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Doug Batchelor: Hello, listening friends. Would you like to hear an amazing fact? The largest known meteorite on earth is the Hoba in Namibia, Africa. The space rock was discovered by chance in 1920 when a farmer plowing his field with an ox struck the metallic sounding object with his plow. Curious, he removed the topsoil to discover a massive iron rock 9 feet across. Although excavated and declared to be a national monument, the 66-ton rectangular meteorite has never been moved from the spot where it landed because of its immense weight, 132,000 pounds, its durability, and remote sight. This fantastic treasure still remains outdoors, unmoved, in its original location. And then you got a picture on the screen for those that are watching the video right now. That's where it landed. That's where it was found. Too big to move. It's out there in the open, withstands the elements, makes me think of another immovable rock.

Jëan Ross: That's right, Pastor Doug. I mean, it's incredible. That's a big meteor. We were just talking before the show. You'd think something that big would have created a massive crater, but a little bit of the research you did, they think maybe it kind of bounced or skipped or maybe hit water prior to landing in that spot.

Doug: Yeah. Well, it hit the atmosphere they think at an angle, which is part of the reason it didn't all burn up, and then it, instead of coming down, it kind of skipped along the earth or something. And it was only covered by the topsoil that would have happened through accumulation, which wasn't very deep. But makes me think about a prophecy in the Bible of another stone that flies through the heavens. That is another durable stone. And you can read about this, friends, in Daniel 2, verse 34 and 35. Daniel is explaining this vision to Nebuchadnezzar: "You watched while a stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed together, and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors. The wind carried them away so that no trace of them was found. And the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth," talks about this stone that is a symbol of Christ and His kingdom coming to pulverize all of the pagan kingdoms of the world. That stone. It's interesting. Says, "A stone," Pastor Ross, "cut without hands" because in the Law of Moses, and you and I are reading--we're on the same Bible reading program right now, said, "If you make an altar, do not lift your tool up upon it." Because if they were tempted to carve on it with man's hands, then it turned into an idol pretty soon. And they were to take basic stone, and so this stone represents Christ in His kingdom. Jesus said, "These words that I speak, wise men builds on the rock." Ten Commandments were written on a rock, another symbol of something that is immovable and enduring. That's why I thought of this Hoba a meteorite. By the way, the word "hoba" means "a gift" we learned in the local native language. But there's another immovable rock of God's Word, His truth, His law, and it's the standard by which all will be judged someday.

Jëan: That's right, Pastor Doug. It is undoubtedly the most precious stone on Earth today. You know, hidden somewhere in a golden box there in Jerusalem, the Ten Commandments. What makes it so special isn't the stone, but it's the one Who wrote on the stone. God, of course Himself, wrote the Ten Commandments. Well, are the Ten Commandments still binding today? Well, a number of Christians say, "Well, no. We've done away with this part of the old covenant." Others say, "No, it's still applicable for us today." You know, we have a study guide called "Written in Stone." It's about the Ten Commandments. And of course, if you stop and think for any short period of time, you realize that for Christians, surely God would want us not to kill or steal or commit adultery or bear a false witness. So, it makes sense that, no, it's still valid even today.

Doug: Absolutely. Wonder--it makes you wonder, why people would say that the Ten Commandments are part of the old covenant that we don't need to keep anymore?

Jëan: Our study guide is called "Written in Stone," and we'll be happy to send this to anyone who calls and asks. If you haven't read the study guide yet, you need to get it and take a look at it. The number to call is 800-835-6747. You can ask for it. Just say, "Written in Stone." We'll be sending it to you. Also, you can dial #250 on your smartphone. Say, "Bible Answers Live!” And then ask for it by name, "Written in Stone." Now, this is for those who are in North America and Canada. If you're outside of the U.S. and we know we have folks listening around the world, just go to the "Amazing Facts" website. Just AmazingFacts.org or .com, and you'll be able to read it there. Well, before we go to the phone lines as we always do, Pastor Doug, we like to start with prayer. Dear Father, we thank You that we have this time to be able to open up Your Word and study. Indeed, the Bible is a lamp to our feet, a light to our path, and it leads us to a clear and full understanding of truth. So Lord, we invite Your Spirit to be with us, be with those who are listening, wherever they might be, in Jesus's name. Amen.

Doug: Amen.

Jëan: First caller that we have is Jerry, listening in Texas. Jerry, welcome to "Bible Answers Live." You are on the air.

Jerry: Hey, pastors. Good evening.

Doug: Hi.

Jerry: Simple question tonight, guys. Was there a Sabbath before creation? On other worlds, you know, do they have a Sabbath?

Doug: Yeah, good question. As near as we can tell from the evidence in the Bible, the Sabbath first appears in Genesis chapter 2, and because it's connected with the revolution of our earth on its axis, and, as you know, the planets go around the sun, I think the Sabbath is connected with timekeeping in our world. Now, does God have other times of rest or holy days on other-- on fallen worlds? The Bible doesn't say. But it first appears in Scripture in connection with the creation of our planet and these creatures made in the image of God. So it sounds unique to us.

Jëan: And yet, it will continue throughout all eternity because you read about the earth made new, and it continues. Of course, it's our earth that is recreated, and the New Jerusalem comes down. And God dwells here amongst these people. So yes, Sabbath continues for eternity. Next caller that we have is Brittany, listening in California. Brittany, welcome to the program.

Brittany: Hey, hey.

Doug: Hi, how are you, Brittany? And your question tonight?

Brittany: Yeah, my question is what does the Bible say about eating a plant-based diet?

Doug: Okay, good question. You know, sometimes we have to just defer and say, "Well, the Bible doesn't say anything about that." But actually, the Bible does. The original diet--now, when you say "plant-based," friends, that doesn't mean you're just eating leaves. A plant-based diet is, you know, a vegetarian eating vegetables, or things that come from plants. The original diet from man in the Garden of Eden was fruits, grains, nuts. After sin, God added vegetables. That would be other parts of the plant, the stalk and the roots, so forth, or the leaves. And in the new earth, we're going to be back to, we believe, the original diet. So, the doctors actually have pretty much told us the jury is in, and it is a scientific fact that people that avoid animal products will still eventually get old and die, but they're going to have a lot less disease, and they're going to be a lot healthier. Your chances of having a longer, stronger, healthier life with more energy are going to be connected with eating as close to the biblical diet as you can. We did an interview here with Dr. Scharfenberg, still going, he's 100 and plus years old, and yeah, he's been a vegetarian most of his life.

Jëan: That's right. All right, we have a study guide that talks about health. It's called "God's Free Health Plan," and we'll be happy to send this to anyone who wants to learn more about what the Bible says about how we can be healthy. The number is 800-835-6747. Ask for the study guide. It’s called "God's Free Health Plan." You can also dial #250 on your smartphone. Say, "Bible Answers Live!" And then ask for that study guide by name. Thank you, Brittany. We got Gary in Illinois. Gary, you're on "Bible Answers Live."

Gary: Thank you. My question comes from Luke 17, verse 28: "In the days of Lot, they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but in the day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed." So, my question is, is the world so big that the tribulation takes place even as things go on as normal?

Doug: Well, when the great tribulation comes--by the way, friends, when we read where Jesus says, "There's going to be a great time of trouble," and he mentions this in Matthew 24, it's also mentioned in Daniel chapter 12, you've got sort of three phases. One, Jesus was telling the Jews they were facing a big time of trouble with the destruction of Jerusalem and that happened. And then he was telling the church, you're going to face a great time of trouble during the dark age persecution, when the church would flee into the wilderness, and that happened. But then, there's a great, great time of trouble you read of that is in the Book of Revelation, when the seven last plagues begin to fall, and I think that's what Gary is talking about. That's still future. That hasn't--by the time that time of trouble starts, probation is closed, and we don't think it's going to last very long. It says in Revelation that all of her plagues come in a year, and a prophetic year is--day, rather, prophetic day is going to be one year. Yeah, so it'll be within that period of time. It might be less than a year, but it's not going to last longer than a year. So, will people still be on the earth then? Yes. Because that's why Jesus said, "He that endures to the end, the same will be saved." And the children of Israel, were they in Egypt when the seven plagues fell, or the ten plagues? Yes. Did he protect them? Yes. So hopefully--we do have a study guide, Gary, if you're interested. It's called "Anything But Secret." It talks about the tribulation in that booklet.

Jëan: The number to call is 800-835-6747. You can ask for the book. It's called "Anything But Secret." We'll be happy to send it to you in Canada or in the U.S. You can also get a digital copy of that by just dialing #250. Say, "Bible Answers Live!" And then ask for it. The--I forgot the name. Doug: "Anything But Secret." Jëan: "Anything But Secret." That's right. We've got several titles, by the way. We have another one on the Second Coming called "Ultimate Deliverance." Sometimes we get mixed up, but it's a great book. "Anything But Secret." I will send that to you. It's a digital download so you can get it right away. Thank you, Gary. We got, let's see, who else? Glenn in Ohio. Glenn, welcome to the program.

Glenn: Good evening, pastors, and thank you very much for taking my call.

Doug: Yes, thank you for calling.

Glenn: Jesus was born again by a resurrection. I think Peter and Colossians both say so. Yet, people are told today they need to come to the altar, be converted, get saved and born again. I'm looking for a Scripture that says, that validates that being born again that one that does not contradict 1 John 5:18 A. Can you help me?

Doug: All right. Well, a person doesn't necessarily need to come to the altar to be born again. The apostle Paul went through a conversion and a new birth, and he was on the road to Damascus, getting ready to persecute Christians. And he had an encounter with Jesus. He spent three days praying and fasting, and then Ananias laid hands on him. And the scales fell from his eyes, and you can be sure he was born again at that time. He had a new birth, and he was a new man. And Jesus said, "You'll know them by their fruits." They start doing something different so--

Jëan: And of course, the famous passage you find in John chapter 3. Jesus said, "Except the man be born of water and of the spirit, he cannot see the Kingdom of Heaven." Now, Jesus didn't have to be born. I'm not, I mean, He was born, but He didn't have to be, as we refer today, "born again" because Christ never sinned. So those--everyone else has sinned, all have sinned, and fallen short of the glory of God, except for Christ. So, for everyone else, we got to be born again, and that is to receive Jesus as our personal Savior.

Doug: And for some people, the new birth, like Paul, is a dramatic, sudden occurrence, and they can tell you the date on the calendar. For other people, in my case, I sort of read my way into it. I think there was a time I ultimately prayed and officially asked God into my heart. I don't even remember the date. But as far as my mind and heart being changed, that happened over a process while I was reading so it's hard to fix the date. That's why Jesus said, "The wind blows where it will and you hear the sound thereof, but you don't know where it came from and where it's going." And so sometimes, a new birth is like that. Thanks, Glenn. And you know, we've got a book, "Three Steps to Heaven," that talks about the new birth. We'd be happy to send you a free copy.

Jëan: The number again is 800-835-6747. As for the book, it's called "Three Steps to Heaven." Also, you can get a digital copy by dialing #250 on your smartphone. All right, we got Dwinelle listening in Nevada. Dwinelle, welcome to the program.

Dwinelle: Thank you. Thank you, pastor, for taking my call. My question is, I don't eat unclean meat, but if you look at 1 Corinthians 10:27 and Luke 10:8--well, 1 Corinthians 10:27, it says, "If any of those who do not believe invites you to dinner, and you desire to go, eat whatever is set before you, asking no question for conscience' sake." And Luke 10:8 is similar to that where it says, "Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as our step before you." So then what do I do? I mean, if they set, like—

Doug: Yeah, the context of those is both different. First of all, when Jesus sends out the 12 apostles, He says, "Go not to the Gentiles, go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." So they knew right away they were going into Jewish homes, and Christ is saying, "Don't be finicky about what you eat." They weren't going to be serving them pork. That didn't even come into anyone's mind at that point because they're going to speak to Jews. So He just saying, "You know, don't say well, I want some of this and not that." And He said, "Be thankful for what they give you." Paul is a different question. Paul is talking about when believers were buying meat in the marketplace, and they were only buying clean meats because they knew what the Law said, they were concerned, well, was it sacrificed to an idol? Now, Pastor Ross, there's a place where he says, "Asking no questions for conscience's sake." I'm trying to remember where that is.

Jëan: Yeah, it refers--well, it talks about eating it in 1 Corinthians 10:27. The verse we just read where it talks about "ask no questions for conscience' sake," but that's when you're sitting down to eat.

Doug: Yeah, so, don't ask them, "Well, was this offered to an idol?" The question wasn't, "What kind of meat is this?" Or, "What kind of food is this?" The question for them was, is it off offered to an idol?

Jëan: Let me read the next verse because I think it makes it very clear. It says, Paul goes on, he says, "But if anyone says to you, 'This was offered to idols,' do not eat it for the sake of the one who told you, and for conscience’s sake; for the earth is the Lord's, and all the fullness of it." So here, pretty clear, Paul says, "You know, if it's clean food and they put it in front of you, don't ask, 'Was this offered to an idol?' But if somebody says, 'Oh, by the way, do you know that was offered to an idol?'" Paul says, "Well, don't eat it then." But don't ask. So.

Doug: And there's another verse where he says, "Whatever is sold in the shambles" in the King James, it’s shambles, it's marketplace or something. And so, the big question they grappled with is, were they supporting idolatry since all the Romans and the Greeks offered animals to the--I'm talking about clean animals, goats, sheep, chickens. They butchered it in front of an idol.

Jëan: There it is. 1 Corinthians chapter 10, verse 25: "Eat whatever he sold in the meat market, asking no questions for conscience’ sake."

Doug: So he wasn't eating any pig. He's talking about the clean meats.

Jëan: All right, good. Good question. Isabella is in North Carolina. Isabella, welcome to the program.

Isabella: Thank you, guys, for all you do, first of all, and for this life. Basically, my question is for chapter--I mean, Genesis 19, chapter 1, if you guys could elaborate on what's going on and the angels, if they're accepting praise from Lot or not. I was curious. And thank you for your "Jesus in the Bible" series.

Doug: Oh, praise the Lord. Thank you. All right, so, let me read this for our friends that are listening. And Genesis 9--19, verse 1, I believe: "Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting at the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw the men, he arose to meet them, and bowed himself with his face towards the ground." You know, that was actually a custom of greeting. It wasn't talking about worshiping. You would also, you know, you go to Korea, and even today, when I meet some of my Korean friends here in North America, as we introduce each other, they sort of instinctively bow. It's kind of like we shake hands. It was just considered a term of respect. And Abraham, Lot, a lot of the patriarchs, they practiced very strong hospitality. And when Lot saw these two dignified gentlemen coming into the city, and he knew the reputation of the city, he thought, you know, "I better invite them home so they don't end up in the wrong place." And so he approached them right away and bowed and said, "Let me, let me offer you a place." They had no hotels back then, and people would take in strangers all the time. That's what Paul says in Hebrews, "entertaining strangers, unaware of some of entertained angels," but no. He's not worshiping them.

Jëan: Okay. Very good. We've got Ann listening in Anchorage, Alaska. Ann, welcome to the program.

Ann: Yes, my question is in Mark 5, where Jesus healed the paralytic man. My--I'm wondering who it says that God or that an angel stirred the pool occasionally, and then everybody tried to rush in. I'm wondering was that an angel of God or was that an angel of Satan? Because it seems to me, God would offer more than just one person to be healed.

Doug: Right. Now, first, you said Mark. I think you mean John chapter 5, where the Waters of Bethesda are stirred. Yeah, yeah, that is actually a good question. You know, it's hard to picture that an angel of God is going to see all of these sick people laying around this pool, hoping the water will be bubbling or stirred, and whoever clambers in first over the other, all fighting against each other to get in the water first, is going to be healed. That'd be sort of a pathetic scene. I think it's built around a superstition, and, you know, whether it was a natural phenomenon that water bubbled up every now and then, I've got a spring like that. If you keep watching this one spot, water just keeps bubbling up. Or, you know, evil angels would stir it and make the most of it. But I don't think that God was doing that. Your thoughts?

Jëan: Yeah. Absolutely. I think there's been some archaeological evidence to support the idea that the Pool of Bethesda was actually built close to or over the spring. And it's quite possible that at certain times there was some sort of movement of the water as the spring would kind of, you know, bubble up, and people saw that and maybe at some point in time, somebody happened to be stepping down. And of course, they were all looking for some kind of supernatural evidence. They're hoping for healing. And maybe somebody was, at least they thought that we healed somehow.

Doug: Could be the placebo effect.

Jëan: That's right. And the idea caught on. So everyone's waiting for the moving of the water.

Doug: Yeah. Well, even today, you know, there are tens of thousands of people that make pilgrimages and go to Lourdes, these different Catholic shrines, hoping to be healed. And they say that some experience miracles. So is that Mary doing that? Or you got, not only for the Catholic Church, there are people who make pilgrimages to Buddha statues, and that say that they're going to be healed. So, I think there's some counterfeit healings, and sometimes, a person might be healed just because of their faith. Jesus said many times, "Your faith has made you whole." And maybe God honored their faith in God. It's hard to say, but they're a good question.

Jëan: All right, we got Shannon, listening in Georgia. Shannon, welcome to the program.

Shannon: All right. Thank you. I'm calling about Romans 3, verses 19 and 20. Could you please explain that?

Doug: All right, let us read that for our friends. Romans 3:19: "Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin." All right, would you like us to expound on that a little bit?

Shannon: Yes.

Doug: Okay, everybody has broken God's law. Sin is the transgression of the law. The Bible tells us in 1 John 4, "Sin is the breaking or transgression of God's law." "All have sinned," Romans tells us, "and fallen short of the glory of God. If we are saved by law keeping, then we're all doomed." It's not that keeping the law saves anybody, we're saved by grace. Now, when a person is saved by grace, do they continue to break the law? And that's why Paul says in Romans, I think it's chapter 6. Do I continue in sin, that grace may abound? Do I continue breaking the law, that grace may abound? He says, "God forbid, how shall we, who are dead to sin, continue any longer therein?" And then you'll also read in Romans chapter, I think it's chapter 2:13. He said, "It's not the hearers of the law that are just before God, but the doers of the law that will be justified." And he's talking about saved people, who are keeping the law, not to be saved, but because they love the Lord. That's why Jesus said, "If you love me, keep my commandments." So, is that making sense, Shannon?

Shannon: Yes.

Doug: Okay, praise the Lord. Now, you would enjoy that study guide that we're offering. And we also have a sermon book that's called "Does God's Grace Blot Out the Law?" And we'll send you a free copy of that or the one, "Written in Stone."

Jëan: The number to call is 800-835-6747. That is our resource phone line. You can ask for the book. It's called "Does God's Grace Blot Out the Law?" You can also ask for our free offer for tonight. It's called "Written in Stone." You can also dial #250 if you'd like to get a digital download. Dial #250. Say, "Bible Answers Live!" And then you can ask for the book by name, "Does God's Grace Blot Out the Law?" Thank you, Shannon. We've got George in Oregon. George, welcome to the program.

George: Thank you very much for taking my call. The question is in Genesis 3:21, the Lord God made tunics. Who actually do you think killed the lamb? Was it being shown to Adam how to kill? Or did the Lord kill the lamb?

Doug: Yeah, that's a great question. But my belief is that God established the sacrificial system, and when Adam saw--and Eve--these innocent creatures that they were originally designed to name and care for dying for their sin, it broke their hearts. I think Adam probably cried when he saw leaves dying because of his sin, this beautiful garden. So, God established a sacrificial system. Now, Pastor Ross, in Revelation says "the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." And it says, "God so loved the world He gave His Son." So, I think it makes sense that in the beginning, God is the one Who established a sacrificial system and showed Adam.

Jëan: I agree. I was just going to add a few more verses where Jesus speaks about His crucifixion. He says, "Nobody takes My life, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it out and take it up again." So, Christ is the one. God is the one Who provides the sacrifice. And of course, after the first lamb was sacrificed, then throughout the Jewish system, the high priest would-- their lamb would be brought, and the priest would be there. The Israelite would lay his hand on the head of the goat, symbolizing the transfer of sins. He'd have to take the life of the goat because our sins took the life of Jesus. But Jesus willingly lay down his life.

Doug: Yeah. So I think Gary is also wondering, or George, I'm sorry, is also wondering, was it God Who actually cut the lamb's throat or did He tell Adam what he needed to do and Adam had to do it?

Jëan: I think the first one, it says God made coats of skin. So you'd assume that God was the one that--and again, that ties in with the idea of Jesus laying down his life.

Doug: Yeah, absolutely. Well, listening friends, we are not done. We're going to take a brief break, and we hope that you'll come back. We're going to--the best is yet to come for "Bible Answers Live." If you want to call in with a Bible question, it's not too late: 800-GOD-SAYS, 800-463-7297. And we'll be answering your Bible questions. Also, you can be listening on Facebook and YouTube and AFTV. Be back in just a moment.

Announcer: Stay tuned. "Bible Answers Live" will return shortly. male announcer: 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.

Announcer: Are you looking for a simple way to share your faith? If you've ever found yourself tongue-tied when trying to explain what the Bible teaches about the Sabbath, the Second Coming, or the afterlife, you'll love the new "Amazing Facts Tracts.” These colorful tracts feature easy to read type and are large enough to grab everyone's attention, but small enough to fit in your pocket to carry with you wherever you go. Eleven key Bible teachings are available now. Purchase a sample bundle to see what fits your needs. Then buy them in bulk and save. Equip yourself in your church to reach your community with the eye-catching "Amazing Facts Tracts." "Amazing Facts Tracts," easy to read, easy to share. To order your sample bundle, call 800-538-7275 or visit AFBOOKSTORE.COM, and get ready to share your faith like never before.

Announcer: You're listening to "Bible Answers Live," where every question answered provides a clearer picture of God and His plan to save you. So, what are you waiting for? Get practical answers about the good book for a better life today. This broadcast is a previously recorded episode. If you'd like answers to your Bible related questions on the air, please call us next Sunday between 7 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," and this is a live international interactive Bible study. You can be part of it. All you need to do is pick up your phone. Call that toll free number 800-GOD-SAYS, that's 800-463-7297. You know, we've been doing this so long, Pastor Ross, we got that number when 800 actually meant you didn't have to pay for the phone call. Of course, no one has to pay anymore. It's just been a long time. We could have any old number now. But yeah, you're welcome to call in with your Bible questions. My name is Doug Batchelor.

Jëan: My name is Jëan Ross, and we have a number of folks who are standing by with their Bible question. We're going to go to Ryan in New Mexico. Ryan, welcome to the program.

Ryan: Hello, guys.

Doug: Hi.

Ryan: My question is, is the Gregorian calendar that we all use today, is it not the beast power trying to change times and laws? Is it, you know, because, you know, we know who the beast is, do we not? And I don't--I see that basically the, you know, the Pope and the Roman, the Roman, you know, it's a Roman calendar.

Doug: Yeah, well, let me take a stab at that. Yeah, no, I think I understand. So the prophecy you quoted is from Daniel 7:25. Speaking of the beast's power, it says he will think to change times and laws. And, well, the Romans changing the calendar, that even predates Christ. It was during the time of Julius Caesar. They had the Julian calendar, and I think everyone knows that the reason we've got a month called July is because of Julius Caesar. And the reason we have a month called August is because of Octavian, or Augustus, Caesar. And the Roman months actually were very different. October was like octagon, ocho, that was supposed to be the eighth month. Well, it's the 10th month for us. December, D, decca, that's like a decade. That's supposed to be the 10th month. Well, it's the 12th month. So the Romans did a lot of things that--November, nueve, nine is supposed to be the ninth month, but it's not. So, the calendar got changed a lot by the Romans, and then it got changed again. The adjustment that was made by Pope Gregory, or during his time anyway, was actually a good adjustment. They were adjusting for not having the right amount of days in the month, and they added, you know, leap year and adjusted it ahead ten days. So that was just modifying things for farming. But there are other ways where they tried to establish feasts that are not in the Bible and ignore the ones that are, the holy days and the Sabbath day. There's a big effort to change God's holy times and laws separate from the calendar. And they did certainly mess with the calendar.

Jëan: The calendar, as you mentioned, Pastor Doug, they never changed the days of the week. I'm looking at it here, October the 15th. They changed it in AD 1582, and they had Thursday, October the 4th followed by Friday, October the 15th. So they just added ten days, but they didn't change the days of the week.

Doug: Yeah, Thursday was followed by Friday, as it always has been.

Jëan: And the prophecy’s referring to the beast's power trying to change the day of worship, and that's a different story. Okay, thank you. We've got James in Texas. James, welcome to the program.

James: Yes, sir. Thank you for having me. My question for the night is, the time of trouble and the great tribulation, is that that takes place the seven last plagues, is that the same thing, the time of trouble and the tribulation? Or is that two different timelines altogether?

Doug: Well, let's talk about the final time of trouble. And you know, Jesus, he does reference that in Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 17, and Luke 21. And it's also referenced in Revelation 15 and 16 when the seven last plagues fall out. It seems to come in two stages, where you have what people might call the small time of trouble. During the small time of trouble, there's great persecution. You cannot buy or sell unless you cooperate with the beast. But during that time, God's people will still be Spirit-filled preaching. There'll be many converts during that time. We don't know how long that is. But finally, they're going to have a death decree, and when they bring out this death decree, right then or close to that time, we're going to see the seven last plagues fall. Probation will be closed. That's called the "great time of trouble." So when you've got the oceans and the springs turning into blood, and men are scorched with great heat, and they got noisome sores, and you just look at the seven plagues, and it's going to be pretty intense, that is the great time of trouble such as there never has been since origination.

Jëan: And that's Daniel chapter 12, verse 1? So what you're saying, Pastor Doug, is that the time of trouble and tribulation are just two words, but they can refer to the same thing.

Doug: Well, every Christian goes through some tribulation. Paul says it is through many tribulations we enter the Kingdom of God. So everyone goes through different kinds of tribulations. But the historic great time of trouble, that's still ahead of us.

Jëan: Okay, very good. Next order that we have is Daniel in Michigan. Daniel, welcome to "Bible Answers Live."

Daniel: Yes, hi, thank you for taking my call. Someone already asked this question, but I'll ask it anyways. So how can you know if you have been saved or born again? I know Jesus says you cannot enter the Kingdom unless you're born again, and I've been kind of confused about this lately. I always thought that if you're willfully giving into sin, you know, you know it's wrong, but you've given anyways, that's an indication that you're not born again. Because 1 John 39 says, "Everyone who has been born of God does not practice sin." And sometimes, I fall into that category for, I don't know, a few days, a few weeks. And I'm thinking, am I born again? I'm not sure. And then I asked a friend this, and he said, "Well, you can only lose your salvation if you grieve away the Spirit." So I'm like, so you can, like, practice sin for 10, 20, 30 years and still be saved? He's like, "Well, yeah, as long as you haven't grieved away the Spirit." And I'm like, I don't know if that's right. So like, what do you think?

Doug: That's yeah, good question. You articulated very well a question many people ask. Well, first of all, how do you know you're born again? Who has your heart? Who do you like to talk about? You can tell when a person loves football because they're always talking about football or airplanes, whatever is in their heart. Jesus said, "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks," and when you receive Christ in your heart and you love him and he's given you a new life, you're going to want to tell other people. You're not going to want to do things that offend him. That doesn't mean it will never happen. But that should be the exception and not the rule. So people that are living a life of sin, they may have been born again once, but they're--they stepped away from it and they need to be reconverted. You know, I did a sermon, Pastor Ross, and it's titled "Do You Need to be Perfect to be Saved?" And I address this, that, you know, what's the difference between falling and, you know, you slip up, you sin, and living a life of sin, and how perfect do we need to be to be saved? So you might want to look at that, just on YouTube. Type in "Doug Batchelor" and it'll pop up.

Jëan: The apostle Paul says, speaking of this, "I die daily." So this conversion, this being born again, isn't just a one-time thing. And then we go on sort of just, you know, living in a cloud. No, Paul says, “I die daily.” In other words, every day, we need to surrender to self. Every day, we need to ask the Lord for the Holy Spirit to give us victory and to sustain us and help us overcome. So it's a day by day experience. And as long as we are trusting in the Lord, we are seeking His strength and His guidance, we can have assurance that God is going to be with us and He's going to finish the work that He's begun, so we can take heart. Thank you, Daniel. We've got Alfred listening in Canada. Alfred, welcome to the program.

Alfred: Yes, thank you for taking my call. I was wondering why is Jesus called the Son of David? I mean, between David and Jesus, there's about 1000 years span in between there. So why was He called the Son of David?

Doug: Yeah, great question. There's a prophet named Nathan, and Pastor Ross might find that. I think you can find it in 1 Chronicles 17. And Nathan the prophet comes to David, and he tells David that "Your son that will come after you, he will build me a house that will last forever." And it's a prophecy. It's called a messianic prophecy that God says. Not only would the Messiah come through the seed of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and Judah, but then God narrows the focus. He says, "And the Messiah would come through the line of David." And you can read one of the first things it says in the New Testament. It gives the genealogy of Jesus, and it traces it back to David. So, when--every Jew believed that when the Messiah came, it would be from the line of David, and that's why they often called him the Son of David. It was sort of another title for the Messiah.

Jëan: All right, very good, yes. And you of course will read about that in 1 Kings chapter 5, where it talks about Solomon, who built the house. So that's sort of what you call a dual prophecy. You have the literal son of David, Solomon, who built the literal temple. But of course, it's in a broader sense, speaking about Christ and the temple that He was to build was the church. So there's some parallels there. All right, thank you, Alfred. We've got Tad, listening in North Carolina. Tad, welcome to the program.

Tad: Thank you for taking my call. It's my first time calling. So bear with me.

Doug: Thank you.

Tad: The question I have is it's about the millennium, 1,000 years. And I know that, you know, in first Thessalonians 4:16 and 17, that the righteous will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. And I believe that's the beginning of the thousand years. And but, and then you go to Revelation chapter 20. I've been taught to believe that, you know, that the earth is desolate for a thousand years. There's no one living except for the devil and his angels during that thousand years on this planet. But in Revelation chapter 20, it seems to elude, let's see, it says here in verse 2 of chapter 20, it says, "He laid hold of that--the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up and set a seal on him so that he should deceive the nations no more till a thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while." And then there's an interlude there about those who were beheaded, and then it says, verse five, "But the rest of the dead did not live again until a thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection." And it says, then he's loose for a little season after the thousand years to go out and deceive the nations that are in the four corners of the earth. So it see--it sounds like that these nations are still in existence during the thousand years on Earth.

Doug: Okay, let's talk about that. So, to specifically answer the question you're asking. When the New Jerusalem comes down--well, first of all, let's do it sequentially. So when Jesus comes, the righteous go up. The righteous in Christ are resurrected. The dead in Christ rise. All the good go up when Jesus comes. Are we together?

Tad: How I read it too.

Doug: Okay, then it says we live and reign with Christ for a thousand years in Revelation. Then you read, it says in chapter 21, the New Jerusalem comes down. That means it's somewhere else. Now it comes down from heaven to earth. When Christ comes back, the Bible says in Revelation 20, there's two resurrections. You got the resurrection of the just and the resurrection of the unjust. Christ said the hour is coming in which all that are in the graves will hear His voice. They that have done good, the resurrection of life. They that have done evil, the resurrection of damnation. That's the second resurrection. That's why it says, "Blessed and holy is he that has part in the first resurrection." You don't want to be in the second resurrection. So the second resurrection takes place at the end of the 1,000 years. This looses Satan from his prison. He now has this vast army. They call him Gog and Magog. They were the enemies of God's people in the Old Testament that he can attempt to manipulate to attack the City of God. So, that explains why there are nations alive as they've been--it's the wicked of all ages have been raised. So, so far, does that make sense? Even if you don't agree, does the logic make sense?

Tad: Yeah. Yeah, that does. I mean, it does elude--it seems to sound like, you know, because I've not been raised to believe that there's any nations alive on the earth, but I've ran into people. It's becoming more and more of a prevalent idea.

Doug: Well, keep in mind. Now, I haven't, I haven't touched the surface yet. You know, I wish I had an hour. By the way, I've got a presentation on this, on the thousand years of peace, that you can watch online. But you read in Jeremiah chapter 4, verse 23. Says, "All the cities of the earth are broken down, and there is no man," and they--this is from the coming of the Lord, by His presence and fierce anger. You can read in Isaiah where it says, "I will make the earth utterly empty." And then Jeremiah says, "The slain of the Lord will cover the earth from one end to another. There is nobody to mourn or bury them." Now, those who believe that the righteous are always alive or someone's alive, righteous or wicked on earth, they can't explain these Scriptures that say the earth is vacated during the thousand years. So, I think there's a lot of Scripture to support that we are caught up. We meet the Lord in the air. All the righteous are gone during the millennium. At the end, he comes back. The wicked are judged. He creates a new heaven and a new earth. Now, we have that study guide, Pastor Ross.

Jëan: We do. It's called a "1000 Years of Peace," and it goes into great detail, gives you all of the Bible verses, makes it very clear. So we'll be happy to send this to anyone who calls and asks. The number is 800-835-6747. You can ask for the study guide. It's called "1000 Years of Peace." You can also dial #250 on your smartphone, and say, "Bible Answers Live." And then ask "1000 Years of Peace," and we'll be able to send you a digital download of the lesson. So, either way, you can get that. Thank you, Tad. Great question. We've got Henry in New York. Henry, welcome to "Bible Answers Live."

Henry: Thank you for having me. During Christ’s time, what language did the Romans speak?

Doug: All right, during the time of Jesus, what language did the Romans speak? They spoke Latin and Greek. They spoke Latin as their native language, but many of the Roman soldiers, not only came from Rome, but they would also annex soldiers from different parts of the empire. And Greek was sort of the language like English is the international language for business. Greek, because of Alexander the Great’s broad conquest, was sort of the language of learning, writing, and business. So everyone spoke some Greek. That's why above the head of Jesus, when they posted why He was dying, they had to post that in three languages: Hebrew for the locals, Greek, and Latin.

Jëan: Okay, very good. Next caller that we have is Jay in California. Jay, welcome to the program.

Jay: Thank you, pastors, for taking my call. I had a question, and it’s probably a concern and question, but I just wanted to know, the text, Leviticus 7:26 and 27. And I also failed to mention, I guess, Leviticus 17:13 and 14, I would like to know if those texts are still relevant for today. The Bible gives the clean meats to eat, as far as what Christians, or His people, follow, the type of diet they follow. However, I have very rarely hear of leaders that, you know, know about--that believe, as Christians, we are to follow a healthy lifestyle. I very rarely hear anyone speak about not eating the blood even though God does give us the clean meat that there is to be no blood in the meat if we eat it. Because I understand that, even if it's kosher meat, there's a little bit of blood in the kosher and then the taste is no longer in the flesh meat. So I just wonder if those texts are still relevant.

Doug: First of all, let me read it for our friends that are listening, and I'll actually go back to, let me see, that's Leviticus 7:26, "Moreover, you shall not eat any blood in any of your dwellings, whether bird or beast. Whoever eats any blood, that person will be cut off from his people." Not only do you find this in Leviticus, it mentions this also in the New Testament. If you go to--some people say, "Oh, that was an Old Testament law." Oh no, it wasn't. You can read in Acts chapter 15. It says you write to the Gentiles, these are non-Jews, who are turning to God that we write to him to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and blood. The reason they said "things strangled" is because, especially with foul, they'd sometimes strangle it and then they butcher it and eat it without draining the blood. Whereas, the Jews would cut the throat and drain the blood out. Now, if a person is eating clean meat and it's been killed in a kosher way, where the blood is drained out, well, that was permissible. I'm sure there's still microscopic parts of the blood left, but, you know, the Jews, they just understood you're supposed to drain out all you can. It is a New and an Old Testament law, and now we know that blood can transfer disease from one animal to another. It doesn't have to be the same species. That's why you got mad cow disease. And later they had mad pig disease. And COVID, they believe, was originally incubated in an animal. Whether it was a bat or a pangolin, they don't know. But disease does transfer from animal to animal. That’s why God said, "Don't be eating the blood of animals." By the way, that goes back to Genesis. It talked about blood too. And God’s speaking to Noah. So, yes, Christians shouldn't eat blood. I remember when I worked with the Navajo Indians. They used to make blood sausage. I thought, oh, that gave me the creeps. All right. What's next?

Jëan: We've got Hector, listening in Florida. Hector, welcome to the program.

Hector: Thank you. Good evening, pastors. Did the falling of Lucifer take place before or after man was created? If that's so, if fall after man was created, how come they allow him to turn the man on earth?

Doug: All right. Well, I think that Lucifer fell before man was created. And, you know, in part, part of the reason God made this new world and told the creatures to be fruitful and multiply is to help replace the vacuum of one third of the angels that had been evicted from heaven. So, I'm pretty sure that the--we don't know all the timing of everything that happened, but pretty sure that Lucifer fell and the rebellion happened in heaven before our world was made. What do you think, Pastor Ross?

Jëan: Yeah, absolutely. I mean, if you read the context just in Genesis chapter 12, it talks about this war in heaven and then the devil, the Lucifer, the dragon, is cast out of heaven, and then it says he's cast down at the cross. So yeah, it appears that that appeared sometime. But I think he's also--Hector is also asking that if Lucifer fell before the creation of the world, why did God allow him to come tempt Adam and Eve?

Doug: Well, I think God allowed Lucifer. He gave him enough leash to share his perspective. See, the reason that these angels followed Lucifer is Lucifer was allowed to tell the angels he would be a better God than God. He basically was saying that "God is not fair. He's arbitrary. His laws are unreasonable. But if I was in charge, we'd have great freedom and happiness." And so God does not force His creatures. He allowed the angels to, the ones he chose, one third of them followed Lucifer, and He allowed the unfallen worlds to be at least tempted with the same opportunity to doubt God and listen to Lucifer. That's what Adam and Eve did. God said, "Don't eat it." Lucifer said, "You'll be like God if you eat it," which is what he wanted. And so, yeah, that's the reason He did it.

Jëan: Okay, very good. We’ve got Carmen, listening in New York. Carmen, welcome to the program.

Carmen: Good evening, pastors. My question is on Revelation 14:6 and 7, but more 7, where it says the hour of His judgment has come. My question is, are we being judged at this moment?

Doug: Pastor Ross?

Jëan: Yeah, I mean. Well, first of all, yeah. This is God's last warning message to go to the world. Immediately following the proclamation of the three angels messages in verse 14, it talks about the second coming of Christ. And part of this threefold message is the hour of His judgment has come. And of course, that's the fulfillment of a prophecy you’ll find in Daniel chapter 8, verse 14, where it talks about the cleansing of the sanctuary. So there's different parts to this judgment. It is a judgment, meaning that truth has been revealed in the world. And people are making decisions for that truth, and based upon their decision, well, they're going to be judged either in favor at the end. They receive the seal of God or they reject the truth and they receive the mark of the beast. Is this judgment happening now? I believe so. In heaven. People are making up their mind. That doesn't mean that there's a certain time when your name shows up in the books of heaven. It could be tomorrow at 3 o'clock in the afternoon. And suddenly, you're saved or lost based upon where you at there. I think God looks at our life as a whole and looks at the decisions we are making, but everybody is making a decision. We are settling into the truth, and it's the little decisions that we make every day that determines what our eternal destiny is. Once that judgment is finished, Jesus says, he that is holy, let him be holy still. He that is filthy, let him be filthy still. Probation closes, seven last plagues, and then Jesus comes.

Doug: Absolutely.

Jëan: You know, we have a study guide called "Angel Messages From Space," and it talks about the three angels messages. We'll be happy to send it to anyone who calls and asks. That's 800-835-6747 or you can dial #250.

Doug: And the lesson on "God sets a date for the judgment." Also dials right in on this.

Jëan: All right. Maybe time for one more. We've got Cammy, listening in Washington. Cammy, welcome to "Bible Answers Live."

Cammy: I can't believe you got me in. I was so happy to hear that!

Doug: I wish we had more time.

Cammy: I send my--I set my alarm for this program so I don't miss. I'm addicted to it.

Doug: Oh, good. We hope it's habit forming.

Cammy: Thank you. My question. Now, this is a question I've had for a long time. I've been wanting to call you guys. I finally did it and got through. Did--when Cain killed Abel and left and took a sister, so they really lost three kids that day, did Adam and Eve go visit him and let them know, "We forgive you. We love you. We want to stay connected," the way God did with Adam and Eve, and the way we should with our kids?

Doug: Yeah. It's hard to imagine that there was no communication because, well, there's not that many people in the world. And you do read, when you get to Genesis chapter 6, that the sons of God, meaning the descendants of Seth and Adam and Eve, saw the daughters of men. They were the daughters of Cain, and they took them wives. You know, I think they probably interacted some. They had to or that wouldn't have happened, just like Samson interacted with the Philistines. I think Adam and Eve were still in communication. Hopefully, they communicated that Cain could be forgiven if he would repent and turn to God. There's no record of that communication or of his repentance. So, it's--we're hopeful that they at least reconciled in their human relations.

Jëan: You know, so it's interesting that it mentions that Cain moved out. He took his wife, and they left. He went to a different place. So it almost--he wasn't kicked out. It was his choice to separate himself from his parents.

Doug: That's right. And, listening friends, we're going to sign off here. We do this in a couple of stages, and we just share every week so people will understand that we have satellite stations carrying the program and land based, and they have two different clocks. So we're going to say "God bless, good night" for those listening on satellite, for the rest of you, don't go anywhere. Pastor Ross and I will be back in just a moment to do rapid fire internet questions that have come in.

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.

Jëan: Hello, friends, and welcome back. We're going to take your email questions. If you'd like to send us an email Bible question, the email address is BALquestions@amazingfacts.org. Pastor Doug, we have Coral asking what is the Bible's perspective on the death penalty?

Doug: Well, you know, God doesn't want anyone to perish, but there is a penalty for death or for murder, and it was the death penalty. And you know, God says, "Eye for eye. Tooth for tooth. Life for life." If someone killed a person deliberately, as the Bible says, with a high hand, the penalty was execution. And so, states and countries that support capital punishment for the highest crimes that is biblical.

Jëan: Okay. Sandra is asking, "I heard that there will be animal sacrifices in the millennial reign throughout and for all eternity. Is this biblical?"

Doug: No, I think they're listening to someone who believes that the temple is going to be reinstituted during the millennial reign and there's going to be sacrificing lambs, and I think they misunderstand some Scriptures. God's temple, in those passages, is speaking of His church, and we're going to be in heaven because of the Lamb, the blood of Jesus that you see in Revelation, but that's symbolic. There's no death, you read in Revelation 21. When we get to heaven, no more pain, sorrow, or death, and that would include animals’ death. Nothing's going to die.

Jëan: Okay. We have Nisa who's asking: Should a Christian serve in jury duty knowing that their decision can affect a person's life and freedom?

Doug: Well, there's nothing immoral with a juror being involved in investigating justice in their community. So, I, you know, I've got a friend that was on--called to be on jury duty, and it was involved with a murder. And unfortunately, he had to be exposed to some awful testimony, but there's no sin in that. And it's, you know, considered part of your being in a community. Part of the Mosaic law said that there were often trials where the elders would listen to the evidence and they served as the jury, and they'd make a joint decision. Even in the time of Christ, they had a--even though it was a kangaroo court, they had the Sanhedrin, they had a jury, so there’s no biblical, moral problem with jury duty. I usually have to try and get out of it because, as a pastor, you can't get locked up for weeks on a trial, and you can't minister to people. Hey, thank you, listening friends. That's all the time we have for tonight. You can still send us your internet or email questions at AmazingFacts.org. God bless. We'll study again together next week.

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