S1: No Place in the world embodies both historical and prophetic significance.
S1: Like the Land of Israel and as the land of
S1: the Bible, no place is more significant to Jews and Christians.
S1: This week we're going to explore a unique book with
S1: contributions from many believers, all pointing to Israel the Miracle.
S1: And our host, Doctor Charlie Dyer, takes us to Psalm
S1: 122 for a devotional I think you're going to love.
S1: Welcome to the land and the book. As I say,
S1: our host is Doctor Charlie Dyer. Glad you've connected today.
S1: I'm John Geiger, and you know, Charlie, people wonder, how
S1: do you share the gospel with a Jewish person because
S1: of cultural, historical, and religious differences? Sometimes it can be
S1: challenging to navigate a gospel conversation with somebody from a
S1: Jewish background. You ever wondered, though, how the professionals do it?
S2: That's right, John, and to answer that question, our friends
S2: at Life in Messiah want to mail you samples of
S2: the tracks their staff use as they share the gospel.
S2: This will serve a dual purpose of equipping you with
S2: methods of presenting the gospel, and also supplying you with
S2: tracks you can share with your Jewish friends and neighbors.
S2: Life in Messiah's Prayer is that these tracks will help
S2: further the spread of the gospel among the Jewish people. Now,
S2: to receive this helpful assortment of tracks, all you need
S2: to do is visit Life in Messiah org and click
S2: on the Moody Radio button for more information. That's Life
S2: in messiah.org. Now don't miss out on this great opportunity, and.
S1: Let's swing our focus now toward current events, beginning with
S1: a look at the current war going on between Hamas
S1: and Israel. One of the main headlines. There has been
S1: a fire in Rafah, and there's certainly some confusion there.
S1: What do we need to know, Charlie?
S2: You know, John, all I kept thinking is I read
S2: these stories. Is the quote attributed to Mark Twain. It
S2: said a lie can travel halfway around the world while
S2: the truth is putting on its shoes. And we're not
S2: even sure Mark Twain said that, uh, Jonathan Swift actually
S2: said it first. He said falsehood flies and the truth
S2: comes limping after it. And that's the best description of this.
S2: You know, the incident, 45 people killed in Rafah. And
S2: if you read the headlines, it sounds like Israel indiscriminately
S2: dropped a bomb on a group of tents that caught
S2: fire that spread through the camp. The reality is that
S2: Israel attacked two Hamas operatives that were hundreds of feet
S2: from the nearest tents, almost a mile from the location
S2: of the actual fire. Apparently, the site that they bombed
S2: also contained munitions being stored by Hamas that caused secondary
S2: explosions sent flaming shrapnel flying. Some of that hit a
S2: gas canister in the shelter area, causing it to explode.
S2: Not to me. The question should be why was Hamas
S2: storing weapons and ammunition near the refugee shelter? And why
S2: did the press accept Hamas's version without taking time to
S2: verify what had actually happened? It was a sad and
S2: tragic event, but the reality is that Israel was attacking Hamas.
S2: It was the weapons store by Hamas that ultimately caused
S2: all of the damage.
S1: Any other summary statement you'd make about the war and
S1: its progress, its impact in that region?
S2: Yeah. Israel is fighting on two fronts. They're fighting against Hamas,
S2: and they're making progress heading through Rafah. But they're also
S2: fighting the world press. And the world press. And the
S2: other countries of the world are stacked against Israel. And
S2: that's a major battle. And Israel is not being as
S2: successful there.
S1: Story number two, from Palestinian President Abbas to some modern
S1: day false messiahs, claims are being made that Ashkenazi Jews
S1: aren't really Jewish. What's the basis for these claims? How
S1: valid are they and what are the implications?
S2: Yeah, at first you hear these statements. They sound bizarre
S2: and they really are. But if you repeat them often,
S2: enough people start to believe them. And that's what's happening
S2: with this claim. The claim is that Ashkenazi or European
S2: Jews have no genetic relationship to Jewish antiquity. In the
S2: Land of Israel, they would say that they were Khazars
S2: from the Caucasus region who converted to Judaism in the
S2: early Middle Ages. A genetic study that was done in
S2: 2012 is often cited as proof for this. Now, the
S2: problem is that most of us know very little about DNA,
S2: though we assume it must be true. You know, DNA
S2: matches are what police use to connect evidence with suspects,
S2: but the reality in this case is more complex. There
S2: is no group of Khazars today to which Ashkenazi DNA
S2: can be compared. So the author of that 2012 study
S2: compared the genetic signature of Ashkenazi Jews with those of
S2: modern day Armenians and Georgians, which he used as a
S2: stand in for the Khazars. But other geneticists described that
S2: as an unrealistic premise because Armenians have also, well, they
S2: have Middle Eastern roots as well, which is why they
S2: appear to be genetically similar. An international group of 30
S2: geneticists wrote to debunk that theory. By using sophisticated molecular tools,
S2: they found that Jews worldwide are genetically homogeneous no matter
S2: where they live. Those scientists say the Jews are genetically
S2: more similar to each other than to their non-Jewish neighbors,
S2: and that they share a middle eastern ancestry. And that
S2: leads to the second major point here. Ashkenazi Jews account
S2: for just under half of all Jews. The others are
S2: Sephardic Jews. Came from Spain and Portugal. Mizrachi Jews from
S2: the Middle East, and those arguing that the Jews have
S2: no connection to the land. Tend to leave out those
S2: Jews who make up more than half of all the
S2: Jewish population. So what are the implications of all this? Well,
S2: many who claim the Ashkenazi Jews aren't really Jewish. Well,
S2: they're doing so to try to deny their historical connection
S2: to the land of Israel. But if they are Jewish,
S2: they do have that connection. And one final detail, how
S2: do we account for some traces of other DNA in
S2: these studies? Well, actually, the answer is kind of easy.
S2: You think back through Israel's history, Rahab was a Canaanite
S2: who came into the people of Israel. Uh, Ruth was
S2: a moabitess who ended up not only in Israel, but
S2: in the line of David and Jesus. Uh, the argument
S2: that Jews, especially Ashkenazi Jews, aren't really Jewish. It's just false.
S2: It's dangerous, and it needs to be debunked.
S1: An Iranian lawmaker said Iran now possesses nuclear weapons. Is
S1: his statement true? It also leads to a second question
S1: how serious of a threat is Iran's nuclear program?
S2: Iran probably doesn't yet have nuclear weapons, in spite of
S2: what that member of parliament claimed. It seems suspicious that
S2: a regular parliament member, you know, rather than someone representing
S2: the ayatollah or the military, is the one making that claim.
S2: But it's virtually certain that Iran is working to develop
S2: nuclear weapons and the means to put them on missiles,
S2: and they're close to having a sufficient supply of enriched
S2: uranium to take the final step. The International Atomic Energy
S2: Agency estimates that Iran currently has sufficient uranium enriched to 60%
S2: purity to take the next small step, and it would
S2: give them enough to make three nuclear bombs. The real
S2: question is, what would Iran do with nuclear weapons if
S2: they were to possess them? Now, some believe even if
S2: Iran were to possess them, it wouldn't be a major
S2: problem since no rational leader would ever use them. The
S2: inevitable retaliation would destroy the country. But the flaw in
S2: that argument is that Iran's leaders are motivated by religious beliefs,
S2: and they don't necessarily operate by the same rules of logic.
S2: Iran's eschatology, its understanding of the future, is that there
S2: is going to be a worldwide conflagration preceding the arrival
S2: of the Mahdi, their Messiah. And that final war includes
S2: the destruction of the Jews. If the Ayatollah had nuclear
S2: weapons and was convinced God had selected him to hasten
S2: the arrival of the Mahdi, what might seem totally illogical
S2: to us could seem perfectly rational to him. Uh, European
S2: powers have wanted to present a resolution against Iran at
S2: the next IAEA meeting. But it's actually interesting. The United
S2: States is the one opposing. Our leaders really need to
S2: pay close attention to what Iran is doing, or they
S2: could be faced with a major problem down the road
S2: from Moody Radio.
S1: This is the land and the book where we're looking
S1: at current events from the week based in the Middle East.
S1: Proverbs 2120 says the wise store up choice food and
S1: olive oil, but fools gulp theirs down. Well, Israel has
S1: been taking this to heart with a program to store
S1: energy reserves in a secret location in the Negev. What's
S1: behind this program? To store up energy reserves?
S2: Yeah. Let me start by talking about our own strategic
S2: petroleum reserve. You know, we have had that since 1973.
S2: Back in the original energy crisis in 2009, we had
S2: 727 million barrels of oil stored in that reserve. Now,
S2: that sounds like a lot, except we currently use 20
S2: million barrels of oil a day, so to speak. We'd
S2: stored up enough oil to keep our country running at
S2: full steam for 36 days. Unfortunately, since 2020, we've drawn
S2: down our reserves to a 40 year low of about
S2: 350 million barrels, just enough for 17 days. Now, Israel
S2: needs less oil, but they're also far more dependent on
S2: outside supplies. As a result, they've developed and filled a
S2: secret underground fuel reserve in the Negev. That's one of
S2: the largest such facilities in the Middle East. It's capable
S2: of providing fuel to any part of the country within
S2: a few hours, should it be needed. Israel assumes that
S2: in any war with Hezbollah, their offshore gas fields would
S2: be shut down and all electrical plants would need to
S2: switch back to coal and oil. And much of that
S2: oil in this secret reserve would be used to supply
S2: the country with electricity. It would also be used to
S2: provide fuel for the Army and for other infrastructure like
S2: airports and fuel stations. So Israel's continuing to store up
S2: energy reserves to be as prepared as possible to face
S2: any threat that may come their way. And I think
S2: Solomon would commend them for being very wise for doing so.
S2: And unlike the US, they don't draw down their supplies
S2: for political reasons like trying to lower the price of gasoline,
S2: which in Israel right now is just under $8 a gallon. Wow.
S1: An Israeli university and a rehab hospital have partnered together
S1: to develop new technologies to improve post-stroke rehabilitation. Tell us
S1: about these developments coming out of Amazing Israel.
S2: Yeah, my mom suffered two strokes toward the end of
S2: her life. So this story really had significance to me.
S2: Those who worked to help stroke victims recover are simply amazing. Unfortunately,
S2: facilities and techniques look pretty much the same today as
S2: they did 50 years ago, and as a result, the
S2: recovery rates stayed about the same. Now, what intrigued these
S2: researchers is. Post-stroke recovery is so much faster in animals.
S2: A monkeys, for example, regained full use of their limbs
S2: after only a few weeks, so combining observations like these
S2: with the latest technology led them to some significant discoveries.
S2: They found that just 40 extra hours of post-stroke treatment
S2: can improve upper limb function. Unfortunately, hospitals tend not to
S2: have enough physical and occupational therapies to deliver the hours,
S2: so these researchers have now developed technologies to help deliver
S2: additional treatment. They're using highly engaging computer simulations to help
S2: increase repetition and intensity. There's no one magic bullet that
S2: can help someone who's had a stroke resume a normal life.
S2: But these researchers and amazing Israel are pioneering new care
S2: protocols that will help those who've had a stroke recover
S2: more completely.
S1: Thank you Charlie. And because you love Israel and the
S1: Jewish people, you should probably know just a bit more
S1: about Moody Bible Institute's Jewish Studies. Major Doctor Michael Redlich
S1: joins the conversation now, and he guides this exciting program
S1: at Moody. Michael, where does the major take students biblically
S1: and scholastically?
S3: Well, we help our students understand God's plan for the
S3: Jewish people and for Israel. We help them understand the
S3: covenants and also the history and destiny of the Jewish people.
S1: So what are some experiences that would be unique to
S1: the Jewish Studies major at Moody Bible Institute?
S3: Well, many of our students study in Israel. Many of
S3: them do their internships in Israel. Also, they get to
S3: engage in cross-cultural ministry right here in the United States.
S3: I always consider Jewish people to be the most unreached
S3: people right in our midst.
S1: Parents and prospective students might be wondering, what about after
S1: I graduate? What does a Jewish Studies major from Moody
S1: prepare me to do?
S3: Obviously, it prepares you for Jewish ministry, whether vocationally or
S3: by vocationally. You know, we have some students that serve
S3: with Jewish organizations, if you can believe it, uh, non-believing
S3: Jewish organizations, they serve there and they have a testimony
S3: in those kinds of settings. Uh, we have others that
S3: have served, actually, for the Israeli consulate. So there's a
S3: wide opportunity for people to show their concern and their
S3: care for the Jewish people.
S1: And a listener could learn more about the Jewish studies major, how.
S4: Just go to moody.edu.
S3: And click on the Jewish Studies program. It has all
S3: sorts of information for you there. So go to moody.edu.
S1: That's Michael Riedel with a bit more about the Jewish
S1: Studies major on the land and the book. No Place
S1: in the world embodies both historical and prophetic significance as
S1: the Land of Israel, as the land of the Bible,
S1: no place is more significance to Jews and Christians. What
S1: if there was a book, though, that somehow compiled the
S1: thoughts of many, many Christians about the significance of the
S1: land of Israel? All between two covers with spectacular photos? Well,
S1: that's what we're about to talk about here on the
S1: land and the book Israel the Miracle. I'm John Gager.
S1: Our guest is Jonathan Feldstein, and he is the president
S1: of the Genesis 123 Foundation, building bridges between Jews and
S1: Christians in ways that are new, unique, and meaningful. Welcome
S1: to the land in the book.
S5: Wow, what a delight. And you know what? I love
S5: that setup because you talked about it being between the
S5: covers of a book and talking about the land. And
S5: here I am on the land in the book. I mean, wow,
S5: this is powerful.
S1: Thank you. Well, talk about this issue, first of building
S1: bridges between Jews and Christians. What does that look like? Practically? Sure.
S5: So what it means, first of all, is relationships, not
S5: transactional experiences. There are a lot of people who are
S5: looking for transactional relationships. I knew early on in my
S5: calling to be a bridge between Jews and Christians that
S5: it can't be about monetizing relationships, but in fact building deep,
S5: lasting relationships. So we do things that are involving prayer
S5: and blessing Israel, but also even because the name of
S5: the organization, Genesis 123 comes from Genesis 12 three, most
S5: people remember, I will bless those who bless you. I
S5: will curse those who curse you. Most people don't pay
S5: attention to the third third of that verse, which is,
S5: the families of the world will be blessed through you.
S5: And we don't have time now. But I do that,
S5: and we do that in so many ways. So if
S5: you remember back in the US in 22, there was
S5: a shortage of baby formula. I didn't have that shortage
S5: going on in Israel. And my trip in June of 22,
S5: I brought £200 of baby formula to two churches in
S5: Texas with Hebrew writing on it, and gave it out
S5: to families there for us to be a blessing because
S5: we could. So that's what we embody, to try to
S5: do things that are different out of the box and
S5: much more than transactional.
S1: How was that received? I mean, different people from different
S1: perspectives on life. Are they at all suspicious? Do they?
S1: Are they warmly welcoming? What's your reaction?
S5: They're warmly welcoming of the sentiment. They're warmly welcoming that
S5: I am a foil to many people who simply just
S5: want people to write a check or swipe their credit card,
S5: or something of that nature to take an offering. Those
S5: are important things, and that's a solid way to bless Israel.
S5: But it's not the only way. When I brought the
S5: baby formula to Texas, just as a continuation of that example,
S5: the person who was my host said no. All the
S5: times that she has hosted guests from Israel, no one
S5: ever came bearing gifts for people in America. That's pretty powerful.
S5: So it's very, very well received, and it's refreshing because
S5: the other side of it is, as an Orthodox Jew,
S5: I have also a responsibility to help Jews understand that, yes,
S5: some Christians have different agendas, and we can speak about
S5: that openly but genuinely. Christian love and support for Israel
S5: and the Jewish people is pure. And my Jewish friends
S5: who don't understand that or are suspicious of it. It's
S5: also my job to make sure that Jews understand, no,
S5: we're in a we're in a really historic period, and
S5: we need to embrace that back.
S1: We're going to get to this book, I assure you,
S1: in a minute. But I want to talk for just
S1: a little bit more about this misunderstanding. You know, I,
S1: I came to a quote when I was down at
S1: the Everlasting Nation Museum in Chattanooga from Adolf Hitler. That
S1: absolutely blew me away. Obviously, nobody argues how evil he was.
S1: But listen, this is an actual quote from Mein Kampf.
S1: He says, I am now convinced that I am acting
S1: as an agent of our creator by fighting off the Jews.
S1: I am doing the Lord's work. Well, no wonder there
S1: are Jewish people who are suspicious of Christians. You know,
S1: these are the things again though, that I have had
S1: to learn in my ignorance.
S5: And where are people who who celebrate our history? Every
S5: year we celebrate again the exodus from Egypt as if
S5: we were there and part of that experience. And so,
S5: of course, we're going to remember persecution of the church
S5: from 1000 years ago or from 500 years ago, or
S5: from Hitler, who obscenely adopted theology into his hateful, uh, positions.
S1: Jonathan Feldstein is president of Genesis 123, uh, building bridges
S1: between Jews and Christians. It's an honor to have him
S1: on the land. And the book. Let's talk about the
S1: book that you brought, small B it's not the Bible Israel,
S1: the miracle encounters with the land and people God loves.
S1: Describe this gorgeous book and what's between the two covers.
S5: So God gave me this vision in October of 2022,
S5: and I had been speaking with the publisher, Higher Life
S5: Christian Publisher out of Orlando, about a different book entirely.
S5: And I sent an email to David and I said, hey,
S5: what do you think about the idea of putting together
S5: a book of 75 essays by Christian leaders from all
S5: over the world, writing Why Israel's Significant in celebration of
S5: Israel's 75th anniversary. Now remember, this is October. Israel's 75th
S5: anniversary was the following year in 23. In May. And
S5: he said, yes, great. And he then he improved upon
S5: it and said, I don't see it as a book
S5: of texts that people will read and be inspired by
S5: and put on a shelf. But a coffee table book? Yes.
S5: And it has beautiful images. So you interact. And that's
S5: what the book is. It's an experience. So we move
S5: forward with this. And I said to you, as we
S5: were before we began recording, if, if I had known
S5: what an incredible work this would have been and how
S5: many obstacles and impediments, I probably would have run away,
S5: I probably would not have done this. It was conceived
S5: in October. It was delivered to the printer in August
S5: the following year, nine months. It came off the press
S5: in September this past year, just two weeks before the
S5: war began. And that delayed everything. But honestly, that makes
S5: the book even all the more significant.
S1: Yeah, so contributions are from names that many of our
S1: listeners will know. Kay Arthur is in this book. Anne
S1: Graham Lotz, Steve Brown, the preacher with the big voice, uh,
S1: Ben Carson, uh, Joel Rosenberg, a guest many times on
S1: the land in the book, uh, Don Sweeting, son of
S1: former Moody Bible Institute president George Sweeting. Jim Showers, we've
S1: had him on the land in the book, so many
S1: and many more that you may not be familiar with
S1: all across a broad spectrum of Christianity, all contributing. Is
S1: there a single theme that you picked up on as
S1: these things all came in?
S5: Excellent question. The single theme is that there isn't a
S5: single theme. I was really afraid that every other person
S5: was going to write about blessing Israel and being blessed,
S5: or for such a time as this, or being a
S5: watchman on the wall, or praying for the peace of Jerusalem.
S5: We don't have that. There wasn't that redundancy. If you
S5: read it as I've done. I'm now one of a
S5: few people who've read the book entirely. Uh, but you
S5: see a common thread, and that thread is love, and
S5: it's not lineal because the book is published, except for
S5: Pat Robertson at the outset, alphabetically. So it's not published thematically,
S5: it's just straight alphabet. But if you pay attention and
S5: digest the words of these incredible authors and then absorb
S5: the pictures, you actually begin to see the themes, the
S5: threads that run throughout. And that's the beauty of this book,
S5: is because this is what we wanted to represent, the
S5: depth and the breadth of Christian support for Israel and
S5: the Jewish people from all over the world.
S1: What kind of a response are you getting to the book? Uh,
S1: in particular, what are people saying?
S5: Even the fact that I wasn't able to come on
S5: a press and book launch tour until now, the book came,
S5: was supposed to be in November and December because of
S5: the war and my son and serving in Gaza and
S5: my son in law serving in Gaza. So we deferred
S5: it until now to the spring. We've just now ordered
S5: our second printing. Wow. Coming from a print shop in
S5: one of the communities that was devastated by the terrorist
S5: attack on October 7th. So the proceeds go back to
S5: blessing Israel. But we're actually investing in a print shop
S5: in one of the communities that needs the rehabilitation. Um,
S5: the response has been overwhelming, and I just pray that
S5: I ordered enough copies because once conversations like this get out,
S5: it still takes a few weeks to print and then
S5: ship them over.
S1: Jonathan Feldstein is president of the Genesis 123 Foundation. You know,
S1: the timing on this, as you pointed out, is interesting
S1: with this recent war. It seems to me now more
S1: than ever, the relationships are hugely important as we see
S1: mainstream media in much of the United States sort of
S1: turning its coverage toward Israel. Uh, not very favorable. What
S1: are your concerns there, or thoughts?
S5: Their concerns is that there's not enough understanding that we need,
S5: that Christians are hard wired, by and large, to love
S5: and support Israel. And you just shared your own growing
S5: up but don't know details, don't know how to stand
S5: up and be part of blessing Israel. That's what, by
S5: the way, that's what makes this book spectacular. Because of
S5: the pictures, you can sit with a child and grandchild
S5: and educate your next generations about Israel. In 1000 words.
S5: It's not. You don't have to read a whole book
S5: of things or chapter at a time, but we need
S5: to come together more. We need to stand together more
S5: because the evil that we are currently fighting is an
S5: evil that's a common enemy of Jews and Christians.
S1: So what's your hope for people as they flip through
S1: this book? Um, they're going to get it and spend
S1: time with it because they are interested in Israel. But
S1: what do you want them to do differently? Be differently,
S1: having invested time in this book.
S5: So first of all, I want people to get the
S5: book at Israel The miracle.com. And when you check out,
S5: I'd like to give your listeners a gift from me
S5: and use the code Jonathan ten and get 10% off,
S5: because my goal is to have this in Christian hands
S5: and Christian homes, that it will be a blessing. And
S5: I say this, and I don't say it rhetorically. I
S5: believe that someone in their 50s who will buy the
S5: book now and share it with their children and grandchildren
S5: will love this and cherish this. And it's going to
S5: be a book that's going to be a centerpiece in
S5: their home. And when that person dies, this is going
S5: to be one of those heirlooms that people are going
S5: to differ about who gets to own afterward. And. Because
S5: it's that you say.
S1: You want to cause a fight, Jonathan.
S5: Know. Then buy, then buy, then buy copies for all
S5: of your children.
S6: There you go.
S5: No, we can do that. No, I don't I want
S5: this to be a blessing. And I want this to
S5: be a way for people to engage through the words,
S5: through the pictures, in the vision of these 75 leaders
S5: from all over the world, just to open their eyes more. Yeah.
S5: And engage. And as I said at the outset, I'm
S5: about building relationships. I would be so blessed if people
S5: not only ordered the book, but let me know what
S5: they think of the book.
S1: What's next for Genesis 123 Foundation? What's the next bridge
S1: you're working on? The next vision you've got?
S5: So the book that was originally discussed two years ago
S5: at the NRB convention that was pushed off, is a
S5: different book that I hope to put back on the agenda.
S5: Now that I know a little bit about publishing and
S5: I have a great publisher to work that. But what
S5: I'm hoping for is the first program that we launched
S5: in 2017 is called run for Zion. It's the first
S5: Christian program around the Jerusalem Marathon. So anyone listening who's
S5: a runner or knows a runner full marathon down to
S5: five K once in a while for just for fitness.
S5: I want them to put March of 25 on their
S5: calendar and be in touch with me, because we've got
S5: a great connection to bring people for what's one of
S5: Israel's biggest family experiences. And I want to bring Christians
S5: to make it a fabulous Christian experience, because if you
S5: are a runner, even only 5 or 10 K, Jerusalem
S5: is the most significant place that you'll run.
S1: All right, obviously, this book is huge and we've talked
S1: about its impact in supporting, but what's something simple that
S1: every listener to the land in the book could do
S1: right now? To build a bridge with the Jewish friend
S1: or neighbor or coworker. What could we do?
S5: Reach out and tell people they heard this conversation, and
S5: how important it is just to show love and have dialogue?
S5: There are a lot of things that we don't agree upon,
S5: and we can. That's fine. We can. Those can be
S5: the elephant in the room that we don't need to
S5: discuss up front. I do, but not everyone's comfortable doing that.
S5: But just learn about one another. Jews and Christians know
S5: we exist and know we come. How? The metaphor is
S5: a great metaphor grafted into the same to the root.
S5: And that root of the root we're talking about is
S5: an olive tree. And this book is abundant with pictures
S5: of olive trees appropriately, because that's the metaphor that we're celebrating.
S5: But especially now when American Jews are suffering anti-Semitism at
S5: levels that are frightening and they're concerned for Israel. And
S5: American Jews need to hear from Christians who are no
S5: less anguished about what's going on and to say, hey,
S5: I don't know how you're feeling, but I'm standing with
S5: you and just and to reach out. And if someone
S5: doesn't know a Jewish person, they can be in touch
S5: with me and I'll connect them to Jewish people or myself.
S1: Jonathan Feldstein is president of the Genesis 123 Foundation. There's
S1: a link to his website at ours, The Land and
S1: the book org. We'll get you connected with everything you
S1: need to know. Thank you so much for the.
S5: Time, John. What a.
S1: Blessing. Hey, we're looking forward to Charlie Dyer getting back
S1: into the studio here with a fresh set of Bible questions.
S1: Always something curious that you're wondering about, and I'm wondering
S1: about it too. So let's wonder together, as we hear
S1: from Charlie next here on the land and the book.
S1: Thanks for listening to The Land and the book from
S1: Moody Radio. I'm John Gager, looking forward to wow, Charlie.
S1: Big stack of questions I see at your side there.
S1: I trust you've got some answers for us today.
S2: Ah, it's like the old saying, you got questions, we
S2: got answers, I love it.
S1: We're going to turn to the Bible for those answers,
S1: as we always do. First, though, a question I'd like
S1: to ask how do you share the gospel with a
S1: Jewish person? Because of cultural, historical and religious differences, it's
S1: sometimes challenging to navigate a gospel conversation with somebody from
S1: a Jewish background. That's been my experience, Charlie, but have
S1: you ever wondered how the quote professionals do it? Yeah.
S2: And to answer that question, our friends at Life and
S2: Messiah want to mail you samples of the tracks their
S2: staff use as they share the gospel. This will serve
S2: as a dual purpose of equipping you with methods of
S2: presenting the gospel, and also supplying you with tracks you
S2: can share with your Jewish friends and neighbors. Life in
S2: Messiah's Prayer is that these tracks will help further the
S2: spread of the gospel among the Jewish people. To receive
S2: this helpful assortment of tracks, all you need to do
S2: is visit Life in Messiah org and click on the
S2: Moody Radio button for more information. That's Life in messiah.org
S2: and don't miss out on this great opportunity.
S1: All right, let's take a look at our questions for
S1: the day from listeners like Mark, who admits, I'm completely
S1: confused by First Corinthians 15 verse 29. I get that way,
S1: he says at the end of Paul's discourse about the
S1: resurrection of the dead, he argues against those who claim
S1: that there is no resurrection of the dead. And he says, now,
S1: if there is no resurrection, what will those do who
S1: are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not
S1: raised at all, why are the people baptized for them?
S1: He says, I was raised in a tradition of people
S1: being encouraged to pray for the dead, for which I
S1: know of no scriptural support, so I'm surprised that Paul
S1: mentions what appears to be a common practice of baptism
S1: for the dead. What am I missing?
S2: Yeah, and let me give you the best explanation I've
S2: ever heard from this. It's from a friend of mine,
S2: David Lowery. He was a fellow faculty member at Dallas Seminary.
S2: And and here's what he wrote in part. He said
S2: there's up to 200 explanations that have been given of
S2: this verse. So it's clear from the context, though Paul
S2: was distinguishing what his practice was and the teaching that
S2: he's then describing here. Now, how did the false teachers
S2: come up with a view? We may never know. But
S2: north of Corinth there was a place where there was
S2: a center of a wildly popular ancient mystery religion that's
S2: even mentioned by Homer. Part of the rites of the
S2: initiation were washings of purification in the sea, without which
S2: they said, no one could hope to experience bliss in
S2: the life hereafter. It's likely that some in Corinth, possibly
S2: influenced by that mystery religion, were pushing a false view
S2: of baptism, which Paul took up and used as an
S2: argument against those who denied the resurrection. And then here's
S2: what David adds. He says no interpretation of this text
S2: is entirely satisfactory, but this view has as its chief
S2: strength the natural reading of the Greek verse, an asset
S2: regularly lacking in other explanations. It's also noteworthy that Paul
S2: referred to those who are baptizing for the dead, not
S2: we who are baptizing for the dead. So his whole
S2: point is, I think Paul's actually describing something that was
S2: happening in Corinth because of this local mystery religion that
S2: was happening there. But it's also important. Perhaps the most
S2: important part is that Paul did not include himself among
S2: those who were doing this practice. In fact, he says
S2: it's them and in essence saying not us. And he
S2: uses it only as an illustration. So he's definitely not
S2: endorsing whatever was taking place.
S1: All right. Thank you. Roger says, I've been reading about heaven,
S1: and I wonder whether or not we would have memories
S1: of earth in heaven. We're often told that there would
S1: be no memories of earth, since that might bring sadness
S1: and there is no sadness in heaven. But we are
S1: coming back to earth to rule with Christ. So wouldn't
S1: we have some kind of memory? Any thoughts?
S2: Yeah, well, I don't know of any direct statement on
S2: the subject, but that makes me want to tread carefully here.
S2: My answer. But it does seem to me that Jesus's
S2: story of the rich man and Lazarus provides some insight.
S2: You know, it's a story in Luke 16 that's likely
S2: a parable, but the information Jesus gives, I think, corresponds
S2: to reality, because I can't imagine him sharing details. That
S2: wouldn't be true. But in that story, Jesus shares the
S2: fact that both the rich man and Lazarus have a
S2: conscious existence after death. And more than that, the rich
S2: man knows he has five brothers who are still alive
S2: who are going to experience the same fate he's now
S2: experiencing unless they change their ways. So at least in
S2: that instance, it seems the individual did have a memory
S2: of his life on earth prior to his death. Now again,
S2: it's a story being told by Jesus, but it suggests
S2: that those who have died do possess memories of their
S2: life before death.
S1: If you're just connecting, that's Doctor Charlie Dyer, host of
S1: The Land in the book. I'm John Geiger, his sidekick,
S1: and we get a kick out of your questions here
S1: at the land in the book. And you can email them,
S1: by the way, anytime to the land and the book@moody.edu,
S1: Bob says there's a tradition in the Russian Orthodox Church
S1: that after Constantinople, the second Rome fell to the Turks
S1: in 1453, Moscow became its successor as the third Rome.
S7: Rome.
S1: Daniel seems to be clear that the prince to come
S1: will be from the people who destroyed the temple in
S1: 70 A.D.. With all of that as background, do you
S1: think Gog and the Antichrist are two separate individuals?
S7: Yeah.
S2: And I think that the verse you're quoting there, Daniel 926,
S2: is the key for identifying the location from where the
S2: Antichrist comes from. It says he's the prince who's to come,
S2: and it's his people who destroyed Jerusalem following the cutting
S2: off of the Anointed One that is Jesus. Now, I
S2: think it also matches Daniel two and seven, which connect
S2: a fourth Empire to arise Rome with the. You know,
S2: the Rome was there when Jesus came the first time,
S2: and a revived Roman Empire will be around when he
S2: comes again. So the real question then is, could Russia
S2: be that empire? And I don't find that that believable.
S2: I see Gog from the land of Magog. That's the
S2: Ezekiel 38 and 39 prophecy being different than the Antichrist.
S2: He's said to be from the far north. His allies
S2: are identified as Persia, which is Iran and Kush south
S2: of Egypt, and put which is Libya, and Togarmah, which
S2: the area of Turkey. I see the Antichrist rising from
S2: the west, confirming a covenant with Israel at the beginning
S2: of the seven year tribulation. And it seems like that's
S2: what then prompts this Gog, this individual from the far
S2: north to launch a one time attack against Israel. So
S2: the Battle of Gog and Magog is a one and
S2: done battle, if you will, that God uses to begin
S2: turning the Jewish people toward himself. And that's why they
S2: then refused to worship the Antichrist when he presents himself
S2: in the temple as God in the middle of the
S2: seven year tribulation period.
S1: Mark's question is about Exodus 34 verses six and seven.
S1: It says, the Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God,
S1: slow to anger, forgiving wickedness, rebellion, and sin. Yet he
S1: does not leave the guilty unpunished. He punishes the children
S1: and their children for the sins of their fathers to
S1: the third and fourth generation. Mark says this doesn't seem
S1: consistent with the concept of responsibility for one's own sin,
S1: as expressed in Deuteronomy 2416 or Ezekiel 18, verse four.
S1: Are my grandchildren to be punished for my sins? Help
S1: me understand. Yeah, and.
S2: I believe that the two ideas can be reconciled the
S2: following way. In passages like Ezekiel 18, God saying he
S2: doesn't directly punish a person for sins committed by others,
S2: even by someone as close as one's parents. So a
S2: child would not be held guilty or directly punished for
S2: what his or her parents did. By the way, that's
S2: what the proverb being quoted in Ezekiel 18 actually is
S2: all about. The people were saying, well, if we're being punished,
S2: it's because of what our fathers have done, not because
S2: of what we're doing. And Ezekiel says, no, God's going
S2: to punish you for what you yourself have done. Now,
S2: in that Exodus 34 passage, I believe God is talking
S2: about the effects of sin. He's saying sin's effects are
S2: both serious and long lasting. You know, sin isn't a
S2: victimless crime, so to speak. A child can indeed experience pain, heartache,
S2: and suffering because of actions committed by a parent, a grandparent,
S2: or even a more distant relative. Some examples. If a
S2: parent drives drunk and crashes his or her car, a
S2: child in that car can suffer serious physical injury. They're
S2: experiencing the consequences caused by the sin of their parents.
S2: A child can suffer at the hands of an abusive
S2: parent or grandparent. They can grow up in poverty because
S2: of foolish and sinful actions of their ancestors, who squandered
S2: the family's finances. So God doesn't directly punish a child
S2: for the action of parents. But one thing that makes
S2: sin so horrible is its impact, not only on the
S2: one who commits it, but also on subsequent generations. So
S2: rather than the NIV translation of Punish in Exodus 34 seven,
S2: that's probably where the problem is. I think the new
S2: American standard provides a more nuanced translation of God visiting
S2: the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the grandchildren.
S2: There is an impact of a father's sin on his family,
S2: but it's not through direct divine retribution from God on
S2: the children.
S1: Boy. Either way, though, very sobering. Thank you.
S2: It is.
S1: Robin asks, did Jesus experience fear as a human emotion
S1: while in the garden of Gethsemane? If he understands our
S1: human emotions and can sympathize with us, would that include fear?
S1: I mean, maybe that's why he said fear not because
S1: he knows what fear means. What do you think?
S2: Well, my initial thought is Jesus did not experience fear
S2: in the Garden of Gethsemane. And I say that for
S2: two reasons. First, in first John 418, we're told there's
S2: no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.
S2: And literally minutes before arriving in the garden, Jesus prayed
S2: the prayer we find in John 17, which ends with
S2: him saying, I have made your name known to them,
S2: and will make it known, so that the love with
S2: which you have loved me may be in them, and
S2: I in them. So Jesus knew he was loved by
S2: the father, and he knew he would be glorified and
S2: vindicated following the crucifixion. So in that sense, he wasn't
S2: afraid of dying when he prayed, father, if it's possible,
S2: let this cup pass from me. I think he was
S2: looking at the time of separation about to take place when,
S2: as Paul described it in Second Corinthians five, for our
S2: sake he made him to be sin. Who? Who knew
S2: no sin, so that in him we might become the
S2: righteousness of God. Jesus was asking if there was any
S2: way the time of separation from the father and punishment
S2: by the father as our sin bearer might be eliminated.
S2: But then he quickly added, not my will, but thine.
S2: And very quickly. The second reason I don't believe Jesus
S2: was fearful in the garden is that the word used
S2: to describe his actual emotion at the time are sorrowful, troubled,
S2: overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. So I'd
S2: say he experienced intense sorrow and sadness, knowing what was
S2: about to happen, but not fear.
S1: Boy, a lot of questions we've gotten in today and
S1: they've covered a lot of ground. Thank you, Charlie, for
S1: your hard work on those. Thank you for keeping those
S1: questions coming. Fascinating to hear what you wonder about. Our
S1: email address is the land and the book@moody.edu. I'm looking
S1: forward to Charlie's devotional. It's coming up next here on
S1: the land and the book. You know, when you and
S1: I flip through our Bibles, it's easy to read about
S1: the city of Jerusalem. And and we almost presume it
S1: was always, always the capital city of Jerusalem. And there
S1: was a time when it was not. In fact, Jerusalem
S1: Day has everything to do with the celebration of its capturing.
S1: We'll talk about that and more in Charlie's devotional next.
S1: Welcome back, by the way, to this fourth and final segment.
S1: Before we turn things over to Charlie, let's take in
S1: this testimony from someone who's been to Israel and shares
S1: their own experiences with you and me.
S8: I used to be a flight attendant with TWA and
S8: spent many layovers in Israel, and I became a Christian
S8: just at that time also. And I remember staying at
S8: the Hilton Hotel there in Tel Aviv and sitting by
S8: the balcony on the balcony and reading my Bible and
S8: listening to the Mediterranean hit the shore, the waves hitting
S8: the shore. And it just I felt just so special.
S8: And I also did some trips into Egypt, and I
S8: have a pair of sandals that I wore both in
S8: Israel and in Egypt, and they, I think, have little
S8: grains of sand in them, and I've never gone to
S8: give them up until I die. I probably want to
S8: wear them when I when I get put in the grave,
S8: but I just thought I'd mention that. And I really
S8: enjoy your program. It's wonderful. Every Christian should go to
S8: Israel at least once. It's it's a tremendous experience and
S8: it would really open their eyes to what the Bible,
S8: how the Bible speaks to us. Thank you.
S1: All right, Charlie, where are we headed in today's devotional?
S7: Uh, we're.
S2: Heading to Jerusalem. John.
S1: Psalm 122 is our focus. I'm looking forward to it.
S1: With that, I'll hand it over to you.
S7: This week is.
S2: Jerusalem Day, Yom Yerushalayim. So follow me into the city
S2: for this rather patriotic celebration. Jerusalem Day marks the day
S2: back in June 1967, when Israel captured East Jerusalem during
S2: the Six Day War to reunite the city under Jewish
S2: control for the first time in nearly 2000 years. The
S2: first thing you see as you walk along the streets
S2: are the crowds of people waving Israeli flags. The surging
S2: sea of blue and white pushes its way along the
S2: already packed streets, forcing us to press against the wall
S2: to avoid being carried along by the flood of humanity.
S2: While this is technically a secular holiday, those here today
S2: are mainly religious Zionists. They believe God is fulfilling his
S2: promises to restore and bring back his people. But we're
S2: not here today to argue prophecy or politics. So follow
S2: me away from the mob and into the Davidson Center
S2: at the southern end of the Temple Mount. We're heading
S2: out to the southern steps that led to the temple
S2: at the time of Jesus. And while these steps do
S2: connect us to events in the life of our Lord,
S2: I simply want us to find a quiet place to
S2: sit and focus on Jerusalem, especially on this special day.
S2: Jerusalem Day reminds me of Psalm 122, a Song of
S2: Ascents written by David. Psalm 122 is a psalm that
S2: focuses especially on Jerusalem and Mount Moriah, the place where
S2: David erected a tent and where his son eventually constructed
S2: the temple. We're sitting on the slopes of Mount Moriah.
S2: These steps weren't here in David's day, but somewhere just
S2: above us is the spot where David purchased the threshing
S2: floor of a round of the jebusite in preparation for
S2: that future temple. With all that in mind, let's explore
S2: Psalm 122. David begins by putting himself in the sandals
S2: of those traveling to Jerusalem for one of the three
S2: annual feasts where God called on them to gather. He
S2: describes the sense of excitement and anticipation felt by those
S2: visiting Jerusalem, the city where God dwelt among his people.
S2: I was glad when they said to me, let us
S2: go to the house of the Lord. Our feet are
S2: standing within your gates, O Jerusalem. David's sense of excitement
S2: describes the crowd we just saw surging through the streets,
S2: and as he switches from the singular, I was glad
S2: to the plural. Let us go up. We are standing.
S2: It's as if David was reaching out to embrace every
S2: pilgrim entering through the gates into the city. But having
S2: described this excitement in the first two verses, David quickly
S2: changes the focus of this Jerusalem Day psalm. This isn't
S2: about us, it's about God and the place where he
S2: has chosen to place his name. In the next three verses,
S2: David shifts our attention toward Jerusalem itself and its significance.
S2: Jerusalem's importance didn't come from its physical size, though, when
S2: David describes it as a city that is compact. Together,
S2: he was referring more to its organic unity than its
S2: small size. The word for compact in verse three has
S2: the idea of being bound together. It could picture the
S2: spiritual unity of the people as much as the tight
S2: physical arrangement of the city's houses and walls. Jerusalem was
S2: David's capital city, and yet its true significance was the
S2: importance given to the city by God. God had commanded
S2: Israel to appear before him three times each year at
S2: the place he will choose, and the city ultimately chosen
S2: was Jerusalem. It was this place, David says, to which
S2: the tribes go up, even the tribes of the Lord.
S2: An ordinance for Israel to give thanks to the name
S2: of the Lord. Jerusalem was also the city selected by
S2: God to be the capital of the United Kingdom, the
S2: city from which his chosen king was to reign. It
S2: was the place where, he says, the thrones of the
S2: house of David were set up. Jerusalem became the city
S2: where God visibly dwelt among his people, and the city
S2: where God's anointed ruler led his people. Having explained why
S2: all the people were so joyously streaming into this city,
S2: David ended his short psalm by calling on these visitors
S2: to pray for his holy city. Verses six and seven
S2: explain what they're to pray for, and verses eight and
S2: nine describe why those prayers are so important. The two
S2: items all these visitors were asked to place on their
S2: prayer list were peace and security. Pray for the peace
S2: of Jerusalem. May peace be within your walls. And just
S2: as important as peace is the second item of prayer security.
S2: May those who love you be secure. May there be
S2: security within your citadels and asking God for peace. David
S2: is referring to more than just an absence of war
S2: or violence. Peace. Shalom refers to the health, the wholeness,
S2: the soundness and prosperity of the city. These pilgrims were
S2: to pray that Jerusalem would experience all the blessing that
S2: comes with a right relationship to the God dwelling in
S2: its midst, and one key aspect. That shalom would be
S2: physical security. May you be secure personally and may that
S2: same security dwell within her walls. Physical well-being and physical safety.
S2: Two important items of prayer. David then ended his psalm
S2: with a practical application why should all these pilgrims pray
S2: for the peace of Jerusalem? First? David said, it was
S2: for the sake of my brothers and friends. Peaceful, secure
S2: conditions allowed these visitors to fulfill their obligation to gather
S2: before God. A spiritually healthful and secure climate within the
S2: city also allowed the kings to rule in a righteous way.
S2: But second, David said that this divine peace and security
S2: would also benefit God's program here on earth. For the
S2: sake of the house of the Lord our God, I
S2: will seek your prosperity. The word translated by some as
S2: prosperity is the Hebrew word tov, which means good. It's
S2: often used in the Old Testament to refer to something
S2: that's agreeable or pleasing or pleasant or valuable, or appropriate
S2: or right, as well as having a good benefit or welfare,
S2: because God has chosen to place his dwelling in Jerusalem,
S2: David says that he, and by extension, all of us,
S2: should seek what's best for the safety, security and peace
S2: of Jerusalem because it's the place that God selected in
S2: this special way. In many ways, David's words at the
S2: end of Psalm 122 parallel Paul's words in first Timothy two,
S2: verses 1 to 4. First of all, then I urge
S2: that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings be made on
S2: behalf of all men, for kings and all who are
S2: in authority, in order that we may lead a tranquil
S2: and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is
S2: good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,
S2: who desires all men to be saved and to come
S2: to the knowledge of the truth. Prayer for peace, for tranquil,
S2: quiet lives is pleasing to God and helps keep his
S2: good news from being hindered. Well, it sounds like the
S2: pulsating parade of waving flags has passed us by so
S2: we can head back out onto the streets of Jerusalem.
S2: But as we get ready to go, what can you
S2: carry along with you from Jerusalem Day and Psalm 122? First,
S2: how about this God wants us to pray for his
S2: peace on this special city. We know that ultimate peace
S2: won't come until the Prince of Peace arrives, so perhaps
S2: our prayer ought to match that of the Apostle John
S2: at the end of the book of Revelation. When Jesus
S2: said he was coming quickly, John responded, Amen. Even so, come,
S2: Lord Jesus. And then second, how about also committing to
S2: pray for Jerusalem and Israel as well as your own
S2: city and state and country? Ask God to help you
S2: be an instrument of his Shalom, his peace to those
S2: around you. As Jesus said in the sermon on the Mount,
S2: blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons
S2: of God.
S1: I like that thought, an instrument of his shalom, his peace.
S1: It's a great way to land this devotional and to
S1: end today's broadcast. Thanks for listening to the land and
S1: the book with our host, Charlie Dyer. For Dan Anderson,
S1: our producer, I'm John Geiger, inviting you to invite a
S1: friend to be with you next time for the Land
S1: and the book, a production of Moody Radio, a ministry
S1: of Moody Bible Institute.