WEBVTT - Released from Prison 0:00:08.050 --> 0:00:13.750 For 259 days. They witnessed abuse, torture and execution in 0:00:13.750 --> 0:00:18.130 Iran's most infamous prison. Then they were released. Where would 0:00:18.130 --> 0:00:21.580 God lead them next? That's our story coming up. Hey, 0:00:21.579 --> 0:00:24.250 welcome to the land and the book from Moody Radio. 0:00:24.250 --> 0:00:27.400 Doctor Charlie Dyer is our host, and I'm John Geiger. 0:00:27.400 --> 0:00:29.500 We are both just back from a trip to Israel. 0:00:29.500 --> 0:00:31.390 And in this opening segment, we're going to bring you 0:00:31.390 --> 0:00:35.320 the stories behind the headlines in the Middle East. First, though, 0:00:35.320 --> 0:00:38.379 Passover is soon upon us, and one of the traditional 0:00:38.380 --> 0:00:42.760 Passover questions is what makes this night different from all others? 0:00:42.760 --> 0:00:46.570 Passover just an important biblical holiday that has great meaning 0:00:46.570 --> 0:00:49.930 for both Jewish people and believers in Jesus. So this 0:00:49.930 --> 0:00:52.779 is a really important question to ask. It is John. 0:00:52.780 --> 0:00:54.670 In fact, if people want to learn more about what 0:00:54.670 --> 0:00:58.000 makes Passover so special, our friends at Life and Messiah 0:00:58.000 --> 0:01:01.570 are offering to email a free copy of their Messianic 0:01:01.570 --> 0:01:05.050 Passover Haggadah. This booklet will lead you through the celebration 0:01:05.050 --> 0:01:08.890 of Passover to see the rich connections to Jesus, our Messiah, 0:01:08.890 --> 0:01:11.649 and the Last Supper. You'll also receive a link for 0:01:11.650 --> 0:01:15.880 an interactive Passover Seder video with the Haggadah and video. 0:01:15.880 --> 0:01:19.179 You can celebrate Passover this year with your family and friends. 0:01:19.180 --> 0:01:21.850 Now to get this free offer, just go to Life 0:01:21.850 --> 0:01:25.030 in Messiah org and click on the Moody Radio button 0:01:25.030 --> 0:01:28.450 to find out more and request your copy. That's life 0:01:28.450 --> 0:01:33.700 in messiah.org. And now a look at current events. Ramadan 0:01:33.700 --> 0:01:37.180 is half over and the situation in Jerusalem has remained 0:01:37.180 --> 0:01:41.290 relatively quiet, as has the situation in Gaza. Does this 0:01:41.290 --> 0:01:43.780 suggest a period of quiet is starting to take hold, 0:01:43.780 --> 0:01:47.350 or has this simply been the calm before the storm? Well, 0:01:47.350 --> 0:01:50.950 the situation with Ramadan it's just still tense. There have 0:01:50.950 --> 0:01:54.910 been several attempted disturbances that have been handled by security forces. 0:01:54.910 --> 0:01:59.110 It's interesting that Ramadan this year coincides with Purim, which 0:01:59.110 --> 0:02:02.770 is this weekend, and that's another past time of national 0:02:02.770 --> 0:02:06.820 threat and victory for the Jewish people. Now Hamas is 0:02:06.820 --> 0:02:11.410 encouraging the Palestinians to cause problems, and Israel won't breathe 0:02:11.410 --> 0:02:15.040 easier until Ramadan ends on April 9th, Israel continues to 0:02:15.040 --> 0:02:18.460 threaten to enter Rafah, which is the final Hamas stronghold 0:02:18.460 --> 0:02:20.980 in Gaza. But that could be several weeks off if 0:02:20.980 --> 0:02:23.320 it's going to happen. And certainly the US and the 0:02:23.320 --> 0:02:27.100 West are pressuring Israel not to attack the situation on 0:02:27.100 --> 0:02:30.070 the border with Lebanon. Well, that remains tense as well. 0:02:30.070 --> 0:02:33.609 Both Israel and Hezbollah threatened to escalate the conflict, but 0:02:33.610 --> 0:02:36.940 at least so far, each has refrained from launching an 0:02:36.940 --> 0:02:40.600 all out attack. Iran is apparently concerned about being drawn 0:02:40.600 --> 0:02:43.809 into the conflict, and the head of Hezbollah assured Iran 0:02:43.810 --> 0:02:46.989 that they can fight Israel alone if war breaks out. Now, 0:02:46.990 --> 0:02:50.109 that's a hollow promise. If war between Israel and Hezbollah 0:02:50.110 --> 0:02:54.760 breaks out, Israel will try to destroy Hezbollah's military capability. 0:02:54.760 --> 0:02:57.790 Will Iran stay on the sidelines and allow that to happen? 0:02:57.790 --> 0:03:01.359 Or even more significantly, would Israel or the United States 0:03:01.360 --> 0:03:04.360 use a war with Hezbollah as an excuse to strike 0:03:04.360 --> 0:03:08.050 Iran's nuclear facilities? Well, that's Iran's fear. In spite of 0:03:08.050 --> 0:03:11.560 any promises made by Hezbollah. There's also talk of a 0:03:11.560 --> 0:03:15.130 temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that would result in 0:03:15.130 --> 0:03:17.980 the release of up to 40 more hostages in exchange 0:03:17.980 --> 0:03:22.000 for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. However, until 0:03:22.000 --> 0:03:24.460 any kind of a deal is finalized and actually set 0:03:24.460 --> 0:03:28.000 in motion, nothing is certain in that regard. Well, the 0:03:28.000 --> 0:03:30.190 world has been so focused on events in the Middle 0:03:30.190 --> 0:03:33.250 East that it has spent less time focusing on Russia. 0:03:33.340 --> 0:03:35.650 What have we been missing not only in the war 0:03:35.650 --> 0:03:39.340 with Ukraine, but in Russia's other activities? Yeah. You know, 0:03:39.340 --> 0:03:41.470 you stop and look at what's been happening. Russia's war 0:03:41.470 --> 0:03:45.160 with Ukraine has now entered its third year based on 0:03:45.160 --> 0:03:50.800 the best available information. Russia has suffered 315,000 casualties that 0:03:50.800 --> 0:03:53.980 would be dead and wounded, while Ukraine has experienced the 0:03:53.980 --> 0:03:58.480 death of about 30,000 soldiers, along with an additional 30,000 0:03:58.480 --> 0:04:03.280 civilian casualties, both dead and wounded. Russia has the larger population, though, 0:04:03.280 --> 0:04:06.580 and it can afford a greater number of casualties. Plus, 0:04:06.580 --> 0:04:10.540 they're using mercenaries from former Soviet republics and states that 0:04:10.540 --> 0:04:13.150 are allied with Russia. Now, as the flow of weapons 0:04:13.150 --> 0:04:16.840 into Ukraine has been slowing, Russia might be gaining the 0:04:16.839 --> 0:04:21.070 upper hand in several key battleground areas. But beyond Ukraine, 0:04:21.070 --> 0:04:25.000 there are other significant areas that bear watching. Vladimir Putin 0:04:25.000 --> 0:04:28.240 was just reelected to another six year term in office, 0:04:28.240 --> 0:04:32.410 making him the longest serving Russian leader since Stalin. The 0:04:32.410 --> 0:04:35.140 West pictures Putin as a despot with a shaky hold 0:04:35.140 --> 0:04:37.780 on power, but he seems to have a loyal following 0:04:37.810 --> 0:04:42.279 among most Russians who believe he's helping keep Russia strong. John, 0:04:42.279 --> 0:04:45.430 we even saw that talking to someone in Israel from 0:04:45.430 --> 0:04:48.880 Russia who had a far more positive opinion of Putin 0:04:48.880 --> 0:04:51.820 than what we get in our press now. Russia continues 0:04:51.820 --> 0:04:55.240 to expand its military presence in Libya. The Wagner Group 0:04:55.240 --> 0:04:58.270 is still in Libya, but it's been rebranded as the 0:04:58.270 --> 0:05:04.150 expeditionary corps of Russia's military intelligence agency. They're negotiating docking 0:05:04.150 --> 0:05:07.539 rights in Libya for Russian warships in exchange. For defence 0:05:07.540 --> 0:05:11.980 systems and training for pilots. Russia is also recruiting additional 0:05:11.980 --> 0:05:15.550 mercenaries to expand their influence in other parts of Africa. 0:05:15.790 --> 0:05:18.820 Their goal is to increase their influence at the expense 0:05:18.820 --> 0:05:21.669 of the US and the West, and at least in 0:05:21.670 --> 0:05:24.790 parts of Africa. The plan does seem to be working 0:05:24.790 --> 0:05:25.840 from Moody Radio. 0:05:25.870 --> 0:05:28.810 This is the land and the book. I'm John Jaeger. 0:05:28.839 --> 0:05:31.570 We're glad you're along. For today's look at current events. 0:05:31.570 --> 0:05:36.040 Story number three. International pressure on Israel continues to increase, 0:05:36.040 --> 0:05:40.000 including from the US. Help us understand the larger issues 0:05:40.000 --> 0:05:42.729 behind the ongoing pressure. And is there anything that we 0:05:42.730 --> 0:05:44.230 can do? Yeah. 0:05:44.230 --> 0:05:47.560 Well, pressure on Israel has been increasing the leaking of 0:05:47.560 --> 0:05:52.299 reports forecasting Prime Minister Netanyahu's demise. Talk of redlines that 0:05:52.300 --> 0:05:55.960 we won't allow Israel to cross. Senators openly calling for 0:05:55.960 --> 0:06:00.610 elections to replace Israel's government. Nations withholding or reducing the 0:06:00.610 --> 0:06:03.099 flow of arms. Those are just some of the actions 0:06:03.100 --> 0:06:06.250 within the past few weeks. Now I see four key 0:06:06.250 --> 0:06:09.880 reasons for this pressure. The first, I'll call it propaganda. 0:06:09.910 --> 0:06:13.330 Israel is losing the PR war. World media has been 0:06:13.330 --> 0:06:17.170 quick to uncritically accept reports out of Gaza that later 0:06:17.170 --> 0:06:19.630 turned out to be false, but they become old news 0:06:19.630 --> 0:06:22.210 before Israel is able to verify the facts and provide 0:06:22.210 --> 0:06:26.200 a response. Now that's propaganda, but the media's constant need 0:06:26.200 --> 0:06:30.160 to feed their 24 hour news cycle plays into those hands. 0:06:30.160 --> 0:06:33.550 And it's even worse with social media. The second reason 0:06:33.550 --> 0:06:36.849 for all the pressure right now is politics. National elections 0:06:36.850 --> 0:06:39.370 are coming up here in the US, and politicians are 0:06:39.370 --> 0:06:42.340 trying to woo younger voters who get their news from 0:06:42.339 --> 0:06:46.000 social media. Well, that political reality is causing them to 0:06:46.000 --> 0:06:49.299 pull back on supporting Israel. The third major reason for 0:06:49.300 --> 0:06:52.480 lack of a better term, I'll call it payola. Money 0:06:52.480 --> 0:06:56.229 buys influence. Our universities are awash in money from the 0:06:56.230 --> 0:06:59.650 Middle East, and as a result, students are being indoctrinated 0:06:59.650 --> 0:07:02.830 rather than educated. And the fourth major reason for the 0:07:02.830 --> 0:07:06.580 pressure on Israel right now is just plain old anti-Semitism, 0:07:06.580 --> 0:07:10.870 antisemitic lies are being spouted by the progressive left and 0:07:10.870 --> 0:07:14.050 by the far right. So what can we do? Well, 0:07:14.050 --> 0:07:18.370 let me offer two suggestions. First, pray. Never underestimate the 0:07:18.370 --> 0:07:22.660 power of prayer. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. And second, 0:07:22.660 --> 0:07:25.570 I'll call it petition. Here's what I mean. One of 0:07:25.570 --> 0:07:28.270 your First Amendment rights allows you to petition the government 0:07:28.270 --> 0:07:31.390 for a redress of grievances. If you believe our leaders 0:07:31.390 --> 0:07:34.270 aren't doing what they should to support Israel, then write 0:07:34.270 --> 0:07:37.630 or email the president, the vice president, your senators, your 0:07:37.630 --> 0:07:41.200 congressperson urge them to support Israel and the Jewish people 0:07:41.200 --> 0:07:45.190 during this time of struggle. Be respectful, but also be direct. 0:07:45.190 --> 0:07:47.800 Let them know you support Israel's right to exist as 0:07:47.800 --> 0:07:50.170 a nation, and that you expect them to take a 0:07:50.170 --> 0:07:54.520 strong stand against anti-Semitism. Also, let them know you vote 0:07:54.520 --> 0:07:57.370 and that this is a key issue for you. Remember, 0:07:57.370 --> 0:08:01.870 watch out for propaganda and politics and payola and anti-Semitism, 0:08:01.870 --> 0:08:04.990 and then pray and petition your leaders to stand firm 0:08:04.990 --> 0:08:08.530 in support of Israel. Now, not everything Israel does is right. 0:08:08.530 --> 0:08:11.440 That's true for any nation. But Israel does have a 0:08:11.440 --> 0:08:13.900 right to exist as a nation, and they aren't the 0:08:13.900 --> 0:08:15.790 ones who started the current war. 0:08:16.090 --> 0:08:19.750 But those are great reminders, and I love that practical suggestion. 0:08:19.750 --> 0:08:22.360 There are a couple of them. Thank you Charlie. Archaeologists 0:08:22.360 --> 0:08:25.750 were excited about the recent announcement of a rare coin 0:08:25.750 --> 0:08:29.170 discovered in the Judean wilderness. What's the significance of this 0:08:29.170 --> 0:08:32.740 rare coin bearing the name Eleazar the priest? 0:08:32.770 --> 0:08:35.230 Yeah, the coin dates to the first year of the 0:08:35.890 --> 0:08:39.590 revolt against Rome. Now, that revolt took place about a 0:08:39.590 --> 0:08:42.880 hundred years after the time of Jesus. Several things that 0:08:42.880 --> 0:08:45.790 make this coin so special. One is the coin was 0:08:45.790 --> 0:08:48.370 found at the base of a cliff below a cave 0:08:48.370 --> 0:08:51.760 that had been excavated 20 years ago. Apparently it was 0:08:51.760 --> 0:08:55.090 dropped by the person who owned it about 2000 years ago, 0:08:55.090 --> 0:08:58.330 and now has just found this particular coin had the 0:08:58.330 --> 0:09:01.870 words Eleazar the Priest inscribed on it. Three other coins 0:09:01.870 --> 0:09:04.630 were also found at the site. They had the name Simon, 0:09:04.630 --> 0:09:08.710 which probably refers to Simon Berkovitch, the leader of the revolt. 0:09:08.830 --> 0:09:12.340 Eliezer the priest is thought to be Eliezer of Modin. 0:09:12.340 --> 0:09:15.550 He was a cousin of Simon. Stories in the Mishnah 0:09:15.550 --> 0:09:18.640 and Talmud say that as long as Eliezer would pray, 0:09:18.640 --> 0:09:22.360 the capital of the rebellion couldn't be conquered. His name 0:09:22.360 --> 0:09:25.390 only appears, though, on coins issued the first year of 0:09:25.390 --> 0:09:27.640 the four year revolt, and there's no record of what 0:09:27.640 --> 0:09:31.600 happened to Eliezer after that. The coin used ancient Hebrew 0:09:31.600 --> 0:09:34.690 script and the image of a palm tree to evoke 0:09:34.690 --> 0:09:39.040 the idea of the Kingdom of Judah coming back to life. Sadly, 0:09:39.040 --> 0:09:42.400 after the Romans put down the rebellion, many were slaughtered 0:09:42.400 --> 0:09:45.850 and the land was ethnically cleansed of Jewish people. Now, 0:09:45.850 --> 0:09:49.570 from an archaeological perspective, the coin serves as a reminder 0:09:49.570 --> 0:09:53.230 that there are still many artifacts yet to be uncovered 0:09:53.230 --> 0:09:54.100 in Israel. 0:09:54.130 --> 0:09:57.160 Thank you Charlie. And that's a look at current events. Well, 0:09:57.160 --> 0:10:00.040 coming up, the amazing story of two women who, for 0:10:00.040 --> 0:10:05.410 259 days witnessed abuse, torture and execution in Iran's most 0:10:05.410 --> 0:10:08.550 infamous prison. Imagine. Being released after all that? What are 0:10:08.550 --> 0:10:11.010 you thinking? What are you feeling? And more importantly, do 0:10:11.010 --> 0:10:13.620 you stay in Iran? Do you get out? We'll get 0:10:13.620 --> 0:10:16.260 to all of those details, many of your questions, we'll 0:10:16.260 --> 0:10:19.350 try to ask those for you as our conversation unfolds 0:10:19.350 --> 0:10:21.900 here on the land and the book. Meanwhile, we point 0:10:21.900 --> 0:10:24.689 you to our website, The Land and the book. Org 0:10:24.690 --> 0:10:28.410 information about today's guests, past guests and next week's guest. 0:10:28.410 --> 0:10:32.400 It's all there at the land and the book.org a 0:10:32.400 --> 0:10:34.920 full program ahead. Don't miss any of it. On the 0:10:34.920 --> 0:10:52.030 land and the book. Marzia and Mariam were two young 0:10:52.030 --> 0:10:55.000 ladies who totally understood that they were putting their lives 0:10:55.000 --> 0:10:58.180 on the line every time they shared their faith. Living 0:10:58.179 --> 0:11:01.270 in Iran, they knew exactly what could happen. Undaunted, in 0:11:01.270 --> 0:11:04.690 three years, they'd started two house churches and secretly given 0:11:04.690 --> 0:11:08.559 away more than 20,000 New Testaments. That's when the police 0:11:08.559 --> 0:11:12.700 finally caught up with them. Marzia zadeh is an Iranian 0:11:12.700 --> 0:11:16.750 American with a remarkable story. She's a published author, public speaker, 0:11:16.750 --> 0:11:19.960 activist for religious freedom. For more than a decade, she 0:11:19.960 --> 0:11:23.439 has shared her inspiring story throughout the United States and 0:11:23.440 --> 0:11:26.710 around the world to bring awareness about the ongoing human 0:11:26.710 --> 0:11:31.330 rights violations and persecution of women and religious minorities in Iran. 0:11:31.360 --> 0:11:33.730 It is a great honor to welcome her back to 0:11:33.730 --> 0:11:36.189 the land and the book. Hey, thanks for being so 0:11:36.190 --> 0:11:37.810 generous with your time, Marzia. 0:11:38.350 --> 0:11:40.089 Thank you so much for having me. 0:11:40.300 --> 0:11:42.880 Well, you and your friend Mariam were both on fire 0:11:42.880 --> 0:11:46.870 for Jesus witnessing and sharing some 20,000 copies of the 0:11:46.870 --> 0:11:50.830 New Testament. But eventually that landed you both in prison 0:11:50.830 --> 0:11:54.040 when you initially walked through those doors to go in. 0:11:54.160 --> 0:11:57.640 Did you process the fact that you might not walk out, ever? 0:11:57.640 --> 0:11:59.110 I mean, what was going through your mind? 0:11:59.620 --> 0:12:02.829 Yeah, I shared with you that there were moments that 0:12:02.830 --> 0:12:06.370 I was thinking that we may end up getting killed 0:12:06.370 --> 0:12:11.080 like other prisoners who were getting killed and tortured. Raped 0:12:11.080 --> 0:12:15.429 in prison. Everything could happen to us. Because imagine they 0:12:15.429 --> 0:12:19.449 every day, almost every day, they would keep threatening our lives. 0:12:19.780 --> 0:12:22.689 Well, as the months went by, it seemed to dawn 0:12:22.690 --> 0:12:26.140 on you that witnessing for Christ in that prison was 0:12:26.140 --> 0:12:28.990 perhaps one of the reasons, if not the reason, for 0:12:28.990 --> 0:12:31.540 your detention there. Tell us a story or two of 0:12:31.540 --> 0:12:34.329 women that you spoke to about Jesus there in prison. 0:12:34.900 --> 0:12:39.130 Yeah. From the first days that they arrested us, honestly, 0:12:39.130 --> 0:12:42.100 we were only praying for our release because we didn't 0:12:42.100 --> 0:12:46.780 want to be in that horrible situation. For 14 days, 0:12:46.780 --> 0:12:49.930 we were locked in an underground dungeon that we could 0:12:49.929 --> 0:12:53.320 not see the light. We didn't have food, and they 0:12:53.320 --> 0:12:56.709 threw our food in a dirty pot on prisoners that 0:12:56.710 --> 0:12:59.890 we refused to eat that food. We had to cover 0:12:59.890 --> 0:13:03.850 ourselves with wet blankets that were soaked in urine. And 0:13:03.850 --> 0:13:07.480 that's why, you know, because of the condition there. We 0:13:07.480 --> 0:13:10.840 prayed for our release. But after that, when we could 0:13:10.840 --> 0:13:14.380 see how God was using us among those prisoners to 0:13:14.380 --> 0:13:17.860 share our faith with them, we started changing our prayers. 0:13:17.860 --> 0:13:21.910 Because when we were free outside prison, we had to 0:13:21.910 --> 0:13:25.390 pray and ask God to direct us to the right 0:13:25.390 --> 0:13:28.570 person to speak. But in prison, we realized that we 0:13:28.570 --> 0:13:33.819 can talk to everyone freely. So we turned Evin Prison 0:13:33.820 --> 0:13:37.540 and the detention for 14 days to our church, and 0:13:37.840 --> 0:13:41.500 we call that Evin Prison really became our church because 0:13:41.980 --> 0:13:45.760 we were able to share outfit with many prisoners. And 0:13:45.760 --> 0:13:49.660 we are so grateful for that opportunity, which made our 0:13:49.660 --> 0:13:53.530 interrogators very angry. And at one point I remember I 0:13:53.530 --> 0:13:59.020 had an interrogation during my interrogation. My interrogator shouted me 0:13:59.020 --> 0:14:01.930 and he said, we heard that you're talking to prisoners 0:14:01.929 --> 0:14:04.960 about your faith. You need to shut your mouth here 0:14:04.960 --> 0:14:08.080 and not to brainwash them. And I told him, I'm 0:14:08.080 --> 0:14:11.920 not going to stop talking to prisoners about my faith. 0:14:11.920 --> 0:14:14.890 And I told them, this is your fault. You arrested us, 0:14:14.890 --> 0:14:18.100 you put us in this prison. And prisoners are curious, 0:14:18.100 --> 0:14:20.920 asking us why we are here. So we have to 0:14:20.920 --> 0:14:24.760 explain to them. And that creates more questions to them. 0:14:24.760 --> 0:14:28.150 And I could see frustration in them because they could 0:14:28.150 --> 0:14:31.990 see that they couldn't do anything else to us. We 0:14:31.990 --> 0:14:34.330 have already been in prison and we were free to 0:14:34.330 --> 0:14:38.230 talk to many prisoners, and that's why I felt more 0:14:38.230 --> 0:14:42.850 free inside prison rather than outside prison. Talking to people 0:14:42.850 --> 0:14:44.080 about my faith. 0:14:44.200 --> 0:14:47.680 You talk to people in all kinds of situations and backgrounds, 0:14:47.680 --> 0:14:50.890 some of them pretty pathetic. Tell me about a story 0:14:50.890 --> 0:14:52.960 of somebody that comes to mind, a lady that you 0:14:52.960 --> 0:14:55.630 remember speaking with in that prison. 0:14:56.080 --> 0:14:59.920 Okay. For example, one story that, um, blow up in 0:14:59.920 --> 0:15:03.580 prison was that the story of one prisoner, and she 0:15:03.580 --> 0:15:08.290 was sentenced to life, and she was a keep praying namaz, 0:15:08.290 --> 0:15:12.460 practicing Islamic rules. And from the first day I met her, 0:15:12.550 --> 0:15:15.880 God put her in my heart to pray for her. 0:15:15.880 --> 0:15:18.760 And I started and I started talking to her about 0:15:18.760 --> 0:15:20.830 the love of God. But she was so mad at 0:15:20.830 --> 0:15:23.980 me and she didn't want to listen. And one day 0:15:23.980 --> 0:15:27.220 God gave me a dream about her, which in that dream, 0:15:27.220 --> 0:15:31.090 God showed me I was giving fish to every prisoners. 0:15:31.090 --> 0:15:33.940 And when she came to me, I gave her the 0:15:33.940 --> 0:15:37.180 biggest fish. And when I woke up, I was in 0:15:37.180 --> 0:15:41.110 the cell with 50 other prisoners, and the Holy Spirit 0:15:41.110 --> 0:15:44.860 gave me the interpretation. And in front of all my 0:15:44.860 --> 0:15:47.830 cell mates, I told her my dream and I told 0:15:47.830 --> 0:15:51.350 her that I believe. You will be released in maximum 0:15:51.350 --> 0:15:55.670 six months. And I didn't know how and why I 0:15:55.670 --> 0:15:58.190 said that, but I believe at that time it was 0:15:58.190 --> 0:16:02.570 the Holy Spirit. And then she mocked me. She said, uh, yeah, 0:16:02.570 --> 0:16:06.860 many people told me about this. Many fortune tellers told 0:16:06.860 --> 0:16:09.140 me that one day I will get released. But this 0:16:09.140 --> 0:16:12.470 is a lie. I have to be here for my life. 0:16:12.470 --> 0:16:17.990 But exactly. After six months, she got pardoned. And since 0:16:17.990 --> 0:16:21.890 many prisoners heard about my dream and what I told her, 0:16:21.890 --> 0:16:26.330 it was a big amuse in prison. That all prisoners. 0:16:26.330 --> 0:16:30.470 That they could see that whenever we pray for any prisoners, 0:16:30.470 --> 0:16:34.700 whenever God give me, gave me a dream about other prisoners, 0:16:34.700 --> 0:16:37.760 it come to truth. And they told us that we 0:16:37.760 --> 0:16:41.240 see a difference in your faith. With our faith we 0:16:41.240 --> 0:16:45.470 see that as soon as you pray something a miracle happened. 0:16:45.470 --> 0:16:48.560 And that woman came to me with tears and she 0:16:48.560 --> 0:16:51.200 told me, I promise you, as soon as I get 0:16:51.200 --> 0:16:55.190 out of this prison, I try to find Jesus and 0:16:55.190 --> 0:16:58.520 find the church, to find a Bible to read. Mm. 0:16:58.850 --> 0:17:02.030 Well, you have many, many such stories. And they're told 0:17:02.030 --> 0:17:05.750 in the book Captive in Iran. Your story and that 0:17:05.750 --> 0:17:09.560 of Mariam's was eventually picked up by international media, including 0:17:09.560 --> 0:17:13.670 organizations in the West concerned about persecuted Christians. How did 0:17:13.670 --> 0:17:15.950 your story ever get out? Initially. 0:17:16.730 --> 0:17:20.659 It was through our sisters and that after months being 0:17:20.660 --> 0:17:24.409 in prison, finally we were able to contact them and 0:17:24.410 --> 0:17:28.939 we heard from them that my sister immediately informed the 0:17:28.940 --> 0:17:33.229 pastors in Iran and our friends and pastors outside Iran, 0:17:33.230 --> 0:17:37.220 and they started, you know, advocating for our case. And 0:17:37.220 --> 0:17:43.190 all Christian organizations started advocating for us and spreading the news. 0:17:43.190 --> 0:17:47.180 Some Christians in UK went in front of embassy, Iranian 0:17:47.180 --> 0:17:52.820 embassy and did a protest and Amnesty International shared the news. 0:17:52.820 --> 0:17:56.240 Pope from Vatican sent a letter to the government on 0:17:56.240 --> 0:18:00.650 behalf of us. And because of all those international pressures, 0:18:00.650 --> 0:18:03.800 and of course because of God's grace, you know, today 0:18:03.800 --> 0:18:04.760 I'm alive. 0:18:05.180 --> 0:18:09.020 She endured nine months of mental and physical hardships and 0:18:09.020 --> 0:18:12.679 intense interrogation in Evin prison, one of the most brutal 0:18:12.680 --> 0:18:16.669 prisons in the world. Marzia Amira Zaid shares her story 0:18:16.670 --> 0:18:19.070 with us today on the land and the book. I'm 0:18:19.070 --> 0:18:22.040 John Jaeger, so what is your experience now as you 0:18:22.040 --> 0:18:25.100 look back, tell you about the power of believers in 0:18:25.100 --> 0:18:28.939 this country to influence the plight of other religious prisoners 0:18:28.940 --> 0:18:32.600 who are thousands of miles away in trouble, behind bars 0:18:32.600 --> 0:18:35.750 without hope of ever getting released. What does your experience 0:18:35.750 --> 0:18:36.710 tell you now? 0:18:37.220 --> 0:18:41.060 You know, since 2011 that I came to the United States, 0:18:41.330 --> 0:18:45.740 my friend and I started, you know, speaking, sharing our faith, 0:18:45.740 --> 0:18:51.469 sharing our story with other people and churches and Christians, uh, 0:18:51.470 --> 0:18:56.330 to wake up the churches and to bring awareness about persecution. 0:18:56.330 --> 0:18:59.869 And during my speaking, I always tell people that how 0:18:59.869 --> 0:19:03.500 much is important as a Christian to stand up and 0:19:03.500 --> 0:19:06.590 support our brothers and sisters. For example, when I was 0:19:06.590 --> 0:19:10.400 in prison, we heard from guards that we were receiving 0:19:10.400 --> 0:19:13.970 hundreds of letters every day, and they were mad at 0:19:14.510 --> 0:19:17.570 those people sending letters to us. They didn't give us 0:19:17.570 --> 0:19:20.570 those letters to read, but we could see as a 0:19:20.570 --> 0:19:25.130 result of those supports, and they started changing their behaviors 0:19:25.130 --> 0:19:28.160 with us. At least they didn't torture us physically. They 0:19:28.160 --> 0:19:31.130 didn't rape us because of those supports. They could see 0:19:31.130 --> 0:19:34.669 that the world is watching them. And especially when a 0:19:34.670 --> 0:19:39.530 case get international attention, they try to change their behavior 0:19:39.530 --> 0:19:43.070 and to be cautious about that case. That's why I 0:19:43.070 --> 0:19:47.330 always encourage Christians that living in a free countries like 0:19:47.330 --> 0:19:52.280 America and other countries, we have a responsibility to support 0:19:52.280 --> 0:19:56.149 those who are in those countries suffering because of their faith. 0:19:56.150 --> 0:19:59.330 There are many ways that we can support them, and 0:19:59.330 --> 0:20:03.560 those little things are matter because of all those letters 0:20:03.560 --> 0:20:07.580 come together and it made a big change for us. 0:20:07.580 --> 0:20:11.120 I always tell people, pray and ask the Holy Spirit 0:20:11.119 --> 0:20:15.889 to guide you how you can support persecuted Christians all 0:20:15.890 --> 0:20:18.830 around the world, how you can stand up for your faith. 0:20:18.830 --> 0:20:21.590 It doesn't matter what is our job, what we do. 0:20:21.590 --> 0:20:26.090 But little things are so matter. Maybe one person, when 0:20:26.090 --> 0:20:29.450 she or he was writing a letter thinking that this 0:20:29.450 --> 0:20:32.840 is just one letter, but all those letters come together 0:20:32.840 --> 0:20:35.270 and made a big difference for us. 0:20:35.540 --> 0:20:38.300 Well, the day did come when you finally were released. 0:20:38.300 --> 0:20:41.600 What was that moment like? You never get any apologies 0:20:41.600 --> 0:20:43.790 from your captors, I'm guessing. No. 0:20:44.300 --> 0:20:47.600 Of course not. They didn't want to apologize for what 0:20:47.600 --> 0:20:51.480 they did, but they. As I mentioned, to change their behavior. 0:20:51.600 --> 0:20:56.700 I remember my last conversation with my interrogator that he 0:20:56.700 --> 0:20:59.880 told us that if you wanted to curses or to 0:20:59.880 --> 0:21:03.090 say something, you can say. And I told her the 0:21:03.090 --> 0:21:06.780 last sentences that Jesus said on the cross. I told 0:21:06.780 --> 0:21:09.690 them that I am not going to curse you with 0:21:09.690 --> 0:21:12.930 what you did to us, but I ask God to 0:21:12.930 --> 0:21:16.710 forgive you because you don't know what you are doing. 0:21:16.800 --> 0:21:21.330 Which made him angry again with my answer. But honestly, 0:21:21.330 --> 0:21:24.300 some of them, they don't know they are brainwashed and 0:21:24.300 --> 0:21:27.540 they have the spirit of evil. But the day that 0:21:27.540 --> 0:21:30.990 we got out of prison, it was a combination of 0:21:30.990 --> 0:21:35.100 being happy and sad. We were happy that finally God 0:21:35.100 --> 0:21:38.940 gave us the victory and we got released. But honestly, 0:21:38.940 --> 0:21:43.410 in our hearts we were sad leaving our friends and 0:21:43.410 --> 0:21:47.760 many other women are behind and that's why we promised 0:21:47.760 --> 0:21:51.570 ourselves to be a voice for them and share their 0:21:51.570 --> 0:21:54.900 stories with the world. That what's going on? It's not, 0:21:54.930 --> 0:21:58.140 you know, writing the first book, Captive in Iran, is 0:21:58.140 --> 0:22:01.320 not just about our story. It's the stories of many 0:22:01.320 --> 0:22:03.780 women we felt we need to share with the world 0:22:03.780 --> 0:22:08.100 to see that what's happening to Iranian women living under 0:22:08.100 --> 0:22:10.710 the harsh rules of Islamic laws. 0:22:11.350 --> 0:22:14.649 Well, this has been a journey. And again, we encourage 0:22:14.650 --> 0:22:17.469 you to check out the full story in Mars's book, 0:22:17.470 --> 0:22:20.560 Captive in Iran. A link to that at our website. 0:22:20.560 --> 0:22:24.070 The land and the book, dawg. How can we pray 0:22:24.070 --> 0:22:25.270 for Iran today? 0:22:26.600 --> 0:22:30.230 I'm sure you know the world knows. Many people know 0:22:30.230 --> 0:22:33.950 the news these days that. Especially after the death of 0:22:33.950 --> 0:22:40.190 Mahsa Amini. She was killed. Brutally killed in, um, detention. 0:22:40.190 --> 0:22:43.490 It was the same. Detention was a detention. It's an 0:22:43.490 --> 0:22:47.480 underground dungeon. She was in the same jail that a 0:22:47.480 --> 0:22:50.900 beaten to death. And it was last year that this happened, 0:22:50.900 --> 0:22:54.830 which led to a big movement in Iran. And Iranian 0:22:54.830 --> 0:22:59.780 women bravely started standing for their rights. And this revolution 0:22:59.780 --> 0:23:04.220 is started in Iran since last year. And again, another 0:23:04.220 --> 0:23:07.670 girl was beaten to death because of, you know, not 0:23:07.670 --> 0:23:12.230 having a proper Islamic hijab by morality police. I myself 0:23:12.230 --> 0:23:17.210 experienced all those injustices and Iranian people are fighting for 0:23:17.210 --> 0:23:22.040 their freedoms these days to get rid of this Islamic uh, regime. 0:23:22.040 --> 0:23:25.459 They know their lies and their eyes are opened and 0:23:25.460 --> 0:23:30.050 I believe persecution help people to see the truth and 0:23:30.050 --> 0:23:34.310 to understand the lies that they were fed for many years. 0:23:34.310 --> 0:23:37.700 And I ask people to pray for the freedom of 0:23:37.700 --> 0:23:41.270 Iranian people, for the church in Iran that is suffering, 0:23:41.270 --> 0:23:47.090 for religious minorities getting persecuted. And we have power in 0:23:47.090 --> 0:23:50.570 our prayers. And as a Christian, there are many ways 0:23:50.570 --> 0:23:54.050 that we can support Iranian people. And regarding, you know, 0:23:54.050 --> 0:23:56.990 what's happening in the world and the news these days 0:23:56.990 --> 0:24:00.260 about the war that started in Israel, we all know 0:24:00.260 --> 0:24:04.189 that the head of this evil is in Iran, and 0:24:04.190 --> 0:24:07.700 we need to support the Iranian people to stand with them, 0:24:07.700 --> 0:24:11.120 to cut the head of this evil at home. And 0:24:11.119 --> 0:24:14.690 as long as these people are in power, they are 0:24:14.690 --> 0:24:19.700 keep torturing, keep arresting, keep killing innocent people not only 0:24:19.700 --> 0:24:24.050 in Iran but in other countries. Today, the Hamas attack 0:24:24.050 --> 0:24:29.419 in Israel, everyone knows that Islamic Republic regime supporting these 0:24:29.420 --> 0:24:34.310 terrorists to kill innocent Jews in Israel, to kill other 0:24:34.310 --> 0:24:37.880 innocent people in the Middle Eastern countries. So this is 0:24:37.880 --> 0:24:41.780 very important for us to understand that the Iranian people 0:24:41.780 --> 0:24:46.159 are not fighting only against their own enemies. These are 0:24:46.160 --> 0:24:52.159 in our land. They infiltrated in our politics, our education system, 0:24:52.160 --> 0:24:57.050 our culture, and they are brainwashing people, giving wrong advice 0:24:57.050 --> 0:25:01.760 to our politicians that they send billions of dollars to 0:25:01.760 --> 0:25:06.410 these evil people enabling them. This is wrong. This is 0:25:06.410 --> 0:25:11.300 foolish policies toward Iran. And I ask American people to 0:25:11.300 --> 0:25:16.580 pray for our politicians because we can't continue doing that. 0:25:16.580 --> 0:25:20.389 We can't bow down to terrorists. We need to stand 0:25:20.390 --> 0:25:23.659 up for our faith, for our values before it's too late, 0:25:23.660 --> 0:25:27.080 because what happened in Iran can happen here, too. 0:25:27.980 --> 0:25:31.070 Well, thank you so much for sharing your story and 0:25:31.070 --> 0:25:34.369 your time. We look forward to connecting again. This has 0:25:34.369 --> 0:25:37.430 been quite a story and there's more to it. Check 0:25:37.430 --> 0:25:40.100 it out in these books. Both of them are in 0:25:40.100 --> 0:25:43.760 a link at our website, The land and the book.org. 0:25:43.790 --> 0:25:46.730 We'll take you directly to her website at the Land 0:25:46.730 --> 0:25:50.300 and the book, dawg. Don't go away. I'm looking forward 0:25:50.300 --> 0:25:53.030 to a fresh set of Bible questions and Charlie's answers 0:25:53.030 --> 0:26:07.260 next here on the land and the book. Hope your 0:26:07.260 --> 0:26:09.690 day's going well. This is the land in the book. 0:26:09.690 --> 0:26:13.200 I'm John Geiger with our host, doctor Charlie Dyer. And Charlie. 0:26:13.200 --> 0:26:15.900 I'm thinking Passover will soon be upon us. And one 0:26:15.900 --> 0:26:19.350 of the traditional Passover questions that always comes around is 0:26:19.350 --> 0:26:23.520 what makes this night different from all others? Passover, of course, 0:26:23.520 --> 0:26:26.340 is an important biblical holiday that has great meaning for 0:26:26.340 --> 0:26:29.460 both Jewish people and believers in Jesus. So I think 0:26:29.460 --> 0:26:31.470 that's a critical question to ask. 0:26:31.500 --> 0:26:33.750 It really is. And if people listening want to learn 0:26:33.750 --> 0:26:36.629 more about what makes Passover so special, well, our friends 0:26:36.630 --> 0:26:39.060 at Life in Messiah are offering to mail you a 0:26:39.060 --> 0:26:43.440 free copy of their Messianic Passover Haggadah. This booklet will 0:26:43.440 --> 0:26:46.409 lead you through the celebration of Passover to see the 0:26:46.410 --> 0:26:50.159 rich connections to Jesus, our Messiah, and the Last Supper. 0:26:50.190 --> 0:26:53.159 You'll also receive a link for an interactive Passover Seder 0:26:53.160 --> 0:26:56.970 video with the Haggadah and video. You can celebrate Passover 0:26:56.970 --> 0:26:59.940 this year with your family and friends to get this 0:26:59.940 --> 0:27:03.510 free offer. Go to Life in Messiah org and click 0:27:03.510 --> 0:27:06.000 on the Moody Radio button to find out more and 0:27:06.000 --> 0:27:10.350 request your copy. That's life in messiah.org. 0:27:10.500 --> 0:27:13.350 Well, I'm looking forward to this, Charlie. A whole new 0:27:13.350 --> 0:27:17.189 set of questions in and we'll start with Claes. He 0:27:17.190 --> 0:27:20.639 says thank you for your wonderfully engaging and informative program. 0:27:20.640 --> 0:27:22.439 I don't often get a chance to listen to the 0:27:22.440 --> 0:27:25.500 program on a weekly basis on the radio, but I 0:27:25.500 --> 0:27:27.750 save them up to binge listen when my wife and 0:27:27.750 --> 0:27:31.199 I travel. Listening to your podcast. His question relates to 0:27:31.200 --> 0:27:33.900 Genesis 12 and the call of Abraham. He says, I've 0:27:33.900 --> 0:27:36.720 always heard that Abraham was called from earth to the 0:27:36.720 --> 0:27:39.930 land that God was calling him to, but it seems 0:27:39.930 --> 0:27:42.930 that the call actually came after he had moved to Haran. 0:27:42.930 --> 0:27:46.110 If that's true, do we have any indication why he 0:27:46.109 --> 0:27:48.540 moved from Earth to Haran? Yeah, I think. 0:27:48.540 --> 0:27:51.750 Actually the answer is found in Steven's speech to the 0:27:51.750 --> 0:27:55.380 Sanhedrin in Acts chapter seven. In verses 2 to 4, 0:27:55.380 --> 0:27:58.770 Stephen provides a more specific chronology as to God's call 0:27:58.770 --> 0:28:01.560 of Abraham. He says, The God of glory appeared to 0:28:01.560 --> 0:28:05.550 our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia before 0:28:05.550 --> 0:28:08.429 he lived in Haran. Leave your country and your people, 0:28:08.430 --> 0:28:10.859 God said, and go to the land I will show you. 0:28:10.859 --> 0:28:13.560 So he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled 0:28:13.560 --> 0:28:16.620 in Haran. After the death of his father, God sent 0:28:16.619 --> 0:28:19.109 him to this land where you are now living. Now 0:28:19.109 --> 0:28:22.500 I don't have a problem reconciling Genesis 11 and 12 0:28:22.500 --> 0:28:26.070 with that speech of Stephen in Acts six. Genesis 11 0:28:26.070 --> 0:28:29.760 focuses on the genealogy of Tara and Abram, while Genesis 0:28:29.760 --> 0:28:33.960 12 then picks up the story following Tara's death. Apparently, 0:28:33.960 --> 0:28:37.530 God originally called Abraham from ur the Chaldees, but while 0:28:37.530 --> 0:28:40.590 seeking to obey God, Abraham also honored his father by 0:28:40.590 --> 0:28:44.640 taking him along. Now, both Ur and Haran were cities 0:28:44.640 --> 0:28:47.250 known for their worship of the moon god, and perhaps 0:28:47.250 --> 0:28:51.150 that's why Tara wanted to stop there rather than continuing on. 0:28:51.150 --> 0:28:54.660 But we do know from Joshua 24 two that Terah, 0:28:54.660 --> 0:28:58.229 it says, worshipped other gods. So wanting to stop at 0:28:58.230 --> 0:29:01.260 Haran does seem to make sense from a pagan perspective. 0:29:01.290 --> 0:29:04.950 God then repeated his call to Abram following Tara's death. 0:29:05.220 --> 0:29:08.700 Todd says, how do we interpret? Second Samuel 21, where 0:29:08.700 --> 0:29:11.550 seven of Saul's sons are killed for Saul's murder of 0:29:11.550 --> 0:29:14.850 the Gibeonites? In light of the idea that children should 0:29:14.850 --> 0:29:17.400 not be put to death for the sins of their fathers, 0:29:17.430 --> 0:29:19.680 and that appears to be what's happening there. 0:29:19.680 --> 0:29:22.350 Yeah, this is a gruesome event from the time of David, 0:29:22.350 --> 0:29:24.900 and we're not given all the details. But here's how 0:29:24.900 --> 0:29:27.900 I see the passage. First, we don't know the ages 0:29:27.900 --> 0:29:30.600 of the seven descendants of Saul that were handed over 0:29:30.600 --> 0:29:33.600 by David, even though they were grandsons of Saul. It's 0:29:33.600 --> 0:29:36.000 possible they were old enough to have actually taken part 0:29:36.000 --> 0:29:39.780 in Saul's attack on the Gibeonites. If so, they wouldn't 0:29:39.780 --> 0:29:43.230 necessarily be innocent. Now, more specifically, it looks as if 0:29:43.230 --> 0:29:46.680 Saul's actions were quite serious. He tried to wipe out 0:29:46.680 --> 0:29:49.860 the Gibeonites with whom Joshua had made a covenant in 0:29:49.860 --> 0:29:53.220 Joshua nine. Gibeon was located only a few miles from 0:29:53.220 --> 0:29:56.550 Saul's capital of Gibeah, and it was located in land 0:29:56.550 --> 0:29:59.580 allocated to the tribe of Benjamin. Evidently, Saul and his 0:29:59.580 --> 0:30:02.880 family took it on themselves to break the covenant and 0:30:02.880 --> 0:30:06.450 wipe them out. The Gibeonites describe Saul in that second 0:30:06.450 --> 0:30:09.540 Samuel passage as the man who destroyed us and plotted 0:30:09.540 --> 0:30:12.180 against us, so that we have been decimated and have 0:30:12.180 --> 0:30:15.930 no place anywhere in Israel. The Mosaic Law did allow 0:30:15.930 --> 0:30:18.060 for leks, Talion, as it's called, the principle of an 0:30:18.060 --> 0:30:20.130 eye for an eye, or tooth for a tooth, where 0:30:20.130 --> 0:30:24.600 retribution could match an offence. Apparently, Saul's actions brought God's 0:30:24.600 --> 0:30:28.080 judgment on the entire nation, resulting in a three year famine, 0:30:28.080 --> 0:30:30.810 and God told David it was on account of Saul 0:30:30.810 --> 0:30:34.650 and his bloodstained house. It's because he put the gibeonites 0:30:34.650 --> 0:30:38.610 to death. David's specific request of the remaining gibeonites was, 0:30:38.610 --> 0:30:40.680 what shall I do for you? How should I make 0:30:40.680 --> 0:30:43.590 amends so that you will bless the Lord's inheritance? The 0:30:43.590 --> 0:30:46.770 action finally taken was part of God's divine judgment to 0:30:46.770 --> 0:30:51.000 remove a curse caused by Saul and his bloodstained house. 0:30:51.000 --> 0:30:53.040 And looking at all the details, I don't see it 0:30:53.040 --> 0:30:56.310 as an act of reckless vengeance, but as divine retribution 0:30:56.310 --> 0:30:58.920 against a family that had shared in the sin of 0:30:58.920 --> 0:31:02.010 Saul and his reckless and evil actions toward a group 0:31:02.010 --> 0:31:06.520 under divine protection by a covenant guaranteed by Joshua. Though 0:31:06.520 --> 0:31:08.920 Saul was the one who led the attack against Gibeon, 0:31:08.920 --> 0:31:12.580 it apparently was supported by his family. The seven chosen 0:31:12.580 --> 0:31:15.430 represents the number of completion, so I think it's suggesting 0:31:15.430 --> 0:31:18.610 that God was judging the entire family of Saul for 0:31:18.610 --> 0:31:19.480 its actions. 0:31:19.510 --> 0:31:22.060 This is the land and the book from Moody Radio, 0:31:22.060 --> 0:31:25.030 our host, Charlie Dyer, working his way through the questions 0:31:25.030 --> 0:31:27.220 that have come in recently to us via email. I'll 0:31:27.220 --> 0:31:30.730 share that email address in a moment. I'm John Jaeger 0:31:30.730 --> 0:31:32.410 and I got two questions that have come in that 0:31:32.410 --> 0:31:35.890 are both similarly phrased. John says, would you please give 0:31:35.890 --> 0:31:39.580 a history of the name Palestine and Palestinian? I know 0:31:39.580 --> 0:31:42.250 the land of Israel was promised to God's chosen people, 0:31:42.250 --> 0:31:46.690 but why was the country called Palestine prior to 1948? 0:31:46.690 --> 0:31:49.959 And Jackie asks, why do maps and commentaries refer to 0:31:49.960 --> 0:31:53.590 the land as Palestine during the time of Jesus, when 0:31:53.590 --> 0:31:56.560 Rome didn't give that name until after the Jewish revolt 0:31:56.560 --> 0:31:59.260 in 70 A.D.? Or am I wrong? It's a huge 0:31:59.260 --> 0:32:02.560 pet peeve of mine, because it encourages people to dismiss 0:32:02.560 --> 0:32:05.260 Israel's claim to the land. Not to mention it is 0:32:05.260 --> 0:32:07.570 historically inaccurate. Your thoughts? 0:32:07.570 --> 0:32:10.660 Yeah, I share that same pet peeve. The term Palestine 0:32:10.660 --> 0:32:13.360 actually comes from the time of the Roman emperor Hadrian, 0:32:13.360 --> 0:32:16.960 who lived a century after Jesus. After a second Jewish 0:32:16.960 --> 0:32:21.130 revolt against Rome, he renamed the land Philistine land Palestina 0:32:21.160 --> 0:32:24.940 after Israel's historic enemy. So from the time of Hadrian 0:32:24.940 --> 0:32:30.219 until 1948, the terms Palestine and Palestinian were geographical terms. 0:32:30.220 --> 0:32:33.219 Since Palestine was the name given to the region by Hadrian, 0:32:33.250 --> 0:32:35.860 the people who lived there, and that's Jews, Muslims and 0:32:35.860 --> 0:32:40.480 Christians were collectively called Palestinians, what is today known as 0:32:40.480 --> 0:32:43.420 the Jerusalem Post, for example, one of Israel's premier Jewish 0:32:43.420 --> 0:32:48.280 newspapers was called the Palestine Post prior to 1948. Now, 0:32:48.280 --> 0:32:50.590 those who refer to Jesus being born in or living 0:32:50.590 --> 0:32:55.840 in Palestine are at best applying the geographical term anachronistically. 0:32:55.930 --> 0:32:58.570 At worst, they're using the term in a political sense 0:32:58.570 --> 0:33:01.750 to try and remove Israel's historical connection to the land. 0:33:01.750 --> 0:33:05.590 But in either case, it's wrong. Since 1948, and especially 0:33:05.590 --> 0:33:11.260 since 1967, the terms Palestine and Palestinian have become political terms. 0:33:11.260 --> 0:33:13.090 And in that sense, they're used to refer to the 0:33:13.090 --> 0:33:15.610 Arabs who live in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, 0:33:15.610 --> 0:33:18.640 who are not citizens of the state of Israel. And finally, 0:33:18.640 --> 0:33:21.370 there's never been an actual ethnic group of people known 0:33:21.370 --> 0:33:24.610 as the Palestinians. Those who call themselves that today are 0:33:24.610 --> 0:33:27.970 related ethnically to the many powers who swept through the 0:33:27.970 --> 0:33:30.760 land over the centuries, from the Arabs who swept in 0:33:30.760 --> 0:33:34.120 from the Arabian Peninsula to the Egyptians and Syrians and 0:33:34.120 --> 0:33:37.540 Turks and other ethnic groups who came through the land. 0:33:37.840 --> 0:33:42.040 Cooper asks if someone violates revelation 22, 18 and 19. 0:33:42.040 --> 0:33:45.130 These are verses that speak about adding to or taking 0:33:45.130 --> 0:33:47.440 away from the words of the book, the Bible. Do 0:33:47.440 --> 0:33:50.680 you think that proves they aren't saved? If so, then 0:33:50.680 --> 0:33:54.250 if someone thinks they violated these verses and then confess 0:33:54.250 --> 0:33:56.470 and repent of it, do you think that proves they 0:33:56.470 --> 0:33:59.680 haven't violated those verses? Or do you think if someone 0:33:59.680 --> 0:34:03.070 violates those verses but confesses and repents, that still proves 0:34:03.070 --> 0:34:04.150 they're not saved? 0:34:04.480 --> 0:34:06.610 Well, I believe the warnings in those passages are to 0:34:06.610 --> 0:34:10.900 be taken very seriously. Uh, they're warning against deliberately distorting 0:34:10.900 --> 0:34:13.779 God's message by either denying part of it or trying 0:34:13.780 --> 0:34:16.420 to explain it away and change what God has clearly said. 0:34:16.420 --> 0:34:19.359 A person who does that is deliberately rejecting the message 0:34:19.360 --> 0:34:22.330 God has given, and that's why they'll be under judgment. Now, 0:34:22.330 --> 0:34:25.360 if someone who's done this then repents, can they be saved? 0:34:25.360 --> 0:34:29.140 Yes they can. First John one nine promises that God 0:34:29.140 --> 0:34:32.020 will forgive those who confess their sin. But I also 0:34:32.020 --> 0:34:34.780 believe God will judge those who deliberately reject the message 0:34:34.780 --> 0:34:37.450 of the book, denying both Christ's return and the offer 0:34:37.450 --> 0:34:40.209 of salvation he's made in light of the coming time 0:34:40.210 --> 0:34:43.210 of judgment. And yet, as long as we still have breath, 0:34:43.210 --> 0:34:46.120 it's never too late to repent and turn to God. 0:34:46.120 --> 0:34:50.080 At one last point, notice revelation 2217, the verse just 0:34:50.080 --> 0:34:53.620 before these two verses. It contains still another offer of 0:34:53.620 --> 0:34:56.500 salvation from God. In other words, even as God points 0:34:56.500 --> 0:34:59.620 out the seriousness of rejecting what he said about the future, 0:34:59.620 --> 0:35:02.980 he still offers salvation to those willing to repent and 0:35:02.980 --> 0:35:04.180 turn to him in faith. 0:35:04.180 --> 0:35:07.510 Two questions here from Jim. He takes us to acts one, 0:35:07.510 --> 0:35:10.840 verse 15, wondering about the fact that in that verse 0:35:10.840 --> 0:35:14.260 they come up with 120 people when just two verses 0:35:14.260 --> 0:35:19.150 prior to that, there's a reference to 11 apostles, not 120. Uh, 0:35:19.150 --> 0:35:20.290 what are your thoughts? 0:35:20.290 --> 0:35:22.480 Well, in terms of the numbers, I think the number 0:35:22.480 --> 0:35:25.029 and 115 can be explained by seeing the events in 0:35:25.030 --> 0:35:27.940 the chapter in two parts. Verses 1 to 14 describe 0:35:27.940 --> 0:35:30.700 the events on the day Jesus ascended to heaven. And 0:35:30.700 --> 0:35:33.190 that's where the two angels addressed the small group who 0:35:33.190 --> 0:35:36.700 went with Jesus to the Mount of Olives. Verse 15 0:35:36.700 --> 0:35:38.890 in that chapter then moves forward almost ten days. Now 0:35:38.890 --> 0:35:41.560 I say that because we know Jesus ascension took place 0:35:41.560 --> 0:35:44.859 40 days after his resurrection, and the day of Pentecost 0:35:44.860 --> 0:35:47.530 took place 50 days after the Passover. So we do 0:35:47.530 --> 0:35:50.020 have about a ten day gap. We know Jesus appeared 0:35:50.020 --> 0:35:52.660 to hundreds during that 40 day period, so I have 0:35:52.660 --> 0:35:55.330 no problem seeing a large number of that group here 0:35:55.330 --> 0:35:59.350 identified as about 120 remaining on in Jerusalem and gathering 0:35:59.350 --> 0:36:01.810 with the apostles in verse 15, as the day of 0:36:01.810 --> 0:36:02.830 Pentecost approached. 0:36:02.830 --> 0:36:05.410 What about that multitude referred to in acts two six? 0:36:05.710 --> 0:36:08.020 Is this the same group of 120 people mentioned in 0:36:08.020 --> 0:36:09.310 one verse 15. 0:36:09.460 --> 0:36:12.340 Now in that case, the crowd or multitude mentioned there 0:36:12.489 --> 0:36:15.400 refers to the God fearing Jews from every nation under 0:36:15.400 --> 0:36:18.339 heaven who were staying in Jerusalem for the feast of Pentecost, 0:36:18.340 --> 0:36:21.490 mentioned in the previous verse. They're not yet followers of Jesus, 0:36:21.489 --> 0:36:24.580 which explains the message of salvation being preached to them 0:36:24.580 --> 0:36:25.450 by Peter. 0:36:25.690 --> 0:36:28.870 Well, if you didn't hear your question answered today, maybe 0:36:28.870 --> 0:36:30.790 you didn't get it to us. Or maybe it's on 0:36:30.790 --> 0:36:33.610 cue for next week. Either way, we'd love to hear 0:36:33.610 --> 0:36:36.370 from you with your question. Your thought about the Bible 0:36:36.370 --> 0:36:39.279 prophecy in the Middle East. Email us at. The land 0:36:39.280 --> 0:36:43.600 and the Book at Moody Edu. I'm looking forward to 0:36:43.600 --> 0:37:00.190 Charlie's devotional. It's next right here. Most everyone's heard the 0:37:00.190 --> 0:37:04.299 story of Queen Esther, the beautiful Esther, who saved her people. 0:37:04.300 --> 0:37:07.870 But there was a powerful force behind Esther, a guy 0:37:07.870 --> 0:37:11.110 named Mordecai. Just who was he? Welcome back to the 0:37:11.110 --> 0:37:14.440 land and the book. And the questions I'm asking. The 0:37:14.440 --> 0:37:16.960 very ones that I suspect. Charlie, you're about to address 0:37:16.960 --> 0:37:18.310 in your devotional coming up. 0:37:18.489 --> 0:37:19.690 I hope so, John. 0:37:19.719 --> 0:37:22.509 All right, well, we'll look forward to that as we 0:37:22.510 --> 0:37:25.959 first hear this Holy Land experience testimony, someone who has 0:37:25.960 --> 0:37:29.500 insights for us after visiting the places where Jesus walked. 0:37:29.500 --> 0:37:30.850 Check out this testimony. 0:37:34.850 --> 0:37:38.090 Here. My name is Ana Duarte and this is my 0:37:38.090 --> 0:37:42.739 Holy Land experience. During my first trip to Israel, I 0:37:42.739 --> 0:37:47.480 met Christ as the good Shepherd in a very intimate 0:37:47.480 --> 0:37:52.399 and personal way. I experience more the person than the place. 0:37:52.400 --> 0:37:56.690 I'm still putting together my experience in written form. I 0:37:56.690 --> 0:38:00.230 went one way, came back another. I might like to 0:38:00.230 --> 0:38:02.780 go back with what I now know. 0:38:03.170 --> 0:38:06.230 I still am speechless. Two years ago I went with 0:38:06.230 --> 0:38:10.100 the Moody team and just being there was incredible. The 0:38:10.100 --> 0:38:14.180 most profound experience for me was sitting in that boat 0:38:14.180 --> 0:38:17.570 on the Sea of Galilee. I could not speak, just 0:38:17.570 --> 0:38:20.660 knowing that my Lord did the same thing. He rested 0:38:20.660 --> 0:38:22.940 in this boat. He walked on the Sea of Galilee. 0:38:23.120 --> 0:38:26.450 He lived. There was just a tremendous experience for me. 0:38:26.450 --> 0:38:28.850 I fell in love with him over and over and 0:38:28.850 --> 0:38:31.520 over again, just sitting on the Sea of Galilee. 0:38:33.260 --> 0:38:35.960 So I presume we're going to the book of Esther. Charlie. 0:38:36.350 --> 0:38:37.940 We're going to get there now. I've got a little 0:38:37.940 --> 0:38:40.100 detour along the way, but that's where we're heading. Okay. 0:38:40.100 --> 0:38:42.920 And I want to start with Psalm 139, verse 14. 0:38:42.920 --> 0:38:45.380 You know, in that passage David said he was fearfully 0:38:45.380 --> 0:38:48.350 and wonderfully made. There are times when my wife tells 0:38:48.350 --> 0:38:50.899 me that the way my brain works says to her 0:38:50.900 --> 0:38:54.350 that I'm more fearfully than wonderfully made. I admit, the 0:38:54.350 --> 0:38:57.980 connection that come to my mind sometimes just baffle even me. 0:38:57.980 --> 0:39:00.589 For example, if I were to ask you what comes 0:39:00.590 --> 0:39:03.410 to your mind when I say Mordechai, I suspect you'd 0:39:03.410 --> 0:39:07.310 say something like, well, Esther or Purim or Haman or Persia. 0:39:07.310 --> 0:39:09.290 And my brain does get around to thinking of them. 0:39:09.290 --> 0:39:11.330 But the first thing that comes to my mind is 0:39:11.330 --> 0:39:15.380 Fiddler on the roof. Any clues? Why? Well, think of 0:39:15.380 --> 0:39:18.770 Tevye sharing his fake dream with his wife to get 0:39:18.770 --> 0:39:20.960 her to agree to the marriage of their daughter. Title 0:39:20.989 --> 0:39:25.460 to the young tailor model comes oil, still drawing a blank. Well, 0:39:25.460 --> 0:39:29.089 in the song, Tevye says in his dream that grandma 0:39:29.090 --> 0:39:31.549 came to him from the grave singing about the wedding 0:39:31.550 --> 0:39:34.040 and part of what she said about the young tailor 0:39:34.040 --> 0:39:37.580 was a worthy boy. Is he? Mazel tov. Mazel tov 0:39:37.580 --> 0:39:41.330 of pious family. Mazel tov, Mazel tov. They named him 0:39:41.330 --> 0:39:44.960 after my dear Uncle Mordechai. There it is. The tailor 0:39:44.960 --> 0:39:49.129 model comes oil. Well, today we're not heading to Anatevka 0:39:49.130 --> 0:39:51.739 to visit with Tevye or Grandma, or even the dead 0:39:51.739 --> 0:39:55.430 Uncle Mordechai. With the festival of Purim this weekend, we're 0:39:55.430 --> 0:39:58.640 actually on our way to the citadel of Susa in 0:39:58.640 --> 0:40:01.520 ancient Persia. And the Mordecai we're going to see is 0:40:01.520 --> 0:40:03.799 the one most of you thought of. First, the one 0:40:03.800 --> 0:40:06.830 from the Book of Esther. The royal palace rises up 0:40:06.830 --> 0:40:10.130 from the plain as a majestic monument to Darius the 0:40:10.130 --> 0:40:13.580 First and his son Xerxes. The city and palace sit 0:40:13.580 --> 0:40:17.930 on its elevated platform, whose side slope up 50ft. The 0:40:17.930 --> 0:40:20.660 entire area is surrounded by a moat that was filled 0:40:20.660 --> 0:40:24.020 with the water of the nearby river. The entry over 0:40:24.020 --> 0:40:26.630 the moat is on the east side, where a monumental 0:40:26.630 --> 0:40:30.170 gate guards the entrance to the entire compound. The gate 0:40:30.170 --> 0:40:34.580 itself is 130ft wide and 100ft deep. Based on the 0:40:34.580 --> 0:40:37.910 scattered remains, the columns inside that supported the roof were 0:40:37.910 --> 0:40:41.960 likely 40ft high and more than three feet in diameter. 0:40:41.960 --> 0:40:45.770 The gates stood in majestic isolation, unattached to any walls 0:40:45.770 --> 0:40:49.190 extending around the complex, but the gate was more than 0:40:49.190 --> 0:40:53.210 just mere decoration. Likely, this was an administrative center where 0:40:53.210 --> 0:40:56.450 the inner workings of the palace intersected with the city 0:40:56.450 --> 0:40:59.390 and empire at controlled. And this is where we first 0:40:59.390 --> 0:41:02.150 meet Mordecai. So what do we know about this man 0:41:02.150 --> 0:41:04.520 who plays a central role in the Book of Esther 0:41:04.520 --> 0:41:06.950 and in the feast of Purim? Well, the first thing 0:41:06.950 --> 0:41:09.860 we learn about him is his genealogy. In Esther two 0:41:09.860 --> 0:41:13.070 verses five and six, he's introduced as a Jew of 0:41:13.070 --> 0:41:16.640 the tribe of Benjamin named Mordecai, son of year, son 0:41:16.640 --> 0:41:19.310 of Shimei, the son of Kish, who had been carried 0:41:19.310 --> 0:41:23.420 into exile from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, among 0:41:23.420 --> 0:41:27.529 those taking captive with Jehoiakim king of Judah. Now most 0:41:27.530 --> 0:41:30.380 skip over those verses because they aren't strong on Bible 0:41:30.380 --> 0:41:34.910 chronology or genealogies. But the verses do pose a slight problem. 0:41:34.910 --> 0:41:38.450 It sounds at first like Mordecai was carried into exile 0:41:38.450 --> 0:41:41.120 at the time of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and is 0:41:41.120 --> 0:41:43.759 still alive at the time of King Xerxes, and the 0:41:43.760 --> 0:41:48.290 problem is that Jehoiakim was taken into exile in 597 B.C., 0:41:48.290 --> 0:41:50.450 and the Book of Esther begins in the third year 0:41:50.450 --> 0:41:54.859 of King Xerxes reign, which is 483 BC. If Mordecai 0:41:54.860 --> 0:41:57.319 was a baby when he went into exile, he would 0:41:57.320 --> 0:42:01.400 now be at least 114 years old. More likely, the 0:42:01.400 --> 0:42:05.569 writer is saying he's a descendant of captives taken into Babylon. 0:42:05.570 --> 0:42:08.660 At that time, we're not told how his family moved 0:42:08.660 --> 0:42:11.180 from Babylon to Sousa, but we are told a few 0:42:11.180 --> 0:42:14.780 other historical details. Mordecai was from the tribe of Benjamin, 0:42:14.780 --> 0:42:18.350 and he's also identified as the son or descendant of Kish. 0:42:18.350 --> 0:42:21.620 That's not a reference to his great grandfather. Kish is 0:42:21.620 --> 0:42:25.100 the father of King Saul, which puts him about 600 0:42:25.100 --> 0:42:29.690 years before Mordecai. The writers helping flesh out Mordecai his background. 0:42:29.690 --> 0:42:33.260 He's a Benjamin who descended from the line of King Saul. 0:42:33.610 --> 0:42:36.879 And his family ended up in captivity during the second 0:42:36.880 --> 0:42:40.719 Babylonian deportation. Just two verses later, we learned a little 0:42:40.719 --> 0:42:44.410 bit more about Mordecai. Mordecai had a cousin named Hadassah, 0:42:44.410 --> 0:42:46.779 whom he had brought up because she had neither father 0:42:46.780 --> 0:42:50.170 nor mother. This girl, who was also known as Esther, 0:42:50.170 --> 0:42:53.379 was lovely and form and features, and Mordecai had taken 0:42:53.380 --> 0:42:56.799 her as his own daughter when her father and mother died. 0:42:57.010 --> 0:42:59.950 We know nothing about Mordecai, his own family, but we 0:42:59.950 --> 0:43:02.770 learned that he had cared for an orphaned cousin with 0:43:02.770 --> 0:43:06.700 the Hebrew name Hadassah, or the Persian name Esther. Though 0:43:06.700 --> 0:43:09.879 physically they were cousins, Mordecai raised her as if he 0:43:09.910 --> 0:43:13.030 were her father. Then a few verses later, we discovered 0:43:13.030 --> 0:43:16.300 that Mordecai apparently occupied a position of authority in the 0:43:16.300 --> 0:43:20.590 Persian government. In 221, we find Mordecai sitting at the 0:43:20.590 --> 0:43:23.470 king's gate. This isn't the equivalent of sitting on a 0:43:23.469 --> 0:43:26.799 park bench in the capital, the King's Gate. Very likely 0:43:26.800 --> 0:43:29.380 the imposing gate that stood at the entrance to the 0:43:29.380 --> 0:43:34.210 entire palace complex was also a key administrative center. Some 0:43:34.210 --> 0:43:37.780 connect Mordecai with an official named Maduka, who served as 0:43:37.780 --> 0:43:41.770 a royal accountant, and from this position of authority. Mordecai 0:43:41.770 --> 0:43:45.250 later overheard a plot to assassinate the king being hatched 0:43:45.250 --> 0:43:48.609 by two security officers. He passed the information on to 0:43:48.610 --> 0:43:52.150 Queen Esther, who warned the king. The next detail we 0:43:52.150 --> 0:43:55.870 discover about Mordecai is his refusal to compromise his principles. 0:43:55.900 --> 0:43:59.259 In chapter three, were introduced to Haman, the son of 0:44:00.040 --> 0:44:05.440 the aggregate. Again, tiny genealogical details are important. The reference 0:44:05.440 --> 0:44:09.070 to Haman being an aggregate is intended to trace his 0:44:09.070 --> 0:44:12.910 genealogy back to Agag, the king of the Amalekites at 0:44:12.910 --> 0:44:16.839 the time of King Saul. If Mordecai is connected to Saul, 0:44:16.870 --> 0:44:20.890 Haman is connected to Saul's archenemy Agag, and though the 0:44:20.890 --> 0:44:24.310 Persian king promoted Heyman and ordered everyone to honor him, 0:44:24.310 --> 0:44:27.820 Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor. God 0:44:27.820 --> 0:44:30.790 had spoken about Agag and his descendants, and not even 0:44:30.790 --> 0:44:34.390 the king of Persia could get Mordecai to violate God's command. 0:44:35.140 --> 0:44:37.750 As the story unfolds, we discover that Haman is ready 0:44:37.750 --> 0:44:41.440 to finish what the Amalekites and Agag had started. When 0:44:41.440 --> 0:44:43.930 the very existence of the Jewish people is threatened by 0:44:43.930 --> 0:44:48.520 royal decree. We see still another aspect of Mordecai his faith. 0:44:48.550 --> 0:44:51.370 The Book of Esther by design never mentions the name 0:44:51.370 --> 0:44:53.830 of God. It's as if the writer wants us to 0:44:53.830 --> 0:44:57.370 picture God working behind the scenes, rather than through direct 0:44:57.370 --> 0:45:01.060 miracles to accomplish his will. But even with that, Mordecai 0:45:01.060 --> 0:45:03.879 is clear in his explanation to Esther of why she 0:45:03.880 --> 0:45:07.510 was made queen. For if you remain silent at this time, 0:45:07.510 --> 0:45:10.900 relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, 0:45:10.900 --> 0:45:13.930 but you and your father's family will perish. And who 0:45:13.930 --> 0:45:16.660 knows but that you have come to royal position for 0:45:16.660 --> 0:45:20.500 such a time as this? During the Jewish celebration of Purim, 0:45:20.500 --> 0:45:22.750 the Book of Esther is read aloud. When the name 0:45:22.750 --> 0:45:26.080 of Haman is mentioned, those in attendance jeer and twirl 0:45:26.080 --> 0:45:29.770 joggers or noisemakers to help drown out his name. But 0:45:29.770 --> 0:45:33.160 when Mordecai is mentioned, the audience cheers. And rightly so, 0:45:33.160 --> 0:45:35.950 because from a human perspective, he is the hero of 0:45:35.950 --> 0:45:38.380 the book. He's the one who raised an orphan and 0:45:38.380 --> 0:45:41.320 helped her become a queen. He was the mid-level servant 0:45:41.320 --> 0:45:44.320 who risked his life to report a plot against the king, 0:45:44.320 --> 0:45:46.510 and he was the one who refused to compromise his 0:45:46.510 --> 0:45:49.330 principles of right and wrong, even when it could have 0:45:49.330 --> 0:45:52.300 cost him his life. And he's the one who reminded 0:45:52.300 --> 0:45:55.840 a frightened queen that the unseen power behind the throne 0:45:55.840 --> 0:45:58.270 was the one who had placed her in her role. 0:45:58.270 --> 0:46:01.690 For such a time as this, Mordecai was an exceptional 0:46:01.690 --> 0:46:04.750 man whom God used to save the Jewish people. But 0:46:04.750 --> 0:46:07.630 before all that, he was simply an ordinary man who 0:46:07.630 --> 0:46:10.989 chose to live out his faith in extraordinary ways. He 0:46:10.989 --> 0:46:13.510 chose to be a faithful man of God before an 0:46:13.510 --> 0:46:17.379 orphan grew into a young woman, before the royal beauty pageant, 0:46:17.380 --> 0:46:21.310 before overhearing the plot to assassinate the king, and before 0:46:21.310 --> 0:46:24.069 his decision not to bow the knee to evil. And 0:46:24.070 --> 0:46:27.460 that's exactly what God wants from each of us. Resolve 0:46:27.460 --> 0:46:29.830 to be a man or woman of faith, no matter 0:46:29.830 --> 0:46:33.670 how mundane the task. Be faithful and small things, and 0:46:33.670 --> 0:46:37.330 then let God control where those small things might lead. 0:46:37.719 --> 0:46:40.149 Boy, that's a great reminder. Thank you Charlie, I love 0:46:40.150 --> 0:46:43.030 the importance of choice in all of this. Our time 0:46:43.030 --> 0:46:44.919 is gone, but we sure have enjoyed having you with 0:46:44.920 --> 0:46:47.020 us here at the land of the book, our host, 0:46:47.020 --> 0:46:50.140 Charlie Dyer. Our producer, Dan Anderson, I'm John Yeager. The 0:46:50.140 --> 0:46:52.750 land in the book is a production of Moody Radio, 0:46:52.750 --> 0:46:54.730 a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.