S1: In 1947, Bedouin shepherds stumbled upon a remarkable discovery in
S1: the Judean Desert seven scrolls tucked into clay jars in
S1: the back of a cave. But not just any scrolls.
S1: These were the first of what came to be known
S1: as the Dead Sea Scrolls. Hey, stick around to learn
S1: how you can see some of these scrolls in person
S1: without traveling to Israel. Plus the latest headlines from the
S1: Middle East. Hey, welcome to this week's edition of The
S1: Land and the book. If we haven't met, I'm John Gager,
S1: and our Middle East authority is Doctor Charlie Dyer. How
S1: are you doing, Charlie?
S2: John, I'm doing great as we end this year and
S2: get ready to start the new one.
S1: Well, speaking of the end of this year, many world
S1: events have left us wondering what God's plan is for
S1: the future. And that's especially true when it comes to Israel.
S1: Despite its tiny size, people around the world are just
S1: intensely focused on what takes place. There are today's headlines,
S1: we wonder, connected in any way with prophecies in the Bible?
S1: And how should followers of Jesus interpret current events as
S1: we await Christ's second coming?
S2: To help answer those important questions, our friends at Life
S2: and Messiah encourage you to check out their book, God, Israel,
S2: and Bible Prophecy with Scripture as its foundation. This book
S2: will take you on a journey into what God has
S2: in store, both for the Jewish people and the nations.
S2: The book is for anyone who wants to explore where
S2: modern day events fit on God's grand timeline. Now, if
S2: that's you or someone you know, this would be a
S2: great resource or gift. Visit Life in Messiah. Org and
S2: click on the Moody Radio button to find out how
S2: you can receive your copy of God, Israel and Bible Prophecy.
S2: That's life in messiah.org.
S1: Well, as you've pointed out, Charlie, we're at the end
S1: of the year and boy, that has slipped by, hasn't it?
S1: But before we flip the page on the calendar to
S1: a new calendar, let's look back at the top stories
S1: of the past year. The major event had to be
S1: the Multi-front War fought by Israel. What were the highs
S1: and lows of this military struggle?
S2: You know, this is the longest and most brutal war
S2: Israel has faced since its war of independence back in 1948.
S2: They had to fight both Hamas and Hezbollah. They also
S2: traded blows with Iran, with the Houthis and the Shiite
S2: militants in Iraq. And in addition, they experienced terror attacks
S2: from within their own borders. The highs over the past
S2: year definitely include the dramatic attacks against Hezbollah, thought to
S2: be the most powerful of Iran's allies, from the exploding
S2: pagers to the effective elimination of Hezbollah's leadership, including their
S2: long term head, Hassan Nasrallah. Israel decimated the group, forcing
S2: them to agree to a ceasefire and relocate their forces
S2: to a line north of the Litani River. Israel also
S2: devastated Hamas, destroying most of their brigades and killing their
S2: key political and military leadership, including Yahya Sinwar, Ismail Haniyeh,
S2: and Mohammed Deif. They also destroyed much of the military infrastructure,
S2: including underground tunnels, rockets, and manufacturing facilities. Israel attacked Iran
S2: in response to rockets Iran fired at them. They eliminated
S2: most of Iran's anti-aircraft sites, making Iran vulnerable to future attacks,
S2: and they eliminated Iran's ability to manufacture additional solid fuel rockets.
S2: Now the lows for Israel over the past year. That
S2: includes especially the toll in human life. Around 900 soldiers
S2: and police have been killed in the ongoing conflict. Another
S2: low is the impact of the war on Israel's economy.
S2: Service time for reservists in the IDF averaged 136 days
S2: per year. Some businesses failed, others were forced to cut back,
S2: and families struggled to get by financially with the loss
S2: of income. We saw that John firsthand back in March,
S2: when we visited a company that normally employs about 150 people.
S2: Most of the desks were empty, with just a handful
S2: of people still in place. The rest were either called
S2: up for reserve duty or furlough due to the lack
S2: of work and sadly, the conflict still isn't over. Though
S2: hopefully things are finally winding down.
S1: Well, the second major story of the year was the
S1: surprising rise in anti-Semitism worldwide, in response to Israel's fight
S1: against Hamas and Hezbollah. What was behind this dramatic rise?
S2: You know, analysts point to a variety of causes, including
S2: the apparent disparity between the number of casualties in Israel
S2: and the number in Gaza. The problem here is that
S2: the numbers provided by Hamas can't be verified and don't
S2: distinguish between civilians and fighters. Hamas was quick to report
S2: mass casualty events, even though many turned out to be
S2: inaccurate or downright false. But by the time the truth
S2: finally came out, the damage was already done. Those reasons alone, however,
S2: don't account for the dramatic rise in anti-Semitism. For example,
S2: protests began on college campuses on October 8th, the day
S2: after Hamas killed over 1200 Israelis and before Israel was
S2: able to respond, anti-Semitism was always there, just below the surface.
S2: October 7th gave those who hate the Jews an opportunity
S2: to publicly demonstrate that hatred under the guise of supporting Hezbollah,
S2: Hamas and the Palestinians. But let me dig even deeper, John. Bigotry,
S2: prejudice and the wickedness of the human heart are also
S2: key reasons for anti-Semitism. But I believe the ultimate cause
S2: for anti-Semitism can be traced back to Satan and his
S2: opposition to God. anti-Semitism has Satan's fingerprints all over it.
S2: He rebelled against God. Originally, he tried to kill God's
S2: Messiah at his first coming, and he's actively trying to
S2: turn the world against God's chosen people before the Messiah returns.
S2: The rise in anti-Semitism over the past year is a
S2: reminder that Satan hates God. He hates God's people, and
S2: he hates God's program. And it's also a reminder that
S2: we need to stand up for the Jewish people and
S2: for Israel's right to exist as a nation in their
S2: own land, a land which, by the way, was promised
S2: to them by God.
S1: You're listening to The Land and the book from Moody Radio.
S1: Our host is Doctor Charlie Dyer, noted Middle East expert.
S1: I'm John Gager, and our third major story of the
S1: year looks at the International Criminal Court, which charged Israel
S1: and her leaders with genocide and war crimes. What's the
S1: impact of these charges? And is Israel guilty?
S2: Well, in terms of the impact of the charges, they
S2: do make it difficult on Israel as a country and
S2: on individual Israelis. Israel's leaders are threatened with arrest if
S2: they visit a country that's a member of the ICC.
S2: This also opens the door for countries to boycott Israeli products.
S2: Israeli soldiers who fought in Gaza or Lebanon are in
S2: danger of being arrested and charged with war crimes for
S2: serving in the military. So the bottom line, though, is
S2: Israel guilty? Well, they're not. In fact, over the past year,
S2: Israel demonstrated that it's done more than any army in
S2: history to protect civilians while fighting in an urban environment
S2: against an enemy who deliberately embedded itself among civilians, using
S2: them as human shields. Israel filed two appeals against the
S2: arrest warrants, the first focused on serious procedural deficiencies in
S2: the ICC decision, and the second dealt with the claim
S2: that the ICC lacks any jurisdiction over Israelis. Could there
S2: be individual instances where soldiers committed war crimes? Yeah, that's
S2: true of every war ever fought. And Israel, just like
S2: the US, has a mechanism for prosecuting individual soldiers for
S2: war crimes. But Israel didn't invade Gaza to try and
S2: wipe out the Palestinian people. They invaded to defeat an
S2: enemy that had attacked them. And they called on civilians
S2: within Gaza to move out of areas they're about to attack.
S2: You know what nation telegraphs its plan of attack, putting
S2: its own soldiers in harm's way to spare civilians? Well,
S2: that's what Israel did. Thankfully, the United States has made
S2: it clear that we believe the charges have no merit.
S2: There has been genocide, but it's been committed by Hamas
S2: and Hezbollah, not Israel.
S1: The final story of the year has to be the
S1: ongoing hostage drama and the related opposition to Prime Minister
S1: Netanyahu on the part of many Israelis. How do these
S1: two pieces interconnect?
S2: Yeah, well, one reason Hamas chose to attack when they
S2: did was the very public division within Israel, between the
S2: government and those who were opposed to it. The specific
S2: issue was a plan on the part of the coalition
S2: to reform Israel's legal system. Now, what got lost in
S2: all of the protests is the fact that some of
S2: the reforms would have made their system more like that
S2: in the U.S., adding additional checks and balances to keep
S2: the judiciary from exerting too much power to Hamas as
S2: they looked at all the conflict. It appeared that Israel
S2: was imploding, and this encouraged them to attack. One tactic
S2: they've used in the past was to capture hostages, to
S2: try to keep Israel from responding. And in this case,
S2: Israel initially came together as a nation to oppose Hamas
S2: and to push for the return of the hostages. That
S2: was a highlight for Israel in terms of their unity.
S2: But Hamas scattered the hostages throughout Gaza, making their rescue
S2: extremely difficult. Hamas then demanded Israel stop its attack, withdraw
S2: from Gaza and allow Hamas to remain in power as
S2: conditions for the return of the hostages. Israel set two
S2: goals in this war with Hamas defeat and remove Hamas
S2: from power and bring back all the hostages. But as
S2: the war dragged on, those goals seemed to become mutually exclusive.
S2: The fractures within Israel resurfaced, and those opposed to Netanyahu
S2: claimed he was prolonging the war for his own personal benefit, which, sadly,
S2: just isn't true. Hamas saw political benefit in keeping the
S2: hostages until Israel agreed to all its demands. Now, as
S2: this year ends, we might, and I use the word
S2: might be seeing a way forward. Hamas is feeling more isolated.
S2: Israel didn't allow U.S. pressure to force them to back
S2: off in the fight against Hamas. They kept advancing inside Gaza,
S2: further degrading Hamas's military capabilities. And as the year ends,
S2: the hope in everyone's mind is that the release of
S2: the remaining hostages might finally be close at hand. It's
S2: certainly time to bring them home, and the threats by
S2: president elect Trump seem to be helping in that regard.
S2: But the same can't be said for the opposition to
S2: Netanyahu on the part of a significant number of Israelis
S2: that opposition is likely to continue.
S1: Charlie, isn't it true in one sense that although it's
S1: bad for the hostages and their families, the longer this
S1: thing continues to play out, it seems to weaken the
S1: position of Hamas. It makes their lives more difficult.
S2: Well, what I would say is it makes the lives
S2: of the people in Gaza definitely more difficult. Sadly, Hamas
S2: have been hijacking the aid trucks that have come in.
S2: The individual Hamas fighters are doing much better than the
S2: average person within Gaza, but Hamas doesn't care about them.
S2: And that's what's sad.
S1: Let me ask you to put on your thinking cap here.
S1: What's a likely six month forecast for both Syria and Lebanon.
S1: The situations there, Syria and Lebanon.
S2: Unfortunately, we're likely to see a Sunni Islamic state come
S2: into play for Lebanon. There's perhaps a little bit more hope.
S2: The lifeline to Hezbollah has been cut off with Iran
S2: not being able to resupply them. And there's a possibility
S2: at least of a government forming in Lebanon that could
S2: hold Hezbollah in check and not let them become, again,
S2: a state within a state.
S1: All right. And that's a look at current events and
S1: a little bit of a forecast of what's likely ahead
S1: in Syria and Lebanon. I'm looking forward to our conversation
S1: coming up next, where we're talking about the Dead Sea
S1: Scrolls and how you can see some of them right
S1: here in the United States of America. That's a great conversation.
S1: Up next on the Land and the book. In 1947,
S1: Bedouin shepherds stumbled upon a remarkable discovery in the Judean Desert.
S1: Seven scrolls tucked away into clay jars in the back
S1: of a cave. But not just any scrolls. These were
S1: the first of what came to be known as the
S1: Dead Sea Scrolls. Over the next decade, thousands of manuscript
S1: fragments from 11 different caves were discovered near the ancient
S1: site of Qumran, dating back two millennia. These fragile parchments,
S1: preserved by the dry climate and darkness of the caves,
S1: represent the oldest known copies of the Hebrew Bible, which
S1: we refer to as the Old Testament. But here's the shocker.
S1: Eight of those scrolls and more than 200 artifacts are
S1: part of a special exhibition that you can see now
S1: for yourself at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California.
S1: Are you intrigued? Well, I am. Hey, welcome to segment
S1: two of The Land and the book. I'm John Gager.
S1: Joining our conversation today is Melissa Giller, chief marketing officer
S1: for the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute. Melissa oversees
S1: the marketing, the public relations, social media center for public affairs,
S1: programming and facility rental business for the Foundation. While working
S1: for that foundation, Melissa has helped secure the special exhibitions
S1: that are housed at the library, helping make the Reagan
S1: Library the most visited museum in the presidential library system.
S1: That said, welcome to the land and the book. Melissa, thank.
S3: You so much for having me.
S1: Well, how in the world did you get approval from
S1: the Israeli antiquities authorities to host this exhibit?
S3: So we've been working with them since 2019. This exhibition
S3: had traveled before, but it went on rest in 2018,
S3: and they knew they were bringing it back out in
S3: a couple of years. And it takes a really long
S3: time to get approval from the Israeli Antiquities Authority. We're
S3: very fortunate. We're actually a government building, so we have
S3: all the security and safety measures that they require. We've
S3: also been able to host some of the most, you know,
S3: exquisite exhibitions like Auschwitz not long ago, not far away
S3: in Vatican splendor. So they know that we have a
S3: venue that can bring in these large exhibitions and host them. And,
S3: you know, we were even able to point to the
S3: fact that President Reagan believed so strongly in his faith,
S3: believed so strongly in Israel, and all of those things
S3: mixed together. They opened up their doors. And we are
S3: so excited about this new exhibit.
S1: So how long will that exhibit be available to the public?
S1: I'm curious.
S3: Yeah. The exhibition will run through the very end of
S3: August in 2025. And what's extraordinary about it, you mentioned
S3: that there are eight scrolls. Well, the scrolls can only
S3: be in light three months every five years. So we
S3: have this exhibition for a total of nine months in
S3: its entirety. And every three months they bring us an
S3: entire new eight set of scrolls.
S4: Wow.
S1: To honor that, need to keep those fragments in good,
S1: good health, as it were.
S3: Exactly preserved as long as they can be.
S1: Well, in addition to the scrolls, one of the artifacts
S1: on display, I'm told, is the Magdala Stone, which dates
S1: to the Second Temple period. Describe this piece. How big
S1: is it and what does it look like?
S3: Sure. So as you said, it dates back to the
S3: Second Temple period. It's a very intricate stone that shows
S3: the carvings of the temple, and they believe that those
S3: drawings are actually showing the role of the synagogue as
S3: a sacred space. They believe it was used as furniture, perhaps,
S3: to hold the Torah or some other important object from
S3: the temple of the time. It's completely made of stone.
S3: It's perhaps maybe two feet wide by maybe four feet
S3: across and maybe about three feet tall. And it's just
S3: it's extraordinary. It has a whole bunch of different markings.
S3: They believe it's the first ever use of a seven
S3: candle menorah on an object like that, dating back 2000 years.
S1: Yeah. And if you've been to the Magdala site, you've
S1: seen a replica of that. And boy, fascinating to see
S1: that you guys have the actual one. This is the
S1: land in the book I'm John Geiger, visiting today with
S1: Melissa Giller, who is taking us on a bit of
S1: an audio tour of a fabulous exhibit open to the
S1: public now at the Ronald Reagan Library. Also on display
S1: is the Sea of Galilee boat, often referred to as
S1: the Jesus Boat. That's a first century fishing boat discovered
S1: in 1986 along the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee.
S1: Many of our listeners will be familiar with that, and
S1: they know this is not a small thing. So describe
S1: this remarkable treasure for anybody who's new to it.
S3: Yes. So what's extra? Well, there's many things extraordinary about
S3: this boat, but one of the things that's extraordinary is
S3: it's never toured before. So since finding it in 1986,
S3: it has never left the Israel Antiquities Authority archives. So
S3: we are the first location to ever have it on display.
S3: It was found in 1986, as you said, during a
S3: really strong drought in the Sea of Galilee. And through
S3: carbon dating, they have been able to prove that it
S3: was a boat, most likely a fisherman's boat used on
S3: the Sea of Galilee at the exact same time that
S3: Jesus was a fisherman on that exact sea. So the
S3: boat itself is very fragile. It doesn't really travel. So
S3: what they've traveled are wood fragments from the boat. They
S3: can prove that the wood is both cedar from Lebanon
S3: as well as other wood species from Israel. And then
S3: they've sort of recreated the full scope of the boat,
S3: so you can see the size of it with the
S3: original wood carvings, the sort of wood fragments in a
S3: case in the middle of the boat.
S1: I understand you also feature a number of ossuaries, small
S1: stone receptacles used for secondary burial. For those who aren't familiar,
S1: tell us a bit about the practical side of an
S1: ossuary and why these are important to include in your display.
S3: Yes, so they really wanted this exhibition to, you know,
S3: it's called the Dead Sea Scrolls. But as you said earlier,
S3: there are 200 objects and only eight scrolls. So the
S3: scrolls are really just almost a small part of it.
S3: And they wanted to be able to show the culture
S3: and the foundations of faith across Christianity, Judaism, and even
S3: the beginning of Islam faith in this exhibition, and they
S3: do so through the use of these other 200 artifacts
S3: we have. I believe it's five ossuaries on display. And
S3: for those who aren't aware, as you said, they hold
S3: bone fragments inside of them. And I've been learning some
S3: really interesting information because, again, if you are of the
S3: Jewish faith, they have to keep things in a sense
S3: kosher and what they can and can't do with certain
S3: bones and sort of changing things up so the bones
S3: would be cleaned before they would be put inside these
S3: stone cases to be preserved forever.
S1: Melissa Geller is our guest today on the Land and
S1: the book. She serves as chief marketing officer for the
S1: Ronald Reagan Library in Simi Valley, California. I am just
S1: blown away that you also have on display some objects
S1: from Masada. That's Herod the Great's desert fortress overlooking the
S1: Dead Sea. Remind listeners why this particular fortress was such
S1: a strategic site, and what specific artifacts can we expect
S1: to see?
S3: So what I can tell you is that Masada is
S3: really important, because what they're explaining in this exhibit as
S3: a whole is why these scrolls, why these artifacts were
S3: hidden to begin with, and they were hidden to begin
S3: with because of the Roman Empire rule and them going
S3: in and all the the fighting, if you could call
S3: it that. But really, the execution and persecution of the
S3: Jews at the time. And most of those fights were happening.
S3: Some of the strongest fights were happening at Masada. So
S3: they've actually built replica sort of scenic view of what
S3: Masada looked like at the time, as well as really
S3: beautiful photographs that people can get a sense of where
S3: you were sort of near the Dead Sea during those fights.
S3: There are sort of panel copies around the exhibition explaining
S3: what happened during that time, why that time is so
S3: important to the history of the Dead Sea Scrolls and
S3: the hiding of all these objects. And then this is
S3: a sort of silly answer, but, um, so they're still
S3: inserting artifacts and they haven't yet put the artifacts in
S3: that gallery at the time of this recording, so I
S3: haven't seen exactly what's going in there yet. So you
S3: might need to cut that part out. But the history part,
S3: I can tell you.
S1: No, I think we're good, because I heard from a
S1: little bird somewhere that you guys have some small pot
S1: sherds bearing writing, some botanical remains, including some pomegranate peels,
S1: walnut shells and olive pits, as well as imported textiles.
S1: All that to say, it's more than just a couple
S1: of photos. It really is a remarkable presentation of Masada
S1: at several different levels, so that's just too cool, I think.
S3: Yeah, very cool. They also even have they talk about
S3: Pilgrimage Road, which is the road that people would take
S3: as they approached the temple. And so along the pilgrimage
S3: road were shops. And they have found through their excavations jewelry, weapons, pottery, money,
S3: all the different things that were used along pilgrimage roads
S3: in these markets. And these things will all be on
S3: display as well.
S1: In the New Testament, we read that the shekel coin
S1: was the official annual temple tax you had to pay.
S1: Every male above 20 years old had to pay up
S1: because your collection is so amazing. Melissa. You also have
S1: some shekels for people to see.
S3: We sure do.
S1: I'm kind of curious if you've seen one. What American
S1: coin does the shekel mostly resemble, or am I putting
S1: you in a in a tough spot there?
S3: You know, I don't know if I can answer that.
S3: We have the silver coin, which was the coin used
S3: to pay the half shekel head tax. It has a
S3: man's face engraved in it, almost like maybe we might
S3: have the face of Washington engraved in a coin. But
S3: of course, much more textured, because our coins are manufactured
S3: in such a beautiful way. There's even some that have
S3: an eagle on one side. And again, these were used
S3: for the actual tax that was used to pay to
S3: enter the temple. So just like the same kind of
S3: tithes that many people still pay today to their churches
S3: or their temples. They were doing it 2000 years ago.
S1: We're talking with chief marketing officer Melissa Giller. I'm assuming
S1: there's a fair amount of security concerns that must be
S1: managed with something like this. Help us understand that facet
S1: of the exhibit as much as you can without giving
S1: away too many secrets.
S3: Sure. So again, we are a government facility, so we
S3: actually have security on our premises 24 over seven already.
S3: Our last really big exhibition was on Auschwitz, and we
S3: sort of ramped up our security a little bit for
S3: that as well. When we had the Auschwitz exhibition, that's
S3: when the October 7th Hamas attack happened on Israel. So
S3: we're sort of prepared for this. I don't think visitors
S3: will really see a difference. It's security cameras, security guards,
S3: the things that we already do, we do check bags.
S3: So nothing like that is really changed. But we are
S3: just more aware. We do live in a very political climate.
S3: I can tell you, without naming names, that there were
S3: other locations being considered for this exhibition, and some of
S3: those museums backed out because they were too nervous that
S3: it might not be a safe time to house the exhibition,
S3: but that made us want to house the exhibition even more.
S3: It is so important for people to see these artifacts,
S3: to learn these stories, you know. As you said, this
S3: is the oldest known full portion of the Hebrew Bible
S3: known to ever exist. It's the same books in the
S3: Old Testament and the Christian Bible. And what's also spectacular
S3: about them is that if you can read Hebrew, you
S3: can actually read the Dead Sea Scrolls, because the characters
S3: haven't changed in over 2000 years. So again, if you
S3: can read it when you see these scrolls, you will
S3: still be able to read it just as if you
S3: were reading a Torah today.
S1: So let me ask you a personal question. As you
S1: have examined this collection being put together and taking shape.
S1: What for you is the most intriguing item or the
S1: most maybe significant personal takeaway?
S3: For me personally, it's the two ton piece of the
S3: Western Wall. Israel is a place I've always wanted to visit.
S3: I have not yet been able to do that and
S3: to go to Israel to be at the Wailing Wall,
S3: the Western Wall, and to leave a note of prayer
S3: or something that is really important to me. And when
S3: this exhibition has traveled in the past, it has only
S3: traveled with a replica of the Western Wall. And this
S3: exhibition travels, as I said, with a real two ton piece.
S3: It fell off the wall surrounding the Second Temple, but
S3: it's never left Jerusalem before. And to have that here
S3: and visitors are allowed to actually leave a note next
S3: to it. Um, again, I still want to get to Israel.
S3: It's not a replacement for going to Israel.
S4: That's right. But it is.
S3: For me a very significant piece that something I've always
S3: wanted to do, and that I can now do it
S3: at the Reagan Library is fun, but extraordinary at the same.
S4: Time. Oh, for.
S1: Sure. And that's neat that you're allowing people to place, uh,
S1: notes and prayers there, as they do at the wall.
S1: We we see those crammed into the cracks. I've placed
S1: one there myself a time or two. Hey, what is
S1: your goal in hosting this exhibit when all is said
S1: and done? Melissa.
S3: We want to bring awareness to history, first and foremost, religion.
S3: But the importance of not forgetting, right? I mean, I
S3: know if people study the Bible or people study the Torah,
S3: they know the stories that are in there. But to
S3: see the items themselves, these 2000 year old items from
S3: the time of Jesus, I think it sort of opens
S3: up what you believe and what you see in a
S3: whole new way. So we really hope that people come
S3: to the Reagan Library, see the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibition,
S3: not let the political environment scare them away, or think
S3: maybe another day, another time. It's more important now than
S3: ever to remember these stories and to see these items
S3: up close and personal. So, um, we are the only
S3: location in all of the West Coast to house this exhibition.
S3: When it starts to travel. It'll be on the East Coast.
S3: So we do encourage anyone west of the Mississippi who
S3: can hear me.
S4: Come on out.
S3: Before it.
S4: Closes.
S1: That's great. And we'll link to your museum right there
S1: at our website. The land and the book. Org take
S1: you right to this display and all the information you
S1: need to know about the Ronald Reagan Library's extraordinary collection,
S1: the Dead Sea Scrolls. Melissa, a pleasure to chat with
S1: you today. Thanks for letting us know what we can
S1: expect when we get out there and see this tremendous
S1: exhibit for ourselves.
S3: Thank you so much for having me. I appreciate.
S4: It, and.
S1: We're looking forward to connecting with a fresh set of
S1: Bible questions and their answers. Up next here on the
S1: land and the book. You know, you have so many
S1: options in what you listen to these days. Here you
S1: are with us at the land and the book, and
S1: we're glad you decided to hang out. I think you'll
S1: be glad you did. Fascinating to hear what people are
S1: wondering as they open their Bibles. Do some study. We're
S1: going to get to a great list of questions. First, though,
S1: you think about the end of the year approaching and
S1: all the world events that have left us wondering what
S1: God's plan is for the future. And that's particularly true
S1: when it comes to Israel, despite its small size. Think
S1: about this people around the world are intensely focused on
S1: what takes place there. Many wonder, are today's headlines connected
S1: in some way with the prophecies in the Bible? And
S1: more specifically, how should followers of Jesus interpret current events?
S1: As we await his second coming?
S2: And those are great questions. And to help answer those questions,
S2: our friends at Life and Messiah encourage you to check
S2: out their book, God, Israel, and Bible Prophecy. Now, with
S2: Scripture as its foundation, this book will take you on
S2: a journey into what God has in store for the
S2: Jewish people and the nations. This book is for anyone
S2: who wants to explore where modern day events fit on
S2: God's grand timeline. Now, if that's you or someone you know,
S2: this would be a great resource or gift. Visit Lifeline Messiah.
S2: Org and click on the Moody Radio button there to
S2: find out how you can receive your copy of God,
S2: Israel and Bible Prophecy. That's life in messiah.org.
S1: Jared is questioner number one in this Q&A segment for
S1: the day. He says, I've been noticing that even some
S1: conservative evangelical folks are leaning now toward centering prayer and
S1: contemplative prayer, these being the most important thing to learn
S1: and the way to be closest to God. Do you
S1: have any counsel about what is biblical and what is
S1: extra biblical versus traditional in this emerging practice?
S2: Yeah, I just need to say right up front, I
S2: have problems with the practice of people that refer to
S2: these centering prayer or contemplative prayer. Now, in these practices,
S2: prayer becomes a form of meditation where the person is
S2: told to focus his or her attention on a simple
S2: word or phrase and attach it to a rhythmic breathing pattern.
S2: But when I look at prayer in the Bible, it's
S2: an active, not a passive activity. You know, Jesus gave
S2: very specific instructions on how to pray in Matthew six,
S2: the passage. We often call it the Lord's Prayer, but
S2: it actually should be called the Disciples prayer. Since he
S2: was explaining to his disciples how his followers ought to pray.
S2: And he says there that prayer ought to be private
S2: rather than public, and is not to involve the incessant
S2: repetition of words. In fact, in verse seven he uses
S2: the word bartolaccio, which refers to stammering or repeating words
S2: over and over, which he then connects to the compound
S2: word eulogia, which literally means many words. Then Jesus provides
S2: a basic outline for prayer that involves a focus in
S2: prayer on adoration, submission to God's will, requests for specific needs, confession,
S2: and requests for guidance and protection. The kind of prayer
S2: Jesus is describing is active and focused. Rather than seeking
S2: some altered state of serenity. It's a realization that we've
S2: come into the presence of God Himself in active communion.
S2: You know, when Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane,
S2: Luke says, and being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly,
S2: and his sweat was like drops of blood falling on
S2: the ground. In his extended prayer in John 17, Jesus
S2: prayed actively for himself, his disciples, and for all believers
S2: who would then come to faith. Now in all those instances,
S2: Jesus's prayer is active and direct. Another example in Colossians
S2: chapter four, Paul described one of the church's own members,
S2: who was with Paul as a servant of Christ, who
S2: was always wrestling in prayer for you. And the word
S2: Paul uses. There is the Greek word agonism, from which
S2: we get the word agony. Now the word has the
S2: idea of fighting, struggling, striving, or laboring. His prayer for
S2: these saints was an act of labor on his part.
S2: Now we're all told to meditate on God's Word. So
S2: I'm not against meditation. Psalm one verse two tells us
S2: that Psalm 119, verse 11 does as well. The word
S2: of Christ is to dwell in us richly. Colossians 316.
S2: We're told to read God's Word and memorize God's Word
S2: and meditate on God's Word. But that's not the same
S2: activity as prayer, at least not as I see prayer
S2: being described in the Bible.
S1: Well, a question from Robin, who says A Jewish friend
S1: greeted me on Yom Kippur with the phrase Djemaa satima tova.
S1: I know it's a greeting and means a good final ceiling,
S1: but can you explain just a bit more of its meaning?
S1: Is it in the Bible?
S2: Yeah, well, the phrase comes from the Jewish tradition that
S2: God writes a person's fate for the coming year on
S2: Rosh Hashanah into one of three books. The righteous are
S2: inscribed in the Book of Life, the evil into the
S2: Book of Death, and those in between have their judgment
S2: suspended until Yom Kippur, the ten days between the start
S2: of the New Year and Yom Kippur give this third
S2: group of individuals an opportunity to tip the scales in
S2: their behalf so they can do extra good deeds or
S2: something during that period. So the greeting by your friend
S2: is hoping that your fate for the coming year will
S2: be tipped in your favor, and that you'll experience God's
S2: blessing in life for the coming year. Now, the idea
S2: of a book of life does come from the Bible,
S2: though modern Jewish understanding isn't exactly what's meant there. In
S2: Psalm 69 verse 28, David called on God to judge
S2: his enemies and said, May they be blotted out of
S2: the book of life and not be listed with the righteous.
S2: Now these enemies had been seeking David's death, so David
S2: prays that God will bring about their death. David's prayer
S2: isn't based on the idea that there's a ten day
S2: period when this person's fate is sealed. He's using the
S2: imagery of a book in a poetic fashion, to ask
S2: God to remove his enemies from God's record of those
S2: who remain alive. In the Book of Revelation. The Book
S2: of Life is also used to picture God's record of
S2: those who have been declared righteous, and anyone whose name
S2: isn't written in the Book of life will be cast
S2: into eternal punishment in the lake of fire. And that's
S2: in revelation 20. But the modern Jewish use of these
S2: words isn't exactly the way they appear in the Bible.
S1: Sadie asks, was the Babylonian captivity a revenge for what
S1: King Solomon did?
S2: Yeah. I don't believe the Babylonian captivity was revenge on
S2: God's part, though. The breakup of the empire into two kingdoms,
S2: Israel and Judah, was part of God's judgment for his
S2: turning away from God. I traced the Babylonian captivity back
S2: to the covenant God made with Israel. In Leviticus 26
S2: and Deuteronomy 28, God gave a series of blessings he
S2: would give for obedience and cursings that he would send
S2: for disobedience. The ultimate curse was his threat to cast
S2: Israel out of the land. And in Second Chronicles 36,
S2: at the end, as they describe him going into captivity
S2: in Babylon, the writer connects that captivity to the nations disobedience.
S2: The kingdom was divided because of Solomon's sin, but the
S2: people were carried into captivity because they violated God's Word
S2: and brought on themselves that ultimate covenant curse, expulsion from
S2: the land.
S1: You're listening to the land in the book. Doctor Charlie Dyer,
S1: our host, always welcomes your Bible questions at the land
S1: and the book@moody.edu. In Romans 11 verse 28, Paul says,
S1: Israel is beloved for the sake of their ancestors. A
S1: listener wants to know, does this mean that God loves
S1: those whose ancestors were pagan in a different way for
S1: different reasons? What exactly does it mean that God loves
S1: someone for his ancestor's sake.
S2: Well, in Greek the phrase is literally beloved for the
S2: sake of the fathers. And in the context since Paul's
S2: speaking about Israel, the fathers he's referring to are Abraham, Isaac,
S2: and Jacob, the three patriarchs to whom God made specific
S2: promises regarding the nation of Israel. Hundreds of years later,
S2: Micah the prophet ended his book with an assurance that
S2: God could bless Israel because of the oath God made
S2: to these patriarchs. He said, you will again have compassion
S2: on us. You'll tread our sins underfoot, hurl our iniquities
S2: into the depths of the sea. You will be true
S2: to Jacob and show mercy to Abraham, as you pledged
S2: on oath to our fathers in days long ago. Now,
S2: what Paul meant by this phrase is that God had
S2: made a solemn promise to Abraham, which he reaffirmed to
S2: Isaac and Jacob. And in context Paul is saying, the
S2: Jewish people are beloved in the sense that they could
S2: rely on God to keep the promise he made to
S2: Abraham and the other patriarchs. And we can't apply this
S2: principle to the ancestors of pagans simply because there's no
S2: record of a promise God made to them. Here's a
S2: simple illustration to show what I mean. Suppose I made
S2: a promise to you and your family, and then later
S2: I had it notarized to make it legally binding. Now,
S2: the fact that I made a promise to you and
S2: your descendants doesn't necessarily mean I also made a similar
S2: promise to someone else. Nor does it keep me from
S2: choosing to do so for someone else later on. The
S2: one really doesn't impact the other. Paul's just saying Israel
S2: has a future because God made a solemn covenant with
S2: the patriarchs and God's gifts and his calling, he says,
S2: are irrevocable. The good news for us is that God
S2: has also given us promises in the New Testament, and
S2: we can depend on those as well.
S1: Nancy takes us to Luke chapter 17, where it says,
S1: they answered and said to him, where, Lord? And he
S1: said to them, wherever the body is, there the eagles
S1: will be gathered together. I've seen many different interpretations that
S1: seem quite confusing. Nancy wants to know what is the body.
S1: Refer to the church. Someone who died in battle. What
S1: are the eagles or vultures symbolize? Is this an allusion
S1: to the rapture, end times or or some past tragedy
S1: that has already taken place?
S2: Well, the phrase appears to be in the form of
S2: a proverb there, though the only other occurrence is in
S2: Matthew 24. But in both cases, it seems the point
S2: of the proverb is that if you want to know
S2: where the dead bodies are, look for vultures circling. Or
S2: perhaps it could be understood this way. If you see
S2: a flock of vultures circling overhead, we can assume something
S2: dead must be somewhere nearby. On the ground below the
S2: object we can see that is, the vultures flying overhead
S2: point towards something that we might not otherwise be able
S2: to see in the context in Luke 17. It's a
S2: context of judgment. In verses 26 and 27, Jesus mentions
S2: the days of Noah, when a flood came and destroyed
S2: them in 28 and 29. He mentions the days of
S2: lot when fire and brimstone came and destroyed them. He
S2: then compares all that to his return and the judgment
S2: it will bring the two people who are in a bed,
S2: or two people who are grinding in verses 34 to
S2: 36 represent those who will be alive at his return.
S2: One taken is the one taken in judgment, like in
S2: the flood or in Sodom. And the one who is
S2: left like Noah or Lot is the one who's left
S2: to remain alive. So I think what Jesus is doing
S2: here isn't emphasizing where the judgment will take place or
S2: what the body is, but he's just giving an illustration
S2: to say, when you see the vultures, when you see
S2: the events happening, you know that the judgment is coming.
S1: Well, we've certainly covered a lot of ground today. Thank
S1: you for your hard work on these questions. Yours is
S1: welcome any time at the land and the book@moody.edu. Well,
S1: there's more to come in today's program, and that includes
S1: Charlie Dyer's devotional. It's next right here on the land
S1: and the book. Well, you don't need me to tell
S1: you the end of the year is coming. Hi, I'm
S1: John Gager here at the Land and the book. Do
S1: you ever think about the fact that you and I
S1: might need wisdom to finish this year out, and of course,
S1: wisdom as we begin another year. Charlie, is that the
S1: essence of your devotional? I'm looking forward to it, by
S1: the way it is.
S2: We're going to talk about the end of the year
S2: and New year and Wisdom and Solomon. They all fit together.
S1: Okay, I'm looking forward to that after we take in
S1: this Holy Land experience.
S5: I was raised Jewish, so I had a totally different
S5: experience than probably any of your listeners. I thought it
S5: was amazing. When I came back, I was more religious
S5: as a Jew. And then in 1985, I had a
S5: conversion experience and became a Christian. The Lord totally called
S5: me to follow him and become his child of God.
S5: And I have yet to go back as a Christian,
S5: but I see Israel as a totally different place than
S5: I did as a Jew. One of my favorite experiences
S5: was hiking up the top of Masada at three in
S5: the morning and watching the sun rise and learning all
S5: about how the battle. You know, the battle that was
S5: fought there, they were under attack by Romans, and instead
S5: of losing, they all committed suicide. I thought it was
S5: noble at the time. That was pretty cool. Absolutely loved
S5: Israel and said, Jesus's birthplace. I saw King David's tomb.
S5: I saw lots of ruins. It was very, very, very
S5: beautiful place to visit. As I said, I'd like to
S5: go back there as a Christian because I would have
S5: a totally different experience now. Thanks for letting me share.
S1: Charlie, I have to confess, I've never given thought to
S1: wisdom to finish the old year out. I'm looking forward
S1: to that and what you have to say about the
S1: new Year.
S2: Yeah. Thanks, John. Well, the orchestra is on stage tuning
S2: up and getting ready to play. The noisemakers and party
S2: hats are arranged on the tables by each place setting,
S2: and the guests are already milling about out in the foyer,
S2: waiting for the banquet doors to open. It's almost time
S2: to gather and celebrate the ringing out of an old year,
S2: and the ringing in of a new one. Most of
S2: those gathering are more than ready to say goodbye to
S2: the old year. It started last January 1st with such promise,
S2: but in so many ways it failed to live up
S2: to its potential, and each person arriving tonight has his
S2: or her own reasons to feel less than nostalgic over
S2: this past year coming to an end. For some, it
S2: was the loss of a loved one, or the loss
S2: of a job, or the tragic breakup of a relationship,
S2: or an unexpected illness, or serious financial setback or or well,
S2: the circumstances are unique to each person coming through the doors,
S2: but the year certainly had its share of hurt and heartache,
S2: and on this New Year's Eve, most hope the next
S2: year will somehow be different. As we take our seats,
S2: we notice an old, distinguished looking gentleman seated next to us.
S2: We introduce ourselves and discover this is none other than
S2: the wise King Solomon. Taking advantage of the opportunity, we
S2: turn to him and say, so, do you have any
S2: words of wisdom for us as we get ready to
S2: start a new year? We're somewhat taken aback when he says,
S2: rather cryptically, there's a time for everything and a season
S2: for every activity under heaven. Well, that's true, we respond.
S2: But exactly what kind of times or seasons might the
S2: new year bring? We try to pin Solomon down to
S2: get his read on the economy or world affairs, or
S2: maybe even our own personal circumstances. But Solomon proves to
S2: be as elusive as trying to pick up a drop
S2: of oil between two fingers. Turning to look directly into
S2: our eyes, he compresses the entire new year into 14
S2: pairs of opposites, encompassing all of life. The new Year
S2: will be a time to be born and a time
S2: to die. A time to plant, and a time to uproot,
S2: a time to kill and a time to heal. A
S2: time to tear down and a time to build. A
S2: time to weep and a time to laugh. A time
S2: to mourn and a time to dance. A time to
S2: scatter stones and a time to gather them. A time
S2: to embrace and a time to refrain. A time to
S2: search and a time to give up. A time to
S2: keep and a time to throw away. A time to
S2: tear and a time to mend. A time to be
S2: silent and a time to speak. A time to love
S2: and a time to hate. A time for war and
S2: a time for peace. Initially we're at a loss for words.
S2: We were hoping for some golden nuggets of wisdom that
S2: could help us become more healthy, wealthy, and wise in
S2: the coming New Year. But instead, Solomon has reminded us
S2: that there will be times in the New Year that
S2: will bring both joy and sorrow that will result in
S2: healing and death. Our emotions will span the gamut from
S2: love to hate. Countries will experience both war and peace.
S2: In other words, next year will be very much like
S2: the one just ending. But just as we start to
S2: wrap our minds around these conflicting actions and emotions, Solomon
S2: adds two other truths to this already complex equation. First,
S2: all our effort and toil to get ahead, to reach
S2: our own personal goals of life, liberty and the pursuit
S2: of happiness will end up falling short and leaving us unsatisfied.
S2: Solomon immediately goes to the bottom line what does the
S2: worker gain from his toil? No matter how hard a
S2: person works, results can be elusive. Sometimes something unexpected can
S2: come along to undermine the business or the property or
S2: the family. And no matter how tightly someone tries to
S2: hang on to all the stuff of life, in the
S2: end he or she must leave it all behind. Death
S2: is certain, and no one can carry their material possessions
S2: into eternity. Solomon's Second Truth focuses on the reality that
S2: God has arranged life in a way that causes everything
S2: to be beautiful, or perhaps appropriate in its time. And
S2: because of our God designed nature, we innately understand this
S2: to be true. He has also set eternity in the
S2: hearts of men, but this truth only leads to more
S2: frustration on our part, because he says, we cannot fathom
S2: what God has done from beginning to end. We can
S2: see all the different pieces of life, and we get
S2: glimpses of how all those pieces must somehow fit together.
S2: But try as we might, we can't get all the
S2: pieces to match up. The sheer complexity of life overwhelms
S2: our ability to see the entire picture. The orchestra is
S2: working its way through all the songs as the clock
S2: heads toward midnight. Before very long, it will be time
S2: for them to begin playing Auld Lang Syne, and people
S2: will start singing and blowing their noisemakers. But frankly, we're
S2: too depressed right now to care. We're trying to wrap
S2: our arms around the disturbing truths presented by Solomon. We
S2: finally blurt out, okay, is this what you're saying? This
S2: next year will be pretty much like the past year,
S2: and like the one before that, because all of life
S2: is a mixture of joy and sadness. It'll be a
S2: year of births and deaths, of hatred and hope, of
S2: weeping and laughing. There are struggles where we'll need to
S2: keep searching for answers, and others where we finally need
S2: to acknowledge the hopelessness of it all and give up.
S2: And no matter how hard we try, we'll never be
S2: able to reach a point where we can say we
S2: have it all together, or that we've arrived, or that
S2: we finally understand how it all works. Is that what
S2: you're saying? Touching our arm, Solomon quietly says, yes, that's
S2: what I'm saying. Then how in the world can I
S2: find the wisdom to make it through such a confusing,
S2: frustrating New Year? And with the kind smile of a
S2: man who lived through all the ups and downs of life,
S2: Solomon leans in and says, by remembering this, there is
S2: nothing better for men than to be happy and do
S2: good while they live. That everyone may eat and drink
S2: and find satisfaction in all his toil. This is the
S2: gift of God. I know that everything God does will
S2: endure forever. Nothing can be added to it and nothing
S2: taken from it. God does it so men will Revere him.
S2: Don't miss my three secrets for living a wise life
S2: in a confusing world first. Don't spend your time trying
S2: to pursue happiness. Learn to be satisfied with what you have.
S2: Enjoy the blessings God has already provided rather than pushing
S2: to acquire more stuff. Trust me, stuff doesn't provide long
S2: term satisfaction. Second view where you are, what you have,
S2: and what you do as gifts from God, and learn
S2: to be thankful for his gracious provision. Learn to enjoy
S2: what he has provided. And third, be willing to admit
S2: you are not God. He understands how life works, but
S2: you don't. Trying to put all the pieces together will
S2: only frustrate you. What he has done is what will
S2: endure forever. Just be sure to Revere him by putting
S2: him first in your life. As we rise from the
S2: table and head toward the door, we leave with a
S2: wisdom we didn't possess before. We understand the New Year
S2: will be filled with the same highs and lows as
S2: the year just ending. Blind optimism has been replaced with
S2: clear eyed realism. We know that the goal is not
S2: to pursue happiness and strive to acquire more stuff, hoping
S2: to get ahead. We've replaced that with a plan to
S2: enjoy what God does provide. To take pleasure in the
S2: tasks he places before us, and to focus on learning
S2: how to trust him more fully as the year goes on.
S2: And that is indeed a wise way to end this
S2: year and to move on into the new one.
S1: Wow, great perspective there. Thank you. Charlie, I found myself
S1: as I'm listening to you, just wishing I was there
S1: in the room with Solomon. But in a sense, every
S1: time we open the book and read that passage, we
S1: really are right.
S2: That's exactly right. Yeah.
S1: Well, it's been a great broadcast. I hope you enjoyed it.
S1: Our host, doctor Charlie Dyer. I'm John Gager. Dan Anderson,
S1: our producer. All three of us say thank you to
S1: you for carving out time to be with us here
S1: at The Land and the book, a production of Moody Radio,
S1: a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.