God's Grace Protects

Scripture: Daniel 12:11-12, 1 Corinthians 11:5-6, Revelation 3:5
Date: 08/09/2015 
On Christmas Eve, 1971, 17 year old Julianne Koepcke boarded LANSA flight 508 with her mother in Lima, Peru. They intended to join her father for Christmas at his research station in the Amazon rainforest. After crossing the Andes at 21,000 feet, their aircraft was enveloped by large dark thunder clouds and encountered severe turbulence.
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Doug Batchelor: Hello, friends. This is Doug Batchelor, how about an amazing fact? On Christmas Eve, 1971, 17 year old Julianne Koepcke boarded LANSA flight 508 with her mother in Lima, Peru. They intended to join her father for Christmas at his research station in the Amazon rainforest. After crossing the Andes at 21,000 feet, their aircraft was enveloped by large dark thunder clouds and encountered severe turbulence.

Lightning was flashing everywhere, and the plane was shaken violently which of course terrified the passengers. A bolt of lightning struck the plane’s engine and tore off the wing. As the doomed airliner hurtled towards the ground, the cabin came apart and the next thing she knew Julianne found herself strapped alone in a row of seats falling silently from over 10,000 feet.

She plummeted through the jungle canopy slamming on the forest floor. When she awoke the next day, Julianne was amazed to realize she had survived the two-mile fall with just a broken collarbone and a bad gash in her arm. After failing to find any survivors, Julianne relied on what her father had taught her, that walking downstream will always lead to civilization.

She started walking with a bag of candy that she had found and one sandal. For 10 days Julianne hobbled, swam or floated downstream who wounds became infected and she was plagued by maggots while having to dodge crocodiles, piranhas and relentless insects. Eventually, she came to a shack where she slept and was soon discovered by Peruvian loggers.

She was eventually reunited with her father. It's hard to imagine that a 17-year old girl could survive such a fall and then hike out of the world's largest jungle alone but the Bible talks about some that have survived a greater fall than this. Stay with his friends, we're going to learn more as Amazing Facts brings you this edition of Bible Answers Live.

Voice Over 1: Welcome to Bible Answers Live with author and evangelist, Pastor Doug Batchelor. Is understanding God's word a challenge? Are there passages of scripture that are a mystery to you? Maybe it's difficult to reconcile what you've read in the Bible to what you always believed. If you have Bible related questions stay tuned to get honest, practical answers straight from the Word of God on Bible Answers Live.

Bible Answers Live is a production of Amazing Facts Ministries dedicated to spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ to the entire world. Our lines are open so call us now at 800-GOD-SAYS. That’s 800-463-7297. Now, here's your host, pastor Doug Batchelor.

Doug: Welcome listening friends to Bible Answers Live. If you have a bible question, that’s why we have a program. You like to call in, we’ll do our best to search the word together and find out what the truth is. Free phone call 800-GOD-SAYS. That’s 800-463-7297. My name is Doug Batchelor, Pastor John Ross is off tonight.

Let me give you that number again because we have lines open. If you'd like to call in with a bible question, asking about some bible curiosity or something about living the Christian life, we'll do our best to find the answers in God's book. 800-GOD-SAYS. That’s 800-463-7297. We always begin with a word of Prayer.

Father in heaven, we’re just thankful that you have given us this blessed book, the Bible that is the word of truth that guides us and becomes the compass by which we calibrate our lives. Pray Lord that you just be with each person that's calling in tonight. Be with me as I attempt to answer the questions and pray that Christ will be exalted. In his name we ask, amen.

Friends, when I first heard that story about Julianne who in that 1971, survived a plane that basically disintegrated in the air. Falling nearly two miles, crashing through the biggest jungle in the world and somehow miraculously was able to trudge out and survive. It makes me think about just how God's grace sometimes watches over individuals in a special way. This whole planet when you think about it has fallen.

When Adam and Eve sinned, it's often referred to by theologians as the fall of man. When this planet basically was kidnapped by an enemy called the devil or Satan, Lucifer. Then there's this titanic battle between good and evil that has been raging out in our world. The allegiance is for people's hearts.

You can read about this in Romans 5:18, "Therefore ask through one man's offence, judgment came to all men resulting in condemnation. Even so, through one man's righteous act, the free gift came to all men resulting in justification and life." It's through the fall of Adam that we all got crippled and injured.

But because Jesus came to our world, he took down the devil and basically broke his permanent hold over people so that if we choose to surrender our lives to Jesus and if we believe in him, he will give us new hearts, change our destiny and bless us and be our friend through this life.

You can be saved from that fall. If you'd like to know more about the Lord coming and saving man from this tremendous fall, we have a free resource. I haven't offered this in some time. It's called Down From His Glory written by Joe Crews, Giant of Faith, Down From His Glory. We'll send you a free copy. To get yours, just call the resource number.

Now, this is a different number than the one that brings your question to our live studio. For the resource, call 800-835-6747. One more time 800-835-6747. Ask for the book Down From His Glory. Or as always, you can go to the Amazing Facts website, simply amazingfacts.org. If you search Down From His Glory, I believe you'll be able to read it and download it for free.

With that, we're going to go to the telephones. We'll start out talking with Sharon, who's calling from Newark, Delaware. Welcome Sharon, you're on the air.

Sharon: Thank you pastor Doug. Just a quick question, I'm thinking about it. The shortest verse in the Bible is, “Jesus wept." I was thinking the other day, why did Jesus weep? He of all people knew that he could resurrect Lazarus. He knew Lazarus was going to be [unintelligible 00:06:54] them because Lazarus was a good man.

Did he weep because he was in man's body, and we have a tendency to have more emotional feelings about these things? I don't know.

Doug: Well, Jesus was just getting ready to resurrect Lazarus and for our friends that are listening, you find this in John chapter 11. By the way, a little bit of trivia for you Sharon. In English, in the King James Version, that is the shortest verse, Jesus wept. In Greek, the shortest verse is, “Rejoice forever.” or “Rejoice evermore.” Sometimes the word's a little different

Back to Jesus weeping at Lazarus' tomb. Christ was getting ready to raise Lazarus. But Jesus, it says, “He saw the people weeping. He saw Mary weeping. He saw Martha weeping.” And Christ looking down through the ages thought about the millions -- no, billions of funerals that would be conducted, and all of the collective grief of humanity that would follow their loved ones to the grave.

He was weeping with humanity. Whenever we're at a funeral and we're standing by the coffin or the graveside of someone we care about, the Lord is letting us know I wept at Lazarus' tomb with you. He does feel our pain. He wasn't weeping for Lazarus, because he was getting ready to raise him, that would be cause for rejoicing.

Paul says, “Weep with those that weep.” Jesus was doing that very thing. He was weeping with those who were weeping and for all who have grieved.

Sharon: Do you believe that God is really withdrawing and that’s why I don’t see anyone physically resurrecting anyone or healing anyone like they used to do back in the days of Jesus and the apostles?

Doug: Well, that's going to happen again because Jesus said these miracles that I have done greater things than these will you do because I go to the Father. If you look in the Old Testament, there were a handful of resurrections. Moses was resurrected. Elijah resurrected a boy that had died. Elisha resurrected a boy that had died.

A man was resurrected during the days of Elisha who was placed on his bones by accident . There were hundreds of years with no resurrections or yes, many hundreds of years. Then it happened during the time of Christ and the apostles, then you got hundreds of years without these dramatic miracles. But I think you're going to see another wave of miracles. The miracles of God often come in waves through history.

It'll happen again before the end. We do have that book that -- our study guide rather, we'll be happy to share with you, Sharon or anybody that would like a copy. It talks about Are The Dead Really Dead? It talks about also those that mourn and how they can be comforted. Don't forget that verse, "Blessed are those who mourn. They will be comforted." Appreciate your call, and once again that opens a line.

If anyone else has a question, you can go to 1-800-GOD-SAYS. That’s 463-7297. We're gonna talk with Rodriguez who's listening on the internet from Delaware. Rodriguez you're on the air with Bible Answers Live.

Rodriguez: Yes, Hi, goodnight. Speaking with you Pastor Batchelor and God bless you.

Doug: And your question?

Rodriguez: My question is, these days, do we have a true prophet? I'm not going to mention names. Do we have false prophets? And the true prophets [inaudible 00:10:38] the Bible speaks about the spirit of prophecy.

Doug: Yes. You can find examples. Well first of all, the gift of prophecy is one of the gifts God gives to his church. When you look at the gifts of the Spirit, we believe in all the other gifts that are listed there in 1 Corinthians 12 and other places. One of them is a gift of prophecy. You can read in Acts chapter two, Peter's actually quoting Joel chapter 2, "I will pour out my spirit on all flesh and your sons and your daughters will prophesy."

It shouldn't surprise us that God would have prophets. Christ told us in the last days to beware of false prophets. Now, Jesus, it would have been very easy for him to say watch out for anyone who claims to be a prophet, but he didn't say that. He said, "Watch out for false prophets." Because God has always had true prophets.

I don't know of any today that our prophets in the classical sense of the Bible that are alive, I believe there have been some that the Lord has spoken through in recent history. We have a study guide, Rodriguez, that talks about the gift of prophecy. It is dealing with does God inspire astrologers and psychics.

It kind of comes at it from a different angle. But it is really, in fact, talking about the gift of prophecy. Does God Inspire Astrologers and Psychics? If you take a look at that lesson, it'll give you the principles of how do you know if someone is a true prophet or a false prophet? We need to be very careful about those who claim to be prophets and apply the Biblical tests.

We've got to be careful about saying, "Well there's not going to be any more people that God calls to raise up as prophets in the last days." Because the scriptures say that he will. Anyway well, I appreciate that now it doesn't mean that anybody's adding to the Bible. The Bible is complete. I do believe God still speaks through men and women.

All right, going to talk to Richard who's calling from Toronto, Canada. Richard you're on the air with Bible Answers Live.

Richard: Hi, Pastor Doug.

Doug: Evening.

Richard: I appreciate all your work and all your books that you publish.

Doug: Well, thank you.

Richard: Welcome.

Doug: How can we help you tonight?

Richard: What I have a bit of a conundrum. When you read Genesis 18: 12-13 and 15, "After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure my Lord, being old also?" and the Lord said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh saying, surely I shall bear a child since I am old, is anything too hard for me? Is anything too hard for the Lord?"

Doug: Right.

Richard: "At the point in time I will return to you according to the time of life and Sarah shall have a son." But Sarah denied it saying I did not laugh, where she was afraid. He said, "No but you did laugh."

Doug: The question is?

Richard: Well, when you go into Hebrews 11, "By faith, Sarah received herself also by faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed and she bore a child when she was past age because she judged him faithful who had promised." Well, she laughed.

Doug: Yes, how did she have faith that made it sound like she didn't have faith when she first heard the promise.

Richard: That's right.

Doug: Well, I think that Sarah first of all, when she says well I didn't laugh, she probably laughed in her heart and God reads the heart. He says, "Look, you laughed in your heart." The miracle was not so much Abraham's age as Sarah's age because after Sarah died, Abraham took another wife by the name of Keturah and he had more children.

Men can be virile up until the time of death. If they've got reasonable health. Women have a limited number of eggs. It was much more of a miracle for her because Sarah had evidently gone through menopause. Now back to your faith question, I think when she first heard the Lord say that, her initial reaction was to laugh.

When she did conceive, you notice what says in Hebrews 11, "She believed that she would receive strength." Here she is this old woman, she was 90 I think. She would receive strength to conceive and she bore the child. Surviving, it's not just getting pregnant but once she was pregnant, surviving labor at that age.

She had faith if God could work the miracle of helping me conceive at this age, I believe that he can help me deliver. So I think that yes, she laughed initially, but once she saw that this miracle happened, she believed just like Elizabeth, it was a miracle for Elizabeth who was also old. God gave both these woman's strength to bear the children. Does that make sense?

Richard: It does.

Doug: All right.

Doug: It still seems like she kind of laughed but then says she was faithful.

Richard: Well she did laugh. All of us do this. There might be a time where God makes a promise to us and at first we kind of roll our eyes. Then you think about it and you think about the promises in His word, and you can have a change of heart and buy into the promise. Initially she did laugh, but evidently there was some time that went by first of all, for the conception of the child, then nine months of carrying the child.

She turned from skepticism to faith. That's what the Bible says and I believe it. I appreciate your question, Richard. That does open up another line. If you have a Bible question give us a call 800-GOD-SAYS. That’s 800-463-7297. Going to talk next with Wanda who's calling from Moores Chapel, Tennessee. Wanda you're on the air with the Bible Answers Live.

Wanda: Thank you all and God bless. On a previous Bible Answers Live, someone asked you about the time period there in Daniel 11 and 12.

Doug: Yes.

Wanda: You mentioned about the 2,300 days. That surprised me because I thought that that was end time prophecy. The question I have is about the three and a half years which is mentioned in Daniel 7, Daniel 12, Revelation 11, 12 and 13. I wonder does that have anything to do with our time or end time? If not, is there any thing in the Bible about -- I know the mark of the beast is that end time.

I just wondered if this three and a half years has anything do with end times.

Doug: Well, all right. You and I kind of know what we're talking about Wanda. Let me just give an overview for many of our listeners that may be driving down the road. There is a time period that appears several times in Bible prophecy. It's half of seven which is three and a half. Jesus taught for three and a half years.

After he died and went to heaven, His disciples taught principally among the Jews for another three and a half years until Stephen was stoned and then there was a great persecution. There were three and a half years of famine during the days of Elijah, when there was no rain when Jezebel and Ahab were persecuting the prophets.

Then you also see that in the book of Esther, it begins with a three and a half year period when a pagan queen is taken out. And a Hebrew Queen is put in and there's an effort to destroy God's people. Three and a half often is associated with a time of resistance and persecution in the Bible.

There was persecution during the three and a half years of Elijah, there was persecution during Christ's ministry culminated with his crucifixion. There is persecution in the book of Esther, persecution from Jezebel. When you get into the prophecies of Revelation, it foretells a prophetic three and a half years.

By the way, three and a half years in the Jewish calendar is 1260 days because they had 30 days in the month, matter of fact revelation says three and a half years another time it calls it 42 months. If you add up 42 30-day months, it's 1260 days. In Bible prophecy, days a year.

Most Protestant scholars or many of the Protestant scholars anyway, believed that there was a time of great persecution against Christians when they fled into the wilderness from 538 AD to 1798, which was the Napoleon took the Pope captive and there was an interruption of the Dark Ages and the people rule.

What about that three and a half in Daniel 12? Is there another three and a half period in the future? Don't know, could be. Some have wondered if the small time of trouble when we cannot buy or sell unless we receive the mark of the beast if that would be three and a half years. It's speculation right now.

Jesus said, "When these things come to pass, then you will know. Prophecy is best understood looking backwards." It's like you always have 20/20 vision in hindsight. Many believe that there's another three and a half year period in the future. Can't say that absolutely Wanda, but hope that makes sense and appreciate your call.

By the way I'll share with you what we shared last week. If you've not seen it, Amazing Facts has a magazine. We'll send you a copy called Daniel and the Revelation. This is a beautiful illustrated color magazine. It's got about 90 pages in it. It's more of a magabook. You'll really appreciate that.

It's got studies in Daniel and revelation in these time periods. Thank you for your call Wanda. We're going to try to get a few more calls before our break. Talking next to Michael from Miami, Florida. Michael, welcome to the program.

Michael: Hello, Pastor Doug.

Doug: Hi.

Michael: I'm going to be on the program again.

Doug: How can we help you?

Michael: I actually have a question in reference to, there's a friend of mine. Firstly I'm looking from the scripture of Matthew 5:32 when Jesus said, "I say unto you, whosoever shall put away his wife saving for the cause of fornication causing her to commit adultery, and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced commits adultery."

I always understood obviously Jesus wears to be unisex in so much that if a woman were to -- honestly modern days, a woman can divorce her husband as opposed to maybe past Hebrew culture that time. Nonetheless, if a woman were to divorce her husband, say for the cause of fornication, I understood that that also meant as that as adultery.

A friend of mine was in fact divorced by his wife for a rather crucial cause, and the thing I was wondering, now that he's about to be remarried, I was wondering does that incur adultery upon him by virtue of him marrying someone else?

Doug: Well, I've got to always be careful not to give broad answers regarding marriage counseling over the phone second hand. There's usually a lot of circumstances you may not understand. Generally speaking, I would say that if they don't have biblical grounds for divorce, then they don't have biblical grounds for remarriage.

I don't know what all the details are, it may be that his wife after divorcing him, she's got another man which means that she committed adultery, which means he then would biblically be free to remarry.

Without knowing all that, I don't know that I want to know all the details. I do have a book that we wrote, we'll send you a free copy. It's got answers on these specifics. It's called Marriage, Divorce and Remarriage. Michael, if you call the resource line which is 800-835-6747.

We can send you a copy of that and I think you'll find more information there. For those who are calling in with questions, that opens up one more line. 800-GOD-SAYS, 800-4637-7297 brings your Bible question to headquarters here. We're going to take one more call maybe before our break, talk with Andrew who's calling from Toronto, Canada. Andrew you're on the air with Bible Answers Live.

Andrew: Hey Pastor, big fan.

Doug: Thank you.

Andrew: I just have one quick question to ask you, who is God and what does He do?

Doug: Who is God? Well, according to the Bible, God is the infinite one who lives from everlasting to everlasting. The Bible says God is past finding out, God of himself He says, "As the heavens are high above the earth, so are my ways above your ways." God is the ultimate intelligence in the cosmos and all things are sustained by Him.

All things are naked and open to the eyes of God. He sees not only what we do, He sees what we think and He knows why we do what we do, and will be ultimately the supreme judge. It's a big question asking about who God is. All things are sustained by Him. Are you there?

Andrew: Yes, I'm here.

Doug: You may have the radio on in the background and there's a delay, that's going to confuse you.

Andrew: It is confusing right now, I'm pulling up a bit.

Doug: What specifically are you wanting to know about God or why are you asking the question?

Andrew: People had that taught me, "Believe in God." and all this stuff, and I'm just like, "Who is He? What does He do?"

Doug: Well, one of the ways to know who God is, Jesus came to earth, and the Bible says basically God became a man to reveal God to us in terms we could understand. The disciples once said to Jesus, "Show us God." Jesus said, "If you have seen me, you've seen the father." Understand God, you look at Christ and look at His life and He is the best revelation of who God is.

That's what I recommend is that just as you look at the Gospels Jesus said, "I came to reveal the father, to reveal God to you," He's the son of God, He's a mirror image. He shows us what God wants humanity to be and we were made in the image or likeness of God.

Anyway. It's about as big as the subject gets. I appreciate your calling in. Don't want to be discourteous to the next caller. Before we go to our break maybe I'll take just a moment or two and tell you about some of the Amazing Facts' new website. Don't forget, we got more questions coming and we do have lines open.

If you want to call with a Bible question, one more time it's 800-GOD-SAYS, 800-463-7297. We'll bring your Bible question into the studio. By the way I wanted to mention to our former caller that we do have that free offer that will tell you a lot about God, it's called Down from His Glory by Joe Crews. Just call the resource line 800-835-6747. We'll send you a copy of that book Down from His Glory.

If you've not been there lately friends, I'd to encourage you to click your way over to the Amazing Facts website. People are surprised that if you just type in the words amazing facts, because we get millions of visits a year. Google, Yahoo, all these search engines, they rate us at the top and it'll be right there.

Amazing facts is a Christian ministry, we've been around. This is our 50th year, praise the Lord. This ministry started with radio, have gone into television. We're on Lifetime, Trinity Broadcasting, Day star, Discovery Channel and many other networks every week around the world. We broadcast the gospel.

Our mission is to win people to Jesus by sharing the good news that God sent His son into the world to save us from our sins, to show us what God is like and to die in our place, to be our example about how we should live also.

A Christian is a follower of Christ. Take a look at the Amazing Facts website. You'll find books there, free sermons you can listen to, there's a library of audio messages that are there, there's a number of other websites we link to, we've got a Bible timeline, we have Bible sites that are dedicated to different specific doctrines and videos galore.

We just encourage you to take a look at Bible -- you can go to www.biblehistory.com, you can go to amazingfacts.com. Lots of resources there. We'll be back in just a couple of minutes.

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Voice Over 2: If you've enjoyed Bible answers live you'll love Pastor Doug's Book of Bible Answers straight from the broadcast, the very best questions and answers have been compiled as an awesome resource for Bible study and personal evangelism.

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Doug: We're back listening friends to Bible Answers Live. If you have a Bible question, the program's live. You can give us a call 800-GOD-SAYS. 800-463-7297. I'm your host Doug Batchelor, my co-host pastor Don Ross is off for the night.

We're going to do our best with our crew in the studio to carry on. All right, we're going to talk next with, let me see, who has been the most patient so far. We're going to be talking with Kin, calling from Portland, Oregon. What line are you on? You're on line nine. Kin, welcome to the program.

Kin: Thank you Pastor Doug. This is my first time calling. I'm going to say that I love your show. It's helping me in my past trying to have God closer in my life and learning all I can. I want to thank you.

Doug: Thank you, praise the Lord.

Kin: My question is pertaining to the state of Israel today. My understanding is -- I kind of wanted clarity on it as far as the teachings, as far as that Israel would not fall again and with what's going on today, and with Iran and all that, your take on that and what we got to maybe expect from Israel in the future.

Doug: All right I'll do my best. I'm actually writing a script right now for a new DVD Amazing Facts is doing. I was writing about Israel last night. There are three amazing prophecies. One of the reasons to believe in God is the nation of Israel. Three times the prophecy said that Israel would be dispossessed from their land but would come back.

It was a prophecy given to Abraham, when they went down to Egypt but they came back. It was a prophecy given to Jeremiah and Isaiah that they would go to Babylon, but they would come back. They came back 70 years later.

Then there's a prophecy given actually through Moses and Jesus and others, that they'd be carried off by the Romans. Daniel talks about this as well. 80, 70. Jesus said, they'd be trodden down of the Gentiles until the time of the Gentiles be fulfilled, and they would come back. It happened.

There is no other nation in the world that has been dispossessed three times and come back to their homeland and retained their religion, their culture, their language and identity. All the other languages when they're conquered and they're dispersed, they get absorbed, they intermarried, they disappear as a distinct people.

You can't find any ancient Babylonians or any ancient Egyptians. Nobody reads hieroglyphics anymore. They always get lost, even in North America there's only a few Native American tribes that still know their language. I did mission work among the Navajos and they're one of them. For the Jewish people to do this three times in 3,500 years is phenomenal and then to be re-established as a nation, just phenomenal.

Will Israel come under attack again? Probably. Will the Jews as a people survive? I believe there's going to be a great movement where many of the Jews will come to Christ before the second coming of Jesus in the end.

Whether they'll survive politically as a nation, ultimately none of the nations will survive when the beast's power is saying that you've all got to compromise or you can't buy or sell. I think we realize that the governments of the world are going to implode or they're going to develop a confederacy.

No telling what'll happen to Israel politically during that time. The Jewish people, especially those that will embrace Christ as a Messiah, I think they're gong to endure because God made a promise to Abraham and his posterity. That's a long answer, if it's okay Kin, can I send you a book?

Kin: Absolutely.

Doug: I'd like to send you a free book and it's called Spiritual Israel. It talks about the Jews and also those who are spiritual Jews today. Written by myself and Steve Wohlberg. You just call our resource line, it's 800-835-6747. We'll send you a free copy of Spiritual Israel. Thank you for your call. Going next to talk to, is it Gardner, in New York, New York. Gardner is that you? Hi.

Gardner: Hi Pastor Doug, one of the callers asked you arrogantly, what does God do? We're all getting ready to find out very shortly what he does. Pastor Doug, I wanted to ask you about Daniel 8:25 and Isaiah 10:7. I read all your literature this week, it seemed to be talking about a particular person and possibly a political person.

That he will cause craft to prosper, that he'll have magnify himself and he will stand up against Jesus. Isaiah 10:7 says that, "It would be in his heart to destroy many." I know that you guys saying that the Antichrist is the papacy. What about this this political person? What is his title?

Doug: Well most Protestants, at least when the Protestant church was formed and you look at the early great reformers. I'm talking about people like Martin Luther, you of course found that the Lutheran's and John Wesley who founded the Methodists, and you could talk about Charles Spurgeon and you could talk about Calvin, they all believed these prophecies that you're talking about referenced the papacy.

Now, the papacy is not just a spiritual group, their Catholic Church is very much of a political power. For example, in a couple of months the Pope is going to make his first visit to the United States. At least first visit since being Pope. He is not only going to the White House, he's going to address joint sessions of Congress.

He's going to address the United Nations. Now, do you think for a moment that while I might be a leader in my particular denomination or the leader of the Southern Baptists or take your pick, would they be invited to address the United Nations?

Gardner: No.

Doug: See. Now the Vatican is actually an independent country. They have their own ambassadors, they are 100% a political power. They are not just a religious power. Even though they've only got 1,000 people that live in that little country, Vatican City within Rome, they are given all of the respect of a head of state.

I do think that it meets the criteria of the prophecy here. It sounds like you've already done it, but if you've not read it, I like to send you the free lesson that we've got on what is the mark of the beast? All you've got to do is call 800-835-6747. Tell them you're listening to Bible Answers Live and you're requesting the free lesson called the mark of the beast.

Actually the lesson you want, not the mark of the beast, so much is who is the Antichrist. I'm sorry, ask for the lesson on who is the Antichrist, Gardner. You'll be blessed and encouraged by that. Okay, with that, we're going to talk next to Ken, who is calling from Vallejo California. Hi Ken, you're on the air with Bible Answers Live.

Ken: Hi. My question has to do with chapter 10 of Acts with Cornelius there. The vision of that Peter had of that sheep coming down from heaven. He was told that nothing was common. Apparently it came down three times to show that it was divine and it had been established in heaven and so forth.

The thing is, I point out in advance that I, myself eat as according to Levitican law for the simple reason that I'm very aware in my system when I eat pork or anything like that, I can tell right away in my system, that it doesn't react properly.

Doug: You're wondering about the vision of Peter and doesn't that seem to say that you can eat anything? Is that the question?

Ken: Yes, that does the basic question because I've heard people argue this up one side and down the other and many-

Doug: Let me try and answer this. First let me give the background for our friends listening. Peter has a vision in Acts 10. God has just told Cornelius a Roman centurion, in his household full of non-Jew, pagan, Greeks or whatever they were Greeks and Romans, that he wants them to send messengers to get the Apostle Peter to come and talk to them about God.

Well, up until Acts 10, the disciples have not been going to the Gentiles. They've been preaching to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. They've been preaching to Jews, both in Jerusalem and the Jews that were scattered throughout the Roman Empire. The idea that they should go into the house of an unclean Gentile was very foreign to them because they thought they were the chosen people, they were to remain undefiled.

Peter has this vision of all these unclean animals that no good bible-believing Jew would have eaten. It might have been clams and shrimp and camel and who knows skunks, vultures anything could have been in there. The words that are used when it talks about beasts. Then Peter says -- notice, Peter says, "Not so Lord, I have never eaten anything common or unclean."

When this sheet, this hammock full of animals comes down from the heaven God says arise and eat. Peter says, "Not so Lord, I've never anything common or unclean." Happens three times, Peter never takes anything out of the sheet, he never eats anything from the sheet. It says, while Peter is wondering what the vision means, some Gentile messengers are knocking at the door downstairs asking him to come preach to the Gentiles.

Now, if we want to know what the vision means, here's Peter's words in Acts 10:28, Peter says, "You know it is unlawful for a Jewish man to keep company or to go to one of another nation, but God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean." This vision had nothing to do with food.

It had to do with the Jews were supposed to take the gospel to the Gentiles. They were supposed to stop calling the Gentiles unclean. Peter never takes anything out of the sheet, he never eats anything, it's a vision. This verse doesn't really say anything about clean or unclean food.

Matter of fact, if anything, it says we still should not eat anything unclean because Peter, even after following Jesus three and half years, and another three and half years later he has this vision, he declares I've never eaten anything common or unclean. And in Acts 15, are you still there Ken?

Ken: Yes, I'm still here.

Doug: In Acts 15 when the disciples were saying what laws do we still impose upon the Gentiles among the laws they told the Gentiles to observe with the laws about food? Because they said don't eat anything that is strangled and don't eat any blood. That was from the Levitical health laws. So, it wasn't saying you can eat pork just as long it's not strangled with the blood.

They were not only not to eat unclean food, they were not even to eat the blood. In Saul's time, King Saul. He got into trouble because the people were eating sheep, clean animal with the blood. The health laws are still intact. The reason I say that is because everybody listening to me right now is related to Noah.

The health laws were given to Noah. God told Noah, "Take the clean animals on the arc by seven, take the unclean animal by two." If they were allowed to eat the unclean animals, they would be extinct because they would've eaten them during the nearly year they were on the boat. The clean animals they were allowed to eat or use for sacrifice, you were never to sacrifice an unclean animal.

Anyway, modern science is pretty much ratified the principles, the things the Bible declares are unclean are also very unhealthy. Alright, I hope that makes some sense Ken, and you know, we do have a study guide that talks about God's free health plan. Anyone listening out there, if you've not read that before, there's a study guide.

You can go to www.amazingfacts.org or just type into Google, God's Free Health Plan, put it in quotes, type Amazing Facts. You can watch the video online, you can read the lesson online, you can ask for a free copy 800-835-6747. We'll send you a copy of God's Free Health Plan. It gives you the Bible health laws.

These are really laws for life and vitality and health. Not only do I not eat unclean food, personally, I've been a vegetarian. Bible doesn't say you have to be, but I've been a vegetarian for 37 years now.

I played four rounds of very tough racket ball today, I'm doing okay for six grand kids. Anyway, all right friends, we're going to take another call. Talking next to Helen, who's calling from Greenbrier, Akansas, listening on talk radio. Helen you're on the air with Bible Answers Live.

Helen: This probably sounds childish to you but I want to know, how come the Lord in the Old Testament is always capital letters, L, capital L-O-R-D. And in the New Testament, it's the capital L but then the small caaps letters for the other?

Doug: Very good, it's not a foolish question, that's actually a good question. Probably, I remember when I first wondered that myself, I remember I was wondering what does Selah mean? At the end of all the Psalms, it said Selah. I said what's a Selah? Don't be ashamed of asking those kind of questions.

In Hebrew, that's why you noticed the Old Testament was written in Hebrew and Aramaic, New Testament in Greek, so there's a difference there. In Hebrew, they thought and believed the name of God was so sacred that they did not even want to write the name. That was a tetragrammaton, which was the sacred letters of God.

Sometimes it's pronounced Yahweh, sometimes it's pronounce Jehovah. They're not even sure how it's pronounced. So rather than say the name of God, they would do just capital L-O-R-D meaning the sacred name of God. Whenever you're in the Old Testament and you see the capital L-O-R-D, the writers there were using the sacred name of God.

Some versions, if you get the Jehovah Witness Bible, they'll always drop in the word Jehovah, when you would normally see capital L-O-R-D. Sometimes you'll find other names for God. He's called the Elohim, sometimes the word God is used, the El Shaddai, the God Almighty.

But when you see those four capital words, it's the sacred name of God that they felt was too Holy to actually write or utter so they just put in the words LORD. In the New Testament it's just capitalizing in the L like we would with the proper name. That's the reason for that.

Helen: Okay, when you say Lord in the Old Testament-

Doug: When you see the all four capitals in the Old Testament, it was using what they felt was the most sacred name of God that He gave to Moses. Typically translated Yahweh or Jehovah, were not even sure of the exact pronunciation because the orthodox Jews would not say the name of God, they felt it was too sacred.

They were afraid they would take His name in vain, so they would just not even say it. I know it sounds pretty deep [laughs], but it's a good question. By the way, I have a book I'll send you that says more about this Helen, I wrote a few years ago. It's called The Name of God.

If you are willing to make one more free phone call, give me your information we will send you a copy of the book called The Name of God by yours truly. Here's that number, 800-835-6747, 800-835-6747. Some of you might want to read it right now. You can go to www.amazingfacts.org. If you accidentally type in www.amazingfacts.com, you'll still get there.

Type in The Name of God, it'll bring up the text and you can start reading right now. Thank you for your call Helen, appreciate it. With that, let me see here. We're going to talk with Richard. Who is listening on line two, Richard from New Jersey, on satellite radio. How can we help you?

Richard: My question is concerning the second coming. When Jesus was on the cross with those two robbers, He told the one robber that, "This day you'll be with me in Paradise." The one that believed, then we go to the second coming, it says there [inaudible 00:47:19] incorruptible. Those who are asleep with Christ will rise to be together with those who are alive to meet the Lord as the heir.

When we die, we're really with the Lord which I do believe, why would those asleep with Christ be risen at that point if we're already in Paradise?

Doug: Well, you're very perceptive. First of all the Bible says that we sleep until the resurrection. The trump of the Lord and the dead in Christ rise, and that's 1 Thessalonians 4. You asked about the thief on the cross, and that's a good question. Many people get confused about this verse because of the punctuation.

Now, in the original Greek, there is no punctuation. The translators had to use their best judgement and they did a very good job, to put the punctuation in for our English reading and in other languages. They way this verse can read is one of two ways. Jesus says to the thief, "Assuredly I say to you, today you'll be with me in paradise." Or it could be translated, "Assuredly I say to you today, you will be with me in paradise."

Now, many people believe that the comma goes after the word today, and I'll tell you why. Jesus did not go to Paradise that day. Sunday morning, when Mary goes to worship Him and she grabs His feet, He says, "Do not detain me, I have not yet ascended to my Father." Jesus could not be in Paradise with the thief, Friday afternoon if Christ had not gone yet.

Probably this verse is more accurately translated, "I am making you a promise today, today even though I don't look like a Messiah and a Lord because you've called me your Lord and your King, I'm making a promise today, you will be with me in Paradise."

The emphasis is, "I'm promising you today, even though I don't look like I have any power, I can't save you because my hands are nailed to the cross in spite of what it looks like today, I'm making a promise, you'll be with me." Not that He would be there that day, the promise is made that day. Does that make sense?

Richard: When we die are we really in Heaven?

Doug: If you're saved and you die, you have no consciousness of time. Your next conscious thought is being called out of the grave with the glorified body, the Bible says in a moment the twinkling of an eye, it'll seem like it's instantaneous to you. But it hasn't happened yet because the Bible says, judgement hasn't happened yet and the resurrection hasn't happened yet.

When people say our loved ones are in Heaven now, it's confusing because what they mean is, they're next conscious thought is in Heaven, they're not there yet because we live in time Jesus hasn't come yet. See what I'm saying?

Richard: Makes sense. Yes, sure.

Doug: The Bible -- Let me give you a couple more verses. You can read in Ecclesiastes 9:5, "The living know they'll die." The dead don't know anything. They're asleep. Jesus said our friend Lazarus is asleep. It's a dreamless, unconscious sleep. Lazarus was dead four days when Christ raised him.

Lazarus didn't say, "Oh I was up in heaven and you brought me back, that wasn't very nice." He wasn't anywhere. He had no consciousness of anything. I'll send you that book that we've offered several times before, Are the Dead Really Dead?

Please call, anybody that wants to better understand this subject. Call please 800-835-6747. We'll send you that study guide, that book Are the Dead Really Dead. You can also read it at the Amazing Facts website. You can watch my video on the subject. Just type in Doug Batchelor, Are the Dead Really Dead and it'll show up on YouTube.

Thank you very much for your call, Richard. We're going to be talking next -- Mary Jane has been waiting patiently. Mary Jane calling from Shelby. Is that Mississippi or Michigan?

Mary Jane: Shelby, Michigan.

Doug: Michigan, yes. Your question tonight?

Mary Jane: Well thank you for answering this question. My question tonight is about 1 Corinthians 11:5 and 6:15. Should a woman wear something on her head to worship?

Doug: Well, first of all, I think we should do whatever is reverent in our culture. It's interesting that if I go to a Jewish temple, I put on a yarmulke, cover my head, as a sign of respect. If I walk into a Protestant Church and I've got a hat on, what do we typically do? Take your hat off.

If you go into a church in some South Pacific Islands, everybody leaves their shoes at the door. You come in barefoot. Wherever I'm at, I do whatever the respectful thing is.

In this culture, Paul later says it was a tradition. You got to be careful we don't build a doctrine when there's one verse. The Bible says, "In the mouth of two or three witnesses, that's how we establish truth." This here about a woman covering her head when she prays -- There's certainly nothing wrong with doing that.

It also talks about a woman not shaving or cutting her hair because her hair is a covering. If you read in verse 16, he says, "But if anyone is contentious, we have no such custom nor do the churches of God."

It's not something to be argued over. It uses the word "custom" there. We have to ask our self, "Was this a custom?" I have no burden to change someone's mind if they believe differently on this subject. We probably ought to write up a study book on this because we get so many questions on this, about covering of the head and this verse in 1 Corinthians 11. Does that make sense Mary Jane?

Mary Jane: Yes it does. Thank you very much, Pastor Doug.

Doug: Thank you so much for your call. I'd be happy to send you a study guide on that but we don't have one yet. I probably ought to write one because we get this question so frequently.

Listening friends -- I see there's some people here that -- Steve is calling from Sausalito, California. Steve, you've got a question about what it means to overcome in Revelation 3:5. It means, "Walking with the Lord and allowing him to have his complete will in our life so that he sits on the throne of our heart."

We've got a call from Barbara, we've got a call from Bill, and we're not going to be able to get to all of your calls. I hope you'll forgive us and give us a chance next week. We'd stay by but we rent this studio. When our time's up, our time's up.

Listening friends, I do want to let you know that if you have been blessed or edified, encouraged by the program, Amazing Facts is 100% supported by donors. We don't get any support or sponsorship from corporations or denominations.

It's all people just like you, listening, that go to our website, they make a donation and say, "You know, I've been blessed by this program. I want to have God bless me and so I'm going to help spread the word and keep them on the air."

Just go to www.amazingfacts.org. You'll see a button where it says donate. We appreciate that. Drop us a line. Tell us if the program has been an encouragement to you. We've been doing it for 20 years, radio program, 50 years altogether. God bless with his will, we'll study together again next week.

Voice Over 1: This has been a pre-recorded broadcast of Bible Answers Live, a production of Amazing Facts Ministries. If you would like to order the materials mentioned on this broadcast, call 800-835-6747 from 8:00 AM to midnight Eastern Standard Time. That's 800-835-6747. If you've missed an episode of Bible Answers Live, you can find it on our website www.amazingfacts.org.

You'll also find our online sale catalog of books, tapes, and other materials. As well as numerous, free resources on nearly every Bible topic. Putting the answers to your Bible questions right at your fingertips.

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Man 1: I grew up in a church-going family. We were at every meeting. I sang in four of the choirs there. I directed three. Very involved, very active. It's almost seem like busy work sometimes. I went to Sunday school. I knew about God. I knew about Jesus, but I didn't have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

My senior year in high school, I got the news. My father had been murdered. I played it off well. No one really saw that I was struggling with it. It just really felt like there was a hole that needed to be filled. I tried to fill it with drugs, with alcohol, with partying.

After college, I just stopped going to church altogether. One day, on a Sunday, because I didn't feel like going to church with my mom, I thought I should get a little bit of word. She had the satellite system hooked up and I'm flipping through channels and then the logo pops across, Amazing Facts Presents.

I've listened to a lot of different ministers. This was the first time that he's actually saying something where I had to grab my Bible, and actually pick it up. I've never heard this before. Let me look through and find this. I went through all the historicals. I went through all the study guides. I just couldn't get enough.

Then the Sabbath came up. He's going through the appeal. I'm just going, "Lord I hear you. I have to go to church." I show up. It was funny, I didn't feel like I was going to be judged, anything judgmental, anything. I walked in the door and I just felt at home. There's still a problem. I'm still partying. I was still going out to the bars. At this time, I was selling cocaine to pay my rent.

16 days later, I find myself in a life or death situation. I had just came back from a liquor store and I'd grabbed a bottle of Vodka. There I am, high off cocaine with my Bible in hand trying to do a Bible study.

I heard an audible voice just, "Look at yourself." And I did. I was like, "What am I doing?" I got on my knees and I said, "Lord, if you do not take this away from me now, I'm going to kill myself. I was going to continue this lifestyle and I was going to end up overdosing, having a heart attack, whatever it was. You have to take this away. All of it."

That day, he lifted all of it away from me. It was all God. When God does something in your life, he does it complete.

Voice Over 3: For more than 45 years, the Ministry of Amazing Facts has been helping people from all walks of life understand their Bibles better than ever before. Through television, radio, and the internet, we impact countless lives each day around the world by sharing Bible truth that transforms lives forever.

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