City With No Dogs

Scripture: Matthew 25:1-46, Hebrews 8:5, 1 Corinthians 10:1-33
Date: 02/15/2015 
Each morning like clockwork, they board at the subway off to the hustle and the bustle of the big city then they ride the train back home at night.
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Pastor Doug Batchelor: Hello Friends. This is Doug Batchelor. How about the amazing fact? Each morning like clockwork, they board at the subway off to the hustle and the bustle of the big city then they ride the train back home at night. But we're not talking about your regular human commuters, these are stray dogs that live on the outskirts of Moscow Russia and they commute on the underground trains to and from the city center each day to search for food.

The sly dogs have even learned to use traffic lights to safely cross the hectic Moscow roads. Then after a hard day scavenging and begging on the streets they’ve hub back on the train and return to the suburbs where they spend the night.

Experts studying the dogs noted they usually choose the quietest subway cars at the front or the back of the train. They jump on seconds before the door closes and they even work together to make sure that they get off and on at the right stop. It's believed they do this by measuring the length of time they need to spend on the train and by smelling the differences between the stations.

Scientists believe this phenomenon began after the Soviet Union collapsed in the 1990s and Russia's new capital is moved from the city to the suburbs. Evidently, some lost dogs managed to follow the scent of their former owners to downtown Moscow the other sprawling city's subway system and they soon taught this trick to the other dogs.

You know the Bible says there is a city where no dogs can enter. Stay with us friends, we're going to learn more as amazing facts brings you this edition of Bible Answers Live.

[PROGRAM INTRODUCTION]

Pastor Doug: Welcome listening friends to Bible Answers Live and if you're tuning in for the first time this is a live international interactive Bible study. We invite you to call in. It's a free phone call in North America with your Bible question. Anything relating to the Word of God or the Christian life we'll do our best to search the word together and find the answers. That's why our phone number is 800-GODSAYS, 800-463-7297. We still have a couple of lines open, one more time. You ready? 800-463-7291 and I’m Doug Batchelor.

Pastor Jëan Ross: And my name is Jëan Ross. Good evening listening friends Pastor Doug as usual. Let's begin the program with a word of prayer. Dear Father, we thank you that we have a time this evening to open up your word. Lord, we ask the Holy Spirit once again to guide our hearts and our minds. Be with those who are listening wherever they might be and lead us Lord into a deeper fuller understanding of your word for we ask this in Jesus name, Amen.

Pastor Doug: Amen.

Pastor Jëan: Pastor Doug, it's always fascinating when you learn new things about some of the habits or some of the new things that the animals pick up. You mentioned dogs riding the subway going into the city and out of the city. I also read this past week about some experiments that they did with some dogs and something that I think most dog owners already know. But they confirmed that dogs can actually distinguish between a smile and a frown just by the mouth, the shape of the mouth and they respond differently.

Dogs are rather intelligent and can pick up on a number of interesting habits. I was here at this group of dogs that catch the train in the morning and catch it again in the evening.

Pastor Doug: That’s very clever and very resourceful when it comes to surviving. As matter of fact, they say that considering the virtual all sale, a wholesale bounty, they have on coyotes. Coyotes have proven to be one of the most successful animals in surviving even in the midst of-- they've got them in downtown Chicago now coyotes that have moved into the city. They're very resourceful, very bright.

You and I were in Romania year and a half ago or so and we were just shocked by how much beautiful. They're not like mangy dogs they’re beautiful, all different breeds but they're wild dogs that live all over the city-- where we Bucharest?

Pastor Jëan: Bucharest, yes.

Pastor Doug: Yes. You're in Moscow I've been there but I've never seen the dogs riding the subway. They do have a very complex subway system so they are some smart dogs. [laughs] They know when to jump on the cars, they ride them. They know when to jump off. They run up the stairs or escalators. They beg through the city, they go back down again. They get on the trains they go back home they jump off manage to find.

That's incredible because there's so many stops. But I teased everybody with our closing comment in the Amazing Fact I said, “Did you know there's a city where no dogs are allowed?”

Actually, this is from of verse you found in the last book of the Bible, the last chapter, Revelation 22. Some people read this verse and they get worried if they love dogs, “Blessed are that those that do his commandments that they might have a right to the tree of life and enter through the gates of the city for without are dogs and sorcerers and whoremongers and murderers and idolaters and whoever loves and makes a lie.” We've actually had people call and they said, “Does this mean there are no dogs allowed in heaven?”

Well, friends when it says dogs here it's not talking about the actual canine creatures. It's talking about people who have turned away from God. Jesus said, “You don't give that which is holy to the dogs.” Dogs are scavengers by nature but it doesn't mean that God doesn't love dogs or there won't be dogs in heaven.

It's just telling us that the wicked are outside the city and we have a lot more that we can share with you about the New Jerusalem. A lot of good news and they'll be plenty of animals there and we would be happy to send you that study guide it's illustrated, two beautiful study guide talks about that wonderful city in space.

Pastor Jëan: It's called a colossal city in space and it's all about heaven. We would be happy to send that to anyone who calls and asks. The number for our free resource line is 800-835-6747 and ask for the study guide called A Colossal City In Space.

We'll be happy to send it to anybody who calls and asks or you can go to the Amazing Facts website amazingfacts.org and you can read the study guide for free online. Again that number, our resource line 800-835-6747 and just ask for the study guide called A Colossal City In Space.

If you have a Bible question the phone line here to the studio is 800-463-7297. May we go to our first caller this evening? We have Michael listening in from Newfoundland. Michael welcome to the program.

Michael: Hello.

Pastor Jëan: Evening.

Michael: Pastor Doug, what's your opinion if someone said they were a protective demon. What would you do?

[crosstalk]

Pastor Doug: I don't know that anyone's ever said that to me before. I'd want to know what is that and where do they get the idea?

Michael: I had a friend of mine, they told me that they were a demon but they were a protective demon that protects Christians with them.

Pastor Doug: Kind of like a guardian angel.

Michael: Like a force field around the entire earth.

Pastor Doug: There are fallen angels called demons or devils or evil spirits in the Bible. They don't protect Christians. Their mission in life is to bring down Christians and to hurt people in general. There are guardian angels that are good angels.

You don't really find the term guardian angel in the Bible but you do find a hint of the teaching where Jesus said I'm trying to remember the verse, where he said, “They’re are angels do behold the face of my Father which is in heaven speaking of children.” As though God has assigned angels to watch over these children and then there is a verse that says, “He will give his angels charge over you to keep you in all your ways.”

Pastor Jëan: The verse you're referring to there is Matthew 18, verse 10, where it says, "Take heed that you do not despise these little ones for a sound to you that in heaven they are angels. Always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.”

Pastor Doug: Now, it may be that the devil has assigned fallen angels to study and to trip up and tempt individuals. A matter of fact I'm pretty sure he has. Because of the devils too busy to tempt everybody at once and he's not on this and as God is. He's probably delegated these things to his fallen angels but if a person says, “I'm a protective demon.” I would have them evaluated. I don't think that's Biblical. [laughs]

Pastor Jëan: You know we do have a study guide dealing with the subject of, Did God Create a Devil? You can read in the Bible about a beautiful angel by the name of Lucifer who eventually rebelled against God and is the author of all sin and suffering.

We'll send the study guide to anybody for free. It's called, Did God Create a Devil? All you have to do is call our resource line which is 800-835-6747or you can go to the Amazing Facts website you can read it for free and ask for the study guide, Did God Create a Devil? Our next call is Roberta listening from South Carolina. Roberta, welcome to the program.

Roberta: Hi Pastor Doug. Thank you for taking my call.

Pastor Doug: Thanks for calling and your question?

Roberta: My question is about the number 40 in the Bible. I was wondering if you could review the significance of the number 40 and if there's a possibility that Jesus was in the state of the death for 40 hours.

Pastor Doug: That's interesting. I haven't thought of that. The number 40 in the Bible typically represents a generation. The children of Israel, because of their lack of faith, God said that generation will not enter the promise land so they wandered 40 years. The life of Moses is divided up into three groups of 40. You've got 40 years he spent in Egypt, 40 years he spent in the wilderness taking care of sheep, and then 40 years he spent leading people from Egypt to the borders of the Promised Land.

Likewise, the first three Kings of Israel namely Saul, David, Solomon all reigned 40 years which is very unusual because that's comparatively long reign. Then, of course, Jesus was in the wilderness tempted by the devil 40 days and 40 nights. Christ said that from the time of his teaching, this generation would not pass away until all these things be fulfilled meaning the destruction of Jerusalem where there's not one stone left on another.

He said that in AD 30, 40 years later in 70 AD, Jerusalem was destroyed. Pastor Ross was talking about numbers in church this week. I was actually there listening to you go through the meaning of some Bible numbers.

Pastor Jëan: Yes, very interesting. We do have a website. It's not one that we usually talk about. It's a great website, but I would encourage you to take a look at this prophesycode.com. At that website, you can actually click at one of the links prophetic numbers. It lists all the numbers from one through to 70, the significant numbers and gives you the meaning of those prophetic numbers as well as the scripture.'

In addition to that, there's also a link here that you can click on that symbols that talks about what various symbols in the Bible mean a horse, and a dragon, and a beast, and lamb, and a lion, and so on. Just a really great study it's prophesycode.com. Click on the tab that says prophetic numbers.

Pastor Doug: Thank you Roberta. Does that help you answer? Then you said you wondered if Jesus spent 40 hours in the tomb from the time he died.

Roberta: Is that represented with a generation?

Pastor Doug: That's interesting. I'd have to sit down and do the math on it, but I think he died at 3:00 in the afternoon on Friday. We're not told the hour that he rose, so we'd have to guess a little bit. It just says very early in the morning. I suppose a person could find out what time the sun usually rises, Spring Time in Jerusalem, because it was during the Pass Over, and get a pretty close guess. Make me do some homework. That's an interesting question.

Pastor Jëan: I think it's just roughly, 40 might be a little too long, if you think about Friday at 3:00 until Sunday morning early. You got 20--

Pastor Doug: That's a little more than a day.

Pastor Jëan: Yes. You got maybe 27, 28 hours something like that, maybe a little more.

Roberta: Friday at 3:00 until Saturday at 3:00 is 24.

Pastor Jëan: Plus another night.

Roberta: Then Sunday morning would another 12 which would be 36 at 3:00 AM, on Sunday and then 7:00 AM on Sunday would be 40.

Pastor Doug: That's interesting. You've done the math. That's interesting. I might have to put that in my notes and use it sometime. Thank you, Roberta. We do appreciate your question. Make sure and check out that website Prophecy Code, you'll see, anyone that's curious about-- we've got accountants out there that are also Bible students who are very interested in the numbers that are repeated seven, 12, 40, three and a half, 10.

A high percentage of repetition, and there's a spiritual meaning. All right. Thank you, Roberta.

Pastor Jëan: We have Bev listening from Ontario, Canada. Bev, welcome to the program.

Bev: Hi. How are you doing?

Pastor Doug: We’re doing great.

Bev: Thanks for taking my call.

Pastor Doug: Yes. Your question tonight.

Bev: Okay. We have a situation. I'm looking at Proverbs 20:1 where it says, "Wine is a mocker, and beer a brawler. Whoever is lead astray by them is not wise.” Now, we have a couple of individuals in our church that has opened up a craft brewery place. That's what they're doing for a livelihood. Meanwhile, they are being used on a worship team, playing guitars and whatever. I'm wondering what your stance is based on that scripture of what you would do with these two fellows.

Pastor Doug: I, of course, would not want to judge these individuals without knowing them, but I'll tell you that as a pastor, and I and Pastor Ross exposes us at the same camp. We take a pretty strong position on total abstinence from alcohol. Not just because of the scriptures, but because of the witness. So many people that drink become addicted. How a Christian would want to do that?

The Bible says, “I'm not going to do anything to make my brother stumble.” Paul said, “If meat eating made my brother stumble, I will not even eat any meat if it's going to make someone stumble.”

Bev: That's found in 1 Corinthians chapter 10.

Pastor Doug: Right. Obviously, so much of our suffering in our society is connected with alcohol. From deaths on the highway to visits to the emergency room to people who end up in prison because of crimes committed or family abuse. Alcohol, it does not do good it doesn't good for the health. It does not do good for the families. I would be very concerned with someone that decided to make that their livelihood. I'd probably pay them a pastoral visit.

Bev: That's already happened and they're still being involved. They're still involved in service. That's where I take issue.

Pastor Doug: I would have to respectfully disagree with putting people that are-- it's a drug that kills more people than any other drugs. A pastor would have to ask if you had someone that you knew was selling cocaine or pot, would you give them a position of prominence in your church. If they're selling alcohol, that's not much better.

Bev: Right. Okay.

Pastor Jëan: We have a book called Alcohol and the Christian. We'd be happy to send that to you Bev or anybody who call and ask for it. All the scriptures are there on this subject on what the Bible says. You can also read it for free online at the Amazing Facts website just amazingfacts.org. The Alcohol and Christian, well The Christian & Alcohol is what the book is called. We have Loreta listening from Savannah, Tennessee. Loreta, welcome to the program.

Loreta: Yes, thank you. Good evening pastors.

Pastor Jëan: Good evening.

Loreta: It's been a while calling, but I listen all the time.

Pastor Jëan: Thank you.

Loreta: I have a question. I wasn't accurately correct maybe in how I phrased it, but the situation is that I have a friend, or I should say I know someone, that is having a problem defining sin. When you look at Paul, he refers to himself as a wretched man. Yet, I don't believe he was out stealing or dipping his fingers into the collection plate like Judas.

Pastor Doug: Right.

Loreta: Yet, he referred to himself as that. How would you define sin in terms of is it a baby when they come here, are they all sinful?

Pastor Doug: When a baby is born, it has no record of sin. It's innocent. It hasn't lived or committed any sins. Yes, get real close to your phone. If a baby will have the kind of selfish nature that people are born with, that's why everyone who's born will ultimately sin just because we're-- since Adam's fall, something was damaged in our DNA where we're naturally prone to be selfish. That's where sin comes from.

There's about four definitions in the Bible for sin. Pastor Ross might remind me of some I'm forgetting, but it says for one thing sin is a transgression of the law.

John: That's Romans chapter three verse 20.

Pastor Doug: No, that one's not Romans three.

Pastor Jëan: By the knowledge, by the law is the knowledge of sin.

Pastor Doug: Sin is the transgression of the law is I think first John. Then, all unrighteousness is a sin. Then, James has anything that is not of faith is sin. Maybe the best definition is sin is breaking God's law, the 10 Commandments without a law of love.

Loreta: Well, you're saying I don't steal, I don't kill, I don't take the Name of the Lord in vain, and if you said as-- and he's not the type of arrogant person, but he views that as simply not having sin as Paul would say he was a wretched man.

Pastor Doug: Yes, well, Paul, of course, was out committing murder. But all of us, Paul says all of us have sinned and fallen from the glory of God.

Pastor Jëan: You know what else is interesting talking about this subject, in the Bible, there are three words that'd be found often associated with sin. You have the word sin which literally means to miss the mark. God set a standard and we fall in short of that standard.

There is another word, transgression which means the breaking of God's law. Then the third word is interesting. It's inequity. The root of the word of inequity is bent toward self or selfishness.

Even though somebody might not necessarily take the life of somebody else, Jesus said if he hates his brother in his heart, harbors those feelings of hate, he is guilty of committing murder in his heart. The law is more than just the act. It's the attitude that goes along with it.

Loreta: Thank you. That's very helpful. I really appreciate that.

Pastor Doug: Thank you very much. You know we do have that book, Is it Possible to Live Without Sin and it goes into the definition of sin and talks about some of the practical verses on that subject. I appreciate your call, Loreta. To receive the book, just give us a call at our resource line 800-835-6747.

You can ask for the book Is it Possible to Live Without Sin. We'd be happy to send that to anybody who calls and asks. And again, you can read it for free online at amazingfacts.org. We have Ron listening from Ohio. Ron welcome to the program.

Ron: Hello, how are you guys doing?

Pastor Doug: Evening, thanks for calling Mr. Ron.

Ron: The Lord just recently led me to the Amazing Facts website and it's a blessed thing what you guys are doing.

Pastor Doug: Thank you and your question tonight.

Ron: My question is in Revelation 13, the beast that does the miracles, is that the lamb beast or is that the beast that received the mortal wound and was healed? The image of the beast is that-- because I've read from-- I'm not sure exactly which scripture is, but Paul was referring to the gospel of Jesus Christ as the image of God. Is that a reversal of a false gospel, this image of the beast?

Pastor Doug: Let me address your first question. There's two beast friends that are listening. There’s two beasts in Revelation 13, we all hear about the mark of the beast but there's actually two beasts there. The first beast that is mentioned talks about the Orthodox Church, the Catholic churches in Europe, the papacy that fell from Christianity.

The second beast is representing protestant’s headquartered in North America. There's going to be confederacy between these two groups that are going to drift away from the Bible in the last days. They are going to make laws that would violate the commandments of God.

The second beast it tells us which is the USA in particular. Is going to make an image they perform the signs. You can read that in Revelation 13:11 “I saw another beast coming out of the earth with two horns like a lamb. He speaks like a dragon. He exercises all the authority of the first beast and his presence.”

And he goes on to say “He performs great signs so that he even makes fire coming down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. And deceives those by the means of those miracles he had power to do.” I don't know if that's answering, we actually-- and Pastor Ross want to add to this subject in Revelation.

John: We have a study guide called The US and Bible Prophecy. It focuses on that second beast of Revelation chapter 13. When you talk about the image of the beast, just to add additional thought there, when it talks about the beast power, we recognize that's it's a religious institution that uses civil authority or political powers to enforce her teachings. That happened during the dark ages. So you have the church combining with the state to force a certain type of worship.

An image to the beast would be a similar type of arrangement, where you have churches or religious institutions appealing to the state or the government to enforce certain types of worship. According to Revelations chapter 13, that is going to happen before Jesus comes and it becomes a worldwide movement to enforce the mark of the beast.

We do have a study guide that goes into this in much more detail called The USA in Bible Prophecy. We'll be happy to send that to you Ron or anybody who calls and asked. You can also read it for free online at Amazing Facts. The resource line again is 800-835-6747. You can ask for the study guide called The USA in Bible Prophecy.

Pastor Doug: We appreciate that Ron and those studies, they are great. They'll hopefully answer those questions. We have time for another call before our break.

John: All right. We have Sharon listening from Minnehaha Springs. I don't think we've ever heard of that place before. Sharon, welcome to the program.

Sharon: Thank you. Before I ask my question, I want to tell you, Doug, how much I appreciate your firm stand on what the Bible says on various subjects.

Pastor Doug: Thank you. Keep us in your prayers.

Sharon: My question, it pertains to-- I believe the 6,000-year theory that the earth is only almost 6,000 years old. In Bible prophecy, we use the 30 days to a month. I'm wondering about the Jewish calendar, their year this year is 5,775. I understand that in the Jewish calendar, they have six months that are 29 days and six months that are 30 days so that for the year, it's only 354 days.

Our year is 365 the calendar we use. l would hate to think that there's still 225 years to go before the year 6,000. But I'm wondering if you've ever checked into the Jewish calendar. Is that more accurate as far as time goes for the 6,000 year period or what's been allotted to the earth before the 1,000 years of--?

Pastor Doug: No, I don't believe it is. I think that the Jewish chronology, their reckoning of history, changed a lot since they were dispersed around the world. The fact is that if you ask several different Jewish Rabbis and chronologers they don't fully agree among themselves. If you look online and you say Jewish calendar you may have run into several different dates.

I have seen what you are talking about where they are calculating the history of man. I'm not sure they're starting at the same starting point. If you add up the ages of Adam and Seth and Enosh and just go on down through Methuselah and Noah you can add the ages up in the Bible and you'll get pretty close. It's what they call Bishop Ussher’s chronology that the earth is right now, about 6,000 years old.

Sharon: Very close to it but inasmuch they got to cut it short. [crosstalk] I believe he’s coming very soon.

Pastor Doug: That's right, yes. It says, “Except those days to be shortened, no flesh would be saved.” Now, I don't know if you've seen Sharon that Amazing Facts has a timeline on the internet. If you type in biblehistory.com, it will take you to the Amazing Facts timeline and it shows you the ages of all the individuals, how they overlap, roughly when creation was, where we are in history today. It doesn't pick a date for the Lords coming because no one knows. But it's a fascinating Bible calendar, a Bible timeline.

Sharon: Does it kind of give the year where we are now?

Pastor Doug: Yes, it does. It will show you – you can just count it back all the way to the time of Abraham and Adam. You can see the overlap between David and his sons. It's a fascinating calendar. Our fascinating timeline online and you can move your cursor around and the dates change. It's pretty neat.

Sharon: Thank you, I will check that out.

Pastor Doug: All right, thank you for your call, Sharon. What do we get, 30 seconds? We better not take a call. We got more Bible questions coming friends so don't go anywhere. As a matter of fact, I think we still got some lines open.

If you want to call in with a Bible question, 800-463-7297 but before we go to our break, we want to remind everybody that Amazing Facts has a plethora of internet sites where you can be studying the word of God. Our most famous amazingfacts.org you're listening to Bible Answers Live.

[pause 00:27:57 – 00:28:00]

John: Pastor Doug we had several questions this evening that's coming dealing with Bible prophecy. We have a website just dedicated to the study of Bible prophecy is called bibleprophecytruth.com. Some of the things that you'll find at the website, topics include 666, Armageddon, Bible prophecy, the great tribulation, Israel and the middle east in the bible, angels, Babylon, Bible symbols, the subjects of death and hell. Just so many great study tools and resources available at your fingertips bibleprophecytruth.com.

Pastor Doug: Absolutely and you look there and you're going to see a lot of wonderful studies that will inspire you when you study and you get the information there. Send the link to your friends, because it develops into a great river that just is filled with information that would be a blessing to you. Again, bibleprophecytruth.com. We're going to take a brief break, and have more Bible questions.

[Commercial Break]

Pastor Doug: Welcome back friends. If you've tuned in along the way, this is Bible Answers Live. It is a live Bible study. You can participate in. We just invite people to call in their Bible questions. We never know exactly what's coming, and we don't have all the answers. But between Pastor Ross and I and our Bible computers in front of us, we'll search for the verses and do our best to find the answers as well as we can.

Amazing Facts also has a TV channel that is going with the Christian broadcasting 24 hours a day. It's called AFTV. You can just type in Amazing Facts TV, and you can watch online. It's also on satellite on G19. They were just sandwiched up there between Trinity and Day Star and a number of the other Christian networks Amazing Facts Television. You'll see a lot of our programs and evangelistic studies there. My name is Pastor Doug Batchelor.

Pastor Jëan: My name is Pastor Jëan Ross. We're ready to go to the phone lines, Pastor Doug. We have Ricardo who is listening in Georgetown, California. Ricardo, welcome to the program.

Ricardo: Hello. Thank you for taking my call.

Pastor Doug: Thank you.

Ricardo: First thing I want to say is I want to-- can you hear me?

Pastor Doug: Yes, loud and clear.

Ricardo: Okay. Great. I am grateful for your Amazing Facts study guide especially number 17 God Drew the Plans because I was reviewing that before I called you.

Pastor Doug: Wonderful.

Ricardo: I heard somebody to do with a sermon about the Holy place. He was saying that in heaven, there is only a holy place, and there is not the most holy place. That was puzzling to me because I was thinking if Jesus went directly the most holy place, then with what blood did he visit the holy place with?

Pastor Doug: Yes, for our friends listening, the sanctuary described in the Bible consistently had three main areas. It's what was called the courtyard, and in there they had the altar with the lambs for sacrifice and where the fire was. Then they had the laver. There was the holy place that had three things in it. It had an altar of incense. It had a table of showbread and a lamp. Then the Holy of Holies is where the Ark of the Covenant was.

Now, Moses was given the plan for this tabernacle. He didn't dream it up. He got the plans just like Noah got the plans for the ark from God. It says that it was fashioned after the real sanctuary in heaven. We believe that everything in heaven is a much grander scale. We can't even comprehend the distinction between the two, the earthly and the heavenly if earth is the footstool of God.

The Bible is pretty clear that the one on earth was a miniature of the one in heaven. If there was a holy place in the earthly one, you go to Revelation. Where is it? Chapter one, Jesus is standing among seven candlesticks when he's seen in a vision. You go to Isaiah chapter six. Isaiah sees the Lord in the Holy of Holies on his throne flanked by the two angels that are likely angels by the ark of God. You actually see the different apartments described in the Bible in the heavenly sanctuary.

Pastor Jëan: I was going to add to that same thought Pastor Doug, essentially when you look at Revelation chapter one begins with Jesus standing by the seven branch of candlestick and then you find in chapter six, highlighted the altar of incense which is just before the veil. Then you get to chapter 11 and there is described the Ark of the Covenant which will be in the most holy place. It's as if Jesus moves through the book of Revelation from the holy place into the most holy place.

It is an interesting study. One thing that you will note that in the description of the sanctuary in heaven, there is in the courtyard that you read about which was in Moses's tabernacle that he built because the courtyard symbolizes the earth. The activities that took place in the courtyard, the sacrificing of the lamb and so on, that happen on the earth when Jesus came, the Lamb of God, and was sacrificed for our sins.

Pastor Doug: That's a good point. Thank you, Ricardo, I don't know if that helped answer your question.

Ricardo: Yes, it actually did. It also brought out more questions I consider like the veil I'm sure is not needed in the heavenly sanctuary. Yes, there's something more in-depth study I can do, anything that you can guide me through. Like I said, I'm grateful for that God Drew the Plans the number 17. Is there anything that you can recommend books or something?

Pastor Doug: We have actually on our website, I think we have a few videos that go into even more detail that talk about the sanctuary. You can watch them for free. Just if you type in a sanctuary at the Amazing Facts site under our media resources I think you'll see some stuff there. I know we talked about it and we did a series called Here I Stand where we talk about the sanctuary. Those videos are online.

Pastor Jëan: I'm sure if you go to the Amazing Facts Bookstore and you just type in a sanctuary, you'll be able to see all of the resources and the books that we carry dealing with the subject. That's an important study. The Bible speaks of the significance and the importance of the sanctuary so something that we want to study and look into.

Pastor Doug: I appreciate your question and your call Ricardo. God bless you. Keep us in your prayers.

Pastor Jëan: We have John listening from Tennessee. John, welcome to the program.

John: Yes, gentlemen. My question stands from Matthew chapter 24 verses 39 and 40 about the rapture. I heard of Pastor Jëan argue here recently. I know what Jesus says that the coming of the Son of Man will be as on the days of Noah, that was drinking and eating and given in marriage.

He talks about in 39 that it'll be the same and one will be taken and one left. His argument was that one taken is always the same Jesus will come to get us before tribulation that the one taken will be us. The same people took into heaven at that point.

There's the scenario, but his argument was Noah, this-- in the days of Noah when it says they didn't know until the flood took them away that the sinner was taken. In that case, it would be taken in judgment. I don't really agree with that. I just want your opinion on that.

Pastor Doug: All right. I might side with the person who was saying that to you. I've got other things to address on the tribulation and when it happens. For the children of Israel, whenever they misbehaved, they were taken out of the promise land carry off captive, whether they're carried to Egypt or Syria or Babylon. When they misbehaved, the enemy came and took them away. When they were blessed, they got to stay and rest in the land.

In the judgment, they ask Jesus when he says they'll be taken away and the disciple said where? Where are they taken? Jesus says where the body is, that's where the eagles or the vultures will gather. The ones taken away seem to be taken away in judgment. I know that this throws a lot of folks, or so used to the left behind scenario that the ones taken or blessed. The important thing is Jesus, he uses three analogies.

You find these both Matthew 24 and Luke 21. He said it’s like, “Two women grinding at the mill, one is taken, one is left. Like two men sleeping in a bed, one is taken, one is left. Like two men working in the field, one is taken, one is left.” Those Jesus tells us are analogies. A woman is a type of a church. There's two kinds of churches when Jesus comes true and false. One is ready, one is not.

Whatever you think about who's taken and who's left the fact is one makes it, one doesn't. He says there's two men working in the field. Jesus said, “The harvest is great. The laborers are few.” The world-- he's been sowing the seed of the gospel in the world, two kinds of gospels out there, two kinds of sowers and harvesters true and false. One is saved, one is not. Two kinds of people asleep Jesus said, “My friend Lazarus is asleep, and then he said Lazarus is dead.”

Two kinds of people sleeping in the grave the saved and the lost the dead in Christ will rise when Christ comes, first Thessalonians four. Jesus is using an analogy there, but I'm of the opinion with Pastor Ross that the tribulation happens before the second coming, and that we are then saved at the conclusion of that. Because Jesus said he that endures to the end will be saved. Endure what? He said, “You'll be hated of all nations for my name's sake.”

You look at the pattern in the Bible the great time of trouble is the seven last plagues. The plagues that happen on the Egyptians, the Israelites were in Egypt when those plagues fell. Now, three of the plagues, the Egyptians, and Israelites experience together, but the last seven plagues, God's people were preserved from, but they were in Egypt. He saved them through tribulation.

Paul says, “It's through tribulation that we're saved.” Noah was saved through the flood. Joseph through his trials as was Job and many others. I believe the church is here and we are saved, delivered, the rapture happens at the conclusion of the time of trouble.

John: That makes sense. Then when you read Corinthians 15, it makes you think there's just-- I mean, when he says watch out for me, you think it's coming now that that does make sense. When you say saved and lost a slave in the grave got to tell you-- I forget the verse. The present--

Pastor Doug: Absent from the body--

John: Absence from the body is present with the Lord. I mean, the spirit goes directly to God, correct?

Pastor Doug: Well, if you're a believer and you die.

John: That's absolutely right.

Pastor Doug: When a belief dies, whoever they are, and I hope you are, and I trust you are.

John: Yes, sir 10 years ago. Thank the Lord.

Pastor Doug: Amen. When a person believes and they die because there's no consciousness of time, the next thought they have is the resurrection, and it's immediate for them. When we love somebody, and they die in faith, we can be so happy for them because their next conscious thought is the resurrection.

But we in this world live in a time and the Bible tells us that “The dead don't know anything and they're asleep until the resurrection.” The judgment, see there's a judgment day coming too, and they're both the Bible says “The day of the Lord, the judgment, the resurrection, there's still future.”

The dead in Christ rise when Christ comes. Two things that I'd like to send you John because we got to move to another question. One, we have a book on the rapture and the tribulation, and it's called Anything But Secret. We'll send that to you, it's called Anything But Secret you can read it for free online. We also have a study on Are the Dead Really Dead? What does it mean? Absent from the body and present with the Lord.

Pastor Jëan: The number to call is 800-835-6747. You can ask for the book called Anything But Secret which talks about the second coming of Christ. Then also the study guide called Are the Dead Really Dead? Again, read it for free online at Amazing Facts or call and ask for it. I'm happy to send it to anybody. Our next caller is Josiah listening from East sound, Washington. Josiah, welcome to the program.

Josiah: Hello.

Pastor Doug: Hi. How are you doing?

Josiah: Good.

Pastor Doug: And your question?

Josiah: I love to listen to your program.

Pastor Doug: Well, thank you so much. How old are you?

Josiah: 10.

Pastor Doug: We appreciate your calling in. What's your question tonight Josiah?

Josiah: How do I know if I'm a Christian and besides it's really hard.

Pastor Doug: Well, sometimes it's hard to be good huh?

Josiah: Yes.

Pastor Doug: Well, it's a struggle for all of us, because there's a devil out there that tries to trip us and tempt us to do bad things. But God and his angels are also encouraging us to do good things. We get to listen to the Lord. What makes you a Christian is not whether or not you make a mistake. What makes you a Christian is that you have made a decision to surrender your life to Jesus and to believe that he died for your sins, and you accept his sacrifice for you.

Through your believing that he forgives you and that he is going to save you, that's what makes you a Christian. A Christian is a follower of Christ or follower of Jesus. Have you made that decision to ask Jesus to be in your heart, to forgive your sins, and to follow him?

Josiah: Yes. It's just that I have this feeling like the rich young ruler.

Pastor Doug: Sometimes you say it's hard.

Josiah: Yes.

Pastor Doug: Like a rich young ruler you want to have all the things and the toys in the world and it's hard to give things up and follow Jesus.

Pastor Jëan: You know Josiah I just want to let you know about a website that we have. It's actually a series that we have just for kids. I think you'll really like it. If you haven't seen it before, it's called Amazing Adventure. Talk to your mom, ask her to, or your dad to get you to the Amazing Facts website where they can type in Amazing Adventure.

There are some lessons that you can take a look at. They will help in your study of the Bible and how to be a true Christian. It's just a great resource. I think you'll really enjoy it. There's actually some videos that you can watch of a series that past about that in Texas several years ago.

Pastor Doug: Yes, you're with me.

Pastor Jëan: Yes, it was great. Take a look at that. It's called Amazing Adventure, and I think you'd really enjoy it.

Pastor Doug: Thank you for your call, Josiah. You can be a Christian. Don't get discouraged. If you get tempted and you trip, just get back up and keep your eyes on Jesus.

Pastor Jëan: Amen. We have Jeff listening from Toronto, Canada. Jeff, welcome to the program.

Jeff: Thank you. Hebrews chapter 10 verse 26 and 27 I’m following up on Josiah's question. Are you familiar with it?

Pastor Doug: Hebrews, we're going there right now. Hebrews 10 yes, it says, "If we sin willfully there remains no more sacrifice for sin, but a certain fearful, looking forward to judgment.” Is that the verse you're talking about?

Jeff: Exactly. Now, I've received the truth, and then I've committed my worst sins since accepting the truth.

Pastor Doug: You're wondering if that means that your condition is hopeless and you've committed the unpardonable sin?

Jeff: That's right. I've continued to-- I've actually committed my worst sin since receiving the truth. Am I condemned?

Pastor Doug: King David committed his worst sins after being anointed King and accepting the Lord and following the Lord. Then he drifted away from the Lord and slipped into lying, adultery. I think he broke four commandments in the whole debacle with Bathsheba. Let's see, he broke lying, he broke coveting, he broke adultery, and he broke the murder command. Probably broke most of them if you see in one way or another.

There was a while before he was confronted with that, and he repented. But God forgave him, and again spoke through him, and gave him the Holy Spirit.

Pastor Jëan: The parable of the prodigal son, the son was with the father. He knew the father, and yet he still rebelled and went off to this far country, but he could come home. That's encouraging, and God is wanting to forgive us. We want to turn to him. I think the verse specific that you're referring to in Hebrews is not just a sin or a general sin, but it's an attitude of hard-hearted rebellion. The way we don't even feel a desire to come back to God.

Pastor Doug: Sin is a word that can be an individual sin. It's like the word you. I can say you, and I could say it like this in Texas Y'all. One means one person, and sometimes I can say you and I can be talking to a thousand people. The word sin can be a sin, and the word sin can be a lifestyle. Here in Hebrews, it's a verb of continuing for if we continue to sin willfully after we've received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no sacrifice for sin.

Now, that's true. If you know that you've committed your worst sins, but you continue and you have no intention of repenting, that's dangerous. We don't want to deceive you about that. Even if you know the truth, if you deliberately continue to rebel against God, and you're not sorry, and you don't repent, that's deadly.

Jeff: Okay, great answer.

Pastor Doug: If you know that you're doing wrong and you say, “Lord, change my heard and save me.” He can give you the gift of repentance, and turn you around.

Pastor Jëan: I think that's key. We need to recognize that the devil trips a person up, then when they're down he says, “You know it's impossible for you to be saved.” That's exactly what the devil would want us to believe, that there's no hope, that we've gone too far that God's unwilling to forgive us.

But the Bible tells us that God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance, but it does require a change of attitude. We need to come to God and ask for that gift of repentance in order for us to receive the forgiveness that he wants to give us.

Pastor Doug: I'm thinking about the study guide on salvation that we could offer to Jeff and that we'd recommend.

Pastor Jëan: Yes, it's called Rescue from Above. It deals with what do I have to do in order to receive that gift of repentance? I will send that to you for free Jeff or anybody who calls and asks. All you have to do is call our resource line. It's 800-835-6747. You can ask for the study guide called Rescue From Above or you can read it online. I'm thinking of another book Pastor Doug we have called Three Steps to Heaven that also deals with the subject.

We'll send that to anybody who calls and asks. That is a resource that you can read for free called Three Steps to Heaven at the Amazing Facts website. We have Jamie listening from West Frankfort, Illinois. Jamie, welcome to the program.

Jamie: Hello Pastors. God bless you.

Pastor Doug: I know where West Frankfort is.

Jamie: Yes, it's just-- I know. Sorry, I'm getting sick so my voice is cutting out.

Pastor Doug: Your question?

Jamie: Yes, I was going to have a question about blasphemy, but I believe you guys have pretty well covered it already. I'll just move on to my second question then. There was a verse that I had read in Bible.

My internet is down right now so I can't research it and find out where it's at. I just browsed through it real quick, and now I looked, and looked, and looked and I cannot find it again. I was hoping maybe by the few words that I remember, you guys would know what chapter or verse it was.

Pastor Doug: We'll do our best. Give us some clues.

Jamie: It's basically about women and women who first a child are-- it pretty much said they're automatically saved as long as they're a true mother to that child.

Pastor Doug: They will be preserved in childbearing if they continue in-- is that first or second Timothy Pastor Ross?

Pastor Jëan: Let me look it up here.

Pastor Doug: Yes. I know which verse you're talking about. It doesn't mean that they'll automatically be saved. He's got it for you.

Pastor Jëan: Yes, 1 Timothy chapter two verse 15 it says, "Nevertheless, she shall be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith, love, and holiness with self-control.”

Jamie: Okay.

Pastor Doug: That means that women who are consecrated to the Lord, they'll be preserved. I've heard that used two ways. One I've heard say that it's a promise for maternity and childbearing that God will preserve you. Then I've heard theologians that say this is also saying that “Through having children, women are sanctified because of their love for their children.” I don't know if you've heard that before.

Jamie: Right. That's what I've heard.

Pastor Doug: Yes, that's the verse. We found it. Will you feel better?

Jamie: All right so you said that was first--

Pastor Jëan: First Timothy chapter two and verse 15, you'll find the verse the whole passages talking about actually qualifications to be an elder in the church or a bishop in the church. It's talking about different roles but it does mention here about how that a mother is sanctified through the experience of raising children. I think to a large degree that's also true with fathers. Nothing challenges a person's faith [laughs] or tries their patience like having children. But in a special way, mothers have that important role.

Pastor Doug: Fathers understand why some species devour their young.

[laughter]

Pastor Doug: Thank you for your question, Jamie. Who do we have next?

Pastor Jëan: We have Josiah listening from Texas. Josiah, welcome to the program.

Josiah: Hi. Thanks. I have a question considering since yesterday was Valentine's Day and I was wondering why do people get married if they're supposed to have their satisfaction in Christ? Because I know Jesus says in Matthew 22 verse 37, He said, "You shall love the Lord with all your heart, all your soul, with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.” The second is like unto it, “You shall love thy neighbor onto yourself.”

If we're supposed to only focus on Christ for our satisfaction instead of Him, why do people get married? I know I used to try to look for my soul mate, try to eventually have a relationship because I just wanted a soul mate. I've heard that you should focus on basically being married to Christ because I’ll be basically married to the church.

Pastor Doug: Paul talks about that too. Paul says especially during the time of Nero's prosecution, he said, "You might be better off not getting married because if you get married, you have children and there's tremendous prosecution against the church and you might bring them into that.” God told Adam and Eve. They loved before they sinned. They loved the Lord with all their heart. He said, "Be fruitful and multiply.” He made them one, He blessed them.

First miracle of Jesus was at a wedding part of the way that we love God and love our neighbor. You don't have a neighbor. Martin Luther used to say, "You're supposed to love your neighbor, you have no neighbor closer than your wife.” Part of that great command is to love, not only vertically but love horizontally.

For some people, that may mean marriage and having a life partner in ministry to God. Through your love together, you both are serving God. You don't want to marry somebody that doesn't have the same passion for God, but by having the right partner, you can multiply your influence for good.

Pastor Jëan: The Bible gives counsel about that. If you find a Godly wife, you've found something very valuable. [crosstalk] On the other hand, yes, if you don't find a Godly spouse, it can actually be a curse. Of course, Pastor Doug, we do a lot of counseling from time to time, we understand that when Christ is not in the relationship, it's actually not a blessing for those involved it can be a real challenge.

First and foremost that commitment leads to Christ, seeking Him first. Then if the Lord brings somebody in our life that can be a blessing and we can help, we’ll praise the Lord for that. But we got to keep our priorities straight.

Pastor Doug: Absolutely. We recently produced a book that talks about marriage and while it does address the subject of divorce, it's not just about that. It talks about marriage and what it means Biblically. It's called Marriage, Divorce, and Remarriage. We'll be happy to send you a free copy of that, Josiah if you like. Call free number.

Pastor Jëan: The number to call is 800-835-6747. You can ask for the book Marriage, Divorce, and Remarriage. We also have a study guide dealing with the subject of marriage called Keys for a Happy Marriage. There's very good principles to be found in the Bible even if you're looking for a spouse, what are some of the things that the Bible highlights as being important in having a happy home, happy marriage.

The number to call is 800-835-6747. You can ask for the book, Marriage, Divorce, and Remarriage. Also, you can ask for the study guide called Keys for a Happy Marriage.

Pastor Doug: Well, friends, do we need to tell you what that music means? If we didn't get your call tonight, we pray that you'll give us another chance next week or in the near future. Again, thank you for going to the Amazing Facts website, utilize the resources that are there 24/7. If you've been blessed by this ministry, it's only supporters like you that keep us going with what we do, amazingfacts.org. God bless.

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