Doug Batchelor: Hello friends! This is Doug Batchelor. How about an amazing fact? We have all heard of people that become sentimentally attached to their cars, the 1967 Austin Healy 3000 MK-III was Bob Russell’s prized possession. Naturally he was devastated when it was stolen from outside of his Philadelphia apartment back in 1970. Russell filed a police report, but no sign of his beloved English sports car ever turned up, but Bob Russell never gave up searching.
Over the passing years he checked out every Austin Martin 3000 that turned up in the papers. After 42 years it looked pretty helpless. But, then on May 11, 2012 during a quick internet search he stumbled across his long lost Austin Healy on an eBay listing. The vehicle listing ID number on the website matched the one from Russell’s stolen car. It was sitting on a dealer’s lot in Beverly Hills California.
It took a little work, but because Russell still had the original title, keys, and a police report he flew to California and took possession of the long lost car. Russell had to pay about $2,000 for impound fees and towing costs which is coincidentally exactly what he paid for the car back in 1968. Russell plans to give the car a full restoration which will probably include a state of the art security system.
Of course you know the Bible teaches that God rewards those who patiently and persistently seek for truth. Stay with us friends we are going to learn more as Amazing Facts brings you this edition of Bible Answers Live.
[PROGRAM INTRODUCTION]
Doug Batchelor: Welcome listening friends to Bible Answers Live and we are thankful that you have tuned in for another international Bible study. If you have a Bible question then just give us a call we still have some lines open. Now, is a good time to pick up your phone if you’d like to get your Bible question on tonight’s broadcast. The number…free phone call 800-GOD-SAYS, that’s 800-463-7297…800-463-7297 and my name is Doug Batchelor.
Jëan Ross: My name is Jëan Ross good evening listening friends, Pastor let’s begin the program with prayer. Father once again we thank You for this opportunity to study Your Word again, and we do ask that the Holy Spirit be with us to guide our minds and hearts, and be with those listening wherever they might be Lord, and guide us into a clearer and fuller understanding of Your Word. For Your Word brings life so, bless our time together in Jesus name amen.
Doug Batchelor: Amen.
Jëan Ross: Pastor you opened the program by talking about a remarkable story of just persistent looking, a refusal to give up. That car must have meant a lot to that gentleman who was willing to search for over 40 years to find it, because it was stolen from him and finally his effort was rewarded.
Doug Batchelor: You know I think most people would have figured that the life expectancy of a car after 10 or 15 years they usually end up in a junk yard somewhere and they are torn apart and dismantled and shredded, and for him to continue looking after all that time, and then still find it.
Doug Batchelor: It really was remarkable, but it makes me think of those promises in the Bible where you know first of all Jesus said, ask and it will be given to you in Matthew 7:7 seek and you will find, and He goes on and promises in Jeremiah 29:13. You will search for Me and you will find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. You know there are a lot of people out there that are wondering, “Is there a God” and if there is a God what is the truth? And, if the Christian religion is the truth what church do you go to? There are so many different denominations. I’ve always said one of the proofs that Christianity is the truth is because the devil has fragmented it into so many different fractions and denominations really trying to hide it like a diamond in a pile of broken glass.
You don’t worry about hiding something if it isn’t precious and it’s because it’s precious it seems like it’s been camouflaged. But buried in all of the confusion of the Christian religion there is the diamond of truth in the teaching of Jesus and it’s worth looking for, and maybe our friends who are listening tonight realize that it’s something worth searching for. Even if you have searched before don’t give up, search for the truth the truth will set you free. We have a free booklet that we would like to send to anyone who asks. It’s called, Search for the True Church.
Jëan Ross: If you’d like to receive our free book to day just give us a call on our resource line it’s 800-835-6747 and you can ask for the book The Search For The True Church, again the number is 800-835-6747 and the book we are giving out free is The Search For The True Church. What does the Bible say are signs that can help guide us into finding God’s people at the end of time? So, be sure to give us a call and we will be happy to send that book out to you. We are going to go to the first caller for this evening. We have Tristan who is listening in Washington. Tristan welcome to the program.
Tristan: Hi! Thank you for letting me be invited into the program.
Jëan Ross: Sure and your question tonight?
Tristan: Oh, is this Doug Batchelor?
Doug Batchelor: What is left of him that’s me …
Tristan: Okay, can I tell you something before I ask the question?
Doug Batchelor: Oh, okay, yeah what is that?
Tristan: Well the good thing was I was Baptized on January 4th this year.
Doug Batchelor: Well praise the Lord.
Tristan: Thank you.
Doug Batchelor: That’s encouraging we are delighted to hear that congratulations Tristan.
Tristan: Thank you.
Doug Batchelor: And, your question?
Tristan: All right, my question is where in the Bible does it say when Satan beguiled Eve that is means Satan had sex with Eve, and that Cain is Satan’s child?
Doug Batchelor: That’s not in the Bible that is a fabrication that has come into a variety of myths, but there is not a shred of reference to that in the Bible, and that’s where you get that kind of Rosemary’s Baby concept about the anti-Christ that the anti-Christ is somehow – you know the devil had relations with a human out there somewhere and this anti-Christ is half devil and half human.
Now, there is a book that we prepared, because a lot of people read – there is a question a verse in genesis chapter 6, where it talks about the sons of God married the daughters of men, and some people say, “Oh these were angels that had sexual relations with humans,” but the Bible doesn’t teach anything like that can never happen. Jesus said angels don’t marry nor are they given in marriage, and so we have a free book that we will send you – those sons of God were the descendents of Seth that began to inter-marry with Cain’s daughters, and eventually all godliness was lost from the world and that’s when the flood came.
It’s called Angels, Alien, or Adopted and we will be happy to send you a free copy of that, it talks about this myth of angels whether it’s the devil or fallen angels having relations with humans and where that comes from and it’s not Biblical.
Jëan Ross: We will be happy to send that book to you Tristan. Give us a call on our resource line its 800-835-6747, and you can ask for the book, Who Are The Sons Of God and it gets into that.
Doug Batchelor: Angels, Aliens, or Adopted - Who are the sons of God, Yep.
Jëan Ross: Right, I think if you just ask for the book on the Sons of God they should know what that is and they will be able to send that out to you again, 800-835-65-747. That is the resource line and if you have a Bible question the number here to the studio is 800-463-7297. We have Michael who is listening from Kentucky, Michael welcome to the program.
Michael: Hello! How are you? Hey, Doug how are you?
Doug Batchelor: Doing great.
Michael: That’s good, I’ve been watching you for a long time and I think you’re doing a really good job.
Doug Batchelor: Well, praise the Lord it’s only by God’s grace that we are making any sense, but we are doing our best, and your question tonight?
Michael: My question is why is it taking so long for Jesus to return?
Doug Batchelor: All right Michael let’s talk about that for a second. How long does God…?
Michael: Let me get my Bible real quick.
Doug Batchelor: All right, well I was going to reason with you a little bit. I think all of us know that God is from everlasting to everlasting and so, if you live forever how long is a thousand years? For instance if you look in second Peter chapter 3, it says that, “A day with the Lord is like a thousand years and a thousand years as a day” and so when Jesus said, “Behold I come quickly” well for human history life is short and He is going to literally come, but it’s not that long.
Michael: Yeah, that is true, but you know I believe that when Jesus comes back, and let me tell you this I believe there is one Lord because in the Bible it says there is only one Lord, one faith.I’m not trying to be cute or anything, but you see as an apostolic I believe in one Lord you know and I don’t believe in three God’s you know.
Doug Batchelor: So, is your question about why is it taking so long for Jesus to come back?
Michael: Yes.
Doug Batchelor: Then the answer to that is that when God said to Abraham, “Through your descendants the Messiah will come” they were expecting it to happen the next generation, and every Jewish mother was hoping her son would be the Messiah, but from the time of Abraham a hundred years went by, five hundred years went by, and Abraham was probably hoping it was Isaac and Isaac was going to hope it was Jacob and so forth. A thousand years went by fifteen hundred years went by, and two thousand years after God said that, “Through your descendants a Messiah would come” Jesus came.
Now, Jesus said, “I’m going to come again” and He will come and I have a feeling it’s going to be about another two thousand years after He made that promise which is about when we are living now. So, we do have a study guide that talks about the coming of the Lord and some of those signs, and we will be happy to send you a free copy of that Michael.
Jëan Ross: The study guide that talks about Christ’s coming is called The Ultimate Deliverance and if you call our resource line its 800-835-6747 and again, that study guide is called The Ultimate Deliverance. It’s all about the second coming of Jesus and I think you will find it very interesting Michael, and anyone who calls and asks for it. Our next call is Brandon and he’s listening in Illinois Brandon welcome to the program.
Brandon: Yes, my concern is that people seem to take Jesus like, He stops people on the street, “I love you … I love you this I love you that” you know like…my question basically is I think Jesus was more on the interest of doing the will of His Father like, in an orderly fashion kind of thing. Am I wrong in thinking that way?
Doug Batchelor: Well you’re right that sometimes people emphasize the love and the grace of God and they forget about the importance of the will and the law of God.It is true that the Lord loves us and the best evidence of His love and His grace is that the penalty for breaking God’s law and the will of God is the law of God, and the Bible tells us in Psalm 40:8, “I love to do Your will Your law is within my heart” the law of God, the will of God are the same. It’s obviously not God’s will that we kill or lie or steal.
It’s because the penalty for breaking the law is so serious – the wages for sin are death, and that’s why God doesn’t want to lose us He said, “But, God so loved the world that He sent His Son that however believes in Him should not perish” but that doesn’t mean we are free to continue breaking God’s law.You’re right that the word of the Lord Jesus said, “Not everyone that says unto Me Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom, but they that do the will of My Father in heaven.”
Jëan Ross: You know you ask about Jesus, did He walk around everywhere saying, “God loves you” there are specific verses that we have in Scripture where Jesus says, “God loves you” for example John 3:16, but God knows that the greatest manifestation of love is not only in word but in deed. The entire life of Jesus was a demonstration of God’s love for mankind. Of course, His death is the greatest demonstration of how much God loves mankind so…even though Christ told the people God loved them He really showed the people and that is really what made the greatest impression.
Brandon: So, it’s just like Americans to Americans, you know Jesus has been so available to us that…
Doug Batchelor: We take it for granted.
Brandon: You guys have a good night I’m not going to throw away your time here anymore.
Doug Batchelor: All right, I appreciate you giving us a call and thank you Brandon.
Jëan Ross: We have TJ who is listening from Lincoln Nebraska. TJ welcome to the program.
TJ: Hello! Yes, my question was basically what does 1 John 5:16 mean?
Doug Batchelor: 1 John 5:16, we will go there real quick, and let me read it while you pass it around. “If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death he will ask, and he will give him life for those that commit sin not leading to death. There is a sin leading to death and I do not say we should pray about that.” Yeah, I think…go ahead?
TJ: I always thought that you know, Paul said the wages of sin is death and the gift to God is life eternal, so I was basically wondering what John meant by that, and also what he meant by not praying for it?
Doug Batchelor: Well, when a person gives themselves to committing the unpardonable sin there is no intercession, there is not repentance for that. The best thing is to look at a Bible example…King Saul was chosen by God he was a good king, and at first he was filled with the Spirit. The Bible said he even prophesied, but he became proud when he became powerful, and he became selfish, and he turned from God, he rebelled from God. After years of just fighting against the will of God, God finally withdrew His Spirit and Samuel kept praying for Saul, and God finally told Samuel, “Stop mourning for Saul, stop praying for Saul I have another king I’ve picked, Saul has gone too far.”
Ultimately Saul you know he turned to a witch for information and fell on his own sword. His life ended poorly and that’s what happened with Judas too, he committed the unpardonable sin, so you can get beyond the point of no return. Now other sins, you know there is mercy for sins that are not presumptuous ongoing sins where you grieve away the Holy Spirit, and you know we have a book that we can send you TJ where we talk about that – got a couple of books on it, and one is a book I wrote last year and it’s called Beyond Mercy and it talks about what is the unpardonable sin beyond mercy and if you’d like a copy of that just give us a call.
Jëan Ross: The number to call for that is 800-835-6747 and again, the book is entitled Beyond Mercy and it talks about the sin that cannot be forgiven the “unpardonable sin” you know Pastor whenever we talk about the “unpardonable sin” or the sin that cannot be forgiven a lot of times people have in mind some hideous act, but really it’s important to understand that God can forgive all acts of sin, but grieving away the Holy Spirit, closing our heart to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, there is nothing God can do for a person who refuses to listen.
Doug Batchelor: That’s right, yeah it’s an ongoing process it could be a small sin and a person who persists in doing it for a long time can get beyond the point of no return.
Jëan Ross: So, TJ we encourage you to give us a call on our resource line and as for that book you will find it interesting, its 800-835-6747, and the phone number to our studio this evening. This is a live program so we would encourage you to pick up your phone and give us a call with your Bible question. The number is 800-463-7297 again, that’s 800-463-7297. We have Keith who is listening from Florida. Keith welcome to the program.
Keith: Hello!
Jëan Ross: Hi Keith! You’re on the air.
Keith: Yes, and I’m hoping that you have a resource for my question here.
Doug Batchelor: All right?
Keith: My question Pastor Doug is people being offended, the sin of being offended … isn’t that one of the main things that inhibits us as Christians when we don’t forgive others? I realize sometimes it’s almost impossible that something really bad happens, but…?
Doug Batchelor: Well you’re absolutely right. Just a couple of weeks ago Pastor Ross and I were in Romania and I shared with the church there that parable in Mathew 18, about the unmerciful debtor. One of the biggest struggles people have is forgiving others.And, it really becomes an obstacle to the flow of the Holy Spirit in our hearts, and in a church when there is rivalry and un-forgiveness, and one of the most important things to allow the Holy Spirit to move in a church is to learn to forgive. It’s a challenge because sometimes people do some pretty mean things you know I’ve had young ladies that have come to me and said, “My father, my uncle or somebody abused me for years and they beat me and how can I ever forgive them?” Your answer is that without God’s help you can’t without a miracle of grace. Sometimes it doesn’t mean that they are innocent sometimes you just have to let it go, because otherwise it tears you up…the bitterness.
The Bible tells us that as Christ forgave us so we should forgive each other so, how much is Jesus willing to forgive? But, we can’t forgive like Jesus without His Spirit and His mind it’s a challenge.
Keith: Amen, yeah what has really helped me Pastor Doug is that very thing I think about exactly just how much God and Jesus themselves have forgiven us.
Doug Batchelor: Now, we do have a resource that’s called The High Cost of the Cross that hopefully you’ll find it to be a blessing. It deals with the subject of forgiveness and how we need to do it for each other and how Jesus did for us.
Jëan Ross: The number to call to our resource line is 800-835-6747 and again, that book that we will be happy to send to you Keith or anyone that calls and asks if called, The High Cost of the Cross. It talks about God’s forgiveness to us and how we can forgive others. The number here to the studio 800-463-7279, our next call is Jerry and he’s listening from Oregon. Jerry welcome to the program.
Jerry: Thank you Pastor Doug. I’m looking at Revelation 21 which follows the second resurrection and throwing of the unrighteous into the lake of fire and it says, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth where the first heaven and the first earth had passed away” now, given that Scripture, and given the timeline of that Scripture referring back to 2 Peter 3:10-13 which talks about a destruction of the earth and the heaven by fire and a new heaven, and earth towards the end of that in verse 13. Numerous times I’ve heard you refer to 2 Peter 3:10-13, as occurring when Jesus returns.And, the earth is laid desolate for a thousand years which of course would be well before the first if even the second resurrection. So, you get my point don’t you about my question?
Doug Batchelor: Yeah, I think so, yeah. Pastor Ross?
Jëan Ross: Just before Pastor you jump in there let me just share one thought on this. What’s interesting is often when we read passages of Scripture that are prophetic as it relates to the first, second, or the third coming of Christ, because the third happening happens at the end of the one thousand years? Often the prophet especially in the Old Testament would picture aspects of the first coming sort of interwoven with aspects of the second and even aspects of the third.
It’s as if the first, second, and third coming is revealed, and these aspects of it that the prophet refers to all at the same time, and it’s not until you read further in Scripture that you begin to realize there is this two thousand year gap between the first coming and the second. It’s not until you get to Revelation chapter 20, that you begin to realize there is actually another thousand year gap between the second and the third coming, and here in second Peter, Paul address issues relating to the second coming of Jesus, but he also speaks of things that will happen at the end of that thousand year period where he talks about, “We look for a new heaven and a new earth” that’s clearly referring to the third coming of Jesus. So, in harmony with what the other prophets have done with reference to the second and third coming we find Paul also addressing characteristics of both the second and the third sort of in the same breath in the same passage.
One more thing Jerry and I’m guessing you understand this, but some listening may not that when it says, “The heavens have been destroyed or passing away” the word heaven there is not talking about the dwelling place of God you know off where the city of God is and His throne the word ‘heaven’ there means the atmosphere. You know it’s like it says in Genesis, “The Lord separated the heavens” and that just means the atmosphere around the earth where the clouds flow.
When Jesus comes and it says, “The heavens and the earth will melt with fervent heat” it’s like the atmosphere around the world burning and the planet burning, and God will make a new fresh atmosphere and new planet. So, heaven and earth there is not talking about the heaven where God dwells – there are three different heavens in Hebrew the way the word is used. So, I hope that helps a little bit Jerry appreciate it. We do have a study that deals with the millennium.
It’s called A Thousand Years of Peace and it talks about events associated with the beginning, duration, and ending of that thousand year period known as the millennium in Revelation chapter 20. To receive that study guide call our resource line its 800-835-6747, and you can ask for the study guide, A Thousand Years of Peace, 800-835-6747. You know Pastor I’m not sure if we have enough time to take another call before our break. We do…?
Doug Batchelor: I think she told me yeah, we have two minutes.
Jëan Ross: All right let’s go to Neil, Neil is listening in Las Vegas Nevada. Neil welcome to the program.
Neil: Thank you very much and God bless you two. Pastor Doug and Pastor Ross I want to ask a question. Everybody always goes to the first covenant as the covenant that was written on stone with the letters of law and Jesus Christ’s New Testament new covenant written in our heart.But, why don’t they ever say that the covenant was actually established with Abraham where he had the law in his heart when he talked to Isaac when he was king of Babylon he said that Abraham had his law requirements, and statutes.
Doug Batchelor: There is actually and you’re making a good point. There are many covenants in the Bible, and God made a covenant with Abraham or with Adam rather, and then He makes a covenant with Noah after the flood, and the sign of that covenant was the rainbow. The sign of the Abraham covenant with Abraham was circumcision. He made a covenant with Israel when He gave the Ten Commandments so most of the time when we think of the new and the old covenant we are thinking about the old covenant God calls it.
It says right there in Deuteronomy I think its chapter 4, verse 10 or 13, He said,” I declare unto them My covenant even Ten Commandments which I commanded them to perform” so that was the original covenant. The new covenant is the same law and it says, “I’ll make a new covenant with the house of Israel” and this is Jeremiah 31, “I’ll write My law in their heart” same law, but the first covenant was based on the people saying, “All the Lord has said we will do” the second covenant is saying that, “I will do it I will put My law in their hearts.” One is based on the promise of the people the second covenant the new covenant is based on the promises of God.
I think we have a study guide that deals with that and it’s called, Does God’s Grace Blot Out the Law and we will send you a free copy of that Neil, Does God’s Grace Blot Out the Law.
Jëan Ross: The resource line for the free offer is 800-865-6747 and the book is called, Does God’s Grace Blot Out the Law. Pastor Doug we are coming up on our break in just a few moments, but before we do that we would like to let folks know about one of our websites and tonight Bibleprophecytruth.com just a great resource for anyone wanting to study Bible prophecy.
Doug Batchelor: Yeah, absolutely when you think about – I’ll just give you a taste of some of the subjects that are covered at this website, any Christian out there have any questions about what is the battle of Armageddon? What is 666? What is the great tribulation? Angels, we talked about that tonight? Babylon the role of Israel and prophecy, the millennium, the whole left-behind scenario, the anti-Christ, Bible numbers do they have any meaning or are they just odd as certain numbers continue to repeat themselves? All of this and much more is at this website just the very best Bible resources, Bibleprophecytruth.com. Don’t go away friends we have more Bible questions coming.
[COMMERCIAL BREAK]
Doug Batchelor: Welcome back friends and if you’ve just tuned in you’re listening to Bible Answers Live and this is a live international interactive Bible study not only on about three hundred stations and satellite radio, but it’s on the internet around the world. If you have a Bible question we do have lines open it’s not too late to call in with your Bible question. Are you ready for the number? Free phone call 800-GOD-SAYS, that’s 800-463-7297 one more time, 800-463-7297 will bring your question into our studio and my name, is Doug Batchelor.
Jëan Ross: And, my name is Jëan Ross and we are going straight to the phone lines. We’ve got Nathan who is listening from N. Carolina. Nathan welcome to the program you’re on the air.
Nathan: Hey, how are you doing?
Jëan Ross: Doing good, and your question today?
Nathan: First time caller and really first time ever turning on the thing there it’s an excellent program you have on.
Doug Batchelor: Well, we appreciate you calling us.
Nathan: I’m calling about Leviticus chapter 11, clean and unclean foods, and I believe there is also a mention of it over in Deuteronomy.
Doug Batchelor: Yeah, it’s in a couple of places in the books of Moses.
Nathan: I’m mentioning this because outside of being a truck driver I’m also an outdoorsman and I do a lot of hunting and fishing, and I feed live off of what I hunt and trap and whatever. Well in it I came across and I have actually found this answer there, but it’s been a while since I’ve been down that avenue there, but I kind of caught up in it, it makes specific mention over rabbit in the clean and unclean foods and the rabbit being an unclean food. I believe it makes mention over food animals that…
Doug Batchelor: They need to chew the cud and have a cloven hoof they need both characteristics to be clean.
Nathan: Okay, and in that if you go later in the Bible Peter has a vision.
Doug Batchelor: He has a vision in Chapter ten of Acts, where God says, “Arise kill and eat” and there are all these unclean animals in a sheet.
Nathan: Yep, and in that there I’m trying to understand – I know because there is a verse and it says something to the extent, and I’m forgetting I’m a little bit disorganized. It says, okay here it is, “Do not call anything” this is God talking to him in his vision, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”I don’t quite understand how did – because this is after Jesus has died is that correct?
Doug Batchelor: It is correct. Let me try and give you a little insight into that. The vision that Peter has really absolutely nothing to do with eating the animals or food, Peter was a Jew. God wanted Peter to now take the gospel to the gentiles. There was a man named Cornelius who is a Roman Centurion and he has a house full of slaves that are non-Jews, but he loves the Lord. God wants Peter to go and preach to this gentile. Well, a devout Jew would not go into a gentile home, because they would become unclean. That was the law and it was a man-made law, but that was their law.
So, God gives Peter this vision and He says, “Do not call unclean what I have called clean” after Peter sees this vision of this sheet coming down from heaven three times that says, “Arise kill and eat” and Peter actually says, “Not so Lord I have never eaten anything common or unclean” and the third time in the vision the sheet goes back up to heaven Peter still hasn’t taken anything out of the sheet and killed it and eaten it, because it’s a vision. He’s praying Lord, “What does this mean” and all of a sudden there is a knock at the door downstairs, and three messengers come from the house of Cornelius and they say, “Cornelius had a dream and he would like you to come and talk to him about Jesus.” Peter then explains – Pastor Ross might have this verse handy. In the next chapter Peter explains to the church what this vision meant and it says, “God has shown me” – do you want to read it?
Jëan Ross: Yeah, at first there is chapter 10, verse 28, this is now Peter talking to Cornelius who was a gentile, he says, “You know it is not lawful for the Jewish man to keep company with or, to go to one of another nation, but God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean,” and this is immediately following that vision of a sheet coming down with all the animals in it.
Doug Batchelor: In the next chapter he’s explaining it to the church and he says, “God has shown me not to call any man unclean” it had nothing to do with diet it was a symbol and illustration just like, when Jesus tells us, “We should be fishers of men” he didn’t really mean we were supposed to use a fish hook and a line and net to catch people it’s an illustration.
Nathan: Yeah, obviously, well then we go back to Leviticus there and clean and unclean food there. You know being an outdoorsman I mean I eat everything.
Doug Batchelor: You and I are of a kindred spirit I’m an outdoorsman I lived in a cave for a year and a half, and you can ask Pastor Ross he’s been to our cabin. My nearest neighbor is, when I go to our cabin up in the hills my nearest neighbor is a mile away and there is another mile to the next neighbor I mean we are way out in the woods.
Nathan: Well you’re pretty much in the same stance at least this part of N. Carolina that I live in its country out here and everybody knows everybody’s house.
Doug Batchelor: Yeah, but you know I don’t eat the foods that the Bible calls unclean.So, there is of course Biblically you can eat deer, pheasant, and there are wild animals wild goat and things you can eat, but pork is called unclean, and rabbits if I remember right, but I don’t eat rabbit, but I have, but there were certain months of the year you weren’t supposed to eat rabbit, because they got worms.
Nathan: Oh, yeah, and that’s usually during the summer months not here in the winter.
Doug Batchelor: I’d rather not eat it anytime if it’s got worms so, Biblically God He wants us to be healthy so He said these animals are scavengers and rabbits are even sometimes cannibalistic with their young and it’s probably not the best of food. Hey, can I send you a study guide I have to go to another question, but can I send you a study guide Nathan on this subject?
Nathan: You sure can.
Doug Batchelor: We are going to give you another phone number, call this number and give them your information and they will mail it to you there will be no strings attached.
Jëan Ross: The number to call is 800-865-6747 that’s 800-835-6747, and the study guide is called, God’s Free Health Plan you will find it very interesting. What does the Bible say about health? It’s 800-835-6747.
Doug Batchelor: It talks a lot about the clean and the unclean foods and you will enjoy that.
Jëan Ross: Our next caller is Bryson and he’s listening in Illinois and Bryson welcome to the program.
Bryson: Hi guys! How are you doing tonight?
Doug Batchelor: Doing well. How are you?
Bryson: I’m doing just fine and as a Christian for some time I have a question on where you can lead me in the Bible to find out where it talks about what happens when we die. The reason why I’m saying that is, the question was brought up one day of someone that I know is a Christian believes that when we die we didn’t immediately go to heaven.
In my view I always thought when we passed and we were saved we would immediately go to heaven and be in the kingdom of God. Their view is we would wait until Jesus came back and then we would go to heaven with Him. I was just wondering where in the Bible you can lead me to where it talks about that and what your views were?
Doug Batchelor: Well let’s hope we can give you a Bible answer.
Bryson: Sure.
Doug Batchelor: First of all in a sense you’re both right and what I mean by that is that when you die if you’re saved your next conscious thought is the resurrection and being caught up to meet the Lord in the air, but the Bible tells us that the resurrection does not happen until the coming of Jesus and that’s 1 Thessalonians 4, “The Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of the Arch Angel, the trump of God, and the dead in Christ will rise.”
So, when the Lord comes the resurrection takes place, and you can also read about that in Revelation chapter 20, it says, “Blessed and holy is he that has part in the first resurrection” Jesus said in John chapter 6, “That the dead will live and they will come back to life in the last day” three times in that chapter He says, “The resurrection is the last day.” When Jesus went, in John chapter 11, to raise His friend Lazarus His friends thought he was just sick, and he needed to sleep and Jesus said, “Lazarus sleeps, but he’s really dead” He used the word sleep to symbolize death and so, the Bible calls death a sleep because it’s a dreamless sleep.
For us who are alive and we live in this dimension Bryson you know the resurrection hasn’t happened yet for two reasons. One we know the resurrection is in the last day and two the judgment is in the last day. So, for God to take people to heaven before the resurrection and before the judgment that wouldn’t make sense. So, is that adding up so far?
Bryson: So, you believe that when we die, okay for instance we die today, and the resurrection is not happening for three thousand years you know we are not going to have a single conscious thought until that time?
Doug Batchelor: It will seem like an instant a moment of time right away for you. You know it says this is in the Bible you read Acts chapter 2, it said, “The patriarch David is dead and buried and his tomb is with us until this day and David has not ascended to heaven” now, king David was a good king, right?
Bryson: A, huh.
Doug Batchelor: And, we expect him to be in heaven. The Bible says he was a man after God’s own heart, but in Acts chapter 2, even after the resurrection of Jesus Peter says, “David is dead and buried his tomb is with us and he has not ascended to heaven.” I mean you can’t get much clearer than that. Now, for David he died a thousand years before Christ – it hasn’t been three thousand years for David. As soon as he died his next conscious thought is boom the resurrection, and he’s caught up to meet the Lord there, but for us that live in this element of time – see God can go back in time and he can take a prophet forward in time, God sees all of time.And…
Bryson: Do you believe that when we pass our spirit it immediately goes to heaven?
Doug Batchelor: Well, the Bible says, “The spirit is the breath of life that God gives us” it’s not conscious and so nowhere does it teach you have a little ghost in you that floats around disembodied. That’s kind of a theory that has come in since it seems like, absent from the body present with the Lord although they said, “Well maybe it’s your spirit that goes to heaven,” and other people are told your spirit goes to hell. Well why would God do that before the judgment and the judgment is still in the future? So, we have a study guide on this, it’s a great question. I love when people give me this question because I was all mixed up on that then I looked at all those verses in the Bible and I said, “A, huh this makes so much more sense.” We will send you a free copy of that Bryson if you’d like.
Bryson: That would be great, yeah.
Jëan Ross: Just call our resource line the number is 800-835-6747, you can ask for the study guide Are the Dead Really Dead again, 800-835-6747 and again, the study guide is, Are the Dead Really Dead.
Doug Batchelor: Anyone out there that…
Jëan Ross: Anyone, and then Bryson also if you have access to the internet and who doesn’t now days take a look at the website Truth About Death and I’m looking at it right now it’s got a tremendous amount of resources a lot of Scripture and there is even some video that you can watch dealing with the subject … Truthaboutdeath.com. I think we are ready for our next caller we have let’s see we have Joe who is listening from New York, Joe welcome to the program.
Joe: Hello!
Doug Batchelor: Hi Joe! And, your question.
Joe: Yeah, how you doing can you hear me clear?
Doug Batchelor: I can hear you.
Joe: Oh, it’s working out good. You were talking about Genesis 6, before and it reminded me of something called Nephilim, and the giants in the land is that all the same thing or it’s different things?
Doug Batchelor: No, we are talking about the same chapter genesis chapter 6, and you want me to read it for you or you have it in front of you?
Joe: No, not in front of me let’s save time and just skip to the point.
Doug Batchelor: All right, the Bible tells us that when the sons of God and this is Genesis 6:2, “When the sons of God saw the daughters of men they were beautiful they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose” and the Lord said, “My Spirit will not always strive with man for that he indeed is flesh, but his days will be a 120 years” that was going to be a hundred and twenty years from that point till the flood, and also after when the sons of God came unto the daughters of men they bore children to them, and those were mighty men who were old, that’s Nephilim.
Men of renowned this is something called genetic-vitality now, what happens when two races of people are separated and then they inter-marry, because they have the vitality of genes there is often stronger offspring sometimes taller offspring. You know you can actually cross and this is a fact you can cross a tiger and a lion and you get a creature called the liger, and there are more and more people doing that, but they are huge. You can cross a little donkey and a horse and you get a big mule. You get genetic vitality when you cross these things that have been separated on the other hand if cousins and brothers and sisters inter-marry, and have children they have all kinds of genetic weakness and problems.
The offspring from the children of Seth and the offspring of the daughters of Cain they produced these mighty men and some believe they were great people. Nimrod may have been one of the offspring of those after Babel. We have a book we will send you and it’s called, Who Are the Sons of God, Joe we will send you a free copy of that and it has all of the verses on that subject.
Jëan Ross: The number to call again is 800-835-6747, that is our resource line and you can ask for the book, Who are the Sons of God and we’d be happy to send that to you Joe or anyone who calls and asks for it. Our next caller is Frank and Frank is listening in Brooklyn New York. Frank you’re on the air.
Frank: Hello! Does the Bible say anything concerning suicide?
Doug Batchelor: Well, you don’t find the words suicide in the Bible the Bible does say, “Thou shall not kill. Thou shall not murder” and certainly that would involve not murdering yourself. You do see a pattern in the Bible – while there are people in the Bible that sacrificed their lives to save others like, Samson and even Jesus for that matter for a person to just kill themselves, because they were discouraged you know it’s usually associated with people like, King Saul and like Ahithophel he was a counselor of David, or Judas. Often, now I want to be very careful because there are two kinds of people I’m talking to now Frank.
There are people out there discouraged and thinking of suicide because they are looking for a way out of some very discouraging circumstances or depression, and I want to tell those people heaven forbid you should do that, because where there is life there is hope. The Bible says that, “A living dog is better than a dead lion” your circumstances can get better with God. When you commit suicide you have permanently sealed bad circumstances and you lose all of your options so, suicide doesn’t give you an option, and it takes all your options away.
On the other hand there are people out there that know someone they love that may have committed suicide and they are thinking that, does that mean that every person that has committed suicide is lost? The Bible doesn’t say that so, I want to be very careful not to discourage those people.Now, are you asking this question because you’re thinking of suicide?
Frank: No, it’s just something I always wondered about.
Doug Batchelor: Okay, good I just wanted to double check because I wanted to try and encourage you if that was the heart of your question.
Jëan Ross: You know God looks at the heart and really there is no situation that a person can sink into where they are from a heavenly perspective, hopeless, and God is able to sustain and help us through every situation no matter what the trial, what the difficulty, and of course God does understand circumstances where somebody might be overwhelmed.
Pastor you know of somebody who felt their best option was to take a life and she took a whole lot of pills only to regret it afterwards and called for help, but unfortunately it was too late, and they weren’t able to save her. It doesn’t mean to say every person that has made that decision is lost not by any means God knows the heart and yet it is something that we as Christians never really want to contemplate, because God is able to help us in every situation we want to hold onto that assurance.
Doug Batchelor: So, I have an article I’ve written on this subject Frank at the Amazing Facts website and it’s in one of our Bible answers and questions sections of the inside report. So, you will find that at the Amazing Facts website which is just Amazingfacts.org or Amazingfacts.com. Thank you for your question.
Jëan Ross: We have Demetrius who is listening in Elk Grove California and Demetrius welcome to the program.
Demetrius: Hi Pastor Doug and Pastor Ross!
Jëan Ross: Evening.
Demetrius I had a question and I’m just wondering is there a reason in Scripture that explains why it doesn’t mention whether its fermented or unfermented why you being drunk – you know at different times in the Bible it may actually describe wine like you said it’s juice, and then at other times it doesn’t really mention that, and I’m wondering if the [inaudible] see if you drink too much wine or unfermented wine?
Doug Batchelor: Well, let me give you a verse in Mathew 26:29, at the last supper Jesus said to the disciples you remember He gave them the cup with wine in it and He said, “Take this drink it, but I say to you” verse 29, “I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the day when I drink it with you knew in My father’s kingdom” the grape juice, the wine that Jesus gave them was grape juice. You do not find the word grape juice anywhere in the Bible. They only had one word for both unfermented grape juice and fermented grape juice, and it was the word ‘wine’ there are both kinds in the Bible. What is that verse in Isaiah is it 65, where it says, “The new wine is in the cluster” Pastor Ross, “and I say there is a blessing in it”. The Bible calls it, it says, “The new wine is in the cluster” well obviously it’s not from fermented yet.
Jëan Ross: Yes, that’s Isaiah 65:8.
Doug Batchelor: Now, I’ve got a whole book Demetrius it’s called, Alcohol and the Christian that has all these verses, and I’ll be happy to send you a free copy or you can read it for free online at the Amazing Facts website right now.
Demetrius: Okay, yeah I believe the same, but I asked the question because I know there are different groups of people that believe different about that.
Doug Batchelor: Yeah, you’re right and you know for me one of the best arguments is, and I don’t misunderstand friends, but I don’t think you need to open the Bible to know the answer to that question. I think that common sense tells us that if there is a drug in our culture that is the number one drug more than marijuana, more than cocaine, more than heroine, more than LSD, more than Crack, the number one drug that kills people every year in North America is alcohol.
The number one drug that contributes to child abuse is alcohol, number one drug that becomes a road hazard is alcohol…number one drug connected with people in prison is alcohol. When you think about all the misery the number one reason people go to the emergency room … alcohol. You think of all the misery that alcohol brings into our society how much should a Christian support that?
You know it causes all kinds of terrible problems in families and of course I think it’s one out of five or six people that drinks becomes an alcoholic or at least a problem drinker. Why would you want to have dog that bit one out of five people that came to your house? So, you know I think it’s pretty clear, Christians shouldn’t drink. People point to where Jesus turned the water to wine and they think he made a bunch of alcohol for a party, he made grape juice. Anyway appreciate your question we haven’t had that in a while and people need to hear the truth on that subject.
Demetrius: Well, thank you guys for that.
Doug Batchelor: Yeah, and go to the website and read Amazing Facts website, Alcohol and the Christian or, we will send you a free copy.
Jëan Ross: The number to call is 800-835-6747, and the book is called, Alcohol and the Christian. I think we have time for one or two more callers. Our next caller is David, and he’s listening in Kansas City, and David welcome to the program.
Doug Batchelor: Hi David! You’re on the air.
David: How are you Pastors this evening?
Doug Batchelor: Good evening.
David: I’m driving a truck down the road, but I have a question. I can’t remember the Scripture, but Paul in one of his writings talks about that he knew a man that was in Christ that fourteen years ago he was called up to the third heaven.
Doug Batchelor: 2 Corinthians 12:2.
David: 2 Corinthians 12:2, okay, my question is what did the first two heavens represent?
Doug Batchelor: Yeah, good question, I said earlier in the program that the Bible talks about God creating a new heaven and a new earth that’s, because in the Hebrew mind they had three ways they used the word heaven. The first heaven was the atmosphere around the world where the wind blows and the clouds float. The second heaven is the part of space where the moon and the stars are hung it’s the celestial cosmos. The third heaven was the dwelling place of God or Paradise, and so Paul was caught up in to the dwelling place of God. That is where John went for the Revelation of Jesus Christ that you would read in chapter 4, he said, “He heard a voice and a trumpet” and he was caught up in the spirit to the third heaven, same thing.Doe’s that help a little bit David?
David: Yes, it exactly does, my wife would ask me the same questions … what are the first two heavens like.
Jëan Ross: Well, it’s not the degree of goodness you know people who are not that good go to the first heaven and then people that are a little better go to the second heaven and then people who are really good go to the third. Once you are in heaven you’re in heaven.
Doug Batchelor: Yeah, they don’t have one heaven where you have to drive a pinto, and another heaven where you have a Mercedes. Thank you for your call David and say hi to your wife for us. Do we have time for one more… we have one minute.
Jëan Ross: We don’t want to do that to anybody. Hey, listening friend and we see a few people that are still waiting if we didn’t get to your call tonight don’t give up on us give us another chance. God willing we will be back together again for Bible Answers Live in our next broadcast. In the meantime we want to remind you that you can keep listening to these programs all day long if you want to.
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