dennis?
Dennis: That's my main question. Yes. Is there anything that would correlate to 1948, and the passion that, I guess, England and the US head for allowing the Jews because of Hitler's Holocaust, to allow them crowd back into Palestine? I'm wondering, is there a prophecy for that?
Doug: Yes, I'll tell you what, there is a prophecy that says in Luke chapter 21:24, speaking of the fall of Jerusalem, it said, "Jerusalem will be trodden down by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled." Anyone who's a Gentile is technically, or anyone who is not a Jew is a Gentile, you cannot deny how remarkable it was that three times throughout history, the Jewish nation has been displaced from their property. Once in the days of Jacob when they went down to Egypt. Then they were carried away by the Babylonians and they came back. Then for 1900 years after the Roman dispersion, they got their land back.
Less than a week ago, pastor Ross and I were in the Holy Land, which is why we sound fuzzy right now. We feel like we've been up all night with our wives, and just had an amazing tour there and did some speaking, ran into people, a number of people who watch the Amazing Facts programs. I met one lady who was baptized in the Middle East, in Israel from listening to our programs, and the Bible comes alive when you go over there. You can just see what a miracle it is that here Israel is, they spend more on security than any other nation in the world because they're surrounded on all sides by nations that, maybe not currently, but at one time or another have been hostile, and yet they're continuing to grow and thrive and becoming an international center for technology and innovation. It's just uncanny that after being displaced for 1900 years, you would retain your culture, your language, your history, and then get your land back. Just incredible.
Jean: Yes, Revelation chapter 11, talks about not measuring the courtyard for is given to the Gentiles and they'll trample underfoot for 42 months. In the Bible, courtyard represents the earth, and some have connected that to the Jews being expelled from Jerusalem, from their land, but then finally returning, being restored to the land. Pastor Doug, you did mention something interesting about the Jewish people. It's rather remarkable that you have a group of people hat, like you said, were dispersed to the four corners of the earth. They were speaking other languages in the different places where they ended up. They were surrounded by totally different cultures, and yet they kept the language, the identity, their culture, and kind of came back. That doesn't typically happen when nations get conquered and dispersed.
Doug: No, they just get absorbed and disappear. They evaporate. Thank you very much, Dennis. Oh, we have a book that you'll enjoy. It's called, Spiritual Israel. We'll send you a free copy that if you call in. The number to call is 800-835-6747. You can ask for the book called, Spiritual Israel. We'll be happy to send it to anyone who calls and asks. Abdul is listening from Minnesota. Abdul, welcome to the program.
Abdul: Hello, how are you doing?
Doug: Good. Thank you for calling.
Abdul: Thank you for taking this fast. I had a moment, I wanted to ask you a question from the pastor. I hope he could get some time and answer that, actually, put some light on the last few seconds before Lord gave up the spirit and moments after, and also enlight what happened also in heaven. Just if the pastor could put some light in that.
Doug: When Jesus was on the cross, and He ultimately said, "It is finished, Father into your hand I commend my spirit," you're wanting to know what was happening on Earth and in heaven when that happened?
Abdul: Yes. I want to definitely certainly want to know that because I'm a born-- I was a Muslim, I become Christian. I do believe it but I like to know from a biblical perspective and to know what actually took place, and more in details because so far I haven't found more.
Doug: All right. Let me share with you what I believe and it might surprise you how simple it is. The Bible says, "Christ died for our sins." I think there's another verse it says, "As the scripture says, He died, three days later He rose." When Lazarus died, and this is John 11, Jesus said, "Our friend Lazarus is asleep and I go that I might wake him." Some people have believed that when Jesus died, He didn't really die on the cross. That He transmigrated to heaven, or He went to hell and preach to people and gave them a second chance. They've got a number of theories about what happened, but I'm of the group that believes that Jesus did take our penalty and the penalty for sin is death, that He died, and during that time, He wasn't going anywhere.
It's like saying, where was Jesus when He was in the womb? You get the same kind of issue. When Mary conceived, and Jesus was being carried around as an embryo and a baby inside Mary, did He have all His divine mental properties? When He was born, did He come out uttering profound truths? No, He was a baby. God the Son, Jesus, laid aside His divinity. When He came to earth, He did not take that up again, until after His three days and three nights in the tomb. He died like men die and He rose Sunday morning. Nowhere in the Bible does it say He was gallivanting around heaven or hell doing other things while He was dead.
Abdul: All right. Thank you so much for taking the call. I appreciate it.
Doug: Let me tell you what, let us send you a free book. We've got a study guide, actually, that has all the scripture that you're looking for. It's called, Are the Dead Really Dead? We'll send you a free copy.
Jean: The number to call 800-835-6747. You can just ask for that study guide, simply called, Are the Dead Really Dead? We'll be happy to send that to you, Abdul, anyone who calls and asks. Next caller that we have is Roger listening, Colorado. Roger, welcome to the program.
Roger: Thank you for having me, Pastor Doug, I have an interesting question. Where did the 24 elders come from? I cannot find that in the Bible?
Doug: Well, that's a great question. We have to do a little bit of speculation. You read in the book of Job chapter one, where it says, "There was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also." Some kind of a heavenly meeting, Satan comes ostensibly to represent the earth, and some theologians have said, "Well, perhaps the sons of God are the same 24 elders that are leaders or rulers of unfallen worlds. Some have thought that they were leaders of angels. Some have argued, the Bible says that when Jesus rose from the dead in Matthew chapter 28, or is it 27, many of the dead resurrected around Jerusalem. Some have said, "Well, maybe it's some of these patriarchs and kings and prophets that were raised with Jesus at His resurrection that around His throne."
The Bible doesn't say, I am inclined to think that those elders around the throne are the representatives of unfallen worlds or quadrants of the galaxy. There's some form of leadership. God uses the number 12 on Earth as his leadership, 12 tribes, 12 apostles, He may use the same number in heaven to divide up his leadership. We believe there are unfallen worlds that have not sinned. This is the only world that sinned and rebelled according to the Bible. Well, that's one theory. Now I have a book that talks about that a little bit, and it's called, Who are the Sons of God? Because it talks about the sons of God in Job, talks about the sons of God in Genesis 6. I'll send you a free copy of it. It's what we call a mini-book if you'd like a copy of that.
Roger: Yes, I would.
Doug: Okay.
Jean: The number to call is 800-835-6747. You can ask the book on The 24 Elders. Number again is 800-835-6747. We'll be happy to send that to anybody who calls and ask.
Doug: Well, it's actually, the book is called, Who are the Sons of God?
Jean: Who are the Sons of God?
Doug: That's right.
Jean: Talking a little bit about the 24 elders in there. Who are the sons of God? is the name of the book that you need to ask for. Next caller that we have is Kesa listening in Massachusetts. Kesa, welcome to the program.
Kesa: Hi, how are you?
Doug: Hi, how are you?
Kesa: Good, thank you.
Doug: Your question?
Kesa: My question was actually concerning speaking in tongues, I was wondering of course-- I'm a Christian, but sometimes I'm defeated because maybe I don't speak in tongues, so I ask myself, does it mean I'm not a Christian or what?
Doug: Now you go to a church, you see people speaking in tongues in your church?
Kesa: Not even my church, but other churches.
Doug: This is one of the most misunderstood subjects, let me just tell you, you want to be like Jesus, right?
Kesa: Sorry?
Doug: A Christian is a follower of Christ, you want to be like Christ?
Kesa: Yes.
Doug: Okay. Where in the Bible do you see Jesus speaking in tongues?
Kesa: Oh, I've never read about Him speaking in tongues actually.
Doug: Yes, it's a misunderstood subject. Jesus told the Apostles, you will speak with other tongues in Mark 16, because they were all Jews, they spoke Aramaic, He wanted to give them the ability to speak in a language they did not formally know or study. On the day of Pentecost, He poured out His spirit, He gave them the ability to speak in the languages of the visiting Jews. Peter and the Apostles and those in the upper room were given these tongues of fire because they were given the supernatural ability to speak in other languages.
If right now I should start speaking in Portuguese, that would be a gift of the spirit because I've never studied Portuguese, but if the Lord wanted to give me that gift to speak to Brazilians that are listening, that would be a gift of tongues. This is what the gift of tongues was for. There are three examples of tongues in the book of Acts. There's only three in the whole Bible.
Acts 2, Acts 10 and Acts 19. In all three examples, there are multiple language groups represented, the believers are given the ability to speak and understand in other languages. That's what it's talking about in 1 Corinthians 14. I have a book I've written on that, I'll send you a free copy.
It's called Understanding Tongues, all you've got to do is ask.
Jean: Number to call is 800- 835-6747, ask for the book called Understanding Tongues. We'll be happy to send it to anybody who calls and asks. We've got Scott who is listening in California. Scott, welcome to the program.
Scott: Hey, how are you guys?
Doug: Great. Thank you for calling.
Scott: I'm calling-- It's kind of a complicated discussion, but when you guys get up in the morning, do you put on the mind of Christ and the whole armor of God and do you-- As far as, I'm divorced and I'm thinking of the sanctuary, it's a two part question, do you guys do that, put on your armor and the mind of Christ and go through a regiment like a military instructor or is it not supposed to be so strict?
Doug: That's a good question and I can't speak for pastor Ross, but I think in Ephesians 6, when Paul talks about putting on the armor, he's speaking in analogist language. He's not saying that we need to every morning in a kind of imaginary or even in our mind, dawn the armor, I think he's talking about, let's make sure that we embrace the truth of Christ. That's the belt of truth and the breastplate of righteousness and the helmet of salvation. I've written a book on that, I'll send you a copy but personally, for me, when I pray in the morning, I want to pray for the Holy spirit.
If you have the Holy spirit, it gives you the mind of Christ. One of the simplest prayers I pray is that I can have the spirit of God, the spirit of Christ, if you've got the spirit of Christ, that's the mind of Christ. Then I read His word, which is the word of Christ and in reading His word, one of elements of the armor of God is, and even in the sanctuary, you've got that bread, you got the light, "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet," the bread is, "Man doesn't live by bread alone, but by every word." So as you study the word in the morning and you pray for God's spirit and you commune with the Lord, you are doing those things in effect.
Scott: Do you have the spirit of contentment?
Doug: Not always. [laughs] I'm like anyone else, sometimes I pray in the morning and I still feel grumpy, but then I try and pray a little longer.
Scott: I understand from reading that the spirit of contentment comes along with godliness. Godliness with contentment is great gain in 1 Timothy 6:6, I think it is.
Doug: Yes, that's true. The more content we are with a simple Christian life, discontent often comes because you want something you don't have, or you have expectations that a Christian shouldn't have that usually leads to that.
Jean: We also have to remember the Bible tells us that we need to walk by faith, not by sight. There are times where we might feel close to the Lord and we'll have peace and contentment, but there are other times when we might not feel that way, doesn't mean that God's attitude to us has changed, but to walk by faith means we claim the promises of His word, irrespective of how we might feel. I think that's putting on the armor of God, something we do by faith, claiming the promises of His word, not looking to our own feelings, but trusting in His word.
Doug: Hey, thank you very much. We do have a book on the armor of God and we'll be happy to send you a free copy of that.
Jean: Number to call is 800-835-6747. Just ask for the book called the Armor of God. Again, we'll be happy to send it to anyone who calls and asks.
Advert: You're listening to Bible Answers Live. This broadcast is a previously recorded episode. To receive any of the Bible resources mentioned in this broadcast call 800-835-6747. Once again, that's 800-835-6747.
Jean: We've got Michael listening in Canada. Michael, welcome to the program.
Michael: Good day Pastor Doug and Pastor Ross, how are you guys tonight?
Doug: Very good. Thank you for calling, and your question?
Michael: My question is to do with adultery. My uncle-- I won't name any names, but he told me that if you remarry and your ex-spouse, isn't passed away that you're committing adultery and that you're not going to go to heaven. Is that true or false?
Doug: Well, if you remarry without biblical grounds, the Bible tells us that that is a sin, but the idea that it is the unpardonable sin, the Bible does not teach because if that was the case, then Abraham wouldn't make it, because he divorced Hagar and David would not make it because he married Bathsheba under very dubious circumstances. The idea that it is a sin, there are things that qualify as a sin, marrying or divorcing without biblical grounds, Jesus speaks against. To say that you can't go to heaven then, that there's no repentance, that there's no hope, I think we got to be careful about saying things like that.
Whenever you sin any sin, you need to repent of that sin. Now, sometimes people divorce and remarry and they don't have biblical grounds and they have children and then they get converted, they come to Christ and they think, "Well, what do I do now? Divorce my wife and abandoned my present children?" Well, no, as I heard one pastor say, you can not unscramble scrambled eggs, God meets us where we're at and you've got to go from there.
After David's sin with Bathsheba, he was punished for his sin, punished severely, but God never told him, "Now I want you to dump Bathsheba." He had already killed her husband. She remained his wife for the rest of David's life. Hopefully that helps.
Michael: Do you have a book on that?
Doug: Yes we have a book, we'll send you a free copy.
Jean: All you'll have to do is call the number I'll tell you in just a minute, ask for the book called Marriage, Divorce and Remarriage. The number to call is 800-835-6747. I'm going to say it again, 800-835-6747. Asks for the book, Marriage, Divorce and Remarriage. We'll be happy to send it to anyone who calls and asks. We've got Angela listening from Orlando. Angela, welcome to the program.
Angela: Hi, from Florida. First of all, I just wanted to say, thank you, thank you guys. I got sick last year, very sick, I had to give up my job and, I listened to Amazing Facts and I couldn't go to church and that really saved me. I wanted to thank God that the blessing of Amazing Facts.
Doug: Well praise the Lord, thank you for that. That's why we do it.
Angela: My mom, she listens to Pastor Doug and she wants to know, you read everything off the one paper, you open up the Bible and she says, " Man, he remembers lots of stuff and he's got it on one piece of paper." [chuckles] I said, "I don't know mom."
Doug: When I preach, what I do is I put a piece of the sticky double-sided tape on the inside vinyl, the very opening of the Bible and because we're doing this on TV, it takes precious time to turn. I will print out on my page, all the scriptures I'm going to read. I have notes, but a lot of what I do is extemporaneous or I know the stories, I know where I'm going in my message. No, I don't have a photographic memory. I have the scriptures written on that piece of paper.
Angela: She goes, "He must be doing shorthand," and I said, "Well, maybe Mom. I don't know."
Doug: Well, it is. It's not shorthand, but I will put a few verses and I know the rest of the verse in my head, so I just need a few references to help me remember.
Angela: My question was, I was listening to Moody Radio, and I have a friend who listens to Moody Radio a lot, but I just listen to it once and a while. The other day they were talking about how before Jesus comes back again, He's going to come back as healing people and He's going to come back saving people, that there's going to be lots of lives saved when He comes, and this was from Moody Radio. I wanted to know where did they get that from because I never heard of that before and I was startled a little bit. I said, "Where's that from?" Maybe you could enlighten me a little bit.
Doug: Now, Moody Radio has some wonderful programs and they'll even just read the Bible on there sometimes, and the music is usually pretty good. Some of the teachers believe that Christ comes back after seven years of tribulation and the millennium is here on Earth and He's going around and doing healing and things. We don't believe that. We believe that when Christ comes again we are caught up to meet Him in the air. He said, "I go to prepare a place for you. When I come again I'll take you to the places I've prepared," so we believe that before the millennium we are going up, we live and reign with Him for a thousand years in His kingdom.
We do not believe that the righteous are reigning over the wicked for a thousand years. We don't see that supported in the Bible. Who would want to do that? I mean, what righteous, saved person who has an eternal body wants to reign over a world full of wicked people that have mortal bodies? It's a really strange picture.
At the end of the thousand years, we come down, the wicked are judged, destroyed, and God makes a new heaven, a new Earth. The new Jerusalem settles into the valley that God has prepared. Now, we have a study on the millennium that gives you that sequence and we will send you a free copy if you ask.
Jean: The study guide is called, A Thousand Years of Peace. Just call and ask for that. The number is 800-835-6747. Ask for the study guide called "A Thousand Years of Peace". It's all about Revelation 20, that 1000 year period. We'll be happy to send that to anyone who calls and asks.
Our next caller is Becky, listening from Michigan. Becky, welcome to the program.
Becky: I first became baptized last month.
Doug: You say you just got baptized?
Becky: Last month, I did.
Doug: Praise the Lord.
Becky: I have a question from a Biblical standpoint. How do I overcome fear and stress?
Doug: How do you overcome stress?
Becky: And fear.
Doug: Fear? You know I'm writing a book right now, I was working on today, called Worrying About Stuff and it's talking about stress and fear. I give about 50 different points in there. I probably can't cover them all right now. One thing is don't watch the evening news because it's often full of wars and things. Let me just give you a couple thoughts real quick, Becky. You agree that every life has problems, right?
Becky: Yes, they do.
Doug: If you only can be happy when there are no problems you'll never be happy, so you need to learn to be happy in spite of there being problems in life.
Becky: Okay.
Doug: Which means what you do is you acknowledge that there are problems, you present those to the Lord, and pray for wisdom. You do what you can humanly do to solve the problems. Sometimes you might even write them out and say, "Here are the issues. Here are the things that worry me." Spread it before the Lord and say, "Lord, give me the wisdom to solve these problems. If they're things I can't solve, help me to accept it and give me peace."
The Bible says, "Cast your cares upon the Lord because he cares for you." Jethro told Moses, when Moses was trying to carry all the burdens of Israel, he said, "The thing you're doing is too much for you. It's going to crush you." If you carry all those sorrows yourself, you can't do that. So God wants you to have joy. You got to cast your cares upon him.
Even Jesus, through His life, when He knew He was going to cross He could still tell the disciples, "I'm giving you joy and peace that you can't comprehend." If Jesus could be happy knowing what was in His future, then we can all be happy.
Becky: Yes, I agree.
Doug: Yes, you got to cast it on the Lord. Do what you can to take care of your problems, then set them aside. Make an appointment every day and say, for this half an hour I'm going to worry and try to troubleshoot, pray that God will give you wisdom, and then leave that half-hour alone and go on with your life and enjoy yourself.
Becky: All right. Thank you.
Doug: Keep an eye on Amazing Facts. When our book comes out called Worrying About Stuff I think you'll find a blessing in it.
Is that really what I think it is? Did we run out of time already?
Jean: It is.
Doug: I wasn't paying attention to our engineer, but I know what that means. We got 10 seconds to say goodbye. How am I going to do that? Friends, thank you so much for tuning in. You can keep listening on amazingfacts.org and while you're at it if you click the button that says donate you'll make it possible to keep listening and for others to hear. God bless till we talk next week.