Howard Hughes

Howard Hughes was born in humble Texas on Christmas Eve 1905. Following the premature deaths of his mother, then his father, at 18, Howard took over the profitable family tool business in Houston. His ambitions were anything but humble. He wanted to be the richest man alive and to be the top film producer and top aviator. He basically managed all three, winning international fame by his early 20s. At various points in his life, he owned a motion picture studio, mining properties, a tool company, a medical research institute, gambling casinos, and a vast amount of real estate and hotels in Las Vegas. He owned several airlines and aircraft companies. Among the planes he helped design and build was the H-4 “Hercules,” better known as the “Spruce Goose.” It was actually built of birch with no spruce. A massive flying boat, weighing 190 tons completed just after World War II, the Hercules flew only one time for one mile with Hughes at the controls. He socialized with the rich and powerful and dated a string of Hollywood stars.

Young Howard was living life in the fast lane, and flying fast was his first passion. He set several records in planes he helped design. Then one day, by test-flying a prototype, he crashed and nearly died. While recuperating, Howard Hughes became dependent on pain relievers. Over time, his behavior became increasingly more eccentric. He dropped out of the social spotlight and became hyper paranoid about germs. For one seven-month stretch, he had a private pilot secretly fly him around the Southwest where he would stay alone in a darkened motel room spending endless hours obsessively watching movies. By 1966, at the age of 60, he was the world’s wealthiest man, but he lived in constant fear of contagious disease.

People who worked for him had to frequently wash their hands and wear white gloves. He would often burn his clothing, fearing that he’d been around anybody who had any contact with illness. Towards the end of his life, he was daily injecting codeine and taking valium. He never bathed, ate candy bars until his teeth rotted out because he never brushed them. He wore tissue boxes on his feet, never cut his hair, and his nails — finger and toe nails — grew grotesquely long. His once strapping 6’ 4” frame shrank to barely 90 pounds. While flying to a hospital in Houston in 1976, he died of kidney failure and malnutrition. The FBI insisted on taking fingerprints to confirm that this pitiful shell of a man was indeed the legendary Howard Hughes.

Jesus asked the question, “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul?” Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? Stay with us, friends. We’re going to learn more as Amazing Facts brings you this edition of Bible Answers Live.

[PROGRAM INTRODUCTION]

Pastor Jëan Ross: Welcome to Bible Answers Live brought to you by Amazing Facts Ministries. Are you looking for a clear, concise answer to your most challenging Bible questions? Maybe you’re struggling to understand difficult passages of Scripture. If so, you’ve come to the right place. Join us now as we open God’s Word to discover His will and find honest, practical answers to your Bible-related questions. This broadcast is pre-recorded. If you have a Bible question, call us Sundays from 7 to 8 P.M. Pacific Standard Time at 800-GOD-SAYS. That’s 800-463-7297. Now, let’s join our host, author, speaker, and evangelist, Pastor Doug Batchelor.

Pastor Doug: I’m so thankful that you are listening and I’m just going to take this as a sign God’s arranged an appointment—a divine Providence—that you’re tuned in to Bible Answers Live. This is a live, international, interactive Bible study where we talk about the most important thing you can talk about—what is the purpose of life and how do you live forever? And the answers to that question are in the Bible.

If you have any Bible-related questions, we’d invite you to give us a call. It is a free phone call in North America and Canada. That number is 800-GOD-SAYS. That’s the acronym for 800-463-7297. We’ve got several lines open! So, now is a great time to pick up the phone and make that call. If you have some Bible question that’s been tickling your curiosity, we’ll do our best to search the Word together and find the answer. My name is Doug Batchelor.

Pastor Jëan Ross: And my name is Jëan Ross. Good evening, Pastor Doug. Good evening, listening friends. Before we get into our questions this evening, let’s start with prayer. Dear Lord, once more, we thank You for this opportunity to study the Bible. We thank You for this medium through radio that we can share this Bible study with so many. We ask You to be with us tonight. Be with those who are listening and those who call in. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Pastor Doug: Amen.

Pastor Jëan Ross: The program started with an amazing fact about Howard Hughes who accomplished so much, at least from the perspective of the world in fame and fortune, but yet at the end of his life, he kind of went crazy. Almost reminds us King Nebuchadnezzar that had it all, but he himself went crazy.

Pastor Doug: Yeah, the Bible tells a story about a man who basically was very proud and driven. One of the greatest kings of antiquity was Nebuchadnezzar. And he walked one day and God had given him a dream, in chapter 4 of Daniel, warning him against his pride. While walking on the balcony one day surveying his wealth, he said, “Is it not this the Great Babylon I’ve created?” And he suddenly went mad and growled like an animal—like Howard Hughes, his fingernails became long and grotesque— the Bible says they’re like bird’s claws. And his hair was matted, and he was living like an animal until he turned his eyes towards heaven. At the end of seven years, he turned back to God, and he was saved from his insanity.

And you know, we almost pity Howard Hughes who had so much wealth and yet was so miserable and so lonely and lived in such fear. And I was sharing with you just before the program, this amazing fact is interesting to me because I was born in Burbank, my father was in the aviation business. He knew Howard Hughes. Howard Hughes wrote to my mother and asked her to date him when she was married to my father at the time. She was a model and an actress. She said no. But just, you know, to see what happened to him as a result of, you know, the wealth and just living for this earthly empire. He died in such a pitiful way.

Some people may not deteriorate physically and mentally the way Howard Hughes did. But anybody who’s living for earthly wealth, building their kingdom in this world, they are spiritually eroding just like that man did. And if your trust is in money, and you know, it’s really sad. There are preachers now that are basically saying the purpose of salvation is God wants you to be wealthy and healthy and wise and the Bible really doesn’t teach that earthly wealth is to be the goal of the Christian. A matter of fact, Jesus teaches the antithesis of that. He said it’s harder for a rich man to get into heaven than a camel to go through the eye of a needle. And I don’t know how so many of these pastors can just completely ignore that glaring statement of Christ!

Pastor Jëan Ross: You know, in the Book of Revelation, we have Christ’s counsel to the churches. There is one church, Smyrna, that was very poor as far as the goods of this world, but Jesus says, “You are rich.” And then on the other hand, we have Christ’s counsel to the church of Laodicea, and Laodicea was a very rich church…

Pastor Doug: In worldly wealth.

Pastor Jëan Ross: …in worldly things…

Pastor Doug: Yeah.

Pastor Jëan Ross: …but He says, “You are poor spiritually.”

Pastor Doug: Yeah.

Pastor Jëan Ross: So there seems to be a connection between trusting in our earthly possessions instead of trusting in God.

Pastor Doug: Is there security in our relationship with God as our treasure in Heaven? Are we trusting in our kingdom down here and we’re looking for our happiness in this life? In the end, it’ll be a pitiful end if… Jesus said, “What profit is it that you gain the whole world and lose your soul?” Here’s this man, Howard Hughes, richest man in the world. He’s living in darkened hotel rooms walking around with Kleenex boxes on his feet, living in constant fear of germs. And because without God, you know, it is… personally I think demons just basically harassed him until he went mad.

But, then you can have somebody who is poor, but when they have a relationship with Jesus, they are rich. And everybody can have those riches tonight. We have a free offer talking about that through trusting in God, you can find real wealth.

Pastor Jëan Ross: The study guide that we have tonight, which is our free offer, is entitled “In God We Trust.” And it deals with the question of finance and the Christian. Where do we put our trust? How do we relate to the finance and the money God has given us? To receive this free resource, just call our number, our resource number. It’s 1-800-835-6747. Again, that’s 1-800-835-6747. The study guide is “In God We Trust.” It’s an Amazing Facts study guide, you’ll enjoy it.

We’d also like to begin with a few Internet questions. The first one tonight, Pastor Doug, “I came across a Bible question that puzzled me. How could corn be mentioned so many times in the Bible when it originated in North America a long time after the Bible was written?”

Pastor Doug: That’s a good question. I remember when I first was reading the Bible, I had enough history to realize that Indian corn, yellow corn, that we—it’s so popular in especially North America— wasn’t discovered until the Americas were discovered. And here, Jesus is talking about corn. I later learned that the word “corn” is found in the Old English translations of the Bible. That was a generic word for the kernel of any grain. It was often called “corn” just the way the Old English uses the word “meat” to talk about food— we say “the meat of a nut.”

So, if you look in newer translations, it’ll call it “grain,” or might even say “wheat” if it ever specifies, but corn was a generic term. And we always think that Americans talk about yellow corn, it’s not in the Bible. They knew it didn’t exist back then.

Pastor Jëan Ross: Alright. Good. Well, the next question is, “Some say that Jesus turned water into grape juice and not wine. However, why would people in His town, or in this town, call Him a drunkard if they had never seen Him drink wine? And why is it that they said that Jesus came eating and drinking?”

Pastor Doug: Yeah, that’s found in Matthew11:19. Jesus said… and He’s talking about John the Baptist. You have to read things in context; otherwise, it lose the whole meaning. They were saying, “Why did the disciples of John fast?” And John was a Nazarene. He neither drink anything from the grape, not even grape juice. They drank water and they often fasted. They lived very austere Spartan lives. And Jesus said, on the other hand, “You did not like to believe John, and here he was fasting, and you don’t believe Me, and you accuse Me.” He’s talking about His adversaries. “…that you accuse Me of eating and drinking,” and they say, “Behold this Man is gluttonous and a winebibber and a friend of publicans and sinners.”

Well, we need to ask ourselves, “Yes, they accused Him of eating and drinking, also accused Him of being a glutton. Was Jesus a glutton?” Did He, you know, gluttony is a sin. They also accused Jesus of having a demon. Was He a demon?

Pastor Jëan Ross: Resist Sabbath…

Pastor Doug: You know… yeah, they accused Jesus of Sabbath-breaking. They accused Him of all kinds of things. They accused Him of being a Samaritan. Well, he wasn’t a Samaritan. So, because they accused Him of these things because He associated with publicans and sinners, it doesn’t mean that He participated in their sins. And Jesus, while they made Him drank grape juice, Jesus did not endorse the drinking of alcohol.

Pastor Jëan Ross: Just another verse that goes along with that in 1 Corinthians 6:10, it tells us that “drunkards shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” So, how could Jesus be a drunkard? At least, He was accused of that. But how could Jesus be a drunkard, because drunkards cannot even enter the kingdom of God!

Pastor Doug: Right. So, I don’t believe Jesus ever drank fermented grape juice. I think… at the cross, they offered Him a drug to dull the pain, and once He tasted and realized what it was, He turned away. He wouldn’t drink it. And so, that tells us strongly He felt about that even when the Bible says, “Give wine to him that’s ready to perish.” Christ was perishing, He still wouldn’t take it. So, I think it’s really a stretch to have Jesus being a drinker.

Pastor Jëan Ross: We have a book that deals with this subject. There’s a lot of questions that people have about alcohol and the Christian. If you’d like to learn more, call our resource number 1-800-835-6747, and you can ask for the booklet, “Alcohol and the Christian.” Again, the number is 1-800-835-6747. If you would like to call to give us a question tonight, to get your question on the air, the number is 1-800-463-7297. That’s 1-800-GOD-SAYS. And we do have some lines that are still open. And we’ll go to our first caller for this evening. Joseph is listening on WMCA, listening from New York. Welcome to the program, Joseph.

Joseph: Yes, Pastor Doug and Pastor Ross. What I want to ask, because I was reading John, I believe it’s 9:5…

Pastor Doug: Okay.

Joseph: …where it says that “unless you’re born of the water and the Spirit, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.”

Pastor Doug: Yes.

Joseph: And now, I understand… to my understanding, does water be in baptism? The reason I asked that is I was told at one time that you don’t have to be baptized to go to heaven. Could I please have your answers?

Pastor Doug: Yeah. Baptism is a very important teaching where Jesus says that, you know, the last statement of Christ is, “Go, therefore, and teach all nations baptizing them.” And again, Christ says— and that’s Matthew 28 and in Mark 16— Jesus said that whoever believes and is baptized shall be saved. Baptism is as important to a Christian as a marriage ceremony is to— I should say a wedding ceremony is to— a marriage. Baptism is the ceremony by which we are married to Christ and accept His covenant. It represents the death to the old life, a burial of the old person, and a new birth, a resurrection. So, that’s why Jesus says in the Gospel of John chapter 3, “Unless you’re born of the water and born of the Spirit, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Now, there are going to be people who will be in heaven who maybe were not baptized. Of course, you’ve got everybody in the Old Testament where they did not practice baptism. A lot of people are going to be in heaven who maybe didn’t know about the practice. But if someone’s on their deathbed and they accept Jesus, Joseph, Jesus isn’t going to say, “Well, I can’t let you into heaven because you weren’t baptized.” You know, the Lord looks on the heart. It is a ceremony.

Joseph: Yes.

Pastor Doug: People are not saved by the H2O that is in the baptismal pool.

Joseph: That’s true.

Pastor Doug: They’re washed from their sins in the blood of Christ symbolically.

Joseph: You just mentioned something, Pastor, concerning Jesus and wine. Didn’t He drink wine at the Last Supper?

Pastor Doug: Yeah, but it was unfermented. And one reason we know that is the Bible tells us that new wine— you’ve got new wine and old wine. Jesus said, “You don’t put new wine in old wineskins.” New wine is grape juice.

Joseph: So, they were drinking grape juice at the Last Supper?

Pastor Doug: Yeah, because Christ said, “I will not drink of this,” and this is in Matthew— I forget the verse, it’s there in the Last Supper in Matthew— “I will not drink of this again until I drink it with you new,” He uses the word “new,” “in the Father’s kingdom.” In other words, we’re going to drink new wine together in the Father’s kingdom. You see, Joseph, you probably have heard that the bread at the Last Supper was unleavened bread. They were not to have any leaven in the bread because leaven is a process of fermentation; it’s a sign of sin. Likewise, the grape juice was not to be fermented either…

Joseph: I didn’t know that.

Pastor Doug: So, unfermented bread, unfermented grape juice, types of the blood, perfect blood, the perfect body of Christ— those symbols should be pure.

Joseph: Okay. That’s why He turned away from the wine that was offered to Him at the cross?

Pastor Doug: Exactly.

Joseph: Good answer.

Pastor Jëan Ross: You know, we have a book, Joseph, dealing— just come back for the first question that you’ve mentioned on baptism— we have a study guide that deals with the whole subject of baptism. And you can get that if you call our resource number; it’s 1-800-835-6747. And the study guide is “Purity and Power,” dealing with the important subject of baptism. So, you know, that will explain a lot more…

Pastor Doug: Yup.

Pastor Jëan Ross: …related to that.

Pastor Doug: I think that will help.

Pastor Jëan Ross: Alright. Well, thanks for your call, Joseph! We’ll go to our next caller then. Scott is listening on the Internet from Houston, Texas. Welcome to the program, Scott.

Scott: Hi. I have a question of Matthew chapter 6, particularly verses 20 and 21 and verses 25 through 34?

Pastor Doug: Okay.

Scott: Particularly, I mean I use those verses to comfort my situation. And my situation, for example, you know… I have two kids, I’m 40 years old, and I have absolutely no retirement. My wife or I have any retirement at all.

Pastor Doug: Okay.

Scott: And I can’t help but worry about that occasionally, you know. Just being, gosh, you know, I don’t want to be a burden on my children. And you know, I want to put my kids through Christian education. And when I, you know, comfort myself with these verses but, you know, my family and even my Christian friends tell me, you know, “It’s foolish not to save for retirement or invest for your retirement,” you know, “you don’t want to do that.” And so, I just…

Pastor Doug: You’re wondering about the balance is for a Christian when it comes to faith and retirement and storing your money in heaven?

Scott: Right. I’d like to know… I would just like to know that, you know, I have absolutely zero retirement and when I read these verses, to me it tells me that I shouldn’t have to worry about that. I shouldn’t even store up money for retirement, you know. Because sometimes I think even if I have money to spare, I would want to use it… I wouldn’t want to store it when somebody could be in need of it right now, you know, or…

Pastor Doug: Well, there’s several verses I could share with you. First of all, the study guide that we mentioned at the beginning of the program called, “In God We Trust,” is perfect for your question. So ask for that. I’ll give you a brief answer also. But ask for the free study guide, please, and call the resource number at the end of your question.

Scott: Okay.

Pastor Doug: Solomon tells people to behold the ant which stores its food in the summer so that it can survive in the winter. It is not a lack of faith for a Christian to have some reserve. When God told Noah He was going to destroy the world because of the Flood, Noah stored food on the ark in preparation for that.

I like what John Wesley said. John Wesley was a great man of faith. He said there’s a balance for the Christian that you want to strive for—and I’m paraphrasing—where you earn all you can, you save all you can, and you give all you can. And there, you divide your resources—those three ways—as a Christian. It tells us that “a righteous man lays up an inheritance for his children.” So, there’s certainly nothing wrong with having something in reserve to leave for your children, and maybe even your grandchildren. It could be irresponsible to, you know, make no provision for the future. Now, Jesus, when He sent out the apostles preaching, He asked them to go by faith and to live totally unencumbered. But I don’t know that that was a mandate for all believers. Because, you know, Paul talks about those who are rich in this world’s good that they should be willing to minister, but he doesn’t say liquidate.

Scott: Right. What about a person like me who’s just struggling just to take care of my family, for example? And I can’t…

Pastor Doug: How do you save anything?

Scott: …help it. I’m sorry?

Pastor Doug: You’re wondering how do you save and still maintain your family?

Scott: Right. I mean, well for example, for me, I just, you know, it’s everything I can do just to…

Pastor Doug: Pay the bills.

Scott: …keep my family. Right. And plus even with the help of, you know, like I said, I want to see my kids to have Christian… I want them to have Christian education and…

Pastor Doug: Right.

Scott: …I know that’s going to be a struggle.

Pastor Doug: You know what I think the best thing would be for you is, Scott? There is a website that I have no apologies about recommending. It is called Crown Ministries and I think it’s “.org”—Crown Ministries. It is a Christian website started by Larry Burkett where they specialize in giving Christian financial counsel with Biblical perspectives. And your questions are really right up the alley and I hope you’ll take advantage of our free offer and go to the website, if you can do that, of Crown Ministries and they’ve got great Biblical counsel for Christians in your very situation.

Pastor Jëan Ross: Scott, let me make sure you know the name of that study guide that we’re offering tonight, “In God We Trust.” All you need to do is call the resource number, 1-800-835-6747, and just ask for that free study guide. Our next caller is Christine listening on KFIA, Sacramento, California. Welcome to the program!

Christine: Thank you.

Pastor Doug: Hi, Christine! Get real close to your phone.

Christine: Okay. Can you hear me well?

Pastor Doug: That’s better.

Christine: Okay. My question is on Judges chapter 20.

Pastor Doug: Okay.

Christine: The story of some men of the tribe of Benjamin who had done a wicked things.

Pastor Doug: Oh, yeah. I know the story.

Christine: Okay. And the gentleman who was wronged called the other tribes of Israel and they came together and they asked counsel of God if they should go up to battle. And God said, “Go up!” and they did. And…

Pastor Doug: They’ve lost the first battle.

Christine: …they lost the first battle.

Pastor Doug: And they lost the second battle…

Christine: And they lost the second battle. [Laughs] Yes, so you know where I’m going with my question.

Pastor Doug: Why did God tell them to go and they didn’t win?

Christine: Right!

Pastor Doug: Okay. For our friends, let me just give a quick review, Christine. There was this… it’s actually a very powerful spiritual story because that man is a type of Christ. His wife that runs to Bethlehem, and she basically, it says she played the harlot. She was unfaithful. He loved her, forgave her, brought her home. It’s a type of Christ pursuing the church. He was a priest. He’s bringing her back to the House of God, and Christ is taking us back to the House of God. In route, she is assaulted by the people—the men of Benjamin—and she dies with her hands on the threshold. That’s where the blood of the Passover was placed.

So it’s got a lot of spiritual meaning in this story. But then, when the man divides her body 12 ways. You know, Revelation 12, you’ve got the woman with 12 stars—it’s a type of the church. He sends it to the tribes and says, “Look, do we still believe in the law of God or are we going to vindicate this terrible evil?” They did not have a police force back then. And the people of God said, “Yes, we will!” God said, “I’m with you.” They lost the first two battles and they said, “Lord, what’s wrong?” He waited until they really humbled themselves and said, “Okay, if you had won the first battle or the second battle, you would have taken credit. I’m wanting to know two things. First of all, are you still committed to justice that you’re willing to die for it?” Secondly, He’s wanting to know, “Have you humbled yourself so I can give you the victory?” And when they really humbled themselves and they said, “We’re committed, if it takes every last man to lay our lives down to have justice in the land of Israel.” Then He gave a very complete victory— the third battle.

So, I think that’s one reason that God said, “Yeah, I want you to go to battle.” And… but they went into battle trusting in themselves the first two times, and He couldn’t give them victory. They trusted in their… they had superior numbers.

Christine: Yeah.

Pastor Doug: And you find whenever God’s people go into battle with superior numbers, trusting themselves, they never did well. If they had inferior numbers, as long as they trusted God, they did okay.

Pastor Jëan Ross: I think also, just the gravity of the situation, here is one of the tribes that was almost wiped out…

Pastor Doug: Yup.

Pastor Jéan Ross: …because of their sin. That’s not something that God takes lightly. It was a serious thing that happened and affected…

Pastor Doug: Benjamin used to be one of the biggest tribes until that event.

Pastor Jëan Ross: One of the biggest tribe… a matter of fact, the whole of Israel, not just Benjamin, but everyone suffered as a result.

Pastor Doug: Yeah. That’s right.

Christine: So perhaps, the two first losses were a merciful thing for Benjamin giving them opportunity?

Pastor Doug: Yeah, and I also think that God was letting them know they had… up until this point— this is the end of Judges, and you know, all through the Book of Judges, it says every man did what was right in his own eyes—they had not been executing the Law of God. They had not been following the ways, the teachings of Moses. And God would say, “Look, you’re not going to correct the evil in one or two battles. If you let things go this long, it may take several battles to win.” There’s a lot of lessons in there. I hope that helps a little, Christine.

Christine: It does! Thank you very much! I appreciate it.

Pastor Doug: Alright. God bless and thanks for your question.

Pastor Jëan Ross: Our next caller is Gabriel listening on WMCA from Hoboken, New Jersey…

Pastor Doug: [Laughs] I was waiting to hear you say Hoboken…

Pastor Jëan Ross: [Laughs]

Gabriel: Hoboken! Yeah.

Pastor Doug: Hoboken. That’s where Frank Sinatra is from.

Pastor Jëan Ross: Alright.

Gabriel: Good day, Pastor Doug.

Pastor Doug: He’s a foreigner. Sorry, Gabriel.

Pastor Jëan Ross: [Laughs]

Gabriel: You know, it’s no problem. Good day, Pastors.

Pastor Doug: Hi. How are you doing?

Gabriel: Quickly. My question is, will the antichrist reveal himself before the rapture? The reason why I’m asking this question is due to that verse in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 where it states, “Let no one deceive you be any means, for that day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition?”

Pastor Doug: Yes. I believe that the antichrist will reveal himself before Christ returns and we’re caught up to meet Him because Jesus said there’ll be many false christs and false prophets. And He says that prior to the statements about the Second Coming. So, I do believe that Satan’s masterpiece of deception where he impersonates Christ through his antichrist being happens before the Second Coming. Now, the antichrist spoken of in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 is more than just this final masterpiece of Satan’s deception.

Gabriel: Oh.

Pastor Doug: The antichrist… keep in mind, the word “antichrist” does not appear in Revelation. The antichrist is found in 1st and 2nd John. And John says, “Even now, there are many antichrists.” Isn’t that right?

Gabriel: Right.

Pastor Doug: So, the antichrist’s power began even in the days of John back when Revelation was written or, you know, during that first century. And it really began to grown about the fifth century—this antichrist’s power. You know, we’ve got a lesson that you would really enjoy, and it’s called…

Gabriel: Oh please, send it over. Yeah.

Pastor Doug: “Who is the Antichrist?” Well, you’ll have to call a phone number. We’ll send it for free.

Gabriel: Awesome.

Pastor Doug: That is a lesson on the antichrist.

Gabriel: One last question, quickly. I mean, seriously like, is he alive and well today as we speak? Like, is he like…

Pastor Doug: Yes.

Gabriel: …working in our midst, yeah?

Pastor Doug: You read this lesson. Anyone who wants a copy of this lesson, you owe it to yourself. It’s not the “Left Behind” scenario that’s become so popular—I think that’s fictitious. But the antichrist is very much in place today.

Gabriel: Oh man.

Pastor Doug: And you ought to get this lesson. It will blow your socks off.

Gabriel: Thanks. I’ll go for it.

Pastor Doug: Okay.

Pastor Jëan Ross: Alright. Let me give the number to call. It’s 1-800-835-6747, and the free offer is…

Pastor Doug: “The Antichrist.” It’s a study guide on the antichrist.

Pastor Jëan Ross: Right. And we’ll send that out to you. Just call that number, and it’s an important lesson. I think you’ll really enjoy it.

Pastor Doug: Alright, friends, we’re going to take a break—you can hear the music in the background—in just a moment and then we’ll come back with more Bible questions. If you have… if you like more information, you can also go to the Amazing Facts website and that is simply amazingfacts.org. You can be listening to some of these same Bible questions. Some of the most common and popular Bible questions and answers are given there at the Amazing Facts website.

We also have a library where you can read many of the offers and study guides we’re sharing. You can read them right there online for free! And so, take a look at the amazingfacts.org, and also check out Bible Universe. There you can enter the “Historicals of Prophecy” Bible study series and learn about prophecy. We’ll be right back!

[COMMERCIAL BREAK]

Pastor Jëan Ross: Welcome back to Bible Answers Live with Pastor Doug Batchelor. This broadcast is pre-recorded. If you have a Bible-related question, you can call us from 7 to 8 P.M. Pacific Standard Time on Sundays and receive clear, honest answers directly from Scripture. Call 800-GOD-SAYS; that’s 800-463-7297. Now, please join us as we look to God’ Word for more Bible Answers Live with author and evangelist, Pastor Doug Batchelor.

Pastor Doug: Welcome back, listening friends! If you have just tuned in, you are listening to Bible Answers Live. This is—as you can tell from the title—a live, international, interactive Bible study. And if you have a question, we still have a couple of lines open. It’s a free phone call. The number is 800-GOD-SAYS—the Bible is our source book—and that’s an acronym for 800-463-7297. My name is Doug Batchelor.

Pastor Jëan Ross: And my name is Jëan Ross. And let me just remind our friends before we go to the phone lines. The free offer for tonight is, “In God We Trust.” You can receive that by calling our resource number, 1-800-835-6747. And our next caller is Robert and he is calling from New York, New York, listening on WMCA. Welcome to the program, Robert!

Robert: Hello, Sir.

Pastor Doug: And your question, Sir?

Robert: Yes. How do I become worthy to inherit anything from God?

Pastor Doug: Well, we don’t become worthy by increasing our worth by good deeds. What gives you worth is the fact of what has been paid. You’ve already had a price tag stamped on you and that price tag is the very life of God’s Son. He thinks you’re worth so much, He gave His Son to save you. That’s what gives you worth. You can respond to that invitation by accepting Christ into your heart and He then begins to recreate you in His own image. So, I don’t know if that’s precisely answering what you’re asking, Robert.

Robert: Yes, it is.

Pastor Doug: Would you… have you made a decision to accept Jesus personally?

Robert: Yes, Sir.

Pastor Doug: Oh, good for you.

Robert: Yes, thank you.

Pastor Doug: You know, I’d like to invite you to… we have a Bible study guide series that you can take for free. And since you’ve asked basically a question dealing with a relationship between Christ, I know you’d enjoy that series, and it’s the Amazing Facts Bible Study Course. And if you’d like a free set of those lessons, actually it’ll take you through them if you have the time. Just call the resource number, say you’d like to enroll in the Amazing Facts Bible Study Course. Pastor Jëan will give you that number.

Pastor Jëan Ross: Let me give you that again, Robert. The number is 1-800-835-6747. And when you call, just tell them that you’d like to enroll in the Amazing Facts Bible Study Course. And that’s not only for Robert, but anyone who’s listening.

Pastor Doug: Right.

Pastor Jëan Ross: Just a great wealth of information, a lot of important questions are answered on the Bible. So, take advantage of that. I know you will enjoy it. Our next caller is Lorina, and she’s listening on KFHL in Delano, California. Lorina, welcome to the program!

Pastor Doug: Lorina, are you there? You may have radio turned up, Lorina. One more time. Alright, it sounds like we’re going to have to go to another caller. We’ll keep her on, and maybe she’ll come back.

Pastor Jëan Ross: Alright. Our next caller, Jed, calling from Lincoln, California listening on KFIA. Jed, welcome to the program!

Jed: Howdy.

Pastor Doug: Hi!

Jed: Hey, yeah. First of all, I want to let you know I really appreciate you guys’ program here. It’s great. But I’ve been working through you the book of Revelation and I’m just wondering in chapter 14 verse 12, it says, “Here is the patience of the saints. Here are they that keep the commandments of God and have the faith of Jesus.” Now, as I read that, I thought, you know, there’s several hundred of different types of churches just here in the States. And is there ever going to be a time when there’s just like one church or what?

Pastor Doug: That’s a good question. You know, we believe from reading prophecy that near the end of time, all of the fractions of the Christian church— and I think you’re talking about the many different Christian denominations…

Jed: Yeah.

Pastor Doug: …not just the many different religions— that there’s going to be a polarizing that’s happening right now where you’ve got, on one side, you’ve a lot of ecumenical churches that are just saying, “Let’s put aside doctrinal differences and let’s come together on a few common beliefs.” And then you’re going to have another group that is going to say, “Let’s find out what the Bible says, and let’s go by the Word of God at any cost, even if it’s unpopular.” We know that there’s a division in Revelation between one group that has the mark of the beast and worships the beast…

Jed: Exactly.

Pastor Doug: …the other group has the seal of God and they have their Father’s name in their forehead. So, I do believe. Christ said, “All men will know you are My disciples by your love for one another.” I think the history of the church is going to end the way it started. It started back in the Garden of Eden where two brothers claim to worship the same God but they worshiped differently. One did it his own way— that’s Cain; Abel did it God’s way, and Cain killed his brother.

Jed: Wow!

Pastor Doug: In the Last Days, those that worship God His way are going to be persecuted by those who worship the beast and his image. And then Christ is going to come and deliver His people at that time. So, I think a lot of churches are going to come back to the Bible as we near the end.

Jed: Praise the Lord. Well, thank you! That helps a lot.

Pastor Doug: Yeah, another reason I believe that is Christ said, “All men will know you’re My disciples by your love for one another.” And so, I believe there has to be a coming together of God’s people near the end.

Jed: Do you have any material on that?

Pastor Doug: We do!

Pastor Jëan Ross: Well, Jed, let me tell you about the study guide that we have.

Jed: Okay.

Pastor Jëan Ross: It’s simply entitled, “The Bride of Christ,” and it’s an Amazing Facts study guide. To get that, just call the resource number, 1-800-835-6747. Just ask for “The Bride of Christ.”

Jed: “The Bride of Christ.” Okay. Okay.

Pastor Jëan Ross: Alright! Well, thank you for calling!

Jed: Okay. God bless you, guys.

Pastor Doug: God bless and thanks for your question.

Pastor Jëan Ross: Thanks for calling. Arnold is listening on KFIA calling from Englewood, California. Welcome to the program!

Arnold: Hey. How are you doing, Pastors?

Pastor Jëan Ross: Good, thank you.

Arnold: I have a question about hell. I know it’s there on your website…

Pastor Doug: Okay.

Arnold: …and it’s got the “hell is not eternal,” but I was looking at Matthew 25:46…

Pastor Doug: Okay.

Arnold: …it says that, “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

Pastor Doug: Yes.

Arnold: And I was looking at that, and it seems like to me, you know, looking at the Scripture, it seems like you only have eternal life, you only have eternal punishment.

Pastor Doug: Well, now, you misquoted that, if you don’t mind my gently correcting you. It says in Matthew…

Arnold: Oh no, no. I don’t…

Pastor Doug: Let me read it to you in Matthew 25:46, “These will go away into everlasting punishment.” It doesn’t say “eternal.” It says “everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Now, the punishment of the wicked is everlasting. The Bible says in Revelation 20 that the wicked are cast into a lake of fire, and this is the second death. There is no forgiveness, there is no redemption, there is no escaping. They don’t get life again. The sentence of death lasts forever. It is everlasting.

You know, Jesus also said in Matthew chapter 10, “Do not fear him who can destroy the body but he cannot hurt the soul; rather fear Him Who can destroy soul and body in hell.” So, I hope you’ll read… you know what, there’s a new website I’d like to recommend. And it just, I think, came out. It’s become very popular already, and it’s called helltruth.com— .org, too. Helltruth.org. H-E-L-L… I know it sounds kind of somber, but there’s so much confusion about this, and more and more Christians are already discovering that biblically, there is a lake of fire, there is a place where the wicked are punished according to their works. But the Bible says that when God creates a new heaven and a new earth, there is no more pain, all things are made new. The wicked perish, they do not get everlasting life in the fire, and they’re destroyed— eternal separation from God.

Pastor Jëan Ross: We have a study guide that deals with this as well. So, on the one end, you’ve got the website helltruth.org, and also if you’d like to have a study guide that deals with this, it’s called, “Is the Devil in Charge of Hell?” And you can call the resource number, 1-800-835-6747, and just ask for that study guide, “Is the Devil in Charge of Hell?” And that’ll deal with this important subject.

Pastor Doug: Did it help at all, Arnold?

Arnold: Oh, yes. Thank you.

Pastor Doug: Okay, thank you very much.

Pastor Jëan Ross: Our next caller is Anthony calling from Sacramento, California, listening on KFIA. Welcome to the program, Anthony.

Anthony: Hi, thank you! My question deals with the Levitical laws or, you know, passages in Leviticus where they talk about the health laws, and in that same chapter, in that same passage, they talked about the mixing of garments, the different threads or materials, and maybe something else like, you know, stoning your children or stoning homosexuals and I’m just wondering how in the passages do we differentiate between, you know, what are just the laws of Moses and what are laws that God expects us to…

Pastor Doug: Good question, very good question. And a matter of fact we have a Bible study guide on the subject of the law that we can offer you or anyone else who wants more information. But very quickly, there are several different kinds of law in the Bible. You’ve got the moral law found in the Ten Commandments; it’s the foundation for all law. It’s distinct from the other laws because God made that distinction. It’s the only law He spoke with His voice, the only one He wrote in stone, and the only one He wrote with His own finger. And it was put, of course, in the very center place of the whole earthly God movement. That was in the Holy of Holies in God’s temple in the midst of God’s land and God’s people. That was the law of God.

Then there were civil laws, and civil laws are based on just a lot of social common sense. Many of the laws in our country are based on the civil laws of Moses. There were some social laws that just deal with good, neighborly behavior. If your enemy’s ox goes astray, or if you’ve got an ox that’s got a bad habit of goring people, and you don’t warn people and you don’t fence him in, then you’re liable if he goes and hurts somebody if you knew it. And then there were health laws. Then there were ceremonial laws around this… they came into being around the sanctuary and its services.

When Jesus died on the cross, all the laws that had to do with the sacrifice, sacrificial system, and the sanctuary, they were nailed to the cross. The civil laws, well we still need those, we still need social law, we still need health law. God still… the laws of sanitation and health are, of course, practical laws. So, we need to divide up the law in those categories. It’s a little easier to understand how to apply them. And all of the ceremonial laws met their spiritual fulfillment in Christ. We don’t need to sacrifice lambs anymore. And Paul, in the New Testament, is very clear about circumcision and some of those other Jewish Feast Days. But the moral law, Ten Commandments, is eternal! So, I hope that helps a little bit, Anthony.

Anthony: So I guess…

Pastor Doug: Go ahead.

Anthony: Yeah, yeah. The difference would then be just in the reading of each particular passage, dividing them up and…

Pastor Doug: Yeah, when Moses gives them, they’re often lumped together, but of course, God… the Ten Commandments are not lumped the same way because God distinguishes those in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5. You’ll find principles of the Ten Commandment law. For instance, you just mentioned the law about stoning disobedient, gluttonous children. Well, that’s part of the Ten Commandments— “Honor your father and mother.”

Anthony: Yeah.

Pastor Doug: Now, are you wondering why we don’t stone our children today?

Anthony: No, no. That’s…

Pastor Doug: If we were under a theocracy probably [laughs] we might return to that again. But not now.

Pastor Jëan Ross: You know, Pastor Doug, I was just…

Anthony: Yeah. Thank you very much!

Pastor Doug: Oh, you’re welcome, Anthony. Thank you.

Pastor Jëan Ross: I was just thinking about that verse in particular where it says in the Old Testament, you shouldn’t have the same, or different, class in your garment.

Pastor Doug: Yeah, and it says you shouldn’t yoke a donkey and an oxen. And I was thinking about that this week. I was talking about marrying outside your faith and…

Pastor Jëan Ross: Unequally yoked.

Pastor Doug: Unequally yoked—because a donkey is an unclean animal; an ox is a clean animal. And you don’t get much work done from when you yoke a donkey and an oxen.

Pastor Jëan Ross: Right.

Pastor Doug: They’d probably plow in circles if…

Pastor Jëan Ross: They pull against each other.

Pastor Doug: From what I know… yeah. So, I think that the Lord was just saying… and the reason you don’t wear, weave, two different fabrics together is because they shrink at different speeds.

Pastor Jëan Ross: Or tear apart.

Pastor Doug: And God is just saying you don’t mingle your seed. You don’t, you know, sow the corn and the wheat together because they’re harvested at different times. You’ll trample one when you’ll harvest the other. So, yeah. That was basically… Moses was telling the people that they should remain pure as a people.

Pastor Jëan Ross: There’s a spiritual lesson to that as well because, of course, garment represents righteousness…

Pastor Doug: That’s right.

Pastor Jëan Ross: …Christ’s righteousness. You can’t mingle that with our own…

Pastor Doug: That’s right. Good point.

Pastor Jëan Ross: …or man’s works as well. Our next caller is Chris, and he’s listening from Colombia. Chris, welcome to the program, listening on WBAH.

Chris: Good evening!

Pastor Jëan Ross: Good evening, Chris.

Chris: Can you hear me from here?

Pastor Jëan Ross: Yes.

Pastor Doug: Loud and clear! It’s okay if you get closer to your phone, but we hear you.

Chris: [Laughing] Okay, my question is about circumcision. Now, I understand the difference between the, like, the Ten Commandments, the moral law, and the ceremonial laws. Now, we don’t… we keep the distinction between the clean and unclean meat because it goes back to the very beginning.

Pastor Doug: Right.

Chris: What about circumcision? Because it technically goes back to Abraham and it wasn’t really a ceremonial law at Sinai.

Pastor Doug: Well, Paul tells us circumcision is nothing, uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God is what matters. And again, in Galatians 5:6, He says, “Neither circumcision or uncircumcision avails anything but faith working though love.” So… and the first one I believe I was quoting was 1 Corinthians 7:19 that “circumcision is nothing, uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God.”

There are certain health benefits that doctors have identified connected with circumcision, but it’s not mandated as something that is required. God gave that to Abraham because, for obvious reasons, the Holy Seed was going to be transmitted through Abraham on ‘til the Messiah came. And so, he was being consecrated in that unique way saying that the Holy Seed, the Messiah, was coming through the loins of Abraham. When Jesus came, well, that, of course, met its fulfillment. Now, we have spiritual Israel, and we are circumcised in heart, the Bible says.

So, you know, for each one of the physical laws that you find, like Passover, we haven’t really done away with it. Whenever we have communion, we’re celebrating the new version of Passover. The new version of circumcision is circumcision of the heart, having the new covenant in the heart.

Chris: Okay.

Pastor Doug: Did that help a little, Chris?

Chris: Yes, Sir.

Pastor Doug: Alright, thanks. Good question!

Pastor Jëan Ross: Our next caller is Denise listening on WOCG calling from Huntsville, Alabama. Denise, welcome to the program!

Denise: Thank you.

Pastor Doug: Hi! Calling from our friends there at Oakwood College. Appreciate your call.

Denise: Yes. I wanted to know if there is a biblical way to or what is the best biblical way to witness to a group of people that does not believe in Jesus Christ or the New Testament?

Pastor Doug: That is a challenge. Obviously, you can’t come to them and say, “I want you to all sit up and pay attention. I’m going to give you a Bible study,” because they may not even believe in the Bible. Or, you said, they don’t believe in the New Testament. Well, you know, if they’re Jews, it’s another kind of challenge, but they believe in the Old Testament. A matter of fact, they have to be Orthodox Jews because a lot of more modern Jews, such as my family, they’re not so sure they believe in any of the Bible. They think it’s a lot of legends. So, it depends on what group you’re working with. Paul, he said, “To the Jews, I became like a Jew that I might reach the Jews. And to the Greeks I became like a Greek,” I’m paraphrasing, “that I might reach the Greeks.” Try to understand, in other words, their background. Don’t practice their practices, but understand their background and approach them as much as you can on common ground.

One time, Paul was in Athens and he noticed they had idols everywhere, and finally he ran into an idol of “The Unknown God,” and he thought, “Well, I’m going to use this as a springboard to preach to them about the God they don’t know”— that would be Jesus. And so, you know, God will give you wisdom on trying to find something to use as a platform to reach your friends that might not believe in the Bible.

One thing I would do is find out if they believe in prophecy, and say, “Do you believe that anyone can know the future? Do you believe in prophecy?” “Well, yeah, maybe.” And then say, “Alright. Well, let me show you what the best prophecies in the world are. They’re found in the Bible. And I’ll show you how they came true.”

Denise: Okay.

Pastor Doug: Then give them a study on Daniel chapter 2; that’s a great prophecy.

Denise: Okay. Well, they believe in the Old Testament. What text could I use from the Old Testament?

Pastor Doug: Oh, to increase their faith in the New Testament?

Denise: Correct.

Pastor Doug: Well, if you want to show them the truth about Jesus, read Isaiah 53, where it identifies the sufferings of Christ so perfectly. Or read Psalms 22, where it says, “They pierced My hands and My feet.” And even the very words of Christ on the cross, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” or the first verse in Psalm 22. Yes, some ideas, Jëan?

Pastor Jëan Ross: Or even Daniel chapter 9 if you want to get into some of the time prophecies…

Pastor Doug: Oh yeah, great. Great suggestion! That time prophecy, the 490-year time prophecy.

Denise: Yes.

Pastor Doug: That’s a great springboard for anyone who believes the Old Testament.

Denise: Okay.

Pastor Doug: Alright.

Denise: Thank you very much.

Pastor Doug: Thank you, Denise. Good question.

Pastor Jëan Ross: Our next caller is Carmel listening on WMCA from Brooklyn, New York! Welcome to the program. Carmel, are you there?

Carmel: Hello?

Pastor Jëan Ross: Hi!

Carmel: Hello?

Pastor Jëan Ross: Hello! Your question?

Carmel: Yes, I like to know, please… I like you, please, to help me on understand 1 Kings 3:12…

Pastor Doug: Okay.

Carmel: …compared to Ecclesiastes 7:23.

Pastor Doug: Alright. Let me read 1 Kings 3:12. “Behold, I have done according to your words. See, I have given you a wise and an understanding heart that there is none like you, before you, nor shall there be any like you after you.” And the other verses where Solomon is speaking in Ecclesiastes— what was that again?

Carmel: Chapter 7 verse 23.

Pastor Doug: Ecclesiastes 7:23?

Carmel: Yes.

Pastor Doug: Alright. And there it says, “All this I have proved by wisdom. I said I will be wise, but it was far from me.” Well, God told Solomon, “I’ll make you wiser than any king,” but, you know, someone once said, Carmel…

Carmel: Yes?

Pastor Doug: Socrates was one of the wisest men who ever lived, but Socrates said, “If I am wise, it’s because I realize how little I know.” And Solomon, he could have been the wisest man in the world, but compared with the wisdom of God, how much did he know?

Carmel: Nothing.

Pastor Doug: Yeah, so Solomon was simply saying, compared to other men, he was very wise; but when he thought about all of the wisdom of the universe and the wisdom of God, he realized that, “I don’t know anything.”

Carmel: Oh no, he didn’t know anything.

Pastor Doug: So, one of the first things you’ve got to note to be wise is how much you don’t know. One of the first things you’ve got to realize to prove your wisdom is how much you don’t know.

Carmel: Right.

Pastor Doug: And the older I get, the more I know I don’t know.

Carmel:I understand now.

Pastor Doug: When you’re a teenager, you know everything [laughing]…

Pastor Jëan Ross: [Laughing]

Carmel: I see…

Pastor Doug: …and then it’s downhill from there. I hope that helps a little bit, Carmel.

Carmel: That helps a lot. Thank you very much.

Pastor Doug: Thank you for your question.

Pastor Jëan Ross: Our next caller is Josh, he’s listening by satellite, listening from Minnesota— Menguia, I imagine that’s the way you pronounce the name. Josh, you there?

Josh: Yup.

Pastor Jëan Ross: Did I pronounce the town correctly?

Josh: Menahga.

Pastor Jëan Ross: Men… Okay, Menahga.

Pastor Doug: I wasn’t going to say anything.

Pastor Jëan Ross: [Laughs]

Pastor Doug: Go ahead. He’s doing his best.

Pastor Jëan Ross: What’s your question, Josh?

Josh: It’s actually referring to a question that somebody just asked recently, about hell.

Pastor Doug: Okay.

Josh: I want to say that word “everlasting” in Matthew, if you look at the Greek, it’s actually the same word as “eternal.” It’s just a different way of interpreting it. But I wanted to bring up the verses in Mark 9 where Jesus talks about, you know, “It’s better to cut your hand off or your foot off than to enter into life,” and it says that “their worms does not die and the fire is not quenched.” So, I’m just wondering what you think about that verse about worms.

Pastor Doug: Yeah, good question. The word that Jesus uses for hell there is the word “gehenna”— that’s a Greek word. And the “gehenna” was the word for a valley directly outside of Jerusalem. It’s still there today, and still is called the Valley of Hinnom.

Josh: Yup.

Pastor Doug: It was the city dump outside of Jerusalem, and that’s where they often threw any unclean animal that died so it was frequently filled with maggots. They could not, of course, eat unclean animals. So if a donkey died, it went to the Valley of Gehenna. Sometimes, criminals, if no one wanted to bury them, they throw them in the Valley of Hinnom. And they kept it burning to keep the stench down. A matter of fact, the smoke could often be seen; if it was a calm day, the smoke could go up out of sight. That’s why it talks in Isaiah about the smoke ascending up forever, and the word forever there means “as far as you can see.”

And so, Jesus is, when He’s saying this parable, He may have been sitting where they could even see the smoke of gehenna ascending. He’s saying it’s better to go to heaven missing an eye, a foot, or a hand than to go to the Valley of Hinnom where the worm does not die and the fire is not quenched. And so, that’s the language He’s using. He’s identifying with the city dump outside of Jerusalem.

Josh: Okay.

Pastor Doug: So, this is what the issue is, John. We’ll get to the heart of the question. Christ says there are two options for everybody. John 3:16, whoever believes does not perish but they have everlasting life. That is the opposite— everlasting life, or perish. And during the Dark Ages, the church really exploited the idea of this Greek mythology of the devil being in charge of this place of torment. Nowhere in the Bible does it say the devil’s in charge of hell and that he’s got a pitchfork and red leotards— nowhere in the Bible does it say that— and that he’s roasting souls on a skew forever and ever.

And they’ve taken some of these verses, but you look in Malachi chapter 4, and it says, “Behold, the day comes that will burn as an oven, and all the proud and all that do wickedly will be stubble. The day that comes will burn them up. It will leave them neither root nor branch.” So there are hundreds of verses in the Bible that talk about the wicked being punished and being consumed, being… a matter of fact, in Revelation 20, it says fire comes down from God out of heaven and devours them.

So, I know it is a big dispute, and this is actually not a teaching of any one denomination across the board— Methodists, Episcopalians, Baptists— more and more scholars are realizing that there’s very strong evidence for the wicked being ultimately consumed. They will be punished in the lake of fire, hellfire, but it does not go on a billion years. That sort of makes God out to be a sadist.

Josh: Well, yeah. Well, you’re right. God is perfectly just, but, you know, when He says something will be a certain way, you know, how does a spirit die? Or how can a spirit… ‘cause that’s what Jesus…

Pastor Doug: Well, do you believe that a spirit does… do you believe a person’s spirit cannot die?

Josh: Honestly, no. I don’t believe it can die.

Pastor Doug: Well, when the Bible says in Ezekiel 18:20, “The soul that sins will die,” what does that mean?

Josh: It means the person that sin will die!

Pastor Doug: Well, it says “the soul that sins will die.” And when Jesus says in Matthew 10, and I’m just having a friendly dialogue…

Josh: Right.

Pastor Doug: When Jesus says in Matthew 10, “Do not fear him who can destroy the body, but rather fear Him who can destroy soul and body in hell…”

Josh: Well, sorry to interrupt you, but you know, the devil’s always saying, you know, it will end. So I mean, why do anything? You know…

Pastor Doug: Well, I tell you, when I read about the punishment of the wicked, I think that’s plenty of incentive. The love of God is the best incentive, but the punishment of the wicked is very real and hellfire is very real. And the fact that Jesus says that everyone is rewarded according to what they deserve; if everybody burns forever, then everybody gets the same reward. But if people are punished differently according to what they deserve, well then it starts making more sense.

Have you… I’d like to recommend, Josh, if you don’t mind, we’re trying to take a couple more calls, but you’re asking good questions. Please take a look at the study guide. It’s filled with Scriptures. It’s called, “Is the Devil in Charge of Hell?” And anyone who has questions on hell, go to our new website helltruth.com. I hope you’ll take a look at that— helltruth.com or org.

Pastor Jëan Ross: Again…

Pastor Doug: Do we have time for one more?

Pastor Jëan Ross: I think we do. Let me give the resource number quick. It’s 1-800-835-6747. The study guide, “Is the Devil in Charge of Hell?” James is listening on the Internet. He’s calling from Prescott, Arizona. James, your question?

James: Hi, Pastor. I guess the specific verse would be in Mark, it is 13:30…

Pastor Doug: Okay.

James: …about generations not passing away. In a way, it’s a more general question. I read a book, and they gave a lot of specifics, you know, where it seems like a lot of things were going to happen to that generation, and…

Pastor Doug: Oh, let me answer your question very quickly. In Mark 13, Jesus is talking about the Second Coming and the destruction of Jerusalem. Jesus made this prophecy in 30 A.D. A generation biblically is 40 years. In 70 A.D., Jerusalem was destroyed. That generation did not pass away until the prophecies of Christ were fulfilled regarding to the destruction of Jerusalem. But there’s also a last-day application to many of the signs He gives in Matthew 24 and in Mark 13.

I’m sorry. We’ve run out of time, friends. Hey, we do our best to fill this program with questions, but at the end, we just want to tell you that if you believe in the Word of God and the work we’re doing, we appreciate anything you can do to keep us on the air. We’re entirely listener-supported, preaching the Word, giving straight answers. And for more information, go to amazingfacts.org. There is a virtual tree of life there you can explore.

Remember, friends, it’s all about Jesus— the Truth that will set you free!

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