Hello friends this is Doug Batchelor. How about an amazing fact? Squirrels gather nuts; dogs bury bones. Camels store food and water so they can travel across vast deserts and pigs; well pigs save nothing, they bury nothing, they store nothing. So why do we store our spare coins in a piggy bank? A little history, during the middle Ages, about the fifteenth century, metal was very expensive and seldom used in household wares. Instead dishes and pots were made of a deep orange clay called pygg, spelled pygg. Whenever housewives could save an extra coin they dropped it into one of their clay jars and they called this their pygg bank. Over the course of hundreds of years people forgot that pygg referred to the earthenware, but the piggy bank retained its name.
Then around the seventeenth century an unknown potter thought to shape a clay jar to look like a real pig. And of course the piggy banks appealed to customers and delighted the children. But, the first piggy banks only had a slot in the top with no access hole in the bottom. Banks and savings institutions would often give piggy banks to children in an attempt to encourage them to save a few coins. People were dropping their coins into the top and then would break the bank when it was full or some emergency arose. Hence we get the saying 'break the bank'.
The Bible says God is the potter and we are the clay. But He is willing to pour His riches into these clay vessels. Stay with us friends we are going to bring you more as “Amazing Facts” brings you this edition of “Bible Answers Live”.
[PROGRAM INTRODUCTION]
Pastor Doug: Lines are open and it is a beautiful, sunny day here in Sacramento, California. If you have a Bible question just pick up your phone and call this number now. Toll free it is 1-800-GOD-SAYS if you want to remember the acronym; that’s because the Bible is our source book. 1-800-463-7297 and right now is a good time to pick up your phone and call because you have a good chance of getting your question on the program. “Bible Answers Live” going around the world is an International, interactive Bible study. And if you want to listen online you can go to “Amazing Facts dot org”. My name is Doug Batchelor.
Dick Devitt: My name is Dick Devitt and Pastor Doug you are right we do have several lines open. So now would be a good time for folks to give us a call. Good evening and good to see you again.
Pastor Doug: Good evening! I'm excited about tonight’s program. It is a religious world this week.
Dick: Yes looking forward to talking with our callers tonight. We share God’s Word and we start with a word of prayer every evening. So let’s do that Pastor Doug. Father in heaven we praise you and thank you for your love and your grace. We know Lord without you this program is not possible. So thank you and we pray that your Holy Spirit come down and you will give Pastor Doug abundant understanding, grace and insight into to questions and the answers and things that you want to say to us. Please Lord open your word that we may hear from you tonight. We thank you again Lord. In Jesus’ name Amen.
Pastor Doug: Amen.
Dick: Pastor Doug God is the potter and we are the clay. God created us out of the dust of the ground. Yet have people ask questions about this creation thing. You know; how can that be? If we were created by anything other than God’s hand then where are you going tonight with this piggy bank?
Pastor Doug: Well you know in the Bible it is interesting that these people would pour their money into and then break it when they had some emergency or some need. A few things came to mind and one was in Judges where Gideon he had these clay pots, but the light in the clay pots did not shine until they were broken. And in a sense we are like vessels that do not shine until we are broken. Jesus said fall upon the rock and be broken.
Dick: Amen
Pastor Doug: And also the very fact that Paul taught in Romans Chapter 9 that God makes vessels and some are vessels of honor and He pours His riches into them. And the fact that He gives us the truth that we can have Christ in us and He put the Holy Spirit in us so that light can shine. What a blessing it is that God would be willing to inhabit these vessels.
Dick: Amen. That’s His dwelling place and often times Pastor Doug we hear stories of the worst sinners; you know vile offenders being used by God to be messengers.
Pastor Doug: Take a cursing fisherman like Peter or a girl with a bad reputation like Mary and He completely restores them and uses them and then He makes them vessels of honor. And He wants to do that for those who are listening tonight.
Dick: That’s right and we have an offer that we want to make available. We have a book tonight called “Riches of Grace”. This is a book that is a study on the power of God to make life changing changes in your life or anyone’s life. Maybe you feel that God cannot use you and that maybe you have gone too far. Maybe there is something in you that keeps you from giving your heart to Jesus Christ and you think oh well you just don’t understand Pastor. Believe me God knows and we want to make available to you this book called “Riches of Grace”. He can take any life and change you and make you a vessel for His glory and His honor. So please call our resource operators and ask for this book; it’s called “Riches of Grace”. Call them at 1-800-835-6747 that’s 1-800-835-6747 and ask for “Riches of Grace”.
Pastor Doug we do have a couple of internet questions before we go to the phones. Okay? The first one is:
Question: Can God kill? And if so and the law is a reflection of God’s character then did He break the law in order to uphold it?
Pastor Doug: A common misconception is that one of the Ten Commandments says thou shalt not kill. Of course it says that, but the translation for it is more accurately translated “Thou shall not murder” and Jesus—one reason we know this you can go to Mark Chapter 10 in the New Testament – when Jesus quotes the Ten Commandments and you get to that one He says “Thou shall not commit murder”. Murder and killing are two different things. If God said ‘thou shall not kill’ and you take that on surface level that would make God a hypocrite because He on many occasions slew people who were disobedient or commanded His people to go out and annihilate their enemies. And even capital punishment would be illegal and the Bible says a life for a life. But, you know if you pull a weed you are killing. If you swat a mosquito technically you’re killing. Every time we breathe we are killing microbes and organisms so that is not what it means. It says thou shall not commit murder. It means to take another life without cause. That’s the definition of murder and even in this country they have different degrees of murder because they did in the Bible. But, God is the source of all life and if we reject God He simply withdraws that gift and what so you have when you take away life? He says He that has the Son has life and he has not the son has not life. What we have is death when you take that away and so we really kill ourselves when we reject God in that sense.
Dick: That’s right okay so it says:
Question: We read in the Bible called the millennium the 1000 years period. After the 1000 years and the Holy City comes down does it touch down on the earth before Satan and all of the wicked are destroyed?
Pastor Doug: Yes. And you can read about this friend in Revelation Chapter 21 it talks about when the New Jerusalem comes down from God and you can compare to Zechariah 14 Christ’s feet touch the Mount of Olives in the great valley the New Jerusalem comes down and Satan rallies the enemies of God and they are called Gog Magog all of the wicked of the world to attack the city of God and that is after the New Jerusalem has come down. “1000 Years of Darkness” if you want more information on the millennium there’s more information in that.
Dick: Okay you can call the resource operators for that. 1-800-835-6747 let’s go to the phones Pastor Doug and take our first caller for the evening to San Antonio, Texas. This is Karen who is listening on the internet welcome Karen.
Karen: Hi. Thank you for taking my call.
Pastor Doug: Yes and thanks for waiting your question?
Karen: Yes I have a question on Galatians Chapter 3: 19 through 25.And I know we are under the Ten Commandments and know we have to keep them, but I have hard time explain this passage to someone who believes we are just under grace and we don’t have to keep them especially verse 25.
Pastor Doug: Sometimes a good way to—well first of all let me read not all of it because it gobbles up the time and we are limited to three minutes, but verse 19 where is says 19 “Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions; till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of the mediator.” We can go down here. 23 “But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterward be revealed.” 24 “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” Okay let’s pause right here. The law brings us to Christ. He’s a school master do we still need to be brought to Christ?
Karen: Yes.
Pastor Doug: And so where there is not any law the author of Galatians is Paul. He says so and where there is no law there is not sin. And where there is no sin there is no need for a Savior from sin. And so we still need the law to help us identify that we are sinners and we can go to Christ for forgiveness. We are under the curse of the law until we experience His grace. So once we are saved from sin we are no longer under the curse of the law. That does not mean that we are free to disobey that’s why Paul says in Romans Chapter 6 lest anyone should misunderstand. 1 “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?” The answer is God forbid and don’t believe that just because we are not under the curse of the law that we are free to disobey. He never meant it that way. He meant we are not saved by the law which is what we teach on this program.
Karen: Well we are no longer under a tutor or under the law, but that’s if…
Pastor Doug: Well that’s if you take…
Karen: That’s the verse I have problems with.
Pastor Doug: Well if you take what a school master did while he was something of a teacher and a disciplinarian and once we are save by Christ we no longer need the law to serve as a school master to show us our sin.
Karen: Okay.
Pastor Doug: When we are saved from our sin it doesn’t mean that we are free to disobey when we are under grace.
Karen: Okay.
Pastor Doug: Real quick illustration. You’re pulled over for speeding. You have broken the law. You’re under the law and you don’t want to be pulled over, but you have to. You for whatever reason find grace from the policeman. He says I’m going to give you a warning, you are no longer under the law and it has happened to me, too. You’re no longer under the law you are under grace, but you’re not free to speed. You drive more carefully than anybody.
Karen: Exactly.
Pastor Doug: Yeah and so anyone who thinks once you’re saved by grace you can now kill or lie or steal that’s absurd. And anyone who presents that just ask them is it now okay to commit adultery? Is it okay to lie or worship graven images? Ask them is it okay? And they will say of course not. Until you get to the Sabbath commandment and then they are not under the law. They’re a hypocrite. But, anyway I hope that helps a little bit.
Karen: Yes it does. Thank you.
Pastor Doug: Thank you.
Dick: Thanks for the call Karen. Let’s go to New York we want to talk with Walter who is listening on WMCA. Walter welcome to the program.
Walter: Good evening gentlemen. How are you?
Pastor Doug: Good and how can we help you?
Walter: You caught me just as I was ready to walk into the house. I think I will talk to you out on the porch if I may?
Pastor Doug: Alright.
Walter: My question to you is that I called once before. Oh by the way I am a Jewish brother of Doug Batchelor’s.
Pastor Doug: Okay.
Walter: I am Walter Goldstein. How does one have a relationship with God when they associate everything in a relationship with pain and broken heartedness and disappointment?
Pastor Doug: Well I think you have asked a sort of rhetorical question. You need to separate your relationship with God from the other relationships because obviously human relationships are faulty and they will let you down. It doesn’t mean every person will let you down, but people are a lot more prone to disappoint you. God will never let you down. We may let Him down. But, He is still there for us even when we fail Him. But, so you just need to divorce in your mind these painful earthly relationships and do not super impose those experiences on your relationship with God.
Dick: One of the temptations that we have Walter is to personify God to the point where we bring Him down to a human relationship. He is not the same. But, He also is not so aloof and impersonal that He has no emotions and love.
Pastor Doug: Yeah some people put Him up like He is this force that is uncaring. He loves you deeply and He is very personal. But, He is nothing like a human relationship.
Walter: What happens when you associate everything about God with disappointment and failure and heart break? And it makes you want to wish you were dead.
Pastor Doug: Well the answer there is to consciously choose not to make that association with God and because otherwise you will perpetuate the disappointments. If you want to find out the best reflection of God and now when we say God the best reflection of God is going to be Jesus. Jesus said if you have seen me, you have seen the Father. And if any man comes to me I will in no wise cast him out. You look at the tender dependability of Jesus. Look how He was treated by His friends. He was denied and mistreated and maligned. And yet He still forgave and He even forgave those who tormented Him. So you know you can depend on Jesus and He won’t let you down. You know Dick I was wondering if Walter would benefit from a book we don’t offer that often and it is called “When Days are Dark”. This book just has a lot of encouragement in it about God and His promises and His dependability. Walter we’d like to send you a free copy of that book “When Days are Dark”. All you have to do is call the resource number and we’ll send that to you.
Dick: 1-800-835-6747 Walter. 1-800-835-6747 get the book read it and then call us back and let’s talk some more alright? Let’s talk next with Cheryl in Greenville, Pennsylvania who is listening on the internet. Welcome.
Cheryl: Hi.
Dick: Hi and your question please?
Cheryl: My question is from Mark Chapter 16: 17 where it speaks of the gift and it says “These signs shall follow and then the belief.” And then it goes on to mention a few gifts including tongues.
Pastor Doug: You shall cast out devils and speak with new tongues and pick up serpents.
Cheryl: Yes and lay hands on the sick and because actually my biggest struggle right now is my husband has been a paraplegic for about 25 years and we’ve just recently been struggling with this because it seems that we pray and how many people have prayed for him. Yet we still don’t see healing and I was just wondering why we don’t see these things active today like they were back in the days of the apostles?
Pastor Doug: Good question. Well first of all when you read the Bible and you sound like you would know this because I just do perceive that you read the Bible and you are acquainted with the overview. The miracles of God seem to come in cycles and waves throughout Bible history. There are periods during Genesis that you saw great miracles, during the time of the flood, during the time of Judges, during Elijah’s ministry, during the ministry of Christ and the apostle’s and then you had some time where miracles seemed to die out. The miracles of God always seem to be corresponding with holiness and evangelism.
In other words the bold preaching of the message, a call for revival, and conversions are usually attended by miraculous signs. When the church is not preaching the faithful message and calling people to lives of holiness and following Christ and dedication those miracles often seem to decline. And I think you are going to see a revival of Biblical miracles when there is a revival of Biblical preaching.
Cheryl: Amen.
Pastor Doug: Now I believe in all of the miracles and all of the miracles that are listed here in Mark; I have seen. I have seen people where hands were laid on them and they were healed and cancer was healed and went away. Pastor Dick has seen that in a very dramatic way in Africa. I have seen people receive the gift of tongues where they are suddenly speaking languages they did not know for the purpose of preaching the gospel. And people who ate at a restaurant where maybe everybody got sick, but because they were working for Christ they were not touched.
Some of these are also symbols for instance Mark 16: 18 “They’ll take up serpents and it will not hurt them.” The serpent is a type of a devil and in Psalms it also says they’ll tread on the lion and the serpent. That means –you know the two symbols of the devil. So I believe that all of the miracles of God and that they are available today.
Why is your husband not being healed? I can venture a guess, but that is all it would be. Maybe He is answering him the same way he answered to Paul. Paul prayed three times about a physical affliction and God said my strength is made perfect in weakness. And you no doubt are acquainted with Joni Erickson?
Cheryl: Yeah.
Pastor Doug: She is a personal friend of mine and she thanks God for her paralysis because through it she has the experience with God she never would have had. She said that is worth more to her in heaven than anything. So I can’t—I am not God so I can’t –I don’t know exactly what God’s reasons might be. And keep in mind that God might heal him yet.
Cheryl: Right well we’re hoping we see that. Also when you pray the Lord’s Prayer it says thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven and there is not any sickness in heaven. So would you say that God’s will is not for people to be sick or infirmed?
Pastor Doug: Well it if you interpret that phrase in the Lords’ Prayer that way Cheryl it would go a lot farther than that. If we are praying His will be done on earth as it is in heaven there would also be no thorns or weeds or thistles or there would be no death; let alone sickness. If the Lord’s Prayer where it says “Thy will be done on earth.” I like the King James Version it says “Thy will be done in earth.” You probably heard at the “Amazing Facts” we are made out of earth. And when we pray thy will be done in earth; it means in us and in our lives and that we are willing to do His will.
Dick: Umm-hmm.
Pastor Doug: But, what Christ really means by that phrase is when He said that prayer and not my will but, thine in the Garden; that we are willing to do God’s will. I hope that helps a little bit and we will try to remember to keep you folks in prayer. Okay?
Cheryl: Okay thank you.
Pastor Doug: Alright. And God bless.
Dick: Thank you Cheryl for the call. Let’s go to New York and talk with Ester who is listening on WMCA. Hi Ester.
Ester: Good evening gentlemen. My question is; we all know that God is omnipotent and the devil is not. So why do people say—okay let’s suppose they have done something wrong or they have impure thoughts and they say well the devil made me do it or—you know get out of my mind Satan. I mean Satan is not omnipotent so why do people say that?
Pastor Doug: Well first of all when people say the devil tempted me or the devil the fact is that 99.99 % of the time it isn’t the devil in person; it is actually the devil working through his fallen angels. And so many times when we say God saved me and Jesus might have been there, but through His angels He saves us. So in the battle between good and evil; the devil does have demons assigned to people to tempt and discourage. They can’t make you sin. If the devil makes you sin it is not sin. Sin is a choice and the devil could not make Eve eat the fruit if he had held her down and forced the fruit in her mouth it wouldn’t have been a sin, but she did it.
Ester: Right.
Pastor Doug: So we can’t really say the devil made you do it. The devil can tempt us, but we must choose to cooperate. He is not all powerful and I have heard people who said that and they are trying to blame the devil for their choices they make.
Ester: Oh okay.
Pastor Doug: And that’s probably the bottom line we like to say I am not responsible the devil made me do it. Well the devil can tempt you, but we have to choose. And what wife would accept the excuse if a husband has an immoral affair and says I couldn’t help it the devil made me do it. Of course there are some pretty prominent people that have used those excuses.
Dick: There was a comedian a few years ago that went all the way to the bank with it.
Pastor Doug: Flip Wilson yeah. The devil made me do it.
Dick: And we all thought it was so funny.
Pastor Doug: Yeah he can’t make you.
Ester: Well thank you very much.
Pastor Doug: Well alright.
Dick: Ester thanks for the call. Let’s go next to Paulette in Orlando, Florida who is listening on WTLN. Hi Paulette.
Paulette: Hi.
Dick: Your question please?
Paulette: My question is in Genesis 6: 4 where it says there were giants in the earth in those days. Who were the sons of God?
Pastor Doug: Well I will tell you who they were not. They were not aliens or evil angels as some preachers have said. That is an absurd modern interpretation. It tells you I the Bible that Adam and Eve had two sons. Cain killed Abel and then Adam and Eve had another son named Seth. Adam and Eve and their posterity served God. Adam is called the son of God in the genealogy of Luke. 1 John Chapter 3 says “Behold what manner of love that the Father has bestowed upon us that we should be called sons of God.”
As long as the descendents of dam and Eve remain separate from the descendents of Cain: the descendents of Cain were Godless. They were called the sons of men. When the sons of God began to intermarry the sons of Cain then wickedness filled the earth. They were not aliens, but some people say, but why were they saying their children became mighty men and they were giants?
Well that’s just genetic vitality when two species cross breed there is usually more vital stream. If one family interbreeds within their family for several generations they have very weak genes and vitality. And so there was genetic strength that was added through the crossed marriages, but there was moral weakness because Godly were marrying the ungodly. But, most Bible commentators; if you go back fifty years almost all Bible commentators understood this. In Romans 8: 14 “We are the sons of God.” 2 Corinthians 6: 18 “We are sons and daughters of God.” Galatians 3: 26 “You are all sons of God.” So when it says the sons of God it tells us who they are.
Paulette: Okay because I thought it was like fallen angels that were having sex with these women.
Pastor Doug: Angels—you know the Bible says in Ephesians 6 says angels are as heavenly agents they are spirit beings. They don’t have the same plumbing that we have. And we are not wrestling against flesh and blood and the idea that these spiritual creatures are having intimate relations with humans is a very bizarre teaching.
So classically Bible scholars believe that the sons of God were the descendents of Seth and that were true to God. The daughters of men were Cain who had turned from God. And then when they began to intermarry the Bible says wickedness was great because they became unequally yoked and the Godly people lost their identity. Does that help a little?
Paulette: Okay yes that sure did thank you very much and God bless.
Pastor Doug: Alright God bless thank you Paulette.
Dick: Paulette thank you for your call. Pastor Doug we are going to take a break here in just a few minutes.
Pastor Doug: No we don’t want to cut a person off. So rather than do that let me just take a moment and remind our friends about some of the things that are free that you can avail yourselves of. If you are involved in personal Bible study and you would like to understand the books of prophecy a little better; a lot better—then go to “Bible University dot com” very simple to remember. And there is a Bible course there’s a Bible course there that takes you through a course of prophecy Bible studies called historical of prophecies and it combines the stories of the Bible and uses them to unlock the prophecies in the Bible. It is an incredible program.
Also for those who teach in your church or a home Bible study; just go to the “Amazing Facts” website—very simple—“Amazing Facts dot org or dot com” either one and right at the top you will see where it says “Free Library”—click on that and take a deep breath before you do and you will be amazed at how many free resources that we will allow you to read and download. We are trying to disseminate the truth. I love saying this word; there’s a plethora of and a kaleidoscope of Bible study materials on Christian life, on prophetic information, on difficult subjects, you just name it and while you are there we also have a catalog with hundreds of resources. These will help you to witness and help you in your personal experience with Jesus and in your personal devotions. There are tapes, videos, TV programs, and just all kinds of information. So take advantage of that wonderful river of life that is there on “Amazing Facts” website or at “Bible Universe”.
In a moment we are going to have some announcements from Pastor Dick and we will be coming back to the phones. We are giving our other stations a break, but this is not the end—the best is yet to come—we’ll be right back.
[COMMERCIAL BREAK]
Pastor Doug: For any of our friends who have joined us since this started this is “Bible Answers Live”. It is a live, International, interactive Bible study. You can join us and listen on the internet by going to “Amazing Facts dot org” or you can call in, in North America to the toll free number of 1-800-GOD-SAYS we still have a line or two open at 1-800-463-7297. And my name is Doug Batchelor.
Dick: And my name is Dick Devitt and we’ll take our first caller of this part of the program from St. Helens, Oregon and we’re going to be talking with Steven who is listening to the program tonight. Welcome Steven.
Steven: Hi and how are you guys doing this evening?
Pastor Doug: Doing great.
Steven: Pastor Doug I wanted to ask you a question what happened in church the other day during praise and prayer time one of the members asked if we should have prayer for the Cardinals for making their new decision for the Pope. And I was wondering what kind of Biblical references there are to us doing that?
Pastor Doug: Well the Bible does talk about praying for people in positions of leadership. The children of Israel were even told to pray for pagan kings. So there is no harm in praying though you may not be of the Roman Catholic faith there is certainly nothing wrong with praying that God will guide the choice that He wants in that selection because I think that everybody would agree after this flamboyant and unprecedented funeral this week that this is a very powerful position.
Steven: Yes.
Dick: Yes.
Pastor Doug: And we should ask God to guide in the choice that is made that might be a lengthen of our tranquility. Now praying for the Pope is different than praying to the Pope and praying for the new Pope is different than praying for the old Pope.
Steven: Right.
Pastor Doug: I heard a lot of people saying they are praying for the Pope who died and of course according to the Bible it is appointed once unto man to die and after this the judgment. So once a person dies no amount of prayers in the world can change that person’s destiny.
Steven: Right.
Pastor Doug: But, praying—I think I have heard ex-mayor Rudolf Giuliani of New York City saying before we could only pray for the Pope and now we can pray to the Pope.
Steven: I heard that, too, and it kind of scared me.
Pastor Doug: Yes. But, praying for the selection process God told the people of Israel to pray for their pagan leaders.
Steven: Where is that in the Bible? I don’t remember reading that.
Pastor Doug: Well Paul tells us to pray for your rulers.
Steven: Well I know that. Yeah. Yeah.
Pastor Doug: He said to pray for the king.
Steven: Yeah right.
Pastor Doug: And even when they were in Babylon they prayed for Nebuchadnezzar and he was converted.
Steven: I guess that’s true. Yes he was.
Pastor Doug: So there it is.
Steven: Well yes thanks a lot. I appreciate it.
Dick: Well thanks for the call Steve. Let’s go next to Hanford, California. Art is listening on KARM. Art welcome to the program.
Art: Thank you.
Pastor Doug: And your question please?
Art: If the Ark of the Covenant was in the temple during the time of Jesus’ ministry when He was preaching in the temple?
Pastor Doug: Good question. I can answer you very quickly and the answer is no. The reason we know that is because when the temple was destroyed back in the time of King Nebuchadnezzar and Daniel—evidently just prior to Nebuchadnezzar’s destroying the temple at which time he carried away all of the artifacts that he could. The Levites in Jeremiah knowing the city was going to be destroyed and about to fall; they took a national treasure which was the Ark of the Covenant and they hid it; probably in the caves somewhere under Jerusalem in Jerusalem. It is honeycombed with caves and tombs and graves and they sealed it. And it has never been found and that is the most likely scenario and when they came back and rebuilt Jerusalem 70 years later the Ark was never restored to its’ former position. And whoever—the priests who may have hid it were—may have died in the siege and the secret was lost and it is still hidden probably within the walls of the old city underground somewhere.
Art: What do you think they had behind the curtain then when the veil was torn and the priests were doing the annual sacrifices?
Pastor Doug: You know anything I would tell you would be speculation because nowhere in the New Testament does it say anything about the Ark except in Revelation where it says I think in Chapter 10 “I saw the temple of God open in heaven. And I saw the Ark.” So he saw God’s heavenly Ark, but as far as any reference to the Ark being in the earthly temple Paul in Hebrews talks about the Ark in the Old Testament, but he never talks about the Ark in the New Testament of an Ark in the temple in his day.
Art: Okay well that sure helped me. Thanks to you.
Pastor Doug: That was a good question I appreciate that.
Dick: Thanks for the call Art. To Decatur, Oklahoma where Dorina is listening on KHBR welcome Dorina.
Dorina: Good evening Pastors.
Dick: Good evening and your question please?
Dorina: In the New Testament I believe there is a Scripture that says God has appointed a day in which He will judge the world. I can’t tell you where it is; I’m blind, but I am wondering if that has to do with the investigative judgment at the end of the 2300 days? Or whether it is referring to the Great White Throne Judgment at the end of the millennium?
Pastor Doug: Alright well let me give you—in Romans Chapter 3: 6 it says “God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world?” The in 1 Corinthians Chapter 6: 2 it says “Do you not know that saints will judge the world?” This may be it and I am taking the phrase you said “judge the world” and those are the two places that appear in the King James Version. But, I know the verse that you are talking about is there is a time when all will be judged.
Dorina: And He has appointed a day.
Pastor Doug: Okay and are you wanting to know what judgment that is referring to?
Dorina: Yes.
Pastor Doug: Well that is—I think Paul is using a broad term there. Probably he is looking at the judgment that takes place at the beginning because when Christ comes back and He separates the saved from the lost so to speak; those are the ones that are caught up to meet the Lord in the air and the dead in Christ that rise they are being judged as righteous by His coming. The wicked who are destroyed that are being left behind; they are being judged as being lost and unworthy.
But, the Great White Throne judgment that happens at the end of the 1000 years; that’s when Jesus separates the sheep from the goats and He shows them why they are lost or why they are saved. He said I was hungry and you did not feed me, thirsty and you did not give me drink and so forth.
Dorina: So this is referring to the end of the 2300 days then and beginning the investigative judgment?
Pastor Doug: No the 2300 days—the 2300 days of Daniel Chapter 8 have already ended.
Dorina: I know that. But, I wondered if that might be the verse that was fulfilled in 1944?
Pastor Doug: No I don’t think so. I think that the Great White Throne Judgment is still future tense because when you read in Revelation Chapter 22 and 21 it is happening after the millennium.
Dorina: Yes alright that answers the question.
Pastor Doug: Hope that helps a little bit. Hey you might be thinking of Acts 17: 31 because He has appointed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness; that’s Acts 17: 31.
Dorina: Yes. I see. Alright. Well thank you very much.
Pastor Doug: Alright. Thanks.
Dick: Thanks for the call Dorina good question. Let’s go next to New York to Queens we want to talk to Jillian who is listening on WMCA. Jillian welcome.
Jillian: Hi. Thanks for taking my call.
Dick: You’re welcome.
Jillian: I have a question about the Pope. After I saw the funeral where people were practically praying to him as if he was God; and I know it says in the Bible that at some point the devil is going to impersonate Jesus Christ and come and try to be Him and I am wondering if he may use opportunities with the next Pope to do that.
Pastor Doug: Well that would be a prediction. It does say in the Bible in Matthew 24 and Mark 13 that there will be many false Christ’s and false prophets and does the devil have the power to take a man in a position like that and manipulate him or work through him; absolutely. You know God does, too. I think we need to keep in mind what I would respectfully disagree with the theology of my Roman Catholic brothers and sisters. I know that God has worked through many people in that church movement. And I don’t think that the Popes; even though they are positioned it is not a Biblically mandated position. God works through them, but the devil could, too.
Do I know whether this next Pope is going to be the Anti-Christ in a special sense, being the devil incarnate, or being possessed by the devil? No I don’t know that. And I don’t know if there are any prophecies that make that clear. So and while I am on the subject I might also just remind all of our listeners that I think that the devil is not only going to try to work through leaders in that church; I think he is going to try to work through leaders in all religions t weld together and that is where you will notice that it is universal worship in Revelation 13. Everybody has to worship a certain way or be killed.
Jillian: Yes. You see that happening already.
Pastor Doug: You do. I think this funeral last week was a wakeup call when you’ve got all of the religious leaders of the world and not just from Christianity and the Orthodox Churches, but from Islam and Buddha and political leaders. What did they say 75 Presidents, 5 Kings and 4 Queens you know coming to…
Jillian: Very scary.
Pastor Doug: …yes it is and a very sobering wake up call.
Pastor Doug: I hope that helps.
Jillian: Thank you.
Pastor Doug: You’re welcome.
Dick: Thanks for the call Jillian. We are going to New York we want to talk with Richard who is listening on WMCA. Richard welcome.
Richard: Thank you. My question is about Jeremiah 16: 1 through 13. I am wondering what this warning means.
Pastor Doug: Okay. Wow I don’t know if I have time to read all thirteen verses right now. Do you want to focus in on any specific passage?
Richard: Well I guess the more important part it tells you not to have children and get married.
Pastor Doug: Yes, okay now I see what you’re talking about. Keep in mind part of Jeremiah’s prophecy is that because of wickedness in Jerusalem; they were besieged by the Babylonians. The political leaders in Jeremiah’s time were saying don’t worry God is going to save us from the Babylonians as He has from the Egyptians and others before. We have nothing to fear; the same way He save Hezekiah from the Assyrians God is going to destroy them. And all of these false prophets were telling them peace and safety and Jeremiah is saying no. The city is going to be besieged and you are going to end up eating your own children. Don’t get married, don’t have children. You are just going to buy yourself more heartache. So Jeremiah was preaching a specific prophecy to warn people about the siege of Jerusalem. Do you see what I am saying?
Richard: Yes.
Pastor Doug: And it is true because Nebuchadnezzar did come in and he did besiege the city and there was a great famine in the city. The king was killed his children were killed his wives were taken by the king and something else they used to do and you will find that even the Israelites did this when they conquered a people; any woman that had been married would be killed. They would let the virgins live. And so he was telling the fathers if you love your daughters don’t let them get married because they will be slain. Do you see what I am saying?
Richard: Yes that makes much more sense now.
Pastor Doug: Yes even Moses had as part of his law when they conquered people he said you have to kill the married women, but you can let the virgins live. So that is what is connected t this.
Richard: Okay I understand that a lot better now. Thanks.
Pastor Doug: Praise the Lord.
Dick: Thanks for the call Richard. Let’s go to St. Petersburg, Florida. Zoran is listening on the internet welcome Zoran.
Zoran: Oh thank you for taking my call Pastors. I just want to first praise the Lord for keeping this program on the air for forty years it has been a blessing for so many people. And I am just going to ask my question and then I will get off the phone so you guys can answer it.
Pastor Doug: Okay.
Zoran: I just started Revelation and I found a text in Ezekiel interesting to me it is Ezekiel 1: 9 &10 and in Revelation 4:7 and if you can just kind of explain to me the Scripture found here about the creatures?
Pastor Doug: Well yes I will do that I will do my best Zoran. If you read in Revelation 4: 7 it says, “The first is like a lion, the second is like a calf…”
Zoran: I wanted you to read about Ezekiel 1: 9 &10.
Pastor Doug: I will Zoran after I read in Revelation I will go to Ezekiel 1: 9 &10. Revelation 4:7 “… the third was like the face of a man and the fourth was like a flying eagle.” Then if you go to Ezekiel Chapter 1: 9 it talks about these creatures around the throne of God. 10 “The likeness of their faces, one was like a lion on the right side and an ox and an eagle on the other side and like a man. And so you’ll find that the same faces are around the throne that you find in Ezekiel and Revelation.
Now keep in mind that these creatures are symbolic. One reason we know that is it talks about it in Revelation Chapter 17 it talks about a woman sitting on a dragon with seven heads and ten horns and the angel tells us this is a symbol of Kings, these are symbols of mountains. So in these apocalyptic visions God is not surrounded by these bizarre alien like zoo creatures in heaven. Those creatures represent the different facets of God’s character. A lion is the symbol of Christ. A lion is the tribe of Judah. An eagle is a symbol of Christ in His loftiness and His speed and His vision and an eagle had great vision they could see three miles away so the vision of Christ. A calf was a symbol of the sacrifice of Christ and the willingness to serve; the oxen and also the vision of a man Christ came as a son of man. So these are different facets of Jesus. Some commentators today have learned and it is also the way we see Jesus in the four gospels. Matthew is Jesus the lion; the lion of the tribe of Judah. Mark is Jesus the eagle. John is Jesus the oxen and calf the sacrifice and Luke the physician he sees Jesus as the man. And so these are different facets of God’s character around His throne.
Zoran: Okay that sounds good to me. Alright thank you so much.
Pastor Doug: Thank you.
Dick: Thanks for the call Zoran. We’ll go now to Courtsville, California where Ron is listening on the internet. Ron welcome to the program.
Ron: Ah yeah I hope your screener will forgive me I am changing my question if that is okay.
Pastor Doug: Well okay, but I have a question for you.
Ron: Okay.
Pastor Doug: Is there any courts in Courtsville, California?
Ron: Not that I know of, but it is a nice name isn’t it?
Pastor Doug: Just wondered. Okay what is your question then?
Ron: Well the 2300 days just I don’t want to ask you guys a question anyway. I did a study and I know there are some like yourselves that interpret that as 2300 years. Correct?
Pastor Doug: Yes.
Ron: I was doing a study with a Messianic Jew who had told me that he interprets that as it is a [inaudible] sacrifice which is a morning lamb and an evening lamb. And it makes sense to me that it basically ties in with of the [inaudible] of the Epiphanies when they desecrated the temple. I think it was 160 or 165 or was it 168?
Pastor Doug: 168 I think.
Ron: Right and he said 1150 were the sacrifices and that, which would relate to Hanukah to a day of dedication three years later which would be 165 B.C. which would be the Macabees.
Pastor Doug: They use a day for a day.
Ron: Right.
Pastor Doug: Well for one thing if you start with the starting point that is given in Daniel Chapter 9 from the going forth of the commandment to restore and rebuild Jerusalem and you count 2300 literal days it does not come to the Titus of Epiphanies. 2300 days is a matter of a few years and a Titus of Epiphanies was many years after that even a couple of hundred years later.
Ron: Right he is counting it as 1150 days, but there is 2300 days so that means sacrifices and there are two so that means morning and evening. So that means two at 1150 each.
Pastor Doug: Let me give you a thought that is interesting. No it is a good question. There are some prophecies in the Bible that may actually have a literal and a symbolic interpretation. An example would be that Elijah for three and one half literal years lived during a famine that’s 1260 days. Then you get to Revelation where it talks about God’s people experience a famine for 1260 days when they experienced a famine for the word of God. And so you’ve got that time period that’s got both a literal and a symbolic interpretation. Jesus preached for three and one half years; 1260 Jewish days. You’ve got a literal and a symbolic application of some prophecies and you can have some prophecies that have maybe both. But, if you use the starting point from Daniel Chapter 9 from the going forth of the commandment until the restoration of Jerusalem and you go to 2300 days; it doesn’t come to [inaudible] of Epiphanies, not even close. But, if you go 2300 years then you get a different story and we have got a Bible study on this do you want me to send it?
Ron: What is it called?
Pastor Doug: This will blow you away it is called “God Set the Date for the Judgment” if you ask for the Bible study God sets the date they will know what to send to you. And it covers the 2300 day prophecy and it will really boggle the mind.
Ron: Okay I need mind boggling.
Pastor Doug: Alright. Thank you for your call. It is free Ron just ask for it.
Dick: 1-800-835-6747 is the number Ron 1-800-835-6747. Let’s go to Petersburg, West Virginia Mike is listening by satellite welcome.
Mike: Hey hello.
Pastor Doug: Good evening.
Mike: Welcome I enjoy your show. Question is Matthew 12: 40 where it says, “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish; so will the son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” I don’t have any problem with the days, but I am trying to figure out where that other night comes from.
Pastor Doug: Okay good question. And before I forget I wrote a book on this that I will send you for free. How does that sound?
Mike: Okay sounds great Pastor Doug.
Pastor Doug: The book is called “The Sign of Jonah” now the book covers a lot more than just the three days and the three nights, but it thoroughly covers that. Let me tell you in a nutshell where the misunderstanding is.
Mike: Okay.
Pastor Doug: People automatically assume heart of the earth means the tomb. As Jesus was in as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish; the son of man was in the heart of the earth. When Jonah was in the whale was he alive or dead?
Mike: He was alive.
Pastor Doug: Alright we must not assume when it is talking about Christ in the heart of the earth that it is only talking about His death. The sufferings of Christ are when He was in the midst of the world. In other words Jesus was protected by the Father all through life until He began to suffer for our sins. The suffering of Jesus did not begin when the nails first pierced His hands. The suffering began in the Garden of Gethsemane when He was betrayed. From that moment they bound Him and began to beat Him and tried Him and mocked Him and ridiculed and spit. That was Thursday night when He was in the hands of the devil for three days and there nights suffering for the sins of the world. Keep in mind punishment is not just death it is punishment and death. Christ suffered and died. He didn’t just die; He suffered and died. So the heart of the earth is suffering and the penalty of death. So Thursday night Friday night Saturday night and He rose Sunday morning. For three days and three nights Christ was in the heart of the earth. Nowhere else in the Bible are you going to find a Scripture that calls the heart of the earth the tomb? It is an assumption that is understandably made, but an erroneous assumption.
Mike: It was just so specific there the three days and the three nights.
Pastor Doug: Yes you are right you cannot miss that.
Mike: So I was just curious.
Pastor Doug: And Jesus was in the midst of the devil three days and three nights. Send for the book the “Sign of Jonah” and I think you will enjoy it and there are some other amazing things in that prophecy.
Mike: I sure will. Thank you.
Pastor Doug: You’re welcome.
Dick: Alright Mike thanks for the call. 1-800-835-6747 is the number. Let’s talk with Connie in Yakama, Washington listening on KSOH. Connie welcome.
Connie: Hi.
Dick: And your question please?
Connie: In the Bible and in Matthew particularly it says Matthew 5: 31 “If a man divorces his wife and she remarries she commits adultery.” And adultery is a sin.
Pastor Doug: Yes Matthew 5: 31 and 33.
Connie: And so now in this world we live in we marry and divorce and we marry. Yet I have a friend who is strictly Biblical based and he believes in his heart that it means exactly what it says. That if you are divorced and your husband isn’t dead you can’t get remarried and I want to know if there is any place in the Bible that tells or rescinds it and gives women permission to remarry even if their ex-husband is still alive.
Pastor Doug: There are two—Jesus makes two provisions—I think I hear where you are heading Connie I’m not trying to cut you off, but I am just trying to just trying to save some time for you. There are two provisions in the Bible. One is Jesus said saving for the cause of fornication. In other words if you are a Christian and you are married to a Christian and he or she commits adultery they violate the marriage vows in a very severe way. You have the right and you don’t have to divorce them, but you do have Biblical grounds for divorce and to remarriage. The other scenario Paul talks in 1 Corinthians in Chapter 7 if someone becomes a believer in Christ and they are a pagan and they accept Christ and their husband or their wife says I don’t want to be married to you anymore I married a pagan and not a Christian and they leave you. Paul says you are not under bondage in such cases, but you are free. And it is my understanding of this when Paul says they are not under bondage, but they are free then it means free to remarry. So in cases where you are abandoned because of your faith; you are free to remarry. So I don’t know what your scenario is Connie, but those are the two provisos in that.
Connie: The thing that happened to me after 31 and ½ years of marriage my husband divorced me and it turned out he was committing adultery when he was married to me and I didn’t know about it.
Pastor Doug: Where does it say that in the Bible?
Pastor Doug: Well I’ll read it to you in Matthew Chapter 5: 32 these are the words of Jesus. 32 “But I say unto you, that whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced commieth adultery.” Saving for or except for cause of fornication causes her to commit adultery and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced and again it is understood except for fornication commits adultery. So not only n the Mosaic Law, but in the words of Jesus if your spouse commits adultery; they even used to get stoned in the Old Testament which obviously were free to remarry.
Connie: Right.
Pastor Doug: So you have Biblical grounds.
Connie: My friend has taken—he has taken it to the point where he says he’s some independent guy who calls himself a Pastor and this guy says that he shouldn’t even talk to a divorced woman; that they are like dirt.
Pastor Doug: Well you know what? If you are divorced with Biblical grounds then you are on grounds…
Connie: Right my husband committed adultery and then divorced me.
Pastor Doug: If your boyfriend is listening to a Pastor who is not following good Bible counsel in my opinion.
Connie: Well that’s part of what I thought.
Pastor Doug: You know there are some good books that he can read that are available and probably even online on interpreting the laws on marriage and divorce and remarriage. And I recommend that you do that and you know we have a study guide we can send Connie Pastor Dick and it’s on what happens with husbands and wives.
Dick: Connie if you will call our resource line operators at 1-800-835-6747 we’ll send you that study guide for free.
Pastor Doug: Yes read it and “Keys for a Happy Marriage” and I had to look it up because we changed the title.
Dick: Yes “Keys for a Happy Marriage”.
Pastor Doug: And it talks about some of the issues about divorce and so forth.
Dick: 1-800-835-6747 Connie and thanks for the call.
Pastor Doug: Hey Pastor that is the music. Hey listening friends I forgot to mention we do have our study guides that have been the foundation for this series. They have just been completely revised and they are new and beautiful. So you might want to take a look and you may even want to look at them online. Go check out “Amazing Facts dot org”.
Also these programs have been around for ten years now and Pastor Dick and I have been sitting beside each other and you can go listen to a whole library of Bible answers and questions from previous programs. Just wanted to mention that, but most of all keep in mind this is a faith based ministry and we haven’t said that much about it, but we are here because people like you say, “Hey I want to keep them going.” Drop us a line and let us know you are listening and most of all remember that this is all made possible, not because of the details, but because of Jesus who is the truth that will set you free. God bless you friends and keep us in your prayers and we’ll talk to you next week.
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