Doug Batchelor: Hello friends, this is Doug Batchelor. How about an amazing fact? In 1913 the little country of Albania in Eastern Europe achieved its independence. There are many Muslims in Albania and they chose as their leader, a Turkish Prince named Halim Eddine. Prince Eddine seemed reluctant at first to leave his native Turkey to visit Albania. But, one day a telegram was received saying that he would come to Albania to the city of Durrës. The people of Durrës turned out in force to greet the Prince. They could tell at once he was a nobleman. He was tall, spoke with authority, wore a splendid uniform, and carried a long sword.
When he told them he would lead in an attack against the hated city of Belgrade; they went wild with excitement. The people of the city quickly declared the Prince to be the new King of Albania. They had a coronation ceremony. The new King chose a strange name for a Muslim, Otto the First, but, the people weren’t critical and they accepted their hero. They cheered him everywhere he went and showered him with costly gifts. Everyone was happy. Five days later though, another telegraph arrived. Otto the First it said was a fraud. The real Prince Eddine was still in Turkey. The people rushed to the palace to learn the truth, but, the phony King had fled. For King Otto the First was really Otto Witte, a German circus performer, who could neither read nor write; who had carried out one of the boldest hoaxes in history.
And friends, do you know, the Bible predicts that another great impersonation is soon to come? Stay with us. We’ll learn more, as Amazing Facts brings you this edition of Bible Answers Live.
[PROGRAM INTRODUCTION]
Pastor Doug: Welcome listening friends to Bible Answers Live. You can tell from the title of the broadcast this program is dedicated to doing our best to answer your Bible questions. And you can call in live with your questions; it’s a free phone call and lines are open right now. That number is: (800) GOD-SAYS (800) 463-7297 will bring you into the studio with your Bible question. One more time, (800) 463-7297 and my name again is Doug Batchelor. Pastor Jëan Ross is on his way back from a brief mission trip in India and so tonight we’ll be doing this together with our engineering crew and our volunteers.
We’re going to start with prayer. Father in heaven we thank You for Your blessings, we thank You for the truth that Jesus is real and He’s with us wherever we go. And we pray Lord that we’ll get to better know Him through the Word which is the truth. Be with us and bless every aspect of the program tonight. And we pray that You’ll guide both the questions that are brought and the answers that are given. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Well, friends that would really be something for a person to pull off a hoax like that on a whole kingdom. Of course, it happened in the day before they had the social media and television and radio. That Otto White was able to convince the people in this town that he was their King. And you know he did manage to escape. He spent the rest of his life kind of giving lectures and telling how he was able to carry out that hoax and evidently was quite a colorful character.
But, it makes you think about another great hoax of a counterfeit king that the Bible tells us about. You can read in the book of Matthew Chapter 24 when Jesus is speaking of the second coming. One of the first things He said is take heed; this is Matthew 24: 4 ‘Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name saying, ‘I am Christ’ and will deceive many.’ And Jesus goes on to say, ‘And there will be’, verse 11, ‘many false prophets that will rise up and deceive many.’ And it tells us to be on our guard against false Christ’s that arise; that’s Matthew 24:24. The masterpiece of Satan’s final deception will be when he impersonates Christ.
That’s why Jesus said, ‘If anyone says here is Christ or there; believe it not.’ And so how would we know to be able to discern between a counterfeit Christ, who claims that he is Jesus returned, and the authentic? Well, we have a lesson that we’d like to send you, all you have to do is ask for it; and it’s entitled: The Ultimate Deliverance. It’s a beautiful color illustrated study that goes through the teaching about the second coming. There are a lot of misconceptions about this truth. It’s called: The Ultimate Deliverance and call our resource number. Now this number is different than the number to come to our studio with your question. The resource number is: (800) 835-6747. One more time, that’s (800) 835-6747 ask for the study guide: The Ultimate Deliverance or; if you want to study it right now, you can look at it at the Amazing Facts website called: Bible Prophecy Truth. You’ll see all our study guides there. If you go to the Amazing Facts website or go to Bible Prophecy Truth, you’ll see these study guides there.
Alright, with that I think we’re going to get right to the phones and try to take as many questions as we can. One more time friends, if you want to call in with a question, a couple of lines still open: (800) 463-7297. That’s (800) 463-7297 and we’re going to talk first with Shantelle who’s calling from Oregon. Shantelle, you’re on the air.
Shantelle: Good evening Pastor Doug.
Pastor Doug: Good evening.
Shantelle: I’m calling about two verses in Romans
Pastor Doug: Okay.
Shantelle: Romans 2:13 the second part and Romans 3:20 the first part.
Pastor Doug: Well, let’s start with Romans 2:13. ‘For not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but, the doers of the law will be justified.’ And then you also wanted to go to verse 20 you said?
Shantelle: Well, 3:20 the first part of 3:20 and the second part of 2:13.
Pastor Doug: Okay. And in 3:20 it says, ‘And therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.’ Well, it sounds like it’s a contradiction there.
Shantelle: Yeah, I’d love to understand that a little better because it does look like the opposite, but …
Pastor Doug: Well, there really is no conflict.
Shantelle: Okay.
Pastor Doug: Think of it this way for a second. When you come to Christ, how many have sinned?
Shantelle: Everyone.
Pastor Doug: And sin is the breaking of God’s law. Right?
Shantelle: Yes.
Pastor Doug: So if we’re going to be saved by keeping God’s law, we’re all doomed. We need mercy. So our justification is really a gift that He gives us. Now when He gives us justification as a gift, we come to Him just like I am, then when we receive that new birth, then He gives us the Holy Spirit and He gives us power for sanctification. And that’s when it will be true that the fruits of the Spirit will be seen in a person’s life. And then Romans 2:13 is not going to be just the hearers of the law, but the doers that will be justified.
So He gives us this gift of justification, but then if there’s no transformation in their life, you wonder; have they really been-, have they been born again? So, that’s why Jesus said, ‘You’ll know them by their fruits,’ there should be a difference. Our whole past record is forgiven. We are freely justified by God’s grace, but, then do we continue in the sin? Paul says in Romans Chapter 3 also, ‘Do we continue in sin that grace may abound, God forbid.’ So if sin is lawlessness, not continuing in sin is obedience. And, you know, Jesus said, ‘Seek ye first…, you know the rest of that verse-,
Shantelle: Yes.
Pastor Doug: …the kingdom of God and His righteousness.’ You always hear people talk about grace, but, not too many people talk about seeking first the righteousness of God. And so, you know, the Lord not only wants us to be the hearers, but, the doers of the word, but, we don’t keep His law to be saved; we keep it because we are saved.
Shantelle: Right; Umm- hmm, yeah.
Pastor Doug: So, I know, you read those things and just sounds like Paul is saying two things. By the way, I’m going to read one more verse here and it’s not from Paul, it’s from Peter. If you go to 2 Peter, Chapter 3 and here if-, ah, oh let me see-, umm, where is this verse-, ah, 15-, 15 is it? Yeah, and consider that 2 Peter 3:15. ‘And consider that the long suffering of our Lord of salvation as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him has written you, as also in all his Epistles.’ Notice what Peter says, ‘Speaking in them of these things in which are some things which are hard to understand.’ So here’s Peter, Paul; he’s so educated that sometimes things that he says, seem like they’re hard to understand. So, you’re not in bad company. Paul was pretty deep at times.
Shantelle: Yeah, and then right after that phrase it talks about certain kinds of people…
Pastor Doug: Yeah, they twist those things to their own destruction as they do the rest of the Scripture. That’s an important word also that calls Paul’s writings, ‘Scripture,’ very important. Well thank you so much, Shantelle. We appreciate your call and keep tuning in. And with that, we’re going to go talk to Michael, who’s calling from Henderson, Kentucky. Welcome, Michael, you’re on the air.
Michael: Hi. How are you?
Pastor Doug: Doing great and your question tonight?
Michael: My question is; may I say something?
Pastor Doug: If it’s real short and then we’ve got to get to the question because people are lined up.
Michael: Alright, I have-, when I was a little kid-, this was really I was born with-, I had three holes in my heart.
Pastor Doug: Wow.
Michael: God miraculously healed my body and I’m not saying God, because I love Him and He’s a healer and He’s coming back.
Pastor Doug: Yeah. That’s a wonderful testimony; that’s a miracle. Now do you have a question tonight?
Michael: Yes. It’s can-, can people really talk to the dead?
Pastor Doug: Alright, is it possible for people to really talk to the dead? Well, I’ll tell you the Bible tells us in Ecclesiastes Chapter 9 that, ’The living know they’ll die, but the dead don’t know anything.’ And then you can also read in Isaiah Chapter 8 it says, ‘Do not talk to those who are mediums that consult with the dead and peep and mutter.’ And when King Saul, went to a witch who was supposed to help him talk to a dead prophet, but, of course, witches can’t call up the prophets of God and they can’t raise the dead.
If it was a demon, the Bible speaks of devils working miracles, and there’s lying spirits and so there are-, the devil’s got fallen angels that are lying spirits and demons and, you know, the living and the dead; they don’t communicate anymore. Job said, I think it’s Job 14 that when someone dies their sons may come to honor and they don’t know it, the dead don’t know anything. Until the resurrection, now if a person dies say now their next conscious thought is either the resurrection of the just or the resurrection of destruction and then there’s the judgment day also and they’re in the future, so, the idea that instantly after death, you get raised and you go to heaven is not what the Bible teaches.
The Bible teaches that when the Lord descends from heaven 1 Thessalonians Chapter 4: 16 then the dead in Christ will rise. And again in 1 Corinthians 15, at the second coming is when the dead will rise. So, people who say they’re talking to the dead, now there’s one example, I‘ve got to just-, Michael, there’s one exception, you do have Elijah; he did not die, he just went to heaven in the fiery chariot and Moses who was resurrected especially by the Lord. They do appear to Peter, James, John, and Jesus on what they call the mount of transfiguration. That’s in John Chapter 9.
But, we have a lesson for you or for anyone who is interested called: Are the Dead Really Dead? Are the Dead Really Dead? you ought to study this friends and it’s free. Just go to the website: Amazing Facts – www.amazingfacts.org/ , you can get it there or there’s that website also called, “Death Truth” www.deathtruth.com and you can study what the Bible really says about the subject. Thank you, Michael, for your call. With that, we’re going to talk with Tristan, who’s calling from Washington. Tristan, you’re on the air.
Tristan: Hey, that’s a great introduction, thank you for inviting me on the program today.
Pastor Doug: Pleasure and your question tonight?
Tristan: Is playing Jesus in a play or a video and movies a part of blasphemy?
Pastor Doug: No, not necessarily. It certainly can be you know if you go to-, to a school play where children are reenacting Mary and Joseph and baby Jesus and you’re certainly not going to call something as innocent as that blasphemy. Blasphemy, you know, is taking the name-, the Lord’s name in vain or more specifically, putting a person in the place of God claiming the prerogatives and the power of God. So, when someone does a depiction, and they’re trying to faithfully represent a parable of Jesus or even Jesus sharing a parable, you know I wouldn’t say it’s blasphemy.
You know, I do think there are-, years ago when I lived in New York City they had a play that came out called, “Jesus Christ Superstar” and I think that the way that Jesus was portrayed in that play was blasphemous. So, it varies, you know, what I mean? There are reenactments-, reenactments that can be respectful and then there’s some that certainly are not. That’s my opinion, you know, I really can’t take you to a verse that says that because I think it just depends on if someone is honoring God or not.
Tristan: That’s fine.
Pastor Doug: Well, alright, I appreciate your question, Tristan, and thank you for calling. And that frees up a line if you have a Bible question you can go to (800) GOD-SAYS. That’s: (800) 463-7297 with your Bible question and we’re going to take as many as we can. One more time, (800) 463-7297 and we’re going to talk to Loretta, who’s calling from Tennessee. Loretta, you’re on the air.
Loretta: Thank you. Good evening. How are you?
Pastor Doug: Doing great.
Loretta: I’ve got a question; actually my question kind of has two parts. You know, when you get to heaven, and especially during the time of judging the wicked; my question is about guilt. Will there be a sense of guilt that maybe we didn’t reach out a little more to somebody? Or maybe we didn’t take the time to witness or give literature to somebody that might have been saved and ended up being lost.
Pastor Doug: Good question and, you know, I’m glad you asked that because most people are surprised to hear there may be a period with some sadness or heartache in heaven. In Revelation 21 after the 1000 years is when God says He will dry all tears from your eyes. Now how can God dry all tears if there are absolutely no sad feelings? Do angels rejoice right now when someone is saved?
Loretta: Yes.
Pastor Doug: Sure. Jesus said so. Were angels sad when Jesus was dying on the cross?
Loretta: I am almost certain they were.
Pastor Doug: So does that mean there can be sadness in heaven?
Loretta: Well, I guess so; at least for some things.
Pastor Doug: Yeah, God does not erase our natural affections when we’re resurrected. I mean He made us with emotions and love. And I think that when we first get to heaven, of course, we’re going to be overwhelmed with the joy and glory of the rapture and bliss and, but, there will be times during that millennium where we’re going to think well I wish so and so were here or I wish I had done more to share the good news.
Loretta: Yeah.
Pastor Doug: But, and you know that’s when there’s that great judgment that takes place. And when you think about the judgment day when it says the wicked small and great stand before God. There’s this great white throne judgment and whoever’s name is not found in the book of life is cast into this lake of fire.
Loretta: Yeah. Yeah.
Pastor Doug: Are the saved going to be, you know, singing hallelujah when that happens or is it going to be a very somber moment?
Loretta: Well I would think it would be a very somber moment.
Pastor Doug: Yeah, and God has no pleasure in the destruction of the wicked. And so if God has no pleasure, if it’s making Jesus sad for anyone to be lost, the Lord is not willing that any should perish then it’s going to be a difficult moment. I mean He will have no alternative at that point. But, and then it’s at that point that God makes a new heaven and a new earth and says there is no more pain, He dries all tears from their eyes. So there may be some moments of regret, sadness during those 1000 years, you know, when we’re investigating judgments.
Loretta: Can I ask my second half?
Pastor Doug: Sure.
Loretta: This wasn’t about guilt in heaven, this was brought up because someone, [Sighs], they felt guilty. You know, how people say, ‘I want to go to heaven and I want to see Jesus there?’
Pastor Doug: Right.
Loretta: Well, this person was raised by his grandfather. And he says the first person he’d like to see is his grandfather. He felt guilty because you know he felt maybe he should want to see Jesus first.
Pastor Doug: Well, I think may be the Lord understands natural attachments and I don’t think a person will be condemned for that. But …
Loretta: But it would be too late anyway, he’s in heaven.
Pastor Doug: [Laughs] Well, that’s right.
Loretta: [Laughs].
Pastor Doug: The Bible says in Isaiah Chapter 65:17, ‘For behold I create a new heaven and a new earth. The former will not be remembered nor come into mind.’ So, you’ve heard the expression, ‘Time heals?’
Loretta: Yes.
Pastor Doug: Well how do you think time could heal when you could live for a zillion years? All the painful memories from this life are going to be gone. They’ll be overshadowed and eclipsed by all the joyful, blissful things happening where it says in heaven at His right hand are pleasures forever more.
Loretta: Yeah.
Pastor Doug: So we’re not going to need to worry about the pain or sorrow there. Hey, I appreciate your question, Loretta. And with that we are going to talk to you. Aron is calling from Carmichael, California. Is that, Aron, is that right?
Erin: Erin.
Pastor Doug: Erin, I’m sorry. How are you doing? They left an “a” out. [Laughs]
Erin: Yeah, I’m doing, yeah, oh, okay, I get it …
Pastor Doug: And your question might be?
Erin: Yes, sometimes it’s spelled that way, but my question is actually about the Trinity. I’ve been talking with; I won’t say the name of the group, so I’ve been talking to people who are associated with a group that doesn’t believe in the Trinity.
Pastor Doug: Okay.
Erin: And I have a couple of Bible passages, John 5:18 and then they go to John 8: 28 I think it’s what it is and essentially, Chapter 5 is saying that Jesus is equal with God and I was trying to explain the doctrine of the Trinity, so ...
Pastor Doug: Well, you’re on the right track. First, let me just back up and give you a big picture of this. I struggled and I studied with some groups before also that kind of shook me up when it came to the Trinity; of course, it was like 30 years ago. And I really had to dig into it; just to be settled in my mind, what the truth was. And here are some of the things I came to. First of all in the Bible it says, ‘In the beginning God created,’ right?
Erin: Right.
Pastor Doug: Then we read in the beginning of the New Testament: ‘All things that were created were created by Him,’ speaking of Jesus the Word, so, here it says God created and there it says Jesus created. Well if Jesus is God, then there’s no problem there.
Erin: Right.
Pastor Doug: Then the Bible tells us to worship only God and yet we’re told to worship Jesus and angels worship Him. Well, if Jesus is God it’s not a problem. The Bible says God, matter of fact it says, Jehovah, and Jehovah only knows the thoughts of men’s hearts. Well, many times in the New Testament including John Chapter 2 it says, ‘He knew what was in man.’ He knew what they were thinking. You know, only God can read a person’s mind and really know what they’re thinking. But, Jesus knew what people were thinking. And so when you look at the definitions the Bible says there’s only one Savior, Jehovah, well the Bible says that Jesus is the Savior.
So when you look at, well I could go through a long list of definitions for God and we see that Jesus fits the definitions as God the Son. So if Christ is a creation as some churches teach, and you cannot send a creation to die for a creation for you know if Christ was a created being, one single intelligent being, He might be able to die or trade the place with one other single intelligent being, but He couldn’t die for a billion people or billions of people and all their collective sins. Only God could do that. And only a God can carry the sins of a world and so there’s I think there are a lot of reasons that we see … now there’s a mystery and I want to be careful; we’re on holy ground when we talk about the nature of God. And it says as high as the heavens are above the earth, so are my ways above your ways. And so there’s some mystery connected with this and I don’t want to pretend we understand it all, but we do have a book. I can send you a free copy or you can read it online, Erin, and it’s called, The Trinity is it Biblical? would you like that?
Erin: Yeah, I could definitely check it out online. And I just wanted to add one thing, is that I think the key verse and I always go to this one, it is Genesis 1:26 where it says, ‘ God said let Us make man in Our image.”
Pastor Doug: Exactly.
Erin: There is a plurality in God.
Pastor Doug: And you’ll find that again in Genesis 11 where it says, ‘God came down and saw man building a tower and said man had become like Us.’ And so you know, you’ll see several references where Elohim is a plural. Now it becomes more clear in the New Testament the teaching of the Trinity, but, yeah, Jesus said baptize in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. So it’s pretty clear. Now at the Amazing Facts website: www.amazingfacts.org you’ll click on the tab that says free library and in there you’ll see the whole Trinity book and you can read it and download it and circulate it; it’s the truth and we want to get it out. Thank you very much for your question and that does open another line. If you have a Bible question go to (800) GOD-SAYS- (800) 463-7297. And we’re talking to Sandra, who is from Calgary, Canada. Sandra, you’re on the air.
Sandra: Oh yes. Good evening.
Pastor Doug: Good evening.
Sandra: Yeah, so my question has to do with 2 Thessalonians 2: 4
Pastor Doug: Yeah, shall I read that?
Sandra: Sure.
Pastor Doug: Let’s go to verse 3: ‘Let no man deceive you by any means for that day,’ meaning the second coming; ‘shall not come except there be a falling away first and the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition. Who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped so that he acts as God, sitting in the temple of God, showing himself he is God.’ Would you like me to explain that?
Sandra: Yeah, the question that I like I was talking to my husband about the temple, like he keeps thinking that the temple is going to be a temple, rebuilt, and he says that this has to do with that the son of perdition has to be to try to set himself up as God in the temple using this Scripture and that didn’t sit right with me.
Pastor Doug: Well, I’m probably more with you on this because the Bible is pretty clear to me that those powers are already set up. You see when Jesus died on the cross the veil in the earthly temple was torn from top to bottom. And then He said there would not be one stone left upon another. I don’t believe the Jewish temple is going to be rebuilt. And I know that might sound to a lot of Christians think I’m crazy, but, Jesus said destroy this temple made with hands and I will make one without hands. And Paul said you are living stones built up to a holy habitation in the Lord. And so Christ came to build a house, we’re called the body of Christ; the church of God is a temple. What know ye not that ye are the temple of God?
Not only is your body singular the temple of God, Paul said what know ye not that ye are the temple of God. And so we are all collectively the temple of God and this beast power that is spoken of there in 2 Thessalonians 2 it tells us in the last days that he is going to enthrone himself over the church, that’s what he’s talking about he’s not talking about the-, I mean there might be an effort for the Jews to rebuild the temple, but, this verse; it’s already happening under people’s noses. It talks about a power that would enthrone himself, claiming that he sits over the people of God and claiming that he has titles that belong to God.
Now it’s not very popular, I know, Pope Francis seems to be such a nice guy, but, all the protestant reformers took this verse and they thought it applied to the Roman Catholic Church. Seating itself; it talks about their throne, over the temple of God taking a title as the supreme leader, as the supreme Father and taking titles that belong to God. And so we believe that’s the fulfillment of 2 Thessalonians 2:2 that it’s something protestant reformers thought was referring to the position of the Pope’s office.
You’re listening to Bible answers live. Thank you for your call Sandra. And before we have another phone call we’re going to have a break in just a moment; but, I want to tell you, about a website. We spent a year and a half at amazing facts working on a website to help people in their Bible study, especially, if you like a little deeper Bible study. And it’s called the Bible Timeline. All you have to do is go to: www.Biblehistory.com go to: www.Biblehistory.com and when you click it, you’ll see right there a panorama of Bible history beginning with Adam and drag it back and forth and it goes all the way to the prophecies of Revelation and until we’re back in heaven again.
And it’s got the ages of the Bible all divided; you can click on it and you can go into the dates and ages and from how long the Bible characters lived and click on their name and there’s an encyclopedia of information there. Bible History- www.Biblehistory.com you’ll find it really edifying. We’re going to be back just standby.
[COMMERCIAL BREAK]
Pastor Doug: And we are back at Bible Answers Live and if you’ve tuned in along the way; you’ve probably gathered, this is a Bible answer program and you can call, we’ll do our best to search the Word together and find the answers, a couple of lines still open if you want to call in with your Bible question. That number once again is: (800) GOD-SAYS - (800) 463-7297 and you can also find out a lot more about what’s available as far as free resources by going to the Amazing Facts website very simply: www.amazingfacts.org/ or if you type in: www.amazingfacts.com it’ll get you there. And my name is Doug Batchelor; Pastor Jëan Ross is returning from a brief mission trip to India and we’re going to go back to the phones, talking next to another Doug who’s calling from Janesville, Georgia. Doug, you’re on the air with Bible Answers Live.
Doug: Yes, good evening, Pastor.
Pastor Doug: Good evening.
Doug: I’m calling to ask there’s a lot of talk about during the millennium those of us that will go to heaven during the millennium…
Pastor Doug: Right.
Doug: Will be able to come back to earth and witness and convince some of the people that are lost and you know, I don’t believe that because, you know, the Bible says let those that are holy be holy…
Pastor Doug: Right and those that are unjust will be unjust.
Doug: But, you know the saints going there want to be clothed and there will be no more repentance.
Pastor Doug: Yeah, once Jesus comes then there’s going to be no more interaction between the saved and the lost. Once Jesus comes; the saved are saved and the lost are lost. The idea of it during the 1000 years that the righteous now have eternal bodies and eternal life and glorified bodies and are somehow going to be mingling with the wicked and witnessing to them is really kind of hard to comprehend because the Bible tells us that when Jesus comes there’s a great earthquake and every mountain and island are swallowed up and the earth is broken at the coming of the Lord and dead bodies are everywhere and the wicked will run and call for the mountains to fall upon them.
And so the idea that life goes on after the second coming; we’re going to be down here taking subways and buses and visiting people and witnessing ; it’s sort of a bizarre interpretation, it’s hard for me to find how that can be read into the scenario of the second coming. During the 1000 years it tells us we’re with Christ in heaven. It’s very simple, He comes down to earth, He says I go to prepare a place for you and when I come again I will receive you unto myself that where I am you may be also. He says in my Father’s house are many
mansions. He’s taking us up, we are caught up to meet Him in the air, and so, the millennium begins with the second coming. And we’re going back to glory to be with the Lord and during those 1000 years we live and reign with Him in heaven. And so we’re not walking around on earth doing anything down here, the earth, it tells us in Jeremiah 4:23, is broken down from the presence of the Lord and nobody’s alive.
So anyway, Doug, we have a lesson if you or anybody wants to know more about the subject of the millennium; we have a lesson, you can either call or ask for it, it’s called 1,000 Years of Peace that number is (800) 835. 6747 for the free study guide: 1,000 Years of Peace it’s talking about the millennium, filled with Scripture and illustrations with charts that help you see when the millennium begins where the verses that show when it begins, what happens during the one thousand years, and the verses that show the conclusion of one thousand years. Or you can read it online at Amazing Facts – www.amazingfacts.org/ just go to our lessons and look for 1,000 Years of Peace. Okay, thank you for your call, Doug, appreciate that and with we’re going to go off to Helen, calling from right here in the San Francisco area. Helen you’re on the air with Bible Answers Live.
Helen: Good Evening.
Pastor Doug: Good evening.
Helen: Good evening, yes, and my first-, hi, thank you for sending me those book lessons, and the number one question is about a Proverb, iron sharpens iron you sent me.
Pastor Doug: What name is it?
Helen: Called iron sharpen iron.
Pastor Doug: Iron sharpen iron, yeah well when maybe you’ve been to a restaurant before where you see, it might be a Japanese chef or it might be a butcher at the supermarket; and he’s getting ready to cut something like a tomato or beef, and then he takes his knife and then he takes an iron bar he sharpens the knife on the iron. Once you get a blade on an iron knife, if you do it skillfully, you can rub that blade right angle and keep it sharp by rubbing iron on iron. And Solomon says as iron sharpens iron, so a man can sharpen the countenance of his friend or a woman.
What that means is that sometimes when you talk to somebody else, the two of you together strengthen each other through friendship, through council, through prayer, and so that you feel more secure, you get better answers with that kind of council, kind of like you have two pieces of iron that rub each other; they both get sharper. And I think you’ve even seen chefs that or have even taken two knives and sharpened them together.
Helen: Oh that explains it to me.
Pastor Doug: So they’ve done that for 1000’s of years and so Solomon talks about that even back in the Bible.
Helen: Oh, okay, okay, my second question-, thank you…
Pastor Doug: Umm-huh.
Helen: The second question is about the Revelation, I forget what Chapter, and it is about number 666 on the forehead?
Pastor Doug: Yes, Revelation Chapter 14.
Helen: Oh, okay.
Pastor Doug: And you can go, you’ll find that in the last verse in Chapter 13 if you read in verse 18 it says, “Here is wisdom let him that has understanding count the number of the beast for it is a number of a man and his number is six-hundred and sixty-six.” Now the number ‘666’ is a very unique number. It’s for one thing, if you take the number 1, add that to 2, add that to 3, and add that to 4; when you get to 36, it adds up to six-hundred and sixty-six.
Helen: Oh, six-hundred and sixty-,
Pastor Doug: There are 360 degrees in a circle which is interesting. Even if a person plays the roulette wheel, they know that there’s 36 numbers. But, if you add all this up and it comes to ‘666’. ‘666’ is a kind of very interesting numerical number. 7 in the Bible represent God and His perfection, 6 in the Bible represent man. Man was made on the sixth day of the week.
Helen: Oh, oh.
Pastor Doug: So when a man puts himself in the place of God it represents the ultimate blasphemy that’s the beast power is identified by the number ’666.’ Now we have a study guide that we’ll send you if you like for free and it talks about who is the anti-Christ and it has the number ‘666’ in there and explains it, would you like that?
Helen: Sure.
Pastor Doug: Alright, you can call that same resource line and that’s (800) 835 6747- again-, 835.6747 and ask for the study guide on, Who Is the Anti-Christ? and we’ll send that to you. Thank you, Helen, for your phone call and with that we’re going to talk with Kelly, who is calling from New York, New York. Kelly, you’re on the air with Bible Answers Live.
Kelly: Good evening sir, how are you tonight? God bless you.
Pastor Doug: Doing great and your question?
Kelly: Sure, my question is in, ah-, and I’m referring to the people ascending to heaven.
Pastor Doug: Yes.
Kelly: Now if you read in II Kings it refers to Elijah being swept up to heaven in a whirlwind and Elijah-, and is this correct?
Pastor Doug: Uh-huh.
Kelly: And then we go to John when Jesus was having what was basically a Q & A with the Pharisee Nicodemus…
Pastor Doug: Uh-huh, right.
Kelly: In reference to his deities. Now Jesus mentions ah-, in John 3:13 it says something that confuses me a little bit and I just need some clarification as far as ascending to heaven. He says, ‘No one has ascended into heaven except He who descendth from heaven,’ which I take it that He is referring to Himself-,
Pastor Doug: Yeah, right. It goes on to say even the Son of man which is in heaven.
Kelly: Correct. Now is He referring to ah-, so where does that lead as far as Elijah having …
Pastor Doug: Not just Elijah, if you read in Genesis it tells us Enoch walked with God and he was not for God took him so we believe that Enoch is in heaven and we know Elijah’s in heaven. And you might even say Moses because during the life of Christ, Elijah and Moses both appeared to Jesus. So there you’ve got at least three individuals that have seen a picture of heaven. Well, Christ isn’t talking so much about who had ascended up, but the second part of the verse; and keep in mind Kelly whenever you’re going from Greek to English or another language translation, sentence structure can sometimes be awkward and change the meaning a little bit. I don’t speak German, but, I understand that in English we would say, ‘I’m going to throw some hay over the fence to the cow’ and in German you would say, ‘I’m going to throw the cow over the fence some hay.’ [Laughter] It kind of sounds like you’re throwing the cow over the fence.
Kelly: I’m sorry.
Pastor Doug: In English we say, ‘You’ve got a white house’ and in Spanish you’d say, ‘Casa Blanca’ or you have the house white.
Kelly: Correct.
Pastor Doug: And so the same sort of thing is happening here I think when you’re translating something from the Greek. The second part of the verse is really telling you what the emphasis is when He says in verse 13, ‘No man has ascended up to heaven, but He that came down from heaven.’ So nobody had really come from heaven, from the Father down to earth, no man had come from up above where the heavens are down to earth, except Jesus. He is the only one who came bringing the message of the Father to earth. Yeah, Elijah went up, but, until Christ he hadn’t come back to give any message. And Moses went up, but Moses made no appearances until after Jesus had come down from the Father.
Kelly: Correct, right.
Pastor Doug: So Christ is really the one who is the-, and there’s another part in here-, umm, in John Chapter 2; the previous Chapter , I think it’s Chapter 1, Jesus is referring to He tells Nathaniel, ‘ Hereafter you will see angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man. So picture if you will, an escalator; it’s a bridge that angels go up and down on to minister to earth. Christ said,’ I am that bridge’; the cross you might even say is the bridge. The Father has no right to bless this world except for the sacrifice of Jesus. So Christ is the one through which the blessings of God ascend and descend; there is no other man. Do you see what I’m saying?
Kelly: Okay, that’s-, okay, I got it now.
Pastor Doug: Yeah, so-, yeah it’s through faith in…
Kelly: But I had heard someone else refer to-, the reason why I asked this question is because I heard someone else mention that oh they didn’t believe that Elijah went into heaven, so that it clearly states in the Bible that he ascended to heaven, but, then Jesus mentions something-, so then your-, you know, show came on. So I said just let me call and get this clarified is the first step. Let me say, I am a believer 100 per cent, I believe in…
Pastor Doug: Well, praise the Lord.
Kelly: Jesus Christ and the cross.
Pastor Doug: But does that make sense?
Kelly: But by calling in it is clarifying to-, to you know to them that what you’re-, yes, it does clarify it to me, thank you very much.
Pastor Doug: Alright, well, I sure appreciate your calling in Kelly and you would really enjoy the Amazing Facts Bible Study Course because I can tell you’re a student. You go to a Bible universe, just go to: www.Bibleuniverse.com and you’ll find, Kelly, just a wonderful array of deeper Bible studies there that will really help because I can tell you’re a student. Alright, we’re going to talk next to Thomas, who is calling from the Bronx. Thomas, you’re on the air with Bible Answers Live.
Thomas: Hi how are you? It’s Brooklyn.
Pastor Doug: Oh, I’m sorry.
Thomas: Well, good evening pastor, how are you?
Pastor Doug: Doing great.
Thomas: Good. I was reading a book on spiritual warfare and the author differentiates between fallen angels and demons, comparing the fallen angels to the air force plus demons to the ground troops and using another comparison to where in cases of possession; it’s easier to cast out a demon, than it would be a fallen angel. I always thought that demons and fallen angels are all fallen angels are-, is there any validity to his-, ah, to his point of view, or, ah-,
Pastor Doug: Well, I’ve not seen the book, but, I’ve just after years of reading the Bible, I’ve never gotten the slightest hint that the devil has got his angels, his fallen angels, divided up into ground troops and air force.
Thomas: [Slight laugh] Okay, so-, I’m sorry. Is there any differentiation between fallen angels and demons? I mean, he seems to be saying that there is.
Pastor Doug: yeah, everything I see in the Bible, fallen angels are the-, you can read about them in Revelation Chapter 12 it says, ‘Satan is cast out of heaven,’ now keep in mind when it talks about Satan being cast out of heaven it calls him the dragon, so the devil goes by many names. The devil is called Beelzebub, he’s called Satan, he’s called the devil, he’s called the dragon and his fallen angels are called demons, evil spirits, devils, all in the Bible; they’re not different categories they’re all the fallen angels, Lucifer was an angel, he was the chief of the angels; he fell.
The other fallen angels, they’re all-, they’re all restricted on this earth the Bible says that they’re held here in everlasting chains of darkness and waiting for their judgment. Satan and his angels are cast into the lake of fire and you read that in Revelation Chapter 20. So we do have a study that talks about this that I’ll send you and I don’t know what book this person said this, but, it sounds to me like wild speculation.
I don’t see anything in the Bible that teaches that and matter of fact when people talk about ghosts and goblins and imps and you know all these fallen angels they will appear as everything under the sun. Even Satan himself II Corinthians 11 Satan can appear as an angel of light. So these devils they can fly, they can crawl, they can look like a two by four if they want; they, so, yeah, I think it’s silly to try and box them in. I’ll send you our study guide, Did God Create a Devil? and in there it talks about the fallen angels as well, Thomas.
Thomas: Oh, I think I already have that…
Pastor Doug: Oh, do you?
Thomas: I think I do, yes. And by the way, this guy he’s, you know-, he’s not off the wall, he wrote a very respectful book, you know, he does exorcisms etcetera. I just was wondering why he made that little differentiation, but, thank you for answering my question.
Pastor Doug: Alright, well it may be a good book otherwise, but I think he’s speculating a little bit there. Thanks for your question, Thomas and let’s see here. We’re going to talk to Jerry calling from Medford, Oregon. Jerry you’re on the air.
Jerry: Yes, Pastor Doug thanks for having me.
Pastor Doug: Thanks for calling.
Jerry: Okay my question relates to the Trinity and I’m looking at Philippians 2: 6-9.
Pastor Doug: Okay.
Jerry: Can I quickly read those…
Pastor Doug: Sure.
Jerry: To lead into my question? ‘Who being the very nature of God did not consider equality with God, something to be grasped, but, made Himself nothing taken the very nature of a servant made in human likeness and being found in appearance as a man who humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even death upon a cross. Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place.’ Now, there are two things here. First at the beginning of this sequence Jesus did not consider equality with God something to be grasped. And then after His crucifixion God exalted Him to the highest place. Now how could God exalt Him to the highest place if He wasn’t already there?
Pastor Doug: Alright. Well, let’s talk about that. First of all it says notice, Jesus made Himself of no reputation, so He’s got to have the power to do that to start with. When He came to earth He obviously didn’t look like God because He took-, He made Himself a very humble form. I mean compared to God; man is like a worm, as the old hymn writers used to say. And then it says, ‘Wherefore’ there in verse 9 that means because of this God has exalted Him and given Him a name above every name. Now above how many names?
Jerry: Every.
Pastor Doug: Does God have a name?
Jerry: Ah, yes.
Pastor Doug: So if the name of Jesus is above every name, is it above the name of God?
Jerry: One could make that assumption couldn’t he?
Pastor Doug: Well, let’s at least give Him credit for being equal.
Jerry: Yes.
Pastor Doug: And if the Bible says only Jesus-, I’m sorry-, only God should be worshipped, right, one of the Ten Commandments?
Jerry: Yes.
Pastor Doug: And then in the next verse it says, ‘That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of not only things on earth, but of things in heaven. So …
Jerry: That’s true, but that was after He is exalted. I…
Pastor Doug: I think it’s just telling us because He humbled Himself so much that we should understand that God is bringing Him back to His exalted position. Christ said before Abraham was I AM.
Jerry: Yes.
Pastor Doug: And the word the I AM there is the same word that God says to Moses in the burning bush. I AM that I AM. So that in itself was a Divine characteristic. Jerry, you may have heard me mention earlier, that I made a free offer to anybody of a book that I wrote on this subject called The Trinity and I don’t of course want to belabor the subject through the whole program, but I do hope that you’ll send for that and ask for the book on The Trinity and we’ll send it to you for free and you can call the resource line (800) 835-6747 one more time (800) 835-6747 just say I’m listening to Bible Answers Live and I’d like to get the free offer called The Trinity and it’s an easy read, but, it’s filled with references and Scripture.
Or you can read it for free; just go to www.AmazingFacts.org and click on the tab there where it says free resources and /or you can type into the search bar: ‘Trinity book’ and there’s articles and books and studies on this subject because it’s an important study. And I always just like to just remind people that when we are talking about God that we’ve got to remember that He is God and past finding out what we can’t claim as the heavens are high above the earth, His ways are high above our ways. We can’t know everything about God, but they are things that are revealed. Alright, talking next with Rich, who is calling from Stockton, California. Rich you’re on the air with Bible Answers Live. Rich, are you with us? Rich has been waiting patiently. There you are. You’re on the air.
Rich: Yes, last weekend you were touching-, you touched a little bit on hell. And what I wanted to know was even if just briefly a few verses that I can explain to somebody that we’re not going to burn in an eternal hell, damnation and all this eternally…
Pastor Doug: Yes. I will and I will also send you a study. I’m sorry, go ahead.
Rich: And I realized in Revelation 19: 20 about the beast burning with brimstone that, too, but, also in II Thessalonians in Chapter 1 there’s also another verse; verse 8 maybe that you could-, ah, elaborate a little bit on that, but-, either way, I’ll get my answer off the air…
Pastor Doug: Okay.
Rich: And I just wanted to briefly explain to somebody that we’re not going-, you know-, backing it up from the Bible, we’re not going to burn in some eternal hell because we have a more gracious God than that. Thank you.
Pastor Doug: Alright. Thank you. I appreciate your question. Let me go first to your question regarding in II Thessalonians to where it says in Chapter 1 verse 8 in flaming fire, the Lord is going to come in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God that obey not the gospel of our Lord, Jesus Christ, who will be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord. Well, the word destruction is the key. They are destroyed for how long, everlasting?
You can’t destroy things, but, you know, so many times and then you -, you know you build it up and destroy it and build it up and destroy it. They’re destroyed everlastingly; they’ll never come back, they don’t get a second chance. And that’s important to a Jew because God was so patient with the Jewish nation they were dispossessed from their land three times. Once they went to Egypt, and then they went to Babylon, and then they were scattered by the Romans, but, they kept coming back as God is merciful.
He’s saying that this destruction of the wicked is an everlasting destruction; no repentance, no second chance. John 3:16, you know, there’s two choices,’ for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whomsoever shall believeth in Him shall not perish,’ that’s one alternative; perishing, ‘but have everlasting life.’ Jesus didn’t say they’ll have everlasting life in the fire, but, they’ll have everlasting life in heaven. He says they’re the opposite one is life and one is perishing; eternal separation from God in darkness.
Every man is rewarded according to what he deserves. It tells us in Revelation Chapter 20, ‘and the wicked are burned in the lake of fire and it is the second death.’ They are burnt up. Malachi Chapter 4, ‘Behold the day comes that will burn as an oven and all that fall proud and all that do wickedly will be stubble. The day that comes that will burn them up; it will leave them neither root nor branch. Isaiah says, ‘The wicked will consume away into smoke.’ David says, ‘You will consider his place and it will not be.’ They will perish.
There’ll be no more pain. You can read in Revelation Chapter 21; there’s a torture chamber where people are burning, you know, billions and billions of years. You can’t say there is no more pain. So there’s just a lot of verses, Rich, and we’ll send you that study guide: Is the Devil in Charge of Hell?, Is the Devil in Charge of Hell? just ask for it, anybody, if you want those verses it is 1 (800) 835-6747 and ask for the study guide Is the Devil in Charge of Hell?, also, if you want to see it right now, just go to: Bible Universe www.Bibleuniverse.com and go to the study guide on the wicked.
Now, are we saying here on this program that we don’t believe there is hell fire, no; the Bible says there is a lake of fire. Jesus is very clear, ‘don’t fear those who destroy the body, but, they cannot hurt the soul. Rather fear Him…’ this is Matthew Chapter 10, ‘…fear Him who can destroy both body and soul in hell.’ Jesus tells us what’s going to happen that’s out of His own mouth; destroy the soul and body. He tells the parable of the wheat and the tares. He says that when the Lord comes that all of the weeds, the tares, are gathered and burned and, but, the wheat is going to be taken into that heavenly storehouse.
So there is a plethora of verses in the Bible that make it clear that God is a loving God that there are a small few, a handful of difficult verses that people need to understand and in that lesson we address them all. One more time, Is the Devil in Charge of Hell? we’ll send you a free copy. Oh, why didn’t I remember this? Go to our website: hell truth, a very popular website. Rich, if you’re still listening, go to: www.helltruth.com and you’re going to find that there’s all the information, a whole list of Scriptures there that talk about that subject.
Oh, listening friends, it looks like we’re not going to have too much time on the air. Might I say, if I didn’t get to your question tonight, that you’ll give us another chance, God willing, we’ll be back here in this seat, next week, doing more Bible questions and Bible answers and you notice I saved the last few minutes of the program, we want to get as many questions as we can, but, help us stay on the air. We are 100 percent supported by people like you who are listening. Would you like to help us stay on the air? Go to Amazing Facts www.amazingfacts.org/ and click donate, we appreciate it. God Bless.
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