Hello friends, this is Doug Bachelor. Can you imagine your dismay, if you are out scuba diving with friends in the open sea? As you’re enjoying the little fish and creatures, you lose track of time, then you surfaced to discover your friends have departed, leaving you behind in shark-infested waters, and the sun is going down. It’s happened more than once. Stay with us friends, we’re going to learn more as Amazing Facts brings you this edition of Bible Answers Live.
[PROGRAM INTRODUCTION]
Pastor Doug: We hope you do call. If you have a Bible question, that’s why we’re here. If you have any question about the Christian life or God’s word, give us a call. That number is 1-800-GOD-SAYS. Lines are open now, good chance of getting your question on tonight’s program, 1-800-463-7297. You are listening to Bible Answers Live, and my name is Doug Bachelor.
Pastor Jëan Ross: And my name is Jëan Ross. Good evening listening friends. Pastor Doug, let’s begin the program with prayer. Father, once again we thank you that we have this opportunity to study your word. We know that the Bible is your book and in order for us to correctly understand it, we need your leading and your guiding. So we ask for your presence to be with us here in the studio and be with those who are listening, wherever they might be, lead us into a clear understanding of your will for our lives. In Jesus’ name we ask, amen.
Pastor Doug: Amen.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Pastor Doug, you opened the program by describing a very fearful scene, being left out at sea. You surfaced after scuba diving to discover that while your boat is gone and you’re miles out in open water, surrounded by sharks.
Pastor Doug: (Laughing). You know, just a couple of weeks ago, I guess about a week ago, I was in Hawaii with my dear wife. We were at a Bible conference, but we took some time and went scuba diving in one of the World War II wrecks there. And we just love scuba diving. So when we hear these stories and this did happen last month in Florida, a tour group went out with about 30 people to do some scuba diving and when they loaded up and pulled out, they left two of them behind. And you can imagine the concern when Paul Kline and Fernando Garcia Puerta surfaced and looked around and saw no boat. And they knew that they were in waters that, you know, sharks especially become more active in at night. That would be a little unnerving, make you feel a little helpless to be in the open sea with nothing but a scuba tank, snorkel and some fins. Eventually, they were picked up at just about 6 o’clock, another boat heading in to the Miami Coast saw these two people clinging to a fish buoy. And they were very relieved, the report is, when they were rescued. You know, there’s a lot of people who wonder about being left behind when Jesus comes. There’s a lot of questions.
There’s a very popular book series dealing with that subject of being left behind and what that means and the secret rapture and the scenarios of people who are going about their daily events: driving a car, shopping, or resting, or flying in the plane, and all of a sudden those around them disappear. And then they’re left behind. And life goes on for seven more years, albeit through a tribulation. And a lot of folks are surprised to learn that that whole scenario of the second coming is not supported by the Bible and was not taught until the last 80 or 100 years. It’s a fairly new interpretation of last day chronology. If people are interested in what the Bible really says about who is left behind, matter of fact we’ve got some verses, I think you’ve got them cued up, that they are often used, or maybe even misunderstood, dealing with the subject of two women grinding at the mill. And do you have that for us, Pastor Ross?
Pastor Jëan Ross: You know, it’s in Luke chapter 17, beginning around verse 15 where it describes that there’s two women grinding at the mill. The one is taken, the other is left. Two men working in the field, the one is taken, the other left. And then two men in one bed, the one is taken, and the other left. And people say, well, what is this really all about?
Pastor Doug: Yeah, and folks are taking that, think that it means that all of a sudden, like a magician would make, you know, a rabbit disappear, people will just go poof and start disappearing and their clothes falling heap on the floor because they’ve gone on to heaven and people are left behind. And they say, “See? We told you, Jesus was coming like a thief.” But if you read the verses in the Bible where it talks about Jesus coming like a thief, it makes it very clear that life does not continue on earth after that happens. Second Peter chapter 3 says, “The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night,” in verse 10, “in which the heavens pass away with a great noise and the elements melt with fervent heat.” So when the Lord comes as a thief, does life continue on earth for seven more years? It says the world basically vaporizes with intense heat when Jesus comes. Elements pass away with a great noise, the earth and the things in it are burnt up, so a lot of confusion on this subject. Friends, if you’d like to understand more about what the Bible really does say about the events connected with the second coming, how that’s going to happen, please send for the free offer we’re making available tonight.
Pastor Jëan Ross: It’s a book entitled “Anything But Secret.” “Anything But Secret” talks about the second coming of Christ. If you’d like to receive this book, give us a call on our resource line. The number is 1-800-835-6747. The number again is 1-800-835-6747 and asks for the book “Anything But Secret.” You can also go to the Amazing Facts website, amazingfacts.org, and you can click on the free library. And you can read that book online. It’s amazingfacts.org. Well, Pastor Doug, I think we’re ready to go to the phone lines. Our first caller this evening is Gary and he is listening from Colorado Springs, listening on the internet. Gary, welcome to the program.
Gary: Hello.
Pastor Doug: Evening. And your question tonight?
Gary: Yeah, my question, it’s kind of like two questions in one.
Pastor Doug: Okay.
Gary: It revolves around Hebrews 2:16 and 2:7.
Pastor Doug: Okay.
Gary: In 2:16, it’s talking about that Jesus did not take on the nature of the angels but took on the nature of the seed of Abraham. That kind of implies that the angels are a little bit higher than the humans as far as class goes. And I am wondering, you know, how does that class distinction work given the fact that Lucifer and a third of the angels in heaven also sin, so that would put them kind of on an equal level with the sinful nature of men.
Pastor Doug: Well, the Bible also says in Psalms, and maybe Pastor Ross will look up the reference, that man was made a little lower than the angels. I think that’s even referred to, again, I think it’s quoted by Paul again in Hebrews. And so, there’s a distinction between men and angels and for one thing, angel are created. They’re directly made by the Lord whereas men procreate in their own image. Do you have that reference?
Pastor Jëan Ross: Well, actually, it’s three times that you can read that in the Bible: Psalms 8:5, where it speaks of men being made a little lower than the angels, and then Paul quotes that in Hebrews 2:7, and then with reference to Jesus, in Hebrews 2:9, he says, “But we see Jesus who was made a little lower than the angels.”
Pastor Doug: Meaning that He became a myth.
Pastor Jëan Ross: When He came to the earth.
Pastor Doug: So I don’t know, when you’re asking about the class distinction between the angels and men, yes, the angels do have a free will evidently because some chose to follow Lucifer and they became the evil angels.
Gary: Yes.
Pastor Doug: But there’s a difference in their ministering spirits and angels that excel in strength, the Bible says, I think they’re stronger physically than humans are. One angel killed a hundred and eighty-five thousand soldiers. So I think they’re stronger. So I don’t know if I’m answering your question. Are you there, Gary?
Gary: Yeah, hold one second. Okay. But the way 2:16 in the King James reads is that… let me see…“For verily….
Pastor Doug: I’ve got it. “For verily he took not on him the nature of angels, but he took on him the seed of Abraham.” And the seed of Abraham is just saying a man. He came through the line of Abraham but he’s basically saying it wasn’t the nature of an angel, but it was the nature of a man.
Pastor Jëan Ross: And that’s why we all said that reference that we mentioned just a few moments ago, when talking about Jesus in Hebrews 2:9, it says, “But Jesus was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor.” So when He took upon Himself humanity, He came lower than the angels, to redeem us.
Pastor Doug: Not that the descendants of Abraham are higher or lower than any other human but there is a distinction between the power and the knowledge, and the content of angels and humans.
Gary: Okay. And I think that might have been part of where my confusion was, was I was looking at both of them being the nature of, whereas one of them is the nature of and the other one is the seed of.
Pastor Doug: Now, you might be interested. We have a book that we’ve recently written that is called “Who Are the Sons of God?” And it actually is called “Angels, Alien or Adopted: Who Are the Sons of God?” That question about the sons of God, marrying the daughters of men from Genesis chapter 6, a lot of people ask questions on that. I think that book is just going to just come off the press now and you might have a question about that, if you call the resource number, we’ll send you a copy. It talks about the distinction of humans and angels in more detail in that book. And it’s free.
Pastor Jëan Ross: The number again is 1-800-835-6747, and the book again, Pastor Doug is…
Pastor Doug: “Who Are the Sons of God?”
Pastor Jëan Ross: “Who Are the Sons of God?” That is 1-800-835-6747. We have Bob who is listening from Washington. Bob, welcome to the program.
Bob: Good evening.
Pastor Doug: Evening, Bob.
Bob: Yes, I have a question in Revelation regarding the battle of Armageddon?
Pastor Doug: Okay.
Bob: Revelation 16:16, they gather them together at a place called in Hebrew, Armageddon. And then in Revelation 19:19, it talks about they were gathered together to make war against him who set on the horse, I guess, that’s Jesus…
Pastor Doug: Right.
Bob: …and against His army. Are these one the same events?
Pastor Doug: And then if you don’t mind, I’ll add one more. If you look in Revelation chapter 12 verse 17, it says, “The dragon is wroth with the woman and he goes to make war with the remnant of her seed that keep the commandments of God and the testimony of Jesus.” So in the end, there is a final, a great battle between those who follow Christ and those who follow the beast and the devil.
Bob: But is that Armageddon then?
Pastor Doug: That is the ultimate battle. The battle of Armageddon is kind of stretched out over a series of wars. Part of that battle is fought when Jesus comes. It’s concluded ultimately at the end of the millennium.
Bob: Yes, because I noticed at the end of the millennium that they all come and attacked the Holy City but the fire comes down from God.
Pastor Doug: Right. Out of heaven and devours them and that’s in Revelation 21.
Bob: Devours them. In 19:19, the sword comes out of the mouth of Jesus to slay the enemies.
Pastor Doug: Yeah, well, there’s been an ongoing war through the ages between God and the enemies of God and the word of God, you notice it says that one of the heads of the beast is wounded with the sword.
Bob: Right.
Pastor Doug: The sword is a symbol for the word of God. That’s why it’s coming out of the mouth from Jesus.
Bob: That’s what I gather. I don’t think there’s a literal sword coming out of the mouth.
Pastor Doug: Right. And you also have that in Hebrews 4, it says, “The word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword.” Ephesians 6 tell us “the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God.” But back to the battle of Armageddon, we are not of the opinion that when it talks about the battle of Armageddon, it’s talking about the Valley of Jezreel that there’s going to--you know, the armies of Russia and China and everybody were going to come against Israel. We really see the battle of Armageddon as being a final showdown between those who are following the Lord that have the seal of God and those who have the mark of the beast.
Bob: Right.
Pastor Doug: And we have a book that talks about the battle of Armageddon. If you’d like us to send you a free copy of that, Bob, I think it would help.
Pastor Jëan Ross: It’s entitled, “Armageddon.” And if you’d call 1-800-835-6747, our resource line, ask for the book “Armageddon,” we’ll be happy to send that out to you, Bob, or anyone listening who’d like to know more as what the Bible has to say about this final showdown between good and evil. The book again is “Armageddon.” We have Phil who is listening from Grand Rapids, Michigan. Phil, welcome to the program.
Phil: Hi. Thanks for taking my call. My question is, I went to a large megachurch in Greenville, Michigan, and the pastor taught us that the tribulation period has already taken place before 70 AD, and he teaches that through doing good works, through social justice, through fighting global warming, that we are going to prepare the way for a spiritual return of Jesus Christ to planet earth. And I’d just like to hear your thoughts about the tribulation period and if Jesus’ return is going to be a spiritual return or literal return.
Pastor Doug: Alright, I appreciate that. I would have to respectfully disagree with the pastor you heard because he’s obviously--it’s what you call a preterist. Preterists view Revelation as they think most prophecies were fulfilled by a hundred AD anyway, and they think that the Nero was the Antichrist and that everything that John said really applied to what was happening way back in their day. And I think the devil loves that because he sort of shuns all of this biblical interpretation to prepare us for the end of the world. It’s said “that’s all in the past don’t worry about it.” And that the second coming is really spiritual and instead of people being ready, but what language could Jesus use that He didn’t use to emphasize the reality of His coming? He said every eye will see Him. It will be like lighting shining from the east to the west. If anyone tells you that it’s secret, look here, look there, don’t believe it, there’ll be many false Christ. I mean, everything Jesus said was to warn against that very teaching. And I don’t know what words He left out that He could have used to emphasize how real and literal His coming would be. When He ascended to heaven, He told the disciples where the angels appeared.
Two angels said, “The same Jesus who’s gone up into heaven that you’ve seen ascent is going to come in the same way you’ve seen Him go.” He left, He was real. He left in the clouds. He’s coming in the clouds. So, yeah, it’s going to be--you would appreciate the book that we’re offering “Anything But Secret.” That talks more about that. Now, I do believe that Christians have a work of social justice to do. I mean, I think we’re supposed to, according to Matthew 25, you know, He said, “I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me drink.” This is Matthew 25:31 to the end of the chapter. “I was naked and you clothed me. I was in prison or sick and you visited me.” Christians should be caring about our fellowmen. But we should also be giving those who are hungry the bread of life, thirsty of the living water. They’re without righteousness, the robe of Christ’s righteousness, or imprisoned by sin, victory or liberation. So there’s a spiritual analogy for each of those as well. I’m probably answering more than you’re asking right now.
Phil: Oh, no, no. I appreciate all of it. One more quick thing, He would also teach that that the--okay, He would also teach that in the end love wins and almost everyone’s going to eventually end up in heaven and the hell is a place of redemption and that people will have another chance to change their mind in hell and eventually end up in heaven.
Pastor Doug: Well, let me share with you what I think about that. I think that’s a doctrine of devils. If a pastor’s telling people that everybody’s going to be saved and he’s speaking diametrically opposite of the words of Christ where Christ said, “Broad is the way that leads to destruction and few there’d be that’d find it. He says, “Strive to enter at the strait gate: for many will seek to enter and not be able.”
Pastor Jëan Ross: It’s Matthew chapter 7 verse 13.
Pastor Doug: Yeah, that’s right. Thank you. And then, in Revelation it’s clear that those who’d follow the beast, it’s the most fierce-full denunciation you find in all the Scripture in Revelation chapter 14. Again, if someone is teaching those things, then I don’t know how they’re interpreting all these other verses that are so clear that there is a punishment for the lost, and that now, we have to make a decision for eternal destiny. The devil loves it when a pastor says, “Just don’t worry about it. You know, (laughs) hell is a place of redemption.” I’m sorry, if it wasn’t so tragic, I shouldn’t even laugh. But it is. I’m just laughing at the absurdity that someone would say hell is a place of redemption because it’s so clear that they are forever lost. If a person ends up in a lake of fire, there is no hope. And we also have a study guide that talks about the devil in charge of hell and it talks about the punishment of the wicked there that you can request.
Pastor Jëan Ross: The book again is entitled, “Anything But Secret.”And, Phil, the number to call is 1-800-835-6747. That is the resource number. It’s 1-800-835-6747 and asks for the book “Anything But Secret”and also for the study guide “Is the Devil in Charge of Hell?” We have Kristen who is listening from Manhattan, New York. Kristen, welcome to the program.
Kristen: Yes, good evening.
Pastor Doug: Evening.
Kristen: I have a question--yeah--I would like you to explain Ephesians chapter 3 verse 10, what that means. And I will take that off the air if you don’t mind. Thank you.
Pastor Doug: Alright, Kristen, let me read that for our listeners. Thank you very much for calling in with your question. Ephesians 3 verse 10: “To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God.” Well, when you look at Ephesians 6 when he talks about the principalities, he’s talking about spiritual beings such as angels and Ephesians 6 he’s referring to fallen angels. But in Ephesians 3 there are also unfallen angels and there are unfallen creatures that God has made. You can read in Revelation about the creatures around God’s throne. There are other beings that are seamless that God has made. They are intrigued at looking into the manifold wisdom of God in saving humanity. The Lord is playing out his character in a way that they had never seen because God coming to earth and becoming a man and the love that Jesus demonstrated and the patience when He was persecuted by the Devil. You know, keep in mind those unfallen principalities. They knew Lucifer before he rebelled. And so, this world is a theatre to the universe right now, they’re watching what’s happening here.
Pastor Jëan Ross: You know, in Romans chapter 14 verse 11, we have an interesting verse. This is Paul quoting the Old Testament, actually quoting from Isaiah, he says, “For it is written, as I live saith the Lord, every knee shall bow unto me and every tongue shall confess to God.” And then Paul again says that in Philippians 2 verse 10, where he says, “At the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow.” So there will come a time where all created beings, including all humans, will acknowledge that God is true, that Jesus is indeed who he said he is. That doesn’t mean everyone is going to be saved. But people will finally, based upon the evidence, actually acknowledged and that happens just prior to, well, at the end of the thousand years, just prior to the wicked mounting their attack upon the New Jerusalem. We read about it in Revelation chapter 20.
Pastor Doug: And Revelation 5. The anthem that all the creatures sing is “Worthy is the Lamb”. So God’s justice is going to be manifest and your verse that you asked about, Kristen, in Ephesians 3:10 is another example of that. Appreciate your call.
Pastor Jëan Ross: We’ve got Brian who is listening from Orlando, Florida. Brianne, welcome to the program.
Brianne: Hello.
Pastor Doug: Hi, and your question?
Brianne: Oh, what does it mean to be a Christian and how do you know if you’re a Christian? Actually, my main question is, how do you know if you’re a Christian?
Pastor Doug: Alright, well, to answer your main question, we probably got to talk about the first part, what is a Christian? A Christian is a follower of Christ, the person of Christ and His teachings. And so, the best way to evaluate what is a Christian is when we look in the Bible, at the teachings of Jesus and Christ said you’ll know them by their fruits. So if a person in their life is bearing the fruits of Christianity, if they’re showing patience when they’re faced with delay, if they’re showing kindness even though someone may not be kind, if they’re showing love when people are acting unlovable, if they’re demonstrating the characteristics of Christ, which is seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, willingness to live out the law of the Lord, and, you know, the Ten Commandments is a summary of that law which is loving the Lord with all your heart and loving your neighbor as yourself, that is a person who is following Christ as their example.
Pastor Jëan Ross: You know, the important part of about being a Christian is that day by day surrendering of oneself to Christ. And it’s simply, let me think, it’s coming to Jesus with sincerity and say, “Lord, today I’m going to surrender my heart, my mind, my will. Please take me and work within me. Mold me and make me to the kind of person that you want me to be. You know, the apostle Paul says that he died daily. Now, of course, that’s figurative, but it means dying to self and surrendering all to Christ and if we but do that, God will work within us, both to will and to do according to His good pleasure.
Pastor Doug: And when you do that, Jesus said that we get a peace that passes understanding, is that His burden is easy and that His load is a light one. Have you made that decision, Brianne, to be a Christian?
Brianne: I want to be one.
Pastor Doug: Well, you can make that decision right now. You can take the first step. Now, what have you got to lose by saying right now, “Alright Lord, if you’ve got a plan for my life, then I’d like to give you permission to work in my heart, my mind and my life. Reveal yourself to me and help me make that decision.” Wouldn’t it be safe to pray that prayer?
Brianne: Yes.
Pastor Doug: Can I pray that prayer with you right now?
Brianne: Yes.
Pastor Doug: Father in heaven, we just want to come before you as a radio family and pray that you’ll be with Brianne and others like him that may be listening, that are considering following Christ, I pray you’ll reveal yourself to them, be real in their lives, give them peace, and help them know you have a great plan for them. Bless them, Lord. We pray in Jesus’ name, amen.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Amen. You know, Brianne, we want to tell you about a free offer. If you’d call our resource line, and we’d like to send this to you, I think you’ll find it filled with practical steps, how do you live that Christian life? It’s a study guide entitled, “Rescue from Above.” “Rescue from Above.” And call 1-800-835-6747. Again, that’s 1-800-835-6747, and asks for the study guide “Rescue from Above.” It’ll give you some biblical principles and that day by day experience of being a Christian.
Pastor Doug: Yeah, you’ll like it. Were you able to write that down, Brianne?
Brianne: Yeah. Yep.
Pastor Doug: Okay. I like it. It’s got pictures in it. Every page, it’s a lot of fun to read. Hey, thank you very much for your call. And do we have time for one more before the break, Pastor Ross?
Pastor Jëan Ross: Alright, we’ll try and squeeze one quick one. And, yeah, we’ve got Eric calling from New York. Eric, you’re on the program.
Eric: Good evening, gentlemen. Hey, there was a very interesting--you’re going to think this is a joke call, but there is a very serious point here. The other night--couple of weeks ago on the Simpsons, on their Halloween episode, when they do so we call a--shall we call it a dream sort of thing--characters can get killed and then come back the next week and it’s back to normal. Well, they got later appearance in one of the Halloween sketches and makes appearance to Homer and Ned Flanders, the religious character or the pious character on the series, makes an appearance, Homer does something knuckleheaded and God gets angry at him, starts choking him just like almost always choking Bart, only God either accidentally or intentionally killed Homer and then Marge comes along, [Unintelligible] comes along and said we have…
Pastor Doug: Eric, I missed the episode. You got to turn this into a question.
Eric: Yes, the question is, is there any posited for this sort of thing in the Old Testament?
Pastor Doug: Well, there are examples in the Old Testament where somebody maybe pushed the Lord way beyond the point of probation. I don’t know that God ever took anybody by the throat. But there is a day where there is a judgment for the bad behavior.
Pastor Jëan Ross: And, of course, God….
Pastor Doug: And usually, the Lord’s longsuffering.
Pastor Jëan Ross: That’s right. And God’s anger is not like human anger. People get angry because they’re offended, because they’re upset.
Pastor Doug: Yeah.
Pastor Jëan Ross: God’s anger is always based upon--first of all, it’s redemptive, God wants to redeem the person and many times He wants to redeem others.
Pastor Doug: Yeah, and so, everything the Lord does, it boils down to love. And that’s the reason for it. You’re listening to Bible Answers Live.
Pastor Jëan Ross: You know, Pastor Doug, just before we come up on our mid-program break here, we want to let folks know about some of our resources available at one of our websites. One of the favorite that we have is prophecytruth.com. It’s filled with some video, there’s Bible study, there’s a lot of Scripture.
Pastor Doug: You mean Bible Prophecy Truth?
Pastor Jëan Ross: Bible Prophecy Truth.
Pastor Doug: Yes.
Pastor Jëan Ross: What did that say? Prophecy truth?
Pastor Doug: Prophecy truth.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Okay. Bibleprophecytruth.com, that’s the website. Filled with great information.
Pastor Doug: Yeah, and questions you might have about anything from we talked about the second coming, and the secret rapture, the seven last plagues, the seven-year tribulation, Babel and Armageddon came up tonight. All of that can be found there at this website, 666 Antichrist is real and prophecy and much more. Bible, prophecy, truth. We’ve got more questions. We’ll be right back.
[COMMERCIAL BREAK]
Pastor Doug: Welcome back friends. And if you’ve tuned in along the way, you are listening to Bible Answers Live. And we are live and we’ve got fifty percent of our lines open. But that doesn’t tell you much, except that if you’d call with your question you’ve got a good chance of getting on the program tonight. Free phone call for Bible questions, 1-800-GOD-SAYS, that translates to 1-800-463-7297 and I am still Doug Bachelor.
Pastor Jëan Ross: And I am still Jëan Ross. Pastor Doug, that number again, if somebody has a Bible question, it’s 1-800-463-7297. We’re going to go straight to the phone lines. We’ve got Kevin who’s listening from Canada. Kevin, welcome to the program.
Kevin: Hello.
Pastor Doug: Hi Kevin. Thanks for calling. Your question?
Kevin: I got a question about working on Sundays as I worked week on week off shift.
Pastor Doug: So you are wondering about what do you do on the Sabbath when you’re scheduled and you’ve got to alternate?
Kevin: That’s right, yes.
Pastor Doug: Yeah, that makes it difficult. Now, if you are in one of these humanitarian lines of work that where, you know, you’ve got some kind of emergency service for humans like a nurse or a doctor or something like that, I think that, you know, the Lord understands. But if the Sabbath means a day of rest, and we’re commanded not to do our regular work, then our employees alternating the schedule is--that’s not really a good reason to continue working. You know, I apologize, Kevin, we’re getting a little background noise on your call. So, you know, you should talk to your employer and say, you know, the Sabbath is sacred and I need my time worshipping God and I’ll work extra hours but.
Pastor Jëan Ross: You know, the Bible also tells us that we don’t want to neglect the gathering of ourselves together for worship. And there are folks who are doing work which is ministry in nature they’re ministering to the sick. But even in those situations, people need to be careful that they don’t separate themselves for too long of a period of time from fellowshipping with fellow believers. That’s so important for our spiritual growth.
Pastor Doug: Yeah, I’ve known people that maybe they were a nurse, and they just end up on the roster, it seems like every Sabbath and they start missing their church week after week and it affects their faith.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Sure, it does.
Pastor Doug: So if they’re in one of those critical positions where, you know, there’s human services, some are caregivers, they need to rotate the schedule and get people to cover for them so that they can get together and fellowship and worship. And we do have a book that deals with the subject of the Sabbath. It talks about how to keep it holy and it’s talking about [Unintelligible]
Pastor Jëan Ross: Lost day in history. That’s right.
Pastor Doug: Yeah.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Study guide is entitled, “The Lost Day in History.” And if you’d like to receive that, our number is 1-800-835-6747. That is our resource line. Ask for the study guide “The Lost Day in History.” Again, the number is 1-800-835-6747. If you have a Bible question, the number to the studio is 1-800-463-7297. We’ve got Charlie who is listening from Detroit, Michigan. Charlie, welcome to the program.
Charlie: Hey, thanks for taking my call.
Pastor Doug: Absolutely, and your question tonight?
Charlie: Okay, if I can ask you two-part question, the first part is, it’s also a beginning and an ending question, the beginning question is in Genesis Adam and Eve were supposedly the first two people on the earth or the God created [inaudible] in creation, which I do believe in creation, and when you read Adam and Eve had Cain and Abel. I’m wondering where all the people came from that Cain kind of run into, he ran away from God after killing his brother?
Pastor Doug: Alright, did you want to ask the second part of that question? Or do you want me to answer that?
Kevin: No, I’ll ask the second part. And you can answer in two parts if you like.
Pastor Doug: Okay.
Kevin: And then suppose that we’re living in the last days, I was just wondering what the “last days” mean in the subject. Are we talking about our time clock or God’s time clock in the sense that a thousand years could be a day to the Lord and one day can be like a thousand years, right? Like the Bible says.
Pastor Doug: Right.
Kevin: So if we’re living in the last days, could it be a thousand years from now?
Pastor Doug: Well, theoretically it could be. Yeah, let me answer the last part of that question first just because it’s going to be fresh in most people’s minds. If you were to look at human history before the second coming like a clock, based on the Bible prophecies and the ones that have been fulfilled and what remains and what’s happening in the world and the signs of the times, it looks to me like the clock would be at about 11:45, 11:55. I mean, I’m not predicting the day and the hour, but I’m just saying we are near the end based on all the prophecies in my understanding of them.
Pastor Jëan Ross: You know, it’s also interesting the Bible speaks of the time of the end and then you have the end of time. The time of the end is a period of time that just precedes the end of time. And based upon Bible prophecy--and there’s a number of reasons, not just Bible prophecy but current events and science that are being fulfilled--many Bible scholars believe that we’re living in that time period called the time of the end. We don’t know when the end of time will come, but we know that it’s near.
Kevin: But what’s near? What does that mean? Could it be a hundred years from now? Like near [Unintelligible] hundred years from now [Unintelligible]…
Pastor Doug: You know you’re right. Charlie, you’re right. It could be.
Kevin: But for you and me hundred years is a long time. I won’t be around in a hundred years.
Pastor Doug: Well, you’re right. You’re right. It could be. In my opinion, if you use just extrapolating common sense and say, “Look at how the world has changed, look at the population, look at the acceleration of technology, look at the pollution and the deforestation and the nuclear weapons,” and just all of the confluence of all of these things that they did not have one generation ago, and if they continue to grow exponentially the way we see them growing now, if the Lord doesn’t come--Jesus said, “Except those days be shorten, no flesh would survive.” In other words, men would self-destruct if He doesn’t come. Now, you asked a question about Cain, and I don’t want to go so far down the trail of the second coming that I don’t ever deal with that. Cain, when was cursed by the Lord, God said, you know, the ground is going to be curse and He said, “All those that see me will kill me.”
And you probably are wondering well, who are all these people that are going to kill you if there’s…
Kevin: Where did they all come from?
Pastor Doug: Yeah, well, for one thing, Cain realized God had told Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply. Cain was told to be fruitful and multiply. That was a command for humanity back then. They knew they were living hundreds of years back then. No one had died until he killed his brother. They thought that they were going to live eons. And so, he was just looking down the line, saying the world is going to be full of people and they’re going to view me as the ultimate murderer and someone’s going to get vengeance on me. God said, “Put a mark on you.” But who did he marry? If you read in Genesis 5 verse 4, it tells us there that Adam and Eve also had sons and daughters and so, Cain and Abel, you know, they weren’t the only ones, they were the two firstborn sons but they had just, you, know, if you live nine hundred years…
Kevin: They married to their brother?
Pastor Doug: Yeah, he did. Cain married his sister. That shouldn’t surprise you because Abraham married his sister, too. When you think about it who did Adam marry? He married Eve. No, didn’t they kind of have the same father? So the idea that Cain married his sister shouldn’t really be--it’s, you know, kind of seems weird to us today. But back when there was no sin in their DNA, and one of the principal reasons you’re not supposed to marry too close to the family tree is because you have genetic problems. Well, they didn’t have that back then. So, anyway, I hope that helps a little bit, Charlie. But we’ve got a few folks lined up. We’re going to try and get a few more calls. Thank you.
Pastor Jëan Ross: We’ve got Clara May who is listening from Washington. Clara May, welcome to the program.
Clara May: Thank you. I have a question here in John 20 verses 21-23. Jesus is talking to His apostles, He breathed on them and received the Holy Spirit and then this verse here, “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them. If you retain the sins of any, they are retained. I thought only God forgave sin.”
Pastor Doug: Well, you’re right. The Bible tells us, you can read in Mark chapter 2, “God and God only can forgive sin.” I mean, even the religious leaders, when Jesus said that to the paralyzed man, He said, “Your sins are forgiven.” They were indignant, they said, you know, what, this man is speaking blasphemy.” Because even all through the Old Testament they knew only God could forgive sin. So this verse, it is a difficult verse. But the essence of what Jesus is saying is in communicating the gospel to others, they are communicating forgiveness for sin and when they would withhold that or whoever didn’t get the gospel, their sins stayed with them.
Pastor Jëan Ross: You know there’s always freedom of choice, but if you read the context of this, that Jesus had just given the Holy Spirit to His disciples, He just commissioned them to go out into the world to preach the gospel and in preaching the gospel, you’re bringing forgiveness. By not preaching the gospel, you’re not bringing forgiveness. Of course, the individual still has a choice to accept the gospel or reject it. But by sharing the gospel, you are giving people an opportunity to receive forgiveness.
Pastor Doug: And I think there’s also a verse you need to connect with this, Clara May, to keep the context. You remember when Jesus first sent out the apostles preaching and He told them, “If you going into a city and they reject you, when you get to the edge of that city, shake the dust off your feet.”
Clara May: Right.
Pastor Doug: So Christ is sending them out preaching and He’s saying, “Look, if they reject you and they reject the gospel, then their sins are retained.” And so, the disciples did make decisions about going from town to town and those towns that rejected them, they would shake the dust off their feet and Christ said it would be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the judgment for some of the places rather than some of the places where He had ministered in person. So there’s that component of what He’s saying. He’s not saying that people have the power to choose who is forgiven and who is not forgiven.
Clara May: Right.
Pastor Doug: That’s really God’s prerogative. I don’t want anybody choosing whether or not I’m forgiven, I don’t want to have that decision rest on me either. Except as I’m going to try and reach as many as I can with the message. Thank you. I appreciate your question.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Alright, we have Eric who is listening from Waco, Texas. Eric, welcome to the program.
Eric: Good evening.
Pastor Doug: Evening.
Eric: Yes, this is my question. Bible believer, the Bible says, “Thou shalt not kill.”
Pastor Doug: Yes.
Eric: And is it okay for Christians to carry guns in their own or for like self-defense?
Pastor Doug: Well, I know this is a very controversial subject. I’m going to share with you what I believe. I kind of view a gun as just a tool and, you know, if you’ve got a hammer, you use it for driving nails, with a gun is it accelerates a projectile. If somebody did break into my home, and all I had was a stick, I would probably try to chase him out with the stick to protect my family. If you had something more powerful than a stick, then you might use it as a deterrent. You know, I’ve run to bears on the road before, where I fired into the air and scared off the bear. Now, I wasn’t hurt and the bear wasn’t hurt, but I was glad I had a gun. You see what I’m saying? So I do believe that a Christian, you know, resorting to taking another life would be a last resort. But if that person is preparing to take the lives of your children, I think most people would naturally want to defend them.
And keep in mind, the Commandment, in the Ten Commandments, in the original, and when Jesus quotes it in the New Testament, He doesn’t say, “Thou shalt not kill.” What Jesus says is, “Thou shall not commit murder.” Murder is not the same with killing. If you pull a weed out of your garden, clinically or technically you’re killing the weed. And so, the commandment is not about pulling dandelions out of your loan. The commandment is about murder because otherwise, when God sent armies of Israel to fight against their neighbors that were harassing them, He was breaking His own law. You see what I’m saying? So you pray about it. I would never want to encourage somebody to do something if they don’t have peace about it and God forbid, any Christian would ever be tested on whether or not they’d use that. I frankly thank the Lord knows how to protect these people. But personally, it would not be a moral dilemma for me to have firearm in my home. Of course, we’ve got a lot of wild animals around our house. Some of them [Unintelligible]
Eric: My struggle was if I’m carrying a gun, I am not trusting the Lord to protect my family.
Pastor Doug: Well, I wouldn’t necessarily say that. If you’re a fireman and you wear a hat, are you going to say, “Well, if I wear a hat to protect my self from falling timbers, am I not trusting God?” I think taking certain precautions depending on, you know, what your situation is--I think God doesn’t want us to tempt him and yet that’s the question that you really need to ask. If you’ve got peace, then I have no burden to change your mind about that. You’re asking me what I think, this is one those very delicate questions and some of what I’m sharing now is a personal opinion. I see a lot of evidence in the Bible where God’s people, they did have slings and swords and spears and they, you know, use them hopefully at god’s baiting or when there was an emergency, but I’m not encouraging Christians to take up arms. I think that’s a very volatile kind of question. Appreciate you’re asking it though, that’s what we want on this program, the difficult questions. You’ve got a follow-up on that, Pastor Ross?
Pastor Jëan Ross: Well, you know…
Pastor Doug: Are you packing up right now?
(Laughter)
Pastor Jëan Ross: You know, I think it does depend upon your circumstances on degree. You know, where I live, we don’t have a lot of wild animals that would threaten us, but I know if I was living out in the woods in Alaska or something…
Pastor Doug: I have seen some mean looking bear around…
Pastor Jëan Ross: It could be dangerous. But I think one’s got to be practical.
Pastor Doug: I went to a men’s retreat in Alaska. Eric, you’re still there?
Eric: Yeah, I’m still here.
Pastor Doug: I preached up in Alaska at a men’s retreat. I’ve never had this experience before. They flew me out into the wilderness, it was out by a river and I was preaching and every single man sitting in the open church that day had either a big old firearm on his pistol or a rifle. And I’ve never been so intimidated preaching before in my life, I didn’t have one, but everybody there have. Because they actually have grizzlies and brown bear that came around and so, it was a practical tool. And so, you know, that’s I think if a Christian is carrying a firearm and their prime objective is that “I might use this to shoot a person,” I’d be uncomfortable with that. But I see a gun as a tool beyond that, partly because I’m always…
Pastor Jëan Ross: And of course, where do you put your trust if one’s trust is simply the gun that they’re carrying, you’ve got your trust in the wrong place. I trust this to being God.
Pastor Doug: Yeah. Absolutely. David’s trust was in the Lord even though he used the sling. That’s the key. Thank you. Appreciate that, Eric. We don’t have a book we can send you on that though.
Pastor Jëan Ross: We have Ron listening from Orlando, Florida. Ron, welcome to the program.
Ron: Yes, yes. My question is concerning Revelation chapter 17 and 18, or maybe 18 and 19, concerning mystery of Babylon. I was just wondering your opinion on it because most people say it could be Iraq, but I’m thinking that maybe America because of everything going on, because of [Unintelligible] because [Unintelligible] also we export so much porn [?] and Hollywood towards the rest of the world.
Pastor Doug: Alright, well. Yeah, I’m going to jump in because I’m afraid I’m not going to have time. You’re asking really who is Babylon in Revelation 17 and 18, right?
Ron Yes, the mystery of Babylon.
Pastor Doug: Okay, first thing I want to do because I will only have about three minutes to answer you. We’re trying to budget the calls so we can get as many in as we can. There’s a book I want to send you. It’s free. It’s called “The Beast, the Dragon and the Woman” and, oh, you know what, he probably would appreciate the lesson that we’ve got.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Called “The Other Woman.”
Pastor Doug: “The Other Woman.” It’s got a picture of mystery Babylon on the cover. Now, let me tell you what most of the Protestant reformers believed about Revelation 17, Ron. If you look at the evidence, first, if you look at the last verse it says, “She sits among seven hills.” There is a city in the world called the City of Seven Hills, and that’s Rome. Alright, there is one clue. It says, “She is clothed in purple and scarlet.” The principal colors of the church based in Rome, the bishops and the cardinals, scarlet and purple. Now, I’m not trying to be derogatory to our Catholic friends, but you’re asking me plain question, I’m telling you what the Protestant reformers believe from Luther to Calvin to Wesley to Spurgeon.
They all believed that the fulfillment of who Babylon was, was the religious body based there in Rome. The perils, the persecution, golden cup in her hand such as with the mass, and you can just go down the line and check them off. And everything from the seven heads and the ten horns, the ten divisions of the Roman Empire over which she principally ruled, a woman in prophecy is a church, husbands love your wife as Christ loves the church, but there have been some churches that have been unfaithful to the word as it says in the Book of Hosea. And I could go on and on, but I don’t have time. So if you want to know what most Protestants traditionally believed about Revelation 17 and 18, please send for the lesson.
Pastor Jëan Ross: It’s entitled, “The Other Woman.” And, Ron, if you’d call our resource line, it’s 1-800-835-6747 and ask for the study guide entitled, “The Other Woman.” Pastor Doug, you mentioned a book called The Beast…
Pastor Doug: …The Dragon and The Woman.
Pastor Jëan Ross: …The Dragon…
Pastor Doug: And they can read that for free on our website.
Pastor Jëan Ross: And that, of course, is amazingfacts.org. Just go to the free library and you can read that book right on-line.
Pastor Doug: Yeah, one more thought just so our friends won’t think we’re ganging up on our Catholic friends. I believe the Protestants are also listed in Revelation, as the daughters.
Pastor Jëan Ross: In that same chapter Revelation 17.
Pastor Doug: Yeah, so there’s also prophecy about Protestants in America that apostatized from the Scriptures. And so, it’s both Protestants and Catholics that have drifted and there’s a lot of Catholic people who’re going to be in the Kingdom. So I don’t want to give the wrong impression without adding that component. But I want to tell you what the prophecy really says.
Pastor Jëan Ross: Alright, we’ve got Shawna who is listening from Washington, on KLRS. Shawna, welcome to the program.
Shawna: Hi, this is Shawna. I have a question about picking shrimp for medicinal purposes.
Pastor Doug: And I think you’re asking that because there’s Scripture in the Bible that lists shrimp and shellfish as being unclean?
Shawna: Yes. And my husband has terminal cancer and one of his medications has a small amount of shrimp in it and I just questioned that because of the Leviticus chapter.
Pastor Doug: Well, let me tell you, you know, the average soap that you find in any hotel shower or sink is made with tallow, and tallow comes from the fat of pigs and cows and it is hyper-processed so that it’s almost broken down to a chemical component. What they’re doing with parts of shrimp in the medicine, I don’t know. Some things that are taken from nature are so hyper-processed they brought down to almost a bare chemical component. And I will be very cautious against advising your husband not to take his medicine because of that, because I don’t really know the nature of what is. I’d hope they’re not telling him to eat shrimp cocktail. That would be a different issue.
Shawna: No.
Pastor Doug: And that would be a pretty clear answer for me. I don’t know if you’ve got any thoughts on that, Pastor Ross?
Pastor Jëan Ross: You know, I think you’re right, Pastor Doug, that when it comes to medicine, there are certain enzymes that can be extracted from various sources that’s highly processed and it’s highly sterile in the right environment. It’s a little different than just popping a whole shrimp in your mouth and chewing away and swallowing.
Pastor Doug: Complete with the digestinal system of the--and that’s how most people eat shrimp.
Pastor Jëan Ross: That’s right.
Shawna: Okay.
Pastor Doug: So, yeah, I wouldn’t lose any sleep about it and I think that--yeah, I hate to think about it but, you know, half the time when you go to any restaurant, even if you asked for, you know, some kind of fried vegetables, scares you to think about what else they fried on that griller and the pans. So, you know, you can go crazy thinking that way and I think it’s like Paul said, you just need to follow the guidelines as well as you can and pray over your food. But, hey, thank you very much, Shawna for your question. And we have time for a couple of more, Pastor Ross.
Pastor Jëan Ross: We have Robert who is calling from Ontario, Canada. Robert, welcome to the program.
Robert: Thank you.
Pastor Doug: And, Robert, your question?
Robert: Yes, my question is, Jesus is God and Jesus was on this earth when He came to save humanity. Could He have sinned? Because I think the God can’t sin, so I’d like to know that. And the second question is…
Pastor Doug: We’re running out of time so you got to hurry up and formulate it.
Robert: No. Okay, just that one.
Pastor Doug: Yeah, let me do my best. Could Jesus have sinned? Well, the Bible says Jesus was tempted. Christ, all through His prophecies, knew that He would be victorious because He said, “After three days, I’ll rise again.” And all through the Old Testament, it prophesied the ultimate victory of Jesus. And so, the prophecies could not be broken.
Robert: Exactly.
Pastor Doug: But when Christ was tempted and when Jesus lived as man among men, He experienced the avalanche or pressures that we all feel. And when He was in the Garden of Gethsemane, He said, “Father, if there is any way that this cup could pass from me, let it pass.” He fell on the cusp of the abyss the whole time. He felt like He could be sucked in by it. And so, I’m sure that Jesus on earth, He felt the temptations but by faith He knew--if faith in the prophecies and what His mission was, that He ultimately would be victorious, even when He died on the cross, and He ultimately said that “it is finished.” He knew that at that point that He was committing His life into the Father’s hands and He would be ultimately victorious in that. Pastor Ross, you have a thought?
Pastor Jëan Ross: You know, we’re running out of time, Pastor Doug, but we wanted to get one more calling in. But we had spoken last week on our program and somebody had asked about Kabbalah and I’m wondering if we can quickly get that. Karen, we’ve got about less than a minute. Karen from New York.
Karen: Yes, the question is Kabbalah mentioned in the Bible?
Pastor Doug: Alright. Is Kabbalah mentioned in the Bible? The word is not mentioned in the Bible. I know that in the Kabbalah religion, they draw from some of the ostensibly sacred ceremonies of Solomon and the Rosicrucians, but it’s pretty distant from really any biblical truth. I wish we could give you more time, Karen. You can hear the music chasing us. Friends, don’t go away just yet. I just always like to say at the end of the program, thank you for listening. Please contact us. So far this is just one way, other than those who called in. Go to the Amazing Facts website and you can keep this program on the air by supporting us there, amazingfacts.org. God Bless.
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