Hello friends, this is Doug Batchelor. How about an amazing fact! He may have been the worst serial arsonist in US history. Between 1984 and 1991, Federal agents believed that John Orr may have set as many as 2000 fires in the Los Angeles area, in which at least 4 people died. What makes this even more shocking is that John Orr was a fire captain and arson investigator for the Glendale California fire department. Orr trained at least 1200 firefighters and solved many arson investigations. Orr was eventually caught, convicted and is currently serving a life sentence in prison. People trusted him to stop the fires when he was actually the one starting them. Sadly, some people also believe Jesus is both a savior and a sadist. Stay with us friends, we’re going to learn more as Amazing Facts brings you this edition of “Bible Answers Live”.
Welcome to “Bible Answers Live” brought to you by Amazing Facts Ministries. Are you looking for a clear, concise answer to your most challenging Bible questions? Maybe you're struggling to understand difficult passages or scripture. If so, you’ve come to the right place. Join us now as we open God’s word to discover His will and find honest, practical answers to your Bible-related questions. This broadcast is pre-recorded. If you have a Bible question, call us Sundays from 7 to 8 PM, Pacific Standard Time at 800-GOD-SAYS, that’s 800-463-7297. Now let’s join our host, author, speaker and evangelist, Pastor Doug Batchelor.
[PROGRAM INTRODUCTION]
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Hello listening friends, welcome to “Bible Answers Live” and it’s just as the name indicates, a live international interactive Bible study and you’re invited to call in from one of the 400 different stations that are joining us right now. If you have a Bible question, we are live, we do have lines open. And here’s the phone number one more time, if you get a pen or pencil handy 800-GOD-SAYS, that’s an acronym for 800-463-7297. And we invited you to call in with your Bible related questions. My name is Doug Batcher, my regular co-host Pastor Jëan Ross is off for the night and so with our team in the studio we’ll do our best to field the calls, once again with lines open give us a call 800-463-7297. And as always I’d like to begin with a word of prayer.
Loving Father, we’re very thankful for the Bible that transforms lives, and we’re very thankful for the truth and the words of Jesus that set us free. We pray that will be the case tonight, Lord. Speak to every heart that might be listening, whether they’re driving down the road, or if they’re working in the kitchen, or wherever they might be. I pray that they’ll hear these words and that they’ll be transformed for the better as a result. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Well listening friends, I started out with an amazing fact regarding a fire captain and an arson investigator that turned out was one of the worst serial arsonists in U.S. history. And I could not help but think of how so many people have misunderstood the punishment of the wicked, and some people think that God is setting an eternal fire to torture the people He created and died to save. Now listen carefully, the Bible is clear, there is punishment for the wicked and there is a lake of fire. What is misunderstood by many and is a horrific doctrine, the Bible calls it the doctrine of devils, is the idea that God is gonna torture people through eternal ages for the brief sins of one lifetime. I’d like to just read an excerpt someone from a letter someone send to our office, I don’t know the last time I’ve done this but it’ll just give you a peak into the kind of torment that causes people in this life this false teaching: “Hello, I just wanted to say thank you so much for your study on Hell, it really helped change my life and my relationship with the Lord. Like many Christians I was always taught by preachers that everyone who doesn’t accept Christ burns in Hell for eternity. Since I was a young child, the thought of so many people burning alive forever completely horrified me and I couldn’t believe that our loving God would really let that happen to people.
This teaching absolutely terrorized me and I found out it did to many others as well. During my teen years, I started to suffer from severe anxiety and depression because of the Hell fire doctrine. I had no happiness in my life, thinking that the majority of mankind is going to be tortured after death. I didn’t enjoy anything in life. And I sat in my room crying almost every day. I begged the Lord to help me and I begged Him not to torture my non-Christian friend if she died. And I begged Him to show me the truth. At the time, I truly believed I was only worshipping Him out of fear. At this point, I started researching Hell on the internet, and for the first time I saw the theories that the wicked were actually annihilated rather than put in eternal conscious torment. But that’s when I realized that the Lord wanted me to start reading my Bible on my own. To my delight, I found your study called “Is The Devil In Charge Of Hell?” and read through it. This time, instead of thinking what my preacher said, I looked at my Bible and saw that everything in your study said was supported by the Bible. At that moment, something inside of me changed. For the first time, I actually felt the love of God and I wasn’t afraid of Him. I realized how He sent his son for us, that we wouldn’t have to perish, what a wonderful gift for us to have eternal life with Him. So thank you so much for leading me to the truth. And thank you for “AmazingFacts.org” for this study that helps us understand what Hell really is.” Goes on to say that this young lady is going to college and for the first time she now has a positive outlook on life. She knows the Lord is with her every step of the way.
You know, friends, maybe you’d like to know more about what the Bible really teaches on the subject of Hell. There is a lake of fire, there is place called Hellfire, there is punishment for the wicked, it’s not burning yet, and it does not burn for billions and billions of years through eternity. If you’d like to see the scriptures that I just perfectly proved this point, we have a lesson we’ll send you for free, it got some very interesting illustrations, amazing facts and plenty of Bible scripture and references. You might have a question on this subject tonight, and again, lines open: 800-463-7297. We will send you that study guide that this young lady was talking about in her letter for free tonight if you ask for it. It’s called “Is The Devil In Charge Of Hell?” or you can read it at the website, just go to www.helltruth.com, this information, video presentations, lots of Biblical documentations and it even gives a history of where did this idea of the wicked being tortured through eternity comes from if it’s not supported by the Bible. So we invite you to call in for that one more time, the name of the lesson is “Is The Devil In Charge Of Hell?” The resource number, different than the studio question number, is 800-835-6747 there are operators there right now to take your information and send you this lesson for free, no obligation.
With that, and your prayers, I’m going to go to the phone and so I think we’re gonna start out talking to Marcus who’s calling from North Carolina on the internet. Marcus, thank you for calling, you’re on “Bible Answers Live”.
Marcus: Hi Pastor.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Hi!
Marcus: What happens during the little time of trouble, and what is the order of events? Was the little time of trouble, the loud cry, the latter rain, mark of the Beast, and probation closing…
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Oh My! Well, I’ll do my best. That’s a big question. For our listening friends, and I know Marcus you know something about this by the way you asked your question. Obviously, there’s a place in Revelation 13 where it says that people will not be able to buy or sell unless they capitulate with this Beast power and receive the Mark. Well, when God’s people say they can’t do that because it violates the commandments of God. This is a small time of trouble where it’s gonna be difficult, they can’t buy or sell, they may have to grow their own food and live in more remote places and there’ll be persecutions. It might be compared to that 3 and a half year time of trouble during the famine that Elijah went through. We don’t how long this small time of trouble is but eventually there is a death decree made against those who will not worship the Beast and a day was set for all to be annihilated. Just like you read in the book of Astor, a day was set for all the Jews to be attacked. At that point, probation closes. The big time of trouble starts ‘cause the seven last plagues are being poured out. It speaks of this in Matthew 24 and Daniel chapter 12, it says there’ll be a time of trouble such as there never has been since there was a nation. And of course the loud cry is over at that point ‘cause when probation closes, nobody can be lost from the Lord, they’re saved and sealed, the wicked are doomed. And you read that in Revelation 22 “he that is just let him be just still, he did as wicked let him be wicked still”. So, that’s a quick overview, Marcus, we do have a study guide on the subject that deals with this and, let me think, I think it’ll be the one talking about the second coming of Christ and the signs connected with that. And so if you call and read “The Ultimate Deliverance”, you can either read that on the website at AmazingFacts.org, you can also go to “Bible Prophecy Truth” and there’s a whole study there on that chronology. Did I give you a quick answer?
Marcus: Yeah just, so the loud cry happens when?
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Small time of trouble, small time of trouble. At a matter of fact, I gotta be careful not to be too dogmatic. The loud cry frenzes when in Matthew 25, it says that the bridegroom is coming and we’re to go out and meet him, it’s just before the bridegroom shows up that may actually instigate the final persecution of believers, and lead into the small time of trouble. So, I appreciate your question Marcus, we are living in the end of time so it’d be nice to better understand what we can expect. Going next to talk with Loretta from Savannah Tennessee and Loretta you are on the air with “Bible Answers Live”.
Loretta: Well thank you Pastor Doug. And that was a beautiful testimony that you read in the introduction about Hell.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: It touched my heart so I thought I would share it with everybody.
Loretta: Yeah, thank you. I’ve got a question. I heard a Pastor mention, actually he was an Evangelist, and his reference was to people who every time there’s an evangelistic meeting, they want to get baptized. And what he essentially said was that communion is kinda, sort of a mini-baptism.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Well, you know, that’s actually true. An example would be, you know, every time we slip and fall after coming to Christ and we’re baptized, we don’t need to run back and get re-baptized, re-baptism is very serious and it’s pretty much reserved for someone who basically divorces themselves from the Lord. You know, a husband and wife get married, they pledge a love to each other and you know, they may have arguments they don’t have to go and get re-married whenever they have an argument. If they divorce, and they go off and live with someone else or they’re separated, if they want to get re-married and cohabit, they need to have that service again. Communion is like a mini-baptism because, you know, the foot washing is sort of like that.
Loretta: Okay, now, my question is actually, what my question kind of leads in from that, when you have communion, if communion is considered like a mini-baptism and the requirements for baptism are, you need to study in order to know the doctrines to be baptized. When you have communion, is it appropriate for the communion to be open to everyone regardless of what they believe.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Well you know, the example of Christ at the last supper was, even though He knew what Judas was up to, Jesus washed his feet and invited Judas to eat and drink, even though his heart was not right. And so the Lord seems to say that the Holy Spirit will police people who may not have their hearts in the right place. Paul said “Let every man examine himself” and so, you know, the idea of us kind of… if someone who is not a professing Christian, they should have the integrity not to take the emblems that represents His sacrifice were receiving. But, you really don’t want the deacons going around patrolling people with a Billy club and a wacky and the wine out of their hands.
Loretta: Well, this question was brought up because my niece was dating a guy, a Muslim guy, and I believe one week they went to church they happen to have communion. And the question was, you know, because they invite everybody to take communion, was it appropriate for this individual to take communion even if he wasn’t a professed Christian or anything of that sort.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Well, you know, that is a good question, my first reaction to that would be, and again I’m just giving my opinion, you never know what might be happening in that man’s heart, he obviously knew it was a Christian church, he knew this was a symbol of receiving Christ, if he took that communion, that could be a little step for him in making a decision towards Christ.
Loretta: Well I don’t think he knew…
Pastor Doug Batchelor: He didn’t know what it means, maybe it was just a ritual for him, he didn’t know what it meant.
Loretta: No, that’s what I got, he didn’t know anything about it for the most part.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Well, that’s why it’s the responsibility of a pastor when they do communion, to always kind of review what does this mean, so people can kind of evaluate “Am I ready?” and also, sometimes, people ask “should children before baptism be partaken of communion?” you know young children they really need to know, you don’t want them to think that this something to play with, it loses its sacredness. And it gives them something to look forward to when they say “you know, I’ve accepted Christ, I’ve made my commitment and now I can participate in the communion”. So I think that there is a balance there of not policing adults that might be visiting and at the same time letting folks know that it is important, it is sacred. I appreciate that Loretta, I’m gonna try and take a few more calls before our break. Talking next with Valencia calling from Buffalo New York? Welcome Valencia, you’re on the air with “Bible answers Live”
Valencia: Hello, how are you today?
Pastor Doug Batchelor: doing well, get close to your phone because you’re in New York and we’re in California.
Valencia: How are you?
Pastor Doug Batchelor: I’m doing fine and your question tonight?
Valencia: Okay, my question is: [INAUDIBLE 16:01-16:09] against the laws of God and the laws of men but we still have to obey them and respect them.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Well, if any earthly authority whether it’s the sheriff or the President, if he asked you to do something that is breaking the law of God, you have the example in the Bible where Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, they were servants of Nebuchadnezzar and they worked for him and probably obeyed him in every area, but when he told them to worship graven images, they would not bow down. And he said I’ll give you a second chance, they said “don’t waste your time, king, we can’t do this!” So I think, every believer needs to be resolved that obedience the God trumps obedience to any earthly power. So when Paul was talking about obeying the magistrate, obviously if they set up a speed limit, or they make laws about taxes and all those things, Jesus said “Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s” you know those are the laws of the land. It’s when they conflict with the law of God that you’ve got a different issue happening. Are you thinking of a specific incident or?
Valencia: Yes I am, I’m thinking of a specific incident as when someone wanted to get married to someone who’s an official in another country and the country that they live in says that they don’t think they’re ready to [INAUDIBLE 17:33] and the official like the president or the secretary of state, and they told them that not only they cannot do it but they take over their life, their identity, and they make phone calls and tell the president because of their position and their title. They can do what they wanna do. I didn’t think that that was right because [INAUDIBLE 18:05] the good laws of God. When the person being able to get married, why would they not? The laws of the land this is if you have the right to pursue happiness.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Well, if there is a law of the land, they need to just be aware if they violate that law of the land, they’re gonna have a hard time being recognized as legally married. That would probably be a little different situation, someone being commanded to, you know, steal, or worship idols or use God’s name in vain. But, you just need to pray for wisdom and judgment in deal with those principles in situations like that. I appreciate your question. And that said, I think we’re gonna go and talk with Henry who’s calling from Detroit, Michigan. Henry, you’re on the air with “Bible Answers Live”
Henry: How you doing?
Pastor Doug Batchelor: doing fine! And your question tonight?
Henry: I’d like to know, is God angry about the state of the world and He’s punishing the world with the weather.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Alright, good question. Is some of this horrific weather people are facing is that because of God is angry? The Bible does tell us as we near the end of time and as the burden of sin in our world builds that God is sort of driven away and it’s not that he’s trying to get vengeance on innocent people with this wild weather, I think his protection is sometimes driven away and these judgments come. Now an example would be, keep in mind God is not the only one that can bring a tornado, you can read in the book of Job, where the Devil, he came and he sent this wind so powerful it knocked down the house that Job’s kids were in and it killed them all. Now the Devil did that. And so when we have one of these storms of nature whether it’s an earthquake or tsunami or a tornado, insurance companies love to call them acts of God. But the Bible tells us that the Devil can even bring fire down from hell, lightning, and cause fires and tornadoes. And that’s all in the book of Job. So I think we underestimate his power. The Lord allows these judgments sometimes to bring people to return to him. You do have examples in the Bible where even God brought fire down from heaven in the book of Elijah and God allowed a drought so people would turn to him in prayer. But it’s ‘cause really they drove him away, they were worshipping pig and gods. So, that may have sounded like a convoluted answer, I hope that helps a little bit.
Henry: Well, I basically agree with [INAUDIBLE 20:50] sin in. And I didn’t believe it, so I wasn’t sure, I was confused, he was a pastor [INAUDIBLE 20:57] when he made the statement, I just couldn’t see what he was talking about. The reason I couldn’t was because, he said because of sin, maybe I don’t understand it, but I thought when Jesus died on the cross, that that took care of the sin problem.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Well, when Jesus died on the cross, what it did is it took care of providing forgiveness for everybody that embraces it. But obviously there’s a lot of people and countries in the world that are drifting further and further from Biblical principles and I am frankly worried about our country, you know, here in California where we are and number of other states and marriage is being undermined by promotion of same-sex marriage and a lot of morals they’re going out the window. And so, in all that, when we drive away the principles of truth, we sort of drive away the Lord protection and blessing. And so, you know, it’s a thin line where they are connected but it’s not like God as I think rampaging through the world swinging a club of bad weather and natural disasters. I appreciate your question Henry. And with that, we’re gonna see if we can go to another call, and let me see if this is line 10, Anna Lisa is that right? Calling from Trinidad, West Indies, Anna Lisa, you’re on the air with “Bible Answers Live” Yes.
Anna Lisa: Hi, Good night Pastor Doug.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Evening! And your question is?
Anna Lisa: How are you?
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Wonderful! I wish I was in Trinidad right now.
Anna Lisa: Trinidad, Trinidad is fine! When are you coming to our country by the way?
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Well you know, I’ve been thinking about getting down to that neighborhood, I was talking to my friend John Lomacang this week, I don’t know if you know that name. And in a matter of fact, two days ago, I was talking to him about getting down there. Anyway, we’ll just pray God opens the doors. But right now your question before we run out of time.
Anna Lisa: So it’s taken from Acts chapter 1 and verse 11, there is a popular teaching going around right now about only the elect seeing Jesus Christ when he returns, so they based their argument on Acts chapter 1 verse 11 that says where the angels said that the same Jesus which is taking out from you into heaven shall come in like manner as you have seen him go into heaven.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Well it says in Revelation 1:7 he comes with the cloud and every eye will see him. That means obviously those alive on the planet. Revelation 1:7 the eyes of everybody will see him, and you can also read in Matthew 24, it says he’ll come in the clouds and all the tribes in the earth will mourn and they shall see the Son of man coming. That’s Matthew 24:30, with power and great glory. So, the Bible is pretty clear it’s not just an elect, an exclusive group that’s going to see him coming. All the tribes of the earth, every eye, not that they all will see him simultaneously because as he comes from one part of the heavens, whatever part of the earth he comes to first will see him first and then he’ll swing around the earth, the righteous are caught up, the righteous dead and raised will caught up to meet him, and so you know they may see him a few moments apart but it will be like lightning shining from the east to the west, everyone will see it.
Anna Lisa: Okay, thank you!
Pastor Doug Batchelor: No problem. By the way, we do have our lesson that deals with the subject of the second coming and it’s called “The Ultimate Deliverance” I will be happy to send that to you. One reminder friends, go to “Bible Prophecy Truth”, a whole series of Bible studies on these issues there. With that, let me see, we’re gonna talk next with Joe, verse 7 line 7, see I’m trying to do this without Pastor Ross. Joe you’re on the air with “Bible Answers Live”, from San Diego.
Joe: From San Diego! Yes! Doug, well I’d like to ask you this: did the Pharaoh of Egypt allow the children of Israel to keep the Sabbath?
Pastor Doug Batchelor: I think not. Well it may have been different during Joseph’s time, ‘cause the whole time they were in Egypt, they weren’t slaves. After Joseph died, things, there arose a Pharaoh that knew him not and things went from bad to worse. But it got even worse after Moses left, but during the time of Moses, it says the Pharaoh chided Moses. He said you’re making people rest, and the word rest there is “Sabbath” And so, I don’t believe during their time of their bondage and oppression that they were allowing them to rest. When Moses came, and he said “look God is about to deliver you, you need to return to the principles of serving God” and they started to keep the Sabbath, that’s when the Pharaoh was outraged, and he said “you’re making the people Sabbath, you’re making the people rest, I’m gonna double their workload.” So, I think during the first part of the time they were in Egypt, during the days of Joseph and probably right after that, they were allowed to keep the Sabbath, it’s when they were enslaved that they were probably compelled. They made them serve with hard labor, and that probably means they didn’t give them a break.
Joe: Okay, thank you very much Doug.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Alright, I appreciate that Joe. Good question! And let’s see if I can quickly take a question from Erin who’s calling in Sacramento from KFIA, our mother station here. Erin, you’re on the air, we got about 2 minutes before our break.
Erin: How are you?
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Doing well.
Erin: Okay, I have a question, and it’s not a trick question or anything but when I talk to some non-Christian friends, I tell them that marriage is between one man and one woman, which you were actually sort of talking about earlier. But how do I explain like Abraham marrying his maid servants and then Solomon having hundreds of wives because those are like other things they’re saying. Well those are political debates but anyway about what the bible is really saying, how do I that explain because they gone like permitted, what’s basically the basic notion of what was it.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Well, I think the principle is that God often winks at time of ignorance and that’s in Acts chapter 17 verse 30. There’s a lot of things people did He did not endorse. God doesn’t endorse slavery, He doesn’t endorse polygamy, He does not endorse having multiple wives or concubines. Adam and Eve is the template one man and one woman, he didn’t make Adam and a haram, you know what I’m saying? So, Abraham did take another wife and basically he suffered for that because it was a lack of faith and he had to divorce Hagar. Jacob was tricked into taking two wives by his father and it caused all kinds of problems and you can look in every case with David, with Solomon his multiple wives drew his heart away from the Lord. And so all through the bible you can see that never worked out very well. Hey I appreciate that question Erin, I wish we had a little more time. We’re taking a break friends, the program is not over. I repeat the program is not over, don’t go away. Matter of fact, we have some lines open now. 800-463-7297 This is “Bible Answers Live” If you got a Bible question give us a call. It’s totally free number 800-463-7297, also keep in mind, you gotta log on to our website go to AmazingFacts.org lot of our free material are right there right now. We’ll be right back.
[COMMERCIAL BREAK]
Pastor Doug Batchelor: That’s me friends, we’re back for more Bible questions on “Bibles Answers Live”. My name is Doug Batchelor, Pastor Jëan Ross has the night off, he’s actually involved in doing a prophecy seminar tonight. And so if you have a bible question that number is one more time 800-463-7297, you know we have so many resources at Amazing Facts that we like to make available to people to study the bible, and probably one of the most popular that we have is a relatively new website and it’s called “Bible Prophecy Truth”, very sharp-looking homepage, if you go there, you’re gonna find there are Bible studies, videos, audio programs, charts and graphs on subjects like, it’s got all the hot subjects. If you want to understand the anti-Christ, 666, second coming, seven last plagues, Armageddon, the seven-year tribulation, Israel and the Middle Easter’s prophecy, the mark of the Beast, the new-world order, a left behind, the millennium, revelation, I mean it goes on and on. Go to “Bible Prophecy Truth”, and once you’ve looked there and you’re gonna like what you see, send the link to your friends, get them involved in studying, we are living, I believe, in the last days. And so, I highly recommend that “Bible Prophecy Truth”. With that, we’re gonna start back on the phone, it looks like it lit up a little bit here, so we’re gonna talk to a friend Sio I believe, he’s in Saint Mateo California, who’s listening on KMIA. Welcome, is it Sio or Sio?
Sio: It’s Sio.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Sio, I’m sorry. And your question tonight?
Sio: Yeah, you know, I’ve been praying for the past 8 years and there’s a position that’s been offered to me in the past 8 years that I’ve turned it down but I finally accepted it last year. And you know, I’ve accepted this position…
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Do you mean like a church position?
Sio: Yeah, church position, deacon.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Okay.
Sio: And you know, I felt like I should accept it this time after turning it down 2 to 3 times previously. And you know sometimes I don’t feel like I live to the standards of a deacon in the middle of the week, you know? And I don’t humble myself as a deacon should, but you know, I pray every day, you know? I can’t figure it out. I know it’s myself, I’m not letting God, I ask God to let, you know, for me to let myself go and let him, but it just, you know, it never works that way. I pray every day.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Let me share with you. I’ve had the same thing happened when I was still a much younger man, our church called me up and tapped me and said we’ve been praying and we want you to be an elder. I said “An elder? I don’t think I’m old enough to be an elder, and I’m certainly not spiritually qualified” But you know what, God’s invitations are also His enablings, in other words, when God calls you to do something, what did Moses say when God called him to go to Egypt? He said “I can hardly talk you want me to go back and talk to the Pharaoh? I can’t do this!” And God said “Look, if I’m calling you to do something, I will then give you the power to do it.” And you know Jonah did that, he said “I can’t talk to the Ninevites”, he ran the other way and got in trouble for running from the will of the Lord, so I don’t know all the circumstances but it may be that your church family has recognized certain gifts in you and they want you to stretch in that and you may step over the line, accept it and trust the Lord will give you the experience and the wisdom you need to fulfill the responsibility. God’s biddings are His enablings, so if he’s calling, you know, re-concentrate yourself. I don’t feel worthy to do the work I’m doing right now but the Lord’s been blessing me for 16 years now so I keep doing it. You know what I’m saying?
Sio: Yeah!
Pastor Doug Batchelor: That’s a good question, I appreciate it, a lot of people get called into some church capacity and they say “How can I keep the kids, I feel like I’m a hypocrite” or “how can I be an elder or a deacon?” you just pray for grace and say “Lord, it’s not me, it’s you, and I hope you’ll help me do the best I can”. It’s like Peter, what did Peter say when Jesus called him? He said “don’t part from me, I’m a sinful man” and Jesus said to Peter “Up until now you’ve been fishing for fish, follow me, I’ll make you a fisher of man.” So as you follow the Christ you then become what He calls you to be. You got that?
Sio: Got it!
Pastor Doug Batchelor: You’ve probably got the right attitude, one of humility, just trust God for graces, He move along. I appreciate your question Sio and others out there, if you have your Bible question, one more time 800-463-7297. Let’s see, who’s been hanging on the line here. We’re gonna talk next to Allan, calling on line 9 from Orlando Florida. Allan you’re on the air with “Bible Answers Live”.
Allan: Hey Pastor Doug.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Hi, what’s your question?
Allan: My question comes from Second Corinthians 5:10. Today at the end of Sunday school, the topic of Bema seat judgment came up and the conversation Bema is not in the Bible anywhere, so we were gonna study it this week so we can address it next Sunday.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: What was the first word you said?
Allan: Bema. A Bema seat judgment… When I look up in the bible, the only thing I can find is the judgment seat of Christ. The topic was more or less a Great White Throne judgment and another judgment that the believers go to [UNCLEAR 36:09]. A Bema seat…
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Spell that word, what word are you still saying? Bema?
Allan: B-E-M-A, Bema seat, it’s a Greek word. Jesus said it in the Last Supper, but I can’t find it anywhere in the bible.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: I was wondering if you’re using the English translation or the web, but yeah there are probably Greek words that translate that way. The Great White Throne judgment is the one the Bible talks about. Now, there are three phases of judgment and by the way Allan, I’m gonna send you a lesson on what the bible says about the judgment, I’ll send you a free lesson or you can read it online, but just very quickly, three phases of judgment: One aspect of judgment that happens before Jesus comes, For professed believers, now follow me, Christ said I come in the clouds and my reward is with me to give to every man according to what his work shall be. Some judgments must take place before Christ comes ‘cause he’s separating people between saved and lost when he comes, right? You’re with me on that?
Allan: Yes, I’m with you on that.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Some aspects of judgment take place before he comes because people are going to be saved or lost when he comes. Then there is a judgment that takes place during the millennium where it says we live in rain with Christ and judgment was given into the Saints, and that’s kind of the millennium judgment. And then you’ve got the White Throne judgment which is the final judgment when it says everybody will stand in front of the judgment seat of Christ, that’s executive judgment at the end of the 1000 years when the small and great stand before the Lord, the books are open so to speak, and everyone is judged and rewarded according to those sayings that were written in the books. And that’s the judgment where those secrets things that people do that they’ve been hiding, everything’s gonna be light bear at that point for everyone, now that’s all spelled out with lots of scriptural support. And this study guide I’d like the give you a copy of, that’s called “Facing The Judge” If you don’t mind calling one more toll free number, they’ll just get your address they’ll send that to you.
Allan: Yeah, I wouldn’t have a problem with that. The Bema seat is not in the Bible right?
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Well, it probably in Greek it is, in other words if he’s using the Greek word there but it doesn’t say in the English or the King James, you won’t find the word “Bema”, you can search for it. So if you’re gonna start going through the Greek original words, in Hebrew, you’re gonna find all kinds of interesting words. I’m not sure what the Pastor said, I wanna be careful not to judge his sermon. Anyway, please do call that resource number 800-835-6747 ask for a study guide on the judgment, and we’ll send that to you for free, for free, friends. Alright, I got a question that looks very intriguing to me from Patrick who’s calling on line 7 from WMCA, Patrick from New Jersey you’re on the air with “Bible Answers Live”.
Patrick: Yes, I wanna say, a gentleman around the country, he’s got these bulletin boards that they’re advertising on and he’s got all kinds of different programs on the radio, And he’s got Talibans coming throughout the whole country and he’s saying that Jesus, that the rapture is gonna be taking place May the 21st of this year.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Well we better get going ‘cause we’ve got 20 days left.
Patrick: Yes, I know that, I know that, he’s got people going around all kinds of gospel facts.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Yeah, I’ve run into it, we’ve got it here in Sacramento, they’ve got billboards up and, do you want to know what I think of that?
Patrick: Yeah, I want to know what you think of it and why would he be spending all this money to advertise something like that. And he’s going to another point of his career, why is going around letting people know this gonna happen, well you know I’m asking the question because I don’t know what to think anymore. You know?
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Well, let me, first of all I think we don’t know what the day and the hour of the Lord coming, Jesus could not be more clear on that. No man the day or the hour. That immediately makes this day suspect. Secondly, the same gentleman who’s advertising this, picked another day in 1994 that obviously fell flat. So it’s not the first time he set the date for the Lord’s coming. Thirdly, the method of his calculating is privy to only him, nobody else really can figure it out, I don’t know if any other pastors or scholars, evangelists that buy into this. Indeed the people at his own station which I think he’s the president of, they basically have to tolerate because he’s the president but a good percentage of the people that work there don’t agree with what he’s saying and his teaching and they just sort of have their arms, hands tied behind their backs, and since he’s the president, they’ve gotta support it. But, I do believe in the Lord’s coming soon, I don’t wanna understate that, I mean we see all kinds of science and evidence for that.
I think this is a method of the Devil to discourage people, you know the story about that crying wolf? And this fella is out there gathering all these people that are very sincere but they’re crying wolf. And my heart goes out to them, because I believe on May 22nd when Jesus has not come, they’re gonna be devastated. And it’s gonna be crushing for their faith, and of course people then will be laughing more and more at the billboards and at the false alarms and then people are more settled in their sins, they think all these Christians are always crying wolf and nothing ever happens and people become more bold in their sinfulness, and that’s the sad thing, it’ll discourage believers, it will embolden unbelievers and Jesus said “don’t set the date and the hour for my coming, it’s gonna be a surprise for the whole world” So it’s a very unfortunate Patrick. By the way we do have a study guide that deals with the subject of the second coming, we mentioned it earlier tonight and it gives science to the second coming, it’s called “The Ultimate Deliverance”. Call the toll free number, we’ll send you a copy 800-835-6747 and ask for “The Ultimate Deliverance”. With that, we’re gonna go to Robert. Robert’s on line 3, and it takes all my fingers and toes to do this WMCA New Jersey, Robert you’re on the air.
Robert: Good evening, Pastor Doug.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Evening!
Robert: Hi, my question’s concerning Genesis 3 and the fall of Adam and Eve, and when God addresses the serpent, He addresses on the serpent and curses the serpent. Now we’re always thinking that it’s Satan. But it doesn’t say that anywhere in Genesis, and I’m curious on finding anywhere else in the Bible where it says it. I mean, it’s obviously a work of Satan but I’m saying why did He curse the serpent as a serpent and not addressing Adam and Eve, who that was who fooled them also.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Well, the serpent of course was a creature that God made, so you might think it’s odd why would God put a curse on the serpent. Through history, the serpent is become a symbol because the devil possessed the serpent and did the talking and the temptation through the serpent but you do have, it does make it very clear in Revelation 9 that the Devil was connected to that serpent, it says in the Revelation 12:9, I misquoted that. It says that great dragon was cast out that old serpent, and when it says old serpent it’s picturing back, it’s looking back the Genesis. That old serpent called the Devil and Satan, I mean can’t miss that, old serpent called the Devil and Satan. And then you read again in verse 14, it says that the woman fled from the face of the serpent, and then you go to Revelation 20 verse 2, he laid whole on the dragon that serpent which is the devil and Satan, so you got “dragon”, “serpent”, “devil” and “Satan” and he’s bound to thousand years.
Robert: So the serpent was cursed because he was in collusion with the devil.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Yeah well, I don’t think that the serpent made much of a moral choice about whether or not to listen to the devil or not, I mean we don’t know how smart they were before sin, but I think it just because it became the medium through which the Devil… You know serpents are rather hypnotic, and they use stealth, they’re cold blooded, and so it became an accurate depiction of the devil because they are. The Devil’s cold blooded and he uses stealth and deception and sometimes the serpents will eat their own young. So it’s a fitting representation but the devil, he used the serpent, they also, they’ve got some beautiful dissing colors and the serpent must have been in the tree. It says it was cursed to go on the ground, some commentators believe and I’m inclined to agree, all these legends of flying dragons you hear around the world go back to the garden of Eden when the serpent probably could have flied and they’ve even got into reptiles, we’ve got fossils of pterosaurs and other flying reptiles pterodactyls. So it was probably cursed and it had to go on the ground after that, it was able to fly before that, that’s a little bit a speculation, but no question, the serpent was possessed by the Devil and it became a symbol from then and on. Thank you Robert, we do have a study guide on “did God create the Devil?” and it talks about that, the serpent in there. “Did God create the Devil?” … Ok let’s see here, I’m gonna talk next with Anthony in New York, New York. Listening on WMCA, Anthony you’re on the air with Bible Answers Live.
Anthony: Yes, how are you doing Pastor Doug?
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Good, get closer to your phone.
Anthony: Ok, can you hear me?
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Yeah I can hear you, your question?
Anthony: My question is, I just heard online that the NIV, there’s been a revision called 2011, I just have a question basically about Bible translation, because there’s a lot of modern translation using gender friendly language and I’m just wondering, is this accurate? Does this coincide with the Greek and the Hebrew and stuff, and why are they changing everything?
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Well I believe that you can find the word of God in the NIV version but it’s one of my least versions, but that’s just a personal preference. My reasons are, and again I don’t question the millions that have been saved and they’re blessed and find truth through the NIV, but when it comes to really horning down the accuracy, I think the manuscript of NIV work from were some of the most dubious manuscripts like the Sinaiticus and the Vaticanus, the King James, new King James, new American standard, they follow what’s called the Textus receptus which is I think the most dependable text for biblical truth and accuracy. And I will tell you one more thing, I don’t wanna sound cynical but maybe I am a little cynical. A lot of these copyrighted bible translations, whenever a modern publisher makes a new translation, you can’t copyright King James, it’s a public domain.
I can print a King James if I want, and I can sell it. In order to own the copyright and the royalties for a bible, you have to have original material in it and it needs to be a new version. So someone of these publishers are constantly under pressure to re-translate the bible and create a new version and a new study so they can sell it and own exclusively. Well the NIV, the sales started dropping off because it’s been so many years, they upped a little bit to try to generate more sales. Now, that’s one of the reasons, I’m sure they made some improvements and corrections but you know what I’m saying? Some of it, Zondervan is a business, Thomas Nelson, we know the people, they’re good people, they’re business, but you know sometimes they gotta be upgrading things to keep advertising new and improved like toothpaste. And there may have been nothing with the old version but they keep, after Volkswagen retired the Beatle for about 15, 20 years, they brought it back again, you know what I mean?
Anthony: Is the new King James a good translation?
Pastor Doug Batchelor: It’s what I use when I preach. And I’ll tell you another reason for that. When everybody in church is opening up a different translation and some of them are very different, and you’re trying to memorize scripture as a church family and nobody can recite anything together because it all sounds like babbling, everyone’s reading from a slightly different translation. But you find, if people are reading in the King James, or the new King James, other than modernizing some of the terms in there, they read pretty much the same. And I like the beautiful, just the poetry that King James uses, it’s sometimes lost in some of the more modern translations. Now you realize a lot of what I said now, a lot of it is my personal opinion. So just keep that in mind. I hope that helps a little. Hey, Anthony, I do have a book, free book we’ll let you have, you can either ask for it or look for it online and it’s called “The Faithful Witness” it’s a book Amazing Facts has on Bible translations called “The Faithful Witness” Call 800-835-6747 And we’ll send that to you Anthony. I appreciate your phone call. Talking next with Ralph in Buffalo, New York. Ralph is on the air with Bible Answers Live from WMCA radio station. Ralph, your question?
Ralph: Doug, How are you?
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Doing well.
Ralph: I was just wondering, are we still supposed to keep the Sabbath?
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Well, let me ask you is the Sabbath one of the Ten Commandments?
Ralph: It actually is.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Should we keep the Ten Commandments?
Ralph: Absolutely.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Some churches teach that we’re not under the law and I don’t know in the world how they can tell their congregations it’s now okay to use God’s name in vain or steal or lie. The Ten Commandments are not ten recommendations or ten suggestions. And I believe that right there in the middle of the Ten Commandments, the longest Commandment, the only Commandment that begins with the world remember, you would not think that would be the only Commandment that God wants us to forget. And you have to ask, even after Jesus came, do we still need that day of rest? Do we still need to have that day of worship and family? I think the answer is obviously yes of course.
Ralph: And the Sabbath is Saturday not Sunday correct?
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Seventh day, no question is Saturday, anyone can look at any dictionary or an encyclopedia, and it will tell them that Sunday is the first day of the week, and of course people just celebrated Easter they know that, they celebrate Easter in honor of the resurrection ostensibly and Jesus rose the first day of the week and so no question Jesus rose Sunday morning, he died Friday afternoon, he rested in the tomb on the Sabbath and it tells us even his disciples went home and kept the Sabbath according to the Commandment. Nothing in the New Testament or the Old Testament says that the Sabbath became obsolete or it was changed or obliterated or altered, there’s nothing wrong in the seventh day, it changed years later through, the Romans worshipped the sun on the first day of the week as Christianity began to shift to the Roman Empire, they wanted to distance themselves from the Jews, they still kept the seventh day, they began to keep both days for a while, and gradually the Christian church gave up observance of the seventh day and for the most part, many just plunged to the first day of the week. So it was a gradual change. We do have a study guide and a website that gives a lot of information on that and it’s SabbathTruth.com. All I gotta do is type the word Sabbath on either Google or Yahoo and we’re on the first page. SabbathTruth.com. There’s a study guide in there that has a lot more on it, Ralph. We even have that in Spanish, it’s SabbadoBiblico.com all that same information. Okay, let me see we have time maybe for one more. Robert we’re gonna talk to you, calling from Missouri on KJL, Robert, you’re on the air with Bible Answers Live.
Robert: Good evening pastor Doug.
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Sorry to keep you waiting.
Robert: Okay, my question is from Revelation Chapter 13 verse 17, I guess what I’m wanting to know is how will the beast know between the Saint. It says “No man might buy or sell”
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Alright let me read this, I’ll read the whole thing for our friends in Revelation 13:17 “No man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name”. So there’ll be a few different ways to identify if the loyalty of people is with the beast and if they don’t have that loyalty, they can’t engage in commerce. You know, I think it’s very interesting, I just want people to park this thought. Right now in the world, when a country does not cooperate with the international community, the economy of the world is pretty much a one world economy now, and what happens in one nations economically ends up reacting in other nations, they issue economic sanction so that offending country cannot buy or sell.
This is I think one of the first times in history that through electronic banking around the world, governments of the world can unite they can seize the assets of some country that has offended them and tell them they cannot buy or sell because they’re not cooperating. Well that’s gonna be very easy to do on an individual basis, with internet banking and credit cards, they’re gonna control the buying and selling, if people do not worship the way they’re commanded to worship. In the last days, they’re gonna be penalized for that. I hope that helps a little bit Robert, you know we have a study guide talking about the mark of the Beast and it deals with the buying and selling. Actually it’s a lesson on the anti-Christ, I think it’s the Amazing Fact study guide on the Anti-Christ or go to BibleProphecyTruth.com, you’ll find more information there. Oh, I’m trying to think if I have a quick question I can do, line 4, gonna talk to Paige, quick question, we got about a minute left Paige, can we do it?
Paige: Pastor, I read your article about the Jewish Temple being built, what I wanted to point out was that I heard a couple [INAUDIBLE 55:47] coming out of Israel, that Sanhedrin was also interested in building a temple that will have some ceremonial vestments that is worth a hundred million dollars in candle sticks and some smell showed up that hasn’t been around for years. It was essential to make a [INAUDIBLE 56:04]. What about the Sanhedrin in Israel often anticipating to build a temple!
Pastor Doug Batchelor: Alright, quick final question here “Are they gonna rebuild the temple in Jerusalem?” I highly doubt it, there are some very zealous Orthodox Jews that are trying to pull together what it would take, except for the articles on the temple, they do not have the Ten Commandments, they don’t have the arch of the covenant, I’ve heard that they’ve reproduced some of the vestments the ancient priests wore. These are more from the museum purposes and anything. I’ve been to Israel twice, there is no real movement to reassemble the Sanhedrin, they don’t have that priesthood in order anymore and to rebuild a temple that would have to be on the dome of the rock, it would probably cause World War 3, if they level the Mosque of Omar there at the dome of the rock. Hey by the way we have a study guide on Israel and prophecy and if you like that just go to the Amazing Facts website or go to BibleProphecyTruth.com, you’ll find a whole study there about Israel and prophecy and the temple. Friends, we’d love to hear from you. Go to AmazingFacts.org, contact us, God bless ‘til our next study together.
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