BAL 2024, Ep24 - How Can We Be Sure There Is No Pre-Tribulation Rapture ?

Doug Batchelor: Hello, friends. Would you like to hear an amazing fact? In the summer of 1923 Frank and Elizabeth Fraser and their 2-year-old dog, Bobbie, set out from Silverton, Oregon, on a road trip to Indiana to visit family. When they stopped at a service station in Indiana, their dog, a medium-sized collie, was attacked by three other dogs and fled. They searched everywhere for him, but in the end, they could not find him. Heartbroken, they eventually returned to Oregon believing they'd never see their beloved dog again. Then one day, 6 months later, their daughter saw a skinny and exhausted dog approaching them up the street that looked like Bobbie. After seeing his joyful reaction and noting the unique scar above his eye, they knew it was their long-lost dog. After his story drew national attention, some of the people who sheltered him during his journey came forward and the Frasers were able to reconstruct the complete route that Bobbie crossed. It was 2500 miles. He journeyed across hundreds of miles of open plains, he swam countless streams and rivers, plodded through dry deserts, and then crossed the Rocky Mountains in the middle of winter, earning him the nickname, "Bobbie the Wonder Dog." He was the inspiration for several books and the movie, "Lassie Returns." Wouldn't it be wonderful, Pastor Ross, if all of us were that determined to be back with our masters?

Jëan Ross: Yeah, that's an amazing fact, Pastor Doug. You know, we're just talking about some of these different animals and, of course, dogs are not the only ones, but there's been a story of other pets that have made their way back home, traveling long distances. But I think there's a sense of loyalty. There's many stories about dogs and their loyalty and their desire to be back with their master. And there's a good lesson in that for us.

Doug: Yeah, they bond when they're young, they know their master, they know their home. And the incredible thing, we were talking about this, is they've got an amazing sense of smell, but I'm quite sure that the track of this family's car and its exhaust had blown away a long time before the dog was able to catch up with them. And so, there's something beyond just their tracking the smell. I don't know if the dog had remembered the different smells driving across the country or if they're guided by some kind of magnetic inner compass, like some birds and it's--or the turtles that find their way to the place where they're born. I don't know how they do it, but I've heard some amazing stories about dogs, and even cats that have found their way after miles and miles of being separated from their home, they find their way to their masters. And I thought, you know, if we all had that same kind of dedication to search for God and to get to our heavenly home.

There's a verse whenever I sign one of my books, I usually put this verse in there: Jeremiah 29:13: "And you will seek for Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all of your heart." Now, people know that there's God and there's a lot of folks that are searching for God and the truth. But once you accept Jesus, there are so many different versions of Christianity and ideas about what the church is. What do you do? Where do you go? Where do you begin to find out what is the truth? Because there's some vast differences between various denominations about who the Lord is and how to be saved. And--do we have something special that maybe we can offer, people can find those answers?

Jëan: We do Pastor Doug. It's a book entitled, "The Search for the True Church." Now, in the book, we don't just say, "Well, we think this is the church." We actually give biblical principles that one could follow in weighing up different churches and different groups and saying, "Well, which group is the closest to the Bible?" And that's really what the goal is. We want to find a group of believers that believe the Bible, that are following the teachings of scripture. What are those principles? What do we look for? Well, it's in the book. It's called "The Search for the True Church." That is our free gift. We'll send it to anyone who calls and asks. The number to call is 800-835-6747. That is our resource phone line. Just call and ask for our free offer. It's called, "The Search for the True Church." You can also get a digital copy of the book by simply dialing #250 on your smartphone. Say, "Bible Answers Live," and then ask for the book by name. It's called, "The Search for the True Church." And the number to call if you have a Bible-related question, the number is 800-463-7297. You probably see that on your screen. If you are watching this online, 800-463-7297. I want to greet those who are also watching on "Amazing Facts TV," and on Hope Channel and 3BN and the other networks, Good News TV. I want to greet all of you, those who are live. Call us with your Bible question.

Well, Pastor Doug, before we go to the phone lines, let's start with prayer. Dear Father, what a joy to be able to open up Your Word and study together. The most important thing that we can do is to know the truth, for the truth will set us free. So we ask Your blessing upon our time of study today. Be with those who are listening and watching and just lead us all into a clear understanding of Bible truth, for we ask this in Jesus's name, amen.

Doug: Amen.

Jëan: Our first caller this evening, we've got Jerry listening in Texas. Jerry, welcome to "Bible Answers Live."

Jerry: Astonishing, Pastor, that story. But anyway, simple Bible questions tonight is Hebrews 12:26 and God will shake the earth immensely and is shaking heaven. Is that when all the angels leave?

Doug: In Hebrews chapter 12 and you go to verse 26, let me read this for our listeners. It says--I probably need to start with verse 25. "See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we refuse Him who speaks from heaven, for whose voice then shook the earth." He's talking about when God gave the Ten Commandments. It says: "The mountain did quake and the people were terrified." But now He's promising, "Yet once more I'll shake not only the earth, but heaven also." Here is a quote from the book of Haggai that Paul, who we believe wrote Hebrews, is referencing. He says, "I'll not only shake the earth, but heaven also." And the Bible tells us in Revelation when the Lord comes there's a great earthquake. Says: "The heavens departed as a scroll."

So, you got the heavens and the earth shaking at the Second Coming. So--but even when Christ was on the earth during His ministry, there was a great earthquake when He died on the cross, but I think this is, of course, after that, so he's looking ahead. Jëan: That's right. Sort of the next big visit of God to the earth. So, he's referring to the Ten Commandments. He's referring to the time when Christ was here and then the next time when God comes to earth, well, it's the Second Coming, Jesus comes. And the earth is going to shake violently, as the Bible says in Revelation.

You know, we do have a study guide that talks about the Second Coming. And it is called "Ultimate Deliverance," talking about the Second Coming of Christ, what does the Bible say about that. We'll be happy to send that to anyone who calls and ask. The number, again, is 800-835-6747. And the study guide is called the "Ultimate Deliverance." The "Ultimate Deliverance." You can get it by dialing #250, and just ask for it by name. We'll be happy to send it to you.

Jëan: Thank you, Jerry. We've got Gary in Illinois. Gary, welcome to "Bible Answers Live."

Gary: Thank you. In Revelation 7, verse 3, it says that "angels are told not to harm the earth until the servants of God are sealed in their forehead." And then again in Revelation 9, verse 4, it says that "angels will torment those who don't-- do not have the seal of God." So, my question is, what is the seal of God? Could you explain that more deeply?

Doug: Yeah, well, right on the surface, the seal of God is the Holy Spirit. That's the first part. I think everyone knows that those that are saved have the Holy Spirit. Now, let me give you some verses here. It says, for instance, 2 Corinthians 1:22: "Who has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts." Ephesians 1:13: "Whom, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise." Ephesians 4:30: "Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed." So obviously, those who have the mark of the beast have the spirit of the devil. And those who have the seal of God, have the Spirit of God.

But there's something deeper. A seal biblically was when a king or an official attached authority to a document, he would put his seal on it. And the seal typically had three things. It contained the king's name, his title, king, governor, whatever it was, or-- and his territory. And so, you had the title, the name, the territory were contained in a seal. Then you read in the Bible in Isaiah chapter 8, it says: "Bind up the testimony, seal My law among My disciples." In the law of God, you find a seal of God. That's in the fourth commandment where it says, "Remember to keep the Sabbath Day holy for in 6 days, the Lord," there's His name, "created or made," that's his title, He is the creator, "the heavens and the earth," that's His territory. So you've got the seal of God and the law of God. And I think that's one of the characteristics is the people of God in the last days, it says: "They keep the commandments of God and they have the testimony of Jesus." That's a quick answer.

Jëan: Yeah, you mentioned there, Pastor Doug, that there's two groups in the book of Revelation at the end of time. Those with the mark of the beast, those with the seal of God. Revelation 7 describes the group with the seal of God and says they have it in their forehead which, of course, represents the mind. Those that have the mark of the beast have it in their forehead or their hand. So, you know, they also have the hand. It's interesting, the word used for mark. And it's also the same idea that you find in Ezekiel where it talks about setting a mark or a seal. The Greek there is charakter where we get the English word "character." So it is something to do with choosing to obey. Do we obey God, keep commandments, or do we obey the beast's power and keep the commandments of the beast?

We do have a study guide. It's called "The Mark of the Beast." Now, "The Mark of the Beast" also talks about the seal of God. You can't talk about the mark of the beast without the seal of God. Very important subject because the third angel warns about not receiving the mark of the beast. We'll be happy to send this to anyone who calls and asks. The number is 800-835-6747. Just call and ask. It's--ask for the study guide, "The Mark of the Beast," and we'll send it to you. You can dial #250 on your smartphone and say "Bible Answers Live" and then ask for it by name. "The Mark of the Beast" is one of our more popular study guides and we will send it to you. Next caller that we have is Brittany in California. Evening, Brittany.

Brittany: Hey, hey.

Doug: Hi, thanks for calling.

Brittany: Yeah, my question is, does the sixth commandment in the Ten Commandments, "You shall not kill," involve killing all the unclean animals, specifically squirrels, rats, or mice?

Doug: Oh, okay. Does the commandment that says, "Do not kill," also apply to even, like, unclean animals and rats and mice? I don't, I think, yeah, I don't think that God is saying in the commandment do not kill, you know, a mosquito. I had to kill a cockroach today. It's killing. But let me just--let me just say, I don't want to take this rabbit trail too far. There are variations of value in life. Jesus said we are worth more than sparrows. He also said you're worth more than many sheep. Killing a mosquito is not as big a moral dilemma as maybe killing an intelligent creature, you know, you know, killing a dog or, yeah, I think a mouse is worth more than a mosquito. There's like a value and man is the crowning act of God's creation, but the commandment really has nothing to do with killing because every time you pull a weed, you're technically killing something. It has to do with murder.

Now, when Jesus quotes the Ten Commandments, it's in Mark chapter 10:19. He said, "You know the Commandments: 'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not murder.'" Murder is different from killing. The Ten Commandments don't really mean--in the Hebrew, it says, "Thou shall not kill," and the word there is "murder." Murder means the unlawful taking of innocent life. So, if a policeman needs to shoot someone in the act of defending innocent parties, they don't ever charge him with murder. It's justifiable homicide, and you're not guilty, you won't be incarcerated. Or if you're defending your home and someone dies. So, murder is a definition of taking the innocent life, unlawful, taking an innocent life. It's different than killing a rat. I had to kill a mouse the other day too. People are going to think I'm terrible, killing mice and cockroaches, but, all in one week, but that's not murder. It's not breaking the sixth commandment.

Jëan: And, of course, sometimes having to kill some of these pests, it's for health reasons too. It's unhealthy to have mice running around your house.

Doug: You know, there's this temple in India where they actually, they worship rats.

Jëan: The rats are everywhere.

Doug: And they feed them and they, yeah, and it's just, it's true, friends. It's another amazing fact. You can look it up and I don't think I could ever deal with that. They're running everywhere, yeah?

Jëan: All right, next caller that we have is Anthony in New York. Anthony, welcome to "Bible Answers Live."

Anthony: Oh, good evening, Pastors. My question is based on Matthew chapter 18. Just to be succinct, it, you know, talks about how to handle disputes with the brethren, those in the Christian faith, I believe, you know, go to the person alone. If they don't hear you, then take two or three others. If they don't hear you, then take it before the church. Now within the context of social media and YouTube and other platforms like that, where content creators put videos up, I'm noticing a trend where, you know, different content creators and usually pastors or people in the church are handling disputes or, you know, making videos disputing each other or talking about each other, debating each other, just went back and forth like a volleyball with videos. So, I just want to understand what is--how do we apply Matthew 18 within the context of our current social media environment?

Doug: Yeah, good question. Well, I think that if you're in--if you're in a position of public teaching and you want to dispute a topic, well, you're free to, you know, just post what you believe the truth is on that topic. If you've had a personal dispute with another individual, I don't think it's ever right for a Christian to publicly demean a person or, you know, take them to task. You should make every effort to contact them on a personal basis is what Jesus said. You go to that brother alone and I did a debate with another pastor, but we sat down and went to lunch first and we were, you know, said very friendly, we're going to stand up, we're going to share our different positions, and this was not a personal attack. If I've got a problem with another individual, I'm not going to post something and disparage that person without trying to contact them first.

Now, if we're having theological discussions, well, you know, and people do it with me all the time, you know, they'll say, "Pastor Doug said such and such, but I take exception with that," and they'll post a video, and that's fine, you know? They're dealing with an issue. But if they said, you know, "Pastor Doug beats his children," and they don't call me first to find that that's not true, that's not appropriate when you start getting personal with people.

Jëan: And, you know, this is not a new thing. Of course, we have social media, but in the old days people would write articles in newspapers, even religious magazines, and they would, you know, argue back and forth and it wasn't good. It kind of put the whole message, the whole movement, the church, in a negative light. Here are people that claim to believe the same thing, or they're part of the church and yet they slinging mud at each other. And I think as Christians, that's something we want to avoid. Social media, sort of, amplified that in a big way.

Doug: And, you know, a bigger principle that this raises is when there's error out there and someone is teaching error, don't spend a lot of time talking about what the counterfeit is. You got to highlight the true, and a lot of people go back and forth, exposing the other counterfeits, but they don't really say, "Well, what is the truth?" And if people are better acquainted with the truth, they'll recognize the counterfeit. So that's another thought on that. Good question, Anthony.

Jëan: All right, next caller that we have is David, listening in California. David, welcome to "Bible Answers Live."

David: Hello. Doug: Hi, David. And your question tonight?

David: How can I stay away from energy drinks?

Doug: Well, you just say, what's that, Nike says: "Just do it." I'd say, "Just don't do it." Now, it is true that energy drinks, typically it's caffeine, caffeine is proven to be addictive. It's not as bad as heroin or even nicotine, but any of these things that end with an "ine," nicotine, caffeine, morphine, they can be addictive, and people who are in the habit of drinking a lot of Coke or coffee and they stop, they're prone to get a headache, but that usually goes away in 2 or 3 days. And I'd say just, you know, grin and bear it. You have to--after you get through the first few days you should start feeling normal and then it's really getting out of just the habit of doing it and you'll probably sleep better.

Jëan: Yeah, and, you know, you can substitute it with something good for you. So, instead of reaching for that Pepsi or that energy drink that, like you said, Pastor Doug, is just loaded with caffeine, drink water, I don't know, drink juice, do something different. But yeah, it can be a challenge. I've worked with people that I had to kind of taper off. But yeah, you've got to make that decision, not good for you.

Doug: And you know, they're doing more and more. It started out just soda and now they got this, you know, Monster and Jolt and Rockstar and these folks are--they've had kids that have gone to the hospital and they check them out and their blood pressure, their hearts, are racing. These are teenagers and they found out that they were drinking one energy drink after another and it's not energy, it's really a drug.

Jëan: All right, thank you, David. Next caller that we have is Steve in Oregon. Steve, welcome to the program.

Steve: Hi. I, in the 1970s, was in the Navy, US Navy, and stationed out of Scotland and went on a submarine and we'd go out for, you know, 70 days submerged and come back. Well, after the patrol, we'd get one month off and we didn't have to, you know, we had--and what I would do is I would hitchhike around Europe. We got a backpack and, in my travels I, my heritage is from Sweden. I got up into Sweden and got a ride with a guy that was very wealthy, and I asked him about tithe and because he told me that the government of Sweden in the '70s back then at his income level would tax him 90% of his income. And I was, you know, astounded like that how can you--I just have to earn more money and then I have plenty. But how in the past when I've heard on your program that we're supposed to do the 10% from our gross income, that would leave someone with no but--nothing.

Doug: Well, I'd never had that question before. So, if you're in a country that taxes you 90% and then you give your 10%. Of course, let me just answer right away. I don't know how God will do it. But yeah, you do what God says, you have to put Him ahead of the government. And so, you obey God with tithe. How that works out mathematically, I don't know the answer.

Jëan: You know, usually somebody that is being taxed at that high of a level, they probably make a whole lot more than the average person does. So, even though, yeah, they end up with 10% they probably have a lot of money that makes up that 10%. So, I don't know. Did they pay the whole-- pay the whole thing? So, that's a good--we've never had that before, Pastor Doug. That's a good question. But really, the biblical principle is your increase.

Doug: I'd say move to another country. That's my answer. If you're in a country that charges 90 percent tax, the biblical thing to do is move to another country.

Jëan: You know, we do have a study guide that talks about the Bible and finance. It's called, "In God We Trust?" Lays out some great biblical principles that the Bible gives for how to use our resources. We'll be happy to send it to anyone who calls and asks. The number is 800-835-6747. You can ask for the study guide. It's called, "In God We Trust?" It's 800-835-6747. I think we have time for another caller here before the break. We got Donna in Maryland. Donna, welcome to the program.

Donna: Hi, thank you. Hi, Pastors.

Doug: Hi, thanks for calling.

Donna: So, my question is about the Sabbath. There's this very fine line when it comes to helping others. So, if I'm approached by a homeless person on the Sabbath and I took them to McDonald's to get something to eat, did I just break the Sabbath?

Doug: Well, I don't think so. If you meet someone that's hungry and, you know, you don't have any resources at your home or at your fingertips and you want to feed them and the only way to feed them is either-- and sometimes you hand money to homeless people and it doesn't go to food. So, I can understand where-- but I think you'd be better off taking them to Taco Bell than McDonald's. But, anyway, I don't know that that's a moral dilemma, Pastor Ross?

Jëan: No, you know, there are situations, for example, another situation, somebody might be sick, and you've got to go buy some medicine. I know we've had to do it with our kids. It's the Sabbath. You don't want them suffering. Like, there's nothing wrong. We don't have any medicine. You'll get some medicine on the Sabbath. That's not breaking the Sabbath. Of course, you're not doing it on a regular basis. It's an unexpected event, somewhat of an emergency. That's sort of the illustration of the ox falling in the ditch, yeah, on the Sabbath. You reach in and you pull it out, you help. So, yeah, there are exceptions.

Doug: Yeah, so, yeah, and I-- that's not the kind of thing that usually happens to you every day, so.

Jëan: No, it will be unique.

Doug: The Lord understands that. All right, thanks so much, Donna. I appreciate your call. We got 2 minutes. We might get one more in.

Jëan: We've got Joyce in Tennessee. Joyce, welcome to the program.

Joyce: Oh, hi. Thanks for taking my call. Listen, I'm going to try to be really quick. I listened to a sermon not too long ago and the person alluded to the relationship between Jesse and David in a way that he mentioned Psalms chapter 53:5. And I wanted to find out just what was the relationship between Jesse because he mentioned something that made it sound like there was some contingent between them. And that's why Jesse was--David was not called into the meeting when the prophet came to anoint the sons of David. So, I just wanted to know is there something there that we're not aware of? The scripture makes me--I thought--I always believed that the scripture, Psalms 53:5 was a man's condition, general condition, versus a personal thing with David. I hope that question makes sense.

Doug: All right, now, so you said Psalm 53 verse 5.

Jëan: 51.

Doug: 51:5.

Joyce: 51:5.

Doug: Okay, all right. Yeah, that's where he says, "Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me." Some people, I think Augustine and others, use this to try to argue for original sin. But he's just saying that, you know, as Job says, as the sparks fly upwards, so are people naturally prone to sin. It wasn't meaning that there was anything particularly sinful about David's birth. There's nothing in the Bible, I've read the whole story of David many, many times, every year just about. And I've never read anything that says there was any particular problem between David and his father. The only reason he was not there is because he was the youngest and they needed someone to watch the sheep during the feast. And later, David protects his family and he saves them from Saul. He sends them, his father and mother, to live in Moab because, remember, David had a Moabite grandmother, a great-grandmother. So, I've never read anything, Pastor Ross, that said there was anything, any other animosity between Jesse and his father. He sends--or David, rather. And Jesse, he sends his son to his brothers with food, entrusts him to feed them.

Jëan: There's some little jealousy between David and some of his older brothers, as you have--you alluded to that story. But no, as far as David and his father, we have no record of there ever being an issue.

Doug: Yeah, anyway. Hey, friends, don't go away. We're just going to have a little break here. You can give us a call. More Bible questions in just a few minutes. We'll be back.

Announcer: Stay tuned. "Bible Answers Live" will return shortly.

Announcer: Amazing Facts Changed Lives.

Justin: Growing up as a kid, my mother was on drugs and alcohol, lots of fighting in the home. My mom would be abused mentally, verbally, physically. Went from California to Oregon, spent some time in Oregon, and it was just the same cycle of drugs, alcohol, violence. My mom's boyfriend would go to jail at times. She would wait until he would, you know, get out of jail and it was back to square one. The drugs and the alcohol escalated to a lot harder drugs, crystal meth, cocaine, and lots and lots of alcohol.

So, I started using the alcohol to--as a medication. It was like a--the misery and the fear that I had. I wanted to drown all that misery. Times I would just grab, you know, a bottle of beer and go out into the desert and just drink until sometimes I'd just pass out in the desert somewhere and wake up the next morning and, you know, and I just couldn't find rest. My stepdad had got me a motorcycle and so I started riding motorcycles. I'd drink a lot of beer, get on the motorcycle, ride into the desert, do donuts, and just throughout, you know, just ride on private property. People would chase me off and I was just causing--stirring up dust and rocks and just causing chaos and the adrenaline rush that I had was so exciting. And the feeling of it was so intense that I loved it and it-- I forgot about all my problems, you know, at the moment and I thought that material things would make me feel so good, you know?

And so, I started working, started making money, had a responsibility. But, as time went by, I had more money. So, I would, you know, use my money that I made to buy drugs and alcohol. Got pulled over, drinking and driving, ended up going to jail for a couple of days. I lost my job because I missed work for a few days. Lost my girlfriend, lost all the money that I had. So once again, I was empty, no money, no drugs, no alcohol. And that was a turning point in my life.

At this time, I was living with my grandfather. And as I was flipping through the channels on the satellite system, I found "Amazing Facts." Pastor Doug Batchelor was telling his--sharing his testimony about how he was living in a cave and he was-- he struggled the same struggles of alcohol and drugs. And I continued to read the book, "The Richest Caveman," and it really impacted my life and really related to the things he was struggling with and all of the events that took place in his life. And when I started reading the Bible, Philippians 4:13 says: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." I recognized that I had no strength. I was weak and I was wretched and I needed help.

So, I just asked the Lord, I said, "Just help me, Lord." And the Holy Spirit convicted me and I decided to be baptized and to give my life to Jesus Christ. A few years after the Lord took the temptation of drinking and doing drugs, He gave me a beautiful wife I met at church. Now I have a beautiful baby boy, 2-year-old baby boy. It's just exciting to see, you know, what God is doing in my life and my family.

I met with some friends from my local church that I was attending and they had told me about Amazing Facts, Center of Evangelism Training Seminar. The AFCOE to Go program really inspired me and motivated me to tell young people about, you know, the same struggles that I was struggling with to help these kids give your life to Jesus Christ. And there's nothing else that you could ask for. I'm Justin and God used you to change my life.

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."

Doug: Welcome back, listening friends, to "Bible Answers Live." And for those who may have joined us enroute, this is a live international interactive Bible study. You can join us with your Bible questions calling 800-GOD-SAYS, that's 800-463-7297 and I am Doug Batchelor.

Jëan: My name is Jëan Ross, and you can also send us your question via email. The email address is BALquestions@amazingfacts.org. Just BALquestions@amazingfacts.org. Pastor Doug, we have a couple of email questions. Steve is asking: What verse in the Bible states that the earth is round?

Doug: Well, if they're looking for a verse that says the earth is a sphere, there's no verse that--Isaiah talks about the circle of the earth. And yeah, I'm guessing maybe this question is coming from somebody, I--it's amazing to me how many people have kind of got caught up in what they call the Flat Earth Theory. And you and I have flown all around the world. Friends, we've seen firsthand, the earth is round. We've been all the way around the world.

Jëan: Yeah, and the Bible says: "God sits on the circle of the earth." So another question that we have: Did God command the temple builders to construct the temple stones and the temple furniture off-site?

Doug: Well, we know that the construction was done off-site, and all the measurements were made off-site, which is one reason for that story about the stone which the builders rejected. They had quarried a cornerstone at the quarry. And when it was sent over to the construction site, they weren't sure where it went, and they kept tripping over it. And that was because the quarrying and the measurements were made at the quarry, which was several miles away. I think they found the place where Solomon's stones were quarried. But it--there's no command where it says, "You shall not chisel any of the stones on the building site." They didn't do it probably, one, out of reverence because it was a holy building and there was no sound of tool as it was being put together, also because it was in Jerusalem city limits. And that would have whenever you live next to a construction site, it could be pretty disruptive and the king's palace was there. So--but there was no command that I have ever found where it said you're required to build it off-site.

Jëan: I think there's also a practical aspect of that. If you were going to--and some of those stones in the construction of the temple are massive. And if you're going to have to transport a lot of stone from one place to another, you want to transport just what you need. You don't want extra stone. So, they would cut it to the right size, amazing measurements to make sure that all the stones fit together. But they would carve it out and get it just to the right size and then transport that to the building site. Otherwise, they'd have a lot of gravel they had to haul away. Yeah, they'd have extra stone they have to carry.

All right, one more question, one more email question, then we'll go back to the phone lines. Chris is asking is the term that we find in the Bible, "the bottomless pit" in Revelation, the same as "the abyss" that you read about where the demons say, "Don't cast us into the abyss"?

Doug: Yeah, in Luke chapter 8, the demon-possessed man, he says--well, the demons are speaking and they say they're a legion of demons. They say, "Do not cast us into the abussos," which is the Greek word for the nothingness, meaning no one to manipulate, to possess. And it is the exact same word you find in Revelation 20. It's a condition of the world during the 1000 years where it's dark. It's the same word in the Septuagint, when the Greek version of the Old Testament, when they explain the creation. It says the earth was void. It says the earth was abussos. And it's--it means an emptiness. It doesn't mean bottomless pit, though we sometimes use when there's a void, where there's an emptiness, we call it the abyss. Like the Grand Canyon is an abyss.

Anyway, thanks so much. And we're going to take live calls now, I think.

Jëan: That's right. The phone line here to the studio is 800-463-7297 with your Bible question. We've got Abi in California. Abi, welcome to the program.

Abi: Hi. Hi, Pastor Batchelor and Pastor Ross.

Doug: Hi, thank you for calling. And your question?

Abi: My question is if I--okay, so scarlet is associated with sin and I was wondering if I have a daughter, would it be a sin to call her "Scarlett"?

Doug: Well, it wouldn't be my first choice. If you've ever heard of the classic called "Gone with the Wind," that one of the title characters is Scarlett O'Hara. So, it's not uncommon to have the name "Scarlett." Scarlet's a beautiful color. It's often associated with blood in the Bible. It talks about, you know, scarlet is connected with blood and scarlet's connected with "though your sins be as scarlet." If--I'd say if you're ever in doubt if you're going to have a child, it's not a sin to name them "Scarlett." It's not a sin to name them Jezebel or Pilate. Oh, it might be, I don't know. But, you know, I'd say if you're going to--if you're going to have second thoughts about a name, well, pick something else. You don't want to be forever wondering why you named them something. So, but no, I don't think there's any Bible injunction. There's other places in the Bible where the word "scarlet" is also positive. I'm trying to think of them right now, but I've read both.

Jëan: Okay, thank you. The next caller that we have is Annette in Texas. Annette, welcome to the program.

Annette: Good evening.

Doug: Evening.

Annette: Yes, my question is, does God still use prophets in the church today?

Doug: Well, I believe so. When you look in 1 Corinthians chapter 14 and chapter 12, he talks about the gifts of the Spirit, and one of the gifts of the Spirit is the gift of prophecy. And when you read in Joel chapter 2, says: "One of the signs of the last days, I'll pour out My Spirit on all flesh and your sons and daughters will prophesy." So, one of the things He says will happen in the last days, and then if you read the last verse in the Old Testament, "Behold, I send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of the Lord." And that first was fulfilled in John the Baptist. But Jesus says Elijah will come, even after John. So, the Bible doesn't say that God ever withdrew this gift.

And then when you look in Revelation 12, at when it describes in chapter 12, verse 17, characteristics of His church in the last days, it says: "This--these are they that keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus." And then you say, "Well, what's the testimony of Jesus?" You go to Revelation 19, verse 10, it says the angel says: "The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." So one of the characteristics of God's people in the last days is they are obeying the commandments of God. And they still have and believe in the modern example of prophecy. So, I don't see anywhere where the Bible says He was withdrawing one of the gifts of the Spirit in the last days.

Jëan: Now, the Bible does warn against false prophets in the last days. Well, that would then maybe mean, well, maybe there's a true gift of prophecy in the last days. And how do we know the difference? Well, the Bible gives us signs, certain tests that could be applied for a prophet. And these are important because Jesus warned. He said, "Be aware of false prophets in the last days." So, we've got to test what so-called prophets say by the Word of God.

And we do have a study guide. It's called, "Did God Inspire--" or "Does God Inspire Psychics and Astrologists?" And that is a free offer. We'll be happy to send it to anyone who calls and asks. The number is 800-835-6747. Or you can dial #250 on your smartphone. What are the signs that the Bible gives? Determine the true gift of prophecy versus the false gift of prophecy, and you'll be blessed. So just call and ask for that. We'll be happy to send it to anyone who contacts us. Next caller that we have-- did you want to add to that, Pastor Doug?

Doug: No, I'd just say, yeah, that lesson actually goes through. It doesn't mention prophets in the title, but it does go through the test of a true prophet in that lesson.

Jëan: Sammy is calling in California. Sammy, welcome to the program.

Sammy: Good evening, Pastor Batchelor. Good evening, Pastor Ross.

Doug: Evening.

Sammy: My question is, you know, a lot of Protestants believe in sola scriptura, right? And other denominations don't believe in that. They have--they put less weight in scripture. How do we know if the original early church correctly chose the books of the--that form the New Testament today?

Doug: Yeah, well, it's through the mouth of two or three witnesses. They were guided by the Holy Spirit. There's actually several criteria that the early church used to evaluate if a book was to be considered inspired. For one thing, Peter calls the writings of Paul "scripture" and that's in 2 Peter chapter 3-- so it, right there, since Paul wrote about half the New Testament, that settles about half the books. And then they looked at the books based on, were they in harmony with the teachings of the Bible? I want to say teachings of the Bible! Did they correspond with the teachings of the prophets, that you would find in the Old Testament? Were they endorsed by the apostles? I understand that by 100 A.D., all of the books that we now have in our Bible people say, "Well, they didn't know for hundreds of years," there were church councils years later that affirmed it. But by 100 A.D., the 27 books in our New Testament were already settled and recognized as inspired. And there was no book of Judas. There was no book of Thomas, there was no book of Mary Magdalene. Those things all came as apocryphal books, hundreds of years later. And they were cross-referenced, basically, by the apostles.

Jëan: And then these letters that came from these different apostles, they were recognized by the churches, they were copied, and then sent to other churches and it was repeated. And so the same letter was copied many, many times. And so we have evidence to support that these were recognized as sacred writings.

You know, we have a book called, "The Ultimate Resource," that talks about the Bible, talks about the different books, and how we ended up with the Bible. And we'll be happy to send it to anyone who calls and asks. The number is 800-835-6747. That's 800-835-6747. You can ask for the book. It's called, "The Ultimate Resource," or dial #250 and you'll be able to get a digital download of the book. Just #250, and ask for "The Ultimate Resource."

Doug: I was just reading, Pastor Ross, in my Bible reading this morning where at the end of 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, Paul says, "I charge you by the Lord that this Epistle be read to all of the holy brethren." And so, he would write a letter, they'd read it, they'd make copies, they'd spread it around, because he was in jail, so they didn't have Xerox machines back then.

Jëan: And you know, that was good in one way because for example, the writing of the book of Revelation was written to the seven churches, but it was written in Ephesus, copied and then sent to the next church and so on and so forth, Smyrna, and went all the way around. But then it was copied and spread throughout all the Christian churches. So, there were many manuscripts of the same letter that had been copied time and time again. So, when it came to compiling the Textus Receptus, you know, the New Testament collection of these Greek manuscripts, there were a lot of texts that they could look at and they could compare and make sure that they found the one that was the most faithful to the original. So, there's good reason for that.

Doug: Yeah, thank you.

Jëan: In other words, we can trust the Bible. The more you get into it, the more you study it, there is no document more verified and trustworthy than the Bible.

Doug: Absolutely.

Jëan: All right, next caller that we have is May in Wisconsin. May, welcome to the program.

May: Hi, my question is, what is the mark of the beast?

Doug: To answer that question, you almost need to know first, if you're going to know what the mark of the beast is, you need to know what is the beast. The beast, that's a whole Bible study. I usually take two nights to explain this. The beast that you find in Revelation 13, there are two beasts in Revelation 13. The first beast is the one that we're really thinking of. Most of the Protestants believe these different beasts you find in Daniel and Revelation were different kingdoms, different powers. And you've got, in Revelation 12, you've got this dragon that tries to devour the woman. This is the devil operating through the kingdom of Rome, Rome ruled by Caesars. After the Caesars died off with the fall of Rome, about the same time, the church was turning into a political religious power. That lasted over 1000 years and better known as the Roman Catholic church, and it became a persecuting power and they freely admit that. So that is the first beast that you find in Revelation 13.

Now, we've got a lesson that talks about what is the mark and, rather than try and fit it all into a 3-minute answer, we'll send you or anyone a free copy of that lesson.

Jëan: It's called "The Mark of the Beast." It's a very important topic. Revelation chapter 13. And we'll be happy to send it to anyone who calls and asks. The number again is 800-835-6747. Ask for that study guide: "What is the Mark of the Beast?" You can dial #250 and receive a digital download. And it's all in there. You'll find that helpful. Next caller that we have is Donna in Oregon. Donna, welcome to "Bible Answers Live."

Donna: Thank you for taking my call. Hebrews chapter 6, verse 4 through 6, and it's saying that "Once we have been enlightened by God and became followers of Him and then we fall away, we can't ever be partakers again of His righteousness." Does that mean that I'm lost?

Doug: Well, if you're talking about when a person knows the Lord and they backslide, can they be saved? Absolutely. Because look at the prodigal son. He was in the father's house. He knew the father, he fell away. He went to a far country. He came to his senses, he came back. You look at Peter who denied the Lord and he came back. And you look at people in the Bible like King Manasseh who fell off in a big way. So, if there's no hope for backsliders, then what about those verses where Jeremiah says, "I will heal your backsliding"? So, God is not saying in this verse that if a person backslides or if they fall away, they cannot be restored. He's saying--He's talking about a person who resists the best that God has to offer. If they fall away, meaning if they reject the best that God has to offer and they don't repent, there's no restoring them.

But I think everybody listening to my voice right now has fallen away in varying degrees where you get discouraged at some point and then you come to your senses, you return to the Lord, or you have--you get dead and then you have a revival. This is talking about a person that has really all the best-- notice the words that are used. "They taste the good Word of God, the powers of the age to come." It says: "They're partakers of the Holy Spirit. They taste the heavenly gift. They were enlightened." These people have had the best of everything. And if they reject that, then what more can God send to reach them is what it's saying. So, if you feel the Holy Spirit, Donna, that is calling you, by all means, come back. God's arm is not shortened that He cannot save. And He said whosoever, if you come to Him, if we repent-- the children of Israel, God told them, "If you're carried off to a foreign country, because you disobey, even if it's the other side of the world, if you turn back to Me again and repent of your sins, I will bring you back." All through the Bible, that's the message of God is that I can bring you back, if we repent.

Jëan: Absolutely. Next caller that we have is Lilian or Liliana from Washington State. Liliana, welcome to the program.

Liliana: Hi.

Doug: Hi, thank you for calling.

Liliana: Thank you for taking my call. I'm 14 and I was wondering how can I witness better to younger kids who might not go to the same church as me? They're younger and it's different than witnessing to, like, an adult or an older teenager.

Doug: Right, yeah, yeah. Well, there's three things you can do for people that you want to reach. One is you be a good example. I always say three and I really mean four. Be a good example. If they're open, share information with them. That means you can talk to them about the Lord. You might give them something to read. If they're young, it would be maybe a little simpler than if it's an adult, that directs them to God. And then the third thing is, you pray for them. So be a good example. If you can share information with them.

Now, when they're children of somebody else, you've got to be careful about proselytizing someone's kids. Some people, you can't, like, you know, sneak them away from their parents so that you can indoctrinate them. Some parents wouldn't appreciate that. But you want to be a witness to them and share truth as you're able. And the fourth thing is continue to do it. So, don't get discouraged. So, be a good witness. Share information. It might be a DVD, or--if anyone uses those anymore. Direct them to a website where they can see Christian information, a Bible study. Pray for them, and keep it up.

Jëan: All right, very good. Next caller that we have is Robert in Washington. Robert, welcome to "Bible Answers Live."

Robert: Hi, Pastor Ross. Hi, Pastor Doug.

Doug: Hi, Robert. Thank you for calling. Robert: I was wanting to know if Jesus is called the first fruits, then how could Moses be raised? And also, there's a--where David--and I think in Psalms, he's called the firstborn, but he's actually not the firstborn either.

Doug: Yeah, when Christ is called the first fruits of those who are raised from the dead, people say, "Well, he wasn't the first one resurrected." For one thing in the Old Testament, you've got three or four resurrections. You've got Elijah and Elisha, both respectively resurrected a boy. A man was resurrected when he was lowered on Elisha's bones. Then you got, you know, Elijah never died. Of course, that's not a resurrection. And so why would it call Christ the first fruits among those who have risen from the dead?

The first in Hebrew did not always mean sequence. First sometimes meant greatest. You know, you call the president's wife the first lady. She's not the first lady to arrive in North America, but first means a position of prominence. And so, Christ is the greatest of those who have risen from the dead. And He is really the first fruits also in the sense that he's the first one and only one who lived a perfect life, and He rose, you know, with a glorified body to make it possible for anyone else to be in heaven. So even Moses and Elijah and Enoch are there by virtue of Jesus's sacrifice.

Jëan: All right, next caller that we have is Glady from Arizona. Glady, welcome to the program.

Glady: Oh, good evening, Pastor.

Doug: Evening.

Glady: My question is, do I need to preach the gospel in order for me to be saved? Because someone told me that I won't be saved unless I will preach the gospel.

Doug: Well, there are different gifts of the Spirit, and you read in, I just mentioned, 1 Corinthians chapter 12. Some are pastors, some are evangelists, some are teachers, some have gifts of administration, gifts of help. Some have gifts of healing. I think some people have gifts of prayer, there are gifts of intercession. And so, the idea that everyone is supposed to be a pastor, preacher, teacher, not everybody is a good public speaker. Some people could be and they don't know. I didn't know I could. I lived in a cave like a hermit because I was scared of crowds. And I don't know about you, Pastor Ross. First time I got up to preach, my knees were shaking and my hands were sweating and I was-- my mouth went dry and I was so scared. So, you might have ability to share with others. But in the sense that every Christian is called to be a witness, yes, some of us preach with our lives and our example or you might give a Bible study or share with a person on a one-to-one basis. Doesn't mean you need to stand up and go to be missionary in another country and preach. So, you want to add to that?

Jëan: Yeah, I was going to mention the same thing, where there's different ways of preaching. We can preach in the way we live. We can focus our mission field on those who are closest to us. Maybe if we're a parent, our first mission field is our kids, and we've got to set an example and teach them. So yes, we want to be faithful in whatever area God has placed us and whatever gifts God has given to us.

Doug: Someone, I don't remember who, said, "Preach Christ and if necessary, use words." So, you know, all of us are to by our--by our lives, let our light shine. But if someone's telling you, you've got to go do literal preaching to be saved, I don't think you find that in the Bible.

Jëan: Next caller that we have is Vivian in Canada. Vivian, welcome to the program.

Vivian: Hello, Pastor.

Jëan: Evening.

Vivian: My question is about Christian persecution. As we know, the Christians in the Roman Colosseum, the martyrs, were sacrificed. However, Jesus says, "I will never leave you or forsake you." Can you explain that, please?

Doug: Yeah, the idea when Christ said, "I'll never leave you or forsake you," why would He say that to the apostles when probably 10 out of the 12 died as martyrs? Well, did Jesus ever leave them? Did Paul get the idea? He--Paul knew he was going to be executed by Nero through beheading and Paul was in prison and he knew that he was on death row. He said to Timothy in 2 Timothy, "The time of my departure is at hand." Did Paul have the idea that Christ had forsaken him? Not at all. He said, "I know to whom I've committed my life and that He is able to keep that which I've given Him until that day." Paul had great confidence. He said, "Hereafter there is laid up for me, a crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me."

So, when Christ said, "I'll be with you," that didn't mean you will not be persecuted. As He said, "Some of you will be martyred." Jesus foretold that, actually. He said, "You will be hated of all nations for My namesake," but He's still with them to the end. And so, many of them died in great peace because they knew Christ's presence. Even the--you know, you-- we're all going to die if Jesus doesn't come. So, if you die at the hands of persecution, it doesn't mean that God has forsaken you. In some ways, that's an honor.

Jëan: During a time of severe persecution that we have recorded in Revelation chapter 2, Jesus gave a promise to the people, and He said, "You're going to suffer persecution, you're going to be tried." And then He says, "Be faithful unto death, and I'll give you the crown of life." So obviously, Jesus was with them right up till the very end, even though they went through trials and persecution. And He reminded them that if they are faithful, they will receive the ultimate reward, which is the crown of life, eternal life.

Doug: In the Gospel of John, Christ said, "The hour is coming in which those that kill you will say that they're serving God." So, I think the Lord's told us that--and then you--where is it in Revelation where it says the souls of those under the altar that were beheaded for Christ.

Jëan: That's the sixth seal.

Doug: Sixth seal, yeah.

Jëan: Fifth seal, actually.

Doug: So there, yeah, there's no question that Jesus knew that some of His followers were going to be persecuted severely for their faith. And don't let that frighten you or discourage you, friends.

Jëan: Our next caller that we have is Christopher in Montana. Christopher, welcome to the program. We have about a minute.

Christopher: I'll make it as quick as I can, Pastor. Thank you for your time. My question is referring to the pre-trib versus post-trib and with all the events going on in the world, with Jerusalem being surrounded, the star of Jacob appearing, celestial events happening on the Feast of Trumpets and all that stuff, my question is, is how do we know He's not knocking on the door right now, showing us the signs and wonders that He promised us and how we can expect that? That's, I guess, what I'm asking.

Doug: Yeah, well, I do think the Lord's Coming is soon. He said there'll be a great time of trouble, and it looks to me like we're on the verge of some very exciting days. Oh, I wish I could delve into your question a little more, Christopher, but we're pushed up against the clock.

Listening friends, that's probably a good place for us to think about with everything going on in the world, in the country, with the wars and rumors of wars, we need to be praying. With all of the political polarization, we need to be praying because people's hearts are failing from fear. And the only answer to that is if they could be introduced to the Prince of Peace. Jesus said He's offering us a peace that passes all understanding. No matter what happens in the world, friends, Jesus is the truth that will set you free. So do not fear. God willing, we'll be studying His Word with you again next week.

Announcer: Thank you for listening to today's broadcast. We hope you understand your Bible even better than before. "Bible Answers Live" is produced by Amazing Facts International, a faith-based ministry located in Granite Bay, California. ...