Announcer: It is the best-selling book in history. No volume ever written has been more loved and quoted; and its words, sometimes simple and sometimes mysterious, should always be studied carefully. It is the Bible, the Word of God. Welcome to "Bible Answers Live," providing accurate and practical answer to all your Bible questions. This broadcast is a previously-recorded episode. To receive any of the Bible resources mentioned in this broadcast, call 800-835-6747. Once again, that's 800-835-6747. Now here's your host from Amazing Facts International, Pastor Jëan Ross.
Jëan Ross: Hello, friends. Pastor Doug is out this evening, but how about an amazing fact? Astonishing and awe-inspiring, a dog's sense of smell is so remarkable that they can detect scents at concentrations as low as parts per trillion, making their sense of smell tens of thousands of times more sensitive than ours. To put this into perspective, a dog, for example, walking into a kitchen hours after a meal was cooked, he's able, if he chooses, to distinguish the individual ingredients, the herbs, and even the spices that were used in the preparation of multiple dishes. Now, in the field of search and rescue, dogs play a critical role in locating missing persons. These dogs able to detect the faintest traces of human scent even under the most challenging environments. One incredible incidence occurred during the aftermath of 9/11 attacks in New York City. Trained dogs tirelessly worked, alongside their rescue teams, sniffing through rubble and debris to locate survivors. In one instance, a search-and-rescue dog, named Tracker, located a survivor buried under 30 feet of debris from the collapsed World Trade Center. Another compelling example of the dog's sense of smell involves the world of medical detection dogs. These canine marvels have been trained to detect the scent of specific diseases, including certain types of cancers and diabetes. Trained dogs are able to identify certain cancers in patients by simply sniffing their breath or a mole on their skin. A dog's sense of smell is capable of feats that defy our understanding, from locating survivors in disaster zones, to detecting diseases with astonishing accuracy. The dog's sense of smell serves as a constant reminder of the marvels of a compassionate Creator God. The Bible tells us, in Romans chapter 1, verse 20, speaking of the marvels of God's creation, "For since the creation of the world, His invisible attributes have been clearly seen, being understood by the things that were made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse." You know, Carlos, in the world around us, just the things that God has made, we can see God's hand. We stand in awe when we see what animals can do. You think of sea turtles that are able to travel thousands of miles from where they were born and then come back to the very same beach to lay eggs. All of the marvels of creation testify to us of a caring, loving Creator.
Carlos Muñoz: Amen, amen, that makes me think of the new heavens and the new earth when we'll have all our senses enlightened Jëan: That's right.
Carlos: Imagine what we'll be able to do too.
Jëan: Absolutely. Well, friends, if you'd like to learn more about the marvels of God's creation, we've got a free book that we would like to give you, one of the Amazing Facts books. It's called "Wonders of Creation," and how do people get that book?
Carlos: Well, they can call 1-800-835-6747, or they can dial "#250," and when you dial "#250," you say, "Bible Answers Live!" and you'll be able to also get a copy. It's free shipping in the USA-- USA and Canada territories only. And, so, we also want to greet those that are tuning in on KDIA in San Francisco, live, and Radio Jubilee in Tustin, California, down in Southern California.
Jëan: Absolutely. We want to welcome those who are joining us, not only listening on various land-based radio stations but also on satellite radio station and those watching online on AFTV, and if you have a Bible question, our phone line here to the studio is 800-463-7297. That's 800-463-7297. That's with your Bible question. And the other phone line that Pastor Carlos mentioned if you have a--the free offer that we talk about, that's 800-835-6747. Well, we have some callers on standby, ready to go. Why don't you start with prayer, and then we'll go to the phone lines.
Carlos: Let's pray. Father, thank You for another beautiful day of life and this opportunity to spend time in Your Word. We just asked that Your Spirit guide us so that we can-- found everything on it as it is written and that those that are listening and joining us maybe rejoice in learning more as we draw closer to You, and we ask this in Jesus's name, amen.
Jëan: Amen.
Carlos: All right, so we have Debbie from Canada. Welcome to "Bible Answers Live," Debbie. You're on the air.
Debbie: Hi, how are you, pastors?
Jëan: Doing well, thank you.
Debbie: Okay, I have a question. I'm in the YouTube chat, and we were talking about Moses last week in the chat, and I wanted to know, did God bury Moses, or did he go straight to heaven? And in Jude 1:9, when it says, "Michael the archangel," we want to know if that's Jesus.
Jëan: Sure, we'll take it in two parts. First of all, was Moses buried? Well, the Bible says he was. It says he died, and God buried him. And then, when you go to Jude and you read that story, it talks about Michael the archangel and the devil disputing over the body of Moses. Now, the Bible doesn't say how long Moses was buried. It is interesting, though, you know. He says, as a type of Christ, he led the children of Israel out of bondage. He brought them to the Promised Land. In one way, as a type, Moses symbolizes Christ. Jesus is our deliverer. He delivers us from sin. And Jesus died. He was buried, but then He rose, and He ascended to heaven. Well, maybe we see in the experience of Moses. So the Bible doesn't say. Maybe it was three days. Who knows? Three nights? But Jude, where it talks about Michael the archangel, yes, we believe that Michael is one of the prophetic names that we find both in Revelation and Daniel with reference to Jesus. We also find that in Jude. We're not saying Jesus is an angel. The word "archangel" simply means "the ruler of the angels" or "the one above the angels." Some translators put it as "the commander of the angelic host" or "the commander of the angels." So, when we talk about Michael, we're not saying that Christ is an angel. By any means, He's the ruler of the angels. Now, there's a couple of ways we can help to identify this. The Bible says that "when Jesus comes, He will have the voice of the archangel," and the voice of the archangel will raise the dead. And Jesus said, speaking of His Second Coming, "They shall hear the voice of the Son of Man and shall come forth." So if Christ has the voice that raises the dead and, according to Paul in Thessalonians, it's the voice of the archangel that raises the dead, then just put two and two together: Michael, then, is the prophetic name of Jesus. And the word "Michael" means "who is like God." So there's a number of parallels there. We actually have a book called "Michael the Archangel," and we'll be happy to send this to anyone who calls and asks. What's that number, Carlos?
Carlos: Yes, that number is 1-800-835-6747, or, if you're on your mobile device, you can dial "#250" and say, "Bible Answers Live!" and you can request it there.
Jëan: Okay, very good. Thank you, Debbie, for your call.
Carlos: Next, we have Jerry from Colorado. Jerry, you're live on the air.
Jerry: Hey, thanks, guys, for answering my questions. I just wanted to address something that you said at the very beginning, but there's a book out there called "The Story of Redemption," and chapter 3, it gives a special glimpse of Eden. My question tonight is, when the ark was restored to Jerusalem after it spent a time--after that gentleman's house, after it had been taken back from the Philistines, was that in a tent? And was it an original sanctuary tent? And did they have sanctuary services morning and evening? That talks about that in 1 Chronicles 16.
Jëan: Okay, good question. Yeah, let's give a little bit of the background for those who might be joining us. So, when the children of Israel took possession of the Promised Land, the place where the tabernacle was placed, which was the tent where, of course, you had the Holy and the Most Holy Place in the outer courtyard, was in a place called a Shiloh, at first, and it was there that the temple was kept before it was moved, at the time of Solomon, into--actually, the temple, meaning, the tabernacle, the tent was moved during the time of David, but the actual building was built during the time of Solomon. The Ark of the Covenant was taken by the Philistines for a period of time and came back to Israel, and it was placed back there at Shiloh where it was. They did offer the services, the morning and the evening sacrifices, as had been given during their wilderness wanderings, even during the time of the exodus coming up from Jerusalem. The Levites were in charge of taking care of the different things associated with the temple. It was also during this time that you read about Samuel the prophet, who was also a Levite and also served in the temple around that time period. So it was there until David, then it was transferred to Jerusalem, and then, during the time of King Solomon, it was actually placed in the temple that was actually built of stone.
Carlos: Amen.
Jëan: All right, who do we have next?
Carlos: Next, we have Gary from Illinois. Welcome to "Bible Answers Live." You're on the air.
Gary: Thank you. We're seeing major climate events happening: Canadian wildfires, sizeable hail, European heat waves, you know, and fire, water temperatures above 100 degrees around the Florida Keys, where our, you know, coral reefs are at. And so these are the signs that Jesus says, in Matthew 24, "When you see these signs, you know that time is near," but, at the same time, I'm seeing diversions, you know, congressional hearings on UFOs, where they got bodies. They got spacecrafts and reporters interviewing AI, you know, about their intentions towards humanity. And so my question is, you know, yes, we need to be--we need to keep ourselves focused on the signs that Jesus is talking about, but do you think these diversions are, you know, a coincidence, or do you think we're going to see regular, you know, diversions that'll draw us away from these important signs we see in Matthew 24 about, you know, plagues and pestilence, wars, and rumors of wars, you know?
Jëan: Yeah, let me add to that. Good question. You know, first of all, the devil is going to try and deceive. The Bible says that, before Jesus comes, the devil will deceive, if possible--this is in Matthew 24--even the very elect. Now, that doesn't mean he's going to deceive the elect, but his deceptions are going to be so powerful, so well-crafted that he'll try and deceive anyone and everyone. So there's going to be some deception for just about every person out there that doesn't know the truth of God's Word. Whether it's going to be so-called alien visitations from space or whether it's other conspiracy theories that might arise or maybe advances with AI or whatever, whatever it might be, the devil is going to try to use it to deceive people in the last days. Now, we do know that a changing world-- the Bible does speak of earthquakes. It talks of natural disasters and calamities; talks of "war, and rumors of wars," all of these things Jesus gives you, in Matthew 24, as signs of the coming of Christ, but I think one of the most significant signs is He says, "As it was in the days of Noah, so it'll also be before the Son of Man comes," and He says, "As it was in the days of Sodom and Gomorrah, so it'll be before Jesus comes." We see the moral decay in society, and I think that's one of the clearest evidences that we are living close to the end of time. We've been bombarded in just the last decade or so with some of the strangest social ideas of what is marriage or what is a man or what is a woman or what constitutes a family that, you know, people prior to that probably would've never even entertained, so we can see, just in the moral fabric of society, things are just falling apart. And, yes, Jesus does need to come, and I think the devil is going to use everything he can to try and deceive, but we don't have to be deceived as the Bible says, "If you know the truth, the truth will set you free," and that's where our hope needs to be.
Carlos: Amen, and I was just going to say that, also, I think that we're not going to--we know these things. We're not going to be focused on them. Our focus is going to be on wanting to draw closer to God, wanting to do God's will, wanting to reach others. So even though we're aware of these things, our focus is not on those things, per se, but our focus is going to be on uplifting and serving God and as best we can?
Jëan: Absolutely. You know, we have a study guide, Pastor Carlos, that talks about the Second Coming of Christ, and it's called "Ultimate Deliverance," and that is really what the world needs. That's going to be the ultimate solution to the problems that we have here on this earth. We'll be happy to send this to anyone who calls and asks. Just call and ask for that study guide. It's called "Ultimate Deliverance." We'll be happy to send it to anyone here in North America. If you're outside of North America, just go to the website, just, AmazingFacts.org. And what's the number to call?
Carlos: Offer is 1-800-835-6747, or mobile devices, dial "#250," and say, "Bible Answers Live!" and you'll be able to order that.
Jëan: All right.
Carlos: All right, next, we have Patty from Oregon. Patty, welcome to "Bible Answers Live."
Patty: Yes, a lot of people were asking me if women should be pastors, ordained pastors.
Jëan: Okay, all right, good question. Well, you know, of course, what we want to do, especially when it comes to this program, is we want to ask, well, what does the Bible say? Does the Bible give us an example of a woman that served in the capacity of an apostle or as a priest? And, to be honest, just with the Word, with the Bible, both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament, we don't find women serving in those roles as a priest or as an apostle. Now, what we do find, which is very interesting, both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament, we do find examples of women that served in the role of a prophet, a prophetess. We find that in the Old Testament--Deborah. We also find in the New Testament. So God has chosen different roles and different responsibilities for people to serve. That doesn't mean to say that a woman can't serve in ministry. Matter of fact, they need to serve. Everybody needs to be involved in ministry. There are different areas of ministry, different responsibilities that God has given, but when it comes to pastoral ministry or the role of an elder, if you look at the description that's given in the Bible, that's something that God has chosen to really place on the shoulders of the man as the leader in the home, as the leader in the church. That's the role that God has given. So there's a biblical answer. You know, we do have a book called "Women in Ministry," and we'll be happy to send that to anyone who calls and asks if you'd like to study more about this. The number for that is 800-835-6747, and you can just call and ask for that book written by Pastor Doug. It's called "Women in Ministry."
Carlos: Amen. Next, we have Junith from Nevada. Junith, welcome. You are on the air.
Junith: Hello. Hello, hi. Pastors, good evening, a blessed one to you. Can you hear me well?
Jëan: We can hear you, yes.
Junith: Yes. Yes, Pastor, I have a question on--related to Isaiah chapter 14, verse 13, where God meets with the angels of the outermost side of the north. Just, this is a mystery for me to understand. Is this where doxology happens? Or at the same time, also, when our guardian angel went their way to the High Priest, Jesus, to reveal our prayers, can you tell us the biblical perspective of the congregation of the north? Thank you.
Jëan: You're wondering about that specific phrase there in verse 13? Says, "On the farthest sides of the north," where Lucifer wanted to have his throne?
Junith: Yes. Jëan: Okay, good question. Let me read the whole verse for those who might not have their Bible in front of them. Isaiah chapter 14, verse 13--and this is really talking about this rebellious angel, called Lucifer, and what brought about his rebellion against God. It says, "For you have said in your heart: 'I will ascend into heaven, I'll exalt my throne above the stars of God. I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north.'" Verse 14, "I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High." So this is Lucifer there in heaven, and this part about this war, you'll read about in Revelation chapter 12. Now, what did it mean when he says, "On the farthest sides of the north, I will sit on the mount of the congregation"? "The farthest side of the north," it's interesting. There is a historical application. You read about this in Ezekiel 28, verse 16. "The farthest side of the north" was a reference to Mount Zion. Mount Zion, upon which Jerusalem was built and, more specifically, the temple was built, serves as a type of the heavenly throne room or where the heavenly temple is. You'll find the Bible talking about a heavenly temple being built in Hebrews. And so the devil wanted a position in the very presence--he wanted to take the throne of God. He wanted to be in the temple, in the Most Holy Place. Talk about the sides of the north, Mount Zion, he wanted to actually receive the worship of the angels, and this brought about this rebellion that we read about in Revelation 12.
Carlos: Yeah, Psalms 48, verses 1 and 2, clearly shows that "sides of the north" is Mount Zion.
Jëan: It's Mount Zion.
Carlos: Yup.
Jëan: Absolutely. Good. We do have a study guide that talks about the origin of evil, and it's called "Did God Create the Devil?" Where did the devil come from? We'll be happy to send it to anyone who calls and asks.
Carlos: 1-800-835-6747, or dial "#250" and ask for "Bible Answers Live!" Next, we have Jeffrey from Washington. Jeffrey, welcome to "Bible Answers Live."
Jeffrey: Good evening, Pastor Jëan, Pastor Carlos. Thank you for taking my call.
Jëan: You're welcome. Thanks for calling, Jeffrey.
Jeffrey: I see in the Bible that it's fairly clear to me that God is on trial, mentioned in Revelation, at least, and Satan is doing the accusing, from what I understand, and I hear people say that one of Satan's claims or accusations is that it is impossible for humans to obey God or God's law. Do you see anywhere in the Bible that suggests that Satan is making that accusation? I'm hoping you guys can help.
Jëan: Okay, you know, one of the accusations that Satan makes against God is that, you know, God is not fair. God says He's a God of love, and if He's a God of love, why does He require us to keep His Ten Commandments? And, you know, probably you won't find anywhere in the Bible where it says the devil is saying we can't keep God's commandments, however, unfortunate it is, there are many Christians that say that we can't really keep God's commandments. But, if you look at what the Bible says, the Bible is very clear that, by the power of Christ, the Holy Spirit dwelling within us, we can keep His commandments. Matter of fact, Revelation chapter 12, verse 17, describes God's people in the last days and says these are the ones who keep the commandments of God, and they have the testimony of Jesus. Revelation 14:12, says they also have the faith of Jesus. So when we have the faith of Jesus, we're going to be able to keep the commandments of Jesus. Why? Because His law is written within our heart, and that's the key. An external obedience to the commandments based upon our strength is an impossibility because Jesus said, "Without Me, you can do nothing." But with Him, He said all things are possible. So there's no doubt that, with the Holy Spirit working within us, if we are trusting in Him day by day, we can do those things that, humanly speaking, on our own, trusting in our own strength, we cannot do. Are there examples of people in the Bible that kept God's commandments? Absolutely. You've got examples of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, on the plain of Dura, who refused to bow down and worship the golden image because it was a violation--one of the commandments. You got Daniel that went into the lion's den because he refused to violate God's commandments. You've got Joseph, you've got Esther, you've got many other examples in the Bible and, even in New Testament times, people who are willing to lay down their life rather than violate one of God's commandments. So there's plenty of examples in Scripture and also just the power of God working in the life of a person.
Carlos: Yeah, I think it's inferred what he's asking, and you mentioned Revelation 12. It says, in Revelation 12:10, that the devil is accusing us day and night.
Jëan: "The accuser of the brethren."
Carlos: And then it says, in 11, "but they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb." So I think that it could be inferred because then you mentioned Revelation 17, where it says and there they are, right? They're living in harmony with God's law.
Jëan: They're keeping His commandments.
Carlos: Yeah.
Jëan: Absolutely. We do have a study guide that talks about the Ten Commandments, and, again, the point about the Ten Commandments, if it's just an external list of do's and don'ts, it's not going to help us, but if it's our desire to keep the law of God because we trust Him, we love Him, we have faith in Him, His law is written within our hearts. That's the New Covenant promise. We have a study guide called "Written in Stone," and it's about the Ten Commandments, but more importantly, how can we apply the Ten Commandments in a living, vibrant way in our life?
Carlos: Amen, amen. We have Emily. Welcome to "Bible Answers Live." You're on the air.
Emily: Hello, so, my question is where exactly were the fallen angels cast to when they were cast out of heaven? The verses I'm looking at are 2 Peter 2:4 and Revelation 12:9, where Peter seems to say that they were cast to Tartarus or the abyss, and then Revelation says they were cast to the earth.
Jëan: Okay, good question. So, you know, we go back to Revelation chapter 12. I think it's one of the clearest passages that talk about this rebellion in heaven. Says, "There was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought." And then it tells us the dragon is Satan. And then it says, "place was found no longer for them in heaven," and they were cast out of heaven. So it appears from the context, in Revelation chapter 12, that this war in heaven occurred sometime before the creation of earth this rebellion took place. A third of the angels joined Lucifer, became the devil, in his rebellion against God, and the reason we know a third did is because it says the devil was able to swoop a third of the stars of heaven, and "stars" symbolize angels. So a third of the angels joined this rebellion. They were cast out of heaven. It appears for a period of time, they kind of wandered through the universe, trying to locate a place where they could establish their kingdom. Right around this time, God goes about creating the earth, and he warns Adam and Eve because it's the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, so evil already existed. He warned them about this evil being and--but you know the story how Eve ate of the fruit and gave--well, she took it, ate, gave to Adam, and, well, then the devil claims the earth is his, and the earth, from then on, served as sort of the headquarters of the devil's dominion, his kingdom here on the earth. Jesus seems to endorse this when He speaks of the devil as being the prince of this earth, but when Jesus died, no longer is the devil now the representative of earth, but Christ is the second Adam. He took the place of the first Adam, who fell. He now is the second Adam. And, ultimately, the earth is going to be restored and redeemed after the 1,000 years, and the devil and the sinners are no more. God creates a new heavens and a new earth. So, when it says here in 2 Peter chapter 2, verse 14--or, yeah, verse 4, rather, that the devil and his angels--cast them down to hell, it's just a dark abyss. It's not a burning place of torment. It's the same type of idea of the bottomless pit that you read about in Revelation chapter 20. It's an emptiness. It's a darkness that we're looking for, a place to kind of establish as their own, and eventually, the earth became that place because of sin.
Carlos: Yeah, and in Revelation 12, it does. As you mentioned, they did come here to earth, which is where they were able to--he's able to put a foothold, but Christ took it away from him.
Jëan: That's right. That's why one of the temptations that came to Jesus was the devil said, "If you bow down and worship me, I'll give You the kingdoms of this earth." Now, we might think, "Well, why was that a temptation?" Well, because the devil claimed them as his, and he was saying to Jesus, "Instead of having to go through the cross, I'll just give it to you now," because that was a temptation that came to Christ. Good question. Thank you, Emily.
Carlos: Next, we have Jimmy from Texas. Welcome, Jimmy. You're live.
Jimmy: Yes, sir. Can you hear me?
Jëan: Yep.
Jimmy: Okay, my question is this. A pastor once told me this before I left his church because he was making way too many predictions that weren't exactly coming true at all, but my question is this. He told me that also one of the signs that a person hasn't committed the unpardonable sin is they have a desire to serve God. Is this true, or is this false?
Jëan: No, I think it's true. You know, I think if there's an earnest desire, that's evidence that the Holy Spirit is convicting and speaking to the heart. Now, you know, remorse is not necessarily evidence of the Holy Spirit speaking because even Judas felt remorse after he betrayed Christ, and he threw the money down to the temple and said, "I betrayed innocent blood," but then he went out, and he hanged himself. He was lost. But Peter, on the other hand, when he realized what he had done, he wept bitterly, and he was forgiven. So, when the Holy Spirit is convicting us and we are following that conviction, if we are turning to God in repentance, that's evidence the Holy Spirit is working on us. If there is a turning away from truth and a hardening of our heart and we don't want to do those things or we're turning away from or rejecting the promptings of the Holy Spirit, that's dangerous ground. We don't want to be on that ground for long. There does come a point where, if we reject the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit withdraws his convicting power, and it's the goodness of God that leads us to repentance, the Bible says, so without that convicting Spirit, we can reach that point of repentance. So the Bible says, "Repent." You know, when you hear that voice, "Today is the day of your salvation," don't wait another day for stronger impulses or stronger feelings. Today, if you hear the Holy Spirit, respond. Friends, the program is not over. We're just going to take our mid-program break, and we'll be back in just a few moments with more of your Bible questions.
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Announcer: You're listening to "Bible Answers Live," where every question answered provides a clearer picture of God and His plan to save you. So what are you waiting for? Get practical answers about the Good Book for a better life today. This broadcast is a previously recorded episode. If you'd like answers to your Bible-related questions on the air, please call us next Sunday between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m., Pacific time. To receive any of the Bible resources mentioned in this evening's program, call 800-835-6747. Once again, that's 800-835-6747. Now let's rejoin our hosts for more "Bible Answers Live."
Jëan: Hello, friends, and welcome back to "Bible Answers Live." We want to welcome those who are tuning in. If you've never been a part of this program before, this is a live, interactive, international Bible study, and if you have a Bible-related question or a question related about living the Christian life, we'd love to hear from you this evening. Our phone line here to the studio is 800-463-7297. That's 800-463-7297. Pastor Doug Batchelor is out this evening, but I am Pastor Jëan Ross, and working the phones with me is Pastor—
Carlos: Carlos Munoz.
Jëan: That's right. Thank you, Carlos.
Carlos: Amen.
Jëan: Who's our next caller?
Carlos: We have Michael from Alabama. Welcome, Michael. You're live on the air.
Michael: Good evening. Good evening. Thank you tremendously for accepting my call. This is a question I've tried to ask you for the past two weeks. Now, because I have evidences for my--a lot of evidences for my doubt, I'll take them one at a time over separate weeks to make them more concise. Basically, it's I have a tremendous problem with broad, sweeping generalizations in the English language, in general, and one of these--it really ticks me off when professing Christians use this--is the term "Word of God." "The Bible is the only Word. The Bible is infallible and perfect." Here's my--personally, I don't doubt the Holy Spirit absolutely being behind the inspiration to the scriptural writers.
Jëan: So, Michael, let me--Michael, let me ask you, are you asking is it wrong to say, "the infallible Word of God" or "the Word of God?" Is that your question?
Michael: What I'm saying is they sound like they're putting the guilt trip onto well-meaning Christian laypersons who are still trying to find out and still, I wouldn't say, "doubting," but especially the way televangelists and also Protestant fundamentalists have misused specific verses.
Jëan: Okay, just to clarify your question, so you're saying we need to be careful with the way we use the phrase "the Word of God" because maybe others don't believe the Bible is the Word of God?
Michael: Oh, certainly people in other world religions don't. I believe that it is inspired by the Holy Spirit, but here's the first example: What if the Apocrypha, why it now-- this is going to be a History Channel-type question. Why aren't the Apocrypha and the Dead Sea Scrolls and books that were excluded by rabbis and priests during the 400 silent years from the Old Testament, also some gospels written down by the remaining apostles who were themselves--what are they called--eyewitness to Christ Jesus, why were they excluded by the early church from the New Testament?
Jëan: Okay, great question.
Michael: Why aren't those Holy Writ? And I'll take my answer off here. Thank you so much for answering.
Jëan: Good question. What about the other writings, especially the Apocrypha, as you mentioned, Michael, in particular? And there are some other writings that have come up over the centuries and--for example, the book of Enoch. Maybe some of you have heard of that. And why is that not part of the Bible? Well, when it comes to the Old Testament, the books that made it into the Old Testament, you know, we're pretty sure on those books, and the Dead Sea Scrolls are evidence of that. Not all of the Dead Sea Scrolls were inspired writings. A lot of it had to do with history during that inter-Testament period. It had to do with certain things and events that were taking place in Israel. But with reference to the books of Moses, the books of the Old Testament prophets, they were validated, all of the Old Testament books except for the book of Esther. There's portions of those books that were found in the Dead Sea Scrolls. When it comes to the New Testament, in order to get your book in the New Testament or recognized as part of the Bible, there were some very specific tests that were applied. Number one, you had to be an eyewitness of Christ. The only exception to that is the apostle Paul. Now, the apostle Paul, of course, he was alive at the time of Christ, but he encountered Jesus in a very powerful way, and it was recognized and accepted by the church that he was called specifically by Jesus. The other Bible writers were actually eyewitnesses of events that occurred. If the evidence or if the writing could not be validated that this was a letter that had come from John or it come from Paul, they didn't accept it. It had to be a letter that was accepted by multiple churches, early Christian churches. So those are some of the criteria that were used. It doesn't mean that God doesn't inspire other aspects of writing or truth, but specifically, that's the criteria that was used to make it into the Bible, and we believe all of the Bible is inspired.
Carlos: And, also, some of those books, there are contradictions which is why they're not—
Jëan: Yeah, they contradict the Bible, then they excluded them as well. That's a good point.
Carlos: All right.
Jëan: We do have a book called "The Ultimate Resource." I was just thinking of that. It's all about the Bible. Want to learn more about where the Bible came from and how do we read and study the Bible? Just call and ask. The number is 800-835-6747. Ask for that book, called "The Ultimate Resource."
Carlos: Yes, so you can dial "#250" on your mobile phone, and say, "Bible Answers Live!" Next, we have Glen from Ohio. Welcome, Glen, to "Bible Answers Live."
Glenn: Yes, well, good evening from Bethel, Ohio, pastors, and thank you for taking my call.
Carlos: Amen.
Jëan: Yes, you're welcome, Glenn.
Glenn: When Paul wrote a letter to the Philippians, he put in there that "every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord." When will that take place, and what would be the method of confession?
Jëan: Okay, good question. Well, first of all, we know that that's not going to happen until after the Second Coming of Christ. Let me explain. So, according to the Bible, we know that things go from bad to worse until Jesus comes. Eventually, there is a death sentence passed prior to the Second Coming of Christ. The Bible speaks of a great showdown that occurs. Jesus comes the second time. The wicked are destroyed at the brightness of His coming. The righteous are resurrected, who are dead, and the living are changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, and they are caught up to meet Jesus in the air. The redeemed will then go to heaven for a thousand years. The earth is left desolate during that 1,000-year period. You read about that in Revelation chapter 20. Then, at the end of the thousand years, Revelation 21 talks about the New Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven. The redeemed come in that golden city. Christ is there. Then it is that all the wicked are resurrected for what the Bible calls the great white throne judgment. Again, this is Revelation chapter 20. At the end of that judgment, just with the evidence that's been presented, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Even the wicked, even the devil himself will acknowledge that God is true and that He has done everything He can to save mankind. Now, this acknowledgment is not out of genuine repentance. This is just an acknowledgement of the evidence. The evidence has been presented. It's overwhelming, and they say, "Yes, it's true," because no sooner do they confess, then it says that the devil is able to deceive them, and they mount the attack upon the New Jerusalem, Revelation chapter 20, and fire comes down from God out of heaven and devours them. And then He creates a new heavens and a new earth wherein dwells righteousness. So it occurs at the end of that 1,000-year period, known as the millennium, and you read all about that in Revelation chapter 20. And we do have a study guide that talks about this. It's called "1000 Years of Peace," and for anyone wanting to learn more about this, just call and ask. It's a very interesting study, Revelation 20. The number again is 800-835-6747, and ask for that study guide. It's called "1000 Years of Peace.
Carlos: All right, thank you very much. Next, we have Mark from Oregon. You're live on the air.
Mark: Hey, praise God for the way he works through you guys. My question is about the Holy Spirit. I have a friend. We speak about the Bible often, and I was just--his point of view is that the Holy Spirit has a female quality to it in the Bible. Can you help me understand what the Bible says about that, if any?
Jëan: All right. Well, when it comes to male and female, the Bible says, "God created them male and female, and He created them in His image." So there are aspects of the male, and there are aspects of the female, as far as character goes, that reflect the character of God. So God is the protector, and you might think of that when you think of the man. He's the protector. He's the provider for the family. You think of the woman, you think of the mother, she's the nurturer. She's the one that takes care of the needs and is sensitive to the needs of the family. Those qualities are both seen in the Creator, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Now, it's true that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, they have different roles when it comes to the plan of redemption. Jesus is the one that came to the earth. He gave His life as a sacrifice for sin. He rose from the dead. God the Father presides as the great judge. Jesus is also judge. The Holy Spirit is our intercessor, bringing our prayers before the Father. And Christ is also our mediator and our intercessor, our High Priest. So all of them have different roles in this great work of judgment, but they all share the qualities of Deity. They're all God. They all have those characteristics that we find, so I wouldn't say that one leans more to the one side of characteristics or the other. God is love. And, you know, even in the--well, probably in the Christian world in many different churches, people have the idea of the God of the Old Testament as being an "angry God"; the God of the New Testament, Jesus, being a more kind and loving God.
Carlos: Merciful, yeah.
Jëan: Well, Jesus Himself said, "Fear not, for the Father loves you." So Jesus said, "He who has seen Me has seen the Father." If you want to see what God the Father is like, look at Jesus. So there's no difference between the qualities of kindness and love and mercy and grace that you see manifest in Christ. It's there in the Father, and it's also manifested in the work that the Holy Spirit does in drawing us to Jesus.
Carlos: Yeah, you know, just for that point, I had somebody one time tell me that the Holy Spirit was a--was female, and I said, "Well, that's interesting because, in Luke chapter 1, it says that the Holy Spirit was the one that put the seed in Mary, so how could you be female? Never asked me that question again.
Jëan: Well, of course, the Bible also refers to the Holy Spirit as "When He, the Comforter, comes," the masculine form so—
Carlos: It transcends, right?
Jëan: It does, yup.
Carlos: Amen.
Jëan: All right, thank you. Who's next?
Carlos: Next, we have Kereace from Washington. Welcome to "Bible Answers Live."
Kereace: Hello, good night. Thanks for taking my call. I'm just asking you guys, please, if you could summarize Romans chapter 14, verses 17 to 21, if you guys could please explain for me, Okay, thank you.
Jëan: Yeah, absolutely. Thank you, Let me read it. It says, "For the kingdom of God is not eating or drinking, but righteousness, peace, and the joy of the Holy Spirit. For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men. Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another. Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for men who eat with offense. It is good neither to eat meat or drink wine or do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or made weak." So, Kereace, what specific about those verses are you wondering?
Kereace: "The kingdom of God is not eating and drinking." What does that part really mean?
Jëan: Okay, yeah, the point that Paul was addressing in the early Christian church, remember, there were both Jewish Christians; there were also Gentile Christians. And part of the discussion that occurred had to do with food. Now, it didn't have to do with whether food was clean, meaning that it was clean meats or unclean meats. It had to do with food that was offered or bought at the marketplace, some of which might have been offered to an idol. Paul says, you know, "Don't ask. If it's clean meat and you're allowed to eat it, you know, go ahead and buy it, but if you're going to offend your brother by doing so, then don't do that." So the point of unity that Paul is trying to bring, it's in the church between the Gentiles, the Jewish believers. He's bringing them together, and the points of dispute that had to do with eating and drinking, he was trying to harmonize. There were also certain rituals that were put in place, certain traditions that the Jews had that certain things couldn't be eaten on certain days. Certain things could be. There were certain feasts associated with the ceremonial law, and that became a point of controversy in the Christian church, and Paul is saying, "We don't want to make these things a point of controversy." He wasn't saying that we can just eat anything we want because, obviously, the Bible tells us, Paul tells us that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit, and we want to present ourselves a living, holy sanctuary for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. But that was the issue specifically that he was addressing was the controversy that was brewing in the early church between some of the ceremonial laws as the Jews applied it and the Gentiles as it had to do with food and certain sacrifices and so on.
Carlos: Yeah, thinking that an important point is that, when Paul or Peter talk about food, they can't be talking about unclean meats because that's not food for them.
Jëan: That's right.
Carlos: And so that's a very, very basic way of looking at it too.
Jëan: It had to do with certain foods associated with the ceremonial law.
Carlos: Exactly.
Jëan: Absolutely. All right, thank you, Kereace.
Carlos: Next, we have Daniel from my neck of the woods in Puerto Rico. Welcome, Daniel.
Daniel: Hello, good evening. Thank you for taking my call. My question is I've heard about--yesterday, I was with somebody, and she started telling me about the New World Order. I think that's the correct way to say it in English.
Carlos: Mm-hmm.
Daniel: And she was saying some things that are going to be in that order, like the money is going to be digital now, the government is going to be taking money from us if we don't behave well and that we can only be outside of the house for certain amount of time. And, in my mind, I was thinking, "But I thought that the Bible said that there was going to be no more world government, which, in that case, how can there be a New World Order?
Jëan: Okay, yeah—
Daniel: Does the Bible talk about that?
Jëan: Yeah, it does. Now, the Bible does say that, you know, when it talks about end-time events, "All the world marveled and wondered after the beast." Now, that doesn't mean that there's going to be one world government, meaning that we're not going to have individual countries or individual states, but they will be united in the last days in the support of the beast power, Revelation chapter 13. All the world will be brought under its control. So you'll have different countries, you'll have separate nations, but they will all support an agenda that'll come outside of--or there'll be united in that agenda, and I'll give you a couple examples. For example, we've got movements now, an international movement under the climate change, certain international laws or requirements that different nations need to sign on certain reductions in emission, and you know the story. There is almost a governing power of nations that is putting pressure on other countries to go certain ways, and if a country refuses to go along with certain laws at the end of time, the Bible says they're not going to be able to buy and sell. So you have economic sanctions that are going to come into play at the end of time. So you'll still have the individual countries, but they'll all be working together towards this common goal at the end.
Carlos: Yes, also Revelation 17 says that all the kings of the earth, they fornicate, or they have this illicit relationship with the Babylon, so that's that—
Jëan: Yeah, Babylon is a symbol of a religious power, so you have church and state working together in this alliance at the end of time.
Carlos: Yep.
Jëan: All right, thank you, Daniel.
Carlos: Next, we have Henry from New York. Welcome to "Bible Answers Live," Henry.
Henry: Yes, blessings to you. My question is why did Israel get rid of royalty?
Jëan: Okay, why did Israel get rid of royalty? You must be referring to--are you talking about after they were conquered by the Babylonians? They never really did have a king. They were always under some other country. They did have certain degrees of authority, but they were under Babylon or Medo-Persia or Greece or Rome, and, of course, it was Rome that conquered Jerusalem and the temple in 70 A.D. Today, Israel is sort of a democratic-style system of government, where there is not a monarchy, where they don't have a king. The truth is that Jesus symbolically is the King, the King of the Jews, but He's the King of the whole world, and He did come in fulfillment through the seed of David, and He did take spiritually the throne and established the kingdom of grace, and soon, at the Second Coming, He'll establish the kingdom of glory. So, yeah, hopefully that helps Henry.
Carlos: Yeah, and God never did want a king anyway. He wanted to be the King.
Jëan: He always wanted to be the King of Israel.
Carlos: Amen. Next, we have Smyrna from California. Welcome, Smyrna. You're on the air.
Smyrna: Hi, good evening, Pastor Ross, Pastor Muñoz. It is nice talking to you. I do have a question. It comes actually from one of my brothers from church. We were talking about Daniel and Revelation's book, and we understand the 1260 and the 1290, but when we were in Daniel 12:11-12, it comes at certain days. It's the 1,335 days, and when we finished reading that, we were not understanding where that came from or what does it mean, so my question is what is that for, the 1,335 days? What's the relation?
Jëan: Good question. Now, this is a very deep question. We find, in Daniel chapter 12, a series of time prophecies that are given. You've got the 1260, the 1290, and the 1335. The key to understanding these various time prophecies is the starting point, and the starting point has to do--verse 11, it says, "And at the time that daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination is set up--" then it goes on to the 1,290 days. Now, that, all of these different dates, the 1290, the 1260, and the 1335, all are the same starting date, and that starting date is 508, and the reason we say, "508," is because, in 508, you have the conversion of Clovis, king of the Franks, and the whole French nation, in essence, became Catholic at that time. That was key in providing the support for the papal power to be fully established in 538. So the 508 date is used as the starting point for both of that 1290 as well as the 1335. Now, the 1290, starting in 508, brings you to 1798, and the 1335 brings you to 1843. Significance of 1843 is, of course, the beginning of the antitypical day of atonement, the heavenly judgment. In Revelation chapter 14, "Fear God, give glory, and the hour of judgment has come." That's a whole study. We don't have time to get into all the details of that, but scholars have identified the 1335 as going from 508 through until 1843.
Carlos: All right, very good. Next, we have Trassan from New York. You're on "Bible Answers Live."
Trassan: Yes, hi, Pastor. Okay, so my concern is--the question that I want to ask you is that, as a Christian, are you allowed to drink occasionally?
Jëan: All right, should a Christian drink? Well, you know, the Bible says that, in our times of ignorance, God is winked at. There were things that happened back in Bible times, in the Old Testament, where it was not God's ideal will, but the people didn't know any better. For example, David had multiple wives. Solomon had multiple wives. Abraham had more than one wife. But now we know better. Now we know it's a sin. It's clearer. When it comes to drinking alcohol, I think, as a Christian, we know the consequences of alcohol and how it's destroyed families, how that it's not healthy. It's got, you know, issues for the body. We know that it's not the will of God that we, as Christians, should drink, both by example and also for our health. So should a Christian drink? I would say, no. I think you want to set an example. You want your body to be a tabernacle or a temple for the Holy Spirit. You want to be pure. You want to be holy. You don't want anything to defile your body. Now, that doesn't mean that everyone who drank in the past are automatically condemned, but to those who know to do right and don't do it, to them, it is sin, so I think, as Christians today, based upon the evidence that we find in Scripture, we don't want to drink any alcohol. We want to be an example of faithfulness in all we do.
Carlos: Especially, when you drink, your mind is not straight. You're not thinking straight, and God wants us to be morally on ground, solid ground.
Jëan: Yeah, and the Bible says, Paul--we just read the verse--he says we don't want to offend others by what we eat or what we drink, so if we're drinking something that could be a stumbling block to somebody else, we as a Christian shouldn't do it. You know, we do have a book. It's called "Alcohol and the Christian," and we'll be happy to send this to you, Trassan. All you have to do is just call and ask. The number is 800-835-6747. Ask for the book. It's called "Alcohol and the Christian." We'll be happy to get it in the mail and send it to you.
Carlos: Yeah, or mobile phones, dial "#250," and say, "Bible Answers Live!" Next, we have Celesta from Indiana. Welcome. You are on the air, sister.
Celesta: Thank you for taking my call. My question is if a pig was raised on grain and healthy food, is it still unsafe to eat?
Jëan: That's a good question, Celesta. Now, of course, remember, back in Bible times, pigs were raised on organic things. You know, they pretty healthy back then because they didn't have all of the chemicals and the hormones that you have today. Now, of course, it makes it even worse when meat is pumped full of hormones. The reason God tells us not to eat pork isn't because of what the animal ate, but it's because of the biology of the actual animal itself. Pigs have an amazing ability to retain high degrees of toxins in their flesh, in their system. Pigs can eat anything. It is amazing what they can eat, and they don't get sick, and they keep going. They are, now, unhealthy. They have high levels of fat, and the first meat that a doctor will take somebody off, if they're having heart problems, is pork. So it's not so much what you feed the pig. It's the biology of the pig itself that becomes so dangerous because it does retain a high degree of toxins in its system and a high degree of fat no matter what you feed it. So according to the Bible, you want to stay away from pork. It's an unclean animal.
Carlos: Yes, all right. And Anthony from Michigan, welcome to "Bible Answers Live." You're on the air.
Anthony: Hi, my question is--my father, he used to encourage me to try to take God seriously, but now he himself doesn't want anything to do with God. And my mother--I'm not trying to judge, but she seems to take it a little bit lightly. And I want to honor my father and mother so that I can keep both the Ten Commandments, but I don't know if until I see them taking a relationship with God more seriously, would my efforts be better spent trying to please God in other ways?
Jëan: Well, you know, I think--a good question. I think, first of all, we want to try and honor our parents irrespective of whether or not they follow God. I mean, just the fact that they're our parents, we want to treat them with respect. But having said that is, you know, God is our first parent, and He needs to be first and foremost in our life. We don't want to do those things to honor our parents that would contradict honoring our heavenly Father, so, you know, that's the priority. But what can we do for our parents if they're not serious about taking their Christianity or trusting in God? We can pray for them. We can be an example in the way we live. We can't keep harassing them. We need to respect them and let them make their own decision. We can pray for them, try and be a good example, and when the opportunity opens up, we could witness, but we can't push our views on anyone, but we can pray for them. At the same time, do everything you can to witness to others. It's not one or the other. It's both. In everything we do, we try to be a positive example to others. And, you know, Carlos, I know you were a opportunity to witness to your parents, and you actually had the privilege of baptizing your mom and your dad, so just through your example and not pushing but being able to be a positive light, you were able to make an impact upon their life.
Carlos: Amen, let them see Christ in you.
Jëan: That's right. Well, friends, we're coming up on our end of the program for those who are listening on satellite radio. For the rest of you, stand by. We're going to take your email questions.
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Carlos: All right, we want to welcome you back to this special bonus part that we have with email questions that have come in, and so we'll do the rapid-fire email questions. For Pastor Jëan, "Jëan, God created everything in the universe, but who created God?"
Jëan: Oh, that's the question we hear quite a bit, "Where did God come from?" The Bible doesn't tell us. Matter of fact, the Bible says that God's ways is higher than our ways. The Bible says God is eternal, and "He has no beginning. He has no end." We can't understand that. We live in a realm of time. We have a beginning. We have an end. Everything we know has a beginning and an end, but God is not in our realm. The Bible says He's eternal. So those are the questions we'll probably need to ask when we get to heaven, but the Bible doesn't tell us.
Carlos: All right. Lindsay Inlet is asking, "Is Zachariah in the Old Testament, the author of the book Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist?"
Jëan: No, they are two different people. Zechariah was a popular name or at least a more common Jewish name. Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, is not the same Zechariah that wrote the book of Zechariah in the Old Testament.
Carlos: All right, another question, "God demanded the Israelites to annihilate the occupants of pagan cities, but what will be the fate of the children and babies of those cities at the resurrection?"
Jëan: Yes, what happens to those who died under the age of accountability in these judgments that came? I guess the same question could be asked with reference to the children at the time of the flood. When God destroyed, the flood, there were children, young children, little babies. Well, I think God's going to have to deal with those individually as far as judgment. He knows the end from the beginning. What we do know is, for a believer, if they lose their child, they have the hope of being reunited with their child in the resurrection. So, for a believer, if a child dies under the age of accountability, or a baby, we have the hope of being reunited.
Carlos: All right, another question, "Are the 144,000 the only people saved when Jesus comes?"
Jëan: Well, the Bible speaks about a group of people that will be saved, when Jesus comes, who have the seal of God in their foreheads. It also talks about a great resurrection where people will be from every multitude, nation, tribe, and tongue and people. There will be a great group of people. So the 144,000 represent God's end-time apostles, you might say, who are, in a special way, doing a work for proclaiming the three angels' messages at the end of time. They symbolize those who will be translated when Jesus comes a second time.
Carlos: All right, "What did Jesus mean when He said that 'night is coming when no one can work'?"
Jëan: Well, you know, now is the opportunity that we can work. There is a time coming, the Bible says in Revelation 22, where Jesus says, "He that is holy, let him be holy still. He that is filthy, let him be filthy still." Probation closes. It's too late then. Now is the time for us to work. Well, friends, you hear the sound of the music. We are running out of time, but until next week, God bless.
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