S1: Why should Christians care about the Jewish people? More specifically,
S1: why does Moody Bible Institute have such a long legacy
S1: of opposing anti-Semitism? Stay with me and we'll talk about
S1: that in just a moment. Hello, friends. Welcome to Open
S1: Line with me, Michael Reidel. Nick, this is Moody Radio's
S1: Bible study across America. As I said, I'm Michael Ray Dolnick.
S1: I'm professor of Jewish studies and Bible, as well as
S1: academic dean here at Moody Bible Institute. And I'm so
S1: glad to be with you. Sitting around the radio kitchen
S1: table where we're going to talk about your questions about
S1: the Bible, God and the spiritual life. Now is the
S1: time to call us. If you have a question, the
S1: phone number is 75. The best time to get your
S1: phone call in is right here at the start of
S1: the program. And again, the phone number (877) 548-3675. I'm grateful
S1: that to hear Haynes is here in the producer's chair.
S1: Chris Segard is our tech guy. And, uh, tiara Will
S1: tiara is not answering the phones today, but Karen Hendren
S1: and others will be helping out over there with the phones. Again,
S1: the phone number (877) 548-3675. Time to go. Get yourself a
S1: cup of coffee. I've got mine right here. Thank you, Chris,
S1: and open your Bible because we're going to study the
S1: scriptures together. Now hopefully if you listen to Open Line
S1: for the last few weeks, maybe a couple months, you will.
S1: You're already aware that Moody Bible Institute is holding a
S1: summit opposing Posing anti-Semitism right here at Moody in Chicago
S1: on November 9th. I've been telling people that we're doing
S1: this because of our long legacy at Moody, of standing
S1: with the Jewish community. How so? Well, in the 1930s,
S1: Moody Monthly magazine had editorials condemning the growing persecution of
S1: Jewish people in Nazi Germany in the 1970s, when the
S1: neo-Nazis wanted to march in the Jewish community of Skokie, Illinois.
S1: Moody Bible Institute took out full page ads, standing with
S1: the Jewish community and opposing this kind of anti-Semitic action
S1: right in the big Chicago papers. That's what we did.
S1: And now, with hatred of the Jewish people surging around
S1: the world, and particularly here in the US, we've called
S1: a summit opposing anti-Semitism to help followers of Jesus become
S1: the first line of defense of our Jewish friends and neighbors.
S1: The real question is, why is this so important to
S1: Moody Bible Institute? It's not just me, it's Moody Bible
S1: Institute that cares about this. And well, the answer to
S1: the question of why is that? At Moody Bible Institute,
S1: we want to always reflect the heart of God. Here's
S1: what the scriptures say about God's heart for the Jewish people.
S1: And I'm going to cite some passages that use the
S1: term Israel. And the term that's used in these passages
S1: is much broader than just the political nation state in
S1: the Middle East. It's used of the people of Israel
S1: anywhere they might be today. It's synonymous. When we talk
S1: about Israel in these passages, it's synonymous with the Jewish people.
S1: So what does God say about the Jewish people? Well,
S1: first of all, God has given the Jewish people priority
S1: among the nations. God calls Israel his firstborn, first born
S1: in Exodus 422 it says, and you will say to Pharaoh,
S1: this is what the Lord says. Israel is my firstborn son.
S1: This isn't referring to chronology, because Israel wasn't the first Nation.
S1: The Holman Bible Dictionary points out that the expression is
S1: figurative for first priority. If the Jewish people remain a
S1: priority to God, they should also be a priority for us. Second,
S1: God loves the Jewish people forever. In Jeremiah 31 three,
S1: God says to Israel, I have loved you with an
S1: everlasting love. Therefore I have continued to extend faithful love
S1: to you. This passage uses the Hebrew word which means
S1: loyal love. It means unconditional love. It's similar to what
S1: I would tell my sons when they were well. I
S1: still tell them they're fully adult now, but I still
S1: tell them. And I told them this very often when
S1: they were children. I love you no matter what you do.
S1: And sometimes I got a little annoying by reminding them
S1: of that all the time. It was unconditional. And, uh,
S1: the way I kind of lightened it up is I
S1: would tell them, no matter what you do, even if
S1: you break everything I've taught you and rooted for the
S1: Red Sox, I still love you. Well, the truth of
S1: it is, no matter what they will do or could
S1: have done, I will love them. And it's not just
S1: about what team you root for. I love them faithfully, loyally.
S1: That's my obligation from God. And that's what God says
S1: about his love for Israel. It is his faithful, loyal love,
S1: no matter what Israel does. So God gives the Jewish
S1: people a priority. He loves Jewish people. Third, God calls
S1: the Jewish people his chosen servant. In Isaiah 41 eight,
S1: God describes Israel like this but you, Israel, my servant Jacob,
S1: whom I have chosen in verse nine he goes on
S1: to say, you are my servant. I have chosen you
S1: and not rejected you. God still has a special plan
S1: for the Jewish people, which they have yet to fulfill completely.
S1: But God has a plan for his servant Israel. Now
S1: I can hear the objections. Israel didn't believe in Jesus
S1: when he came, so God made the term Israel broader.
S1: It now refers not to the Jewish people, the descendants
S1: of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but now it refers to
S1: all followers of Jesus, Jewish or Gentile, the church, the
S1: new Israel. Uh, nah. Read Romans 1128 and 29. It
S1: recognizes Jewish people are opposed to the gospel. It says,
S1: from the standpoint of the gospel, there are enemies for
S1: your sake, not enemies of God, enemies to those proclaiming
S1: the gospel. Uh, it's a strong term. They were opposed
S1: to the gospel. But from the standpoint of God's choice,
S1: there's that term again, the chosen people. From the standpoint
S1: of God's choice, they are beloved for the sake of
S1: the fathers. Because of the Abrahamic covenant, God remains faithful
S1: to the Jewish people. They are beloved, for the gifts
S1: and calling of God are irrevocable. Jewish people, despite not
S1: believing the gospel, remained chosen, beloved, and called to serve God.
S1: Now how should that affect us, the followers of Jesus? Well,
S1: first of all, we need to keep bringing the good
S1: news to Jewish people so they can come to know
S1: him and experience his wonderful forgiveness. But we also need
S1: to openly express our love for this people whom God loves.
S1: We need to care for whom God cares for. We
S1: need to stand for those people because of our concern
S1: for God's heart. It's why we need to stand with
S1: the Jewish people and oppose anti-Semitism. Because God loves the
S1: Jewish people and opposes anti-Semitism. Please join us here in
S1: Chicago on November 9th for this historic summit opposing anti-Semitism.
S1: You can go to Open Line radio.org, click on the
S1: banner about the summit and then come here, sign up.
S1: Let the Jewish community know that followers of Jesus are
S1: taking our stand as the first line of defense of
S1: God's beloved Jewish people. Well, we're going to go to
S1: the phones right now. Uh, God. God wants us to
S1: have a heart for Jewish people. And it sounds like
S1: something that I said spurred a question. So we're going
S1: to speak with Bill in Urbana, Ohio, listening on the
S1: Moody Radio app. Welcome to Open Line. Bill. How can
S1: I help you today?
S2: Hi, Michael. Thank you for taking my call. Um, so,
S2: you know, as we go as Christians, we believe we've
S2: been forgiven of our sins. So God doesn't punish us
S2: when we sin. Our sin is punishment of itself, but
S2: for nations. So, for instance, as we look at the
S2: United States, as we see many times, we've turned away
S2: and not followed God, does he punish nations for sins
S2: or does he? In other words, does he? Does he
S2: deal differently with nations as opposed to individuals?
S1: Well, first of all, God does discipline us As individuals.
S1: We you know, there you're right. There is no punishment
S1: for followers of Jesus. There is no condemnation for those
S1: of us who have put our trust in the good
S1: news that Jesus died for us and rose again. No punishment.
S1: There will never be punitive action taken by God against us,
S1: but he will correct us. He will teach us. Sometimes
S1: it's hard, the discipline that we have to go through.
S1: But so let's. I like to distinguish between punishment and discipline.
S1: We're never going to be punished, as you say, Bill,
S1: but we will be corrected sometimes, not even with a problem.
S1: He just wants us to walk closer and he'll. Because
S1: discipline really just means discipling, uh, teaching us, uh, helping
S1: us to follow more closely. So that's that's the beginning
S1: in terms of nations, you know, we know that God
S1: was going to destroy, uh, Nineveh. Yet, remember, Jonah had
S1: to go sure. And proclaim. Yet 40 days and Nineveh
S1: will be destroyed. Uh, God disciplined Israel. In fact, it
S1: says in Isaiah 40 that she received, uh, double. But
S1: that was discipline, but double for her sins. Uh, God
S1: forgave Nineveh when they repented. All that's true. I think
S1: the problem is that, uh, as we turn further away
S1: from God, the likelihood of consequences for any nation, whether
S1: it's Europe or anywhere, the consequences, um, become closer and closer.
S1: But I can't speak categorically as to when or how,
S1: and I always found it problematic when, you know, some
S1: TV preacher will say, oh, the hurricane came and struck
S1: Florida because somehow Florida was sinful, or that nine over
S1: 11 happened because of our sin, you know. Right. I
S1: don't think we can. I don't want to become job's friends,
S1: you know. To. To nations. Uh, I think. Why don't
S1: we just pray for our nation and for all the
S1: nations to open their hearts to the Lord? And. And
S1: I'm praying for revival. And let me tell you something.
S1: The further we get away from God, the greater opportunity
S1: there is for revival. Uh, I'm. I'm seeing it. Young
S1: people are becoming much more tender to things of the Lord.
S1: And I think it's important that we keep praying for
S1: our nation, that there that there will be open hearts
S1: and that people will come to know him. So I
S1: know that there are some believers praying for judgment. I'm
S1: praying for repentance.
S2: So Amen.
S1: Okay, Bill.
S2: Absolutely. Thank you Michael.
S1: Yeah, thanks for your call. Really appreciate it. Uh, before
S1: we go to the break, I want to mention that
S1: we have a really terrific Bible study resource. You know,
S1: because the Bible is not just a bunch of old texts.
S1: It's God's masterpiece. It's his gift to us. We love it.
S1: And sometimes it gets a little tedious reading the Bible
S1: for some of us. We're like, ah, I don't want
S1: to do it. You know, my friend Jim Coakley has
S1: produced a book. It's called 14 Fresh Ways to Enjoy
S1: the Bible. It's Moody Publishers enlightening. It's it's really a
S1: great book. Jim teaches here at Moody Bible Institute for
S1: a long time. He's a great Bible teacher. Uh, he
S1: was on just last week with me or two weeks
S1: ago with me talking about the book. It is a
S1: great little book, and we want to send you a copy. Uh,
S1: if you send a gift of any size, we so
S1: appreciate every gift you send. And we want to say
S1: thank you with this wonderful book. It's called 14 Fresh
S1: Ways to Enjoy the Bible. Uh, it's won all sorts
S1: of awards. It's a great little book. you'll get the
S1: practical strategies that you need for reading the Bible to
S1: keep it from becoming boring to you. It should never
S1: be boring. So that's what I want to send you.
S1: If for a gift of any size. If you'd like
S1: to make that gift, go to Openline radio.org or call (888) 644-7122.
S1: We're going to go to break now. When we come back,
S1: we'll take more of your calls. This is open line
S1: with Michael Melnick. Stay there. We're going to talk about
S1: our Bible study across America. We'll continue in just a moment.
S1: And we're back. This is open Line. My name is
S1: Michael Ray Melnick. So glad to be with you for
S1: our Bible study across America. We're studying the scriptures from
S1: coast to coast. I'm so grateful that you're joining me. And,
S1: you know, there are people that listen from overseas. I'm
S1: I'm always amazed that there are people that will write
S1: to me occasionally, will even call in from places as
S1: far away as Japan, Israel, uh, all over the world,
S1: people listen to open. I'm grateful for that. That's because
S1: of the Moody Radio app. Easy to get the Moody
S1: Radio app, and you can listen anywhere you are. Uh,
S1: if you get the Moody Radio app and not just
S1: Open Line, you can listen to all sorts of great
S1: programming from Moody Radio. So check out the Moody Radio app,
S1: put it on your smartphone and use it. It's it's
S1: a great help and really a great way to keep
S1: your mind renewed with godly, good, wholesome music and also
S1: great programs, uh, across the Moody Network. Now, uh, I
S1: do want to mention something. Uh, I'm. So I met
S1: a whole bunch of kitchen table partners this past week
S1: at Founders Week at Moody Bible Institute. We had a
S1: great time at Founders Week. I did a couple of workshops.
S1: People came. We asked, how many of you are kitchen
S1: table partners? Whole bunch raised their hands. It's always great
S1: to get to meet kitchen table partners. I so, so
S1: appreciate it. Many of them were, uh, beyond that were
S1: people who were regular listeners. And some people even said, well,
S1: I'm not a kitchen table partner, but we give occasionally,
S1: and I am so grateful for that. I'm grateful for
S1: even just listening without giving. But if you feel blessed
S1: by God, if you're growing, if it's helping you, uh,
S1: we sure would appreciate it if you would join us, uh,
S1: on this task of bringing open line to people so
S1: they can understand their Bibles. Better understand the Lord. Better
S1: walk closer with him. Uh, if you'd like to give
S1: a gift, that's great, but we'd hope you would consider
S1: becoming a partner. A monthly partner, become a kitchen table
S1: partner by giving monthly to open line. One of the
S1: things that we'll do is we'll send you a digital
S1: Bible study. It's a audio exclusively designed for open line listeners.
S1: All you have to do is click on that link
S1: that comes in your email, and you get to hear
S1: a Bible study every other week. And I was I
S1: need to remind people, my friend Doctor William Washington, who's
S1: everyone he meets, he says, your kitchen table partner, he's listening. Now,
S1: what he says is give $30 a month if you'd like,
S1: and then you get 50% off everything in the Moody
S1: Publishers catalog. That's a terrific deal. So, uh, if you'd
S1: like to give your gift or more specifically, become a
S1: kitchen table partner, go to Open Line radio.org or call (888) 644-7122.
S1: So appreciate it. Grateful that you'd even consider this. We're
S1: going to talk to Linda in Chicago listening on Wmbi.
S1: Welcome to Open Line, Linda. How can I help you?
S3: Good morning. Hi. Good morning. Thank you. I'm confused because
S3: throughout the Bible, many times we're exhorted to praise the
S3: name of God or praise the name of Jesus. And
S3: it just seems like that doesn't really encompass all God is.
S3: Why just limit it to the name? Why mention the
S3: name at all? Why not just praise God, praise Jesus?
S1: Well, I think that's just a literary device to say,
S1: because the name is to encompass the character of God. So, uh, Yahweh,
S1: the name of God in the Old Testament that we
S1: see all those times, you see the word Lord written with,
S1: with small caps, you know, capital L and then small caps. Audie,
S1: that's actually Yahweh and that's his name. And it means
S1: the eternal one, basically. And so praise the Eternal One
S1: is what it's saying when it says praise the name
S1: of the Lord or the name of God. And then
S1: the same thing. Praise the name of Jesus. Uh, what
S1: are we doing? We're praising the one who is our salvation.
S1: His name and bodies. Who he is. And so it's
S1: just a literary device to say the name encompasses who
S1: the person is, and that's why we should be praising them.
S1: Is that clear to you? Is that okay?
S3: Thank you. Yeah. It is. I, um.
S1: I know I see that that on your questionnaire. I'm
S1: reading your question now that songs do this. Yeah. That's
S1: a good, you know, praise the name of Jesus. There's
S1: songs like that. It's it's because the name embodies it.
S1: Says it's sort of like acts four where it says
S1: there is salvation in no other name. Well, it really
S1: means in no other person, but the name embodies that person. Okay. Yeah.
S3: It just seems like it's one step removed, but thank you.
S3: I appreciate the examples you've given. I've written them down. Okay.
S3: Thank you so much for your program. Sure.
S1: Thank you for calling, Linda. Really appreciate it. Sure. Uh,
S1: we're going to speak with Benita in Cicero, Illinois, listening
S1: on our flagship WNYC. Welcome to Open Line, Benita. How
S1: can I help you?
S4: Good morning, Doctor Redlich. Um, my grandson is nine years old.
S4: His name is Isaac. Has a question that I don't
S4: know how to answer. Do animals have a soul? And
S4: do they go to heaven when they die?
S1: Well, animals have a neshama. Uh, that's the Hebrew word.
S1: It means life. And obviously animals have life. And so
S1: sometimes the word neshama is translated soul, but not, uh,
S1: you know, there's these words that are used in the
S1: Bible soul, spirit, mind, heart, all these different words. And
S1: I like to call it that immaterial, eternal part of humanity.
S1: Do animals have that? I don't know. Uh, it's. You know.
S1: Are you asking me? Does every ant that you might
S1: step on, does it have an eternal, immortal? Uh, not eternal,
S1: but immortal. Immaterial part. Um, I'm. I'm skeptical of that.
S1: I do see that in the new heavens and new earth.
S1: There will be animals in Scripture. It says that. And
S1: if that's the case, then will they be new, newly created,
S1: or newly born animals that will be there? Or are
S1: they resurrected animals? Uh, you know, I don't want to
S1: say no. Uh, I think I'm just going to leave
S1: that one up to God. I like what Don Cole,
S1: who used to be the host of Open Line for many,
S1: many years now with the Lord. He used to say, well,
S1: when you when we get to heaven And we we
S1: see the Lord. Uh, we may see, obviously, we'll see
S1: our loved ones, but maybe we'll see our beloved pets.
S1: Maybe just give a whistle, see who comes running. We'll
S1: just never know. Uh, but at this one, I'm going
S1: to mostly plead agnostic. I just don't know. Okay.
S4: Thank you so much, Doctor Melnick.
S1: Okay. Glad for your call. Thank you for that. We're
S1: going to speak with Dennis in Indianapolis, Indiana. Listening on
S1: WGN are welcome to Open Line. How can I help you, Dennis?
S5: Thank you. Um, my question is, do we have prophets
S5: in our world today like they did in biblical times?
S1: What are you trying to do? Get me to walk
S1: on landmines here? Is that what you're doing?
S6: No, not at all.
S1: Uh, every time this question comes up, uh, there are
S1: there are people, brothers and sisters whom I love, who
S1: get mad at me. And they write letters and they
S1: want they write to the president of Moody and said,
S1: take this guy off the air. And let me just say,
S1: let's just there are people who will agree with me
S1: and people who will disagree with me. We can still
S1: love each other. Okay. This is not a good guy. Yeah. Okay.
S1: So I didn't mean to. No, no, I know you
S1: didn't mean anything. Dennis. That's totally fine. It's fine. You
S1: know what it is? It's just that people get mad
S1: at me about this. I'm surprised it gets so hot
S1: about it, but.
S5: Oh, wow. I didn't realize that. I am sorry to
S5: hear that.
S1: No. Well, it's not you. I don't expect that of you.
S1: It's just that I'm always amazed about the letters I get.
S1: So let me just tell you what the answer is.
S1: First of all, the first answer is we're not going
S1: to get mad at each other about this. We're. If
S1: you're listening, uh, we're just going to say people can
S1: follow the scriptures and try to understand it with the
S1: best conscience they have. And if you feel differently, God
S1: bless you. It's okay. Uh, the second thing is, when
S1: I look at Scripture, it says that the church is
S1: built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets. And
S1: it's talking there about New Testament prophets. Uh, the reason
S1: I know that, because that's in Ephesians 220. Then in
S1: the next chapter, it talks about apostles and prophets again,
S1: and it talks about them presently. So I know he's
S1: talking about, uh, at the time that Paul was writing
S1: that those who were apostles and prophets. And why is
S1: that significant? Because they're no longer are apostles. Apostles had
S1: to testify of the resurrected Lord. That's why they were
S1: the foundation of the church. And there is no one
S1: that can do that today. There are no apostles. It's
S1: one of the gifts that pretty much everyone agrees that
S1: the office of apostle with that gift has been rendered inoperative.
S1: On the other hand, profits are linked with them. So
S1: it seems to me that the foundation has been laid.
S1: They are no longer our profits. There's guidelines for the
S1: profits when they existed. First Corinthians 12 through 14. But
S1: when you look at First Corinthians 13, it says, uh,
S1: prophecy shall be done away. The dispute is when but
S1: it's clear that prophecy will be done away. I like
S1: to think that prophets today, that office has been done away,
S1: and the idea of visions and dreams, and not that
S1: I discount dreams. I still think God can speak to
S1: us through a dream. He can speak to us with
S1: an audible voice. All I'm saying is that office of prophet,
S1: that person that always speaks the truth, 100% accurate revelation
S1: from God that that doesn't seem to be operative today.
S1: Joel 228 through 32 seems to say that it will
S1: be reinstated during the day of the Lord during the
S1: tribulation period. And so then it will be back. Now
S1: it's gone. But it was there in the foundation of
S1: the church. That's how I understand it. Thanks for your call, Dennis.
S1: We're going to come back with the mailbag in just
S1: a moment to hear is dragging it in. So get
S1: ready for the Febc mailbag. This is Michael Ray Dolnick.
S1: You're listening to Open Line. I'll be right back. Welcome
S1: back to Open Line. I am so grateful that the
S1: Far Eastern Broadcasting Company partners with Open Line to bring
S1: you the weekly Febc mailbag. It's a terrific organization, Far
S1: Eastern Broadcasting Company. They bring the good news to people
S1: through media, but also through personal touch. I think it's
S1: really important to have real live engagement when we present
S1: the gospel, and they do that both of those things
S1: through media, through technology, but also through personal engagement. Check
S1: out the Febc podcast. It's called Until All Have Heard.
S1: You can find it by going to Febc dawg. That's febc.org.
S1: Joining me right now to to hear a Haynes who
S1: is sitting in for Trish today. I'm so glad you're
S1: here Tyra. Happy to.
S7: Be here. Thank you Michael.
S1: Yeah. And now we've got the mailbag. Trish may not
S1: be here, but the mailbag, the questions keep coming in.
S1: So you've got it today. What? And you're going to
S1: just pick the questions you want. So people ask me,
S1: how do I get my question on the air when
S1: I mail it in? You need to convince to hear.
S1: And Tricia and whoever is the producer, I don't pick them.
S7: So Thank you. Yes. If you email, if you email
S7: the show, we will go through them. Tricia goes through
S7: them and and chooses some each Saturday. Yeah. And then
S7: we get to as many as we can. Yeah.
S1: Now, the thing to know is that the best way
S1: to go and get that email to us really is
S1: by going to open Line radio.org. There's a link there.
S1: It says ask Michael a question. Put it in and
S1: it shows up in Tricia's email. So you don't have
S1: to email the program. What you have to do is
S1: click on Ask Michael a question and fill out the form.
S1: And then we're we're good to go. Okay. Let's let's
S1: get started.
S7: Thank you. Our first question for today is from Mike
S7: in Idaho listening through KMBC. He refers to Genesis chapter 36,
S7: verse 31. He says, it seems to have been long
S7: after the time of Moses and the reference that the
S7: kings ruled before Israel. And the kings don't seem to
S7: correspond with Moses writing this passage. Can you give some
S7: clarity on that passage for Michael?
S1: It says in Genesis 36 to 131, these are the
S1: kings who ruled in the land of Edom before any
S1: king ruled over the Israelites, which sounds like by the
S1: time that was put in there, there were kings over
S1: the Israelites. And, you know, some people have used this
S1: to defend the documentary hypothesis that the Torah, the five
S1: books of Moses, the the Pentateuch, different names that we
S1: call it, sort of evolved gradually that there was a
S1: yahwist document J the old from German j is pronounced
S1: like a ja the after the name of God, the
S1: yahwist document. And then there's the elohist document that the
S1: different names of God then got merged together like a
S1: great big blanket. You know that you're sewing patchwork together.
S1: And then there was the priestly document and finally the deuteronomist.
S1: So they call it jedp. And they think it evolved
S1: over time. And maybe by the seventh century, we've we've
S1: got the deuteronomist. And then finally, just before the destruction
S1: of the temple, we've got the priestly document. And that's
S1: how the Torah evolved. There are a lot of reasons
S1: to say the Torah didn't evolve, but this is one
S1: of the verses that's cited say, oh, look, it's very late. Uh,
S1: there are lots of good reasons not to believe in
S1: the documentary hypothesis. The Bible says that Moses wrote it.
S1: Jesus said Moses wrote it. I kind of trust Jesus
S1: more than I do 19th century German, uh, biblical scholars. Uh,
S1: the thing is, I think they misunderstand some issues, and
S1: one of the things they make a big deal about
S1: is that there's different names of God used in different passages,
S1: and then they just say, well, but there are other
S1: passages where both names of God, Yahweh and Elohim are used. Well,
S1: those are kind of conflated passages. How about we just
S1: say that there was one author who uses the name
S1: of God in different ways because of the content of
S1: his material? I think that's the best, the best way
S1: of looking at it. But these verses, how do we
S1: deal with them like Genesis 3631? Because it sounds like
S1: there are already kings in Israel. I'll give you another example,
S1: and then I'll try and give you my explanation in
S1: Genesis 14. It says that Abraham pursued lot when he
S1: was kidnapped all the way up to the city of Dan,
S1: and then further towards Syria, but he went to the
S1: city of Dan. The problem is, Dan wasn't named Dan
S1: until the Israelite conquest. Way after Abraham Before that it
S1: was called Laish. So why in the world does Moses
S1: call it Dan when it's not Dan yet? Well, the
S1: answer is. And there's a great prophet Master's Seminary, where
S1: John MacArthur was the president. Uh, he wrote a book. Uh,
S1: not a book. An article. Uh, his name was Michael Grisanti.
S1: He's a great Old Testament scholar, loves the word of God,
S1: believes it, believes Moses wrote this. But as the Torah
S1: was being copied from generation to generation before the close
S1: of the biblical canon, before the Torah was before the
S1: Bible was closed, while there were still prophets, people like
S1: Ezra writing, and Isaiah. During that period of time, there
S1: might have been a scribe like Ezra who is copying
S1: the Torah. Now remember, he's a biblical author and he
S1: can update stuff because it is still the period when
S1: the Bible is being inspired. So Grisanti calls it inspired updating.
S1: And so, you know, it's sort of like New York
S1: was New Amsterdam and then it became New York. If
S1: you were writing about a document earlier, you might say, oh,
S1: no one knows what New Amsterdam is. So I'll, I'll
S1: change the name of New Amsterdam to New York. Well,
S1: the same thing. Ezra may have been copying the Torah,
S1: and he says no one knows what Laish is. So
S1: I'm going to put Dan in there, because that's. And
S1: it's still in the period before the canon is closed.
S1: And it's an inspired update. I'm going to add, he
S1: might say, the story of the death of Moses, because
S1: Moses wasn't alive to write that. And so I'm going
S1: to add that part, the death of Moses and update it.
S1: Torah 2.0. Uh, and then, uh, but it's the same
S1: Torah written by Moses, just that thing ended. Update. And
S1: then of course, the reference to these kings who were
S1: there before there were kings in Israel and and Ezra
S1: or someone like Ezra, a scribe superintended by the spirit
S1: before the close of the canon, will now update it
S1: and say, as we're reading the Torah, you need to
S1: know that this was before there were kings in Israel.
S1: It's just giving us a little historical insight. And so
S1: that's what I would say. That's a better explanation for
S1: these updates than saying that someone other than Moses wrote
S1: it and that it was patchwork together, according to evolutionary theory.
S7: So thank you so much. So what we're saying is
S7: that before the canon was closed, we have authors we
S7: have who were biblical authors, biblical authors. Thank you. Who
S7: were able to Update and update things.
S1: So the readers would understand it.
S7: Excellent, excellent. Thank you so much for that. Yeah. Our
S7: next question is from Bonnie and she writes via Instagram.
S7: After journeying for about two and a half months, the Israelites, um,
S7: are grumbling about their hunger. And this is from Exodus 16,
S7: and God provides them with manna for the next 40 years. However,
S7: they left Egypt with livestock, and Exodus 17 three clearly
S7: states that they still have livestock. What would have kept
S7: them from eating from this easy and plentiful food food source?
S1: Well, it seems to me that they were preserving many
S1: of the animals to have, uh, offerings for sacrifice. And
S1: it's sort of like they, they were preserving that for, uh,
S1: for when they get to Israel. And when they were
S1: going to the land of Canaan and they were going
S1: to conquer, they needed to have food for that place,
S1: and they weren't going to get wilderness support then. And
S1: so for those reasons, I think they wanted to preserve
S1: the livestock and not. And they also, for example, the
S1: sheep they wanted for clothing and and things like that.
S1: So it seems to me that that's why they, they
S1: were fed manna in the wilderness. And then God provided the, the,
S1: the poultry for them as needed. So that's that's what
S1: I think it is.
S7: Great explanation. Thank you. The next one is from Libby
S7: on Facebook. She leads the women's Bible study. And this
S7: came up the question about Psalm 139. She says that
S7: most versions say, how precious are your thoughts to me.
S7: But the hcsb says, God, how difficult your thoughts are
S7: for me to comprehend. She wants us to explain the difference.
S1: Well, the Hebrew word that's used there in Psalm 139
S1: is yakar, and it means difficult to comprehend, but it's
S1: used in kind of an interesting way. It's sort of
S1: like amazing. Uh, it says, uh, how difficult it is
S1: for me. This is how the the Net Bible translates it,
S1: how difficult it is for me to fathom your thoughts
S1: about me. It's like amazing. That's it's not saying, oh,
S1: I just can't understand. It's like it's it's incomprehensible. Why?
S1: Because they're so precious. So by saying how difficult it
S1: is for me to comprehend it, it just means that
S1: it's so amazing. It's so precious that.
S7: It's a statement of awe.
S1: Yeah, that's what it is.
S7: Excellent.
S1: Yeah. We're going to take a break here. I appreciate that,
S1: by the way. Isn't it amazing how God loves us?
S1: It really is. It is? Yeah. I'm really grateful to
S1: God for that. It's even hard. It is hard for
S1: us to comprehend that we're going to come back thanks
S1: to Hera. We're going to come back in just a
S1: moment with more of your questions right here on Open
S1: Line with Michael Melnick and Tara Haynes. Stay with us.
S1: And we're back. You know, I so appreciate the Chosen
S1: People Ministries has been partnering with Moody Radio and Open
S1: Lines since the inception of this program. It's a ministry
S1: that I hold very dear to my heart. I came
S1: to the Lord through this ministry, and also they are
S1: the ones that are partnering with us in bringing the
S1: summit opposing anti-Semitism. On November 9th here at Moody Bible Institute,
S1: I'm so grateful that they're doing that. Check out Open
S1: Line radio.org and click on the link that says Summit
S1: Opposing anti-Semitism. I hope you'll join us for that. And
S1: Chosen People Ministries always has a free gift available to
S1: our listeners. Right now. What they're reminding us is that
S1: the Torah, sometimes the Pentateuch, may seem intimidating or irrelevant.
S1: It's still really significant. In fact, we need the Torah
S1: so that we can understand the New Testament. I don't
S1: think we can without reading the New Testament. And they
S1: are offering, uh, a weekly devotional based on the Torah
S1: portion read by Jewish people around the world. It's called
S1: The portion. And every week there's a portion read and
S1: there's a devotional that Chosen People Ministries is offering to
S1: help us see how to understand and apply the Torah
S1: portion of the week. For your free copy, go to
S1: our website openline. radio.org. Scroll down. You'll see a link
S1: that says A free gift from Chosen People Ministries. Click
S1: on that. You'll be taken to a page where you
S1: can sign up for your very own copy of the portion.
S1: We're going to talk with John in Crystal River, Florida,
S1: listening on WGN. Welcome to Open Line. John. How can
S1: I help you?
S6: Hi.
S8: Thank you for all you do. God bless you all. Uh,
S8: in revelation 20, verse uh, four through six, it's talking
S8: about the great White throne judgment and the the difference
S8: between the Bema Seat of Christ and the Great White
S8: Throne judgment. I was reading it and it seems like, uh,
S8: verse four says that, and I saw the souls of
S8: those who had been headed for the testimony of Jesus
S8: and the word of God. And it says, and those
S8: nurse who had not worshiped the beast or its image,
S8: had not received the mark on their foreheads or their hands,
S8: they came to life and reigned with Christ for a
S8: thousand years. And I didn't know if the believers were
S8: in that on that part, or because I've always been
S8: taught that, uh, we'll I'll be going to the Bema
S8: Seat of Christ because I'm a believer. But then it's
S8: it looks like.
S1: You know what? You're getting the resurrections confused. Let me
S1: just straighten it out here for you. In first Thessalonians
S1: four it says that and it uses the euphemism three
S1: times of asleep. It just means dead. It doesn't mean
S1: that we're soul sleeping. Uh, in Philippians one and second
S1: Corinthians five, it's clear that when we die, we are immaterial.
S1: Immortal spirit goes to be with the Lord. But then
S1: the Lord will descend with a shout of the archangel. Right? Uh.
S1: And the trump of God and the dead in Christ
S1: will rise first. That means that the physical bodies of
S1: those who have died in Christ will be resurrected and
S1: reunite with that immaterial part that's been with the Lord
S1: since they died. So that's when that resurrection happens. That's
S1: before the day of the Lord. That's before the tribulation.
S1: And so everyone, uh, in the body of Messiah, the body,
S1: the congregation, uh, all believers in this era, uh, from
S1: Pentecost until that time who have died will be resurrected
S1: and go to be with the Lord. And then we'll
S1: experience the Bema Seat, as you say, during the day
S1: of the Lord, while we're in heaven, during the tribulation period,
S1: then there will be people who become believers in the tribulation,
S1: and some of them will die, some by martyrdom, others
S1: will just die of natural causes during the tribulation period,
S1: and these believers will be resurrected and reign with the
S1: Messiah for a thousand years. At the same time, they're resurrected.
S1: So will the Old Testament saints that Daniel 12 talks about.
S1: So there's going to be a resurrection of the church, uh,
S1: before the tribulation and a resurrection of the Old Testament
S1: saints and the tribulation saints at the the end of
S1: the tribulation when the Lord Jesus returns, and then we
S1: all get to be in the kingdom with him together, uh,
S1: the Messianic kingdom, for a thousand years. I hope that helps. John, uh,
S1: thanks for your call. We're going to talk with Sam
S1: in Mendenhall, Mississippi, listening on WMU. Welcome to Open Line. Sam,
S1: how can I help you?
S8: Thank you. Doctor Nick.
S9: My question aligns somewhat with the previous question. And my
S9: question is what happens to the the people that believe
S9: in Christ through the tribulation period. And they're not martyred.
S9: They enter into the kingdom in earthly bodies and then
S9: they die in the Millennial Kingdom won it. Do believers
S9: die that are in their earthly bodies in the Millennial Kingdom?
S9: And if they do, when are they resurrected?
S10: Well.
S1: I you know, it talks about that there will be
S1: people who die. It says in Isaiah 65. If someone
S1: dies in the kingdom at 100, they'll be considered young.
S1: So there will be death in the Messianic kingdom. People
S1: will die in that thousand year reign of Jesus. But
S1: I'm not sure that it's the believers. Maybe it is.
S1: Maybe it isn't. Uh, so clearly the unbelieving dead will
S1: be resurrected after the thousand year reign resurrected the and
S1: and then they will face the Great White Throne judgment.
S1: But for believers, if believers die, it doesn't state when
S1: if they've entered the kingdom when they will be resurrected.
S1: I'm guessing they would be resurrected to life, not judgment
S1: at the end of the Millennial Kingdom. That's what I
S1: would say. Right. Okay.
S9: Well, you see my confusion? Yeah. Um, if death is
S9: present and believers are in their earthly bodies, some, uh,
S9: in the messianic kingdom, and the first resurrection has already happened. Yeah. Um,
S9: is it possible that it would be somewhat like when
S9: Jesus was in his earthly ministry and raised Jairus daughter,
S9: or raised Lazarus, that when they died, they were raised immediately?
S1: I doubt that, I doubt that I think that the
S1: because there's clearly a time of resurrection for the lost
S1: at the end of the millennium. I suspect that if
S1: believers have died in the tribulation, not tribulation in the millennium,
S1: they've entered from the tribulation that that's when they will
S1: be resurrected. Or if they've not died, then they would.
S1: They would probably have to be translated similarly to the
S1: way we are translated at the rapture, if we're alive
S1: at the rapture, uh, you know, people like to say, oh,
S1: it's appointed unto man once to die. Everyone has to die.
S1: That's a general rule. We're all going to die. I
S1: heard a preacher say that this week. Uh, of course,
S1: if you pressed him, he would say, well, at the rapture,
S1: those people won't die. They'll be translated. Uh, Elijah didn't die.
S1: He was translated. Enoch didn't die. He was translated into
S1: his immortal body immediately. And I would say that the
S1: the believers who might die in the Millennial kingdom, uh,
S1: will be resurrected at the end of it. Uh, on
S1: the other hand, people who are believers at the end
S1: of the Millennial Kingdom will be translated. That's what I
S1: would say. You know, that's the only thing that makes
S1: sense to me. Okay.
S9: Okay. Yeah.
S1: I usually I want to be really clear. The Bible
S1: doesn't state that specifically, but it does say that there
S1: will be a resurrection of the lost at that time.
S1: So that makes sense to me as well. Well, can
S1: you believe the first hour is up? That was the
S1: fastest hour in in my week. I can't believe how
S1: quickly that went, but thanks for listening. There's a second
S1: hour coming up on most of these stations. Remember, if
S1: your station doesn't carry this, you can always check out
S1: the Moody Radio app. You can go online, you can
S1: get the podcast. So don't miss the second hour during
S1: the break. Check out our web page. It's open line radio.
S1: Dot org has all sorts of important links of our
S1: current resource. How to become a kitchen table partner a
S1: link to the summit opposing anti-Semitism on November 9th. Remember
S1: this the Bible study across America will continue in the
S1: second hour, so stay with us. Open line with Doctor
S1: Michael Ray Dolnick is a production of Moody Radio, a
S1: ministry of Moody Bible Institute. Be right back.