Sleepwalking

Sleepwalking, also known as somnambulism, is a troubling condition where individuals— mostly children— arise in a state of low-consciousness and perform various activities normally performed while awake. These activities can be as harmless as sitting up in bed, walking to the bathroom, and cleaning; or as hazardous as driving, starting fires, walking in traffic, or cooking. The person’s eyes might be opened but they’ve got that glassy look-right-through-you expression. These sleepwalking episodes can last as little as 30 seconds or as long as 30 minutes.

In 2005, a 34-year old computer expert was reportedly caught sleepwalking by his wife. He was mowing the lawn at 2 A.M., naked. Rebecca Armstrong was awakened by a noise coming from the garden. When she realized her husband Ian was not in bed, she went downstairs and looked outside to see what was happening. Rebecca found Ian was mowing the lawn in his birthday tuxedo. She was afraid to wake him up because she had heard it could be dangerous to disturb somebody in a sleepwalking trance. So she just unplugged the electric mower and went back to bed and let him go through the motions. Later, Ian came wandering back to bed. In the morning, he didn’t believe Rebecca when she told him what he had been up to. But neighbors who had heard the commotion confirmed the story.

The Bible teaches us that just before Jesus returns, there’s going to be a lot of Christians sleepwalking. Stay with us, friends, we’re going to learn more as Amazing Facts brings you this edition of “Bible Answers Live.”

[PROGRAM INTRODUCTION]

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

This broadcast is pre-recorded. If you have a Bible question, call us Sundays from 7 to 8 P.M. Pacific Standard Time at 800-GOD-SAYS. That’s 800-463-7297.

Now, let’s join our host, author, speaker, and evangelist, Pastor Doug Batchelor.

Pastor Doug: Hello, friends! This is “Bible Answers Live.” And we are delighted that you have tuned in to the program! If you’re joining us for the first time, this is a live, interactive Bible study. And we invite people to participate. One of the few ways is you can call in with your Bible questions. And it is a free phone call and we have lines open right now. That number is 800-GOD-SAYS. That’s 800-463-7297. And if you have a Bible question, call in. Now is the best time to get your calls on tonight’s broadcast! And we also have a pen handy. We have a number of Bible questions that… some are Bible offers that we’d like to make available during the program— some websites we’ll be telling you about. And so, stand by. We’ll give you some of those addresses and phone numbers so that you can get those resources. My name is Doug Batchelor.

Pastor Jëan Ross: My name is Jëan Ross. And good evening, listening friends and Pastor Doug. Let’s begin the program as usual with prayer.

Dear Father, we thank You that we do have this opportunity to study Your Word, and we ask Your blessing upon this program. The Bible is Your book. And in order to correctly understand it, we need the Holy Spirit, so we ask for Your blessing. Be with those who are listening, wherever they might be. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Pastor Doug: Amen!

Pastor Jëan Ross: Pastor Doug, you opened the program by talking about sleepwalking. Probably, all of us at some point have heard stories of, maybe, family members or, maybe, ourselves; that people have reported that we have been involved in sleepwalking at some point in our life. What do you mean when you say the time is coming before Jesus comes, where the vast majority of the world will be asleep?

Pastor Doug: Well, at least, the church. You know, we have that parable that Jesus told in Matthew 25, where it says, “Just before the bridegroom appeared… since it appeared he was delayed.” That’s where the world is right now. People think, “Oh, how come Jesus hasn’t come yet?” It said that the ten virgins waiting for the bridegroom— the symbol of the church— they all slumbered and slept. Then you again have that counsel; you find in Romans 13:11, “And that knowing the time that now it is high time to wake out of sleep. For now is our salvation nearer than we believed.”

And Jesus, speaking of the Second Coming— He says in Mark 13:34-36. “For the Son of Man is like a man taking a journey in a far country who left His house and gave authority to His servants, and every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. Watch, therefore, for you don’t know when the Master of the house is coming, at even, or at midnight or the cockcrowing, or in the morning. Lest coming suddenly He finds you sleeping. So what I say unto you I say to all: Watch.”

Jesus warns especially against sleeping at that critical moment. And when we look in the Bible, it seems like whenever there was something monumental happening in the ministry of Christ, the disciples often went to sleep! When Jesus went up the Mount of Transfiguration, and Moses and Elijah appeared… and just before they appeared, the disciples had dozed off. And just before the cross, when Jesus said to the apostles, “Please pray with Me, and pray that you do not enter the temptation,” He came to them three times and He found them heavy with sleep. And it says they did not know what to say to Him. And it’s almost like they were mumbling because they were so tired.

And we need to guard against the devil anesthetizing us or sedating us spiritually in the Last Days. We need to be awake to what’s going on in the world and be praying for revival. And so we have a special offer that talks about prayer and how to be revived in your life; and we’re going to give that away tonight.

Pastor Jëan Ross: This is a book, Pastor, that you wrote entitled “Teach Us to Pray.” And it’s our free offer this evening. If you’d like to call our resource line; 1-800-835-6747. That’s 800-835-6747. You can ask for the book “Teach Us to Pray;” “Teach Us to Pray”— practical principles that will help you in your prayer life. If you have a Bible question, the number that you want to call is 1-800-463-7297. That’s the word GOD-SAYS; 1-800-GOD-SAYS or 463-7297. And we’ll be able to get your question on the air this evening.

Well, Pastor Doug, I think we’re ready to go to the phone lines. And we have our first caller who is calling from New York, New York, listening on WMCA. Samuel, welcome to the program. Let me see, I wonder this phone line does not seem to be engaging… Oh, here we go. Alright, Samuel, are you there?

Samuel: Hello?

Pastor Doug: Yeah, you’re on.

Pastor Jëan Ross: Hi! Welcome to the program.

Samuel: Hi. How are you?

Pastor Doug: Doing well. And your question tonight?

Samuel: My question is how do I respond to non-Biblical postings that I see? The reason why I asked this question— there’s a group that I see when I come to work every Sunday. I see them every Sunday, nine-o-clock, and they just so happen to be at the exit of the train station that I come out at here in New York. And on their poster, it says that Judgment Day is coming May 20 of 2011. And there are times I want to stop and say something to them but I keep walking. And I just want to know how do I… Am I smart for it, keep walking, or do I stop and say something? Because I know in the Bible it says in Mark— I forgot exactly where in Mark— it says, “No man knows the day or the hour upon the Lord’s return.” So…

Pastor Doug: Yeah, and you’ll find that also in the book of Matthew 24.

Samuel: Yes.

Pastor Doug: Pastor Ross is—he’s going to collect the verse for us right here. But yeah, it’s dangerous for anybody to be setting a date. And if I’m not mistaken, the group that you’re speaking of… their leader has set other dates specifically for the coming of Jesus that obviously came and went. And, you know, what it does is it disappoints people. But there may be sincere people that are mixed up in that, so if the Holy Spirit impresses you, you may want to stop and say, “You know, you guys look like sincere people; but if you believe the Bible, then you need to really guard against this date-setting.”

You know, we have a book that talks about that a little bit. It’s specifically about the Second Coming and it’s a study guide that deals with, “The Ultimate Deliverance.” And it’s got all the Scriptures about the Second Coming and it does explain that we can know when it’s near. Jesus said that there’ll be signs that tell us when it is near. Well, “near” is…

Samuel: Right.

Pastor Doug: …you know, a relative word like “short” or “tall.” But to pick a date, Jesus told us not to do that.

Pastor Ross, you have that?

Pastor Jëan Ross: We do. Matthew 24:36 is the words of…

Samuel: Right.

Pastor Jëan Ross: …Jesus. He said, “But of the day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels in heaven but my Father only.”

Pastor Doug: So these people…

Samuel: Right.

Pastor Doug: …that are having these posters, they claim to know more than the angels.

Samuel: [Laughing] Yeah, that’s it. And then it bothers me because, you know, I know I remember one time people was like, “Oh, 1999”; then I remember in 2000… and then, I think I was a kid when they said something about… something about… it was supposed to happen somewhere in, I forgot— 1980-something. I can’t remember…

Pastor Doug: Yeah…

Samuel: I know…

Pastor Doug: There have been just multiple dates through time, and they, you know, it’s based on… you can just take your pick— a laundry of things. Some said the planets lining up back in 1986; that, maybe, they said, that was it. Others said 2,000 years from the birth of Christ, which was 1996— Jesus was born about 4 B.C., so 1996 was 2,000 years. Others are saying it’s 2,000 years from the death of Christ, which is still in the future. And then some think it’s the Mayan Calendar. Why that would pinpoint a Biblical event? But, so, it’s just there’s no end to people prognosticating what might be that date. But, you know, really, it can happen for anybody anytime. We need to be ready now.

Samuel: Right.

Pastor Doug: Anyone listening to my voice right now, every heartbeat is a gift. We don’t know how long we’re going to live. And so we need to be ready all the time.

Samuel: That’s true.

Pastor Jëan Ross: You know, Pastor, you mentioned that free offer that talks about the Second Coming of Christ. It’s an Amazing Facts study guide entitled “Ultimate Deliverance.” And for anyone wanting to learn more about the Second Coming of Jesus— signs associated with His coming— you can call us on our resource line. It’s 800-835-6747. You can ask for the study guide “The Ultimate Deliverance.” That’s 800-835-6747.

Then we go to the next caller. We have David who is listening in Queens, New York on WMCA. And let me see if we can get…

Pastor Doug: Are you here, David?

Pastor Jëan Ross: David, are you there? Hold on …

Pastor Doug: Hold on.

Pastor Jëan Ross: …one second. David, David, welcome to the program.

Elisa: Well, my name is not David. I never said my name was David.

Pastor Doug: [Laughing] Well, we apologize. We may have pressed the wrong button.

Elisa: No… no… [Laughing]

Pastor Doug: And your name?

Elisa: My name is Elisa. I’m a lady. I know I have a heavy voice. You must have…

Pastor Doug: No, no, no… we pressed… It’s not your problem. We pressed the wrong button…

Pastor Jëan Ross: We’ve got some phone issues going on right here in the studio.

Elisa: Okay. But…

Pastor Jëan Ross: We’re glad we finally got you. [Laughing].

Elisa: Thank you. I’m so glad, Pastor. I do evangelization now for the last forty years, preaching the Word of God to everybody from every race, color, and creed that would… You know, I do evangelization and I have a little ministry— a very little one, nothing like yours— but I try to do my little part. You know, I’m an old person, but I do my part. And I’ve had so much difficulties. And more so, I lost my own entire family because of my religious beliefs; and so, I believe that the devil had a good hand in that. Now, it’s near Christmas, and no one has invited me. My sister who used to talk to me, my other sister, my brothers… they’re all gone. And I mean by gone, not dead…

Pastor Doug: Now, what is your Bible question?

Elisa: My Bible question is, tonight I was frightened. I don’t know… I came home from ministry again from my church services, and I did a lot of evangelization today. So what happened— I came home, I was weary and tired— and I have a slight heart problem— and I thought that I was going to die! I had an overwhelming fear that I was going to die! And I remembered asking Jesus, “Lord, don’t let me die yet… provided that, don’t let me die leave my pet, you know, an orphan, and don’t let me die before I see my children.” And I believe Jesus would answer that prayer because I asked it in His name. But I have a friend of mine who comes and tells me on the phone…

Pastor Doug: Now, you’re… I’m still…

Elisa: “Oh, you might die…”

Pastor Doug: We need to get to the question because we’re running out of time…

Elisa: That’s the question. I was wondering… no, you just said that no one knows when they’re going to die. But with, when the spirit comes, I’ve had… just pain and things just all my life. I’ve had checked… how… is it from the devil?

Pastor Doug: Well, you know, there… Alright, there’s your question. It is possible that the devil can just put a spirit of fear over us. There’s a passage in the Book of Job, Pastor Ross, where Job says… he actually talks about the hairs standing up at the back of his neck when this apparition passed by the night. And, you know, the devil just came to try and frighten him. And sometimes, the devil will do that. He just tries to put fear— a spirit of fear over us— and that’s why Jesus had to constantly say, “Do not fret. Do not be anxious. Do not fear.” And then, of course, we have that promise in Philippians that says, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything with prayer and supplication, let your requests be made known unto God.”

And so, Elise, yeah, I would say just don’t let the devil intimidate you. Pray for peace. And, you know, all of us would want to be ready. None of us knows what our time is. We want to be ready to meet the Lord at any time. And so, I think it was John Bunyan that said, “Live everyday with the awareness that the presence of the Lord is a breath away.” And it just kind of enhances your life knowing that.

Pastor Jëan Ross: You know, Jesus said in John 14:27, “Peace I leaveth you. My peace I give unto you. Not as the world gives do I give. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

Pastor Doug: That’s right.

Pastor Jëan Ross: When we put our confidence in Christ, the devil might harass us; but Jesus is there to give us peace, security, and comfort. We can hold onto that.

Pastor Doug: Oh, by the way, that verse in Job was Job 4:15. It says, “The spirit passed before my face and the hair of my flesh stood up.” And the devil just tried to spook him, but we know that the devil was out to get Job.

Thank you. We appreciate your call! We had a little phone problem tonight. We apologize, friends.

Pastor Jëan Ross: Alright, let’s see if we can get our next caller who is Wesley. And Wesley is listening in Florida. Wesley, welcome to the program.

Wesley: Yes, thank you. Thank you, Pastors. It’s a pleasure speaking with you. I have a question. It’s from Isaiah 11:6-9.

Pastor Doug: Okay.

Wesley: And my question is this particular verse, or verses… are they speaking about New Earth? Or are they speaking about…

Pastor Doug: A restored Israel or something?

Wesley: Yes. Basically because someone asked me, “Is this about New Earth after the Millennium? Or is this during the Millennium? Like, is this in Heaven? Or New Earth? Or is it before…

Pastor Doug: Alright.

Wesley: …the Millennium? Thank you.

Pastor Doug: Good question.

Wesley: Okay.

Pastor Doug: In Isaiah 6, let me read it for our friends. A lot of folks listening, of course, they’re driving down the road. It says, “The wolf shall dwell with the Lamb and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child will lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion will eat straw like the ox. And the nursing child will play on the hold of the venomous serpent; and the weaned child will put his hand on the viper’s den.” That’s what’s in… and then he goes on to say, “They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain, for the earth…”— now there’s a key— ”the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as waters cover the sea.” So this is describing an experience here on earth. When God recreates the earth, He says He makes a new heaven and a new earth, and there’ll be… All the creatures are at peace. This is happening after the One Thousand Years. Now…

Wesley: Alright!

Pastor Doug: When we go to the New Jerusalem— when we ascend to Heaven, rather, and are with Jesus— there may be some kind of park in the city of God that has some animals… we don’t know. But principally this is talking about the New Earth.

Wesley: So that means we’re going to have children on the New Earth.

Pastor Doug: Well, no, not necessarily. It’s telling us there will be children…

Wesley: “…the child shall play by the cobra’s hole.” That means the nursing child applies to a young baby.

Pastor Doug: Alright. No… We’re in the resurrection. If a baby dies, will that baby be resurrected? And if the resurrected… are the resurrected all grown up? Or are they resurrected as babies?

Wesley: Babies.

Pastor Doug: Okay. Well, there you have it! It doesn’t mean you’re having new babies. See what I’m saying?

Wesley: Yes, but it applies… We’re going to have young children on New Earth?

Pastor Doug: Exactly. We will have young children on the New Earth. I see what you’re saying. You’re saying because it’s after the Millennium…

Wesley: Correct.

Pastor Doug: …there must be… Well, you know, I tell you I’ve got a theory about that. If you read in Genesis, they were aging very slowly. And there is that prophecy in Isaiah where it says a child will cease at a hundred years of age. In other words, people are growing very slowly. So, I don’t think that people are going to age the same speed they do down here. In the Bible, sometimes, they didn’t get married until they were a hundred years old in that first generation. So, you know, these children, they stay children a long time and grow slowly so we can enjoy them. But, you know, the Bible’s pretty clear about their being— we talked about this in church just yesterday— that in the Resurrection, they neither marry nor are given in marriage; and so we believe there is no procreation there.

Pastor Jëan Ross: The verse you mentioned is found in Isaiah 65:20, where it says, “For the child shall die or cease at one hundred years old.”

Pastor Doug: And so they’re growing real slow during that Millennium. There’ll still be children.

Pastor Jëan Ross: You know, we do have a study guide dealing with the One Thousand Year period— the Millennium— called “A Thousand Years of Peace.” And for anyone that’s listening, if you’d like to receive that, call our resource line: 800-835-6747, and we’ll be able to send that out to you. And if you have a Bible-related question, call 1-800-463-7297. That is our phone number right here to the studio, and we can get your call in on the program tonight. We do have some lines that are still open. That number again is 800-GOD-SAYS; 800-463-7297.

We’re going to go to our next caller. We have Wesley who is calling from…

Pastor Doug: Not that one. We just talked to Wesley.

Pastor Jëan Ross: Did we talk to Wesley? Oh, we got David. Let’s see if we can get David on the phone here. David in Queens, New York, are you there?

David: Alright.

Pastor Doug: Hi! We got you.

David: Yeah.

Pastor Jëan Ross: Hi David. Welcome to the program.

David: Thank you. In Genesis 4:15, the Lord’s speaking out to Cain. He says, “And the Lord said unto him, ‘Therefore, whoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.’ And the Lord set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.” What is the mark?

Pastor Doug: You know, that is a mystery. Sometimes we have to answer the questions here by saying we don’t know. But I will give you something to think about. If you look in Ezekiel 9, it tells this angel to go through the midst of Jerusalem because they are getting ready to mark people that are to be preserved from judgment. It says, “Set a mark on the foreheads of the men that sigh and cry for all the abominations done in the midst.” And then everybody who did not have that mark was destroyed. You go to Revelations, and it talks about the seal of God that’s placed on the forehead of the redeemed. That’s Revelation chapter 14. The mark of the beast, of course, is on the forehead of the lost. And everyone’s wondering what does this mark mean?

Now, I think, to understand the subject of the mark, we got to know that it’s not always talking about like a tattoo or stamp or a cut. Some tribes actually will cut the forehead and make scars, and that’s a marking; others will tattoo. It’s not talking about anything like that. The reason I know this is, you read in Deuteronomy chapter 4, or actually 6:4, where Moses repeats the Ten Commandments in chapter 5. And then he says in the Great Shema, “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is One. You shall love the Lord with all your heart.” And he goes on to say, “These words that I command you this day shall be in your heart.” Then he says, “You’ll bind them for a sign on your hand, and they shall be frontlets between your eyes.” Now, someone’s got the law of God in their heart, their hand, and their head. Is that visible, David?

David: I guess not.

Pastor Doug: It’s not an external mark. And then you can also find in Deuteronomy 11, in Exodus 13… it talks about having the law of God in your head and in between your eyes. Now, there’s certain Orthodox Jews that actually hang phylacteries. They hang little boxes containing portions of Scripture on their forehead and tie them on their wrists. That’s not really what Moses or the Lord were talking about. That meant in your hand…

David: Right.

Pastor Doug: …their actions, your forehead meant in your thoughts. That doesn’t tell us where the mark of Cain was. It says, “Set a mark on Cain.” If you look at a person crossing a street in a crowd, and you say, “That’s a marked man there,” and you point to one individual, there might be something distinguishing about them that may not be a mark on their forehead. God did something for future generations to know, “Don’t bother Cain.”

You know, it’s interesting that— maybe it’s not the best illustration but Charles Manson who I think most of us are familiar with was, you know, the ring leader of the Sharon Tate murders. He’s been imprisoned and he’s still alive and his crimes were so despicable. I mean, he killed pregnant women and all kind of things— totally innocent people. Nobody in prison touches him. He had a swastika put on his forehead, and they’re all afraid. They think that he’s with the devil, and if you do anything to Charles Manson, there’s some curse that’s going to fall on you. The other prisoners were afraid of him. He’s a little guy. He’s almost toothless. But they’re afraid of him. And I don’t know. The Lord did something to just put the fear of God in people who would take vengeance because God said, “I’ll take vengeance; it’s not for yours.” And Cain was marked, somehow. I don’t know, Pastor Ross, if you got any…

Pastor Jëan Ross: It’s interesting right at the very beginning you have someone that is marked, and then if you end the Bible at the Book of Revelation, you also find a mark. There is a mark for those who end up worshiping the beast, and then you have a mark or a seal that is placed upon the foreheads of those who worship God. So, this mark really is a sign of loyalty— the sign of worship.

Pastor Doug: Yeah, and that’s the other interesting thing; it’s there in Genesis. Cain is marked because he and his brother both claim to worship the same God. Abel did it Biblically; Cain did it his own way by works. And then Cain persecuted or killed his brother. You get to Revelation, you get two groups that claim to worship the same God. But one does it Biblically— they keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. They are then persecuted; the dragon makes war against that group that has the seal of God. So those were the mark of the beast for making war or persecuting those that have the seal of God. Same thing that the Bible started with, it ends with. It’s an amazing book, how the Bible goes around: Starts in the garden, ends in the garden. Starts with the serpent bringing in sin, ends with the serpent being destroyed and sin being purged from the universe. The Bible makes a complete passage from eternity to eternity and the plan of salvation.

I appreciate your question, David, and hope that helps a little bit. I’m trying to think we’ve got a lesson called “The Mark of Cain”; talking about the mark of the beast more specifically, and that would answer that, I think.

Pastor Jëan Ross: For anyone that is wanting to know more about this, give us a call on our resource line. That’s 800-835-6747. You can ask for the study guide “The Mark of the Beast”— deals with what this mark is and what does it represent.

Pastor Doug: You know, I said, “The Mark of Cain” because we do have a historical lesson that’s called “The Mark of Cain.” And our friends can get that. They can study for free at the bibleuniverse.com; bibleuniverse.com. Look for the lesson “The Mark of Cain.”

Pastor Jëan Ross: You know, Pastor Doug, I’m looking at a person telling us how much time we have before our break. I don’t know if we have enough time to get another caller on.

But if you would like to get your call in tonight’s program, we’re not finishing, we’re just coming with…

Pastor Doug: Yeah, we got room…

Pastor Jëan Ross: Give us a call at 800-GOD-SAYS. That’s 800-463-7297.

Pastor Doug: I think a lot of people around doing their Christmas shopping.

Pastor Jëan Ross: That’s right. Running around and trying to get last-minute things done. You mentioned one website, bibleuniverse, but there’s another one that deals almost exclusively with prophecy. And that’s bibleprophecytruth.com.

Pastor Doug: I’m glad you mentioned that because the lesson we just identified— “The Mark of Cain”— is also there at bibleprophecytruth. As a matter of fact, it’s very easy to access that lesson. You can even download it right there as a pdf. and just study it yourself. It’s called “The Mark of Cain.” It talks about the story David was asking about and how it relates to the mark of the beast, and goes into “What is this mark of the beast?”— this ominous subject that so many people have wondered about.

So, if you can remember this if you’re driving: bibleprophecytruth. You type in “.com,” “.net.” Just type bibleprophecytruth in your browser and you’ll find that website. And oh, there is just a plethora of information there. By the way, this is, of course, the Christmas season. While the people are thinking about the First Coming of Jesus, you’ll be surprised how many prophecies that were in the Old Testament identified Jesus as the Messiah when He came. Prophecies told what town he would be born in— Bethlehem— in the Old Testament. Prophecies told that there would be an effort to kill Him as a baby. And prophecies told that everything about His life, His ministry, His death, His betrayal, how much He’d be betrayed for— all these about the First Coming of Jesus. We see how precise the Bible was regarding the First Coming of Christ. You’ll be reluctant to doubt the prophecies regarding the Second Coming of Jesus.

Well, you hear the music. We just need to take a quick break. We’re not going away. We still have lines open. Call with your Bible questions. 800-GOD-SAYS. That’s 800-463-7297. And we’ll be sharing more as we proceed. Don’t go anyway… Don’t go anywhere. We’ll be right here, and we’ll be back in just a moment with your Bible questions. God bless!

[COMMERCIAL BREAK]

Pastor Doug: We are back with “Bible Answers Live,” and some have probably joined us along the way. This is a live, interactive, international, call-in Bible study program. We’re across North America on about 350 to 400 stations, and we’re around the world via the Internet.

And, you know, Pastor Ross, just before we go back to the phones, we’re on the brink of a New Year. A lot of ominous things are happening in the world. I read today that 2010 was one of the most deadly years for natural disasters. You know, between the Chile earthquake and the Haiti earthquake, killer weather… and they’re having some of that right now in different parts of the world. And, you know, the Lord told us there would be some signs, and I really think God’s people need to pray for revival. Which is why we are offering our free offer for tonight dealing with “Teach Us to Pray.” We’re encouraging people— Christians and believers everywhere— to really pray and humble ourselves before God, to search our hearts, examine ourselves, and to confess our sins, repent, and turn, and just experience a new beginning in the Lord.

Pastor Jëan Ross: Absolutely.

Pastor Doug: So read the Word together, and I think the Lord wants to pour out His Spirit on His people. But we must really empty ourselves and prepare ourselves for that filling. So we challenge everybody in the New Year to get a new beginning. Ask God for a new heart. And we’ll send you that book “Teach Us to Pray” just for asking.

Pastor Jëan Ross: The number is 800-835-6747. Ask for the book “Teach Us to Pray,” and we’d be happy to send that to you.

We have Michael who is calling from Fairfield, California, listening in KFIA. Michael, welcome to the program.

Michael: Thank you for having me.

Pastor Doug: Sure.

Michael: Yeah. The Lord God had given commandments until Moses’ time. So Abel’s… Abel wasn’t adhering to any commandment. But my question would be— what is the Aramaic word for “day” as it appears in Genesis, the first chapter, primarily?

Pastor Doug: Well, if you don’t mind, I just want to, as respectfully as I can, disagree with your opening comment. You said that Cain or Abel were not adhering to any commandment. The commandments did exist before Mount Sinai. And one reason we know that is God said to Abraham, “Abraham has obeyed my laws, my commandments, and my statutes.” And so there must have been commandments if God would say that. And if sin…

Michael: Abraham was way after Cain.

Pastor Doug: Yeah. But, you see, Abraham was way before the Ten Commandments.

Michael: And the only command that was given was in the Garden of… go ahead.

Pastor Doug: I was going to say that if sin is a transgression of the law, according to the Bible, and if Joseph said it was a sin for him to sleep with someone else’s wife, and God said to Cain, “Sin lies at the door,” when he was contemplating murder for his brother... murder was obviously a sin even back then. See what I’m saying? So there…

Michael: Yeah, just want to…

Pastor Doug: Where there’s no law, there’s… Yeah, I know what you’re saying, but where there’s no sin…

Michael: That’s why he didn’t [inaudible 33:46] I think.

Pastor Doug: So back to your question. I just want to clarify something you said. Your original question you said— from Aramaic or something?

Michael: Yeah, the term for “day” in, I guess, the Old Testament, in particular— the Torah was written in Aramaic or Hebrew… what is the word for “day?”

Pastor Doug: Well, I think it’s…

Michael: The definition?

Pastor Doug: Oh, I think it’s… the word is “yom,” and it would mean, you know, it’s… yeah… I’m looking at it right here. I got “yom”…

Pastor Jëan Ross: One of the definitions that I’m looking at here is that a day is reckoned from sunset to sunset. So that period of time from when the sun sets to when the sun sets. It begin— a day would begin at the dark part first, and then the light. 24 hours as we have today would be a “day.”

Michael: Well, I think it deserves to say a 24-hour period, but you are onto something with the light and the dark, because the sun wasn’t made until, you know, the third day. So there really was no 24–hour period, but my question then would be…

Pastor Doug: Alright, you made another statement. Allow me to respond.

Michael: Please do. Please do.

Pastor Doug: “There is no 24-hour period.” If it says “from evening unto evening was the first day,” and if God is light— and the Bible tells us God is light; in Him is no darkness... When God said, “Let there be light,” and He came to this orb that was without form and void, and He set it in rotation… He began the rotation of the earth where it was cycling 24 hours to make a complete circle on its axis. And He was the light that illuminated one side of the planet. So…

Michael: Yeah.

Pastor Doug: …there were days even before the sun was made.

Michael: Oh, definitely. Definitely.

Pastor Jëan Ross: The verse you’re referring to was 1 John 1:5 where it says, “God is light.”

Pastor Doug: Alright, I’m sorry. Now back to the second part of your question.

Michael: Yeah. My thing was that it is in regards to a beginning period and an ending period— not so much a 24-hour cycle?

Pastor Doug: Alright, so what is your question? How do you mark the beginning and ending of a day?

Michael: Well, the reason why is because, you know, whenever you have a beginning period and ending period as in regards to the Old Testament, especially the Creation story, it doesn’t say that it is a 24-hour period. It means a beginning period and an ending period.

Pastor Doug: Well, that… again… we might just figure it…

Pastor Jëan Ross: Let me just, you know, if you read on in that first verse, you’re looking at… I’m looking at Genesis 1:3. It says, “And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light. And God saw the light and it was good.” God divided the light from the darkness, and it says, “The light, He called ‘day,’ and the darkness, He called ‘night.’” Then it goes in verse— in the last part of that verse— verse 5. It says, “So the evening and the morning were the first day.” So here, the Bible itself defines what a day is. And very clearly it says it’s evening…

Michael: Yeah, it says.

Pastor Jëan Ross: …and morning. Now, we know that evening and morning comes from the rotation of the earth. So if the earth was spinning on its axis, there were 24 hours in that first day.

Pastor Doug: And you’re talking about 24-hour period. Jesus makes it very clear in John 11:9. He says, “Are there not 12 hours in the day?” Of course, 12 hours in the night— that’s 24. So the Bible does say evening to evening; 12 hours day, 12 hours night. That’s the general way they divided it. That’s 24 hours. Yeah, its, I think, pretty clear.

You know, you’ve taken a little bit of time with us, Mike. We need to keep going because we have some folks actually lined up right now. We appreciate your question.

Pastor Jëan Ross: We have… our next caller is Donna, and Donna is calling from Tampa, Florida. Donna, welcome to the program.

Donna: Oh, hi. I just want to say thank you for all that you do.

Pastor Doug: Well, it’s a pleasure.

Donna: I mean, a great help. And I wanted to know about Babylon, “the Great City fallen, has fallen.” And do you think that it’s the papacy in the U.S.A. or New York? And where it says that they wailed over the smoke of her burning? Is it going to… you know…

Pastor Doug: Right. That’s in Revelation…

Donna: …whether it’s economic or we’re not sure…

Pastor Doug: Well, our friends…

Donna: …and that’s what I have to…

Pastor Doug: Good question. Our friends that are listening may not know Donna’s referring principally to Revelations 17-18— in particular, Revelation 18— talks about the fall of Babylon. And there’s several references that you find in the Old Testament that talk about the fall of Babylon and a number of prophecies that are being referred to. You get, for instance, look in… is it Isaiah 13 where it talks about Babylon will never rise again. And Jeremiah 51 says “Babylon has suddenly fallen.” So in Revelation, when he quotes, “Babylon has fallen, has fallen,” he’s referring to an Old Testament experience that will be repeated in New Testament history.

The children of Israel were occupied by Babylon during the time of Daniel the Prophet. Babel was first mentioned in the eleventh chapter of Genesis when they built the Tower of Babel. It’s later known as Babylon. That was the same location there of Mesopotamia. King Nebuchadnezzar, the great king of Babylon, took some of the stones, Herodotus the Historian says, from the tower that had been built in antiquity, and built a temple to Marduk. Some of that is still there today. And so, Babylon really was the enemy of God’s people through history. Many people were held captive there. They had to come out of Babylon back to the Promised Land.

In the Last Days, Babylon is going to be a spiritual Babylon that’s going to persecute God’s people in the Last Days. And just before Jesus comes, He’s coming to liberate us. This religious, political power of Babylon is going to fall. And you’re right, Donna, it’s going to fall economically. It’s going to fall politically in every other way.

Pastor Jëan Ross: You know, it’s interesting. Sometimes, the Old Testament described as the Tale of Two Cities— you’ve got Babylon and you’ve got Jerusalem. Babylon has its beginning with the building of the Tower of Babel, and, really, it’s rebellion against God. And then you have Jerusalem. The first reference we have to Jerusalem is Salem, and it’s during the time of Abraham where he paid a tithe to Melchizedek who was priest and king at a place called Salem. Eventually, it becomes Jerusalem.

So, throughout the Old Testament, you see Babylon representing those who were opposed to God and opposed to God’s people. Jerusalem is representing God’s people and those holding on to the truth of God’s Word. That same theme then follows over into the New Testament, and more specifically in Revelation. Again, you have the New Jerusalem described, which is the home of the redeemed, and then you have Babylon, which represents those who were opposed to truth and to God’s people.

Now, it’s interesting, Pastor Doug, that those in Babylon as described in Revelation— they’re not anti-religious, but they claim to be religious. They even claim to be worshiping the True God, but they substituted man’s traditions for the plain utterances of God’s Word.

Pastor Doug: Yeah. Nebuchadnezzar commanded everyone to worship…

Pastor Jëan Ross: That’s right.

Pastor Doug: …commanded them to worship wrong. And, as a matter of fact, King Darius who was in Babylon— he was a Persian king but it was in Babylon— he told everybody to worship, also, to worship him! And so, yeah, a lot of religion came out of Babylon.

We do have a lesson that talks about Revelation 17, Donna. We’ll send you a free copy of the book. It’s called “The Scarlet Woman.” “The Scarlet Woman” talks about that woman called Babylon in Revelation 17.

Pastor Jëan Ross: The number is 800-835-6747, and again, the book is entitled “The Scarlet Woman.”

Pastor Doug: “The Scarlet Woman.”

Pastor Jëan Ross: Revelation chapter 17. We have our next caller Travis who is calling from Michigan.

Travis: Yes, thank you.

Pastor Jëan Ross: Travis, welcome to the program.

Travis: Thank you for taking my call. I have a question regarding free will and salvation. I do want to preference my question with a statement. I’ve been talking with a couple of people and listening to different ministers, and one of the schools that I’ve been listening to in regards to the soul is that “man is naturally and utterly depraved, and that he will not choose to do God’s will but he will always choose to do evil.” Is that a fair statement? Without God’s grace intervening as far as when we call sin “sin” that man has a natural tendency to sin because of the depravity?

Pastor Doug: Well, if man doesn’t make a choice to consciously resist the natural selfishness we have, but people through the spirit of God. And I think that’s what you’re fishing for…

Travis: My question has to do with more of when you look at salvation— is salvation something that says, “It’s free. There’s free will.”? Because, again, just listening to different ministries, I’ve heard that the concept of free will was a philosophical idea that was injected into Christianity. And that a lot of the Romans, the Book of Romans, and how Paul is preaching, how God foreknew and those He chose… and so I’m just looking for clarity on that subject.

Pastor Doug: Well, I do believe that we have free will— that we have the ability to make a choice. God would not punish creatures for sinning if they’re created and born with a sinful propensity that cannot be resisted. In other words, any judge always looks at motive before the issue is sentenced. And if we were born mentally ill so all we can do is sin and we have no power or ability or desire to do anything but sin, then for us to be condemned to the lake of fire for doing what we are born naturally inclined to do, it almost makes God an accomplice in that. So, it is true that the human heart…

Travis: Well, I do… Yeah.

Pastor Doug: …evil.

Travis: I do agree with that. I’m just… the reason why I asked the question is because depending on what framework you’re looking at, like we have a value system with our own Western ways of thinking that we say this is the way the things should be. But, you know, looking at just the example of Job, when Job cried out to God, “Why are you punishing me?” And God allowed Job to be tested; God allowed Job to be tried. And God said, “I made the heavens. I made the earth. Who are you to judge Me and My ways of thinking?” I just look at what Paul writes, and it’s confusing to me because it says that God foreknew those He fore-chose. And I just wanted clarity on perhaps… I don’t know if you have any knowledge on this idea of free will— or if free will was a philosophical idea that’s been injected, or does the Bible talk about free will in certain parts?

Pastor Doug: Alright, well, just real quick couple of verses on that. Does the Bible tell us we have free will? Jesus said, “Whosoever will, let him take the water of life.” The Bible says, “Choose you this day who you will serve.” God’s giving us a choice. That’s what Joshua said, Moses said, “I set you before this day life and death, cursing… life and death, blessing and cursing. Choose life!” So you were always invited to make a choice!

Pastor Jëan Ross: You know, the passage you were referring to, Travis, in Romans… It’s not talking about individuals being chosen and some not being chosen, but it’s talking about nations. God chose Israel, and that was not something that Israel had much to do with. God chose them and through them, the Messiah came. That was the act that God made. When it comes to individual salvation, our own choices have a lot to do with it. So in Romans, it’s not to invite by individual choice; it’s talking about choosing one nation above another nation for the accomplishment of God’s purposes…

Pastor Doug: He refers to them…

Pastor Jëan Ross: …and that’s something that God does, all based upon what He chooses to do.

Pastor Doug: Yeah, He refers to them as Jacob and Esau… and Paul is quoting from, I believe it’s Malachi where he talks about like in the nation of Jacob/ Israel as opposed to the Edomites/ Esau because of the nature of what they did.

Oh, you know, we do have a book that we could send you, Travis, that deals with that subject: “Can a Saved Man Choose to be Lost?” And we’ll be happy to send that to you for free. It’s got a lot of verses on free will and predestination and just that age-old discussion.

Pastor Jëan Ross: Call 1-800-835-6747 and ask for the book “Can a Saved Man Choose to be Lost?” And we’ll be happy to send that to you.

We have Hosanna who is listening on KTIE from California… listening in California. Hosanna, welcome to the program.

Hosanna: Hi.

Pastor Doug: Is that Yucaipa?

Hosanna: Yeah.

Pastor Doug: I know where Yucaipa is.

Hosanna: Hi. My question is— why does God raise the people that were on earth during the Thousand Years on earth, during Satan’s on earth? Why does He raise them up instead of just bringing them?

Pastor Doug: Well, for one thing, the righteous are saved first, are raised first. The dead in Christ rise first, and that’s in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. At the end of the One Thousand Years, when the wicked are raised, instead of bring repentant and sorry and realizing what their choices have caused, they then join Lucifer in a final assault on the City of God. So when God eternally destroys them, the universe cease, and, you know, some people might see that there are friends and family that did not make it into the city; they are on the outside in the resurrection of the lost. And they’re going to see God had no choice but to cast them into the lake of fire because as soon as He rose them from the dead, they were ready to listen to the devil again. And like Gog and Magog, they attack the city. They attack God. They could… they pull Jesus from His throne. And so, God is showing them, “Look, I gave them a second chance and they’re just like a vicious dog. They just want to bite again.”

Hosanna: Yeah, they’re not listening…

Pastor Doug: Yeah, there are no redeemable qualities left.

Hosanna: Yeah.

Pastor Doug: Good question. Now, how old are you, Hosanna?

Hosanna: Eleven.

Pastor Doug: Oh, we appreciate your deep theological questions.

Hosanna: Yeah.

Pastor Doug: You keep studying.

Hosanna: Okay.

Pastor Doug: Now, we have a lesson on the Millennium that’s got pictures and everything. We’ll send you.

Pastor Jëan Ross: It’s called “A Thousand Years of Peace.” Just call 1-800-835-6747. Ask for the study guide on the Millennium called “A Thousand Years of Peace.”

We have Marie listening from Brooklyn, New York, listening on the Internet. Marie, welcome to the program.

Marie: Hello. Good evening. I was reading the first book of Samuel 18:10.

Pastor Doug: You’re talk…

Marie: And so they’re talking about the bad spirit of God. I don’t know what that is. I don’t know if that was a bad spirit of God. Can you explain that, please?

Pastor Doug: Yeah. First of all, the evil spirit is not a godly spirit. It’s obviously an evil spirit. But in the Old Testament, they often said… Because God is all-powerful, and even for the devil to tempt— like in the story of Job— before the devil could do anything to Job, God basically had to lift His protection from Job. When King Saul rejected God and rejected obeying and rejected the spirit, God lifted up His hand of protection. And this evil spirit came and entered Saul’s mind and heart. So, in the sense that God removed His protection, they used to say a spirit “came from God,” or God allowed this evil spirit to come over Saul. Only good comes from God. Every good and perfect gift comes from God. God wasn’t sending evil. He simply withdrew the protection that He gives us. It’s a spirit of God, and the light— it’s the light of Christ in our lives that keeps the darkness of the devil out. If we reject that light, the darkness will come in.

Pastor Jëan Ross: You know, it’s also interesting if you read on a little further in that same passage. It says that the Spirit of the Lord had withdrawn or have left Saul. And so part of the reason why he had this distressing spirit is because he had hardness in his heart against the prompting of the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit had withdrawn from him, and, as a result, the vacuum was filled with…

Pastor Doug: The evil spirit.

Pastor Jëan Ross: …the spirit of the devil.

Pastor Doug: Yeah, so one way… they just worded it that an evil spirit came for God, or that basically God allowed an evil spirit to come to Saul. So, does that make sense?

Marie: A little bit.

Pastor Doug: A little bit. [Laughing].

Marie: I mean, there’s a difference— God allowed the bad spirit, or He sent the bad spirit. That’s two different things. So I think, I see clearly what…

Pastor Doug: Well, I tell you where the part of the problem comes in. You’re taking something written in Hebrew and when you translate it to other languages in the different mind… Let me give you another example. Now, do you speak another language besides English? Is that right?

Marie: Yes.

Pastor Doug: Okay, what language do you speak?

Marie: French.

Pastor Doug: French. It’s probably the same in French as it would be in Spanish. In English, we would say the “white house.” In Spanish, you say “casa blanca”— “house white.” In German… In English, we would say “We’re going to throw some hay over the fence to the cow.” In German, they say “Throw over the fence the cow some hay.” And the way it comes from Hebrew, it makes it sound like— when we translate it or transliterate it into English— that God is ordering the spirit to go to Saul. Basically, God is withdrawing His protection, and this evil spirit comes then, because God basically has allowed it. So allowing something to happen is a little different. You see what I’m saying?

Marie: Yeah.

Pastor Doug: And so, this is one of those places where you need to just look further on the chapter that makes it clearer that Saul grieved away the Holy Spirit. We appreciate your question, Marie.

Pastor Jëan Ross: We’ve got Mike who is listening on the Internet calling from Massachusetts. Mike, welcome to the program.

Mike: Yes, hi.

Pastor Doug: Hi!

Mike: My question concerns the veracity of the Bible. I was confronted at work by a colleague of mine regarding Moses— the story of Moses. I’ve got the first five books of the Old Testament written by Moses. And my colleague had mentioned to me— how could Moses have written about his death? How could he, you know, I think it’s in the book of…

Pastor Doug: It’s Deuteronomy.

Mike: Deuteronomy.

Pastor Doug: Right. 34.

Mike: Yes. And so that brought a question in my mind, and I wrote it and not answered it. Well, I… After…

Pastor Jëan Ross: I don’t think there’s any Bible scholar that believes Moses did that. I think everyone understands, well, Moses wrote Deuteronomy. The last, you know… in many biographies and in many, even autobiographies, a person may die before it’s complete, and then someone else— an editor— will come in and fill in just the final details— an epilogue. And so the epilogue is probably written by Joshua or, you know, one of his contemporaries. Obviously, Moses died. He didn’t write about climbing the mountain and dying. So someone else wrote that.

Pastor Jëan Ross: And we know it doesn’t say specifically in Deuteronomy that Moses wrote everything in the book. While the Deuteronomy is a sermon, and it’s Moses’ final words to Israel, it doesn’t say, “I wrote every word in this book, and, you know, I’m the only one that contributed to it.” So it’s obvious that someone had to add the ending because Moses was not there to do it.

Pastor Doug: Probably the words that Moses end with Deuteronomy 33:29— there’s a song of Moses that is sort of his final swan song. Then 34 begins— Moses went up from the plains of Moab to the mountains of Nebo, and it tells about his death. Joshua probably attended him part of the way just like he attended him when he went part of the way up Mount Sinai. And so, it’s very likely Joshua wrote the last chapter of Deuteronomy.

Mike: Okay.

Pastor Doug: Of course, he wrote the Book of Joshua, too. Then someone wrote the last part of Joshua for Joshua, because he died.

Mike: Is there any way to explain… Well, is there a historical record— something tangible— that the Bible was the accurate, the true Word of God?

Pastor Doug: Well, there’s… I think there’s quite a bit of ancient literature that refers to the Bible as the Word of God. You know, when you talk about the Bible, if you go to Josephus… Even Josephus confirms, you know, the Old Testament. He’s a historian. He believed it true and accurate. Josephus also records that Jesus really lived, and he said Jesus was the Son of God! And here’s a Jewish historian.

The accuracy of the Bible— you can look at some of the ancient historians like Herodotus or even some of the Greek historians— seems to fit the archeology in the Bible. For years they said they doubt that David ever lived. And a few years ago they found, finally found some written proof in Israel where it talks about the house of David. You know, the skeptics have denied all kinds of Bible history. And little by little, the archeological findings have proved the veracity of the Bible.

Pastor Jëan Ross: You know, we do have a study guide dealing with the subject of the Bible, and it’s a great title. It says “Is There Anything You can Trust?”— “Can You Trust the Bible?” And I believe in that study guide, it gives you archaeological evidence…

Pastor Doug: It does.

Pastor Jëan Ross: …also prophecy…

Pastor Doug: Historical evidence, prophetic evidence… The writings of great people through history! What they say about the dependability of the Bible. And so we hope that you’ll take a look of that. They’re giving us a signal, friends. We’ve only got a minute left, and so we’re not going to cut anybody off with a brief Bible question. We appreciate everybody calling in. If you did not get your call in tonight, give us another chance by the grace of God. We’re going to keep going. It’s been 16 years now. We’ve been doing Bible Answers Live, and we look forward to studying the Word of God with you.

It is the end of the year! And friends, we would appreciate if you could remember the ministry in your year-end giving. Of course, we are not a profit corporation. Your tax-deductible gift is going to take the principles of Biblical truth into many hearts and lives. And so we hope that you’d be willing to share it. If you just go to amazingfacts.org, you can contact us there. God bless, friends! We look forward to seeing you next week.

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