S1: Prison. The very word feels like a bucket of ice
S1: dumped down your back. But believers throughout the ages have
S1: known what it means to spend time in prison. Just
S1: ask the apostle Paul. Actually, we're about to do better
S1: than that. Just ahead, we'll be leaving our studios, and
S1: we'll bring you the sights and sounds of Caesarea maritime,
S1: a prison excavation. Welcome to the land. And the book
S1: with noted Israel expert doctor Charlie Dyer. I'm John Geiger.
S1: You know, Charlie, a lot of people ask, how do
S1: I share the gospel with my Jewish friend? And that's
S1: a good question. And that question recognizes the need, I think,
S1: for a sensitive approach to sharing with our Jewish friends.
S2: You know, it does, John. That's why our friends at
S2: Life in Messiah want to help answer that question. They
S2: put together a series of helpful articles on how you
S2: can share the good news with Jewish people around you.
S2: You'll learn about Jewish cultural sensitivities, how anti-Semitism affects Jewish evangelism,
S2: the importance of messianic prophecy, and more. To access the articles,
S2: visit Life in Messiah. Org. Click on the Moody Radio
S2: logo and sign up. You'll receive the articles to equip
S2: you with a practical way to share the good news
S2: with Jewish people around you or online. Again, click on
S2: the Moody Radio icon at Life in messiah.org.
S1: Well, let's swing our focus toward current events throughout the
S1: Middle East region. Serious disagreements between the US and Israel
S1: are now surfacing over Israel's continuing conflict with Hamas. What's
S1: causing these fissures and what impact might they have on
S1: the course of the war?
S2: Unfortunately, the fissures are being caused by fundamental disagreements between
S2: the white House and Israel. President Biden called Israel's military
S2: campaign against Hamas over the top. When asked for clarification,
S2: the white House said the president wants Hamas defeated, but
S2: that Israel must do so while protecting civilians. There's also
S2: a clear interpersonal tension going on between the president and
S2: the Prime minister. One reason the tension is escalated is
S2: Israel's impending attack against Hamas's last remaining stronghold of Rafah.
S2: Because of the previous fighting, about 1.4 million of Gaza's
S2: 2.3 million people are now packed into this relatively small area,
S2: and the US and other Western leaders are concerned about
S2: the impact of fighting on those civilians. In a 45
S2: minute call last Sunday, President Biden bluntly told Netanyahu not
S2: to press into Rafah without a credible plan for civilians.
S2: Prime Minister Netanyahu countered that to defeat Hamas, Israel must
S2: operate in Rafah for battalions of Hamas fighters remain in Rafah.
S2: In addition to Hamas's leadership and the hostages, Netanyahu has
S2: ordered a plan to be developed that allows for the
S2: evacuation of civilians while still pushing forward with the war
S2: against Hamas. One option being explored is to set up
S2: 15 tent cities along the coast of Gaza, each with
S2: 25,000 tents. But let me go back to the reason
S2: for these fissures widening. Two other factors appear to be
S2: in play. The first is the way both countries view
S2: the war. As one Israeli pundit put it, the US
S2: is still stuck in October 6th. It assumes the solution
S2: to all the problems in the Middle East is the
S2: establishment of a Palestinian state, forgetting that Hamas attack was unprovoked,
S2: and that Hamas has said it will never accept the
S2: existence of a Jewish state of Israel. Israel sees Hamas
S2: and its ideology as a deadly cancer, threatening their very lives,
S2: and they won't stop until the cancer is removed. The
S2: US is more willing to let a weakened Hamas remain.
S2: The other factor at play is our upcoming presidential election.
S2: Progressives and Muslims are sharply critical of President Biden's support
S2: for Israel in the war against Hamas, and he appears
S2: to be pushing Israel to wind down the war to
S2: satisfy those voters. A memorandum issued by the white House
S2: last week requires countries receiving U.S. military funding to prove
S2: their following international humanitarian and human rights laws. Most countries
S2: have 180 days to comply, but Israel was only given
S2: 45 days. This is the kind of pressure the US
S2: is placing on Israel to try to force them to
S2: pull back and stop short of total victory, or risk
S2: losing U.S. support and future military aid.
S1: Well, why is so much pressure being placed on Israel
S1: from the US, the UN and Europe to reach a
S1: ceasefire and end the conflict? Is the concern for both
S1: the hostages and the civilians in Gaza truly legitimate?
S2: The concern for the hostages and the civilians in Gaza
S2: is indeed legitimate. The problem is that those saying this
S2: most loudly also seem to be implying that Israel isn't
S2: concerned about them, and that's just not the case. The
S2: chair of the Urban warfare studies at West Point posted
S2: a week ago, and said Israel has done more to
S2: minimize civilian casualties than any other military in the history
S2: of war. He gave examples such as calling or texting
S2: ahead of a strike to warn civilians. The so-called roof
S2: knocking to let residents know the building's about to be bombed.
S2: Evacuating urban areas before the full air and ground attack begin. Now,
S2: on the other side of the equation, it's Hamas that
S2: deliberately embedded themselves within civilian population centers, used hospitals, mosques,
S2: schools and even UN buildings as shields as they built
S2: their control centers underneath them. Hamas, not Israel, is the
S2: one who attack civilians and took civilians as hostages. Family
S2: of the hostages have actually filed a war crime complaint
S2: against Hamas in The Hague. The West does want to
S2: help civilians and hostages, but they're also motivated by unrest
S2: within their own growing Muslim population. The question now is
S2: what will happen next? If Israel goes after Hamas and Rafah,
S2: they'll be condemned by the world. It's possible the current
S2: talks could force Hamas to accept a more reasonable hostage deal,
S2: perhaps allowing the hostages to go in exchange for allowing
S2: Hamas leadership and and some fighters to go into exile.
S2: But right now, Europe and the US, for their own
S2: political reasons, are war weary. While Israel's pushing for victory
S2: over Hamas, Hamas is hoping these other nations will force
S2: Israel to stop before it's too late for them. They
S2: don't care about civilians or hostages, except to use them
S2: as bargaining chips to remain in power.
S1: From Moody Radio, this is the land and the book
S1: with our host, Doctor Charlie Dyer, noted Israel expert. I'm
S1: John Hager. Charlie, let's turn for a moment from the
S1: conflict in the Middle East to take a look at
S1: the archaeological news from the Euphrates to the Nile. A
S1: recent study focused on dating the Ishtar Gate in Babylon
S1: using archaea magnetism. What is archaea magnetism, and what did
S1: the researchers discover about that gate?
S2: Archaeal magnetism is the study of geomagnetic data, in this
S2: case taken from samples in the bricks of Babylon's Ishtar
S2: Gate to help date when it was built, some of
S2: the bricks in the Ishtar Gate were inscribed with the
S2: name of King Nebuchadnezzar, so they had a clear general
S2: idea of when it was built. Slight changes in the
S2: magnetic field of the bricks from which samples were taken
S2: show that the building process took place in phases over
S2: several years, apparently after other nearby building projects caused the
S2: street to be raised. The original unglazed Ishtar Gate that's
S2: still in Babylon. I've walked on it, but you need
S2: to go down a flight of stairs to reach it.
S2: Nebuchadnezzar covered that gate and replaced it with one made
S2: of glazed brick. And that gate is the one that's
S2: now in the Pergamum Museum in Berlin. Well, what the
S2: archaeologists discovered was that the construction on this revised Ishtar
S2: Gate didn't begin until about 583 BC. That's three years
S2: after the destruction of Jerusalem, and the construction continued for
S2: several years. This study reminds me of Nebuchadnezzar's words in
S2: Daniel 430. You know, that's when he boasted, is this
S2: not Babylon the Great, which I myself have built? Well,
S2: he might have even been looking at the remodeled Ishtar Gate,
S2: rising right next to his palace on which he was
S2: standing when he made those words in any case, this
S2: new study simply reminds us that Nebuchadnezzar's prideful statement was true.
S2: He was constantly remodeling, improving, and beautifying his city, which
S2: he saw as a monument to his greatness.
S1: Moving from the Euphrates to the Nile, Egypt announced its
S1: project of the century to fully restore one of the
S1: three main pyramids in Giza. What do they hope to
S1: accomplish here, Charlie? And how is that plan being received?
S2: Well, this story takes us into the realm of the bizarre. Initially,
S2: Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities announced a project to restore
S2: the smallest of the three main pyramids in Giza by
S2: refinancing it with granite so that it would look exactly
S2: like it did when it was initially built 4500 years ago.
S2: The problem is that this would fundamentally change the look
S2: of the pyramid and make it garishly stand out from
S2: the other two larger pyramids nearby. Needless to say, the
S2: project has come under fire from historians and archaeologists who
S2: see it almost as a desecration. It would be like
S2: rebuilding the Colosseum in Rome or adding a roof back
S2: on the Acropolis in Athens. In light of the uproar,
S2: the Minister of Tourism issued a decree forming a committee
S2: to review the restoration project and issue its recommendations. No
S2: time frame was announced, and I'm kind of hoping that
S2: this project dies a quiet death in committee.
S1: Okay, well, as the war in Gaza continues, Israel's high
S1: tech community is using innovation and technology to save lives
S1: and bring closure to those who have lost loved ones.
S1: Tell us about these war inspired innovations from amazing Israel.
S2: Yeah, both of them involve artificial intelligence, and the first
S2: is the use of artificial intelligence to review scans and
S2: send alerts to doctors. One woman was shot by Hamas
S2: and rushed to the hospital and underwent a variety of scans.
S2: The scans were then pushed through the AI platform, designed
S2: to detect different pathologies, and it detected a lethal tiny
S2: aneurysm in her brain and immediately notified. The appropriate staff
S2: via text in mass casualty events like that of October 7th.
S2: The program can help triage and prioritize care for patients.
S2: The other AI program developed allows for more rapid and
S2: accurate identification of victims in mass casualty events. Israel suddenly
S2: had to deal with thousands of bodies, some that appeared
S2: to be burned or mutilated, almost beyond recognition. They first
S2: performed CT scans on all the bodies, looking for any
S2: identifiable markers like pacemakers, surgery scars, hip replacements, things like that.
S2: Some bodies, though, were virtually disintegrated, with only small bone
S2: fragments remaining. They then gathered all the medical records of
S2: anybody reported missing, and the AI program then performed an
S2: automatic comparison of up to 117 skeletal parts to try
S2: to match the remains with any available evidence using the program,
S2: which also included DNA evidence, fingerprints, dental records. When available,
S2: the pathologists were able to identify many of those who'd
S2: been killed, providing some closure to grieving families. The truly
S2: amazing aspect of all this is that both of these
S2: AI programs were developed in a matter of weeks, under
S2: some of the most difficult circumstances, highlighting the impact of
S2: these dedicated scientists, doctors and researchers in amazing Israel.
S1: Well, so much going on in the Middle East right now, Charlie.
S1: We're told to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Would
S1: you lead us in a brief prayer even now?
S2: Yeah, I will, John. Father, we do pray for the
S2: peace of Jerusalem. We ask that you would help the
S2: fighting to stop, give the leadership wisdom and knowing the
S2: best decisions to be made, and then protect those, especially
S2: those who are trying to protect the rest of the
S2: land of Israel. Give them safety and we pray for
S2: that peace in Jesus name. Amen.
S1: And we invite you to be praying for the peace
S1: of Jerusalem as well throughout the day. Up next, here
S1: on the land in the book, it's a visit to
S1: a prison excavation. Not just any prison. It's where Paul
S1: was held right on the Mediterranean coast. Hope you'll stick
S1: around for more here on Moody Radio's The Land and
S1: the book. Prison. Boy, the very word feels like a
S1: bucket of ice dumped down your back, doesn't it? But
S1: believers throughout the ages have known what it means to
S1: spend time in prison. Just ask the Apostle Paul. Actually,
S1: we're about to do better than that. Hey, welcome back
S1: to the land in the book. It's our second segment
S1: on the program. Our host, Doctor Charlie Dyer, spent many
S1: years as a licensed Israeli tour guide. I'm John Geiger,
S1: always hungry to learn something new, especially when we're traveling
S1: together with our wives in Israel. It's a privilege to
S1: be here, Charlie, isn't it?
S2: It is John. Absolutely. What a great place to study
S2: God's word.
S1: Okay, people are picking up a little bit of background sound. Exactly.
S1: Where are we, Charlie?
S2: We are in sensory. Actually, we're in Caesarea maritime. That
S2: is Caesarea by the sea, which distinguishes it from Caesarea Philippi,
S2: which is back up by Mount Hermon. Now, this city
S2: was built by Herod the Great. It actually extends onto
S2: the Mediterranean. And we're about 30 miles north of Israel's
S2: old city port of Joppa.
S1: So we are just feet away from the edges of
S1: the shoreline here, the waves coming in real nice as
S1: we record today.
S2: It's a beautiful day. All right.
S1: The significance of this place is what, Charlie?
S2: Well, in New Testament times, it was Herod the Great's
S2: lifeline to Rome. The empire is the Romans. They kept
S2: him in power. In fact, Herod literally had this city
S2: rise out of the sand. Now, there was no good
S2: port in this area. There's no dependable water supply. There's
S2: no significant road links. In short, there was no strategic
S2: advantage to this place. But Herod needed a connection to
S2: Rome that was not connected to the Jewish people, even
S2: though he was king of the Jews. And for his security,
S2: building a new port out of nothing gave him that
S2: strategic link. Until he built this, ships had to dock
S2: out at sea on their way from door in the
S2: north to Joppa in the south. And so Herod needed
S2: this strategic port.
S1: Well, the waves of the Mediterranean in the background. And
S1: what a sight it is. Paul, of course, was arrested
S1: in Jerusalem and taken by a Roman guard to Caesarea,
S1: where we are now. How big might that party have
S1: been accompanying Paul, and how long might the trip have taken?
S2: Yeah, we tend to skip over those details, but it's
S2: a major operation. 40 Jewish zealots are taking an oath
S2: saying that they weren't going to drink or eat anything
S2: until they could ambush and kill Paul. So when the
S2: commander of the fortress heard that he put together a
S2: major force to take Paul from Jerusalem necessary. In fact,
S2: acts 23 says that they had 200 foot soldiers and
S2: 70 horsemen, and then they also had an additional 200
S2: spearmen or archers, depending on the translation there. That's 470
S2: Romans in a force. And they left the barracks. It
S2: makes note at 9 p.m., which is about the time
S2: everything would shut down for the night in Jerusalem. So
S2: they're slipping away in the dark. And they marched all
S2: night to Antipater, which is a 30 mile hike. Now again,
S2: 400 of those guys are not on horses. They're marching
S2: on foot. That would take a good seven hours to
S2: hike that far, that at that point they let the
S2: 400 soldiers head back. The 70 horsemen with Paul on
S2: a horse, then made the additional 30 mile journey from
S2: there to Caesarea. So it was a two day journey
S2: to get Paul up here and a major force.
S1: And I think about the water that would have been required,
S1: not just for the people to drink, but the animals
S1: as well, the food they would have had to eat
S1: in on the journey.
S2: Oh yeah, they had. Now the Romans were good at logistics,
S2: but you had to get all those logistics ready that fast.
S2: Had to be a major operation.
S1: Okay, so when they arrived at this place with Paul,
S1: how do we know that this place where we now
S1: stand is likely the place?
S2: Well, there's actually several clues that let us know. The
S2: last verse in acts 23 says, Paul was kept in
S2: Herod's praetorium. The praetorium was the palace or headquarters, which
S2: places Paul at the the guard barracks for Herod the
S2: Great originally. And that's where the Roman governors then lived afterward.
S2: But the word in that context has the idea of
S2: a soldiers barracks or headquarters. So as we were walking
S2: through the site, they're actually excavating right now, that spot
S2: underground where the barracks was, and likely that's where Paul
S2: was kept. So putting it all together, it looks like
S2: the palace complexes where Paul was and specifically underground in
S2: that palace complex. Okay, you.
S1: Have touched on the very next question I want to
S1: ask underground, what might those prison conditions have been like
S1: during Paul's day?
S2: Well, okay, I'll start with some good news. He probably
S2: wasn't kept in stocks. He wasn't kept in solitary confinement.
S2: He was allowed to have visitors. We know, but the
S2: prison complex was underground. And it's likely that Paul wouldn't
S2: have gotten the fresh air break that we give modern
S2: prisoners today out in the yard. So he was stuck
S2: underground underneath the atrium or garden area of Herod's Palace.
S2: It would have been dark. I suspect it would have
S2: been smelly, probably damp in there. Right? Being right here
S2: as we are right next to the ocean. Uh, likely
S2: he got normal food rations, probably the same rations fed
S2: to the soldiers, but it would not have been a
S2: pleasant place.
S1: That's Doctor Charlie Dyer, host of the land in the book,
S1: who is leading a tour in Israel. We've tagged along
S1: with our microphones here with the broadcast to kind of
S1: tap into his expertise on today's program. Well, describe a best.
S1: Case scenario for archaeologists working at this site, what would
S1: their highest hopes look like or have looked like? You know,
S1: I think.
S2: They'd love to be able to reconstruct what it was
S2: like in the that first century era, the New Testament era,
S2: we would say, and what it was like in the
S2: days of the second Jewish revolt against Rome. They did
S2: discover an inscription made by some female prisoner in that
S2: prison that asked the Lord Jesus to help Procopius, someone
S2: from the first century, very likely someone who was a
S2: imprisoned in that prison. In AD 135, Jewish Rabbi Akiva
S2: was imprisoned in Caesarea, probably in that same prison as well.
S2: And we know from history he was taken out then
S2: and executed.
S1: Well, what kind of a time frame would you guess
S1: would be required for a thorough excavation and the cataloguing
S1: of all the contents here? Is it years from now, 510,
S1: or is it mostly done?
S2: You know, it's two months ago I saw that excavation
S2: for the first time. So last year it didn't exist.
S2: Two months ago was there? Today it's a lot even
S2: more expanded. And when you see somebody with a jackhammer inside,
S2: you know that they're not doing it in a slow,
S2: methodical fashion. They are really trying to reconstruct this area
S2: and doing it as quickly as possible.
S1: Well, if Paul were to revisit this site today, right
S1: where we are now standing, would he recognize it at
S1: all for the place it was in his day? Why
S1: or why not?
S2: Well, I think he would somewhat recognize it, though he'd
S2: be a bit confused at first. The the ocean has
S2: carved away some of the areas that would have been
S2: familiar to him, and yet he would have seen this
S2: palace complex, would have at least known those foundations that existed.
S2: The prison would have been familiar to him by by
S2: all means. And certainly the theater was there. Now. He
S2: wouldn't have seen all that beautiful aluminum girding and modern
S2: equipment in that theater. But but otherwise I think he
S2: would have understood it and and said, yeah, I've been here.
S1: We're on the very shores of the Mediterranean Ocean, Herod's
S1: palace built out over the Mediterranean, a helicopter flying by.
S1: We're having a great time talking about Paul's rather uncomfortable.
S1: Stay here in the underground prison. Take us to a
S1: place in Scripture that welds this place to the passage. Okay?
S2: Even as that helicopter flies overhead on the passage, I
S2: would think of as acts 23 and 24, you know,
S2: we can mentally travel with Paul from Jerusalem to Caesarea.
S2: We can watch as he's delivered to the prison. The
S2: conditions look abysmal to us. But Paul might have said
S2: at least the place was relatively clean and comfortable. Uh,
S2: the food was good and it wasn't going to be
S2: mistreated here. Certainly wasn't anybody here who's going to try
S2: and put him to death at that point. Uh, but remember,
S2: this is a guy who said he learned all things
S2: through all things. He's going to be content. So I
S2: think Paul would have said, yeah, it looks fine.
S1: Why did this prison cease being a prison? What factors
S1: might have contributed to Caesarea itself fading from prominence?
S2: Well over time? The harbor sank beneath the Mediterranean. It
S2: could have been destroyed by a massive storm or by
S2: an earthquake. We don't know the exact date or cause,
S2: but what we do know is that eventually it ceased
S2: being used as a major harbor. They constructed a much
S2: smaller harbor there, but it really kind of sank into obscurity,
S2: if you will. So the aqueducts shifted. The part of
S2: them were washed away by a storm. So there was
S2: water supply ceased being here that was supplying it with
S2: everything it needed. So eventually this place just seemed to
S2: settle back into the backwater that it was before Herod
S2: the Great came along.
S1: One thing that struck me as you were speaking with
S1: our tour group, Charlie, is we're pointing out the luxury
S1: that Herod enjoyed in his palace, a swimming pool that
S1: was out over the Mediterranean itself. But the placement of
S1: this prison where Paul was, is so close. Why would
S1: you build it so close? And then why not get
S1: the the low life further away from the the hoity toity.
S2: Ah, because the praetorium was the the guards. They were the,
S2: the Secret service, if you will, guarding Herod. And so
S2: Paul would have been kept with the Secret Service, and
S2: the Secret Service were near where the king was, uh, underground,
S2: out of sight. Uh, you know, it wasn't like something
S2: that stuck out at him, but indeed, uh, he wanted
S2: them close by because Herod valued security.
S1: So we passed a really important stone or a mock
S1: up or a recreation of a stone on the way,
S1: and talk about that stone and the character that we
S1: read in biblical history. Yeah.
S2: Fascinating Stone, because it's it's a description, actually, the theater
S2: that was built by Herod the Great had to be
S2: remodeled probably a hundred years later, some of the seats
S2: needed to be replaced. And, uh, some enterprising construction worker decided,
S2: I'll just rip this old sign off this dilapidated building,
S2: flip it on its end, and slide it in as
S2: a new seat. And underneath that theater, when the when
S2: the excavated it by archaeologists, they, they found on it,
S2: it mentioned, uh, the the sign was for a building
S2: called the Tiberium Tiberius Caesar and had been built by
S2: Pontius Pilate, the prefect of Judah.
S1: What does that say? By way of tongue in cheek
S1: humor about the the Bible's impression of of these people? Yeah.
S2: Well, you know, I look at it two ways, because
S2: there were people who said Pontius Pilate didn't even exist.
S2: And it's embarrassing to have an inscription to someone that
S2: these critics didn't think was around. But on the other side,
S2: it's like they thought they were so important building these
S2: inscriptions and putting their names out there. And. Finally got
S2: someone's tush. Can can sit on it. And that's that's
S2: good enough for me.
S1: That's doctor Charlie dire. I'm John Jaeger. This is the
S1: land in the book, a special edition. As we join
S1: you today from Israel. We're in the north. We're by
S1: the Mediterranean Ocean. Man. It's so close. Charlie, I feel
S1: like I got to get my feet wet. Well, you.
S2: Have the opportunity, John.
S1: All right. In addition to that stone, other archaeological evidence
S1: here impacting our understanding of the New Testament, talk about
S1: that which has been discovered and that which is being discovered, likely. Well,
S1: you know.
S2: Caesarea, we usually have it as our first stop, because
S2: there is so much here that pulls people into this
S2: time of the Bible. Uh, the characteristics, I would say
S2: of Herod the Great, uh, of, uh, his massive building projects,
S2: the inscription, you know, that we just talked about found
S2: on the underside of that seat, mentioning Pontius Pilate, prefect
S2: of Judah. Uh, but Paul likely gave his message. And
S2: that's what we just talked about with the group at
S2: the end, uh, to Festus and Agrippa and the prison
S2: where Paul spent years of his life. You know, those
S2: are real people. They were real events in the Bible.
S2: And I think this is one of those places where
S2: you stand and suddenly say, wow, it did happen right here.
S1: All right. How about your best guess as Paul sat
S1: there in prison, likely underground, as you've pointed out, did
S1: he hope and even expect that he might someday return
S1: from Rome as a freed person? Or do you think
S1: he probably understood that this was, quite frankly, a one
S1: way trip? You know, in this.
S2: Time in his life, I really think Paul expected to
S2: gain his freedom. And here's why I say that in
S2: in Romans, which he he was writing before he had
S2: ever gone to Rome. Paul said he was, uh, taking
S2: a collection in Greece at that time, going back to
S2: the church here in Jerusalem to bring it. And then
S2: his plan was to travel to Rome, he says, on
S2: his way to Spain. And God changed the timing for
S2: his trip. God changed the way he was going to
S2: get to Rome for that trip. But I think Paul
S2: had it all planned. He said, God's going to take
S2: me to Rome, I'm going to go to Spain. And
S2: I really do think that's what Paul expected to happen.
S1: All right. What about some lessons that we can take
S1: from Paul and his stay at this ancient prison location
S1: on the Mediterranean? You know.
S2: Philippians is what comes to mind. You stand over there
S2: and look down into that prison, and then you remember
S2: what Paul said in Philippians four, you know, in verses
S2: 11 and 13, which he wrote after spending years in
S2: Caesarea and during the shipwreck and everything, he said, I've
S2: learned to be content in whatever circumstances I'm in. And
S2: then two verses later he said, I can do all
S2: things through him who gives me strength. Well, that involved
S2: I can be in a prison, I can endure the shipwreck,
S2: I can endure all of that because God is there
S2: with me. So can we learn to be content like that?
S2: And can we remember that God can give us the
S2: strength we need for all of our details? Those are
S2: great lessons from Paul right here at Caesarea.
S1: You know, I can read that scripture passage and I
S1: can see these remains. And yet I still think if
S1: it were me, I'd probably win, complain and be Eeyore,
S1: and who knows how many other negative folks we do.
S2: And that's because we all are struggling. But it's amazing
S2: to me what Paul says there. In fact, he says,
S2: I learned to be content, which tells me he wasn't
S2: always the most content person, but God used those experiences
S2: to bring that depth and maturity in his life. And
S2: God can do that in our lives as well.
S1: Well, terrific lessons from the Mediterranean here, where Paul was
S1: in prison for a time. Great to connect with you, Charlie,
S1: and we're looking forward to being back in the studio.
S1: Questions and answers. That's next. You pumped? I am ready, John.
S1: You're always ready. And we're looking forward to seeing what's
S1: puzzling you, what things are on your heart as you
S1: read through Scripture, or maybe read something online, an article
S1: about Israel or prophecy. It's always welcome. Our email address
S1: is the land and the book@moody.edu. That's the land and
S1: the book at Moody. Edu. Don't go away. Questions and answers.
S1: Next here on Moody Radio's The Land and the book.
S1: Hope you're having a good day. This is the land
S1: in the book. I'm John Jaeger, seated across from Doctor
S1: Charlie Dyer, whose Bible is open, whose pulse is at
S1: a rest rate. I mean, the guy just doesn't sweat
S1: it when you ask him questions and I say questions.
S1: Those are questions about the Bible prophecy and our own
S1: Christian walk. They're always welcome at the land and the
S1: book at Moody, Edu and Charlie, because our stack is
S1: thick with questions. I'll get out of the way and
S1: we'll dig into two questions based on John chapter five.
S1: We'll start with Judy. She says in John five four.
S1: Why do some translations only have the number for verse
S1: four in brackets, while the verse itself is at the
S1: bottom of the page? Who is an angel of the
S1: Lord who stirred the waters at the pool? And does
S1: this pool still exist today? And was it filled by
S1: an underground source? Along those same lines, Mark wants to
S1: know about John five. Apparently this was a place known
S1: for healing. It happened when an angel went down and
S1: stirred up the water. The first one in the water
S1: was healed. Do we know if this was tradition, superstition,
S1: or the real deal? And do we know what the
S1: religious leaders attitude was? Would they have been upset if
S1: the angel healed on the Sabbath? Why didn't they prohibit
S1: people from coming to the pool on the Sabbath? Faith
S1: played a central role in Jesus other healings, but the
S1: lame man in John five didn't even know who Jesus was,
S1: let alone demonstrate faith in him. There's got to be
S1: a lesson here I'm missing. All right, Charlie, we've scrambled
S1: it all up. We'll look to you to make sense
S1: of it all. Okay?
S2: And this is for those who are going. What? John five.
S2: That's the miracle of the healing at the pool of Bethesda. Now,
S2: there's the first. I'll start with that textual issue. There
S2: is an issue as to whether or not the last
S2: part of verse three, and all of verse four should
S2: be part of the original text. Or if those verses
S2: were added later and they don't occur in a number
S2: of manuscripts that are considered significant. That's why many translators
S2: don't think they're original. Not my personal feeling. I think
S2: the verses ought to be included. I believe they were
S2: left out of some manuscripts because the early copyists saw
S2: them as problematic. But one principle of textual criticism of
S2: figuring out what the original text is, is that the
S2: more difficult reading is often the original, since that's the
S2: one most copyist would tend to leave out or gloss
S2: over the angel that's mentioned in those verses. It sounds
S2: like the product of American theology rather than biblical theology.
S2: And here's what I mean. We tend to think God
S2: helps those who help themselves. That's not a biblical concept,
S2: but it says when the angel stirred up the pool,
S2: you know, the first to step in would be healed. Well,
S2: the most likely first one to step in would be
S2: the healthiest. The one most in need, like this man was,
S2: could never seem to get into the water in time.
S2: So in light of that, I think the issue is
S2: the who the angel was. I don't think the angel
S2: was a good angel, but a fallen angel. You know,
S2: all angels were created by God. But a third of
S2: the angelic host followed Satan in his rebellion against God.
S2: This event has all the hallmarks of satanic deception written
S2: over it. People were held hostage to the sight, hoping
S2: against Hope to be the first one to win that
S2: healing lottery and get in. And if the angel wasn't
S2: sent from God, then the problem with the verse disappears
S2: and we see the hopeless position these people were in. Now,
S2: the remains of this pool, it has been uncovered. It's
S2: just to the north of the Temple Mount. There's no
S2: water in it today, and we're not even sure how
S2: the pools were filled in the past. Some think it
S2: was with rain water. Others believe, and I tend to
S2: go with them, that it may have been a conduit
S2: or an aqueduct that brought in water from a spring.
S2: An earlier version of this aqueduct, actually, I think it's
S2: mentioned in Isaiah seven. Now, there's archaeological evidence that the
S2: site was a pagan healing center known as an Asclepius,
S2: a pagan healing site. The man who was healed had
S2: no idea who Jesus was, so he wasn't healed by faith.
S2: In fact, when Jesus met up with him later, he
S2: focused on the man's needs to stop sinning or something
S2: worse will happen to you. And the name of the place,
S2: Beit Hassid or Bethesda, means House of mercy or House
S2: of unmerited favor. And that's what Jesus did demonstrate to
S2: the man. And in terms of asking what lessons I see, well,
S2: I see at least one other lesson in this passage.
S2: It's the danger of legalism. Here's a site with pagan
S2: influence just north of the temple. But the main issue
S2: the religious Jews had was the fact that the man
S2: was carrying his pallet on the Sabbath. They apparently weren't
S2: as concerned about the pagan influence or the miraculous healing
S2: that had taken place. And legalism often ends up with
S2: people majoring on the minors, which is a lesson I
S2: really see us needing to take away from that event.
S1: Johnny's question. In our recent Bible study, a question was
S1: raised regarding the terms Israel or Israelite and Jew. A
S1: follow up question are all Jews, Israelites, and the other
S1: way around?
S2: Well, okay, I'll trace the history of this. Abraham was
S2: first called a Hebrew, and that's back in Genesis 14,
S2: and it was used to describe his descendants. Then several
S2: times the term Israel and Israelite came about originally when
S2: God changed Jacob's name to Israel in Genesis 32, that
S2: became the name for the nation at the time of
S2: the Exodus, and continued to describe the nation all the
S2: way up through the reigns of David and Solomon. Now,
S2: following Solomon's death, the kingdom split into the northern Kingdom.
S2: It kept the name Israel. The southern kingdom became known as. Judah,
S2: since that's the tribe that their king came from. After
S2: the destruction of the northern Kingdom in 722 BC, the
S2: remaining kingdom was still called Judah, but refugees from the
S2: northern Kingdom of Israel fled there and became citizens of Judah,
S2: and as a result they were known as Jews, even
S2: though they weren't from the tribe of Judah. Now a
S2: good example of this Esther two five were introduced to
S2: a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin named Mordecai. Now
S2: get to the other part of the question. All Jewish
S2: people are physical descendants of Jacob or Israel, so technically
S2: they're all Israelites. However, once the kingdom divided, the term
S2: Israel was more commonly used to identify those from the
S2: northern kingdom, while the term Judah was used for the
S2: southern kingdom. So once the northern kingdom disappeared, Judah or
S2: Jew became the more common designation for Abraham's descendants, since
S2: Judah was the remaining kingdom.
S1: You're listening to the land in the book from Moody Radio.
S1: We welcome your questions anytime at the land and the
S1: book at Moody Edu. Mark says we're from the Chicago area,
S1: but moved to East Tennessee about eight years ago and
S1: listen via podcast. If you're not taking advantage of that podcast,
S1: by the way, it's at our website, The Land and
S1: the book.org. Mark says, my wife and I lead a
S1: couple's small group and we want to do a study
S1: of revelation. However, one member of the group is very
S1: much opposed to what he believes a narrow perspective on
S1: the book, and would like to do a book that
S1: includes all possible theories with regard to the rapture, Millennial Kingdom, etc..
S1: Do you know of such a book, i.e. Bible study
S1: on revelation that deals with all possible interpretations of revelation?
S1: I'm concerned such a book might just be confusing.
S2: Confusing is a good word. There is one book I
S2: know of. There's probably many, but the one I know
S2: of is called for views on the Book of Revelation,
S2: edited by Marvin Pate. Uh, it does what this member
S2: of the Bible study wants. It has four authors, each
S2: of whom try to make a case for one of
S2: the four different approaches to the book. Now, my problem
S2: with this type of book, especially for a Bible study,
S2: is that it would usually create more problems and confusion,
S2: and it solves. It's appealing to our postmodern approach to
S2: life where you have your truth. I have my truth,
S2: but in the end it usually either confirms someone's prejudice
S2: or else convinces someone it's hopeless to study a book
S2: with so many possible interpretations. Now, having said that, the
S2: book rises above many in that those arguing the case
S2: do so in a scholarly fashion. But what I would suggest, though,
S2: is say to your friend, maybe you and he or
S2: she could do a study on these four views, but
S2: using it as a basis for a Bible study with
S2: a whole group will generate more heat than light, and
S2: probably lead more people to be afraid to study a
S2: book that promises a blessing for reading and heeding its message.
S2: As revelation one three says.
S1: Here's a question about John ten. Since the rededication events
S1: in John ten took place four centuries after the writing
S1: of Malachi and the close of the Old Testament and
S1: Jewish scriptures, how was it? And when was it that
S1: Hanukkah came to be celebrated as a Jewish holiday? Do
S1: we know if it grew out of oral tradition, or
S1: did it come from the book of the Maccabees? How
S1: do Jewish scholars regard the Maccabees?
S2: Well? The events grew out of the revolt against Antiochus
S2: Epiphanes by Marathas and his sons, who were the Maccabees.
S2: Those events were predicted actually in part of Daniel eight
S2: and 11, but the Book of first Maccabees is considered
S2: the best historical summary of the events during that time
S2: and the establishment of the Feast of Dedication or Hanukkah.
S2: A final confirmation is actually found in the Jewish historian
S2: Josephus in Antiquities of the Jews. He provides the historical background,
S2: and it matches quite closely the record in First Maccabees,
S2: and he explains how it became a Jewish festival. Now,
S2: most scholars accept the historicity of the Maccabees and the
S2: revolt against Antiochus Epiphanies, and they see First Maccabees and
S2: Josephus being historically reliable when it comes to the establishment
S2: of Hanukkah. By the way, the events took place about
S2: 160 years before the time of Christ in the Inner
S2: Testament period.
S1: Brian asks in Proverbs 22 verse six, we're told to
S1: train up a child in the way he should go,
S1: and when he's old he will not depart from it. Unfortunately,
S1: countless young people were raised properly and then did go
S1: their own way as time passed. I'm not doubting the
S1: truth of this verse, but exactly how should we interpret it?
S2: I think the key is understanding its wisdom. Literature and
S2: proverbs is wisdom literature. It needs to be understood not
S2: as ironclad promises, but as general principles of how life
S2: actually works. So in general, if we train up a
S2: child the way they should go, they'll reach a point
S2: where they choose to make proper decisions for themselves. But
S2: that isn't always the case. Now you might say, well, hey,
S2: you're copying out there, but I think I can give
S2: you an example of this. Proverbs 26, verses four and five, uh,
S2: verse four tells us not to answer a fool according
S2: to his folly, but the very next verse tells us
S2: to answer a fool according to his folly. And what
S2: the writer is saying is, there are times when we
S2: need to make sure we don't descend to the level
S2: of the fool, so we become like him, but in
S2: other situations we need to respond in a way the
S2: fool can understand, lest he. He thinks he's wiser than
S2: he really is. And wisdom comes knowing which response is appropriate. Anyway,
S2: the bottom line is that if we understand it's wisdom
S2: literature that explains how life generally works and how we
S2: should respond, uh, that makes better sense. And by the way,
S2: wisdom literature also includes the Book of Job, which is
S2: a reminder that life doesn't always work the way we
S2: might expect.
S1: And that's a look at the questions that have come
S1: in recently to our broadcast. Yours welcome anytime at the
S1: Land and the Book at Moody. Edu. Don't go away.
S1: Charlie's devotional is next. Right here. There is something very
S1: special about being in church during the advent season. Very
S1: special sermons that are often shared. What about a sermon
S1: from a shepherd, though? Charlie, I understand that's the essence
S1: of where we're headed in your devotional.
S2: It is. However, it's going to be 700 years before
S2: the advent. But it is a sermon from a shepherd.
S1: All right. I'll look forward to that. After we enjoy
S1: this Holy Land, experience testimony from somebody who's traveled to
S1: Israel and has an insight for us right now.
S3: Hello, my name is John Powers. I'm from Cedar Lake, Indiana,
S3: and came here with Charlie Dyers on this Holy Land trip.
S3: And I will tell you, the Old Testament has come alive.
S3: All the stories that we've heard since we were knee
S3: high to a grasshopper are just fantastic. When you start
S3: to walk through the land and you realize, here was
S3: David and Goliath, here was Samson and Delilah, and here
S3: was David as a shepherd boy. And all these things
S3: is just fantastic. Then we get to Jerusalem and we
S3: see where Jesus wrote in on the triumphal entry, and
S3: he just sobbed over the city because they were lost.
S3: And then we get to see where Jesus walked and
S3: where he taught. And it's just a great experience. I'd
S3: suggest it highly to anyone that is looking for an
S3: experience to to walk closer with the Lord.
S1: Well, if you got your Bible open, we're headed to
S1: Amos chapter three. Charlie, you've titled your devotional sermon from
S1: a Shepherd. I'm listening.
S2: All right. Thanks, John. Our journey today takes us to
S2: the top of the Herodium, the fortress palace built by
S2: Herod the Great. But we're not here today to admire
S2: Herod's palace or to focus on his ruthless character. Instead,
S2: we're here to get a good view of the hometown
S2: of a remarkable prophet from the Old Testament. So follow
S2: me around the top of this fortress to a place
S2: where we can have a good view toward the south.
S2: See that village perched on the hill about three miles
S2: to our southwest? That's the modern Arab town of Taqwa.
S2: It preserves the name of the Jewish town that set
S2: at the same spot in the Old Testament, the village
S2: of Tekoa, the hometown of Amos the Prophet. Seeing the
S2: physical location of Tekoa, helps us understand more about Amos.
S2: Off to our right we can see Bethlehem about four
S2: miles to the northwest. But more importantly, Bethlehem is about
S2: 2500ft above sea level. That's about 100ft higher than where
S2: we are now standing. Tekoa is also on top of
S2: a hill, but that hill is another 300ft lower than
S2: where we're standing. Bethlehem is on the spiny ridge that
S2: runs through the center of ancient Judah. Anyone heading east
S2: from Bethlehem also begins traveling down in elevation on the
S2: way toward the Dead Sea. Rainfall begins dropping off dramatically
S2: to the east of Bethlehem. As we know from the
S2: Book of Ruth. Wheat and barley grew in the fields
S2: around Bethlehem, but head east, and the cultivated fields give
S2: way to the flocks and herds, feeding off the grass
S2: and shrubs growing there. David tended his father's flocks to
S2: the east of Bethlehem. It's no wonder that Amos, living
S2: in Tekoa, described himself as a shepherd and a herdsman,
S2: rather than a farmer. This is a place for watching
S2: over sheep and cows, not tilling the soil. Amos also
S2: describes himself as having one other occupation, saying that he, quote,
S2: took care of sycamore fig trees. He actually describes himself
S2: as a quote, nipper of sycamore figs in Hebrew. Sycamore
S2: figs aren't the same as the sycamore trees or fig trees.
S2: We know they're a tall tree that produce fruit that
S2: look similar to a fig. However, the unripe fruit needs
S2: to be nipped or scratched open to promote ripening. These
S2: trees require a lot of water, something lacking in Tekoa. Likely,
S2: Amos led his flocks through the wilderness to a place
S2: like Jericho, where sycamore fig trees did grow in exchange
S2: for allowing his flocks to graze on the grass underneath.
S2: Amos would climb the tree to nip the figs, helping
S2: them to ripen long before the time of Zacchaeus. Amos
S2: likely climbed up in the sycamore tree in Jericho, but
S2: we're not here today to focus on Toccoa, or sheep
S2: or even sycamore fig trees. Instead, I want to focus
S2: on one of the sermons God called on this fig
S2: nipping shepherd to deliver. Amos traveled from Toccoa to Bethel,
S2: north of Jerusalem, to share God's message of impending doom
S2: with the people of the Kingdom of Israel, beginning in
S2: chapter three. Amos delivered three messages of judgment from the Lord.
S2: Each one in chapter three, four, and five begins with
S2: the phrase hear this word, and in the middle of
S2: each message, Amos then announces the judgment that God is
S2: about to bring. After stating his overall theme in the
S2: first two verses of chapter three. Amos then asks a
S2: series of rhetorical questions, each point to the reality of
S2: cause and effect. Two people walking along engaged in deep
S2: conversation probably just didn't happen to chance by a lion
S2: just doesn't roar for no reason. A bird doesn't just
S2: walk into a snare and push the trap shut. When
S2: a warning trumpet, a city's original emergency alarm system, sounds,
S2: people do stop and tremble at approaching danger. And then
S2: Amos connects his message and those cause and effect questions
S2: to God's early warning system. The lion has roared. So
S2: who will not fear? The sovereign Lord has spoken. Who
S2: can but prophesy as a shepherd? Amos likely had felt
S2: a surge of fear rush up his spine when he
S2: was surprised by the roar of a lion as it
S2: charged from a thicket toward him and his flock. And
S2: now heaven's ultimate lion was issuing his divine roar just
S2: before pouncing on the nation of Israel. The message from
S2: this heaven sent prophet was direct into the point God
S2: was about to send an enemy to overrun the land.
S2: He will pull down your strongholds and plunder your fortresses. Amos.
S2: His message of judgment could actually be understood in two ways.
S2: In chapter one, he reported that he delivered his message
S2: two years before the earthquake, and in chapter nine, he
S2: prophetically reports the devastation caused by that earthquake. Archaeologists have
S2: discovered evidence of a massive earthquake that tore through the
S2: land around 750 BC from hot sore north of the
S2: Sea of Galilee, all the way down to Giza and Lachish,
S2: southwest of Jerusalem. This earthquake devastated the land. 200 years later,
S2: the prophet Zechariah used this earthquake as a point of. Reference,
S2: you will flee as you fled from the earthquake in
S2: the days of Uzziah, king of Judah. Zechariah 14 five.
S2: But Amos message also looks beyond the impending earthquake to
S2: describe an even greater devastation that would strike the northern
S2: kingdom of Israel a quarter of a century later. That's
S2: when the Assyrian army came through to devastate and conquer Israel.
S2: They quite literally overran the land, pulled down the strongholds
S2: and plundered all the fortified cities and towns. Recalling his
S2: experience trying to protect his flock against a marauding lion,
S2: Amos graphically pictures the outcome of God's judgment as a
S2: shepherd saves from the lion's mouth only two leg bones
S2: or the piece of an ear. So will the Israelites
S2: be saved once God has unleashed his judgment on Israel.
S2: Amos compares what remains to the scraps of flesh and
S2: bones left behind after a lion has finished killing and
S2: devouring a helpless lamb. Even as he spoke those words,
S2: Amos must have remembered the sickening feeling he felt in
S2: the pit of his stomach as he surveyed such carnage
S2: in the past and recognize what God was threatening to
S2: unleash in the not too distant future. Why was God
S2: announcing such destruction? Amos shares why in his message, though
S2: some of it is more difficult for us to understand.
S2: In verse nine, he says the nation is guilty of
S2: great unrest and oppression. In the next verse, he explains
S2: that they do not know how to do right as
S2: they hoard, plunder and loot in their fortresses. Evidently, the
S2: rich and powerful were oppressing those who were less fortunate.
S2: In the very next chapter, Amos describes the wealthy women
S2: of Samaria who oppressed the poor and crushed the needy.
S2: They were guilty, he says, of immorality, greed, dishonesty, corruption,
S2: and idolatry. And now it was time for God to
S2: settle accounts. Amos wasn't a professional prophet. He was a shepherd,
S2: just a businessman from that little village you see over
S2: there in the distance. But God called him to deliver
S2: a series of profound messages to a nation on the
S2: brink of national disaster. And yet, did you notice God's grace?
S2: Amos delivered the message two years before the earthquake, and
S2: about 25 years before the arrival of the Assyrians, God
S2: gave the nation time to repent. They chose not to obey,
S2: but he still gave them that opportunity through Amos. The
S2: application for us today is twofold. First, our nation seems
S2: to be running away from God and His Word as
S2: fast as it can. But as Paul wrote in Galatians
S2: six seven, do not be deceived. God cannot be mocked.
S2: A man reaps what he sows. And the same is
S2: true of nations. We need to be praying for revival.
S2: And that leads to the second application. Revival needs to
S2: start with us. Are you living for God today? And
S2: if you are, are you sharing God's message of hope
S2: and forgiveness with your family, friends, and neighbors? Amos was
S2: called out of his comfort zone to deliver God's urgent
S2: message to a needy nation, and God is now calling
S2: on each of us to do the same.
S1: Thank you Charlie, I appreciate that sermon from a Shepherd.
S1: You can hear it again at our website. The land
S1: and the book, dawg. Hope you enjoyed the program. Our
S1: time is gone, but we'll be back next week with
S1: another slate of guests, questions, devotionals, and more. And if
S1: you'd like to visit our website, we welcome you to
S1: The Land and the book.org for complete program information. The
S1: land and the book, or the land of the book
S1: is a production of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody
S1: Bible Institute.