Hello friends, this is Doug Batchelor. How about an amazing fact? Dr. Evan O’Neill Kane was the chief surgeon at Kane Summit Hospital, in New York City. By the time he was sixty, he had been practicing surgery for thirty-seven years and he was especially interested in anesthetics. You see Dr. Kane practiced back in the early part of the twentieth century when the only kind of anesthetic that was used was in general nature. Meaning the patient had to be completely knocked out, which often resulted in serious complications. Patients were sometimes left paralyzed, and on occasion they died. Dr. Kane believed it was possible to operate on patients who only received a local anesthetic and just numbing the smaller areas that needed surgery. He wanted to somehow prove his point by finding a willing subject who would allow him to try this procedure, using a local anesthetic.
Finally, he found a person who was agreeable to help him with this experiment. The patient needed his appendix removed so he was quickly scheduled for surgery. So on Tuesday morning, February 19, 1921 the patient was prepared and rolled into the operating room. Kane had performed over 4,000 appendectomies, so he easily performed the initial incision and he clamped the blood vessels while he located the appendix, he then skillfully removed it as he had done many times before. Through it all the patient only experienced minor pain. He recuperated quickly and was released from the hospital two days later. Dr. Kane had proved his point, and it was a milestone in medical history that a person could be operated on under local anesthetic while still awake.
Oh, by the way did I tell you that the surgeon and the patient were one and the same? That’s right Dr. Kane operated on himself, and removed his own appendix. And perhaps you have heard the proverb,” Physician, heal yourself.” Did you know that Jesus was the one who spoke these words? And He did heal himself. Stay with us friends and we are going to learn more as “Amazing Facts” brings you this edition of “Bible Answers Live”.
[PROGRAM INTRODUCTION]
Pastor Doug: Welcome friends for the next fifty minutes or so, we are going to be probing into God’s word, according to the questions that people call in to find out what is truth. Lines are open right now give us a call 1-800-GOD-SAYS or 1-800-463-7297. My name is Doug Batchelor.
Pastor Dick: My name is Dick Devitt. Good evening Pastor Doug.
Pastor Doug: Good evening, how are you Dick?
Pastor Dick: I am fine and you had a thrill today, sailing out there and whatever.
Pastor Doug: Did, you know, for my Birthday we went out, and I went flying for the first time up in an ultra-light. There are several firsts I have wanted to do in my life. I have done parachuting. I have done hang gliding. I have done scuba diving, and kayaking, and I like some of these adventures out in nature.
Pastor Dick: Folks he is glowing.
Pastor Doug: Well, it was fun and you know… I want to thank my friends, and matter of fact they may be tuning in right now.
Pastor Dick: Yeah.
Pastor Doug: Down in Turlock, at the airpark there, Dan and Janette and we went buzzing around. And actually Karen went up with me, and our six-year-old also he liked it so much he went up twice.
Pastor Dick: That’s great.
Pastor Doug: So now, I want to get myself a couple of ultra-lights.
Pastor Dick: Well, we normally start with a word of prayer. So let’s do that and give thanks.
Pastor Doug: Please do.
Pastor Dick: Let’s give thanks tonight shall we? Heavenly Father, we thank You for the privilege of being able to come, and open the word of God, and gaze intently into what You are saying to us. We pray that Your Holy Spirit will speak clearly through Pastor Doug, and to Pastor Doug tonight. Bless him Lord with the power on high in Your word, and Lord, I pray that you will speak to our callers tonight as well. That someone will hear from You, in a very powerful way tonight. Again, we thank You, and we praise You in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Pastor Doug: Amen.
Pastor Dick: Well, now Doug, what do you think that Jesus meant when He said “Heal thyself physician?” And then you said that Jesus healed Himself.
Pastor Doug: Well, this could be understood in a couple of different ways. First of all, He is the only one who never sinned. We are all sick with sin. And even though He was born with the human nature, that fallen man has He did not sin. But, beyond that, when He hung on the cross they did say to Him, if you are the Christ save yourself.
Pastor Dick: Right.
Pastor Doug: Some people have understood it that, and beyond that Christ said, “He was going to lay His life down and take it up.” Now we can sort of comprehend how Jesus would resurrect others, but how can a dead man raise Himself?
Pastor Dick: Hmm.
Pastor Doug: This makes us think of Dr. Kane, taking out his own appendix. It is hard to imagine.
Pastor Dick: Yeah, I just can’t imagine.
Pastor Doug: Jesus made some statements in John Chapter 10:17 & 18. “Therefore, my Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No man taketh it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.” (KJV) Now that sounds pretty strange. How could Jesus lay down His life and take it again? Now there are passages that say He was raised up by the Father, but here it seems to indicate that He raised Himself up. You know it could be, because Christ said several times that He would rise the third day, and the word of Jesus cannot fail the word of Christ has life within itself.
Pastor Dick: Hmm.
Pastor Doug: And the very fact that He prophesied this that word is so potent that He was raised up by the very utterance. Christ can say something and make it happen instantly. Well He can say something and make it happen three days later, too. And so this could be what He meant when He said that He would heal Himself.
Pastor Dick: It could have been… and it also suggests, though, that Jesus may not have suffered the second death.
Pastor Doug: Now that is a true point, of course, the second death is a death from which there is no resurrection.
Pastor Dick: Right.
Pastor Doug: Jesus faced the second death, when He died because He was dying the way a sinner dies.
Pastor Dick: Umm-hmm.
Pastor Doug: But, obviously, since the second death has no resurrection, in that capacity He came back.
Pastor Dick: Yeah, yeah.
Pastor Doug: But, He did face the second death the way a lost person would.
Pastor Dick: Yeah.
Pastor Doug: Well, okay, so very good. We have a Study Guide tonight, if people want to know about the potency of that word.
Pastor Dick: Well yeah, that is right. That’s right the word of God is more powerful than anything else that we have available to us. It is the greatest resource that God has given to mankind. And we want to make available to anyone wanting this lesson tonight one entitled “Is There Anything Left You Can Trust?” Is there anything left in this world that you can trust? We would suggest to you tonight, that there is one thing left that you can trust, and that is the word of God. And if you would like this lesson in your Bible study material or library, call our resource operators at 1-800-835-6747. Our resource operators are standing by 24 hours a day, and seven days a week at that number. And you can call them right now and ask for “Is There Anything Left You Can Trust?” We hope you’ll do that.
Pastor Doug, it is appropriate that we go to our internet questions before we go to the phones.
Pastor Doug: Great.
Pastor Dick: And the first question that we want to talk about tonight, comes from someone in Waynesboro, Pennsylvania. They say that I have a friend who is studying Islam, she has asked me about a passage in Deuteronomy. Where Moses is telling the Israelites about, that Prophet which God was going to send. I took her to Acts Chapter 2 where Peter talks about that prophecy being fulfilled in Christ Jesus. But I wondered whether there may be any other texts showing that Prophet referring to Jesus, and not Mohammed as the Muslims believe? Can you explain?
Pastor Doug: I’ll do my best. Moses made a very clear prediction in Deuteronomy 18:18. Where God says “I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren God is speaking to Moses and through him, like unto thee, and I’ll put My words in his mouth. And He goes on in verse 20, He says that, “Anyone that does not hear the words of that prophet, he will die. And so there was this clear prophecy that a Prophet like Moses would be raised up, one of the reasons that we know that this is not Mohammed is because it tells us “from among their brethren.” It did not come from the descendants of Ishmael. This Prophet would come from among the brethren of Jacob.
Pastor Dick: Umm-hmm.
Pastor Doug: And of course, Jesus was that Prophet. Now they came to John the Baptist during his ministry, and they were wondering…the Jews were all looking for him and they were wondering if he was that Prophet.
Pastor Dick: I don’t know.
Pastor Doug: You can read in John Chapter 1:25.
Pastor Dick: Umm-hmm.
Pastor Doug: And the religious leaders came to John, and they were saying “Well then, why do you baptize if you are not the Messiah or Elijah come back, or that prophet?” “And they asked him, and said unto him, why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that Prophet?” (KJV) They didn’t have a name for him, and so they always called him that Prophet. Like the great Prophet that is coming like Moses.
Pastor Dick: Umm-hmm.
Pastor Doug: So Jesus was a type of Moses, and Moses spent 40 years in the wilderness, preparing to bring his people from slavery and Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness, preparing to bring us from slavery.
Pastor Dick: Yes.
Pastor Doug: And there are many parallels, between the life of Moses and Jesus. And then of course you have a passage in John 1:45, with Philip and Nathaniel. “Philip saith to Nathaniel, we have found Him, of whom Moses, and the prophets did write, Jesus of Nazareth.” Indicating that He was that Prophet.
Pastor Dick: Alright.
Pastor Doug: So I hope that helps a little bit.
Pastor Dick: Good. Our second question tonight is appropriate to what we were talking about earlier with our “Amazing Fact”. This comes from (chuckles) somebody named Thumper.
Pastor Doug: Okay.
Pastor Dick: Thumper wants to know could you please explain the Greek word “logos,” and how it applies to Jesus Christ?
Pastor Doug: Well, of course, you can read in John 1:1, where it talks about that. “In the beginning there was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.” And then you can go to 1 John 1:1, it’s very similar “That which is from the beginning which we have heard and we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and which our hands have handled the Word,” the logos of life.
Pastor Dick: Amen.
Pastor Doug: And then it tells us, that the Word became flesh, and I believe that is also, the logos became flesh.
Pastor Dick: That is right.
Pastor Doug: And dwelt among us.
Pastor Dick: Yeah, John 1:15.
Pastor Doug: So, this indicates that Christ was the Word of God incarnate. And I would like to remind you, that Jesus changed the world. Not by virtue of His good looks, or the way He could sing or dance it was the word He spoke, the truth that saved the world.
Pastor Dick: Amen.
Pastor Doug: And that is why He was the word of God incarnate.
Pastor Dick: Amen. Very good let’s go to our phones then. Are you ready?
Pastor Doug: I will pray I am, we will see.
Pastor Dick: Alright, you are ready. (Chuckles) Let’s talk with Charlene in New York, who is listening on WMCA. Hello Charlene.
Charlene: Hi, and good evening.
Pastor Doug: Good evening.
Charlene: I have a question. I heard recently, from more than one individual, that Adam had a wife named Lilith before Eve. Have you ever heard of that?
Pastor Doug: Yes, that… you won’t find that in the Bible… that comes from a Jewish tradition. And there is no scriptural basis for that. It is a… and even Orthodox Jews know this is a fable. But, I saw your question on the screen, and I thought, what is that? Then, as soon as you said Lilith, it came back to me, and I am trying to remember the mythology that goes about that. But, they say that Adam had a wife that didn’t please him, and then God made another one. But, something to that effect. Maybe another caller will call in and give us the details on that fable. But there is nothing in the Bible that teaches that at all. The Bible says very clearly at the beginning, male and female He made them. He took a rib from Adam’s side, and said this was Eve, there is nothing in the record that indicates that there was another wife prior to Eve. That is purely a Jewish myth.
Charlene: Okay. I have another quick question. I would like to study the earthly temple and Christ as our high priest--
Pastor Doug: Yeah.
Charlene: --moving through the heavenly temple. Where can I find information? Maybe on the “Amazing Facts” website?
Pastor Doug: We do at the “Amazing Facts” website have a lesson called “God Drew the Plan”.
Pastor Dick: Yeah.
Pastor Doug: Matter of fact, just go to the internet... and I am sure a lot of people use Google out there that is what I use. If you just type in the title of our lesson in quotation marks “God Drew the Plan.” Put in search bar the words Bible… and people have our Study Guides all over the internet and I am amazed when I go on there, I can find more of our material on other websites.
Pastor Dick: Yes, we are.
Pastor Doug: It’s wonderful. Yeah, we don’t mind. So if you will just type in “God Drew the Plan,” that is our Study Guide on the subject. And then I have a video presentation where I go into more detail. You can get the lesson probably for free on the internet, and the video would cost something.
Charlene: Is the video by the same name?
Pastor Doug: Let me see here. The video is called, “A Heavenly Model,” and it is based on the millennium of prophecy series we did, in New York City.
Charlene: Okay. Great and I also want to say that I am going through the Bible school right now. And it is great.
Pastor Doug: Well, bless your heart. And our offer tonight it is our first lesson in the Bible school. So if anyone wants to follow along you can call for tonight’s offer, and that will be lesson one in the Bible school, and it’s all free, and you will be blessed. Thanks for your call Charlene.
Pastor Dick: That’s right.
Charlene: Thank you.
Pastor Dick: Charlene you can go also to “Amazingfacts.org” and find that video tape, or other resources that are made available through, “Amazing Facts.” Okay?
Charlene: Okay. Thank you so much.
Pastor Dick: You are welcome. Bye-bye. Let’s go to Barren Springs, Michigan, and Dale is listening on WHME, hello Dale.
Dale: Good evening Pastors.
Pastor Doug: Good evening and how can we help you tonight?
Dale: Well, my question has to do with the sanctuary and the temple the second temple.
Pastor Doug: Okay, get a little closer to your phone Dale we can barely hear you.
Dale: Okay, sorry is that better?
Pastor Doug: That is a little better.
Dale: We know that when the exiles returned to Jerusalem right that they didn’t return with the Ark of the Covenant.
Pastor Doug: Right.
Dale: Like what did they use in the Holy place, instead of the Ark of the Covenant?
Pastor Doug: Well, when they built the temple, they made the Holy Place, as though it would be prepared to nest the Ark of the Covenant. And they were looking for it themselves when they came back. Now the most dependable… and I don’t know whether to call it… traditions, probably is the word I am looking for. The most dependable tradition about what happened to the Ark is that, before Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem with the second siege that Jeremiah and some of the priests, who had predicted the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem they hid it in a cave not very far from the city. Because, of course it is a big, heavy gold box that it used to take twelve men to carry it. So they probably did not take it very far. Now the Ethiopians say that Solomon gave it to the son of the Queen of Sheba, who he had with her. That is another myth because the Bible tells us that in the days of Hezekiah, years after Solomon, that the Ark was still there. So the Ark seems to have been in the Holy of Holies, right up until Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem. And it never appears in the stuff that Nebuchadnezzar took back to Babylon. So evidently it was hidden just prior to the destruction, somewhere not far from Jerusalem probably in a cave.
Dale: Umm-hmm.
Pastor Doug: The… I have been to Jerusalem, and it is absolutely a honeycomb of caves and tombs. And so they could have put it in somewhere, and sealed the entrance, and it would probably be sitting there today. So they built the temple hoping they would find it, but they never did. And they still believed that the presence of God was in the Holy Place, even though they did not have the Ark of the Covenant.
Dale: So did they have anything inside the Holy Place or…
Pastor Doug: I think they may have had, the same two big angels that Solomon had in the second temple that the wings stretched over the spot where the Ark was supposed to sit. See in Solomon’s temple there were four angels. Two on top of the Ark itself, and there were two big angels that their wings touched in the room. And they may have had these two big angels in there, that were supposed to represent the presence of God. But, there was no Ark. It is still over there somewhere hidden. Get yourself a good metal detector and a plane ticket to Israel okay?
Dale: Laughter.
Pastor Dick: Laughter.
Pastor Doug: And you call when you find it.
Dale: (Chuckles) and says well, thank you very much.
Pastor Doug: Alright Dale.
Pastor Dick: Thanks Dale for the call. Let’s go next to South Bend, Indiana and talk with Terrance, who is listening on WHME, hello Terrance.
Terrance: Hello, yes, I was calling to see if there is anything I can trust besides the Bible?
Pastor Doug: Well, there are things, and people you can trust that are trustworthy Terrance. So many things seem to fail. You know it is hard to trust politicians. The economy goes up and down. You can’t trust our money even though our money says in God we trust on it people trust the money.
Terrance: Yes.
Pastor Dick: And so often, it is hard to trust your own feelings.
Pastor Doug: Yes, and sometimes people let us down, and most often it is the people that are closest to us. But, God’s word is dependable. The promises and the prophecies in God’s word never fail.
Terrance: I have been going to Bible school for a while, and I am not proud to say this, but it got a little boring for a while. You know.
Pastor Doug: Well, you know what? You would really enjoy the “Amazing Facts” Bible study lessons. Because every single page is filled with pictures, and they are colorful and would you like us to send you that for free?
Terrance: Yes. Yes.
Pastor Doug: Okay, all you have got to do is, if you have got a phone there and you must if we are talking is pick up your phone, and it is a toll free phone call, it is 1-800-835-6747. Call the resource number and tell them you want to sign up for the “Amazing Facts” Bible study program.
Terrance: Okay is there any way I can give my life back to God at all?
Pastor Doug: You want to give your life back to God?
Terrance: Yes.
Pastor Doug: Absolutely. That is why we are doing what we are doing. What would prevent you from doing that right now? We could pray right now.
Terrance: I would want you to pray because I have a drug problem with the use of Marijuana.
Pastor Doug: Umm-hmm.
Terrance: So I just want to get back in church you know, and do the right thing.
Pastor Doug: Alright, well I will tell you what. Let’s have prayer for Terrance right now. And just ask God to help him get the victory. Father in heaven, we are joining together both here in the studio, and around the country as Christians lift up Terrance. Here we have a young man who has indicated an interest in returning to the Lord and being free from marijuana and all the drugs or anything that would distract him from serving You. Lord, I pray that right now You will help him to experience your Spirit--
Pastor Dick: Amen.
Pastor Doug: --in his mind and his heart. And give him the power to turn away from those things that prevent him from serving You. And help him know that You have a great plan for his life, as he trusts You from day to day. Thank You for hearing this prayer, because we ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Pastor Dick: Amen. Keep in touch with us Terrance.
Pastor Doug: And make sure and call and sign up for that Bible study course. The word will keep you from sin.
Pastor Dick: 1-800-835-6747
Pastor Doug: Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin. That is where the power is.
Pastor Dick: Call that number Terrance and ask for the Bible study course, and they will send it to you absolutely free. 1-800-835-6747. Let’s go next to Middletown, California. Bruce is listening on KFIA welcome Bruce.
Bruce: God bless you.
Pastor Doug: Hi, how are you doing?
Bruce: I want to ask questions about Moses and the prophets. In Numbers 11: verses 24, through most of the next few chapters. They are talking about a prophetic experience, where God comes upon Moses. And then the Spirit that God gives Moses He gives to the 70 elders. I can’t quite put my hands on them and then there are even two that didn’t come to church that night and they are the elders and so they get it, too, even though…
Pastor Doug: Eldad and Medad did not come, and then Joshua said that Moses, forbid them, and then he said would that all of God’s children were prophets.
Bruce: Like Pentecost, is this the experience that we’re looking at? And why would He continue His leprosy that He gave Miriam, and He gave Moses if… is that an act of God?
Pastor Doug: Well, now you are bouncing around. Let’s first…
Bruce: Well, okay then Miriam and Moses both got leprosy, during one of their meetings with God.
Pastor Doug: Well, first let’s talk about the prophecy issue.
Bruce: Okay.
Pastor Doug: And I do believe that it is God’s will, to fill all His people with His Spirit. Do you notice that He starts with the leaders? For instance, God’s Spirit fell on David, and through the influence of David it fell on the kingdom. Gods' Spirit fell on the 70 elders, and then Moses said “Would that all of His people would be prophets.” God’s Spirit fell upon the twelve apostles and the disciples in the upper room, the leaders, and then it fell on the multitudes. And so this is typical, God often does this that way. Now with regard to Aaron and Miriam, they began to give Moses a hard time because he had married an Ethiopian woman. We don’t know if that means that Zipporah was part Ethiopian, or that she had died and he had taken another wife. We are not sure. The Bible does not say, but in any event they began to give Moses a hard time, and keep in mind that Moses was their baby brother. So here you have Aaron and Miriam, who is the oldest, and they are both prophets and priests. And they are beginning to say Moses you have taken too much on yourself.
Bruce: Like Joseph?
Pastor Doug: Yeah, like Joseph’s brothers gave him a hard time. Now Miriam was stricken with leprosy, but not Moses and Aaron.
Bruce: But, Moses was before that.
Pastor Doug: When he put his hand in his bosom.
Bruce: Yeah.
Pastor Doug: That was a sign, yes, but it wasn’t a curse. But, Miriam was being punished. And they prayed for her, and Moses said well if her father spits in her face, she would still be ashamed seven days. So at least for one week, she should bear her leprosy. And so this was a chastisement, and that is why that happened. So I hope that helps a little bit Bruce, and I still think it is God’s prayer that all of us have the Holy Spirit.
Pastor Doug: Amen. Thanks for the call Bruce. To Brooklyn, New York and to Stacy on WMCA welcome Stacy.
Stacy: Hi there. My question is and I am basically asking for what is the Biblical thing to do. Just very quickly I am a college student and I just recently had to drop most of my classes, because I needed to work and get a job. Now I have been faithful tither, for like the last two and a half years. And I am trying very hard to stand on God’s word that you know, those of us who honor the Lord with our substances, and our first fruit of our increase and our barn shall be full. And our presses shall burst forth with new wine. But, in all honesty, it is very difficult, when I have bill collectors at my door, and then I have a rent that is going to be due on the 14th, for six hundred dollars, and I really don’t know where that money is coming from. I just started working, but it is not going to be enough to meet those expenses. And I am actually surprised, because I have tithed, and I just don’t want to become bitter…
Pastor Doug: Let me… I hear exactly where you are going, so forgive me for jumping in.
Stacy: No. Sure.
Pastor Doug: I have been through what you are going through testing on the tithe. And typically it happens when you are a young man, and it sounds like that is where you are at right now. You are developing a principle and a philosophy that will govern you through life. I think that God is allowing you to be tested. There is no test in being faithful, and returning your tithe to God, when you can see that your barns are full. When you don’t know how you are going to pay your rent, and pay your tithe, and when you take a step of faith, you give God a privilege. You give God a license to work a miracle for you, that He otherwise cannot work. And so do not wait until you can figure it out, and for one thing put God first and see what He does for you. And if you are going to suffer you are better off for suffering for doing right than doing wrong.
Pastor Dick: Hmm.
Stacy: Right.
Pastor Doug: And so, I don’t believe you are going to suffer. Because I believe God is going to… when God promises and you prove Him He will open for you the windows of heaven. I cannot remember how many times that I was sort of one stick ahead of the fire. And you know, I didn’t know how I was going to do it, but I said you know God, it is your problem, and I paid tithe. And you know, sometimes checks would come in the mail, and sometimes people paid back money I thought they would never pay back. Different things happened that you never thought about. God has a thousand ways to answer your prayers, when you can’t see any.
Stacy: Laughing.
Pastor Doug: So give Him a chance. And you know we have a study on the lesson of tithe, that I think that you’ll find a blessing from. If you call and ask for our Bible study on tithe they will send that to you.
Stacy: Okay, well thanks for that and God bless you.
Pastor Doug: Alright.
Pastor Dick: Thanks for the call Stacy. Stacy that number is 1-800-835-6747 and if you call that number and ask for the lesson on tithe they will send it to you tonight. No charge it is absolutely free just call our resource operators, and anybody listening. Our operators are standing by 24/7 as they say, and you can call and ask for resources.
Pastor Doug: Absolutely. You know Pastor Dick I am embarrassed. I forgot to tell you something very exciting. I came to the studio with some good news, and I forgot to tell you. “Amazing Facts” is going to make an offer that we have never made before. You know, for about 7-8 years now, you and I have been cranking out a new amazing fact at least once a week.
Pastor Dick: That’s right.
Pastor Doug: And we have now compiled that into to a book that has hundreds of amazing facts, and it is a booklet I think it has like 138 pages in it. We are going to send that book to any of our listeners if they would like, and it is an excellent resource for teachers, and pastors, for illustrations. Some of the amazing facts have three to four hundred words. Some are little one liners, for a donation of any size. If you will call the resource number, and you will get the address to mail in a donation of any size, and we will send you as a gift the book of “Amazing Facts” and it is edition number 1 because we are building edition number 2.
Pastor Dick: That’s right.
Pastor Doug: And that is as we speak, but that is a special offer that we have never made before.
Pastor Dick: That is right.
Pastor Doug: Hey friends this is not the end of the program. You hear our background music, because we are taking a break for us to get a drink of water, and to catch our breath. It is also time for you to check out our website if you are near your computer. That is of course “Amazingfacts.org.” If you would like to know more about how to study Bible prophecy online, then check out the “Amazing Facts” website called “Bibleuniversity.com,” “Bibleuniversity.com,” and you can get a degree as an apostle of prophecy. You might say and understand the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation. In a few moments we will be back with more phone calls and Bible questions.
[COMMERCIAL BREAK]
Pastor Doug: Welcome back listening friends to “Bible Answers Live” you have found your way to a live, interactive, international Bible study. And you can participate by calling the toll free number, and asking any Bible question. As we answer questions lines are freed up. So if you first try and don’t get through keep trying. My name is Doug Batchelor.
Pastor Dick: My name is Dick Devitt, and Pastor Doug, for the past couple of weeks we have been asking our listeners or anyone who has an amazing fact and would like to share it with us, to write it down in three hundred words or less, and send it to us by email or snail mail, or any way they can get it to us.
Pastor Doug: Absolutely.
Pastor Dick: We will look at them, and edit them down, and possibly use them on future programs. Now you have just told us a few minutes ago that you are going to be giving away this book of “Amazing Facts” that we have put together over the last seven to eight years.
Pastor Doug: Volume one is ready, hundreds of illustrations, and amazing facts that have been compiled over seven or eight years.
Pastor Dick: That’s what is really exciting. Anybody who will call or will send a donation of any size to “Amazing Facts” we’ll send that book to you absolutely free.
Pastor Doug: They need to just be sure and mention, I would like the book of “Amazing Facts.”
Pastor Dick: Okay. Alright.
Pastor Doug: Well, that is a gift, for a gift.
Pastor Dick: So please folks, we want to hear from you. And if you have an amazing fact send it to us at “Amazingfacts.org.”, We would like to hear from you, and use the amazing facts. Let’s go back to the phones Pastor Doug. Going to Lakewell, New York. Ann is on WMCA Ann welcome.
Ann: Yes, thank you. God gave me the courage to call and an honor to speak with both of you.
Pastor Dick: Yes.
Ann: My question is how many people were on earth when God flooded it?
Pastor Doug: During the time of Noah’s flood we are not sure exactly. But if you think about it for a minute Ann, if Noah and the people that lived back then all measured their life in centuries the Bible seems to indicate that, Adam of course lived 935 years, and Noah was I think 950 years, and Methuselah 969. They were all nearly living a millennium.
Pastor Dick: Umm-hmm.
Pastor Doug: And not only did Adam and Eve have Cain and Abel and Seth it says that in Chapter 5 of Genesis, that they also had sons and daughters. They probably were talking about a woman’s clock for giving birth, when you count down from our present age, that clock starts to tick down as they get near fifty as an average and… but, can you imagine how big your families would be if the child bearing age was between 80 and 500?
Pastor Dick: Hmm.
Pastor Doug: Then you start doing the exponential multiplication, and it happens like that during that time. And some have said, it could have been over a billion people living in the world when the first flood of Noah came. So I hope that helps you a little bit Ann. Does that answer your question?
Ann: Yes, thanks very much.
Pastor Doug: You’re welcome, we don’t know the exact figure. But it is sort of sad when you consider that it says, that only eight people were saved.
Pastor Dick: Right.
Ann: Yes.
Pastor Doug: So, many are called, but very few respond.
Ann: Praise the Lord.
Pastor Doug: Alright God bless you.
Pastor Dick: Thanks Ann for the call.
Ann: Alright. Bye-bye.
Pastor Dick: Going to Lynn, Massachusetts Gene on WROL welcome Gene.
Gene: Hey, how is it going?
Pastor Doug: Good, and thanks for waiting.
Gene: I have a question and a follow up question first. You said something about the Ark being somewhere, and we don’t quite know where it is. I want to know what you think about Revelation 11:19 that says, that John tells us that the temple of God was opened, and he saw the Ark of the Covenant.
Pastor Doug: Yes. Well, you will see all the furniture of the sanctuary is mentioned in Revelation. Jesus appears among seven candlesticks, chapters 2 & 3, and you also see it talks about the altar of incense in Revelation it talks about the Holy Place when God goes in the veil. So that is very common to see all of these things, and that does not necessarily mean in Revelation where it talks… where’s that Chapter 19:11 where it talks about the Ark of the Covenant being seen? That doesn’t mean it is going to be discovered on earth. Jesus said heaven and earth have to pass away before His word passes away, and not one jot or tittle would pass from the law. Well, God’s got the original transcript in heaven. And I think that is what it is telling us I saw heaven open.
Gene: Okay
Pastor Doug: And your second question?
Gene: Yes, I wanted to ask you about something on Leviticus 19:27. Where it says the Israelites should not have any round corners on their head, or cut the corners of their beards off. So is it just relevant to them and if so, why is that? What makes us think that it is only for them, and not for us?
Pastor Doug: Well, first of all they're not shaving the corners of their beards is mentioned in connection with the dead. See the pagans… and if you read in verse 28, it says, “Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, and that’s the following verse. The pagans had a practice of cutting off their beards, cutting their flesh, and mutilating themselves when someone they loved died. Now God did allow the Israelites to tear their clothes for the dead, this is what Job did. Remember when Job he shaved his head, and tore his clothes when his sons died. And that was a custom back then. Some people have taken that to mean that God has mandated, it is a sin to shave. And you don’t find that in the Bible. The Bible says that Joseph shaved just before he went to see the Pharaoh. The Bible tells us about Mephibosheth, who shaved after David came back from running from Absalom. So this was simply a law, that they were not to imitate the pagans in mutilating themselves, and cutting their hair off as a sign for mourning their dead.
Gene: Yeah, I can see that in verse 28, and but… is that like a Biblical fact that says they should shave in connection to the dead? Do you know what I am saying?
Pastor Doug: Well, you say, is there any kind of Biblical law that says you should shave? You’re wondering if it specifically says you’re not supposed to cut the corners of your beard?
Gene: No, because I can see where in verse 28 they were making cuttings for the dead. I want to know if it says specifically, it was a custom to shave?
Pastor Doug: No the Bible doesn’t tell us that, that was a custom, but you read it in context and of course this is not only Leviticus 19:27. You can also find this in Leviticus 21:5, “They shall not make baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard, nor make any cuttings in their flesh.” (KJV) Now do you notice the connection? All in the same verse now, he mentions the same thing. And in the prior verse he talks about the pagans doing it for the dead.
Gene: Okay.
Pastor Doug: So I think that there is strong evidence there.
Gene: Alright, I am glad and I am going to be keeping my beard. Thank you.
Pastor Doug: Alright, thanks a lot.
Gene: Have a good one.
Pastor Doug: I have no burden to get you to shave.
Pastor Dick: Thanks for the call Gene. To Bridgeport, Connecticut where Dawn is listening is listening on WMCA welcome Dawn.
Dawn: Hi.
Pastor Doug: Hi Dawn how can we help you tonight?
Dawn: Yes, I have a question. I was wondering if a person goes to a church, and that person has food and clothing needs and they also have fellowship needs. And the Pastor of the church will either provide food and clothing for the person, or else he will get somebody else to help the person out. What about fellowship? Is it Biblical or a responsibility of the Pastor to have the person that needs the fellowship in their house like on Christmas or on Thanksgiving or Easter or their birthday? Is that Biblical?
Pastor Doug: Well, yes and no. Let me explain Dawn. One of the gifts of the Spirit is hospitality. Some people have a gift of hospitality, but the Bible does say that all Christians in general should care for their fellow man. In the great judgment day, it says I was hungry and you gave me food and I was a stranger and you took me in. And so Christians should feel empathy and a compassion for people who need--who are lonely. It says I was in prison or the hospital or sick and you came to me. But, there is nothing in the Bible where it says that Pastors are required to take people in and a matter of fact you find the opposite in the Bible. Jesus said to the apostles and whatever home you enter eat whatever they feed you. So it was customary as Paul and the other preachers traveled and they, the itinerant preachers, were taken in often by the people. The local people and the elders, they would entertain strangers and take people in. All Christians did that, not just the Pastors. And that is what we are talking about when we talk about fellowship. So I hope that helps to answer your question Dawn and I don’t think we have had that one in a good while.
Pastor Dick: That’s a good question and thanks for the call Dawn. To Virginia Beach, Virginia and Felix is listening on WWVA welcome Felix.
Felix: Hello Pastors how are you?
Pastor Doug: Good and how can we help you tonight?
Felix: Well, my question was from 1st Corinthians Chapter 15:29 about the baptism of the dead. Are we supposed to perform baptisms for the dead?
Pastor Doug: You know that verse has often been misunderstood. First of all, we should never build a doctrine on one verse. The Bible says in the mouth of two or three witnesses let a thing be established. Secondly, when the Bible tells us that after a person dies that their destiny is sealed it is appointed unto man once to die and after that the judgment. So the idea that we can be saved based on someone else getting baptized for us on our behalf we all have the freedom to choose. Ezekiel says that the son will not bear the wickedness of the father the father will not bear the wickedness or the righteousness of the son. And that is Ezekiel Chapter 18: 20 and so you can also find it in Ezekiel 14:14 & 16. It’s because of the concept that we can get baptized on behalf of somebody else the Bible does not teach that anywhere. Paul is basically ridiculing and he is reproving the Corinthians. He says here on one hand you claim that the resurrection has already happened and or there is no resurrection and on the other hand you baptize people for the dead. If you don’t believe there is a resurrection, then why baptize for the dead, if the dead don’t rise? Do you see what I am saying? He is not saying to baptize for the dead. He is not found anywhere in the Bible where Paul says make sure to get baptized for the dead. Jesus and the apostles never said that. Paul is speaking to the Corinthians who had many problems and he chastises them to their face in the full first letter. In the second letter he actually has to apologize or tone it down a little bit because he came on so heavy. And among their false doctrines and the confusing things they were doing is, they didn’t understand the resurrection and then they were baptizing their dead relatives who didn’t understand the gospel and then Paul was not condoning this. He was saying how ridiculous. You don’t believe in the resurrection and yet you are baptizing for the dead. That is all that he meant.
Felix: Oh, okay.
Pastor Doug: So each man has to make their own decision.
Felix: Right, well that is pretty clear then.
Pastor Doug: Alright, thanks you so much. God bless you Felix.
Pastor Dick: Alright and thanks for the call Felix. God bless. To Newark, New Jersey to WMCA and David welcome David.
David: How are you tonight?
Pastor Doug: Very well how are you David?
David: Pretty well, thank you. I just wanted to ask you is God one, or is God three persons in one God?
Pastor Doug: God is a being comprised of three persons. You have got God the Father, God the Son and God the Spirit. The Bible tells us what the characteristics of God are and in the beginning God created the heaven and the earth and then a little later God says let us make man in our image plural. And you have at the baptism of Jesus God the Father, saying this is my beloved Son and God the Son in the water and God the Holy Spirit coming down in the form of a dove. The Bible says that there are three that bear witness in heaven. That would be what we call the Godhead, God the Father, Son and Spirit. So there are three persons in the Godhead.
David: There is a Supreme Being and God is the Supreme Being and how can there be three supreme beings in one supreme God?
Pastor Doug: Alright, well let me answer that. In the Bible you read where a man and a woman get married and become one flesh. There was never a problem anywhere in the Bible where people understood the concept of one of several individuals being one. The Bible tells us that Jesus prayed that the twelve apostles would be one. That means that they would be united and God the Son and Spirit are united as one in their purpose of creation and redemption. And we have a Study Guide online that talks about the “Trinity, is it Biblical” and David if you don’t mind go on “Amazing Facts dot org” and read it there. In the top tight hand corner, you will see free library we have a magazine article called the “Trinity, is it Biblical” and it has a whole Bible study. We get this question a lot and thanks for calling.
Pastor Dick: Alright, thanks for the call David. Let’s go next to Orlando, Florida, where Michael is listening on WTLN. Hi Michael.
Michael: Hi, Pastor Doug.
Pastor Doug: Hi Michael how are you doing?
Michael: I am fine. My comment is related to the opening comments you made in the broadcast regarding Jesus facing the second death.
Pastor Doug: Yes.
Michael: Well, I have resolved that in my own thinking and I would like to share it. Then can you comment on it?
Pastor Doug: If it is brief because we typically take questions rather than comments, but go ahead.
Michael: I believe that Jesus redeemed all of humanity and that was the humanity that died on the cross. I believe that when He was resurrected what was resurrected was a glorified humanity.
Pastor Doug: Hey, I like that and I am glad you shared that. I agree with that and what suffered the second death was the physical humanity of Christ.
Michael: That is correct. I just wanted to see if you would agree with that.
Pastor Doug: Yes, I do. Matter of fact, you don’t mind if I borrow it because it's a good answer.
Michael: Please, please do. Because when I first heard about that Jesus faced the second death, it didn’t puzzle me because, of course we know that there is not a resurrection from the second death.
Pastor Doug: When Christ rose He rose with His glorified body so what suffered the second death was His physical body.
Michael: That is correct.
Pastor Doug: That is good I think that rings true with me and everything else you said with everything else I see in the Bible and I like that. I appreciate you sharing that. Now did you have a question, too, or was that it?
Michael: So that was basically it. It was to get your comment.
Pastor Doug: Yeah, that is good. I appreciate that. I’ll use that.
Michael: Okay, God bless.
Pastor Doug: Thanks so much Michael.
Pastor Dick: Thanks for the call Michael. To Spokane, Washington and Randy is calling from KEEH. Hi Randy.
Randy: Hi.
Pastor Doug: Hi and thanks for waiting your question?
Randy: My question is on Daniel Chapter 11 how do you understand that? Has it been fulfilled and then specifically 1290 days and the 1335 days can you explain that?
Pastor Doug: Okay, Daniel 11 is different than the 1335 it is in Daniel 12.
Randy: Well, that’s right well what I should say is 11 & 12.
Pastor Doug: Well, you are right Daniel 11 & 12 is really all one vision and it is interrupted and I-the only way I can read that is of course that Daniel 11 it begins with a vision and it takes him from the time of the Persian kingdom and until the second coming. So it is probably one of the deepest chronological prophecies in the Bible in that it just sort of goes through the succeeding battles between good and evil and various kingdoms right from the time of Daniel dealing with a major Empire until the second coming. Now you asked a question about the 1290 to 1260 and the 1335 days, which are prophecies in Daniel 12. Are you still there?
Randy: Yeah.
Pastor Doug: First of all, I believe that there is a historical fulfillment of these. I think a lot of the prophecies you can find a historical fulfillment for. But, I also see that there is sometimes a dual application. For instance, Daniel 12 begins with Michael standing up in a great time of trouble and a resurrection and in the very last verses of Daniel 12 deal with the resurrection. The angel says you will rest and stand in your lot at the end of the days. So the context of Daniel 12 is dealing with the very last days and I can’t escape that.
So now what do those time periods mean. Well, it may be possible that the time of trouble is divided or sometimes people call it the tribulation is divided in two parts. You have what they call a small time of trouble where people cannot buy or sell if they do not receive the mark of the beast. And there will be a lot of strife and people will be making decisions for the truth and people will be leaving the truth during that time.
And then you have got the great time of trouble, such as never has been since the death decree is pronounced on anyone who does not receive the mark of the beast. And during that time is when the seven last plagues fall out. The difference between the 1290 days Randy and the 1335 is 45 days.
Randy: Right.
Pastor Doug: Now I want you to think about something if you go to Revelation 18 when it talks about the plagues falling on Babylon there are three times it says one hour. In one hour she is made desolate, in one hour she comes to financial ruin and it seems like her curse comes in three sections and they are all set to one hour. If a day equals a year in prophecy now I know I am going to be dealing out some meat right now out to people so I am hoping that the Bible students out there who like prophecy will write this down. If a day equals a year in prophecy and a Jewish year are 360 days in a year they had a lunar calendar. One Hour is one / 24th of a day. If a day equals a year on prophetic prophecy, then an hour is fifteen days. Three times in Revelation 18 it mentions one hour, one hour, one hour, and three times fifteen is 45. So here you have got a 45 day period in Revelation where the plagues are falling and you have got a 45 day period in Daniel 12. How long do you think that the plagues lasted that fell on Egypt? Well, it all happened within a couple of months. If you just add it up. Have you ever studied that Randy?
Randy: I never really studied how long it is.
Pastor Doug: Yeah they just came back to back. It was just a few weeks when those ten plagues fell. And it is possible that these seven last plagues might take, but the time of trouble might take 3 ½ years. The seven last plagues may only take 45 days. That is a theory of mine and I don’t teach strongly it is just my own personal study and if someone asks me I will tell them. I am not dogmatic about it, okay. On Daniel 12 the jury is still out and I have a lot to learn.
Randy: Okay, but you think that 45 days’ difference is the seven last plagues?
Pastor Doug: Yes, and I think that is why it says that blessed are those that make it to the 1335. Why else would you be blessed? It says you will stand in your lot at the end of the days. What days? The 1335 days. So I think that is reaching to the resurrection and now that is not setting the date that the Lord is coming because we don’t know the study period. Do you see what I am saying?
Randy: Yeah
Pastor Doug: It tells how long something is going to happen or how long something is going to take. And I need to keep moving because we have a few others waiting. Thanks Randy.
Randy: Alright and thanks.
Pastor Doug: Randy, thanks for the call.
Pastor Dick: Thanks for the call Randy. To Brooklyn, New York Darius is listening on WMCA welcome Darius. Darius, hello, Darius?
Darius: Yes.
Pastor Doug: Hi. Thanks for waiting and your question tonight?
Darius: My question is why do you think Cain killed his brother Abel? I have a brother and sometimes I get angry at him, but I don’t think as angry as Cain to kill him.
Pastor Doug: Well, let’s hope not. But, they say the majority of murders in North America happen within the home. And so you want to be very careful. But, I had a brother that I was very close with growing up. And he and I nearly dispatched each other a couple of times. We did, we fought like brothers. We loved each other very passionately as we got older, but when we were younger and you know why?
Pastor Dick: Fought like brothers, huh?
Pastor Doug: Do you know why Cain wanted to kill his brother Darius is because of jealousness that Abel was good. The goodness of Abel made the badness of Cain stand out. Abel’s sacrifice was accepted by the Lord and Cain did it his own way and God said it was a bad idea and that offended his pride. So the main reason was because of pride and that still happens today. That is why the devil rebelled was because of pride. Darius a good question and be patient with your brother.
Pastor Dick: To Brooklyn, New York and Jill is listening on WMCA hello Jill.
Jill: Hi, how are you?
Pastor Doug: Good how are you doing?
Jill: Good and I have a question about clean and unclean. I learned that some of the foods we eat are unclean. Like chickens, which don’t always eat things that are clean and I wondered why we are still allowed to eat it?
Pastor Doug: Well the foods that God specified in the Bible as being clean or unclean is typically the scavengers, but not all of them. Some of the animals that God said are unclean like a horse. A horse principally eats grass right next to a cow, but there are things about a horse’s digestive system and stuff where it doesn’t process its’ food as thoroughly. A cow has three or five stomachs I forget.
Jill: Well the reason I was asking about chickens is that chickens don’t always eat things that are clean.
Pastor Doug: That is true and they eat things we don’t want to talk about on the radio.
Jill: Exactly.
Pastor Doug: Well, there are some birds that are called foraging birds. Those are ones that gross around and those would be birds like quails, pigeons, turkeys they are your foraging birds. They were the birds that were clean to eat. I don’t eat any meat because I went to a chicken slaughter house and I got the victory when I was about ten years old.
Pastor Dick: Laughter.
Pastor Doug: The school took us to this slaughter house and I don’t know why they did that with the kids, but I have kept chickens before and they will eat just about anything. But, in the wild, they are a little bit more discriminating they eat bugs and things that might be a little cleaner. When they are in a barnyard they eat what the other animals leave behind. But, technically God says that chickens are clean to eat so I think a person needs to be intelligent about any animal they eat and make sure that it is raised in a healthy environment even the clean animals.
Jill: Right and there really isn’t any way to know that for sure.
Pastor Doug: Well, unless you have friends who have an organic farm I would be real careful about animal products these days. There I more and more stuff we are finding out. Okay?
Jill: Okay, thank you very much.
Pastor Doug: Alright.
Pastor Dick: Thanks Jill. To Victorville, California Tim is listening to us on the World Wide Web.
Tim: How are you doing?
Pastor Doug: Good and thanks for calling.
Tim: I wanted to know what does the word wormwood mean? As found in Revelation Chapter 8:11.
Pastor Doug: Well wormwood... it was a very bitter drug that they had and it was a tea that they would derive from a plant and it was very bitter to drink and had a narcotic effect. The wormwood that it talks about in Revelation is a symbol for the same thing. Now help me real quick what does that verse say?
Tim: It says it is made up... a star named wormwood.
Pastor Doug: In Revelation 8:11? Okay, there we go, yeah, this is talking about... it is probably talking about Lucifer. Who is that fallen star.
Tim: Oh, I see.
Pastor Doug: Yeah. The Bible says oh Lucifer how you have fallen from heaven. Many believe that he is the bitter and fallen star that came down.
Tim: Oh, okay.
Pastor Doug: You can read... well let me see... where is it? Yeah wormwood is also compared in the Bible to trials bitter trials. The children of Israel ate bitter herbs and this is talking about a bitter time that God’s people will go through and the devil is often the one who brings those trials. Deuteronomy 29:18 is one of the cross references here. It says, “Lest there should be among you a root that bears gall” and that was a drug they tried to give Jesus on the cross, “and wormwood” they were very bitter narcotics. I think it is talking about the doctrines of the trials that--
Tim: The ones in Babylon?
Pastor Doug: ... yeah the trials that the devil will bring to God’s people in the last days. The fact that it is a flaming star means that it is a false light. The real stars are constant, falling stars are temporary.
Tim: Okay, thank you. God bless.
Pastor Doug: Alright. God bless. Well, Pastor Dick the engineers are telling us that might be our last question. Otherwise, we would just have to cut somebody off half way through.
Pastor Dick: Tell us about the book again.
Pastor Doug: Friends we are making an offer tonight that we have never done before. We have assembled the amazing facts that we have used in this program and I think we have every one of them plus many more. They were too short and we couldn’t find a way to apply them specifically to a Bible lesson and we did hundreds of amazing facts. This is great for those of you who have home Bible studies and it is just great home entertaining reading. If you are flying on a plane or a Pastor and want some Bible illustrations we will send that to you for free. It is called “The Book of Amazing Facts: Volume 1” for a gift of any size. So you need to write us at “Amazing Facts," and specifically mention you want the book. That is like the free offer inside with purchase.
Pastor Dick: Laughter.
Pastor Doug: It isn’t really free if we are asking for a donation. But, if you want to make a donation of any size we will send you that book. It helps us keep in touch and know that people are out there listening. Thank you for your prayers and your support and we’d love to hear from you. And you can keep in touch all week long via the website and listen to our TV and radio there. The website is where you can download a plethora of Bible study materials in our free library as well as the catalog that is online. So friends keep in touch, pray for us and we pray for you and most of all we want you to remember the reason we do this is because Jesus is the truth that sets you free.
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