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 answer 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 Doug Batchelor.
Doug Batchelor: Hello, listening friends, would you like to hear an Amazing Fact? In 1899, a New York City taxicab driver, Jacob German, left his mark in history by becoming the first person in the United States to be cited for speeding in an automobile. German was a driver for the Electric Vehicle Company, which leased its cars to be used as taxis in the bustling city. The car that German was driving was known as an Electrobat, which was a fully electric vehicle invented in 1894. There were about 60 Electrobats in 1899 operating as taxis in the New York City area, where speed limits for horses and cars was eight miles an hour when traveling straight and four miles an hour on a turn. German was traveling at the lightning speed of 12 miles an hour. The officer who pulled him over, the speed demon, was so outraged he actually chased him down and pulled him over with his bicycle, and arrested him, and threw him in jail overnight. That's funny, because you've got someone getting a speeding ticket for going 12 miles an hour and he gets pulled over by a bicycle policeman.
Jëan Ross: In an electric car, yeah.
Doug: I wonder if he had red and blue lights flashing on his bike. But it makes me think about, just you look at the cities today, and if that was speeding, and they were worried about the traffic back then, it makes me think of a prophecy. Now, Nahum is not specifically talking about speeding cars but just listen to this, friends. In the Book of Nahum, you don't hear that quoted very often, one of the minor prophets, chapter 2, verse 4, "The chariots rage in the streets, They jostle one another in the broad roads; They seem like torches, They run like lightning." It sounds like LA just around sundown. I tell you, I think he's actually talking about the fall of Nineveh and the army that came in. But there is another passage in Daniel chapter 12, verse 4, talking about the last days. And it said, "But you, Daniel, shut up the words," of this prophecy, "And seal the book until the time of the end; many will run to and fro, and knowledge will increase." Think how far we've gone, Pastor Ross, and in just about 100 years, from that first speeding ticket to artificial intelligence and self-driving cars and tourism going to space. And Daniel said in the last days knowledge will increase, and knowledge has increased exponentially more in the last 100 years than all of the history of man put together, which makes me think we're living in the last days. And it's exciting, because one of the prophecies of Jesus, in Matthew chapter 24:14, said, "The gospel of this kingdom will be preached in all the world for a witness unto the nations, and then the end will come." And now, with the internet and international communications and satellites, there's scarcely a place we can go in the world, now, where you can't connect and hear the gospel in almost any language.
Jëan: You know, Pastor Doug that reminds me of, well, an experience you had in Papua, New Guinea, way out in the bush. You and the team, which actually makes me smile to think of it, you and the team were out there and you're looking for a native house, just kind of a grass roof kind of hut thing. And you found the perfect spot and you were going to do an "Amazing Fact." And you walked up to the house and you asked the person if you could film in front of the house, and the lady knew who you were because she was watching it on her cellphone, she was watching "Amazing Facts."
Doug: Out in the jungle in the middle of New Guinea, and they were watching there.
Jëan: It's just amazing.
Doug: It's so incredible. So the Bible tells us that Jesus, in Revelation 14, chapter 14, of Revelation verse 14, says, "Christ comes in the clouds," he's pictured. Before Jesus comes in the clouds, it depicts these three angelic messages that go to the world, and that's happening now. And maybe people would like to know, what are those messages, the last messages that go to the world before Jesus comes?
Jëan: And you find it in Revelation chapter 14, we call it The Three Angels Messages, and it's to the everlasting gospel that has to go to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. Our study guide is called "Angel Messages from Space," and that is a free offer for anyone who's watching or listening, just call the number 800-835-6747, and you can ask for offer number 137 or ask for it by name, it's called "Angel Messages from Space." You can also dial #250 on your smartphone, say, "Bible Answers Live," and ask for it that way, called, "Angel Messages from Space." Probably one of the most important messages, it's sort of God's last warning message to the world, you find it there in Revelation chapter 14.
Well, before we go to the phone lines, let's have a word of prayer. Dear Father in heaven, we thank you, once again, for this opportunity to open up your Word and study. And Lord, we always ask for your Spirit to come and guide us here in the studio and be with those who are listening, wherever they might be, in their car or at home. And lead us, Lord, into a clearer understanding of Bible truth. For we ask this in Jesus's name, Amen.
Doug: Amen.
Jëan: Our first call of this evening is Gary, listening in Illinois. Gary, you are on "Bible Answers Live."
Gary: Thank you. I found two places in the Bible where Armageddon could be referenced, Revelation 16, the kings of the whole world are enticed by four demonic angels, when the Euphrates River dries up, and they're taken to the place in the Hebrew called Armageddon. And then again in Revelation 20, this is the second resurrection, one of the unrighteous dead. Once they resurrect from the grave, they attack New Jerusalem, and during the battle, God sends down fire and destroys them, I guess second death. So, which of these two is the real Armageddon? Are they both the same Armageddon? It doesn't seem like they are.
Doug: All right, first of all, the key to understanding Revelation chapter 16, where it talks about the Euphrates River drying up to make way for the kings of the East, and these three unclean spirits gather the kings to battle. You'll go to the Old Testament, and King Saul goes to an evil spirit and he then is killed in the battle the next day. Now, Saul had been trying to kill David, who is a type of Christ. The battle of Armageddon is principally a battle between those who follow Christ and those who follow the devil. And even though King Saul was a Jew, he was killing the priests and sometimes the devil gets into the church. That's going to happen in the end, where, through the guise of Christianity and false worship, the devil is going to bring about persecution. And Jesus said, "The day is coming," and this is, I think, John 16, "Those who kill you will think they're serving God." So, the first stage of this battle between Christ and Satan is taking place prior to the second coming, it's a war. The final battle of the war is when Satan then tries to launch this final desperate attack at the end. So, it's really one Armageddon reaches across the millennium between two wars.
Jëan: Yeah, there are two phases, the first phase takes place at the second coming of Christ, and the wicked then die, will be called the first death. The second part of the battle, which takes place at the end of the thousand years, it says death and hell and the devil and the wicked are thrown to the lake of fire and they are no more, they are consumed by those fires. So that is the second part of the battle of Armageddon, which is the final destruction of sin and sinners. And the earth is recreated after that, the earth is purified by fire, and then Revelation 21 talks about a new heavens and a new earth wherein dwells righteousness.
Doug: You know, we do have a study guide called "1,000 Years of Peace" that talks about what happens at the end of the thousand years. We'll be happy to send it to anyone who calls and asks. The number is 800-835-6747, and you can ask for the study guide, it's called "1,000 Years of Peace," it's about Revelation chapter 20, otherwise known as the millennium. Or you can dial $250 on your smartphone, and just say "Bible Answers Live," and ask for that study guide by name. Thank you, Gary. We got Peggy, listening in Pennsylvania. Peggy, welcome to the program.
Peggy: Okay, indulge me for a couple of minutes if you may. I've read my entire Bible, I've been a Christian for a very long time, and unfortunately, where we locate myself, there's not reception of the station of Christian that I used to listen to, so I found this other station that is very liking to my ear, until I figured the type of denomination that they are, and also they speak a lot about the Sabbath. I do have quite a few friends who practice or keep the Sabbath because they are from that religion. So my question is, according to the Bible, when I read it, when God was making creation, there was no man around. I don't recall reading anywhere in the Bible where the days were named like we know them to be now. Human names the days, the same way humans decide whenever they are in a particular practice, they don't like it, they go out and form their own other doctrine. So, how do we know? So I really am seeking for the truth, the more I'm into my Bible, the more I want to see the truth. And now there is so much opinion, so many books which really I don't bother to read cause otherwise you become confused, cause everybody have their own opinions. How does human or people who are confessing that the religion that they are that keep the Sabbath as God committed to do was definitely on a Saturday?
Doug: I appreciate that, Peggy. First of all, how do we know that the seventh day is Saturday? Well, first of all, let's just establish that I believe there are good Christian people in many different churches. I'm not trying to condemn anyone. But if you want to know what the Bible says is the truth, very clearly, in creation, you look and the days of the week are numbered, they're not named. We didn't get the names for the days of the week until the Romans, we started adopting some of the Roman names. First day of the week, they call Sunday, and Sunday is the first day of the week, that's when Jesus rose. We know what day it is, it says, "And on the first day of the week." We know that He was crucified, it was a preparation day, which is what we call Friday, which is the sixth day of the week. He rested in the tomb on the seventh day, they wanted to go home and prepare spices, the Bible tells us in Luke chapter 23, and keep the Sabbath according to the commandment. So, the day between the sixth day and the first day is the seventh day, and He died on Friday, that's where we got Good Friday. He's rested in the tomb on the Sabbath, He even kept the Sabbath in His death, He rose Sunday morning and the first day of the week. So, not only that, but you've got a nation of 16 million Jews around the world, many of them still keep the seventh day of the week, which is Saturday. So there's been no confusion. If you look in any encyclopedia or dictionary and you just type in first day of the week or Sunday, it'll tell you first day of the week. So there's no real confusion about that. Jëan: And of course, the fourth commandment, which talks about the Sabbath, it says, "The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God." So we know which day of the week is the Sabbath, it's the seventh day. And like you mentioned, when Jesus was on the earth, the Jews were keeping the seventh day, they called it the Sabbath, Jesus kept the Sabbath along with the rest of the Jewish people, and since then, there's been an accurate record of which day of the week is the Sabbath, which is the seventh day, that's come all the way down to our time. It starts back in Genesis 2, after God created man on the sixth day and He said it was good, says, "And on the seventh day He ended His work which He had done, He rested the Sabbath day," seventh day, "He blessed the seventh day." And Jesus said the Sabbath was made for man, so man is made the sixth day, the seventh day he makes the Sabbath for man, the word Jesus uses there is Anthropos, so it doesn't mean Jews, it means mankind. And man still needs that day of rest, and it's not any day, God said, "I've blessed the day, a special day, and I want you to keep the day I've blessed." So that's why you're hearing that. And we have a whole website that can answer questions, as well as a study guide.
Jëan: That's right, we have a website called SabbathTruth.com, and anyone can go to it, take a look at it, there's videos, a lot of Bible study material. We also have one of our "Amazing Facts" study guides, it's called "The Lost Day of History," and it's about the Sabbath and we'll be happy to send it to anyone who calls and asks. The number is 800-835-6747, just ask for that study guide, it's called "The Lost Day of History." Or you can dial #250, and say, "Bible Answers Live," and then ask for it by name, "The Lost Day of History." Thank you, Peggy. We got Glenn listening in Ohio. Glen, welcome to the program.
Glen: Thank you, good evening, and thank you for taking my call.
Jëan: Yes, sir.
Glen: You know, my question could probably better be stated, "Is Enoch really still alive?" When my mother passed, I was there, and her passing was very quiet and restful. I believe she was an example of what the Bible says, "Did not see death." That wording, could that apply to the fact that Enoch died as according to Hebrews 11:13, that he really died, but he didn't see death? That's my question.
Doug: All right, the Bible, I think, is pretty clear, in Hebrews 11, it's telling us that Enoch was not, for God took him, and he had this testimony, he walked with God. And so, the Bible, I think, is indicating that Enoch did not die, and that we're very happy and thankful for those that have a peaceful death, and they are resting in Jesus. And that's why you've got cemeteries that say RIP, rest in peace. That's what the Lord wants for His children, sleeping that dreamless, peaceful sleep, there's no consciousness of time. Their next conscious thought, if they die saved is be in the first resurrection. The dead in Christ will rise, the next thing they see after death is the face of their Savior, which is a beautiful thought. But Enoch never did die, God translated him, he did not die and get resurrected, God just gave him a glorified body. So what happened to Enoch is what's happening to the people who are alive when Jesus comes, and Pastor Ross, I think it's 1 Corinthians 15, where He said that, "In a moment, the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump," "We are transformed," "This mortal puts on immortality." So, we don't die, those who are alive and remain when the Lord comes, says, "We're caught up to meet the resurrected saints in the air." And that's what happened to Enoch and Elijah, and I'm hoping that's my experience. I mean, if I have to die first, so be it, but I'd like to avoid it if I can.
Jëan: The verse you're referring to there, Pastor, 1 Corinthians chapter 15:53-54.
Doug: Yeah, the whole chapter is on the resurrection. Thank you so much, we appreciate that, Glen.
Jëan: Next caller that we have is James, in Tennessee. James, welcome to the program.
James: Hey, good afternoon. Yeah, I was just going to ask, my question is based on Acts 4:12. All throughout the Bible, it says, "Those who have not denied my name." Well, it says that in Revelation, the Book of Malachi talks about His name a lot. Acts 4:12 says, "There's only one name given amongst men where you must be saved." Now we know back in the scrolls, there wasn't, like you said, vowels or consonants, they either call him Yehusha or Yeshua. So, the letter J, I found out, has only been around for about 600 or 700 years. So, if the Bible, God's Word was written so long ago, how did they throw the name J, and how can we call him Jesus if the letter J has only been around 600 or 700 years. Wouldn't that be breaking the commandment, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me," because the name Jesus was not in the scrolls? I want to make sure I'm doing it in truth, you know? I just want to worship spirit and truth, and Acts 4:12 says, "There's only one name given amongst men where we must be saved." And it kind of scares me because there was no J in Hebrew, so, kind of like the Sabbath, man tried to change the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday, and I just want that to be God's authority. Go ahead.
Doug: Okay, yeah, I understand where you're coming from. So, the question you're really asking is, if people are using the pronunciation of Jesus instead of Yeshua or Yahweh to talk to God, are they somehow disobeying? Am I saying that correctly?
James: Mhm.
Doug: Yeah. Well, does God require us to pronounce His name in the original Hebrew or does He expect us to pronounce His name in our native tongues? So, if I'm in Mexico and they don't say Jesus, they say Jesús, and in some countries, it's Jiu, and if I was in Israel, it would be Yeshua. So, I don't know that God is requiring us to speak in the original language when we say his name, we can say the translated version of His name. And in the American culture and a lot of English languages, that's come across as Jesus. If a person feels convicted that they're somehow losing power by not pronouncing it correctly, then they should pronounce it as close to the original Hebrew as they think. But I don't think I'd put that on other people, because we speak to God, God is the one who confused the languages, we speak to him in our native tongues.
Jëan: And yeah, let me add, the verse that you're looking at, "There is no other name given among men whereby we must be saved." The word they name means, "The Savior," means, "Jesus." We are not saved by a name, we are saved by a person, and we refer to that person by a name. Now, that name might be pronounced differently in different languages, but it's referring to the same person. And I think that's the point of the verse, there is one that saves us and that's Jesus, he's the Savior. Now, if you're speaking Spanish, Jesús, right? But it's the same person that we're referring to, we're talking about Jesus. So I don't think the Bible is saying we all need to speak Hebrew, but we all say by the same person, meaning the Savior, Christ, which is Jesus.
Doug: The emphasis is the character, the relationship, not how you move your tongue and pronounce it. So, yeah, I hope that helps a little bit, James, and absolutely, "There is no other name given among men whereby we must be saved," than Christ, Messiah. Do you want to say Yeshua or Jesus, it's the same individual, depends on what tongue you speak.
Jëan: And even the Bible writers themselves, they didn't always use the exact same name when referring to Christ, sometimes the Messiah, sometimes Christ.
Doug: Oh, go to Revelations, He's got 20 names.
Jëan: That's right, the Alpha and the Omega, right? So, different names. All right, we got John listening in New York. John, welcome to the program.
John: Yes, Pastor Doug, I really have two questions. Can I ask my two questions?
Doug: Let's start one at a time.
John: Okay, thank you. My first question is, I go to church on Sunday, which is called Resurrection Day, correct?
Doug: Well, yeah, He did rise on Sunday, correct.
John: Okay, so why am I going to church on Sunday then?
Doug: Well, do you have a command anywhere in Scripture to go to church on the first day of the week.
John: Not that I know of, but the seventh day was the old what's that word I'm looking for? I can't think of it.
Doug: The old covenant?
John: The old covenant, thank you, right. And that was crucified at the cross, and then the new covenant doesn't say, "Go to church on Sunday," but why do they worship go in on Sunday, Resurrection Day, then?
Doug: Well, let's talk about that, John, for a second. You know what the Ten Commandments are, right?
John: I know, but that's the old covenant, isn't it?
Doug: All right, well, let's just bear with me for a second. So, the commandment that says, "Don't murder," is that the old covenant or are we still supposed to keep that?
John: No, that one you keep, yes.
Doug: What about the command that says, "Don't commit adultery"?
John: Yeah, I mean, you're saying that.
Doug: So, you would agree with all of the Ten Commandments except the fourth?
John: The fourth commandment says to worship on the Sabbath?
Doug: Yeah, the fourth commandment says, "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy." So it's the one commandment that God says to remember, and Jesus, as His custom was, and we are, a Christian is a follower of Christ, as His custom was, it says He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and Paul, as his custom was. And so, there's no question that, all the way from the time of Adam, through the children of Israel, through the New Testament, they believed in keeping the 10 Commandments. Now, the Sabbath, we believe in all of them, we don't believe in one more than the other, we just think you need to be consistent and keep them all. So, I think that was your first question. What was your second question, John? Because we're running up against our break here.
John: Okay, my second question is, I'm blind and God says that when He comes with Jesus, that every eye will see Him. And if I'm blind, how do I do that?
Doug: Well, you know what? I think that a blind people are going to be healed to see the coming of the Lord. And how God does that, I don't know, but I have no doubt in my mind that He's going to help them be able to recognize that, especially believers. Because it says, "At His coming," says, "This mortal must put on immortality," so we get immortal, glorified bodies at that time. Well, I hope that helps a little bit, John. Now, we do have a study guide on your first question, it's actually a book we'll share with you, tells you the difference between the new and the old covenants.
Jëan: That's a great book, Pastor, but we don't always give it away, so we want to encourage you to take advantage of it. It's called "Does God's Grace Blot Out the Law?" And it really deals with the subject, gives a lot of excellent Bible text, talks about the new covenant and the old covenant. To get that, just call 800-835-6747, and you can ask for the book, it's called "Does God's Grace Blot Out the Law?" You can also dial #250 on your smartphone and ask for "Bible Answers Live." And then, of course, you can ask for that book by name, "Does God's Grace Blot Out the Law?" Hey, we got more questions coming, friends, so just stay with us, we'll be back in two minutes and take more Bible questions.
Announcer: Stay tuned, "Bible Answers Live" will return shortly.
Doug: The US government is drowning in debt to the tune of $22 trillion, but before you wag your finger at the government spending, the Federal Reserve says the average American household carries over $137,000 in debt. Well, it was never God's plan that we live with the burden of debt. Proverbs 22:7 warns us, "The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender." Living with debt is a stressful burden that actually hurts your relationship with God. In my new pocketbook, "Deliverance From Debt," I outline the Bible principles on how to properly manage your money with some practical suggestions on how you can get out and stay out of debt. If you or someone you love is drowning in debt, order a copy of "Deliverance From Debt," today, it can be a lifesaver to keep you from going under. Please call 800-538-7275 or visit AFBookstore.com.
Announcer: Jerusalem, the city of peace, has been a place of unending conflict for centuries. Many now believe that Jerusalem will soon take center stage again, but what does the Bible say? "The Fall and Rise of Jerusalem" presents the vital history you need to know about Jerusalem and its role in end time Bible prophecy. This "Amazing Facts" edition of the classic volume, "The Great Controversy," is the perfect sharing book. Get your copy at AFBookstore.com.
Doug: Thank you for tuning in to "Amazing Facts." Have you ever wanted to study the teachings of the Bible in an easy-to-understand, step-by-step way? The Amazing Facts Bible School offers free, simple-to-follow lessons that will guide you through all of the vital teachings of Scripture. Visit AmazingBibleStudies.com to sign up for your free lessons, they're available by mail or online. Studies are also offered in multiple languages.
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.
Announcer: 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 p.m. and 8 p.m. 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."
Doug: Welcome back, listening friends, to "Bible Answers Live." It is a live, international, interactive Bible study, we invite you to join in. You can call in with your questions, 800-GOD-SAYS, we have operators standing by and lines open. If you want to call in your Bible question, we'll do our best to answer it, in about three minutes per call, we try to roughly budget that to get as many as we can. We're also streaming on television, you can watch it on AFTV, on Good News Network, or you may be seeing a replaying on Three Angels Broadcasting, and Facebook "Amazing Facts." What did I forget? YouTube. Anyway, we're trying to get the word out. I'm Doug Batchelor.
Jëan: My name is Jëan Ross, and we have Julian, who's listening in Illinois. Julian, welcome to "Bible Answers Live."
Julian: Hi, how are you guys?
Doug: Doing well, thank you.
Julian: So, in Genesis 28:18, it describes Jacob building a pillar to honor God, but in Deuteronomy 16:22 it says not to build any sacred pillars which God hates. And it's probably due to the Canaanite culture, and I just want to know what the difference between Jacob's intentions were and what would stop someone from building one today.
Doug: Yeah-yeah-yeah, you're very sharp that you caught that, but actually they're talking about two different things, and the word is the same. Jacob basically takes the stone that he used as a pillow, and it may have been a little bit of a longer stone, and he set it up so, if the stone is flat, it's naturally knocked down by erosion. But he wanted to remember the spot and so he kind of raised it up so he'd remember this location, put some oil on it and named it Bethel. That was very different from when the Canaanites would, their pillars were actually carved and they often had sexual connotations, and all these rituals and things were obscene. And that was very common in a lot of the cultures, not only among the Canaanites, you go to Central, South America, you can see a lot of the same thing. This is what he's talking about in Deuteronomy. It wasn't Jacob just setting up an uncarved stone and said, "I don't want to forget this spot." Because, you see, when the children of Israel crossed the Jordan River, they took 12 stones out of the river and they made an altar, they used 12 instead of one. So they used to make stone memorials to remember events, but the key is, Moses said, "You shall not lift up your tool upon it." As soon as they started carving it, he says, "You do that, you polluted it." And that's why Elijah rebuilt the altar of the Lord, he took the stones. That's why it says in Daniel 2, "A stone cut without man's hands," meaning it's not an idol like the statue. So, good catch, Julian, I hope that makes sense, there are two different things that are happening there.
Jëan: Okay, thank you, we've got Irene, listening in California. Irene, welcome to the program.
Irene: Hi, good evening.
Doug: Evening.
Irene: So I would like to ask you to help settle an argument we have about the week of creation. We know Adam was made on the sixth day, it's a two-part question actually, was Eve made later on the sixth day? And when did they get married, was it before Sabbath, after Sabbath? How does that go?
Doug: Yeah, well, as near as we can tell, a lot happened on the sixth day. When God creates all the land animals, He speaks them into existence, God doesn't have to form them one by one and He doesn't have to form a million of each, He just has to do two. So God forms the animals, and then He forms man, He breathes into him the breath of life and makes him from the dust of the earth. And then Adam is made, he comes out of the factory. You can buy a computer, all you got to do is plug it in and all the programs are running. Software was installed, he knew how to walk and talk when God made him. And God said, "Name the animals," and he notices that all the animals have partners, and he realizes something's missing, God wanted him to sense that need. So then, still on the sixth day, when Adam's naming all the animals, we think that he had to name 10,000 zoological species, he's naming the main categories of animals. And that day, then, God puts him to sleep, takes his rib, makes a woman, presents her to Adam, God is basically performing the wedding. They didn't invite all the guests and have cake, the wedding is when He presents Eve to Adam. And the Bible says that God did one funeral, it was for Moses, and He does one wedding, it was for Adam. So they were both made the sixth day. Is that your understanding, Pastor Ross?
Jëan: Yes, absolutely. So, like you say, not only was Adam created on the sixth day, he names the animals, then he goes to sleep and a surgery takes place. God takes out a rib and then forms Eve, and then brings the two together, and then, together as a couple, they welcoming the Sabbath, the day of rest.
Doug: Yeah, you know what? I just heard recently that they're finding out from within the bones, you get the stem cells that are just the most powerful cells and they got the DNA and everything. And so it actually makes more sense, when you study it, why you take a rib. Anyway, you had a second part to that question if I'm not mistaken.
Irene: Well, that was the second part, was did they, and Pastor Ross just answered it, it was the wedding was done when he brought them together, and it was done before Sabbath. So, man and female, and the wedding or the marriage part, was all done before, in the week of creation, all done before Sabbath was created on the seventh day. That's what we were arguing, because my son was like.
Doug: Oh, don't argue.
Irene: He was like, so good.
Doug: I don't want to take sides. Yeah, so that was, the Sabbath was their honeymoon, if you think about it, they spent time with God in the garden.
Irene: I thought that was a blessing.
Doug: Yeah, well, God bless, thank you for your question.
Jëan: Next caller that we have is Steve in Idaho. Steve, welcome to "Bible Answers Live."
Steve: Thank you. Good evening, pastors, I just wanted to thank you for taking my call, and this resource. My question is regarding Deuteronomy 14, and verse 26. I've looked into some different Bible commentaries, I understand most of it, but I guess I'm just not understanding why. It's in regards to timing really, and I guess I just don't understand, verse 26 is really throwing me with, "Strong drink."
Doug: All right, well, let me read it for our friends that are listening. Now, this is talking about when they would go up to these annual feasts-not all of the feast days did they actually gather together for a convocation. But there were, I think, three annual feasts where they would go up. And during these feasts they had a second tithe. Part of that second tithe was, it says, and let me read it, Deuteronomy chapter 14:26, "And you'll spend that money for whatever your heart desires," he's talking about the second tithe, "For oxen or sheep, for wine or similar drink, for whatever your heart desires; you shall eat it before the Lord your God, and rejoice, you and the household." So, there was a feast, it was like a vacation feast, a tithe that they would set aside, and that was to be used towards worshiping God. Now, when it says, "Strong drink," the word "strong drink" there, if you look in the New King James, it just says, "Similar drink." And basically, they could concentrate wine, and because it was concentrated, it would transport better, wasn't alcoholic, because the Bible says other places, "Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging," and, "Who has wounds? Who has woe? Who has redness of eyes? Those that tarry at the wine." So two kinds of wine described in the Bible, you've got your fermented and your unfermented.
Jëan: And it is interesting, Pastor, that you mentioned that they had a way of actually preserving grape juice where they would be able to boil it or somehow get it to a thick, syrupy type of paste, and then you'd add water to it, and mix it and dilute it, and it was still fresh and it would keep a lot longer. And so they had different ways of doing that, easier to transport and then they have it throughout the year.
Doug: Exactly, and they've actually found a lot of the vessels and urns that they used to keep these, these amphoras of wine in them. So, I hope that helps a little bit, Lee, or, sorry, that was Steve. Steve, thank you. By the way, I've got a book I wrote and it's called "Alcohol and the Christian," and it talks about this passage, "Alcohol and the Christian," we'll send you a free copy.
Jëan: And the number to call for that is 800-835-6747, and again, the book is called "Alcohol and the Christian." Also, if you'd like to receive a digital version of that, just dial #250, say "Bible Answers Live" and ask for the book, it's called "Alcohol and the Christian," and we'll send it to you. Next call is Lee, in Texas. Lee, welcome to the program.
Lee: Yes, thank you for having me again. My first question is, are the seven trumpets past, current or future events? Because I know they're not the plagues.
Doug: Well, the seven trumpets cover a military history of the church between the first coming and the second coming. So, they're not all past, but we're living in them, we believe in what they call the historicist view of prophecy, that prophecy, a lot of people think Revelation's written for the last 10 minutes of time, Revelation was written from the time of John to cover the history of the church between the first coming and the second coming. You got the seven seals are talking about the political history, if you will, you've got the seven trumpets are more of like a military history, the seven churches give a spiritual history of the church from the first to the second coming. We're living in the age of Laodicea. And what was your second question, you said?
Lee: Yes, my second question is, I've been doing some research on the Euphrates River, that's been drying up recently. And even though it's drying up right now, and I know it's part of the also the seven last plagues, but if the river dries up before the seven last plagues begin, does that have specific meaning?
Doug: It is true that the sixth plague in Revelation 16 talks about the Euphrates drying up, I think that's one of the plagues, I believe all the plagues have a literal application, I think there's really going to be blood and boils, and it's going to be terrible, that's why it says it's, "A time of trouble such as there never has been." But I think the emphasis of the sixth plague is on more than just the river, I think it's talking about a point in history when the Euphrates dried up, when the children of Israel were captives in Babylon, it signaled that they were going to go to the promised land because Babylon fell. And you read in Revelation, it talks about Babylon falling in chapter 18 and 19. And so I think the sixth plague is overlapping that, when the source, the power of the Euphrates River to supply life to Babylon was dried up.
Jëan: All right, thank you, Lee. We've got Michael in Texas. Michael, welcome to the program.
Michael: Good evening, pastors, and shalom to you all. I wonder if you could give me a quick explanation of the, "Sin unto death," in 1 John 5:16.
Doug: All right, Pastor Ross, I've been hogging the time, you want to go after that?
Jëan: Let me read it for you. 1 John chapter 5, verse 16, it says, "If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and he will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death." So here it talks about something called a sin that does not lead to death, what is that sin? Well, I think, first of all, it might be a sin of ignorance, if somebody does not realize that they are sinning and you bring that to their attention, then they're aware of it. There is another sin that also is the unpardonable sin, or that is the sin against the Holy Spirit, and that is, somebody who has grieved away the Holy Spirit, and they have no desire for repentance and they have no desire to turn from the sin. Well, then, any sin could, in essence, lead to death if we rebel against the promptings of the Holy Spirit. But the Bible says there are those who sin not knowingly, and if you see somebody sinning and you bring it to their attention, hopefully, they'll realize and you can share with them the Scriptures. And if they repent, they can be forgiven, it's a sin that does not lead to death. But if it is not repented of or if somebody rebels to it, oh, that's a different story.
Doug: That's right.
Jëan: You know, we do have a book, it's called "The Unpardonable Sin," right? It talks about the...
Doug: It's called "Beyond Mercy, What is the Unpardonable Sin?"
Jëan: That's right, and we'll be happy to send it to anyone who calls and asks. The number for that is 800-835-6747, you can ask for the book, it's called "Beyond Mercy." Or dial #250 on your smartphone, just say "Bible Answers Live," and then ask for it by name. Thank you, Michael. We've got Peter, in New Jersey. Peter, welcome to the program.
Peter: Thank you. Good evening, gentlemen. And we listen on WMCA, out of New York City, by the way.
Doug: Oh, wonderful.
Peter: Yes, some time ago, I became a vegetarian, based on Genesis, and also the health evidence of today. In today's world, they do seem to indicate that, if they're in line with the biblical view of the health benefits of being a vegetarian, and I just wanted to ask you guys, I know you guys are vegans or vegetarians, would dairy and eggs be in line with the Bible as being in that vegetarian group?
Doug: There's no Scripture that commands vegetarianism, I want to be real clear about that, the Scriptures do teach this was God's original ideal, meaning Adam and Eve, that was the original diet. And again, when we get to the new earth, we'll all be vegetarian, we're not going to chase down and kill animals there, there's no death, no more pain. So, it's obviously the better design, and as you mentioned, the jury is in that there's no question that vegetarianism is going to improve whatever health you have. Even people fighting cancer have found that they respond much better to treatment if they're being careful about their diet. The fewer animal products you eat, the less disease you'll have. Now, it doesn't mean that milk, I'm a vegan-vegetarian, and it's not a religious thing for me, it's just I'm allergic to milk, I don't think Pastor Ross is a vegetarian-vegetarian, and probably vegan most of the time.
Jëan: Yeah, mostly vegan, but, you know, eggs is one of those categories that sometimes people need to eat it if they're not getting enough protein. But typically, the vegetarian diet, today, if you eat a well-balanced diet, you've got everything you need.
Doug: A peanut butter and jelly sandwich, if you got good jelly and good peanut butter, has got your fruits, grains and nuts and protein, everything is in there, B-12. And that's how we survived our youth, is peanut butter. I wasn't even a vegetarian back then. So, yeah, it's not hard, I've been a vegetarian for, well, you all your life, huh? I've been a vegetarian for over 40 years, and yeah, we had a good game of racquetball today.
Jëan: We did, with our boys, it was fun.
Doug: We kept up with our boys. So, yeah, we highly recommend it, but I just want to be clear, the Bible doesn't command vegetarianism, it is preferable, and it's be blessed if you do, if you're going to eat meat, the Bible does say you shouldn't eat the unclean meats, and we have a lesson on that, Pastor Ross.
Jëan: We do, it's called "God's Free Health Plan," and that's exactly what it is. What does the Bible say about your health? What can you eat? What you should not eat. We'll be happy to send it to anyone who calls and asks, the number is 800-835-6747. You can ask for that study guide, it's called "God's Free Health Plan." Or dial #250 on your smartphone and just say, "Bible Answers Live," and we'll be happy to get that to you. That's a digital version, if you do the #250. Next caller that we have is Efrank, listening in New York. Efrank, welcome to the program.
Efrank: Thank you very much, Pastor Ross and Pastor Doug. I have a question that I need to ask because it's a question that involves an encounter that I had several years ago. This has to do with a a being that approached me, I don't know if it was the Grim Reaper, it was some spirit with a brown cape and a bald head, and would denounce me and say to me that my father will die of a heart attack eventually, because I got in the way of defending a major Italian crime boss of a major New York City crime family. And spirit would appear to at my door and threaten my father all the time, and he actually died two years ago of a heart attack. At the same time, I also was approached by a spirit of a deceased relative of a former mayor of the City of New York. And one day, that spirit attacked me in my apartment and it launched me into my wall. So, Pastor Doug and Pastor Batchelor, I want to ask you this. This second spirit said that because I went involuntarily to the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado, in 1974, and I did speak to Stephen King, on October 30th, 1974, and in 1991 and 1995, the spirit of the of Jimmy Walker's dead relative followed me up to my home. And in the Bible, it says that unclean spirits and evil spirits can be rebuked through prayer and meditation and fasting, but mostly through prayer. Can you answer this question, can you actually rebuke spirits through reading Scripture and telling them to stay away from you, and rebuke them that way? Because I have no recourse in calling a minister of the cloth or any other type of clergy to assist me with what happened to me.
Doug: Okay, well, yeah, let me get to the heart of your question. First of all, you don't have to be a pastor to pray that a person might be delivered. Jesus said in Mark 16, "These signs will follow them that believe," He didn't say these signs will follow the pastors. And so believers and you don't want to be getting involved into a lot of spiritualism, Bible tells in Acts, I think it's chapter 13, the sons of Sceva tried to cast out a devil, they didn't really know the Lord, they had no relationship with the Lord, and this demon-possessed man beat them up, said, "I know Jesus and I know Paul, but I don't know you." So, if you're going to be praying that a person is delivered, Jesus said, "Some cases are difficult and they only come out through prayer and fasting," but he did make it clear, through prayer, through faith, through fasting and claiming the name of the Lord that we could see people delivered from the devil. Because, in reality, every time you preach the gospel and a person accepts Jesus, they are being delivered from the devil to some extent. There's just varying degrees of captivity, you might say, but everybody that hears the gospel and accepts it, the power of the Word takes them from darkness to light. And so, closer you are to the Lord, and the more faith, I think that it's easier for you to deal with more difficult cases. There are varying degrees, Jesus had that man that had a whole legion of demons, sometimes it's just one. So, I hope that helps you, Efrank. It sounds like you've had an interesting experience, but don't be reading Stephen King's books anymore.
Jëan: All right, next caller that we have is Francisco, in Oregon. Francisco, welcome to the program.
Francisco: Hi, it's a pleasure, first of all, to be online with you guys, especially Pastor Batchelor, I'm a big fan. So I have a question. So I've been Seventh-day Adventist for 14 years of my life, I'm 26 years old, and I'm concerned of how, the Seventh-day Adventists, we do not believe talking in tongues, nor dancing, the whole nine yards of that nature, and I'm just wondering why.
Doug: Well, there are two different things you're talking about there. One, what does the Bible say? And the interesting thing for me is not what a church teaches, but what does the Bible say? The Bible teaches that speaking in tongues, I believe in speaking in tongues, and I believe in the gift of tongues. On the day of Pentecost, God poured out His Spirit and gave the disciples the supernatural ability to speak in the languages of the Jews that were visiting that day from around the Roman Empire. That is the gift of tongues, we believe in the gift of tongues. For every truth of God there's a counterfeit, and a lot of churches are practicing a counterfeit version of this. So, to just tie off that first part of the question, Francisco, we have a book called "Understanding Tongues," we will send you a free copy of that book. But you asked about dancing, the Bible does not forbid biblical dancing if you're dancing like Miriam and David, those where a person can be filled with the Spirit and just leap for joy. The syncopated, sexually suggestive dancing is inappropriate for a Christian, and that's what happens in most dance clubs. You just have to ask yourself, "Would Jesus do this?" If it's a Christian. So, that's a different subject. But how do they get that book on tongues?
Jëan: Number to call is 800-835-6747, you can ask for the book, it's called "Understanding Tongues." We'll be happy to send it to anyone who calls and asks, you can also dial #250, say, "Bible Answers Live," and then ask for that book. It's a digital version, we'll send it to you, "Understanding Tongues." All right, we've got time maybe for one or two more. We've got, let's see, Tom is listening in Washington. Tom, welcome to the program.
Tom: Hi, Pastor Jëan and Pastor Doug.
Doug: Hey, thanks for calling, Tom.
Tom: And my question is about the second death, and I'm just curious if that's a literal fire, because I'm just wondering if angels are susceptible to the fire as we know it.
Doug: Yeah, that is a good question. Well, it's probably not the kind of hickory fire you would use in a barbecue, this is a fire of God, so I think you're right that it may even be different than the fire that came down on Sodom and Gomorrah. But because it's a fire that does not burn them immediately, some will suffer different intensities and different lengths, depending on what their sins are. Ultimately, it says the fire comes down from heaven and devours or consumes them. So, we're not going to be looking out of our windows from the New Jerusalem and watching people blister in the flames. But yeah, it may be the fire that comes from God, the Bible talks about that, "Our God is a consuming fire." His presence, His glory, His brightness, there may be some heat, think more like lightning as opposed to bonfire.
Jëan: And something else about this fire is it says, "It consumes the devil and these angels." Now these are spirit beings, so they probably don't get affected by heat the way we do. So, it is something different.
Doug: It's a judgment fire.
Jëan: It's a judgment fire, a different kind of fire. You know, we have a study guide, it's called "Is the Devil in Charge of Hell?" It talks about the destruction of the wicked, the second death at the end of the 1,000 years. We'll be happy to send it to anyone who calls and asks. Again, that number is 800-835-6747. You can ask, the study guide "Is the Devil in Charge of Hell?" Or just dial #250 on your smartphone, say, "Bible Answers Live," and then you can ask for it by name, "Is the Devil in Charge of Hell?" And we've got a website, it's called HellTruth.com, you can go there right away and you can read the lesson there, you can also watch some videos and just look at some great Bible studies on the subject.
Doug: For those listening, in case you don't know, we're going to say goodbye to our friends that are listening on satellite, these land-based stations operate on a different clock, so we kind of sign off in two stages. For the rest of you, if you stay by, we always do our best to do some rapid-fire Bible answers for those who have emailed in questions. For all the rest, God bless, we'll study His Word with you again next week. And yeah, keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, and visit the AmazingFacts.org website.
Jëan: We'll be right back. male 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.
Diana Dixon: My name is Diana Dixon, I'm a professional truck driver. In August the 4th, 2011, I stopped to help in an accident.
Announcer: Diana Dixon also tried to help, she parked her semi, jumped out and headed toward the pickup. That's when she saw vehicles barreling toward her, so she reacted by jumping off 475 to a road below.
Diana Dixon: Well, a pickup clipped a semi, and I stopped to help, and I saw it in the mirror, so I walked back, gentleman told me, he says, "Hey, everything is okay, they called 911." And I looked over at the pickup, and there was a black pickup over there and he was okay. At about that time, I don't know how far I walked, but I walked far enough, and a semi hit him and it imploded. I knew it was going to hit me, I had 30 seconds to decide and I decided to jump. Yeah, I jumped off the bridge, my back is broken.
Announcer: Where are you at?
Diana Dixon: I don't know. Fractured my pelvis in 24 places, five broken ribs, C5 neck fracture, I had a collapsed lung, I had a lacerated bladder, I was bleeding internally, I had no marks on the outside of me at all, but a scrape where my arm had scraped the concrete. From the chest down, I was on fire. I was a dispatcher for a year after the accident, and I went back to finish my degree. And I went to Pittsburgh, threw a backpack over my back, walked like all the other students. I ran a marathon, and since then I've been back to truck driving. There was a gentleman I worked with and one day he was walking in, and he walked up to my desk and I was reading my Bible. And he says, "Are you a believer?" And I said yes, and he gave me some "Amazing Facts" study guides, and it was an eye-opening experience for me. I mean, I started reading them and I had a bunch of questions to ask him. So I got online and I got on the "Amazing Facts" web page, and I just found information that I'd never known. I went back to work as a truck driver because that was my ministry, it was my ministry before the accident. And I was driving down the road and I just needed a connection, and I was flipping through and somehow I ended up on YouTube. And next thing I know, "Amazing Facts," one of those things would come up there and I listened to it. I'm driving down the road, I got 11 hours of driving, so I listened to one, I listened to another one. And the more I listened to him, everything that I thought in my heart, I'd just click on one of his YouTubes and there he was giving me the answer. I walked in a Seventh-day Adventist church for the first time, and I felt at home. I was baptized in the Seventh-day Adventist church, because I had found the truth that I just was searching for and I'd been praying about. "Amazing Facts" has been such an inspiration, and important for my coming back into ministry, that I want to be able to give back to anyone that I can. And "Amazing Facts," it is the backbone of my ministry. My name is Diana Dixon, thank you for changing my life.
Jëan: Hello, friends, and welcome back to your email questions. If you'd like to send us a email question, the email address is BALquestions@AmazingFacts.org. Sorry, BAL, "Bible Answers Live," BALquestions@AmazingFacts.org. Pastor Doug, Tiffany is asking, "Is it okay to lend to people your tithes if you do not have any cash to lend them?"
Doug: Well, there's a misnomer in the question, it says, "Your tithe." Tithe is actually something that belongs to God, the Bible says it's holy unto the Lord. And so, you're kind of asking the question, "Is it okay to lend God's tithe to someone else?" It's always easy to lend someone else's money, that's called government, that's what they do. But no, I think that that belongs to the Lord and we shouldn't be lending that to other people. There is a second tithe that they would give to the poor during the feast sometimes, that's a whole different question though. But your first 10%, that really belongs to the Lord and is designated for the proclamation of the gospel.
Jëan: Okay, we have Lenya, from New Zealand, asking, "Is it all right to read the Book of Enoch?"
Doug: Yeah, the Book of Enoch is what they call an apocryphal book, it is interesting, it's a wonderful work of poetry, it's got some things in there that are theologically bizarre, it was not written by Enoch. The book doesn't appear in Jewish history until the time of the Babylonian captivity, there's no reference to it. So, it was written by probably a very devout Jew, there's some good information in there, just don't look at it as Scripture. Jude does quote from the Book of Enoch, and of course, Paul even quotes from Greek poets, because there are certain phrases, he said, "This is an inspired phrase." But the Book of Enoch is not Scripture.
Jëan: Okay, we have Judy asking, “What does the Bible mean when it says, "'And as many as have been appointed to eternal life believed'? Does that mean that God chooses who saved and who's lost?"
Doug: God gives everybody a free choice, but God knows everything and He knows ahead of time how people are going to choose, but He's given them freedom to choose. When they choose, they're called appointed, it means those who He knew would choose, they are appointed unto everlasting life. And so, no, we don't believe in what they would call predestination, meaning that God looks down and says, "I think I'll make some people and destroy them, and then I'll make some and save them." God makes everybody free, and then He says, "Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." Jesus tells us, John 3:16, "Whosoever believes in Him." Friends, you are a whosoever, anyone out there listening, you can believe, that's why we do this program. God bless. We will study His Word with you again next week, and in the meantime, stay close to Jesus.
Announcer: "Bible Answers Live," honest and accurate answers to your Bible questions.