- [Narrator] 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, how about an amazing fact? In 1967, the United Nations adopted an international outer space treaty, forbidding all nations from claiming the moon or any part of space as territory. However, the treaty failed to mention anything about private individuals claiming ownership to other planets or moons. So early in the 1980s, Dennis Hope from Nevada sent letters to the United Nations, the United States, the Soviet Union, and informed them that he was claiming ownership to all lunar surfaces in our solar system, aside from the earth. He even gave them an opportunity to respond if they had objections. But he never heard a word from them. For nearly 40 years now, Hope has been selling land plots on the moon and Mars, for the price of about $20 an acre. He has been pursuing this, not just as a novelty sale, but as a serious real estate transaction, complete with land titles, covenants, and bylaws. Although others are now in the same business, Hope has earned more than $10 million selling land on planets he has never visited. It seems that selling land out of this world is a profitable business venture. But did you know, friends, that the Bible teaches that you can own heavenly real estate for free? Jesus said, "In My Father's house there are many mansions, if it were not so, I would've told you. I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you onto Myself, that where I am, there you may be also." That's John 14:2-3. You know, Pastor Carlos, it's amazing how people are willing to buy something that they've never seen on another planet, in particular here, the moon. And it seems like the person who is selling property on the moon is making real good money, whether that's actually going to stand up in court, I don't know, but at least for now he's making a lot of money.
- Yeah, and then Jesus is offering us something for free, and many people reject that.
- A lot better than a piece of land on the moon or on Mars, right?
- Amen. Yeah.
- He's offering us a mansion made in heaven. And the Bible tells us that the new Jerusalem is a splendid city, something that we can't even begin to imagine. The streets are made of gold, beautiful gates, and there is a mansion, a home specifically made by Christ for the redeemed. You know, we have a free gift that we want to share with anyone who calls and asks, it's about this reward that Jesus is preparing for those that love Him, and it's a book called, "Heaven Is It for Real?" And this is our free offer, all you need to do is call and ask for that. Again, the book is called "Heaven, Is It for Real?", and you can call the number 1-800-835-6747. And you can ask for offer number 189, or just ask for the book by name, "Heaven, Is It For Real?". You know, the good news is that we get to travel through space, pass the moon, pass Mars.
- Amen.
- Pass the planets when Jesus comes and we take that heavenly journey to the new Jerusalem. So friends, call and ask for that book, we'll be happy to send it to you. Before we go to the phone lines, my name is Jean Ross, Pastor Doug is out this evening, but we are open for your Bible questions. If you have a Bible related question, the number here to the studio is 800-463-7297. We'll also give you another number that is a free offer, it's 800-835-6747. And if you have a Bible related question, we'd love to hear from you tonight. Now Pastor Carlos though, before we go to the phone lines, let's start with the word of prayer.
- Father, we thank you for just the privilege and the honor of coming together and spending time in Your Word. And we know there are many people with many questions, we ask that they come join us. And we ask that Your Spirit guide us to give them the biblical answers for the many questions that may arise. And so we thank You again for this privilege and this honor, and we ask us in Jesus' name, amen.
- Amen. Alright, well, I think our phone lines are open, who do we have first?
- Yes, Sheena from Tennessee, welcome to "Bible Answers Live".
- Good evening.
- Hello.
- Hi Sheena.
- Hey, how are you?
- Doing well.
- Good. I'm calling in a question for my husband. He's reading in Mark 10, specifically, the question comes from verse 17 to 19. So when Jesus was asked, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life in verse 17, and then 19 He responds or replies with, to know the commandments and He lists six of them. Why did He only mention 6 out of the 10?
- Oh, good question. Well, of course there's 10 commandments. The 10 commandments are divided into 2 parts. The first 4 of the 10 commandments have to do with our relationship with God, have no other gods be before Him, don't worship idols, don't take His name in vain, remember the Sabbath, to keep it holy. The last 6 of the 10 commandments have to do with our relationship with our fellow man, which is honoring our parents, not murder, don't commit adultery, don't lie, don't steal, and don't covet. Now the commandments that we find mentioned here, Jesus is not addressing any of the first four commandments, but He's pointing out the last six that has to do with his relationship with his fellow man, because it appears that that seems to be the sensitive area, a part of his life that he was struggling to let go of, because he responds in verse 20 and he says, "All of these things I've kept from my youth." But then Jesus narrows in and He says, "One thing you lack, go sell what you have and give it to the poor, and you shall have treasury in heaven." So quite possibly that the sin that this rich young ruler was struggling with was pride. He felt superior to others, he was rich, he was young, he was a ruler, so he had influence in power, and he looked down on others. And Jesus was emphasizing that in order to truly keep the law, it's not just an outward behavior, but it has to do with the heart. Love for God, love for our fellow man is the motivation for obedience to God's commandments. And that was the point that he was lacking, love for his fellow man, and that's why Jesus mentioned those last six.
- That makes sense, thank you.
- Alright, good question, thanks for calling. You know, we do have a lesson called "Written in Stone" and it's all about the 10 commandments, and we'll be happy to send it to anyone who's wondering about the law of God, is it still binding and relevant for Christians today? All you need to do is call and ask, the number to call for that is 800-835-6747. And you can ask for one of the Amazing Facts study guides, it's called "Written in Stone". We'll be happy to send the anyone in north America. If you're listening outside of north America, just visit the Amazing Facts website, just AmazingFacts.org. You'll be able to read that lesson for free, you can even sign up for the Amazing Facts free online Bible course, and you will be blessed. Alright, Pastor, who do we have next?
- Next we have Anthony from New York, you are live on "Bible Answers Live".
- [Anthony 1] Hello, good evening, Pastors.
- Hello.
- Hi.
- My question comes from 1 Samuel 1:11.
- 1 Samuel 1:11, let's see. Alright, it says, "Then she made a vow and she said, O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look upon my affliction or the affliction of your maid servant and remember me and not forget your maid servant, but will give your maid servant a male child, then I'll give to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head.
- [Anthony 1] Yes, so this sounds like Samuel, that was going to be raised by Hannah as a Nazarene.
- Correct.
- And I know that the same was for Samson and other men in the Bible. I guess my question is, what is the purpose of being raised as a Nazarene, and is there an application for us today where maybe we can raise our children as Nazarenes for that same purpose?
- Okay, well, that's a good question. I think having the Nazarite vow was a commitment that you are in full-time ministry or full-time service for the Lord, you are on a special God given errand and mission. Now all of the Israelites were to live to bring glory to God. They were to serve God, there were certain feast that they were to attain, certain laws that they were to abide by, but the Nazarite or those who had taken a Nazarite vow, and a Nazarite vow wasn't necessarily for someone's entire life, you could do it for a few years, or for a limited period of time, or you could be committed for a much longer period of time, and we have some of these Bible characters that were committed for a much longer period of time. But it simply meant that you were being set apart for a special work of ministry for the Lord. Now, I think in our terms today, we do do something similar, if somebody is going to full-time ministry and they're going to be committed full-time in ministry, whether it's Pastoral ministry, or evangelism, or even working in a local church capacity in some type of Bible work or full-time ministry, we do sometimes have an ordination service where we will set somebody apart for the gospel work, which is similar in some extent to that of a Nazarene. We can also dedicate our children shortly after birth. It's different, it's not baptizing, but it's dedicating our children in a special way, asking that the Lord would lead and guide in their life and make clear what the work is that God would have them to do, because God's got to work for all of us, all of us who claim to be Christians. So the Nazarite vow today would be in a little bit of a different form. I think baptism also helps to fulfill some of what that Nazarite vow was, and then also ordination, ordaining someone to a particular work of ministry, that would also be the same as the Nazarite vow.
- [Anthony 1] Okay, yes, that's helpful. So the not cutting hair and not touching anything from the vine, like wine or anything like that, does doing those things make you a Nazarite?
- That wouldn't have value in today's world. Of course, back in Bible times, people understood what that meant. When somebody didn't cut their hair and they didn't eat grapes or drink grape juice, people were aware of what that is. But in our context today, it wouldn't be of any value. Somebody who doesn't cut their hair, people don't realize that they've made some kind of a vow. Rather, a vow that's made is something that you commit your life to, it's not something that you wear, it's not something that you necessarily eat or don't eat, although the Bible does give us guidelines as to what is helpful to eat and what we shouldn't eat.
- [Anthony 1] Okay, I understand, thank you very much, Pastor.
- Alright, thanks for your call, Anthony.
- Thank you. David from California, you're at "Bible Answers Live".
- Hi, David, welcome to the program.
- [David 1] Hello, thank you. This is David from Fresno. Two questions, what was God doing and where was He during the dinosaur era, well, the times of the dinosaurs.
- Alright, well, the dinosaurs did live, you know, we got the fossilized bones of them, but they lived before the flood. And the reasons we don't have dinosaurs today is because they were destroyed by the flood. There was a change in our atmosphere, there was a change in our climate, and a lot of the animals that were able to live and thrive before the flood, after the flood couldn't live in the changed environment. You look back in the fossil record and even the dragon flies were much bigger than we have them now, and the animals were a lot bigger than we have now, the insects were bigger. So the whole environment was different before the flood, but they were destroyed at the time of the flood when Noah and his family were in the ark, and some of the animals, the animals came into the ark as well. And then there were animals that came into the ark that probably became extinct sometime after the flood, like the woolly mammoth, we know that they lived after the flood. So yeah, the dinosaurs were destroyed during the time of the flood, and that's why we have their fossilized bones and we can dig them up and look at them.
- [David 1] What address can I find that?
- Sorry, what was the question?
- [David 1] What address can I find that on in the Bible?
- Yeah, does the Bible say anything about that? Yes, it does. There is an interesting verse that you find in Job. Job 40:18 talks about an animal, and the animal's name is Behemoth. And you can read the description in chapter 40, it says that he eats grass like an ox, he talks about him being very big and strong, he's tail is like a cedar. He has big legs, strong legs, talks about them being as bronze, these ribs are like bars of iron. Now we don't have an animal that is really going to meet this description alive today. So apparently Job, who's one of the oldest books written in the Bible was aware of these large animals that lived before the flood, and behemoth is one of them. And then there's another one by the name of leviathan that you also read about in the book of Job. So there are references to these very big creatures, these dinosaur like animals in the Bible that live before the flood.
- Well, and also in the ocean, whales.
- Yes. Big whales and yes, all kinds of interesting animals. So, alright, well, thank you for your call, David. Who do we have next?
- We have Joel from North Carolina, I believe. Welcome Joel.
- Hi Pastors.
- Hi.
- Hi Joel.
- When and who wrote the book of Lamentations?
- Alright, who wrote the book of Lamentations? The time of Lamentations was written right around the time of the Exodus, it was written by Jeremiah the prophet. It was actually before the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians or connected with that same time period. I think actually, maybe it's right around after the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians, but that's the timeframe. And Lamentations is Jeremiah the prophet, he's lamenting or he is weeping because of the sins of Israel and because of the judgements that was coming upon Judah and upon Jerusalem, which eventually was the destruction that occurred. So it's right around that time period, if you want a date, it's somewhere around 600, probably 610 BC, because Jerusalem fell in 605 BC, so somewhere around that time period, 605, 610, written by Jeremiah the prophet.
- Okay, thank you.
- Alright, thanks your call, Joel.
- Next we have Joey from Toronto, Canada. Welcome Joey to "Bible Answers Live".
- [Joey] Yes, good evening, Pastor Ross, how are you?
- I'm doing well, thanks for your call, Joey.
- [Joey] Yes, I have a Bible question. We have been studying, I believe Hebrews 10, and it talks about the heavenly sanctuary. And my question is, how come it was never mentioned by Jesus in the gospels at all? Because it makes me wonder if there really is a heavenly sanctuary, like the one that Moses built.
- Okay. Yes, the answer to that, is there heavenly sanctuary? The answer to that is absolutely, yes, and the book of Hebrews makes that very clear. Talks about Jesus, our High Priest, He's ministering for us in the heavenly sanctuary not built with human hands, but a temple that God built. Now, why doesn't Jesus reference the sanctuary directly when He was on the earth? Well, there were three phases to Christ's ministry, just like the sanctuary was comprised of three parts. You had the courtyard area where the animal was sacrificed, and you had the holy place, and the most holy place, which was inside the intersection of that. So the courtyard and everything related to the courtyard, the sacrificing of the lamb and so on, that refers to Christ's earthly ministry. And when Jesus was on the earth, that was the focus, that's why He came. So when Jesus ascended to heaven, he began His High Priestly ministry, and that's why you find in the book of Revelation, Revelation 1 describes Jesus wearing the high priest robe and He's standing amongst the candlesticks, which is the first compartment of the heavenly sanctuary. Hebrews talks about Jesus, our Great High Priest, He's ministering for us in the temple, not made with human hands. So the focus of the heavenly sanctuary doesn't really occur until after Christ's work on the earth is finished and He ascends up to heaven and He begins His High Priestly ministry. Does that make sense, Joey?
- No, but I have never found any references at all in the gospels, how come it was never mentioned by Jesus at all?
- Well, not everything that Jesus mentions or not everything that Jesus does not mention doesn't mean that it's not real or it's not true. They were different truths that were being presented at different times. And at the time that Jesus was here, He was the focus. Jesus said, destroy this temple and in three days, I'll raise it up again. And he was talking about Himself, and His mission, and His teaching that He'd come to do. The sanctuary work, and Him as a High Priest in heaven, doesn't really take front and center stage until after His ascension. But Jesus communicated these trues to Paul and the other apostles through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. So it's just as trustworthy, the account that we find in Hebrews, as anything that Jesus would say or anything that the apostles wrote in the gospels, it's just different times and different emphasis for those times. Alright, thank you for your call, Joey. You know, we do have a study guide talking about the sanctuary and I'm trying to think, I think it's "God Drew the Plans". That's what it's called.
- Number 17, I think it is.
- Yes, number 17, you can call and ask for that. The number is 800-835-6747. And you can ask for the study guide, it's called "God Drew the Plans". It's all about the sanctuary, you've got the earthly sanctuary that is a type of the heavenly sanctuary. And it'll go into much more detail on that. Who do we have next?
- We have Eric from Canada. Welcome Eric.
- Yes, I have a question, do you know where Elisha was going somewhere, and then a group of boys were mocking him or calling him like a baldy?
- Yes.
- Why is it that he then cursed them and then bears came to maul them?
- Sure, let's talk about that case that you just quoted, Elisha and Elijah. So Elijah, just ascended to heaven in a fiery chariot, and Elisha now received a double portion of the Spirit and he was to do the work that Elijah did. Elijah had considerable influence over Israel, over the people, because the Lord had used him in a mighty way, he was powerful in his work. People didn't look at Elisha with the same status as Elijah. And it was important that people realized, that the Israelites realized that Elisha was just as much called to do the work of God as Elijah did. And so here, Elisha is, he's going up a road, and apparently people heard about Elijah going to heaven. There was some young boys, now when the Bible says youth, it's not talking about five, six year olds, it's talking about probably young teenagers, or even teenagers could be 16, 17, 18 years of age. And they began to mock Elisha in the hearing of the people in the village there. And they said, go up bald man, meaning they were saying like Elijah had gone to heaven, they was saying, Elisha, why don't you also go up? Why don't you go to heaven? And they mocked him. And it was important at that point that people realized that he was specially called by God. And these bears came out and mauled the young men. We don't have a record of them being killed, but a lesson had to be taught. And these weren't kids, these were young men that had influence and the word quickly spread that Elisha has just as much authority and he's working just as much for God as Elijah did. And that actually helped in doing the work that Elisha was called to do. So there was reason for that, and of course, those kids deserved that, they shouldn't be mocking a prophet, that's not a good thing to do. And then also, why is there so much violence in the Old Testament, in Joshua? Well, the Bible tells us that when God brought Israel into the promised land, He had given them, the nations that were conquered by Israel, He had given them time to repent, 400 years from the time of Abraham to when the Israelites return to the land of promise. Those nations were so steeped in idolatry and wickedness, they were sacrificing their children through the fire to Moloch and other gods, and there's actually archeological finds. One recent archeological find found these clay jars, very big, filled with children's bones, from the various pagan nations that were offering their children to these pagan gods. So there was so much wickedness taking place in the land that a time of judgment had come, almost like the flood before you know the antediluvian world because of their sins, they were wiped out, there was also a judgment that came upon those pagan nations of Israel. Alright, who do we have next?
- Next we have Joelle from Tennessee. Joelle, you are live, welcome.
- [Joelle] My question for today is, how do you know God's will? because sometimes I think He wants me to go one way and then I'm not sure whether I go that way or not, so how do you know God's will?
- Oh, okay, good question. I think first of all, you want to make sure that what it is you want to do is in line with what you understand to be truth in the Bible. So it begins with the law and the testimony, according to the scripture. So you don't want to do something that's contradicting the Bible. God will never lead us contrary to what the Bible says. But let's say there's two good choices, and you're trying to decide which way do you want to go? Probably the next step is you pray about it, you ask the Lord to lead, and then you seek godly counsel. So you might want to speak to people that you know are good Christians, and get their input and their thoughts. And then pray for providence, pray that God will open doors and closed doors based upon what His will is. After all, if you believe that God is wanting to lead you into His will and you sincerely are seeking to do His will, then you can trust His providence, that if He opens up a door and things seem to be going this way, then you carefully and humbly follow the direction that God is leading. And if He changes and He directs you another way, then you follow that leading. So those are the things you want to do. Make sure that it's in harmony with the Word of God, you want to spend time in prayer, asking for the Spirit to guide you, you want to counsel with godly people and get their guidance, and then thirdly, you want to pray that God would just open the right doors and pray that he would close the doors that He doesn't want you to follow, and then trust His leading.
- Thank you, that was very helpful.
- Alright, thanks for your call. You know, we do have a book called, "Determining the Will of God", and we'll send it to anyone for free. It's a good question, I mean, what do you do in some situations. If you'd like to receive the book, the number to call is 800-835-6747. And again, just ask for the book, it's called "Determining the Will of God". I'll be happy to send it to anyone here in north America. Alright, who do we have next?
- Brenda, from Ohio, you are on the air, welcome.
- [Brenda] Hi, thank you for taking my call. My mom and I both listen to "Amazing Facts" quite a bit, and she mentioned to me yesterday about, she heard that Pastor Batchelor thought that maybe in the Bible days, men for instance, didn't really mature until they were like 80 to 100 years old, and I can't remember why that came up, but then the thought I had was, well then did that mean that Mary was not a teenager when she gave birth to Christ? I kind of thought she was very young, like 14, 15, maybe she was older, that's my question?
- Okay, good question. Yes, with reference to people maturing older in Bible times, I think Pastors Doug's reference to that was before the flood, and the reason for that is you find that people lived a lot longer before the flood. Often they wouldn't get married until 200 years or 80 or 90 years old. But that was before the flood. After the flood, and especially at the time of Christ, yes, people were getting married a lot younger. And so it was true, men were a little older when they typically got married, they'd have a career, they'd know what they're doing. Woman would marry younger. And Mary was a young girl. I don't think she was as young as 13, 14, 15 years old. She was probably either in her late teens or early 20s. It appears that Joseph was older than her because at the time that Christ began his public ministry at 30, Joseph was out of the scene, he had died at that point. So yes, Mary is probably in her late teens, maybe early 20s, somewhere in there when shared Jesus.
- [Brenda] Okay, thank you very much.
- Alright, thanks for your question. Well Pastor Carlos, I don't think we have time for another call, you hear the music playing in the background? Friends, we're not ending the program by any means, we've got another half an hour of Bible questions. But we are going to take a short break and then we're back for more Bible questions. So stay tuned, we'll be right back.
- [Narrator #1] Stay tuned, "Bible Answers Live" will return shortly.
- [Narrator #2] Have you ever skipped a meal? Not a bad idea if you need to watch your waistline. But there's a heavenly food you should never skip, God's Word. Yet, how can you dive in daily when you're so busy? Amazing Facts has you covered, and it's as easy as signing up for our daily devotional and verse of the day, both sent directly to your inbox, ready to bless, inspire, and inform you. To start receiving the Amazing Facts daily devotional and verse of the day, visit AmazingFacts.org and click on Bible study in the main menu. You'll be glad you did.
- [Narrator #3] Doug Batchelor was the teenage son of a millionaire father and show business mother, yet he was living in a cave. He had everything money could buy, everything but happiness. But all of the fun and excitement he enjoyed left his life out of control. His search eventually led him to a cave above Palm Springs that became his home. While Doug scavenged for food in garbage bins, his father owned a yacht, a Learjet, and an airline. But in his cave home, he discovered a dust covered Bible. As he began to read, he soon learned of his true purpose in life. "The Richest Caveman" is the extraordinary true story of Doug Batchelor that tells how a rebellious teenager who once lived in a cave, became a tremendous soul winner for Jesus Christ. It's a thrilling testimony of the transforming power of God's Word. To order your copy of "The Richest Caveman", call 800-538-7275 or visit AFbookstore.com.
- [Narrator #2] Life's a curious thing. I mean, just when things seem under control, wham, you're hit with something new. Your marriage is good, suddenly it's on the brink of divorce. That job's great, and then it's gone, and so is your life savings. You feel healthy, then your doctor gives a bad news. What's coming next? You could look to the stars, but they don't have the answers. But this does, the Prophecy Study Bible by Amazing Facts. This Bible is special, it's 27 personal study guides lead you on a life changing journey through God's Word. To discover real answers to life's questions, from health and relationships, to family and the future, the hope's in here.
- [Narrator #4] Get your Amazing Facts Prophecy Study Bible today by calling 800-538-7275 or visit AFbookstore.com.
- [Narrator #3] Would you like to know God's plan for our troubled world and solutions for your life's challenges? Beautifully redesigned and updated, Amazing Facts 27 Bible study guides provide straightforward, Bible-based answers that are enlightening, encouraging, and easy to understand. Giving you real, relevant Bible answers to questions like, how can I have healthier relationships, when will Jesus come, and much more. Order yours today by visiting AFbookstore.com or by calling 800-538-7275.
- [Narrator #5] Can't get enough Amazing Facts bible study? You don't have to wait until next week to enjoy more truth filled programming. Visit the Amazing Facts media library at aftv.org. At aftv.org, you can enjoy video and audio presentations, as well as printed material, all free of charge, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, right from your computer or mobile device. Visit aftv.org.
- [Narrator #1] 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 hosts for more "Bible Answers Live".
- Hello friends, welcome back to "Bible Answers Live", a live interactive international Bible study. My name is Jean Ross. Pastor Doug is out this evening, but also joining me here in the studio is Pastor Carlos. Pastor Carlos is one of our team members at Amazing Facts. He actually is one of the speakers for Amazing Facts, and you focus on Spanish work in a particular way?
- Yeah, that's right. We're excited about that and we're starting a Amazing facts Latino social media, TV program soon, so yeah.
- So where do people go if they want to learn more?
- AmazingFactslatino.org, or they can go on AmazingFacts.org, and there's a link at the top right hand for the Latino, they can connect there.
- Alright, very good, some exciting things happening with the Latino work at Amazing Facts. Well friends, if you have a Bible question, the phone line's open, the number to call is 800-463-7297, that'll get your Bible question here on the air this evening. Who do we have next?
- Next we have Rosanna from New York. Hello, Rosanna.
- Hello, thank you guys. My question is in Revelation, the first three chapters, Jesus explained that the seven stars in His right hand are the angels, and the lamp stands are the churches. So why when He writes the letters, He starts the letters off to the angel of Ephesus, like He names each church, but He's writing to the angels as opposed to the people?
- Okay, good question. Now the word there angel that we find in the Greek is angelos, it literally means messenger. And it's kind of nice to think that, yes, there are angels assigned to different churches, I like that idea. But the word angelos also has a broader application, especially in the book or Revelation, it means messenger or leader. And so the letters written to the seven churches were written to the leaders of the churches, and they were the ones that would share the message to the rest of the congregation. That's why there is a blessing for those who hear the words of the prophecy, those who read the words of the prophecy, and those who keep the words of the prophecy. So when the letter came, the first letter was addressed the church of Ephesus. So John wrote the letter on the Island of Patmos, it was mailed to the church of Ephesus. And one church service, the elder of the church, the one in charge, got up and he read the letter that had just come from their beloved, John, who was the Pastor of the church of Ephesus before he was taken to Patmos. He would read the letter and then it was carefully copied by hand, and then it was sent to the next church, to the church of Smyrna, and they did the same thing in that church, they read the letter, they copied it, and they sent it to the next church. And so the letter worked its way around all seven of the churches, and then I'm sure it was sent to all of the churches, at least those in the area of Turkey and copied and multiplied, and that's how we have it today. So the angel there simply means the leader or the messenger that is to bring the message to the church. We also have the three angels messages in Revelations 14, and the three angels of Revelation 14 really represent God's people at the end of time that are taking the everlasting gospel to every nation, kinder, tongue, and people. So an angel there means messenger.
- [Rosanna] Thank you so much, I appreciate that.
- Does that help?
- Oh my goodness, yes, thank you.
- Alright, you're welcome. Thanks for your call.
- Next we have David from Michigan. David welcome to "Bible Answers Live".
- [David 2] Hi Pastors, good evening. Hebrews 6 says that we should move onto perfection, not laying again the foundation of the doctrine of baptisms and other things. Just asking a question about how we can move on from the doctrine of infant baptism that's present? I know there's some divisions regarding that, how do we understand infant baptism?
- Okay, good question. Now in the context here, we have Paul who wrote the book of Hebrews and he's writing to believers, and apparently this is a follow up, it's not something brand new because in 6:1 it says, "Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles", these are things that they'd already studied of Christ. "Let's go on to perfection", meaning fullness, a full understanding of Bible truth. "Not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works", because that already been discussed in other later and in sermons. "And faith towards God, the doctrine of baptism, the laying on of hands, the resurrection from the dead, and eternal judgment." And he says, these things will do if God permits, meaning if they have enough time, and he's writing the letter and he wants to talk more about the priestly ministry of Jesus, that's really the focus of Hebrews. So when he says going on, it's not meaning that those are not important doctrines, it's meaning that Paul had already discussed those doctrines, he had already provided some guidance on those doctrines. Now specifically about the doctrine of baptism, if you look at what the Bible teaches on baptism, baptism needs to follow repentance, and an infant can't repent. So baptism needs to be done when a person is old enough to recognize that they're a sinner to come, to Christ and ask Him for forgiveness, and to commit their life publicly saying, I'm following Jesus, and that is through baptism. So infant baptism is not a teaching in the Bible. It kind of came in, Pastor Carlos, during the dark ages. Part of the problem at that time is so many babies were dying and the false teaching was prominent that if you weren't baptized,
- You'd be condemned.
- you had no chance, yeah, of salvation or eternal life. And so the custom grew of baptizing children as soon as possible, but that's not what the Bible teaches. It doesn't mean that if you're not baptized, you can't be saved, and you're a baby and you die. But baptism is a public profession of Christ. And that's why it's so important. Does that make sense?
- That does make sense. I know I have other questions in my mind, like I know Paul also writes in his letter to the Romans, he says, repentance is a gift from God, and that it's something that we don't always perform. So when that gift is performed, that will be something that God will lead us into doing after He gives us repentance or after.
- Yes. On the day of Pentecost, when Peter got up and preached and the people said, what do we need to do to be saved? Peter responded, says, repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus. So you've got repentance that precedes baptism. Baptism is the public proclamation of your decision that you are following Christ.
- Yes, thanks.
- Alright, well, thanks your call, David. We do have a book, it's called, "Baptism, is it Really Necessary?" And we'll be happy to send this to anyone who calls and ask. All you need to do is call the number, 800-835-6747, and ask for the book, it's called, "Baptism, is it Really Necessary". And Pastor Carlos, I know you've been involved in a number of baptisms. It's a beautiful thing to see somebody make that public decision to follow Christ.
- Amen. It's gorgeous how you come out of the water, and like, I love taking showers.
- Yeah.
- So that cleanness of putting your best life behind you and starting a new life in Christ.
- Now you've been involved in a number of baptisms, what was the most special baptism that you actually did? I know you were baptized of course, but other than that, you've done a number of meetings, you've baptized a lot of people, what was the most specialist baptism?
- Oh, that's easy, baptizing my mother.
- That's right, that's what I was thinking about. You did a series of meetings and your mother made a decision, and she was baptized.
- Amen.
- That's a special thing.
- Amen.
- Alright, who do we have next?
- Next we have Robert from North Carolina.
- Hi, Robert, welcome to the program.
- [Robert] Yes, I had a question, sorry, brain freeze, I had a question about tithe, but I've changed my mind while I was on hold. I wanted to ask about what does it mean in the Bible where it says, the worm does not die? Because as far as my belief, everything that goes to lake of fire is burnt up, it's gone, it's to be no more?
- Yes. The phrase the worm does not die is a reference to the city dump that was outside of Jerusalem. So in the valley, outside of Jerusalem, all the refuse will be thrown, there was constant fires burning, they would even throw dead animals in there, and even the bodies of criminals sometimes. So just like a city dump outside of the city now, at least a number of years ago, there would always be fire burning, the smoke would always be ascending, it was always a smelly place, there were worms that were devouring the flesh of dead animals or whatever it might be. So the context there, the imagery that's used is the city dump. Meaning, there is no more value. It's a symbolic reference to the final destruction of the wicked. It's not talking about a literal worm that's going to be in the lake of fire, that's going to be eating people, that's not biblical. It's just an idiomatic expression that was used. And it was common to the people, when you spoke about the place where the worm doesn't die, you know you're talking about the city dump, and it means a place where you throw refuse. Hopefully that helps Robert. Who do we have next?
- Next we have Jeremiah from Texas. Welcome, Jeremiah, to "Bible Answers Live".
- [Jeremiah] Hello, Pastor Ross and Pastor Carlos, thank you for taking my call.
- Yes, how can we help you?
- [Jeremiah] Yeah, my question is about fasting.
- Okay.
- Several times in the Bible, whenever the nation of Israel or an individual had some kind of challenge or hardship, they would fast and pray, like before Queen Esther went to see the king and announced, the nation of Israel fasted three days. And even Daniel was fasting when God sent Gabriel with the 70 weeks prophecy. And there's even the story where the disciples failed at casting out a demon, and Jesus said, this one only comes out by fasting and prayer. So my question is what is it about fasting that seems to lead to divine intervention?
- Okay, good question. I think when somebody fasts, it's setting aside something that we almost take for granted, eating is something pleasurable, we do it all the time. But when we set that aside for a period of time and we're focusing our attention on requesting something special from God, it is the clearing of the mind, it is removing the distraction, even though you might be hungry, but it's giving up something because you feel burdened, your burden is greater, and you really are longing for the Lord to answer a prayer or to do something for you. There is a blessing in fasting, it's good for you, for most folks, it's good for them to fast, if they're not a diabetic. But I think also just clearing the mind, being able to focus on something specific. You know, Pastor Carlos, I remember we had a church member a number of years ago that was diagnosed with cancer, and he was just a pillar in the church, wonderful person, was one of the elders. And it was a very serious diagnosis, and the elders of the church and the Pastors, they felt so strongly about wanting to offer intercessory prayer for him, that they fasted. We fasted for a week, and at the end of that week, prayer and fasting, multiple people fasting, and we didn't eat any food, just liquids. At the end of that week, the amazing thing was that he went for another test, came back, absolutely no cancer whatsoever.
- Amen.
- The doctors couldn't believe, well, we believe that was because of the prayer and the fasting of the believes in the church. So there is power in just simply doing what God has said. Setting aside food, focusing attention on spiritual things, and earnestly interceding on behalf of somebody else. Or if we have a special spiritual need, asking God for the blessing of that. I know, Pastor Carlos, you're involved in helping folks, we got a series of meetings coming up and we're encouraging people to fast. Now fasting doesn't mean that you're abstain from food all the time, right?
- Yeah.
- You can fast other ways too?
- Yeah, there are partial fastings. You might fast from certain things that you know are harmful for you and you've been eating, or you can fast one day on one day off, you might fast breakfast only or lunch. So there's different methods and different ways to fast.
- Okay, very good.
- Yeah.
- Does that help Jeremiah?
- Yeah, thank you, that was very helpful.
- Alright, thanks for your call. Who do we have next?
- Next we have Mark from Michigan, you're on "Bible Answers Live".
- [Mark] Good evening. My question is not about predestination or election, but I'm kind of curious, Matthew 11:28 talks about Jesus saying, "Come onto Me all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." So He is talking to everybody for salvation. But in Matthew 22:14, it says, "For many are called, but few are chosen." And I'm just wondering if all of us are called to be disciples or not, and what the difference is in this case?
- Okay, let me talk about those two verses. The first one, Jesus says, come unto to Me all ye that labor and are heavy laden. And of course, the gospel invitation goes to everyone. But the ones who are chosen are the ones that respond to that gospel invitation, those who surrender their lives to Christ. Jesus said, not everyone says, Lord, Lord will enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that does the will of My Father in heaven. So it's true, the gospel is preached, we need to preach it to everyone, we need to give them the gospel invitation, but the ones who respond to that gospel invitation, they're the ones who are chosen, meaning they have actually responded. But having said all of that, does God call all of us to be disciples? Yes. Now that doesn't mean that God calls all of us to go to foreign lands as missionaries. He might call some of us to do that, but wherever we are, whatever we do, if we claim to be a Christian, we ought to be a witness, we ought to be a disciple of Christ, and disciple makers. And God will reveal to us what area of ministry He wants us to be involved in. Whether it's the local church ministry, or whether it's giving Bible studies, or witnessing, or whatever it is, we all need to witness, we all need to share our faith. So in that sense, we are all called to be disciples.
- Okay, thank you.
- Alright, thanks for call, Mark.
- Next we have Joyce from Virginia. You are live, welcome Joyce.
- [Joyce] Thank you for taking it. I'm just asking a question, someone said, if you're not baptized in Jesus name, you won't go to heaven, and I'm not even sure about that?
- Okay, good question. Do you have to be baptized to go to heaven? Well, Jesus said.
- No, in Jesus name.
- Oh, in Jesus' name. Well, I think when somebody.
- Yeah, if you're not baptized in Jesus' name, you won't go to heaven.
- Okay, well, when somebody's baptized, usually what we do is we follow the biblical admonition. Jesus said baptize in the name of the Father, the name of the Son, and in the name of the Holy Spirit. So if you're going to baptize somebody, you want to baptize them in the name of the Father, you want to baptize them in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the name of the Holy Spirit. So the exact wording, I know some people have an issue about how exactly you need to say those words when a person is baptized, but the Bible is not focusing on how the words are said, it's what is said. Are we baptizing, are we committing ourselves to the gospel message of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, accepting Jesus as our personal savior. So if somebody's baptized the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, that's perfectly legitimate baptism. If someone's baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, that's also perfectly legitimate baptism. So don't let the exact wording think that a person's not saved or lost if it's not said just perfect. Does that help Joyce?
- Yes, it does help.
- Okay.
- [Joyce] This is Joyce and it does help. Yes, thank you so much.
- Yes, thank you, Joyce. Alright, Julie in South Dakota, welcome to the program.
- [Julie] Well, thank you. Hi, Pastor Ross and hi, Pastor Carlos.
- Hello.
- My question tonight, I was just wondering if you would summarize the last day's events leading up to the close of probation, and then when will probation close?
- Okay, good question. Alright, first of all, do we know when probation closes? The answer is no, there's no time prophecy in the Bible that tells us after so many years or so many months, probation will close. But we do know that certain events need to take place before probation closes. Several things, we're looking at a shaking taking place within Christianity, within the church. There is a separating of those who truly love God and those who don't. There is also a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit that is to come, we call that the latter reign, and that'll embolden the church, there will be a revival taking place amongst God's true followers. There will be a loud proclamation of the three angels messages, first angel, worship God, the one who made the heavens, the earth, the sea, the hour of his judgment has come. The second angel, Babylon has fallen, it's fallen. The third angel, if anyone worships the beast, or his image, or receives his mark. So this loud proclamation, you also see in Revelation 18, we call this the fourth angels message, where the earth is illuminated with God's glory. All of that takes place before probation closes. And we also have the mark of the beast issue that is also been enforce during that time period before probation closes. God's people have the seal of God. And again, the mark of the beast and the seal of God, it's symbolic, it's not a literal mark that people receive. And then after this loud cry is given and everyone has had an opportunity to hear the gospel and to make their choice as to which side they want to be on, then probation closes. After probation closes, then you have the seven last plagues that you find recorded in Revelation 15 and 16. And the last of those seven plagues is the actual second coming of Christ. So that's kind of the sequence of events. We're looking for revival in the church, we're looking for a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the gospel is to be preached to all the world. You have the mark of the beast issue, a uniting of church and state, and then the close of probation, and then the seven last plagues. Does that help you?
- Okay, well, thank you so much, that really helped a lot. I appreciate it.
- Alright, thanks for your call.
- Next we have Anthony calling from Michigan. Welcome Anthony, to "Bible Answers Live".
- [Anthony 2] Hello, I hope your day is going splendid? I was just looking for scripture for some anxiety that's been popping up here and there during some tribulations I've been going through, I'm losing my home and I'm about to be a father to my girlfriend's kids, take a shot at that, we're moving into a hotel so we got some questionable circumstances or some not so great circumstances. Although I have been handling it better than I expected to if this ever happened.
- Yeah. Well, Anthony, it sounds like yes, you've got some challenges, and I'm glad you're listening to "Bible Answers Live", it sounds as though you're open to seeking God's guidance and looking for God's help. The good news is that we can never get as low, we can never be so overwhelmed with trials and difficulties that we can't call out to God. Sometimes we do need to kind of hit rock bottom before we are willing to allow the Lord to work. I think the first thing you want to do is, if you have not yet, you want to get on your knees and say, Lord, I commit my life to You, you want to ask God to lead in your life, you want to find good Christian fellowship, connect with the church, start building relationships. And then just pray that the Lord will open up doors as you seek to follow Him and lean on Him. Claim the promises of the Bible, Jesus said, I'll never leave you nor forsake you. The Bible says, if you lack wisdom, in James, you can ask of God and He will give, if you need to make some decisions. Take responsibility for your life, take responsibility for your choices that you have made, try to be the best father that you can be. Try to get a job and do the best you can to provide for your family. But then also seek the Lord, seek His guidance and His leading, and the Lord will open up the way. We do have a book that we'll be happy to give you, it's actually a book that was recently written by Pastor Doug, and you need to call and ask for it. It's "Finding Peace in a World of Worry", what to do with trials and difficulties. And we'll be happy to send that to you, you or anyone who calls an ask, just call 800-835-6747, and ask for the book, "Finding Peace in a World of Worry". And keep doing what you're doing, keep listening to the Word of God, keep reading, keep studying, get connected with a good church, and allow the Lord to lead in your life. Thanks your call, Anthony.
- Next we have Richard. You're live, Richard, welcome to "Bible Answers Live".
- Hello.
- Hi Richard.
- [Richard] My question is concerning Romans 11:20-29. It says, "As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes, but as touching the election, they're beloved for the Father's sakes. For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance." My questions about the relationship that God has to Israel as a nation.
- If you look back into the history of Israel, it's pretty clear that God loves the nation of Israel. Way back, even in Old Testament times, during their rebellion against God, God would keep reaching out to them and keep sending prophet after prophet. And of course, Jesus came, and Christ's primary, I should say, focus was for the Jews, it was for His people. And He wept over Jerusalem because they rejected Him, their only hope for salvation. And God still loves the Jewish people. Now as a nation, they have turned their back on God, there are many Jews who accepted Christ as their Messiah, they of course become part of spiritual Israel. I think that before Jesus comes, I hope, I believe that there will be a revival amongst many of the Jews in Jerusalem, in Israel, they'll come to accept Christ as Messiah. But as a nation, as a whole, their probationary time ended in 34AD at the stoning of Stephen when they turned their back on Christ. But it doesn't mean that individuals can't be saved. Paul is still saying that God loves the Jew, God loves Israel, and His purpose hasn't changed, He still wants to save them. And if you look at a nation that has rebounded as a result of so much trials and persecution, no other nation like Israel has come back and seems to be blessed in so many things that they do. They faced a lot of persecution, because the devil hates the Jews, but yet God has given them wonderful blessings. And we know of Jews that have accepted Christ and they're powerful preachers of the Word of truth. And so yes, God loves the Jews just as He loves everyone. But I think there's still a special work for Jewish people who see Jesus as their Savior.
- Amen.
- Alright, who do we have next? We have about a minute left.
- Karen from Oregon. Welcome Karen.
- Hi Karen, we got about a minute.
- [Karen] I'm wondering about guidelines on how to keep my eye on Jesus,
- Okay.
- my focus during the day while I work?
- Alright, good question. First of all, you begin by filling your mind with spiritual things in the morning, so you take time to read the Word, but you keep your eye upon Jesus through prayer. It's not that you're praying all day long, but throughout the day you are sending up little prayers, you're turning your thoughts towards heaven, and it's easy to get distracted with earthy things. You want to keep drawing your mind back. And if we pray and say, Lord, help me to stay on you, the Holy Spirit will convict us and say, think about spiritual things, or send up a little prayer, and ask for the Holy Spirit to help guide you, to remind you. And if you hear that prompting, respond to it, and God will bless. Well friends, you hear the music playing in the background. We want to say goodbye to those who are listening on satellite radio, but for the rest of you who are listening on land-based radio stations, watching on AFTV, we are going to be right back.
- [Narrator #1] 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 to "Bible Answers Live". For those of you are able to stay with the program, we are going to take some of your email questions that you have sent in. We want to thank the many of you who have sent in your email question. If you would like to send us a question by email, just go to the Amazing Facts website or you can actually email it to, I see BALquestions@amazingfacts.org. Just go ahead and email your Bible question and we will try and answer as many as we can in the next two minutes. What do we have, Pastor Carlos?
- Rachel is asking, will our pets be with us in heaven?
- The Bible says, eye has not see, nor ear heard, neither has it entered into the heart of man the things that God is preparing for those that love Him. Now, whether you're going to have the exact cat or dog in heaven that you had on earth, I don't know. But what I do know is that God knows the desires of your heart, He knows your animal, and if you get to heaven and you see a dog that looks just like, you know, your dog here on earth, or has similar character traits, whatever it is, you will be happy when you get to heaven, God will meet your heart's desire.
- Amen. Shelly's asking, Ephesians 4:8 talks about Jesus ascending and taking captivity captive, who are the captives?
- Who are the captives you read about in Ephesians? The captives were those who were resurrected at the time of Christ's resurrection. The Bible tells us that when the Jesus rose from the dead, some of the graves opened up and people rose from the dead. They are the first fruits of the resurrection and they ascended with Jesus to heaven. When it says Christ laid captivity captive, meaning those who were held captive by death or the grave, they were set free. Not everyone, the general resurrection is at the second coming, but there was a smaller group that were resurrected and Jesus took them to heaven.
- Amen. Joseph is wondering if sinfulness is part of human nature, why should he suffer eternal damnation for something that is of his nature?
- Okay, well, first of all, we don't have to suffer eternal damnation, Jesus has made a way of escape. And the Bible says, if we accept Jesus as our personal Savior and surrendered to Him, we can have everlasting life, whoever believes on Him. So nobody needs to suffer eternal damnation. Now why we are born with the sinful nature? Well, that's because of Adam and Eve's sin. But despite the fact that we are born with a sinful nature, trusting in Jesus, we can gain the victory and we can have hope.
- Amen.
- So we can't use that as an excuse and say, well, I have this sinful nature and I'm not even going to surrender to Christ. I mean, Christ has the power to give us victory, if we trust in Him, and that surrender is a day by day experience, coming to Jesus and surrendering our hearts and our lives to Him. Then He is able to work within us a work that we cannot do for ourself. Well friends, thank you so much for joining us at "Bible Answers Live". Again, we hope to join you next week. God bless.
- [Narrator #1] "Bible Answers Live", honest and accurate answers to your Bible questions.