Doug Batchelor: Hello friends! This is Doug Batchelor. How about an amazing fact? According to a 2012 study by the British Charity OxFam, natural disasters have quadrupled in the 20 years between 1984 to 2004. Using data from organizations like the Red Cross and the United Nations, OxFam reported the world suffered about 120 natural disasters per year in the early 1980s, whereas the current figure is about 500 per year. During this time period, the number of people affected by extreme natural disasters surge by almost 70% from 174 million to 254 million. OxFam said the rising greenhouse gas emissions are the major causes of weather related disasters.
But did you know that the Bible says that there may be another reason? Stay with us to learn more as Amazing Facts brings you this edition of Bible Answers Live.
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This is your chance friends if you have a Bible question, give us a phone call; we will talk about it together. It is a free phone call. That number is: 800 God Says. That’s 800- 463- 7267. Right now is the best time to pick up the phone and call in with your Bible question. We don’t claim to have all the answers but we will search the Word together and reason together as the Lord says and we will claim the truth . Once again the number is 800- 463- 7267 with your Bible questions. I am Doug Batchelor and Pastor Jean Ross is out for the night but we are glad we have Brad Burnham sitting in again helping out. Thank you Brad for joining us.
Brad Burnham: Thank you, sir.
Doug Batchelor: We are going to have prayers to begin the program.
Dear God, we always come before you. You promise in your Word that when we commit our mind and spirit to you, the Holy Spirit will bring to our remembrance the things you have said. Please bless this program Lord. We pray that everything is said will be in harmony with your Will and your Word. We pray in Jesus’s Name. Amen!
Brad Burnham: Pastor Doug, you spoke about natural disasters, is there a Biblical reason for this?
Doug Batchelor: Well, of course, everyone thinks that natural disasters are all due to global warming and there may be some effect coming from that. Others think that it’s the tectonic plates shifting on the mantle that may cause the increase in earthquakes. Or it could be that they are pumping too much water out of the ground. That’s one theory. The other theory is they are extracting from the rocks and the oil that they are drawing from the earth is disrupting the volcanic features. There are all kinds of theories why there seem to be a growing number of natural disasters. But Jesus foretold that this would happen before the end. In Mathew 24 and there are similar passages in Luke 17, Luke 21, Mark 14. And we are quoting right now Mathew 24:4, “And Jesus answered and said, take heed that no one deceive you.” (Speaking of the second coming). “And many will come in my name and say I am Christ and will deceive many. And you will hear of war and rumors of wars, cities and not trouble. For all these things will come to pass and the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation and kingdom among kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilent, earthquakes in various places.” In other words, Jesus isn’t saying just famine, pestilent and earthquakes and diseases in places, he is saying there is going to be all kinds of natural disasters. And He goes on to say, “These are the beginnings of sorrows.” Paul explains it this way in Romans 8:22: “for we know that the whole creation groans and labors with earthly things together until now.
Isaiah said the earth is waxing old like a garment. This whole planet now is bearing the burden of 600 years of sins. And it is literally convulsing waiting for the word of deliverance. Not only is sin against God’s plan for our body for humans, sin is against God’s plan for the planet. And literally God’s plan for the garden, man was bestowed and everything went sideways. So you are seeing in the morals of the world a convulsion. And you are seeing in the weather and the planet a convulsion. That’s playing itself out into a spike of natural disasters.
You might be surprised all the other prophecies who talked about what will happen before Jesus comes. Friends, do you want to know what the Bible says? We have a free offer we would be happy to send you. The name of it is the Ultimate Deliverance. Tell us about it. if you want to ask about this free lesson and study guide then you could just call the Ultimate Deliverance, then you can just call the resource number 800- 835- 6747, 800- 835- 6747. We will send you a free copy. By the way, it is 4 colors and beautifully illustrated talking about the second coming signs that precede the second coming. In addition, we are streaming again tonight. If you would like to join us, that address is: live.amazingfacts.org. live.amazingfacts.org, will bring you into the studio. One more time, if you have a Bible question, we still have a couple lines open. The phone number to call in with your Bible question is: 800- 463- 7297. Alright, Brad, who is first online tonight?
Brad Burnham: Our first caller is Darel listening on the internet from Florida. Darel, welcome to the program!
Darel: Hey, good evening Pastor Doug. I am a big fan of the show. I listen to the archives like every day. My question, I guess is kind of a deep question and it is: Does satan know and understands prophecy? And if he does, why doesn’t he try to prevent it or not participate in it? Like if prophecy kind of weighs out the cards on the table and you kind of see the hand, then you kind of know what is going to happen if you don’t participate in it. It is like if somebody prophesy that you are going to drive off a cliff today, I will simply not get into my car the day I am supposed to drive off the cliff.
Doug Batchelor: Good question: If the devil knows prophecy, why doesn’t he try to counteract them. First let me begin with a story in the Bible. King Ahab had a prophet who told him don’t go into battle; God is not going to bless him into battle that he is going to die in the battle if he goes and fight in the battle with the Syrians. Ahab thought what the prophecy said would just prevent it. he told his partner King Jehoshaphat to dress up like a King and go right down into the battle. Ahab said he was going to stay in the outskirts of the battle and put on all my armour on and go into battle guard anywhere in the front-line. And low and behold, a strange arrow (doesn’t even say which army shot the arrow), a stray arrow was flying through the air finds a joint of Ahab’s armour and it hits his cervical artery and he died.
So you read in Revelation Chapter 12, the devil has come down with great wrath for he knows he has a short time. Now there are times in the Bible when satan has tried to prevent prophecy. The reason I think the devil knows the messiah was coming but he didn’t know exactly when (Just like people don’t know exactly when Jesus is coming).
Darel: I was going to ask you did satan know that Jesus was going to die on the cross? Do you remember when Judas left the last super satan entered him and right there satan could say well I am supposed to enter him and cause Jesus to die on the cross, so what I will do I won’t enter him. So maybe he didn’t know. There are some things he doesn’t know.
Doug Batchelor: There are some things. I am not saying that the devil completely understands prophecy. What I am saying is I think he understands some of it. And that is why he keeps trying to prevent the messiah from coming. And that is why he killed all the baby boys in Bethlehem. So he doesn’t know all the prophecies, but he knows his time is short. We know satan reads the Word. He quoted the Words to Jesus when he tempted Him during the three great temptations.
Thank you very much, Darel for your question. You probably know about our lesson. Call the Lord Make A Devil if you haven’t read that one we will send you or anyone who would want to understand the subject of why would God make a devil. Did he make a devil? What happened? Call our resource number. Our number is 800- 835- 6747. Alright who we have lined up?
Brad Burnham: Our next caller is Fred. He is on WMCA in Stanford Connecticut. Fred, welcome to the program.
Fred: Yes, I wanted to ask you, does the number 5 has anything to do with death?
Doug Batchelor: Bible numbers seem to have, whether certain reoccurring Bible numbers seem to have some clear meaning. The number 7 is used for Gods in the Bible. If you go to Revelation you will see all kinds of 7s. By the way, the number 7 is the symbol for perfection cycle that’s for 7 days in the week. You got the number 12 which is the symbol of God’s church in the Bible, leadership in the Old Testament 12. Leadership in the Apostle New Testament 12, God’s churches is built on 12 foundation with 12 gates. Then you have the number 10 which is often God’s perfect law. Five in the Bible seems to be a symbol of the Word. You have got the 5 loaves of bread, that is, the Word of God is bread. You have got the 5 Books of Moses, the [inaudible 11:04]. It talks about in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. He said I have 5 brothers in my father’s house. And so 5 is often understood as a number by the Jews of the Word. People have to speculate the number of ways the numbers appear and say is there a consistent pattern here.
A 4 is the number of forces. A trinity divides up the forces of power of God. I don’t know if that helps a little, but you know what, Fred, we have a website that has a list of Bible numbers and their probable meanings. We didn’t make this up by ourselves, just comparing different commentaries and that’s Bibleprophecytruth.com. And not only are there Bible symbols and their meanings, there are Bible numbers. A lot of people have noticed like forty that symbolizes a generation. And so there are a lot of different Bible numbers out there. Thank you very much, Fred, for your call and I hope that helps a little.
Brad Burnham: Our next caller is Ricky from Oregon and he is on the air. Welcome Ricky!
Ricky: Hey Pastor. I listen to your program at work at nights. My job is terribly boring. I am glad I get to call in. I want to let you know I am playing the devil’s advocate here. I am a Christian. I have been saved. I am a Baptist in the Moravian type of faith. I have a lot of study. I have so much concern for so many Christians who have been ministering. My question tonight is: when the Apostle Paul said a mystery was given to him, that the children of God before him didn’t know about. This time period he was preaching to the Gentiles. He said by the works of God all flesh shall be justified. Keeping the Sabbath he made clear had nothing to do with Salvation. And I am just wondering what is your response? And I will call back because I love lively debate.
Doug Batchelor: Your question is not so much about mystery as it is about just keeping the Sabbath saves us and if it doesn’t, then why worry about it. Is that your question?
Ricky: No, I am just wondering why it is like you have to keep the Sabbath to be saved. All of these Christians before him; Spurgeon and D.L. Moody, all the people I quote, none of them believe this.
Doug Batchelor: Alright, let me respectfully disagree with you. first of all we are not saved by keeping the Sabbath anymore than we are saved by keeping the commandment, we’re saved by grace. The question is how ever you view obedience to God’s law, that’s how we view the Sabbath. Why should I say that? It better be the way that traditional Christians understand that we obey because we love God. That’s why we obey the Sabbath. It has to be one of the 10, you can’t really dissect off the commandment. You can’t amputate one of the commandments that says remember that’s the one we forget. But Spurgeon and the other ministries you mentioned, they were very strong on Sabbath keeping. I have read the readings where they said it. They are very strong. They talk about Sabbath breakers. They disagree on the day. But there is no question that they believe that Sabbath keeping is important. If you do a Spurgeon typing and type in the word Sabbath and Spurgeon, you will find a lot of his references, as well as Wesley and Lutheran. You can name a number of reformers. The big issue was what day was it, was it changed or not, but not whether or not we are to keep our 10 commandments.
Ricky: Alright, excellent. I love your program because I am learning a lot. Can I call back?
Doug Batchelor: We invite you to call
Ricky: I love this type of conversation. It can get rid of a lot of error. Okay, keeping the Sabbath does not help you to be saved or be born again.
Doug Batchelor: No we are in His blessing of keeping His commandment but we are not saved by keeping any law or saved by grace. But you know, anyone who obeys God, there is blessing in that. And we read that through the New and Old Testament. “Blessed are those who do His commandments but they might enter through the gate and eat from the tree of life.” One of the last Chapters in the Bible. Michael, by the way, if there is any, Ricky rather, for anybody who has a question about the Sabbath, we have a website that is very popular or a matter of fact, if you just type in the word Sabbath in google or yahoo, it is the first site out of 99 million and it is called sabbathtruth.com. it has historical references and a lot of clarity there about this issue that is being studied along among Christians. Who is lined up now?
Brad Burnham: Our next caller is Michael who is listening on WMCA in New Jersey. Michael, welcome to the program!
Michael: Pastor Doug, God bless you for your service.
Doug Batchelor: Thank you for calling in, Michael. Your question?
Michael: You know every time I go to this church and come back around, it is like the most amazing thing. in Chapter 4 of Exodus and versus 24, I am seeing that God was going to kill Moses but not giving the exact reason why. Maybe he was studying how he was going to do it.
Doug Batchelor: Let me read this for our friends who are listening. You and I know what we are talking about but I want to make sure all these people driving down the road understands. “And it came to pass,” by the way, this is Exodus 4:24, Moses is being called to go and lead the people out of Egypt. He was called out of his way to Egypt. He was reluctant but he was doing it. “And it came to pass on the encampment that the Lord met him and sort to kill him. Then Zipporah, his wife, took a sharp stone and cut off the foreskin and her son and cast it at Moses feet and said surely you are a husband of blood. You are a bloody man and God let him go. And she went on to say that you are a husband of blood because of the circumcision.” Now, a lot of scholars who have labored over this verse. A lot of Jewish tradition shed some insight into it. When God called Moses and said I want you to be the one I am going to use to lead my people, Moses evidently had circumcised one of his sons, but Zipporah, his wife, maybe taught that it was barbaric. She said don’t do that, this is a covenant of my people. And so one of Moses’s sons was not circumcised and God said to Moses how are you going to lead this nation if you are not following the basics in your own family and so there were something going on between Moses and his wife, really here when they disagreed on this. and finally when they said the Lord sought to kill him, we don’t know if Moses came down with some sort of convulsion or what happened. But it seemed that something struck him where he was going to die. And he said God is dealing with me because I have an ??? and the Lord relent you. And he finally relented and this boy who was not yet circumcised was circumcised and then Moses went on and God consider it okay and said he can now go on and lead His people. So that’s a long answer. It is a verse and you kind of need that because it jumps out and people are like what. First of all, I think everyone knows the Lord ??? him. You can’t dodge God. If God wanted to kill him there is nothing you can do about it and say God swung at me and missed. So God basically was telling them they were in jeopardy of dying. Something like when Balaam was out of God’s will and an angel met him with a joint sword. It was a warning that you are at risk of losing your life because you are an open defiance. This I think what’s going on there, Michael. Does that make sense?
Michael: It makes perfect sense. And one more thing Pastor Doug, Exodus 24:9, it says the 24 elders saw God. Now I am reading and it says no one sees the face of God lives. How did they see God even dying around Him and survive that?
Doug Batchelor: That’s a good question. There are a couple of verses that say no man can see God and live. But in the New Testament, it clarifies that you have got God, the Father and you have got God, the Son and the Spirit. Jesus said no one has seen God the Father at anytime but certainly they did see God the Son. As a matter of fact, Jacob wrestle with the angels and said I have seen God and I have survived. So even as far back as with Jacob, he predates Moses, so they did see God through the Son. Jesus is God veiled in humanity. And he recalled his ??? in the Old Testament. So the divinity appears in the Old Testament through Christ.
I appreciate your questions, Michael, and I think we have time for a couple more questions before the break.
Brad Burnham: We have Blain listening on WWIS in Wisconsin. Blain, welcome to the program!
Doug Batchelor: Hey, Blain, welcome! Your question?
Blain: You are cutting in and out of it.
Doug Batchelor: Sorry, go ahead
Blain: It talked about Christ in the temple at 12 years old. My curiosity about growth is He grew into a wise man. Was wisdom and He grew in favor with man and with God. My understanding of the word growth is you start small and then you get bigger; you grow from once lesser point until you get bigger.
Doug Batchelor: So you are wonder how Jesus can be the son of man and can grow?
Blain: Well, I was talking how He is completely man and completely God, so yes that is what I am wondering about.
Doug Batchelor: Alright, let me do my best to answer that for you. When Christ was born as a baby, God became 100% human. Most of us know that Jesus’ family didn’t think that He was the Son of God because when He got up to preach in Nazareth they said how can He be the Messiah, we know who He is. We know His father, Joseph, His mother, brothers and sisters and we have seen Him around the community all His life. He is a normal kid. While He had never sinned when He was holy, Jesus got angry. Jesus when he was a baby He needed to be changed and He grew as a child might grow. Something remarkable happened when He was 12 years old and He went as a Jewish Boy. He sort of went through the transformation from 11 to 12 in becoming a man. You could participate into the feast that the men went into the temple. He saw the Passover and the Holy Spirit revealed to Him that He was that lamb. And from the time He was 12, that’s what He told His mother and father when they were looking for Him, “Wist ye not that I must be about my father’s business.” There was a revelation or epiphany that Jesus had. And Christ only knew through His earthly life what the father revealed to Him. But when the father needed to know something the father would reveal it. He not always tell all of the knowledge of the cosmos swimming around in His human head at any given moment. For instance when He was talking about the second coming He said no man knows the day or the hour, not even the son, But only the Father. So while Christ was on earth He didn’t even know the time of the second coming. Of course, He didn’t need to know at that point. So He had whatever divine information He needed at the time.
Anyways, hope that helps a little, Blaine. We do have a book that talks about the nature of God. And if you call the resource number and ask for a book on the nature of Christ, then we will be happy to send it to you. The number is 1 800-463- 7297. You will get the book on the nature on God.
Our next caller is Alexis and she is listening on WNCA in New York. Alexis welcome to the program.
Alexis: Hi, can you hear me?
Doug Batchelor: Loud and clear.
Alexis: Nice to hear your voice. My question is in Daniel Chapter 10:13 where the Prince of the Kingdom of Persia would, the angel who was supposed to go to Daniel. Who is the King of Persia? Is it satan?
Doug Batchelor: Well, let me read it. It says in Daniel 10:13, the Kingdom of Persia was stood me 21 days, but little Michael one of the chief princes came to help me and I remained here with him the Kings of Persia. Back when the children of Israel were in Babylon, God had said that they would be there for 70 years. Daniel was praying that the prophecy time had come and they should be sent home. The Holy Spirit needed to work with the King of Persia to release the children of Israel so that they could go back to Babylon. But God doesn’t forced people and the devil was resisting it. It talks about the Prince of Persia. The devil was leading a lot of those pigs in Persia talking about the devil resisting. Now you can look in Isaiah 14 it calls him the KING OF Babylon because he was ruling the Kingdom of Babylon then. But you can read in Ezekiel 28, it talks about the King of Tyre. The devil was manipulating the King of Tyre. Then you can look in Revelation 12 when King Herod kills all the babies in Bethlehem. It says the devil, the dragon was manipulating the Roman power and try to neonate Jesus while He was a baby. So here again the devil did not want the Children of Israel to be released by the King of Persia and be sent back. And there was an heavenly battle. There are battles between good angels and bad angels and between Christ and the devil. That’s what it says. There was a war in even between Christ and His angels and the dragon and his angels. And so there was evidently a battle in heaven between these spiritual forces and heavenly places. The prophet Daniel was given insight to that. So these things are very real.
Alexis: Where can I get the references you just said? I didn’t get to write them down.
Doug Batchelor: Real quick, let me give them to you. We don’t really have book that has them. Isaiah 14 talks about the devil, King of Babylon. Ezekiel 28, I thinks it start with verse 12. Revelation Chapter 12. You can just read that Chapter there and it talks about war between good and evil. And it talks about a dragon trying to destroy the man child as soon as it was born. The man child is Jesus that this woman brings forth. That will probably get you started there. By the way, we do have a lesson called Clothed with Light talking about the bride of Christ. Cloth with Light, it talks about some of these things and we will be happy to send it to you.
Alexis: Thanks very much to you.
Doug Batchelor: Thanks very much Alexis and we will appreciate you calling in. Our listening friends just free up some phone lines. If you have Bible questions you would like to call in to the program, we still have another half hour to go. That phone number one more time: 800 God Says that make it easier to remember those numbers. 800 God Says, which will translate into 800 463 7297. And we will be talking a break in just a few moments and go into our Bible questions.
You are listening to Bible Answers Live. Well, Brad, we have mentioned it a few times during the program, but there is this website that is growing in popularity everywhere. It is called Bible Prophecy Truth. And just love using the word Kaleidoscope. It looks like a kaleidoscope when you go to the site. I think you have something to do with helping us develop it.
Brad Burnham: A little bit.
Doug Batchelor: But it is a panorama of Bible subjects that are related to prophecy. You want to know something about angels, Armageddon, second coming, at the end of the world, the mark of the beast, plagues, Jerusalem, just think many hot topics that you could contra up that has to do with prophecy. And I think we have one on Babylon and antichrist. We will be back in just a moment.
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You’re listening to Bible Answers Live with Pastor Doug Batchelor. If you have a Bible related question, call us now to receive clear honest answer directly from Scripture. We have a few lines open, so please give us a call. The phone number to the studio is 800 God Says. That’s 800-463-7297
Doug Batchelor: And we are back and we are live. Once again if you have a Bible question call: 800- 463- 7297. We have some resource handy. We have some websites as well as another resource number where you can get some of the other resource we make available throughout this program. My name is Doug Batchelor.
Brad Burnham: And my name is Brad Burnham
Doug Batchelor: Are we ready for the phones?
Brad Burnham: Yes, our next caller is Tim. Tim welcome to the program!
Doug Batchelor: Hi Tim!
Tim: This is Tim the street evangelist. I got a question: Revelation 18. I just want to ask you what you think it is and then I will tell you what I think it is.
Doug Batchelor: Why won’t you start with what you think it is?
Tim: Well, every time I read it, I have been through the New Testament 7 times and I have read the Revelations 3 times word for word. But in my heart I know what it is supposed to be and see what it is supposed to be. In New York City I always see the destruction that went on in the Twin Towers just certain key words it always stands out or destroyed it in one day, one hour. We pay it double Revelation Chapter 18:6, I sit as a queen 18:7. And it talks so many times about 1 hour. And I was thrown down Revelation 18. This is chapter 18. And I could go on with musicians. There used to be weddings in the Twin Towers and there used to be a number of lights in there and it was done by Source Three and we could go all night on this.
Doug Batchelor: Well, let me jump in. and I want to get an idea of where you are coming from. I would certainly appreciate it. Certainly what happened in New York was devastating and it was quite a blow. I have to respectfully say that I think Revelation 18 is talking about much more than that. Revelation 17 identifies who is Babylon. Revelation 18 talks about the certainty of the fall of Babylon. To understand the fall of Babylon in the New Testament times to our present day, we need to know something about the fall of Babylon in the Old Testament because it is using ???. What the Children of Israel went through. They were in captivity for 70 years. God says I will over throw your oppressors for Babylon. I will show them the Kingdom and one day all their wealth will be their Kingdom of Daniel Chapter 2. All of that wealth was wiped out and seized by the Persian. Cyrus the Persian general diverted the Euphrates River while everyone in the city was having a drunken feast. And by the way, you can read this in Daniel Chapter 5. The city was taken and Babylon fell. There were prophecies in Isaiah and Ezekiel. It talks about the fall of Babylon. Now what is modern Babylon? It is not New York City. You know, it has some things in common with Babylon and New York City was certainly attacked and the rebuilding after the attack. That was certainly not the end of the world. The Twin Towers was a terrible event. I grew up in New York City and I have been to the top of the Twin Towers and we were there a month after it happened and did a broadcast. I went to ground zero and interviewed people, so I am very in tuned with it. It was a war like action. If you go to Germany and you talk to them they think the burning of the residents was Revelation 18. If you go Japan they will say it was Hiroshima. So I think we have to be careful not to look at one terrorist or war event; as tragic might be this is the fulfillment of the prophecy. That is really predating the end of the world.
So when Babylon falls, this is talking about the enemy. God’s enemy is being overthrown. Yeah, what has happened in New York was terrible but that is certainly recovering. So this is not the fulfillment of Revelation 18. One more thing though Revelation 14:18 talks about 3 angels flying in evening giving messages just before Jesus came. Revelation 17 talks about this angel giving an amplified message. So its like a great warning that goes to the world of the gospel just before Jesus comes and the end of the world. So I hope that helps a little bit. And I appreciate you calling in.
Who do we have next?
Brad Burnham: Our next caller is Robert listening in Minnesota. Robert, welcome to the program.
Doug Batchelor: Hey Robert, you are on the air, welcome.
Robert: I have question about the Sabbath. I work overnight from 10:00 PM to 4:00 AM. And I was curious. I got to work on Friday night and as far as I believe from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset. Is that permitted to work? I know you can work on emergency situations and to do good, like me providing for my family.
Doug Batchelor: Well, that’s a very important question. Well, first of all, if we know that the Sabbath is our command, we have to ask ourselves is it a command that God wants us to keep, even when it is convenient. So that’s really an important issue. It is like when God said to Shadrack, Meshak and Abednego, don’t worship idols. But the King of Babylon said if you don’t bow down to my idol you are going to lose your lives and your jobs. Well, they said it is God command so we can’t bow down. Some people felt like they were fanatics but God blessed them for standing up when everyone bow down. So if we take that view on any commandments, what will a man do if he is captured in a prison of war and they said look your either going to commit adultery or we are going to execute you and you are married? Would you say, well, I am sure my wife will understand? Or would you say I rather die than break God’s law.
So if your view of the Sabbath is one of the 10 commandments, then your next question is: Lord how do I keep it in a way to please you? And you really need to study that. And Biblically, I will give you a verse right now. It says from evening until evening, celebrate your status. In Mark Chapter 8:29. I am sorry Mark Chapter 1:32 and even after sunset and they brought all the sick people and they were waiting until the Sabbath was over and they brought all the sick to Jesus. So Biblically there were no questions in the Old Testament. The days ending begins at sun down. That’s why the Jews didn’t want to finish embalming Jesus body when he died on Good Friday. They said look we will come back on Sunday morning and we will finish embalming this body because the Sabbath has began. And when they came back, the stone was rolled away and he rose. So Biblically, sun down begins at Friday. There’s little questions about that. There are certain emergency services… people are Sabbath keeping Christians and they are working in the hospitals, they don’t just leave all the patients to languish once the sun goes down. There are certain things Jesus says, it is better to do good. So there are certain heeling ministries that go on. But every person has to think that every inconvenience is an excuse to break God’s law.
Does that make sense, Robert?
Robert: Yeah
Doug Batchelor: Can I recommend, sorry go ahead
Robert: When I first got hired my boss said I go to church on Saturday to worship and he only gives me Sunday as my day off. But seriously I would like to have my Friday nights and my Saturdays as my day off, so I can guarantee it work that way so I can keep the Sabbath holy. You know business is church and stuff like that. but it kind of bother me that I have to work on the Sabbath and I have to figure out if that is permitted or I am violating God’s law by working that day.
Doug Batchelor: Well, the first thing you want to establish is if you believe that this is what the Bible teaches, then you want to obey God. And it might be a test. I remember days when I waited for weeks to get in line to get this job and then they finally said Doug you got this job. And they said I would have to work on Sabbaths and I said I really needed the work for my family. They said you will only have to work on the Sabbath for a few weeks until you get off the swing shift. I said look I can’t do it at all. They said God understands I should get my priest to give me permission. I said its not my priest giving me permission I am worried about. I said this is a commandment I can’t do it. I didn’t get the job, but God got me a better job. But I don’t know if that miracle would have ever happened if I never taken a stand. And God does miracles if we are tested. Sometimes you got to say, hey Lord I am out of bread and He will wait until you are totally out of bread then He is going to bring it down from heaven or wait until there is no other way of escape now I am going to part the Red Sea or the Jordan River. And so it is just a step of faith Robert. So do what you can with your employers and say look I really want to follow my convictions maybe they can work something out. But if somebody is asking you to go and go against your conscience in the word of God, you got to take a stand. It is a big test. It is difficult. We will be praying for you. who is lined up, Brad?
Brad Burnham: Our next caller is Scott
Doug Batchelor: Pardon me. One second, we will go to Scott, but Robert, if you are still listening, that website, I want to just mention one more time. It has a lot of information on the Sabbath: sabbathtruth.com. it talks about when is it, how to keep it, these types of things. There’s just volumes of stuff there. Okay, go ahead Scott.
Brad Burnham: In Irvine, California, Scott, welcome to the program!
Doug Batchelor: Scott in Irvine.
Scott: How are you?
Doug Batchelor: I am doing fine. How are you?
Scott: I am pretty good. I have a question for you today. The time we live in Bible prophecy if we are on the cusp of the small time of trouble or great time of trouble from the time I have been studying 70 weeks from 470 BC when Jesus was crucified in AD 34. In that one week, where exactly do we lie before in the small time of trouble or in the great time of trouble or we are not even close to it?
Doug Batchelor: Alright, Scott, let me explain to our listeners. They will think you and I are just talking code to each other. In the Bible friends, we all heard about the mark of the beast. It tells us there is a period of time in the end where this big test comes about worship. When those do not [inaudible 41:54] their faith to this beast power by themselves. Try to use it by first to manipulating the masses and trying to give up their faith of obeying God. That is called the small time of trouble. There is going to be lots of test and a very difficult time in the small time of trouble.
The big time of trouble is when the seven last plagues begin to fall. You read that in Revelation 15:16. That’s the great tribulation. Small time of trouble is a time of intense testing and pressure , but it is not a death threat because you can’t do it by yourself. It doesn’t make any sense for the beast power to say I am going to kill you plus you won’t be able to do it by yourself. We don’t care if you if you do it by yourself. The by yourself comes first. When they see that doesn’t work to get God’s faithful to give up their faith, then they pronounce the death decree. Whosoever doesn’t worship the mark of the beast would be killed: Revelation 13.
Where are we now? I think we are at a time leading up to, as you would say, the small time of trouble. We are not there yet but I see things are happening fast.
Scott: I have been watching the news and East Coast and New Jersey, one after another; that huge snowstorm. Now one of my friends called me and I am looking for the Bible verse because I want to pray for him because his wife basically abused him
Doug Batchelor: Oh my. There are a lot of things that are going on right now. those are the things I think of. Jesus said in the days of lot. What happened with Lot in Sodom. You might say the gay community bullied him and threatened him. You might see right now that Christians are being bullied by media and the public. And the whole culture is just being out of control when it comes to marriage. As a country I don’t think we have any questions about marriage between a man and a woman for 200 years and just the fact that our Supreme Court is going to try and figure that out. I think it is the signs of the times we are living near the end. And people are afraid to say stuff like that anymore because it has been so much that people have been bombarded with propaganda.
So thank you Scott and I hope that helps a little bit. Who is next?
Brad Burnham: Our next caller is Paul listening on JXN in Missouri. Paul, welcome to the program!
Paul: Yes, my question would be my daughter asked me tonight to give her an exact answer. She asked me when the dinosaurs were around. Was it before or after the great flood?
Doug Batchelor: Good questions. Where would you put dinosaurs in the timeline Biblically? Well dinosaur is a broad word talking about ??? which are very large reptiles, the fossils they found. They are not only fossils of very large reptiles, they are fossils from very large mammals, everything from the masses that are over 10ft tall. There are many creatures that are much bigger than the specimen we find today. Something happened to change the environment in the flood. We know from the coal deposits that are up in the arctic region and we know from the oil deposits, the fossils of ferns and lush tropical forests that existed to the time of the flood. And these ice ages come after that. I believe all these large creatures are these methods are willfully wrong. I think all these large creatures exist prior to the great flood that Noah took 2 of every creature on the boat or at least some of these major creatures. There were probably some of these reptiles but there were a lot of creatures, especially those big threatening ones that get so big. And many were rendered as extinct because they were competing with men just like mastodons. They roam North America. They are extinct now. So I believe these very large creatures they live contemporaneous with man before the flood. Men were longer, men were bigger, and everything changed after the flood. The whole environment was radically different. And I think that was what messed up the dating methods science that they are using now. They are dating based on the environment today. They are completely oblivious to the way the environment of the planet was prior to this massive catastrophic flood.
By the way, Paul, around the world they used to say that the dinosaurs died ou tbecause of diseases and all kinds of theories. They know from the fossils now. they are all buried in mud in one big bone yard that there was a flood. They don’t like using the word flood because that gets the Bible people excited, so they said an asteroid caused the great flood. But it is very clear that some kind of flood buried all these great creatures, and Biblically we know this.
Thank you for your question, Paul. By the way we have some literature at Amazing Facts about dinosaurs. And it is illustrated and it is something you would have to buy. And so if you go to the Amazing Facts website, which is so easy: amazingfacts.com/org, then you will see our illustrated guide on dinosaurs in the Bible. You will really enjoy that Dinosaur in the Bible.
Brad Burnham: Our next caller is Sarah listening in Toronto. Sarah, welcome to the program!
Sarah: Hello
Doug Batchelor: Hi Sarah, get really close to your phone. You are on the air.
Sarah: I am having a little problem with my phone. I have two questions to ask.
Doug Batchelor: Start with your first question.
Sarah: It is Galatians 2:11-12
Doug Batchelor: Alright, let me read this to our friends. Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face because he was to be blamed. Before certain men came to Jerusalem he would eat with the Gentiles. But when they came he separated himself fearing those of the circumcision. And the rest of the Jews played the hypocrite with him and so even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy. Let me tell you what happened. You can read in Acts Chapter 10 when Paul said it is not lawful for a Jew to eat with a Gentile. That was the teaching prior to the time of Christ. Jesus told the disciple they needed to get over that, that’s why Peter had this vision of a sheep that came down with all these unclean animals. God says arise and eat and Peter said what does that mean. God said I am assuring you not to call any man unclean. God has never told the Jews to call the Gentiles unclean.
But when some of the Jewish Christians came from Jerusalem, Peter thought he didn’t want to offend them, so he stopped eating with the Gentiles. And Paul said you are being a hypocrite because if you know that Jesus said we can eat with the Gentiles, then don’t pretend that we can’t when some of the devoted Jewish believers came from Jerusalem. And so Paul the Apostle had to remand his friend Peter the Apostle. Peter was human and he said you are being hypocrite and Barnabas is being caught up in it. You are acting like we are too holy to eat with the Gentiles when Jesus came to visit but as soon as He left you went back to eating with the Gentiles.
Sarah: I asked because I heard a pastor said when they came the person said to Peter I smell pork on your breath.
Doug Batchelor: It has nothing to do with what they were eating.
Sarah: I know that was what I was thinking. That wouldn’t have anything to do it.
Doug Batchelor: That’s just an expression. You say that was an expression somebody used.
Sarah: Yeah, Isaiah 65:15-16, from my reading I understand it hasn’t come to pass yet.
Doug Batchelor: Isaiah 65 you said?
Sarah: Isaiah 66:15-16
Doug Batchelor: Alright, let me read it for our friends that are on the line.
Sarah: 65:2-7 and 16 and 15.
Doug Batchelor: I won’t be able to read that many verses sister because it will take a while to answer that.
Sarah: Okay, give me 66:15-16. Is that story come to pass?
Doug Batchelor: Alright, let me read it. For behold the Lord will come with fire and with chariots and the world will render His theory and his rebuke with flames and fire or by fire and by sword the Lord will judge all flesh and the slain of the Lord will be many. That’s still in the future because it is telling us that the Lord will come and the slain of the Lord will be many. And so this is future prophecy. Thank you Sarah and I appreciate you calling in. And we still have a line or two open friends. 1 800 863- 7297 with your Bible questions. That’s 800 God Says. Who is next?
Brad Burnham: Our next caller is Oscar who is listening on WMCA in New York. Oscar, welcome to the program!
Oscar: Thank you Pastor Doug for taking my call. It is said that the sons of God went into the daughter of man. But I heard on the radio that relationship with women [inaudible 52:00 -8]
Doug Batchelor: Absolutely not but I will do tell you what that means. It is easy to know that’s wrong. First of all the verse is Genesis. It came to pass when men begin to multiply on the face of the earth and daughters were born to them. And that the Sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were beautiful. And they took for themselves wives of all they chose. And then the Lord said my Spirit will not only strive with man forever for his need flesh his days will only be 21 years. And there were giants on the earth at that time when the sons of God came into the daughters of men. So this has nothing to do with aliens or fallen angels having intimate relations with humans. Back when Cain killed Abel. Cain left the Garden of Eden and he left the region around the Garden of Eden. He went and took his sister and they began starting a whole new race of people. They turned away from God. They were called the children of men. But Seth, Adam and Eve’s other son, they remained loyal to God as long as they remained separate from the Cain’s family and daughters. They were called Sons of God. The Bible says in 1John 3, “Behold what manner of love the father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called Sons of God.”
Several times in the Bible it tells us those who believe are sons of God. We are adopted as children of God. So when the children of Seth saw the daughters of Cain were beautiful, and they begin to intermarry, then the holiness was gone from the Children of Seth. That is why it says the thoughts of men’s heart were only evil. And God at one point had said He was going to withdraw His spirit from the earth and Noah preached 100 years after that. but I have a book that was written after that because we get that question frequently and we will be happy to send you or anybody this book, by the way, this just came out this year. And it specifically talks about who are the sons of God. It also mentioned in the book of Job it talks about the sons of God. Were these aliens having relationships with falling angels? People from other planets having babies with humans? It says their children were giants and that’s what throws people… it is called genetic vitality when people of different races are married and get the healthier assortment of genes. Jesus said that Angels can’t marry. Angels can’t have human relations.
So friends, if you want a copy of that book to understand the subject, we will send it to you for free. It is Aliens Angels are Adopted. Just ask for the book in the Sons of God. We will send you a copy, Oscar on the book of the Sons of God. We will be happy to share that with you.
Listening friends, I think that we probably run out of time for tonight’s program. I was hoping I could squeeze one or two more callers in but keep in mind Amazing Facts is on the air entirely 100% support from people like you who listen the program. We hear wonderful stories of folks that have been blessed or learning a lot. Would you consider please to be one of our partners. Be a part of our team. And if you would like to know more about that, we would love to hear that the program is of blessing to you. Go to the website. It is so easy to remember. You can remember amazingfacts.org. Drop us a line and while you are there, I wish you would appreciate clicking that button which says donate. Give us a little something to keep us on the air. Until next week, God bless you.
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