S1: What did Jesus Christ really say about the very end?
S1: How would he have us prepare for the end times
S1: coming up the end of the world according to Jesus
S1: of Nazareth. We'll talk with prophecy expert Jeff Kinley. Plus,
S1: we've got big news out of the Middle East, and
S1: our devotional takes us to some real Raiders of the
S1: Lost Ark. So join us now for the land and
S1: the book with our host, Middle East expert Doctor Charlie Dyer.
S1: And I'm John Gieger. Well, Charlie, no exaggeration to say
S1: that Israel has really been in the news a lot.
S1: And as we know, the Bible is jam packed with
S1: end times prophecies about epic world events, the regathering of
S1: the Jewish people to their ancient homeland, and Jesus soon returned.
S1: It is crucial for us as believers to have a
S1: proper understanding of Bible prophecy, it seems to me. So.
S1: Our view of the future is shaped by Scripture and
S1: not just all the headlines swirling around us.
S2: That's absolutely true, John. With that in mind, our friends
S2: at Life in Messiah have published a book titled God,
S2: Israel and Bible Prophecy, and they're offering it to listeners
S2: of the land in the book for a limited time.
S2: This informative book is focused on providing readers with a
S2: deeper understanding and greater appreciation of what God has in
S2: store for Israel and the nations by digging into what
S2: the scriptures say about these issues. Now, if you're interested
S2: in learning more about what God has in store, visit
S2: Life in Messiah. Org and click on the Moody Radio
S2: button there to find out how you can receive your
S2: copy of God, Israel and Bible Prophecy. That's life in messiah.org.
S1: Major headlines this week from the Middle East. On Wednesday,
S1: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in a missile strike
S1: in Tehran. Charlie, was Israel behind the strike and what
S1: implications does all this have for the war against Hamas?
S2: Yeah, this was a real shocker. Haniyeh was in Tehran
S2: participating in the inauguration ceremony for Iran's new president. Now
S2: it's almost certain Israel was behind the strike after October 7th.
S2: They said the leadership of Hamas were dead men walking.
S2: This shows they met what they said, and it's a
S2: major blow against Hamas. The strike is also a warning
S2: to other leaders of Hamas and to Iran and its allies.
S2: You know, they're trying to figure out how Israel was
S2: even able to target Haniyeh in the capital of Iran.
S2: A short term, Iran will try to retaliate against Israel.
S2: Israel is ratcheting up its defenses, including security for its
S2: own leaders, and a hostage deal with Hamas is likely
S2: back on hold. But this strike demonstrates to everyone in
S2: the region that Israel is serious when it says that
S2: it will go after those who seek to harm them,
S2: and that their reach can extend as far away as Tehran.
S1: Last weekend, Hezbollah fired a missile at Israel that killed
S1: 12 children playing soccer in a Druze town on the
S1: Golan Heights. Since then, what have we learned about that attack?
S1: And could this lead to an even broader war in
S1: the region?
S2: Yeah, this is the first of those two major attacks
S2: that Israel brought. Now, let me give you some background.
S2: Majdal Shams is a Druze town on the Golan Heights.
S2: The Druze are an Arab minority who are an offshoot
S2: of Islam, but who consider themselves distinct from Islam. The
S2: missile was fired from a Lebanese village on the slopes
S2: of Mount Hermon. Hezbollah fired it. They since have denied
S2: firing the rocket, but parts were recovered containing markings that
S2: show it was manufactured in Iran. What's not known is
S2: why Hezbollah would fire a missile at this town or
S2: at the Druze. It's possible that the targeting data fed
S2: into the missile was an error, but we simply don't know.
S2: We do know the attack brought worldwide condemnation across the
S2: political spectrum. In Israel, leaders were calling for retaliation against
S2: Hezbollah for the brutal attack. Western powers, including the United States,
S2: condemned the attack. But we also began pressuring Israel not
S2: to respond in a way that could expand the conflict.
S2: Iran also warned Israel that there would be, quote, consequences
S2: to any major response. Israel did respond by targeting Hezbollah's
S2: senior commander, Fouad Shuker. He was Hezbollah's most senior military
S2: commander and their chief advisor for planning and directing wartime operations.
S2: The U.S. had a $5 million bounty on his head
S2: because of his involvement back in the 1983 bombing of
S2: the U.S. marine barracks in Beirut. Now, much like what
S2: Iran has done, Hezbollah has vowed revenge. But just like
S2: with the attack on Hindiya, the fact Israel could locate
S2: and target Shuker has their leadership looking over their shoulders
S2: with some concern.
S1: You're listening to The Land and the book from Moody Radio.
S1: Our host, Doctor Charlie Dyer, noted Middle East scholar, is
S1: helping us understand current events from the week based in
S1: the Middle East. Well, the US, Israel and China appear
S1: to be offering competing views of what the future should
S1: look like for Gaza and the area currently controlled by
S1: the Palestinian Authority. How do they differ and what might
S1: happen in the coming months?
S2: Well, this might temporarily take a back seat to events
S2: there with Hezbollah and with Iran. But all of these
S2: groups have their own vision of what should come next.
S2: The US wants to establish a post-war Gaza peacekeeping force
S2: involving troops from the United Arab Emirates and perhaps Egypt,
S2: that will be outfitted and trained by the US. The
S2: current administration also wants to re-energise the Palestinian Authority, to
S2: unify the West Bank and Gaza Strip in preparation for
S2: the establishment of a Palestinian state. Israel's goals don't match
S2: those of the US. They don't envision a fully independent
S2: Palestinian state, which they believe would end up being controlled
S2: by Islamic fundamentalists like Hamas, who would turn the entire
S2: area into an even larger version of Hamastan, as they've
S2: called it. Israel is less clear on what a semi-autonomous
S2: region might look like, though it would apparently involve Palestinian leadership.
S2: Without the corruption of the current Palestinian Authority or the
S2: Islamic fundamentalism of Hamas. One name that's been floated is
S2: former Gaza based security chief Mohammed Dahlan, who has been
S2: living in the United Arab Emirates since Hamas expelled the
S2: Palestinian Authority from Gaza. On the surface, he would seem
S2: to be acceptable to many Palestinians as well as to
S2: the West. But Dylan has consistently said he would not
S2: take on such a role and frankly, no other candidate
S2: has surfaced. Now, to compound it all, China's involvement right
S2: now seems to be an attempt to undermine the role
S2: of the U.S. they hosted 14 Palestinian groups in Beijing
S2: that signed a declaration agreeing to end their divisions and
S2: form a unity government. The goal is to be the
S2: establishment of a Palestinian state covering all the pre 1967 territory. Now,
S2: this might be popular in many countries around the world,
S2: but it totally ignores Israel's concerns. So what's going to happen? Well,
S2: it depends on a number of things. The outcome of
S2: Israel's war with Hamas, the current impact of what's happening
S2: in both Lebanon with Hezbollah and with Iran, the ability
S2: of the Palestinians to unify and to some extent, the
S2: outcome of our own election in November. And right now,
S2: the results of all of those are very unclear.
S1: Archaeologists announced the discovery of a massive fortification that protected
S1: the kings of Jerusalem. What exactly was uncovered and how
S1: accurate is their interpretation of this discovery, Charlie?
S2: Well, archaeologists uncovered a large moat, or channel that appears
S2: to have been dug across the northern end of the
S2: original city of David to separate it from the Temple
S2: Mount area, Mount Moriah, further north. This dry moat was
S2: 30ft deep and extends 2 to 300ft along that northern edge,
S2: having been cut through solid rock. Now, it divided the
S2: original city from the area to the north, where the
S2: royal palace and the temple would have been located. This
S2: is a remarkable discovery, but I think we need to
S2: take the interpretation being given at least the preliminary one
S2: with just a bit of skepticism, at least for right now.
S2: I can't argue with the discovery itself. The trench was
S2: discovered on the west side, and seems to connect to
S2: a depression on the eastern side of the city that
S2: was actually found by Kathleen Kenyon about 80 years ago.
S2: The issue I have is with the scriptures that these
S2: archaeologists are using, and the date being given to help
S2: explain the find. Now, here's what I mean. Archaeologists are
S2: dating the find to the time of King Josiah. He
S2: reigned from 640 to 609 BC. To put that in perspective,
S2: Jeremiah began to prophesy in the 13th year of King Josiah.
S2: But the archaeologists suggested the biblical support for the discovery
S2: can be found in First Kings 1127, which describes how
S2: Solomon built the Milo and closed up the breach of
S2: the city of his father, David. Now Solomon reigned from
S2: 970 to 931 B.C. that's 300 years before the date
S2: given to the find. And that verse says, Solomon built
S2: up the structure and closed the breach, which is the
S2: opposite of digging the structure and creating the breach. So
S2: we have evidence for a moat or a trench dug
S2: during the time of the Kingdom of Judah. But we
S2: don't have clear biblical evidence telling us who dug the
S2: trench or why it was dug. Now, I suspect it
S2: may take several more years of excavations before archaeologists begin
S2: to work out all those details. And in the meantime,
S2: we can say that a motor trench has been found,
S2: but we don't know who dug it or why.
S1: An Israeli startup has developed a robotic hospital worker that, uh,
S1: never calls in sick. And that could help alleviate a
S1: growing shortage of workers. Tell us about unlimited robotics in
S1: Amazing Israel.
S2: Unlimited robotics has developed. Gary. It's designed to do multiple
S2: tasks that take up health care staff's time. Now, there
S2: have been a lot of robots before, but Gary can
S2: mop floors, clean and sanitize rooms, deliver food trays, fetch
S2: linens and medical devices, but also engage geriatric patients in conversations.
S2: Spot telltale signs in patients showing a risk of falling.
S2: Be an interpreter. Provide real time translation between patients and
S2: medical professionals. Record conversations, provide transcripts and add them to
S2: medical files. Keep an eye out for broken windows on
S2: authorized personnel or anything else out of the ordinary, and
S2: summon security or maintenance. Now that's just some of what
S2: Gary does. Now, this isn't a concept for the future.
S2: A fleet of Gary Robots is already on the job
S2: in two major Israeli hospitals and a hospital in Philadelphia.
S2: You just think someday you might find yourself in the
S2: hospital when a nice robot ambles in, bringing you your supper,
S2: pausing to see how you feel and perhaps swapping a
S2: story or two with you. And when that happens, you
S2: can thank unlimited robotics and amazing Israel.
S1: And that's a look at current events from the Middle
S1: East with our host, Doctor Charlie Dyer. Fascinating segment coming up.
S1: What Jesus Christ really said about the very end here
S1: on the land.
UU: And the book.
S1: Why talk about end times doomsday subjects? Short answer because
S1: Jesus Christ talked about them and he did so in
S1: great detail. For that reason alone, you and I should
S1: pay attention. And as we rapidly approach the last days,
S1: his message is more relevant to us than ever. Welcome
S1: to segment two of the land and the book. I'm
S1: John Gager. We're about to look at what Jesus own
S1: teachings reveal about the last days. But right now, let's
S1: zero in on Jesus very last command to every one
S1: of us. And that's making disciples. How can we more
S1: effectively reach out to our Jewish friends with the good
S1: news of Jesus? Here's an idea finding Messiah in unexpected places.
S1: Wouldn't you love for your Jewish friend to find him? Well,
S1: let's sit down with Michael Riedel and let him kind
S1: of take us on a bit of a tour. What
S1: would you say, Michael?
S3: Well, there's one passage in particular that I found interesting.
S3: I was on a translation team for a Bible, and
S3: I was given the book of Joel to do the
S3: initial translation before the team got to work on it,
S3: and we weren't allowed to look at the English Bible.
S3: And so I was translating Joel in verse 23. I
S3: translated it quite differently than most English Bibles. In the
S3: English Bible. It says, Children of Zion, rejoice and be
S3: glad in the Lord your God, because he gives you
S3: the autumn rain for your vindication. But in Hebrew it
S3: doesn't say that at all. It says, rejoice, because he
S3: gives you the teacher for righteousness. That's what it says.
S3: And it's the phrase that the Qumran Dead Sea Scroll community,
S3: they took that for their leader, the teacher of righteousness.
S3: But it actually is a promise that the Messiah would
S3: come and he would be our teacher for righteousness. Our
S3: morality is what the Hebrew says. And I was so
S3: surprised when I saw that. And there's actually an article
S3: in the handbook showing how this is great messianic prophecy.
S1: To my friend who says, well, that's nice, but I
S1: think you're reading too much into it. What do you say?
S3: Ah, I'm reading it in the Hebrew. Not too much
S3: into it. I'm reading it in the initial uh, with
S3: the text is in the original language. And, uh, that's
S3: so important not to read into it, but to read
S3: it for what the text actually says.
S1: Michael Ray Dolnick is professor of Jewish studies at Moody
S1: Bible Institute, joining us today on The land and the book.
S1: Jeff Kinley is a best selling author and speaker whose
S1: mission is to empower people with God's vintage truth, helping
S1: them discern the times and to become influencers for Jesus Christ.
S1: He's the author of 40 books and a frequent speaker
S1: at churches and conferences. Our conversation today is based on
S1: his new release, The End of the World According to
S1: Jesus of Nazareth. You intrigued? I am. Hey, welcome back
S1: to the land and the book, Jeff.
S4: Thanks, John, so much.
S1: Well, seems to me that if we're quoting Jesus on
S1: the End Times or any subject, we have the definitive
S1: authority on the future. Why, then, do so many prophecy
S1: discussions tend to veer away from the source?
S4: Well, I think part of it is just because people
S4: think it's irrelevant, they kind of push it to the
S4: end of their conversations. They're going to push it out
S4: of their mind. No one wants to think about the
S4: end of the world, that type of thing. And yet,
S4: with current events and with all this going on globally
S4: and geopolitically, it's sort of hard to ignore these days.
S4: So more and more people, I think, are waking up
S4: to the fact that we need to pay attention to
S4: what Christ and the scriptures say about the end times.
S1: It's easy, though, to get lost in the minutia, the details,
S1: the imagery. And I think sometimes we do that as
S1: opposed to the very thing you're doing here, putting a
S1: spotlight on the end of the world according to Jesus.
S1: Your thoughts?
S4: Yeah, exactly. I just wanted to write a book to
S4: make sure that we heard from the Lord himself, and
S4: really to be able to see the end times through
S4: the eyes of Jesus Christ. I actually flew to Jerusalem
S4: and just spent a time there researching, sitting on the
S4: Mount of Olives, seeing what Christ would have seen at
S4: that time. And, you know, it's interesting what Christ says.
S4: Some of the things he says are very, very shocking
S4: because people don't study these passages in depth, as you mentioned.
S4: And so I think it's important for us to get
S4: back to the basics to see exactly what Christ said.
S1: Your book looks specifically at the Olivet Discourse. That's what
S1: it's called recorded in Matthew's gospel. And some listeners might
S1: be saying, the Olivet. What? What are we referring to here?
S5: Yeah, it.
S4: Took place in the last week of Christ's earthly ministry.
S4: Here it was on a Wednesday afternoon, late afternoon. Christ
S4: took a couple of his disciples, sat down on the
S4: Mount of Olives, and they had asked him earlier, Lord,
S4: what's going to be the sign of your coming and
S4: of the end of the age? And so Christ basically
S4: unpacks a lot of the book of revelation for us
S4: in this Olivet Discourse. He wanted his disciples to know
S4: and to be confident about what would take place in
S4: the end times.
S1: What Jesus own teachings reveal about the last days. That's
S1: our topic here at the land and the book. I'm
S1: John Geiger, joined today by Jeff Kinley, who has written
S1: The End of the World According to Jesus of Nazareth.
S1: It seems like a remarkable book end that Christ would
S1: share so much about the end times and his ultimate
S1: return from the very mountain where his feet will touch
S1: your thoughts.
S4: Yeah, exactly. Zechariah tells us that Christ is going to
S4: come back and his feet are going to touch the
S4: Mount of Olives. It's interesting because that's exactly where he
S4: ascended from in acts chapter one. And the angel said
S4: this same Jesus will return in the same way. And
S4: so as Christ was raptured up to heaven, the Bible
S4: says he'll come back at the end of time in
S4: revelation 19, and his feet will touch the Mount of
S4: Olives that will split in half. Interesting, John. Geologists have
S4: found a fault line running exactly through the Mount of
S4: Olives that would split the Mount of Olives exactly as
S4: Zechariah prophesied. So, you know, once again, we're ramping up,
S4: accelerating toward those days, but we're not there yet.
S1: You suggest that understanding Christ's words in their original context
S1: offers insights that we might otherwise be missing. Give us
S1: an example.
S4: Yeah, exactly. One example would just be when Jesus talks
S4: about it'll be like the days of Noah when he
S4: returns and he goes on to say that that one
S4: will be in the field and one will be taken,
S4: the other will be left, two women will be grinding
S4: at the mill, one will be taken, the other be left.
S4: I think famously we've understood that as being the rapture
S4: there as being taken up in the rapture. But the
S4: context in this passage points to those being taken. Being
S4: taken away in judgment and the saved are the ones
S4: that are left behind to go into his millennial kingdom.
S4: So there's a lot of misunderstanding. I think sometimes we
S4: read what we want to hear in Christ's words, but
S4: studying in its original Jewish context yields a greater understanding.
S1: What's another insight that you picked up on as you
S1: worked through the cultural context of Christ's Olivet discourse? Anything
S1: come to mind?
S5: Yeah, another one.
S4: Was just, uh, Christ's illustration of the fig tree. He says, uh,
S4: when the fig tree, uh, his branch becomes tender, you know,
S4: it puts forth its leaves. You know that summer is near.
S4: Even so, when you see all these things, recognize he
S4: is at the door. And then he says, this generation
S4: will not pass away until all these things take place. And,
S4: you know, again, typically people say, well, it's the generation
S4: of when Israel becomes a nation again. So it must
S4: be 40 years. And then that passed and then they
S4: moved it up to 60 and the 80 years. But
S4: I think in the context he's saying he's talking about
S4: the tribulation generation because he says those who see these things,
S4: these tribulation events happening, that generation will not pass away.
S4: In other words, it's not going to go on indefinitely.
S4: But there's a time stamp on the seven year tribulation.
S4: And so Christ wanted them to know that these disciples
S4: who will go through these, these hard times and the tribulation,
S4: that it won't last forever.
S1: Jeff Kinley is a best selling author and speaker whose
S1: mission is to empower people to discern the times and
S1: to become influencers for Jesus Christ. You know, I think
S1: we do need some influencers for Jesus Christ. We got
S1: influencers for all kinds of 100 billion different things on
S1: social media, where the influencers for Christ, but I digress.
S1: Jeff is the author of 40 books and is a
S1: frequent speaker at churches and conferences. It's a pleasure to
S1: talk with him today on the land and the book.
S1: How do Christ's words in Matthew clarify what he requires
S1: for our salvation?
S5: Well, I think one.
S4: Of the things he says, he talks about being prepared,
S4: he talks about being alert. And certainly these are things
S4: that every person needs to pay attention to. In fact,
S4: you know, some 41% of Americans believe we're living in
S4: the end times. And so as we see things ramp
S4: up towards these days that Christ spoke of, I think
S4: there needs to be a self-inventory. And Jesus said, you
S4: need to be prepared so that you can actually miss
S4: this coming judgments that are coming on the earth. And
S4: so Jesus points us to his crucifixion. And in chapter
S4: 26 and so we have this this, um, really cross
S4: centered narrative at the end of the Olivet Discourse afterwards.
S4: And so Christ wants everyone to be prepared, but most
S4: of all, he wants them to be saved.
S1: Okay. Apart from being saved, which is the ultimate preparation,
S1: do you think there is a single focus, a single
S1: thing that many believers are overlooking and and therefore leaves
S1: them unprepared or ill prepared?
S4: I think the overarching thing, John, is just a lack
S4: of biblical discernment today among Christians in the church. I mean,
S4: there's Barna did a study where he found out that
S4: less than 10% of Christians read their Bibles every day.
S4: And of course, you have a lot of self-help churches
S4: and that type of thing that are going on. So
S4: we're not really getting deep into the scriptures or even
S4: into the scriptures on a daily basis. So I would
S4: say biblical discernment, because that feeds into everything we do,
S4: how we live, how we view the world, humanity, our
S4: own lives, our mortality. And so discernment is very important.
S4: And that can't come unless we get into God's Word.
S1: Lots of times, believers get caught up in the gloom
S1: and doom that we see in future events, but that
S1: you say that prophecy, specifically Christ's message in Matthew, is
S1: designed to give us hope. Elaborate.
S5: Yeah, it really does.
S4: I mean, Christ tells us he's coming back at the end.
S4: He's coming to set up his kingdom. He's coming to
S4: bring in a whole new world. And so for believers,
S4: there's really nothing but hope in the future. We may
S4: go through hard times. Now, these tribulation believers may go
S4: through hard times, but in the end, Christ is going
S4: to reward them because he comes back as King Jesus
S4: to set the world right and to rule and reign
S4: with justice and peace.
S1: But we can't be mere fact finders and collectors of
S1: theological trinkets. In Matthew, Jesus calls us to get ready.
S1: What's another way we can get ready for Christ's return?
S4: I think one way the bride can get ready is
S4: just to purify herself. You know, Jesus talked about the
S4: rapture in John 14. First, John also tells us in
S4: chapter three that anyone who has this hope of Christ's
S4: return in them purifies himself, just like a bride gets
S4: ready for a wedding event. So there's a sense of
S4: personal internal preparation, our love for Christ, our devotion to him,
S4: our passion for his mission as he mentioned earlier, to
S4: make disciples while we can, in the time that God's
S4: allotted to us, and so preparing ourselves, our hearts, and
S4: also helping to prepare others.
S1: Hey, thanks for being part of the land and the book.
S1: I'm John Gager talking today with Jeff Kinley, who has
S1: written The End of the World According to Jesus of Nazareth. Well,
S1: there's certainly no shortage of interest in end times events
S1: in our day. Do you see this as largely working
S1: for our good, or is there so much error and
S1: emotional frenzy going on that we're actually doing ourselves a disservice?
S5: Well, I think the key.
S4: Is to listen to trusted voices for each believer to
S4: get into the word for him or herself, because, you know,
S4: there's a there's a lot of noise out there, a
S4: lot of white noise about the end times. And so
S4: that's why I wrote this book to hear exactly from
S4: the mouth of Jesus Christ, what it's going to be
S4: like and what he said we need to do.
S1: You know, I think every every generation ebbs and flows
S1: on things. There was a period of time, say, 30
S1: years ago, 40 years ago, maybe prophecy was a huge thing.
S1: Then it cooled off. It's huge. Now there's another shift
S1: I'm seeing, and I'd like for you to say, nah,
S1: I'm not seeing that. Or would you confirm it? There
S1: appears to me, anyway, to be a shift away from
S1: a pre-tribulational view of Christ's return. What do you say?
S4: Well, there certainly is a camp in Christendom that goes
S4: away from the pre-trib view. And I think part of
S4: it is due to the fact that people think it's
S4: just a doctrine of escapism, or maybe it's a recent
S4: doctrine of that type of thing. But what I'm seeing
S4: is more and more remnant believers. Really, not all the nation,
S4: but all over the world begin to rise up and say, look,
S4: we need to find out what God's Word really says
S4: about this. And it's not about just getting out of
S4: hard times. It's about escaping God's wrath. And so while
S4: there are those out there, I think that would attack
S4: the preacher of rapture. In fact, John, I would say
S4: this is that the most attacked prophetic doctrine is the
S4: pre-tribulational rapture really the fact that Christ rescues us before
S4: we will be delivered from the wrath to come? And
S4: for some reason it's a credit. There's a lot of vitriol,
S4: anger about the pre-trib rapture. But but it's a it's
S4: a doctrine of hope. I mean, Titus 213 calls it
S4: our blessed hope. Uh, there's multiple passages all throughout the
S4: New Testament that tell the early church to be eagerly
S4: awaiting and anticipating to have that Maranatha spirit about Christ's
S4: return at any moment. And that really is the doctrine
S4: of imminency. And so I think that hope really gives
S4: us a sense of purpose. A sense of motivation really
S4: inspires us day by day, because we never know when
S4: Christ shall return.
S1: Describe one small slice of prophetic events that sobers you
S1: the most, or maybe gives you the most chills.
S5: Well, I think.
S4: I was just in Belgium. I was just in Brussels.
S4: I went to the European Union there and visited there
S4: And such a dark place. I think globalism is one
S4: of the biggest dark movements that we see, sort of
S4: the storm clouds on the horizon. We see the world
S4: coming together. It's shrinking together. Calls for world government, a
S4: one world coalition of governments has never been more stronger
S4: than it is right now. So that is something obviously,
S4: Daniel chapter two, chapter seven, revelation 1317. They all prophesy
S4: a one world government in the last days. And so
S4: I think that's the thing I'm seeing happen along, of course,
S4: with Israel, what's going on in Israel. But but sort
S4: of an ominous cloud. I would point to a one world.
S5: Government in.
S1: 30s. How would you suggest we could be better students
S1: of prophecy and best use resources like you've created?
S4: Well, that's a great question. I would say, number one
S4: is that we have to be serious about what God
S4: says in His Word. God gave us 66 books of
S4: the Bible, and he closed it with a book that
S4: is 95% prophecy. So obviously God wants his people to
S4: know what's going to happen. So dig into the word
S4: for yourself, get into God's Word, let it get into you,
S4: and then find some trusted voices, some scholarly voices on
S4: prophecy that you can study so that you can be
S4: confident and live with clarity and hope in these days.
S1: Jeff, we always appreciate the content that you bring. Thank
S1: you for being a part of the land in the book, John.
S4: My pleasure. God bless.
S1: Don't go away. Charlie Dyer is back with a look
S1: at your Bible questions, and I think you'll find the
S1: answers quite stimulating. It's all ahead here on the land
S1: and the book. Questions and answers. That's what this next
S1: segment is all about. Welcome back to the land and
S1: the book. Questions about something you've read in the Bible.
S1: Questions about something that has entered into your head as
S1: you've pondered the greatness of our God. Questions about the
S1: Middle East and prophecy. They're all welcome, all fair game,
S1: and you'll probably hear some of all of those as
S1: we chat ahead with our host, Doctor Charlie Dyer. Your
S1: Bibles open, I see. Charlie. You ready for this?
S2: I'm ready. John.
S1: Well, first this thought, though Israel has been in the
S1: news a lot over the past year. And of course,
S1: the Bible is jam packed with end times prophecies about
S1: epic world events, the regathering of the Jewish people to
S1: their ancient homeland. And and of course, Jesus soon returned.
S1: So I think it's crucial for us as believers to
S1: have a proper understanding of Bible prophecy. So our view
S1: of the future is shaped by Scripture, not today's headlines. Right, Charlie?
S2: That's right. John. And with this in mind, our friends
S2: at Life and Messiah have published a book titled God,
S2: Israel and Bible Prophecy, and they're offering it to listeners
S2: of the land in the book for a limited time.
S2: This informative book is focused on providing readers with a
S2: deeper understanding and greater appreciation of what God has in
S2: store for Israel and the nations by digging into what
S2: the scriptures say about these issues. Now, if you're interested
S2: in learning more about what God has in store, visit
S2: Life in Messiah. Org and click on the Moody Radio
S2: button there to find out how you can receive your
S2: copy of God, Israel and Bible Prophecy. That's life in messiah.org.
S1: And as we begin our Q and A segment today,
S1: a couple of questions about Samuel, one of my favorite
S1: Old Testament characters, Todd wants to know, should Samuel have
S1: been involved with a sacrifice at a high place mentioned
S1: in first Samuel nine?
S2: Well, and actually, I don't see a problem there. In fact,
S2: in several cases, Samuel offered sacrifices at high places. I
S2: don't see a problem in any of them for two reasons. First,
S2: there was no tabernacle at this time. It had apparently
S2: been destroyed by the Philistines shortly after the battle where
S2: they captured the Ark of the covenant. That's in first
S2: Samuel four and five. Uh, we know the different parts
S2: of the tabernacle were scattered, probably at the same time. Uh,
S2: the table of showbread, or Bread of the presence ended
S2: up at Nob, just north of Jerusalem. That's first Samuel
S2: 21 and the altar of sacrifice. And the tent itself
S2: ended up at Gibeon. Uh, we know from First Kings
S2: three and first Chronicles 21, now, without a central place
S2: of worship, it appears that God did allow individuals to
S2: worship at different locations, and a second reason, though, is
S2: in the larger context, it appears Samuel was acting under
S2: God's authority and with God's blessing. You know, two chapters earlier,
S2: Samuel gathered all Israel to Mizpah. In first Samuel seven
S2: it says, he took a lamb, offered it as a whole,
S2: burnt offering to the Lord. And he cried out to
S2: the Lord on behalf of Israel. And the Lord answered him.
S2: In response, God enabled Israel to defeat the Philistines. And
S2: that chapter ends by describing the circuit traveled by Samuel
S2: every year as a judge. At the end of each circuit,
S2: he returned to his home in Ramah. And it says,
S2: and he built an altar there to the Lord. In fact,
S2: it's not presented as a negative action on his part,
S2: but an affirmation that he was functioning as a godly judge.
S2: And it was that altar and Rama, which was probably
S2: the high place where he encountered Saul. In that passage
S2: you're asking about in chapter nine.
S1: Quick question by way of follow up, was Samuel from
S1: the tribe of Levi?
S2: Yeah. Fascinating question, actually, based on first Samuel one one,
S2: people reading it would say, well, yeah, it looks like it.
S2: You know, his father Elkanah, was from the tribe of Ephraim.
S2: At least that's what it looks like, since it says
S2: he was from the hill country of Ephraim. However, everything's
S2: not as it might first appear. Apparently Elkanah was a
S2: Levite whose family had been assigned a tribal allotment in
S2: the general territory of Ephraim. Elkanah's hometown, which was later
S2: said to be Samuel's hometown, was Ramah. Now and here's
S2: why I say all this. In First Chronicles six, verses
S2: 22 to 28, the writer traces the descendants of Kohath
S2: down through several generations of individuals named Elkanah, until he
S2: reaches Samuel and his two sons. Now that passage makes
S2: it very clear Samuel was from the tribe of Levi
S2: Through Levi's son, Kohath.
S1: You're listening to the land and the book with our host,
S1: Doctor Charlie Dyer. Questions and answers. Our theme. This segment,
S1: David asks, Will the new earth that the Lord creates
S1: after the thousand year reign of Christ, as stated in
S1: revelation 21, include a new land of Canaan or Promised
S1: land based on the multiple times God promised the patriarchs
S1: that he would give them the land for an everlasting possession,
S1: it would seem to make that conclusion. Can you confirm
S1: or maybe correct my thinking here?
S2: Yeah, I have to start by saying, I don't know
S2: if the Bible provides us with enough information for a
S2: definitive answer. So what I would tell my classes when
S2: I was teaching is take this now with a grain
S2: of salt. Peter describes in Second Peter three the new
S2: heavens and new earth. And he says, the heavens are
S2: going to disappear. You know, the elements will be destroyed
S2: by fire. The earth and everything in it laid bare.
S2: And then he talks about, we'll look forward to a
S2: new heaven and new earth, the home of righteousness. But
S2: it sounds like the physical land of Israel. Indeed, the
S2: physical land of all the earth is going to be
S2: destroyed and replaced with something entirely new. The physical boundaries
S2: of the original land included, for example, on the west side,
S2: the Mediterranean Sea. That's numbers 34 in Ezekiel 47 mentioned that,
S2: but in the new heavens and new earth, it says
S2: in revelation 21, there will no longer be a sea.
S2: So in essence, that western boundary disappears. So at the
S2: same time, I do believe God will continue to fulfill
S2: his promises to all believers, Jewish and Gentile. Uh, we
S2: don't know how all those details are going to work out,
S2: but I would say in in the reality that God
S2: is God, God keeps his promises. And I believe that.
S2: And I believe the reality that when we get there,
S2: we're going to understand it. It all makes perfect sense.
S1: Math meets genealogy in this next question from David was
S1: Abraham 58 years old when Noah died? I've never heard
S1: anyone teach on the possibility that Abraham may have had
S1: personal knowledge about Noah. Genesis nine states he lived 350
S1: years after the flood. You count up the years listed
S1: in the genealogy of his first firstborn son, Shem to
S1: Abraham in Genesis 11. And I think it totals 292 years.
S1: Your thoughts?
S2: Yeah, and I love this. I love the the genealogies,
S2: but I know the average person listening goes, what? I
S2: can't figure that out. But here's what I would say.
S2: I think there was an overlap. I think the genealogies
S2: can be tallied up in a certain way. But there's
S2: one problem in Genesis 1126 when it says, after Terah
S2: had lived 70 years, he became the father of Abraham,
S2: Nahor and Haran. We tend to assume this is describing
S2: Terah's age when Abram was born, but I don't believe
S2: that's the case. Abram's likely listed first there because he
S2: ends up becoming the focus of the whole story, but
S2: there are several details that suggest he wasn't the firstborn son.
S2: Though listed last, Terah's son Haran appears to be the
S2: oldest for two reasons. Other family connections make more sense
S2: if he's the firstborn. For example, his son lot was
S2: old enough to apparently become his father's heir and travel
S2: with Abram into the land, and also Haran's daughter Milcah
S2: was old enough to become the wife of Nahor, the
S2: other brother of Abram. Uh, second. The other chronological details
S2: suggest Abram wasn't the firstborn. Tara began having children at
S2: the age of 70. It says in chapter 11 he
S2: died at the age of 205, in chapter 11, verse 32.
S2: Now Abram was 75 years old when he left Haran
S2: to go to the Promised Land following Tara's death. That
S2: means Tara was 130 when Abram was born. That's 60
S2: years after the birth of his first son. So the
S2: bottom line if my calculations are correct, then Noah would
S2: have died about six years after Abram was born. It's
S2: still an overlap, but not the 58 years.
S1: All right, here's a technical question. Stay with us. Mary
S1: asks F.F. Bruce in the Tyndale Commentary on Romans, quotes
S1: Calvin concerning Romans five, verses 14 through 20, that the
S1: many can by no means be a minority, and he
S1: quotes Calvin that the grace of Christ belongs to a
S1: greater number than the condemnation contracted by the first man.
S1: Calvin reasoned that if Adam's fall had the effect of
S1: producing the ruin of many, the grace of God is
S1: much more efficacious in benefiting many, since, admittedly, Christ is
S1: much more powerful to save than Adam was to ruin.
S1: How can that be? Does this mean that infant mortality
S1: or abortion caused the number of the elect to be greater? Otherwise,
S1: it seems that the vast majority of people don't belong
S1: to the Lord. And Charlie, I'm confused.
S2: Well, yeah, it's a technical question. I would say, though
S2: I don't think they were referring to abortions or other
S2: young children. What I do think is going on is
S2: this those final words of Calvin that Bruce quotes. He
S2: really says if Adam's fall had the effect of producing
S2: the ruin of many, the grace of God is much
S2: more efficacious in benefiting many, since admittedly, Christ is much
S2: more powerful to save than Adam was to ruin. So
S2: he's really saying it's greater in the sense that getting
S2: ruined people saved is much more difficult than getting innocent
S2: people ruined, which is what Adam did. The second, though
S2: I'm not sure either one would contradict the words of
S2: Jesus in Matthew seven. They both were very committed to
S2: the scriptures, and in Matthew seven Jesus said, why does
S2: the gate broad is the way that leads to destruction,
S2: and many enter there. But small is the gate, and
S2: narrow the road that leads to life, and only a
S2: few find it.
S1: Greg says I saw an article on a discovery in
S1: Egypt called the El Arish Stone that was discovered in 1887.
S1: The article said the stone included detailed references to the
S1: Exodus written from the perspective of the pharaoh. Does this
S1: discovery prove the biblical account of the Exodus?
S2: Well, there's a group called the associates for Biblical Research
S2: that have really debunked this piece of evidence, along with
S2: several other so-called pieces of evidence. Now, since the associates
S2: for Biblical Research is a conservative group, they hold to
S2: a literal early exodus. I take their criticism seriously. That
S2: article can be found at their website. So if you
S2: go to associates for Biblical Research, search for Debunking the
S2: Exodus Decoded. I do believe in a literal early Exodus,
S2: but just like this organization, I want to make sure
S2: we guard against uncritically believing, as we might call it today,
S2: fake news, even when it appears to support what we
S2: really believe.
S1: Well, maybe all these questions you've heard today have spurred
S1: within you a desire to get an answer to something
S1: that's been kind of nagging at you. You can easily
S1: do that if you'll email us the land and the
S1: book@moody.edu is how you connect the land and the book@moody.edu.
S1: As always, when you're writing, we love hearing you share
S1: how God has used the program in your life. Nothing
S1: wrong with letting us know that. Thank you for doing that.
S1: Up next, Charlie's devotional. It's our fourth and final segment.
S1: You don't want to miss it. More to come here
S1: on Moody Radio's The Land and the book. Here at
S1: the land of the book. We love getting your email,
S1: your thoughts about the program, how it impacts you and
S1: you can connect any time. By the way, at the
S1: land and the book@moody.edu. John Gager hanging out with our
S1: host Charlie Dyer and Charlie. One of the comments that
S1: we hear, I think more often than anything else is
S1: how much people appreciate your devotionals. In this fourth segment,
S1: you've got an interesting new series you're starting today. Tell
S1: us about it.
S2: I do, I want to start a five week series.
S2: I'm calling the famous 3/16 of the Bible.
S1: 3/16 of the Bible. We'll get to the first of
S1: those after this Holy Land experience.
S6: Hi, my name is Patty and I'm here in the
S6: Holy Land. And I think what struck me the most
S6: was how small Israel is, but how safe I felt
S6: and how Doctor Dyer took us around the Sea of Galilee.
S6: And I think the most wonderful moment for me was
S6: coming into Jerusalem. And our driver played the song Oh
S6: Holy City. And for me, that was my big moment,
S6: because I'd been praying about it for a year.
S7: This is Randall, and this is my second time in Israel.
S7: What has fascinated me on this trip is to be
S7: in a country of Judaism and Arabic community. And the gospel,
S7: I think, is preached more times here per square foot
S7: in a single day than anywhere else in the world.
S7: For it to be a non-Christian country, if you consider
S7: all of the church groups, Bible groups, busloads of tourists
S7: and guides that talk about Jesus Christ throughout the day
S7: in this country in all points of the country, it
S7: is amazing.
S1: I'm looking forward to today's thought. You're taking us to
S1: the book of Jeremiah for the first of your sixteens.
S2: That's right John, we all know John 316, but there
S2: are a number of other fascinating verses with that same
S2: street address, so to speak, in other books of the Bible.
S2: My goal is to take you on a journey of
S2: discovery into some of those other destinations over the next
S2: several weeks. Today's journey finds us in Jerusalem. At the
S2: time of the prophet Jeremiah. Jeremiah is often called the
S2: weeping prophet because he talks about his eyes overflowing with tears,
S2: and he had a lot to cry about. He was
S2: one of the prophets sent by God to the nation
S2: of Judah to announce its destruction because of sin. Jeremiah
S2: desperately called on the people to repent and turn back
S2: to God. Sadly, they rejected God, his message, and the
S2: prophet who delivered it. In chapter three, we find Jeremiah
S2: wandering the streets of Jerusalem, announcing God's final warning return
S2: faithless Israel, declares the Lord. The nation had wandered far
S2: from God, and he was calling on them to reverse
S2: course and come back before it was too late. In
S2: calling on the people to repent, Jeremiah begins to paint
S2: a picture of hope and blessing for those in the
S2: future who come back to the Lord. God promises to
S2: bring a remnant back to Zion and to give them
S2: shepherds after my own heart, who will lead you with
S2: knowledge and understanding. As Jeremiah gazes with prophetic eyes into
S2: the future, he utters his famous 316 in those days
S2: when your numbers have increased greatly in the land, declares
S2: the Lord, men will no longer say, the ark of
S2: the covenant of the Lord. It will never enter their
S2: minds or be remembered. It will not be missed, nor
S2: will another one be made. And there it is. Jeremiah
S2: 316 and his prediction about the Ark of the covenant. Now,
S2: I suspect some of you are already starting to hum
S2: the theme song for Raiders of the Lost Ark, but
S2: Jeremiah's real life prediction is more exciting than even the
S2: Hollywood magic of Steven Spielberg. To set the stage, let's
S2: briefly review the history of the Ark of the Covenant
S2: on Mount Sinai. God himself gave Moses the plans for
S2: the Tabernacle. And included in those plans was this gold
S2: covered box, or ark, with its mercy seat cover, guarded
S2: by two golden cherubim. And above the ark is where
S2: God's Shekinah glory dwelt, displaying his visible presence among his people.
S2: The Ark was inside the Holy of Holies when the
S2: children of Israel moved through the desert and the tabernacle
S2: was disassembled, the ark was not on display in numbers four.
S2: God gave specific commands for its transport. In verse five,
S2: the priests were to first take down the veil to
S2: the Holy of Holies and cover the ark with it.
S2: Then the kohathites were to carry it using the poles
S2: attached to the side. And in verse 20 God adds
S2: another stern reminder. But the kohathites must not go in
S2: to look at the holy things, even for a moment,
S2: or they will die. That reminder helps explain a sad
S2: tale during the time of Samuel, the sons of Eli,
S2: the high priest, carried the ark into battle with the Philistines,
S2: and it was captured everywhere it went. God sent his
S2: judgment on the Philistine cities. The Philistines eventually sent it
S2: back to Israel, and it came to the town of
S2: Beit Shemesh when it first arrived. First Samuel six says,
S2: when the people looked up and saw the ark, they
S2: rejoiced at the sight. But the joyous event had a
S2: tragic ending. God struck down some of the men of
S2: Beit Shemesh, putting 70 of them to death because they
S2: had looked into the Ark of the Lord. And we
S2: might think God was being a bit harsh here after all.
S2: Maybe they were just checking to make sure the Philistines
S2: hadn't taken anything out of the ark. But a more
S2: detailed study leads to a very different conclusion. Who were
S2: these men of Beit Shemesh who looked into the ark?
S2: In Joshua 2116, the city of Beit Shemesh was assigned
S2: to the descendants of Aaron the priest. These were the
S2: very people to whom God had given detailed instructions on
S2: how to handle the Ark and the other items of furniture.
S2: They deliberately disobeyed God, and he judged them for that disobedience.
S2: The Ark eventually made its way into Jerusalem at the
S2: time of King David, and into the Holy of Holies
S2: in the new temple built by David's son, Solomon. But
S2: all was not well jumping forward in history, we come
S2: to the time of King Manasseh. Second Chronicles 33 records
S2: his idolatrous reign in short statements that must have seemed
S2: like spiritual gut punches to the righteous remnant in Judah.
S2: He built pagan altars in the temple of the Lord.
S2: In both courts of the temple he built altars to
S2: all the starry hosts. He took the carved image he
S2: made and put it in God's temple. Though I can't
S2: prove it, I suspect this was when the Ark of
S2: the covenant was spirited out of the temple by faithful
S2: priests to keep it from being desecrated. Good King Josiah
S2: eventually followed Manasseh and his equally wicked son Ammon to
S2: the throne, and he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem.
S2: Of all the high places. Asherah poles carved idols and
S2: cast images, and to repair the temple of the Lord
S2: and his actions help explain an otherwise obscure verse in
S2: Second Chronicles 35. Put the sacred ark in the temple
S2: that Solomon's son of David, King of Israel, built. It
S2: is not to be carried about on your shoulders. Apparently
S2: the Ark of the covenant had been carried about from
S2: place to place, like a fugitive seeking to avoid capture,
S2: but now it was to be put back in its
S2: rightful place. And that's the last mention of the original
S2: Ark of the covenant made by Moses. So what happened
S2: to it? Ezekiel offers a clue. While in captivity in Babylon,
S2: Ezekiel had a vision in which he saw the glory
S2: of the Lord move to the threshold of the temple.
S2: It then stopped briefly at the east gate before departing
S2: from Jerusalem by way of the Mount of Olives. Once
S2: God's glory departed from the city, the Ark of the
S2: covenant was nothing more than a gold covered box. So
S2: what happened to the Ark? Well, theories abound. It's buried
S2: under the temple. It's hidden in the wilderness. Or somewhere
S2: in Jordan. It's in Ethiopia. It's in a warehouse in Washington, DC.
S2: I believe it was taken along with the other temple
S2: treasures to Babylon, where it was likely destroyed and melted down.
S2: And that's why God gave this message to Jeremiah. In
S2: future years, they won't need or try to remake or
S2: even remember the Ark of the covenant. It won't be
S2: needed in God's ultimate plan. And that's why in the
S2: Holy of Holies at the time of Jesus, as Josephus wrote,
S2: there was nothing at all. It was gone. So what
S2: does Jeremiah 316 and the Ark of the covenant have
S2: to do with us today? Well, first I see a
S2: lesson on the importance of obedience. God gave instructions on
S2: how the ark was to be handled, and he held
S2: those to whom he gave those instructions accountable to obey.
S2: God's word isn't just a book of suggestions. It contains
S2: instructions from a holy God explaining how his followers need
S2: to live to honor him. But I see a second
S2: lesson in the promise God gave in Jeremiah 316. And
S2: that's the importance of distinguishing between the symbol and the
S2: reality it represents. The ark was a visible reminder of
S2: God's presence among his people, but it was God's presence
S2: that made it important. When God's glory departed from the
S2: temple in Jerusalem, the ark became nothing more than a
S2: gold box. Jeremiah 316 was a reminder to look beyond
S2: the physical symbol, to realize the reality was God's presence
S2: above the box that made it truly significant. The Ark
S2: won't be needed in the future, because God's glory in
S2: the incarnate presence of His Son will be there. And
S2: when we see Jesus, that old gold covered box just
S2: won't be that important.
S1: Thank you. Charlie. The first of 3/16 of the Bible.
S1: Interesting insights. Time always goes by too quickly. But before
S1: we go, I'd like to point you to our website
S1: where you can hear the whole program again or share
S1: it as a podcast with a friend. You know, that website,
S1: the Land and the book.org? That's the land and the
S1: book org. We'll be back next week, Lord willing, with
S1: another edition of The Land and the book, a production
S1: of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.