- [Announcer] It is the best selling book in history. No volume ever written has been more loved and quoted and its words, sometimes simple and sometimes mysterious, should always be studied carefully. It is the Bible. The Word of God. Welcome to Bible Answers Live. providing accurate and practical answers to all your Bible questions. 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. Now, here's your host from Amazing Facts International, Pastor Jean Ross.
- Hello, friends. Welcome to Bible Answers Live. Pastor Doug is out this evening, but this is a live interactive international Bible study. So if you have a Bible-related question, we would love to hear from you tonight. The number to call is 800-463-7297. That is our phone line here to the studio. Again, that's 800-463-7297. But before we get to the Bible questions, let's begin with an amazing fact. On August 24th, 1875, Matthew Webb slipped into the water at Dover, England and 21 hours and 45 minutes later touch the land in France, becoming the first person to conquer the English Channel. Swimming the English Channel became one of the greatest swimming challenges of the day. Since Webb's triumph, more than 470 people have been successful in swimming the English Channel, including a 12-year old boy in 1979 and a 12-year old girl in 1983. The first woman to swim the English Channel was 19-year old American Gertrude Ederle. On the 6th of August, 1926, she crossed the English Channel in 14 hours and 31 minutes. That's two hours faster than the man's record, setting a woman's record that stood for the next 35 years. Then came Alison Streeter, known as the Queen of the Channel. She has swam the channel more times than anyone else, 43 crossings to date. Streeter first swam the channel at 18 and was the first woman to swim the double, that is from England to France and then back to England, and is the only woman ever to have completed the three-way, that's from England to France back to England and then to France again. But possibly the greatest triumph of endurance is held by Benoit Lecomte who, with the aid of two French sailors and a 40-foot sailboat, swam, believe it or not, across the Atlantic ocean. On the 16th of July, 1998, he set out from Cape Cod with eight wetsuits, a snorkel, and some flippers, navigated through the 40th and the 50th latitude, and protected by electronic force field, Lecomte swam six to eight hours a day, over more than 3000 nautical miles of relentless waves. 72 days later, on the 28th of September, he swam ashore exhausted but heroic in France. Now did you know friends that the Bible teaches that at the end of time, Christians will also need to have a high degree of endurance, not so much physical endurance but more importantly spiritual endurance. You see, the Bible tells us in Matthew 24:11, it says, "At the end of time, many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he that endures to the end shall be saved." To be a Christian in the last days requires endurance. And the reason for this endurance is because Revelation 12:17, talking of God's people at the end of time, says, "And the dragon," that's Satan, "was enraged with a woman." That's the church. "And he went to make war with the rest or the remnant of her offspring who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus." So at the end of time, the devil is enraged with the church, the true church, the remnant church, and he's making war with those who are keeping God's commandments and have the testimony and the faith of Jesus. Well, friends, we want to be amongst those that have spiritual endurance in the last days. How can we now prepare for what is yet to come? Well, one of the ways that we prepare is by filling our minds with the Word of God. The Word of God is a sure strength and our protection. Our free offer today is a book written by Pastor Doug entitled "The Ultimate Resource", and it's free. We'll send it to anyone in North America. All you have to do is call and ask. The number to call for that is 800-835-6747. And you can ask for the book by name. It's called "The Ultimate Resource." It's offer number 104. And we'll be happy to get it in the mail and send it to you if you're in North America. Now if you're outside of north America, we encourage you to take a look at our website, just AmazingFacts.org, and you can click on the link that says "Free Resources" and you can read the book for free right there online. It's all about the Bible and how you can store the Word of God in your heart. When Jesus was facing temptation from the devil, he said, "It is written. It is written." He overcame by the Word and that is our example. Now if you have a Bible-related question, our phone line once again is 800-463-7297. The phone lines are now open. And as I mentioned a little earlier, my name is Jean Ross. Pastor Doug is out this evening, but we're live and we are ready to take your Bible questions. We also want to welcome those who are watching on Amazing Facts TV, also those who are watching on the YouTube and social media. Thank you for being a part of our program this evening. Our first caller this evening is Anthony and he's listening from New York. Anthony, welcome to the program. You're on Bible Answers Live.
- [Anthony] Yes. Hello, Pastor Ross. Can you hear me okay?
- We can, yes.
- [Anthony] Okay, yes. I was told that I had a little bit of a bad connection, but my question... Well, let me just briefly explain. I think it was last week. After church I got into a conversation with a gentleman that was there visiting. And he just had some questions and also some ideas that differed widely from what I believe. But I've been studying to make sure I understand different doctrines that I believe. So the topic about the divinity of Christ came up and I thought I was well prepared. I went through Hebrews 1 and John 1:1, and things like that. And then I used Isaiah 9:6. And that's the basis of my question. And it says right here. Sorry, I had it up. "For unto us the child is born, unto us the son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder and his name shall be called wonderful counselor, the mighty God." And I kinda paused there for emphasis to show that this was talking about Jesus Christ, the prophecy of Christ, and He's called mighty God. And he said, "Ah, but what about the next part where it says the everlasting Father?" And I said, "Okay, yeah. So yeah, He's one with the Father." Well, he's like, "Well, that kind of defeats your point where you say that the Father, the Son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, they're three separate beings. By him calling the Son, the Father, that defeats your point." And so he thinks that it's more symbolic rather than... That this prophecy is symbolic rather than proving the divinity of Christ. So I guess my question is, why does this prophecy call Jesus Christ, the Son? Why does it also call Him the everlasting Father?
- Okay. Well, very good question. Yes, the verse you're talking about, for those who are maybe driving in their car, Isaiah 9:6, and many recognize this as a messianic prophecy. It's a reference to the coming Messiah. Several things. First of all, it does mention here that Jesus is the Prince of Peace. And we know that when Christ came to the earth, it was through His sacrifice that He made peace between the sinner and the Father. Between God and man, He is the intercessor. So, we know that refers to Him. He is also referred to as the Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God. So, there's a reference to Christ being divine. But the phrase everlasting Father, why is that phrase used? Well, because especially before the incarnation of Christ, along with the Father is He is the source of life. John 1:1, "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God. All things were made by Him and without Him was not anything made that was made." So Jesus is actively involved in creation and seeing that He's actively involved in creation, He is the Father of all creation. And so when it's referring to Christ as the Everlasting Father, not only was the Father, the Heavenly Father that we think of today involved in creation, but Christ was also involved in the creation of earth. And then of course, when Jesus came to the earth and He was born here on this earth, He recognized that His Father in heaven was God. And of course, we have the Holy Spirit and Jesus is baptized. You have the Father in heaven, you have the Holy Spirit coming upon Him. Jesus is in the water being baptized. Christ prayed to His Father in heaven as we need to pray. But the fact that He's also referred to as the Heavenly Father indicates that He is the Creator, He's the source of life. And that of course is the same with God the Father that we think of today in heaven. Does that help Anthony?
- [Anthony] That does help. That does make sense. I'll wait 'til next week. I know I can only ask one question. But someone preached a sermon where they proved that Jesus was divine, but they said that the Holy Spirit is not a separate person. You did help with the one about Christ.
- Yeah, that's a good question. Ask it next week when we have a little more time because that is an important one, or what role does the Holy Spirit have in the Godhead? All right. Well, thank you for your call, Anthony. You know, we do have a book that talks a little bit more about the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, the Godhead or the Trinity, and the book is called "The Trinity: Is it Biblical?" and we'll be happy to sent this to anyone who calls and asks. Again, the number that you need to call is 800-835-6747. You can ask for the book, "The Trinity: Is it Biblical?". What does the Bible say? By God the father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We'll be happy to send it to anyone here in North America. Next caller that we have is Britney listening in California. Britney, welcome to the program.
- [Britney] Hey.
- Hi, and your question tonight.
- [Britney] Yes. My question is, what does the Bible say about flowers?
- What does the Bible say about flowers? Now, you're thinking just in general or something specific about flowers?
- [Britney] Well, I'm talking about in general.
- Okay. Well there are references to flowers in the Bible. Bible speaks about God creating a garden called the Garden of Eden and all kinds of plants were there in the garden. There were fruit trees. There were flowers, I'm sure, to beautify. So flowers is something that God created. But in the prophetic sense, here's something that you might not know. A flower is actually used as a title or a name for Jesus, and you'll find this in Song of Solomon 2:1 and the flower being referred to there is a rose and it refers to the Rose of Sharon. In here Jesus is being described as this Rose of Sharon. So actually, a flower is used in a symbolic sense in the Bible with the reference to Jesus. So yes, flowers are used and spoken of in the Bible. Next caller that we have is listening from Colorado. We've got... Let's see, Connor listening from Colorado. Connor, welcome to the program. You're on the air.
- [Connor] Hello. How are you, Pastor Ross?
- I'm doing well. Hope you're doing well, too.
- [Connor] Thank you. I appreciate it. My question is for a biblical baptism, does that have to be done by a pastor or minister? Or can that be done by someone with a good knowledge of the Word?
- Well, usually when it comes to baptism, baptism is a public profession of our decision to follow Jesus. And when we going to make a public profession, we want to do so in the company of friends and family but also the one leading out, and that needs to be somebody that's recognized as a leader. For example, if two people get married, they go to somebody who is licensed to perform weddings, whether that be a pastor or maybe it is a justice of the peace, but it is somebody that is recognized as an authority. When we make a public profession of our faith and we're baptized following Christ's example, we want to do so in the presence of family and friends, but also we want to have someone that is recognized as a spiritual leader. We want to have a pastor in the church. Of course, we want to have a pastor that follows the Bible and Bible teaching because I think there are many different ideas out there as to what the Bible says. So, we want to make sure that we're following a church and we're participating with someone who understands the Bible. But yes, if we can, it's appropriate to have a pastor lead out in the baptismal service. It's a very special and sacred event. Okay.
- [Connor] So would that pertain to like a rebaptism, too? Or is that probably the same answer?
- Well, in rebaptism, yes. I think you'd also want somebody because that's a reaffirmation of your faith in Christ. In some cases, if a pastor is not available, the church elder might serve in that capacity. Usually though, it's in communication with the pastor. The pastor knows the elder and maybe he's traveling or maybe the church does not have a pastor that is permissible. Usually, there is some communication that takes place between the elder of the church and maybe the conference that is associated with the church. But usually, you want to have somebody in a leadership, a spiritual leadership role, lead out in the baptismal service. Somebody that will meet the biblical criteria that you find for what an elder is.
- [Connor] Okay, thank you. I appreciate your help.
- All right. Thanks for your call, Connor. You know, we do have a book that talks about baptism and it's called "Baptism: Is it really necessary?" and this is our free offer. We'll send it to anyone in North America. All you have to do is call the number 800-835-6747. Ask for the book. It's called "Baptism: Is it rarely necessary?" We'll send it to you here in North America. If you're outside of the US, again, we want to encourage you, just go to our website, amazingfacts.org or .com, and you'll be able to read it for free right there online. We've got Jim listening from looks like Indiana. Jim, welcome to the program.
- [Jim] Yeah, the question I have is in Revelation 17:10-12.
- Yes.
- What are they talking about? The seven kings, are those political or are they really just...
- Okay, great question. Let me give a little background to those who might not be familiar with Revelation 17. In Revelation 17, John in vision sees a woman and she is sitting on a scarlet colored beast and the beast has seven heads and 10 horns. Now in Bible prophecy, a woman represents a church and a beast represents a political power. So here you have a church, a religious power, that is controlling a political power. So really what we have is a description of a church and state where the state is enforcing the decrees or the teachings of the church. And it's really a description of the medieval church or the Roman Catholic church, especially during the dark ages, a people supremacy where the papacy was controlling the nations of Europe. There is a revival of that at the end of time if you keep reading in Revelation 17, Revelation 13. But the angel begins to identify these different symbols that we find here in Revelation. And you'll find in Revelation 17:9, it says, "Here is the mind that is wisdom. The seven heads," that's the seven heads of the beast, "are seven mountains on which the woman sits." So here we have a church that is located on seven mountains or seven Hills. Well, of course, a church that is well known to be situated amongst seven hills or mountains is the church of Rome because Rome is known to be the city of seven hills. But then it also represents something else. And in verse 10, it says, "There are also seven Kings. Five have fallen, one is, and one is not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue a short time." So these kings, the king represents a kingdom. These seven kingdoms refer to seven political powers or nations that'll persecute God's people, and it began way back in Old Testament times and will continue right up 'til the very end of time just before Jesus comes. So the five principal nations that war against Israel after they had entered into the promised land, you have the nation of Assyria or the Assyrians that conquered the 10 tribes or the north. You have the nation of Babylon. Then you have Medo/Persia, you have Greece, and you have Rome. So during the 1260 years of papal supremacy, or we call that the dark ages, those five powers or political powers had already fallen. The one that is refers to the papacy during its 1260 year rule because it says one is, and that's the description that we find in Revelation 17. And then it says one is yet to come. And when he comes, he must continue a short space. Well, in Revelation 13, you discover this two beasts. The second beast of Revelation 13 is actually the United States. And according to Revelation 13, a time will come when the United States will play a leading role in enforcing the mark of the beast and those who refuse to go along with these religious laws will face persecution. They won't be able to buy and sell. So the beast that is yet to come or the political power that is yet to come in a persecuting role is a reference there to the United States. And then it says the eighth is the beast as well. And that again, refers to the papacy. So those are the seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, one is yet to come. Those are the key players that we find in Bible history and even right up 'til the end of time. Does that help, Jim?
- [Jim] Oh yeah, that cleared it right up.
- All right. Good question. Thank you for calling. Appreciate it. All right, next caller that we have. Lolita is listening in Nevada. Lolita, welcome to the program.
- [Lolita] Hi. Thank you, Pastor Ross.
- Yes.
- [Lolita] Good to hear your voice.
- Thank you.
- [Lolita] My question has to do with Jeremiah 31:15 and it mentioned Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted for her children are gone. Could you explain that for me? I've always wondered why Rachel is mentioned and exactly what that verse refers to.
- Okay, very good question. It's interesting. This verse that we find in Jeremiah 31:15 is actually a prophecy because it's referred to in Matthew 2:18. And when it's referred to in Matthew 2:18, it's in the context of the decree that Herod made that all the little baby boys in Bethlehem and in that area was to be put to death. And after describing this in Matthew 2, Matthew actually quotes Jeremiah 31:15 and he says what happened with Herod, killing the baby boys, was an actual fulfillment of this prophecy. So the verse 15 says, "A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children." Rachel there is just a reference to Israel and to the mothers of Israel in particular there. "Refusing to be comforted for her children because they are no more." So her children, it's referring to something happening to her children, but then the promise comes if you read a little bit further on it. It says, "But they shall return from the land of the enemy." So, there is a promise. That's the next verse. It says they shall return from the land of the enemy. There's a promise of a resurrection. And that was the hope that was given to those mothers that suffered that terrible loss of having their baby boys snatch from their arms and killed by Herod in fear of a king that would rival his throne. So, that's Jeremiah 31:15. Does that help, Lolita?
- Yes, that helped greatly. Thank you very much. Uh-huh, that helps a lot. Thank you.
- All right, the cross references I mentioned there is Matthew 2:18 if you want to look up that verse and read that as well. We got Iwan listening from New York. Iwan, welcome to the program.
- [Iwan] Good evening, Pastor Ross.
- Hi.
- [Iwan] My question is, what was going through the mind of Satan during the flood? Was he scared? Was he angry? Or was he laughing maniacally?
- Well, you know, we don't know for sure what was going on in the mind of Lucifer during the flood or Satan during the flood. But I think one thing we realized is that Satan had never seen anything like this before. Up until that point, the earth was beautiful. Even after Adam and Eve sinned and they were driven from the Garden of Eden, the earth was still a paradise. And Adam and Eve and their descendants lived almost 2000 years before the flood in the world and then until wickedness got so bad. The Bible says every imagination of the heart was just evil continually. And God said, "My Spirit shall not always strive with man. His days shall be a 120 years." And so Noah was called to build the ark. The devil is obviously watching as the ark is being built and the animals miraculously enter into the ark. Noah and his family go into the arc. The door in the ark is closed and then the rain begins to come. And it's pretty tumultuous because it talks about the fountains of the great deep breaking open during that time. So not only is the rain falling and it hadn't rained up to that point, but you have all this water coming down from the sky. You also have the earth opening up and a massive amounts of water spewing up through the crust of the earth and flooding the land. And you have volcanic activity and the whole earth is commotion. The mountains are moving and continents are moving. It was just something we can't even begin to imagine. And I'm sure even the devil and his angels which were on the earth witnessed all of this. I don't know. Maybe they did experience to some degree some fear or amazement at the power that was demonstrated there in the flood. And of course, God protected Noah and his family. That was the type of what's going to ultimately happen to the devil and his angels at the end of the 1000 years. Just like Noah and his family that were protected in the ark from the waters of the flood which purified the earth, so there's going to be at the end of time, a sea of fire that's going to purify the earth and you read about this in Revelation 20. And this fire that is referred to as hell or the lake of fire, it's going to purify the earth. But just as Noah and his family was safe in the ark, so the redeemed or the saved will be safe inside the new Jerusalem. According to Revelation 21, the new Jerusalem comes down from God out of heaven at the end of the thousand years. The wicked are resurrected for the great white throne judgment, and then they mount their attack upon the new Jerusalem and fire comes and devours them. But just as the earth was purified the first time with water, it will be purified the second time with fire and then God creates a new heavens and a new earth wherein dwells righteousness. Now the devil made it through the first purifying, that of water, but we know the devil's not going to make it through the second purifying, that of fire, because the Bible says the devil and his angels were cast into the lake of fire and they were destroyed. So that's kind of a little overview if you look at the different cleansing and the symbols behind the flood and what it represents. Does that help Iwan a little bit?
- [Iwan] Yeah, it helped a little bit.
- Yeah, we don't know what was in the mind of Satan, but we can just imagine that it was a pretty fearful experience for him.
- [Iwan] Thank you.
- All right. Well, thanks for your call. Again, friends, if you have a Bible-related question, our phone lines are open. We're going to be taking a break here in just a few minutes, but you might want to write down this number. Our phone line here to the studio is 800-463-7297. So, call with your Bible question. 800-463-7297. Also another number that we're going to mention from time to time, that is our resource phone line and that number is 800-835-6747. We have a number of free study resources that we like to make available to people. And if you're listening and you're on the road or you want to share this with somebody else, we do have archives of the program at the Amazing Facts website, just AmazingFacts.org. And if you've missed any of the resources that we mentioned at the program, again, you can visit amazingfacts.org. You can click on the Bible Answer Live link or look at the various media that we have available and also the free resources. And also friends, we want to remind you that Amazing Facts TV is available online. So not only do you see that on... You can see that on Roku, but you can also see that online. I believe it's live streaming on YouTube. And this program is something that we air on Amazing Facts TV every Sunday evening. So the number again is 800-463-7297. The free offer that we want to encourage you to call for tonight is "The Ultimate Resource." It's a book written by Pastor Doug. We mentioned this at the beginning of the program. It's free. All you have to do is call 800-835-6747. It's a book written by Pastor Doug. It's about the Bible. You might be wondering, how do I study the Bible? Or where did the Bible come from? Or what about different translations or different Bible versions? There's a lot of great information found in this book, "The Ultimate Resource." It's all about the Bible and you will be blessed. Well again, friends, if you have a Bible question, the number is 800-463-7297. We are live. We will take your questions on the air tonight. We're not ending the program by any means. We're just coming up on a half hour break. We don't have time to take another call. We got about 30 seconds left. But again, we want to remind you if you want to study the Bible in more detail, please visit amazingfacts.org. I was just recently at the website. They keep updating the website with new information, with archive programs, not only this program, Bible Answers Live, but also the Amazing Facts Flagship TV program called "Amazing Facts with Doug Batchelor" is also viewable there online at the Amazing Facts website. So, don't go far away. We'll be back with another half an hour of Bible answers and we'll take your calls live on the air. We'll be right back in just a few moments.
- [Announcer] Stay tuned. Bible Answers Live will return shortly.
- [Narrator] A beast, a dragon and a woman. They sound like characters in a fairy tale, but that couldn't be further from the truth. These three symbolic end time powers are actually found in the Book of Revelation whose predictions about the soon coming crises on earth aren't a bedtime story. The beast, the dragon, and the woman is a daring yet concise overview of the Bible's most compelling and perplexing end time players and the struggle between truth and error. You'll even find out the part America plays in these last days. If you want to be ready for the earth shaking events yet to come, secure your copy of "The Beast, the Dragon, and the Woman" today. Don't be caught unprepared for the final events of Bible prophecy. To order your copy of "The Beast, the Dragon, and The Woman," call 800-538-7275 or visit afbookstore.com. Does your heart burn for a better purpose? Do you yearn to do more with your faith? Do you desire to be a powerful witness, ablaze for Jesus Christ? Where do you start? Make your first step at AFCOE, the Amazing Fact Center of Evangelism.
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- [Announcer] You're listening to Bible Answers Live where every question answered provides a clearer picture of God and His plan to save you. So, what are you waiting for? Get practical answers about the 'Good Book" for a better life today. 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 rejoin our host for more Bible Answers Live.
- Hello, friends. Welcome back. This is Bible Answers Live, a live interactive international Bible study. We'd like to welcome you to this program. Pastor Doug is out this evening, but this is a live broadcast. So if you have Bible related questions, we'd love to hear from you this evening. As we mentioned on the break, our phone line here to the studio is 800-463-7297. Again, that's 800-463-7297. That'll bring you here into the studio with your Bible question. Let's see, we got France from California. France, welcome to the program.
- [France] Good evening, Pastor.
- Good evening. And your Bible question?
- [France] Yes. So I just wanted you to help me get some clarification on Daniel, this two time prophecy at the end of Daniel 12.
- [Pastor Ross] Okay.
- [France] And it seems like I try to see how you can situate them in prophetic time. So, if you can kind of give me a little understanding of those two time prophecies, please.
- Sure, Revelation 12 is an interesting chapter. There's a lot of details, but there are different time periods. It's actually three time periods that we read about. There's the 1260, the 1290, and the 1335. And here we can find it in Daniel 12:11. I'm just going to read this first. It says, "And at that time when the daily sacrifice is taken away and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be 1290 days." Then it says, "Blessed is he say that waits and comes to the 1335 days." And then a little earlier, we read about the 1335. So what are these different time periods? More specifically, the 1290 and the 1260. The 1260, remember one prophetic days is equal to one literal year in Bible prophecy. So the 1260 year time period that we read about in both Daniel and Revelation is the time period of papal supremacy from 538 until 1798. So in 538, we have the papacy rising to, not only religious power but more importantly, political power and sort of takes the throne of the west and Roman empire. It rules 'til 1798 where the papal power received what's called the deadly wound where Napoleon's general, Berthier, marched into Rome, proclaimed the political rule of the papacy at an end. The Pope was taken prisoner. So that's the 1260 year time period. The 1290 year time period covers roughly the same time period, but it begins a little earlier. It actually begins in 508, is the starting point of that time period. And what's significant about that date is that one of the... Actually, yeah. What's significant about that date is one of the political powers that was key in coming on board to give the papacy its authority was France. And in 508, you have the conversion of Clovis, King of the Franks, that opened up the way for full papal supremacy in 538. So, the 1290s referring to that time period. And then the 1335, starting in 508, you go forward 1335 and you come to the date 1843. And what's significant about the 1843 is the beginning of the proclamation of the time of the end and the judgment message that you read about in Revelation 14. So, that's just a little bit of an overview of those three time periods that we find in the book of Daniel. Does that help a little?
- [France] Yes. Definitely, Pastor. Thank you very much.
- All right, thanks for your call. We're going to go to Jerry in... Let's see, actually Bob in New Jersey. Bob, welcome to the program.
- [Bob] My question is this. I have a friend who's next door to me, a Christian guy. He takes communion every day by himself. What he usually does is that he says you can use anything, water, water bread, stuff like that. But what really gets me about is the fact that I feel like you were supposed to do it under the auspices of a pastor or an elder or somebody to that effect. But he said to me that you could do your own communion because the Bible says we are kings and priests. So, what is the truth behind this?
- Okay. Good question, Bob. I'm going to put you on mute there, if you can still hear me, just because we had a little bit of feedback there in the background. Is it possible to take communion by yourself at home? No. You can eat by yourself at home and you can ask God's blessing upon your food. There's no doubt about that. That's good. But when it comes to communion, communion is unique. It is a group of believers that are gathered together in a worship format and they are together corporately recognizing the sacrifice of Jesus through the eating of the bread and the drinking of the grape juice. Now, these symbols are important when it comes to communion. Jesus refers to Himself as the bread of life. And on one occasion, Jesus said, "Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood will I have life in themselves." And the people were offended by this. And they said, "What do You mean eat Your flesh and drink Your blood?" Jesus said to them, "The words I speak unto you, they are Spirit and they are life." So when we partake of the bread in communion, we're recognizing or acknowledging that Christ died for us. When we drink the grape juice, we are acknowledging that He spilled His blood which makes atonement for our sins and we are forgiven. Now, when it comes to the bread and the grape juice, the symbols are important. Leaven in the Bible or yeast as referred to today are symbolized sin in the Bible. And so the bread that was used both in the sanctuary in the old Testament and also the bread that's used for communion needs to be unleavened bread. Meaning, that it's free of yeast. And when it comes to the juice, the grape juice, it also needs to be pure because it's symbol of Christ's blood. Yeast is used in the fermenting process. So, it's not an alcoholic beverage. It needs to be fresh grape juice as a symbol of Christ, atoning blood that was shed. The church is described as the body of Christ. And when we gather together corporately to worship and we partake of communion, we together are acknowledging that Jesus has died for us and we believe in Him. So communion is not one of those ceremonies that we are to try and do on our own, but we want to do it as a church, a group of believers. Does that help, Bob?
- [Bob] Well, he says that the Bible says that we're kings and priests. Where does that fit in? I mean...
- Yes, we are. Spiritually, we are kings because Christ is our older brother and we are to rule over sin and we can be victorious. Revelation says he who overcomes shall inherit all things. And we are priests in the sense of we are sharing the gospel with others. So, we can take the gospel and we can share it to somebody else. If they respond to the gospel, well, they're also saved. But it's got nothing to do with communion. The idea that only a priest can offer communion isn't biblical. Matter of fact, in the New Testament, you don't read about the priesthood. It talks about leaders in the church. You've got pastors and you've got elders and you have people of different responsibility, but that's not what the verse is referring to when it says we are kings and priests. It's not talking about us doing communion on our own at home. That's a misunderstanding of the verse.
- [Bob] Thank you very much, Pastor.
- All right. Thanks for your call, Bob. Next caller that we have is... Let's see, Jerry is listening in Oregon. Jerry, welcome to the program.
- [Jerry] Good evening, Pastor Ross. My question pertains to works.
- Okay.
- [Jerry] Now, it's a core belief amongst all Christian denominations that salvation is a gift that cannot be earned. But there are some scriptures, and I know that you're aware of them but then I'll summarize them for the audience. Matthew 25 where Jesus talks about the goats and the sheep. The sheep are the people who fed, gave drink, shelter, and satisfied the needs of those people in need. And the goats are the ones who didn't do that. The goats are on His left side. Then He says in there, then He will say to those on His left, the goats, those who didn't do the good deeds, "Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and the angels. For I was hungry, you gave Me nothing to eat," et cetera.
- Sure.
- [Jerry] And so on. And then in Revelation 20, it says towards, let me see, verse 12 or so or 13, "The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them and each person was judged according to what they had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire. So I would infer from that, the saved are in the book of life, that they're being judged by their works.
- Okay. Great question. Yeah, let me see if I can shed a little bit of light on that. So, we're saved by faith. We're actually saved by grace through faith. How do we obtain the grace? It's through faith. Not of works as Paul says in Romans, unless we shall be judged. But the kind of faith that saves us is a faith that works. So, if we claim to have faith but our faith is not working, meaning, our lives are not changing, then that means the kind of faith that we have is a counterfeit faith. A genuine faith will be revealed in what we do. That's why when it comes to the judgment, God could actually look at our works and our works will tell whether or not we have genuine faith. That's a faith that saves us, but our works will testify as to what kind of faith we have. That's why James tells us if you go look in the book of James. It says some will say, "Well, I have faith, but I don't have works." Somebody else might say, "Well, I have faith and it's revealed by my works." So, true faith will always be revealed in obedience, willing obedience. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, when they stood on the plain of Dura and a death decree was given anyone who would not bow down and worship the golden image, or while they were saved by faith. They were trusting in God. But that faith demonstrated itself in works. They stood faithful when everyone else bowed down. So, true faith will always be demonstrated by works of obedience, reflecting the character of God. Does that help, Jerry?
- [Jerry] Yes, and there's another scripture. Faith without works is dead.
- Correct.
- [Jerry] So any Christian who claims he's saved by the sacrifice of Jesus and does not do help his fellow man, et cetera, is not a genuine faith.
- It's the wrong kind of faith, right? And it's possible to even deceive yourself thinking that you have faith. But if your faith is not producing kind works, well then, that's the wrong kind of faith. And of course, this faith comes from God. It's a gift. We can ask for it, but we need to exercise that faith in doing those things that are pleasing to Him. Good question, Jerry, Thank you for your call. Next caller that we have is Taivion listening in Illinois. Taivion, welcome to the program.
- [Taivion] Taivion, that's a new one.
- You know, that's what popped up on my screen. What is your name? Oop, we might have missed him. Let's try here. Dina. Dina, New York. Are you there?
- [Dina] Yes, sir. I am.
- All right. Okay, I think it went through, and your question tonight.
- [Dina] My question is... Hold on, let me turn this down. I'm sorry, I'm driving. So, I really can't-
- That's okay.
- Exactly tell you where it is that I read it, but I know it's in the book of Genesis where it says that, "And God put Adam in the garden."
- Yes.
- [Dina] So I want to know, was he created in... It seems like he was not created in the garden. He created Eve from Adam in the garden, but from what I heard it says, "And God put Adam in the garden."
- Okay. Yeah, let me just refer to the verse. I think the one you're referring to is Genesis 2:8. And it says, "The Lord God planted a garden eastward of Eden and there he put the man whom he had formed." So your idea is, was Adam created outside the garden or was he created inside the garden?
- [Dina] That's what it sounds like because He put him there.
- Yes. Now the phrasing that you have here and I'm looking from... This is the New king James. Some other translations might explain it a little bit clearer. The idea of being put in the garden isn't necessarily picking something up and putting it in a different place. Rather, it carries with it the idea that that's their home, that that's their dwelling place. So, the garden became the home of Adam and Eve. Most likely, God created the garden first and then He formed Adam and gave him the garden as his home. That became his dwelling place. The whole earth was before him, but specifically the garden was his home or his dwelling place. So the Bible doesn't tell us for sure, you know, if God created Adam right at the gate and kind of laid him into the garden. It could very well have been the case. Or if he was created in the garden and God said, "This garden is yours," in the sense of putting him in the garden, the Bible's not exactly clear on that. But either way, I think the idea would be there, that the garden became their home.
- [Dina] Uh-huh! We've been taught all our lives that they were created in the garden and all that and I was reading and I said, "Wait a minute, He put him there."
- Yes, put him there in a sense of that was his home, his dwelling place.
- [Dina] Uh-hmm. And thank you guys so much. About 10 years ago, Pastor Doug sent me a booklet that was talking about the chip. And it was like it was going to be in something that looked like a little grain of rice and all our information was going to be put there and then under our skin. And I was telling people. It's like, "Whoa, this is what's going to happen." And people were looking at me like I was crazy, and that's exactly what is happening now.
- Yes, when you're getting into Bible prophecy, you learn some interesting things. And of course, I wouldn't be the first one to want to get any kind of implant under the skin, and the Bible speaks against that. But from a spiritual sense, when you talk about the mark of the beast, we understand it has to do with worship. It's not a physical computer chip, but it really has to do with worship and allegiance, who do we obey and who do we worship. Matter of fact, we do have a study guide that talks about that for anyone wanting to learn more about the mark of the beast. Is it a computer chip in the hand or in the feet? Or what does the Bible say about that? And I think Dina referenced that subject. You can read the study guide. It's called "The Mark of the Beast." And all you have to do is call and ask for it. The number is 800-835-6747. And again, just ask for the study guide. It's called "The Mark of the Beast." We're going to try Illinois once again. Taivion, I'm not pronouncing your name right?
- [Taivion] No, it's Taivion.
- Taivion, thank you. All right, and your question this evening.
- [Taivion] Yes, my question was... So I was going through the Bible because I have read through the new Testament already and I'm going through the old, and I was brought back to... I believe it was Matthew 12:42. Yeah, 42. About the queen of the south, how she shall rise on the judgment, how she shall rise and generally condemn the generation. So I've taken that as, especially due the fact that I put Solomon in there, that it's confirming that the queen of Sheba will be in heaven. But I also read, I think it was one of the other gospels or made with someone in the new Testament that it also confirmed that King Nebuchadnezzar was going to be there too?
- Yes, that's a good point. We believe Nebuchadnezzar will be here because he actually wrote a chapter in the Bible. It's the only chapter that we know of written by a pagan king, and you find it in the book of Daniel. Yes, Daniel 4 is actually the description of Nebuchadnezzar's dream and the explanation of the dream. And that at the end of the chapter, you read how that Nebuchadnezzar acknowledges the God of heaven and worships Him. So, the fact that there is a chapter recorded by Nebuchadnezzar in the Bible and that at the end of the chapter he acknowledges and worships the God of heaven is a stronger indication that yes, he was saved. He did come to a knowledge of the true God.
- [Taivion] Okay. Okay, I just wanted to make sure because I was going through Matthew and then I got confused because I'm like, okay, I know we believe that he's going to heaven, but I thought there was a specific verse that said that he would go into heaven along with the queen of Sheba before the Pharisees.
- Not in the new Testament, no. The evidence used for Nebuchadnezzar being saved comes directly from Daniel.
- [Taivion] Okay, thank you.
- All right, great question. Thank you. Next caller that we have is Raymond listening from Michigan, Raymond, welcome to the program.
- [Raymond] Hello, sir. How you doing?
- Doing well, thank you. And your question tonight?
- [Raymond] My question is in Genesis 4:14.
- Okay.
- [Raymond] After God curse Cain for killing Abel, "Surely you have driven me out this day from the face of the ground. I shall be hidden from your face. I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth. And it will happen that anyone who finds me will kill me." How could he have said that when there was only Adam and Eve and himself on the earth?
- Okay. By the time this story occurred between Cain and Abel, there were other sons and daughters born to Adam and Eve that are not referenced specifically at the time because you'd lead... Sorry, you'll read on later on, it talks about Adam and Eve having other sons and daughters. So where did Cain and Abel... Or at least Cain, where did Cain get his wife? Well, it was a sister. It was a daughter of Adam and Eve. So there were other people on the earth. How many? The Bible does not tell us. But the fact that, they were all related and they're all siblings, you can understand Cain's concern if one of his brothers come across him and they know that he killed Abel. Well then, maybe they'll want to kill him. So it were the other siblings of Cain that's been referred to there.
- [Raymond] Okay, okay. All right, thank you very much and you all are doing a great job.
- All right.
- [Raymond] On the radio.
- Thanks for your call, Raymond. Appreciate it.
- [Raymond] Okay. Yeah, okay. Thank you.
- Next caller that we have... Let's see. We've got Robert listening in Washington. Robert, welcome to the program.
- [Robert] Hello. Thank you for taking my call, Pastor Ross.
- Hi, and your question tonight.
- [Robert] I thought I'd ask you a Revelation question since that's your specialty.
- I like revelation, yes.
- [Robert] The one guy, a few couple or three things ago, was mentioning the question that I asked. Well, at least he breezed through it anyway about death and hell where he said Hades.
- Yes.
- [Robert] But I've heard of it saying... I guess that's probably King James. Death and hell being cast in the lake of fire. How can hell be cast into itself, kind of thing?
- Oh, good question. All right, the verse, I think, you're referring to... I'm just going to put you on mute there because we had a little background noise. Revelation 20, and it's verse 14, actually starting verse 13, it says, "The sea gave up the dead that was in it and death and Hades delivered up the dead that were in them. And they were judged each according to the works." Now the word Hades there simply means the grave. This is the old King James language. I'm using the New King James. So when it says death and Hades, it just simply means death and the grave. And then verse 14 says, "And death and Hades." same word talking about the grave. "Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death." Meaning that after the lake of fire does its work, there will be no more death and there'll be no more grave. So sometimes in King James, you find the word hell used for the grave, but it just simply means the grave. It's not a place of torment. That was a pagan idea that came along later on. But the word Hades just means the grave. So that's the explanation there. Does that help, Robert?
- [Robert] Yes, thank you very much.
- Okay, you're welcome. Thanks for your call. I think we have time for maybe... Let's see. We got one more call perhaps. Lilia listening from Arizona. We got about two minutes, Lilia.
- [Lilia] Hello, thank you. During the seven-year tribulation, will no one be able to be saved even if they repent?
- Okay. Well, first of all, you mentioned the word seven years of tribulation. You won't find seven-year tribulation in the Bible. There is a tribulation that the Bible speaks about, but it's not going to be seven years. During the tribulation, the seven last plagues get pour out and maybe that's where the confusion is. Sometimes people think the seven last plagues and they think of that has been seven years. But actually, the seven last plagues will fall roughly in about the period of a year. And the reason we say that is because Revelation speaks of the plagues coming upon Babylon in one day. One prophetic day is equal to one literal year. So you have a time of trouble or you call it the tribulation. It's about the period of a year when the seven last plagues are poured out. Now it is true that before the seven last plagues are poured out, probation does close. So, there'll be two groups when that time comes. Those who have the seal of God, those who love God and keep His commandments, and those who have the mark of the beast. And then probation closes. The seven last plagues are poured out, but the plagues don't harm those who have the seal of God. They are protected during this time of widespread destruction. They're protected because they're sealed by God. And then at the end of that tribulation, then Jesus comes and you have the great resurrection. The dating Christ are resurrected. Those who are alive are caught up to meet Jesus in the air and the wicked are destroyed with the brightness of His coming. So when this great tribulation spoken of in Daniel 12, when that time does come, probation would've closed. Everybody would have made up their mind which side they're going to be on. But that tribulation is not closed yet. The gospel is still going out to the world. People are still responding. The Holy Spirit is speaking to the hearts of individuals. Probation is not yet closed. But when it does close after the mark of the beast becomes an issue and you have the seal of God, then it is that everyone's made up their mind. Probation closes and the seven last plagues are poured out. You know, we do have a study guide that talks about the mark of the beast and it's called "The Mark of the Beast" and we'll be happy to send it to anyone who calls and asks. The number is 800-835-6747 and you'll have a lot more information, more than I can actually share on the radio, with all the Bible verses and everything related to the subject of the mark of the beast or the seal of God. Now, friends, do you hear that music in the background? We got two more minutes of internet questions. So, don't go too far. We just want to say goodbye to some of the radio stations turning off, but stay by. We'll be right back.
- [Announcer] Thank you for listening to today's broadcast. We hope you understand your Bible even better than before. Bible Answers Live is produced by Amazing Facts International, a faith-based ministry located in Granite Bay, California.
- Hello, friends. Welcome back. We got about two minutes before we actually sign off from our program. We want to thank those who sent in their internet questions. If you have a Bible question you'd like to email us, you just simply email the address, BALquestions@amazingfacts.org. That's BALquestions@amazingfacts.org and we will try to answer as many of these questions as we could or we can in the next minute and a half. So, we do have some questions that came in. First question is, did the angels know what was good and evil before Eve committed sin? Revelation 12 talks about a war in heaven where Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and the dragon and his angels, they lost the war and they were thrown out of heaven. So, there was a knowledge of right and wrong prior to Adam and Eve. And of course the devil tempted Adam and Eve, or Eve, and then Eve gave the fruit to Adam. He knew what he was doing. He knew that he was trying to get them to disobey God and disobey His commandments. Another question that we have, does the Bible say that some people are saved in the second resurrection? Well, the Bible speaks of two general resurrections. There is the first resurrection that takes place at the second coming of Christ when the dead in Christ are resurrected and then they go to heaven for a thousand years. At the end of the thousand years, in Revelation 21, you have the new Jerusalem coming down from heaven. At that time, Jesus sets His feet on the Mount of Olives and it opens up and forms a great valley and the new Jerusalem comes to rest and then all the wicked are resurrected. They're resurrected for the great white throne judgment that you read about in Revelation 20. At the end of which, the wicked mount their attack upon the new Jerusalem and fire comes down and devours them. So those resurrected in the second resurrection, is there any hope of them being converted and saved? The answers is no. Those who are resurrected in the first resurrection, they're the ones that are saved. Those who are resurrected in the second resurrection, they're the ones who are in rebellion against God. They are resurrected simply for the final judgment and then the destruction comes. Our last question that we're going to be able to get, is the Holy Spirit on the left hand of God the Father if Jesus is seated at the right hand of God the Father? well, it's interesting when you look in Revelation 4, you have a description of the heavenly throne room and it speaks about God's seated upon His throne. But before the throne, in front of the throne, it talks about seven burning lamps of fire which is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. So we know Christ is at the right hand of the Father. The Holy Spirit has a position at least described in Revelation 4 as being before the throne, not necessarily on the other side of the throne. So, that is an interesting point. Thank you for calling in, friends. We look forward to next week for more Bible Answers Live.
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