S1: How would you respond if you were arrested by the
S1: religious police? They drag you away, beat you bloody, and
S1: knock out 13 of your teeth. It happened to today's guest,
S1: and that was just the beginning of his torture. Why
S1: was he so hated and how did he endure? We'll
S1: ask those questions and a whole lot more coming up.
S1: This is the land in the book. Our host, Dr.
S1: Charlie Dyer, a lifelong student of the Middle East. I'm
S1: John Geiger, and Israel has certainly been on all our
S1: minds these past months, many of us struggling with questions
S1: about what to think, what to feel. And in the
S1: midst of all this, God's heart for the Jewish people
S1: remains unchanged. He is faithful to his chosen people.
S2: That's right, John. And as the year is drawing to
S2: a close, our friends at Life and Messiah would like
S2: to help you better connect with this crucial aspect of
S2: God's character. They're offering their new book, Sharing God's Heart
S2: to Land. In the book listeners, this 30 day guided
S2: reflection will help connect you with God's heart for his
S2: precious people. The articles written by Life and Messiah staff
S2: provide insight into Jewish life and culture. They can help
S2: prepare you to share with your friends the peace of
S2: Messiah they so desperately need. If you'd like one of
S2: these insightful books for yourself or as a gift for
S2: someone else, visit Life in Messiah org and click on
S2: the Moody Radio button to find out how you can
S2: receive your copy. That's life in messiah.org.
S1: Well, let's turn to our look at current events from
S1: the Middle East. Of course, this past week, Israel and
S1: Hamas arranged a temporary pause or cease fire to allow
S1: for the release of hostages. That's our big story. How
S1: many were actually released, Charlie? What now happens to the rest?
S1: And will the fighting resume? We're wondering, or could this
S1: actually be the beginning of a process to end the
S1: whole conflict?
S2: Yeah. After 49 days of fighting, the guns went silent
S2: as that pause went into effect. But from Israel's perspective,
S2: the pause is only temporary. Over the initial four days,
S2: 50 Jewish hostages were released in exchange for 150 Palestinian
S2: women and children jailed for terrorism. In addition, at least
S2: 16 others were released, including a Russian Israeli, 14 Thai
S2: workers and a Filipino worker. Israel and Hamas then agreed
S2: to extend the pause to allow for additional exchanges of hostages,
S2: with Israel continuing to say it would resume its military
S2: operation once these pauses are over. Now, there are still
S2: at least 150 thought to be held by Hamas. Israel
S2: doesn't know how many of them are alive and how
S2: many might already be dead. Prime Minister Netanyahu said Israel
S2: intends to fulfill all three of its goals the elimination
S2: of Hamas, the return of all captives and making sure
S2: Gaza never again becomes a threat. Now, following this pause
S2: in fighting, Israel is going to face several headwinds going forward.
S2: The first will be increased international pressure to declare a
S2: permanent cease fire. The second is going to be the
S2: logistical difficulties if they expand the conflict into the southern
S2: half of the Gaza Strip, more Hamas fighters are still
S2: located there. And that's also where most of the population
S2: of Gaza is now residing. And the third headwind they
S2: face is financial. The war is disrupting Israel's economy while
S2: adding to its debt. The central Bank of Israel cut
S2: its growth forecast because of the war's impact, and urged
S2: the government to reduce non-essential items in the 2024 budget,
S2: including discretionary coalition funds. Now, the coalition did approve a
S2: new war budget, but they also unlocked previously frozen funds,
S2: causing friction within the War Cabinet itself. Those changes now
S2: head to the Knesset for its deliberation. And yet, in
S2: spite of all these problems, Israel says it's committed to
S2: putting an end to the threat of Hamas and to
S2: get all its citizens back, no matter what the cost.
S1: Charlie, those of us who are less nuanced in Middle
S1: East affairs say why not just line up every F-16
S1: in the Israeli Air Force, every tank they have and
S1: say to Hamas, you have 12 hours to return all
S1: hostages or else everything is coming at you.
S2: The basic problem is that Hamas is hidden among the
S2: population of Gaza. They're hidden in those tunnels. And to
S2: go after Hamas has caused the death of many innocent,
S2: as we would say, civilians in Gaza. Certainly Israel is
S2: committed to fighting a war as ethically as it can,
S2: which means trying to keep the civilians from being hurt.
S2: So the more they would go after Hamas in an
S2: indiscriminate fashion, the more Israel could ultimately be charged with
S2: war crimes.
S1: This is the land in the book from Moody Radio,
S1: our host, Dr. Charlie Dyer, helping us understand all that's
S1: happening in the Middle East. Well, in addition to the
S1: conflict with Hamas, Israel is also experiencing problems with Hezbollah,
S1: the Houthis, Iran and Turkey. How do all these different
S1: issues intersect?
S2: At its heart, people need to understand this is a
S2: religious struggle. That's where everything intersects Hamas's charter. Its statement
S2: explaining why it exists says its goal is to liberate
S2: all a part. Line from the river to the sea
S2: and to make it an Islamic state under Sharia law,
S2: with Jerusalem as its capital. In fact, the very name
S2: Hamas is an Arabic acronym for Islamic Resistance Movement. Hamas
S2: is an outgrowth of the Muslim Brotherhood. Another outgrowth of
S2: the Muslim Brotherhood is the Justice and Development Party, which
S2: is the ruling party of Turkey. That's why Erdogan is
S2: so supportive of Hamas in response to the war between
S2: Israel and Hamas. Erdogan delivered an address to the Turkish
S2: parliament and he said Israel is a terrorist state that
S2: would soon be destroyed. In fact, a quote from him was,
S2: you can have as many nuclear bombs as you want,
S2: but you're on your way out now. While Hamas and
S2: Turkey represent Sunni Islamic fundamentalism, the other side of the
S2: theological coin is Iran, Hezbollah and the Houthis, who represent
S2: Shiite Islamic fundamentalism. The Shiites and Sunnis disagree on several
S2: major theological points, but they all agree that the Jewish
S2: state of Israel can't exist long term in the Middle East. Now,
S2: while Iran has helped Hamas, it's the main champion and
S2: sponsor of Hezbollah and the Houthis as they work to
S2: develop nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them, they're
S2: using Hezbollah, along with Hamas, to tie down Israel and
S2: drain its financial and military resources. All this can sound
S2: discouraging until you remember the promises God has made to Israel.
S2: In describing the events of the last days, God said
S2: in Zechariah 12, I'm going to make Jerusalem a cup
S2: that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling. Judah will be
S2: besieged as well as Jerusalem. But then he adds, I
S2: will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations.
S2: All who try to move it will injure themselves. And
S2: he also says, there I will keep a watchful eye
S2: over the house of Judah. Israel might be outnumbered, but
S2: with God on their side, they're not outgunned.
S1: Well, it's now officially winter in Israel, and the Bible
S1: pictures reign as a blessing. So I have to ask,
S1: how much has Israel been blessed thus far?
S2: Actually, a fair amount. The first major storm of the
S2: season came through two weeks ago, and was followed this
S2: past Sunday and Monday by another, less powerful rain event.
S2: The first storm set records at some reporting locations in
S2: northern Israel. One spot broke a 73 year old record
S2: for rain intensity in a one hour period. Wow. Streets
S2: and some from Haifa all the way down to Jerusalem
S2: experienced flooding. Now, to give an idea of the strength
S2: of that first storm, Jerusalem ended up with 200% of
S2: their normal year to date rainfall and 14% of what
S2: they expect to receive during the entire winter season. Just
S2: in that one storm, Tel Aviv ended up at 28%
S2: of what they would expect in a normal winter season.
S2: From that one storm, the second storm dropped an additional
S2: quarter of an inch of rain in Jerusalem, and almost
S2: an inch and a quarter up on the Golan Heights,
S2: where they've received already over six inches of rain this winter. Now,
S2: last year, Israel experienced as a whole a normal amount
S2: of rainfall, but much of it fell in the southern
S2: part of the country. Ideally, they'd like to receive more
S2: rain in the north, where it can help fill the
S2: Jordan River and the Sea of Galilee. These first two
S2: storms provided a good soaking for northern Israel. Now that's
S2: not helpful for the soldiers up north protecting Israel against Hezbollah,
S2: but it is good for the country as a whole.
S2: Right now, the Sea of Galilee is about nine feet
S2: below its upper red line, which is when it's totally filled.
S2: It should now begin rising over the coming days and weeks.
S2: All in all, Jon, it's a promising start to the
S2: winter rainy season. Let's just hope it continues.
S1: Radiocarbon dating tests done at the site of Ancient Geyser
S1: are said to prove the biblical account of the city's history.
S1: What exactly did the testing show, and does it indeed
S1: match the biblical account? Charlie.
S2: Yeah, the basic answer is that it sort of matches.
S2: It also shows the limitations of carbon 14 dating. The
S2: excavators focused on one specific area excavated over a multi
S2: year period. They had collected organic matter, primarily burned olive
S2: pits found in specific archaeological layers. They sent those samples
S2: to be carbon 14 dated, and some items do seem
S2: to correspond to the biblical account. For example, they found
S2: a destruction layer roughly corresponding to the time the Bible
S2: says an Egyptian pharaoh destroyed geyser and gave it as
S2: a dowry for the marriage of his daughter to Solomon,
S2: and a subsequent destruction layer corresponds roughly to the destruction
S2: of the city by Pharaoh. Shaq, who's mentioned in the
S2: Bible in connection with the reign of Solomon's son, Rhea Boehm.
S2: But the authors of the study are very careful not
S2: to say the findings, quote, prove the Bible. In fact,
S2: they tend to see Egyptian monuments and texts as being
S2: more reliable. They see the biblical text as being written
S2: centuries later and thus less authentic. Now, for those of
S2: us who accept the reliability of the Bible, that's a
S2: serious flaw in the study. There are also other limitations.
S2: The data comes from a specific area within this rather
S2: large site. So I think we need to be cautious
S2: in drawing sweeping conclusions from. Just that one area. Also,
S2: carbon 14 dating can provide an approximate date, but it's
S2: not exact. A range of plus or -20 years can
S2: make a huge historical difference. The bottom line is the
S2: study is interesting and even helpful, but it can't really
S2: be used to prove or disprove the biblical account when
S2: it comes together.
S1: Thanks, Charlie. And that's a look at current events. Well,
S1: how would you respond if you were arrested by the
S1: religious police? They drag you away, beat you up and
S1: knock out not just 1 or 2 teeth, but 13.
S1: That actually happened to today's guest, Dr. Ahmed Yorktown. We'll
S1: talk to him and we'll enjoy answering your Bible questions
S1: in another segment. And Charlie's devotional is December 7th, a
S1: day of infamy. We're heading to Zachariah. All of that
S1: and a whole lot more on today's edition of The
S1: Land and the. How would you respond? You were arrested
S1: by the religious police. They drag you away, beat you
S1: bloody and knock out 13 of your teeth. It happened
S1: to our guest. And that was just the beginning of
S1: his torture. Why was he so hated? And how did
S1: he endure? We'll ask those questions and more. Coming up.
S1: This is the land and the book from Moody Radio.
S1: I'm John Geiger. Welcome you back to our program. And
S1: before we get started with today's guest, let's think about
S1: some creative ways that we can show the love of
S1: Christ to our Muslim friends. How do I start talking
S1: to a muslim? Fair question. Let's ask Stefano Fair, who's
S1: president of call of Hope? How do we start?
S3: Well, we start talking to a muslim as we would
S3: start talking to anybody else. We start off telling him
S3: about our life. Maybe we start off talking with him
S3: about the weather, about the storm coming. We just show
S3: him that we are interested in him and John. So
S3: many people tell me they come to the West and
S3: they feel these Americans, these Europeans, they are not interested
S3: in me. Tell them that you are interested in them
S3: and then they will ask you also about your faith.
S3: Just be open, okay?
S1: We're going to share life with them, and that's going
S1: to sort of share our love for them and then
S1: eventually maybe sharing Jesus with them.
S3: Absolutely. That's it.
S1: Stefano Ferris with call of Hope us great thoughts. Thanks
S1: for sharing. He was born in Mecca, raised in hate
S1: and trained for terror. Dr. Ahmed Jackson is a medical
S1: doctor who turned evangelist. His father is a mufti in Mecca,
S1: Saudi Arabia, and once set to bring jihad to the world,
S1: Ahmed came to know Jesus Christ as Savior and now
S1: works to bring true peace in Jesus to Muslims and
S1: lost people everywhere. It is a high honor to have
S1: you on the program today, Dr. Jackson.
S4: It's my honor to be with you today.
S1: You say your father was a mufti in Mecca. What
S1: does that mean? And how big a deal was that
S1: for you growing up?
S4: That is a big deal, because a mufti is someone
S4: who has a Islamic legal opinion to rule on people's life.
S4: I think of it as rabbi who tell people what's
S4: lawful and unlawful. Growing up, you know, I saw people's
S4: respect to my dad, and they follow exactly to the
S4: letter of what he's saying.
S1: By the age of 13, you could recite the entire
S1: Koran word perfect. But it wasn't so much a love
S1: for the book that drove you, as it was a
S1: fear of punishment described what happened to you as a
S1: young boy, when you may be made mistakes with your recitation?
S4: Yeah. It's really sad that, you know, growing up I
S4: had to memorize the entire Quran out of fear. So
S4: if you made a mistake, even the slightest mistake into
S4: the intonation of a word or pronunciation, they would take
S4: you to the front of the mosque. They took me there,
S4: and they placed me on the ground and my feet
S4: on a high chair, and they would lash the back
S4: of my feet until I can't even walk back home.
S4: I had to crawl that day. But now I memorized
S4: the Bible, the word of God. Because a man should
S4: not live by bread alone, but with every word comes
S4: out of the mouth of God.
S1: How did all of this frame your own assessment of Islam?
S1: Did you ever ask yourself, boy, isn't there another less
S1: stressful religion or way of life out there?
S4: Well, in Islam you can't question, so you have to
S4: follow exactly what you've been told, or else you will
S4: be punished and you will be taken away from the community.
S4: So I had not had the chance to question five times.
S1: He faced death, but God spared him so that he
S1: could tell Muslims and lost people worldwide about how Jesus
S1: is the way, the truth and the life. Dr. Ahmed
S1: Jackson is our guest today on the land and the book.
S1: You eventually experienced a vision of Jesus himself. How old
S1: were you when that happened and what were the circumstances?
S4: I was at the beginning of my 20s when that happened,
S4: and it was actually because of prayer. So I want
S4: to ask the audience today, are you praying for the
S4: loss that, you know, if you think that God cannot
S4: bring them to himself, then think of me, someone from
S4: Saudi Arabia. So the pastor of the Oakland Baptist Tabernacle,
S4: he prayed, you know, the Lord, you have sent us
S4: people from Iraq, Iran and other nations, but none from
S4: Saudi Arabia. Lord, we dare to pray today that you
S4: will send us someone from Saudi. And after two weeks
S4: from there, I had a dream and I showed up
S4: at that church.
S1: And what was your reaction to what you heard and saw?
S4: I was afraid at the same time it was inviting
S4: for me to follow each step. I did not have
S4: a chance to even fathom the momentum of what happened
S4: to me, but it was God's planning and guidance from
S4: the start to finish.
S1: In your book, From Mecca to Christ, you reference the
S1: time when the pastor invited you to his home for
S1: dinner and initially you turned him down, but then you
S1: did go and you were pretty sure you were going
S1: to be poisoned to death. That seems a little bit shocking,
S1: but from your own admission, you said, well, that's maybe
S1: what our side would do in a situation if it
S1: were reversed. A talk about.
S5: That.
S4: Yeah. It's unfortunate in the fundamental Islamic teaching, which thankfully
S4: not practiced by many Muslims today, fundamentalists believe that we
S4: are going to heaven by the blood of someone. That's
S4: why 911 happened. It's, you know, based on chapter number
S4: nine of the Quran, verse 111, which you are going
S4: to heaven only by the blood of someone else. Thankfully,
S4: now I know that I am redeemed by the blood
S4: of Jesus. But I was hesitant, thinking that he is
S4: in his old age and he is going to indwell
S4: by killing me so he can get to heaven by
S4: my blood. Thankfully, later on I heard that Jesus said,
S4: love your enemies.
S1: You became a Christian under this pastor. What was that
S1: experience like?
S4: It was wonderful because this pastor understood. The words back
S4: and forth, and he also knew how to speak to
S4: someone like me from Islam. So he began where I
S4: was and took me in a journey to know Jesus.
S4: And this is where I am now. I am here
S4: now to know Christ and make him known and help
S4: others do the same.
S1: Armed with a Green New Testament, you return to your
S1: home in Saudi Arabia full of hope. But then that
S1: Bible was discovered. What happened next with your brothers?
S4: At that time in Saudi, we still had the religious
S4: beliefs and it was not allowed to have Bibles in Saudi.
S4: They were deeply ashamed and dishonored for me to bring
S4: the Bible into Saudi Arabia. And they took it. They
S4: beat me and they later on they disowned me because
S4: of my faith in Christ.
S1: How difficult was it for you to later discover it
S1: was your own mother who ordered the attack?
S4: It was very difficult, but at the same time verses
S4: from the Quran came back to me where she had
S4: to do it. Otherwise she will not be faithful to Allah,
S4: the God of the Quran.
S1: This is the land in the book I'm John Geiger,
S1: joined by Dr. Ahmed Jackson, and we're hearing the unfolding
S1: story of his remarkable journey toward Jesus today on the
S1: land in the book. Ultimately, the situation got more tense
S1: with your family, to the point that your father shoved
S1: an AK 47 assault rifle at your face and shouted, quote,
S1: do you think you can shame me in front of
S1: our family? If you don't recant, I'll put these 30
S1: bullets into your head. How did you respond?
S4: I was terrified, you know. Here's an AK 47 I
S4: am new to. I'm a baby in Christ, fellow in Jesus.
S4: And I told him I'll do whatever he wants. You know,
S4: an AK 47 to my head, thankfully, that I know
S4: now that nobody can take me from Jesus hand or
S4: the father's hand.
S1: Kicked out of your home. That was next. You shared
S1: your faith with a man who faked interest in your testimony.
S1: But then after he called the religious police, you were
S1: hauled away and severely beaten, 13 teeth bashed out of
S1: your mouth. How did you manage to endure all of that?
S4: I couldn't endure all of that without my faith and
S4: trust in Christ Jesus and the Word of God that
S4: I treasure in my heart, and that kept me sane
S4: through the whole process. It was sad, but it's expected
S4: from those who follow the darkness and under the the
S4: curtain that Satan is blinded their their eyes. They would
S4: go to such measures to basically quiet the voice of truth.
S4: But I'm thankful that the Lord was with me through
S4: it all.
S1: Yeah, 13 teeth bashed out of your mouth was just
S1: the beginning. You experienced many beatings and whippings, and then
S1: they jammed salt into your bloody wounds. At a point,
S1: you just wanted to go home and be with Jesus.
S1: So what got you through?
S4: What got me through is remembering. Paul also endured all
S4: those suffering as well for the sake of the gospel,
S4: and he took delight knowing that whatever we have now
S4: is is not going to last. And you know, those
S4: verses from Second Corinthians four made me focus my eyes
S4: on what is going to last forever.
S1: You know, I wonder, why don't stories like yours and
S1: you've written in a book, you share it, I'm sure,
S1: in many different forums and places. Why don't stories like
S1: yours change the American media's perception of Islam being a, quote,
S1: religion of peace?
S4: I think our voices are being squished nowadays and we
S4: are not allowed to share our insights of what true
S4: Islam is in favor of other movements in the US.
S4: But you know, the light shines in the darkness and
S4: nothing can make that light go away. Yeah.
S1: Thanks for being with us today on the land in
S1: the book, I'm John Geiger, our guest, Dr. Ahmed Jackson,
S1: who is from Saudi Arabia. You know, as you look
S1: at the passage of time, I'm curious, have you had
S1: any communication in the years following all of this turn
S1: of events with your family, your brothers, for example, your mother,
S1: your father, any communication at all? And if so, how
S1: would you describe that?
S4: Unfortunately, there was none after they took it, as I
S4: have ashamed them and they cut me off completely in
S4: obedience to a large commandments in the Quran, but.
S1: Nothing even on Facebook or text or an email or
S1: a quick phone call. Nothing.
S4: Nothing at all like I have never existed.
S1: So talk about your ministry today. How would you describe that?
S4: Today we share the gospel of Jesus Christ with Muslims
S4: here in the United States and across the world, especially
S4: in Saudi Arabia and Mecca, Saudi Arabia. We helped to
S4: mobilize believers to go and share the gospel because, you know,
S4: this is God's plan from the beginning. God has plan A,
S4: there is no plan B which go ye and make
S4: disciples of all nations, baptizing in the name of the father,
S4: the son, and the Holy Spirit and teach them. So
S4: we teach nowadays online, we, you know, evangelize on the
S4: streets in the US and one on one as well.
S1: Do you ever go to Saudi Arabia and minister there?
S4: They would love to have me cut to pieces. Not yet,
S4: but in God's timing I will.
S1: So what kind of a response are you getting from
S1: this online teaching from those who are in Saudi Arabia
S1: and other rather fundamentalist Islamic nations?
S4: You know, they have been told the Bible was corrupt and.
S4: We were able to show them that the Bible is
S4: true and it's never been corrupted. It's the Word of God.
S4: And God is able, more than able to keep his words.
S4: Some angry responses and many were amazed by John 316.
S4: For God so loved the world that he gave his
S4: only son. They have never heard that before.
S1: How can listeners be more effective in caring about Muslims
S1: in this country? What are we doing? Maybe that we
S1: should stop? I mean, you've been here for some years now.
S1: You've observed how followers of Jesus typically relate to Muslims.
S1: What should we stop doing or what should we start doing?
S1: What are your thoughts?
S4: I would say we should start praying. You know, this
S4: is how I came to the Lord Jesus is through prayer.
S4: So we should start with a prayer for the Muslims,
S4: friends and families. But then that should not stop us
S4: from going across the road to a muslim friend or
S4: across the table and share the gospel with them. And
S4: I think the best way is to meet them where
S4: they are, and to build on their with the Word
S4: of God.
S1: I want to invite you to pray a prayer in
S1: Arabic for someone who is listening right now, who doesn't
S1: know Jesus. All kinds of reasons that people tune in
S1: and all of that. Of course, by the hand of
S1: God Himself. Would you pray a brief prayer for them
S1: that they would come to know Isa sure about?
S4: A man had a bad last summer in Europe, possibly,
S4: and may as well. And yet in the. Arab and. Europe.
S4: Let me go ahead and allow Arab and to mean
S4: some of them. And what I mean. Amen.
S1: Well, thank you for this conversation. The book is fantastic
S1: from Mecca to Christ. I tried to scan it but
S1: was unable to actually read it. And you'll enjoy it
S1: as well. It's a great journey. A link to the
S1: book at our website. The land and the book. Org.
S1: Stick around Bible questions and answers. Next on the land
S1: and the book. Hey, thanks for your company today at
S1: the land. In the book, I'm John Geiger. You know,
S1: we do what we do for the glory of God, obviously,
S1: but it's for your edification, for your growth as a believer.
S1: And unless you and I are regularly in the word,
S1: exploring the word and understanding it properly, well, we'll go
S1: a hundred different directions. All of them wrong, right? That's
S1: why it's a great idea when you have a question
S1: to dig deep and maybe share that with us here
S1: at The Land and the book again, I'm John Geiger,
S1: our host, Dr. Charlie Dyer. Charlie, I see your Bibles
S1: open and a rather generous sized stack of questions. There's
S1: never a shortage.
S2: There's never a shortage. And that is terrific because I
S2: love questions. They let us know where our listeners are,
S2: and frankly, they're fun to answer.
S1: Okay, well, before we get to the first question this
S1: quick thought, Israel has been on all of our minds
S1: these past months. Many of us have been struggling with
S1: questions of what to think and feel. And in the
S1: midst of all this, God's heart for the Jewish people
S1: remains unchanged. He is faithful to his chosen people.
S2: Yes, and as this year is drawing to a close,
S2: our friends at Life in Messiah would like to help
S2: you better connect with this crucial aspect of God's character.
S2: They're offering their new book, Sharing God's Heart to Land.
S2: In the book listeners, this 30 day guided reflection will
S2: help connect you with God's heart for his precious people.
S2: The articles written by Life and Messiah staff provide insight
S2: into Jewish life and culture. They can help prepare you
S2: to share with your friends the peace of Messiah they
S2: so desperately need. If you'd like one of these insightful
S2: books for yourself or as a gift for someone else,
S2: visit Life in Messiah org and click on the Moody
S2: Radio button to find out how you can receive your copy.
S2: That's life in messiah.org.
S1: All right, let's dig right into our questions for the day,
S1: starting with James who asks is the time from Abraham
S1: to the Lord Jesus, approximately the same time as from
S1: the Lord Jesus to now in years, meaning approximately 2000 years?
S2: And that's generally true. Abraham was born about 2166 BC
S2: and entered Canaan when he was 75 years old. So
S2: about 2091 BC, Jesus was born sometime around 6 to
S2: 4 BC, and the crucifixion and resurrection likely took place
S2: in AD 33. So from the time of the birth
S2: of Abraham to the birth of Jesus, it's about 2160 years,
S2: and from the birth of Jesus till today is about
S2: 2030 years.
S1: Another question. Is it true that the Hebrew letter vav,
S1: which has the sound of W, has the numeric value
S1: of six, and if so, would then mean 666?
S2: Well, Hebrew numbers are written using the letters of the alphabet,
S2: so the number six was the sixth letter of the alphabet,
S2: which is vav. Now, while some have pronounced this with
S2: a w sound, most believe the letter was pronounced with
S2: a v sound rather than a w, and as a
S2: result I don't see a connection between the w WW
S2: of the World Wide Web and 666. Since the Hebrew
S2: letter being written three times would more likely be pronounced
S2: like VA VA VA.
S1: All right, interesting this question from Bob, and he wants
S1: to understand the proper scope of interpretation. He says, I
S1: used to read Matthew 518 and second Timothy 316, second
S1: Peter 120 and 21 as basically saying the same thing
S1: about the inspiration of the Hebrew Scriptures. But am I wrong?
S1: Is Second Timothy 316. Evidence that Paul identified a list
S1: of authorized scrolls? Is Second Peter one related only to
S1: Hebrew prophecy. What do you think?
S2: Yeah, and these are crucial passages. So let me go
S2: through each one separately and try and help here. Matthew
S2: 518 I believe Jesus's reference there to the law should
S2: be understood in light of what he just said in
S2: the previous verse. He said, don't think I've come to
S2: abolish the law or the prophets. I've not come to
S2: abolish them, but to fulfill them. And then when he
S2: references the law in verse 18, it's just simply a
S2: summary of what he was just saying. That is, it's
S2: intended to include the prophets. And that also makes sense,
S2: since he's describing his role there as fulfilling the word
S2: in verse 17. And then he says, it's all going
S2: to be accomplished or come to be in verse 18.
S2: So I think that verse, what he's really giving in
S2: the larger context, you can't limit it to simply saying
S2: he's only saying the first five books of Moses are
S2: the ones that are inspired. Now it's second Timothy 316.
S2: The word scripture there does indeed refer to the authoritative
S2: books of the Old Testament, and a good way to
S2: test that is to see how the word Scripture is
S2: used throughout the New Testament. For example, in Luke 2427
S2: it says, and beginning with Moses and all the prophets,
S2: he explained to them what was said in all the
S2: scriptures concerning himself. So the scriptures are parallel to Moses
S2: and the prophets, which is the way they would describe
S2: the Old Testament in that day. The second Peter 119
S2: to 21 passage. Peter is referring there primarily to the
S2: Old Testament prophetic messages. And that doesn't mean, however, that
S2: he's only limiting inspiration to what the Old Testament prophets
S2: spoke or wrote. Again, Peter connects these. Prophecies to Scripture,
S2: and he later uses that same word in connection with
S2: the writings of Paul in that same book, Second Peter
S2: chapter three, verse 16. Now, all that to say, I
S2: don't see any of these passages limiting God's inspiration of
S2: the Bible to just a specific portion of His Word.
S2: All of God's Word was inspired.
S1: If you just joined us, that's Dr. Charlie Dyer, I'm
S1: John Geiger. This is the land and the book. We're
S1: glad you're on board for our question and answer segment.
S1: Renee says in a recent conversation about Jonah, the question
S1: was raised how could he possibly have survived inside that
S1: huge fish without oxygen for three days? So since Jesus
S1: refers to Jonah as a sign about his own time
S1: in the tomb, does it actually mean Jonah really died
S1: and the Lord resurrected him? Or did that great fish
S1: have an oxygen chamber in which Jonah was entombed for
S1: three days?
S2: Yeah. You know, it's interesting, John, we actually had another
S2: question almost identical by another listener. So I'm answering Renee
S2: and this other listener at the same time. And what
S2: I'd say is, while some have suggested Jonah might have
S2: died and been resurrected, I don't believe that's required from
S2: the statement by Jesus. You know, Jesus is comparison. There
S2: focuses on the length of time for each event, not
S2: on the issue of physical death. He said. As Jonah
S2: was three days and three nights in the belly of
S2: a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be
S2: three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
S2: The fact that Jonah prayed from inside the fish in
S2: chapter two that suggests he was still alive and conscious
S2: during that time. Now, in terms of how he could
S2: survive that length of time, what we're just not told.
S2: But I do see two details in chapter one that
S2: are helpful. First, it says God appointed the animal that
S2: swallowed Jonah. That suggests, I think, a special work on
S2: God's part. In fact, in chapter four, that same word
S2: is used three more times. God appointed a vine to
S2: grow up. God appointed a worm to destroy the vine,
S2: and he appointed a scorching east wind to blow on Jonah.
S2: And each of those focuses on God's direct intervention. And
S2: then second, the animal in 117 is described as a
S2: great fish. Now that word can refer to anything that
S2: swims in the sea. In Genesis one, the animals are
S2: divided into four broad categories fish, birds, cattle, and animals
S2: that creep on the ground. So the fish that swallowed
S2: Jonah could have been a large whale, or it could
S2: have been some special large fish specifically prepared by God.
S2: But whatever it was, I believe Jonah was kept alive inside.
S1: In a recent sermon series on the book of Jonah,
S1: our pastor showed a PowerPoint slide with a beautiful image
S1: of a oh, just in the last ten, 15 years,
S1: a man who was actually swallowed by a whale. You
S1: see the guy in his mouth. It's very disturbing. And
S1: the guy survived. So all of that to say, God
S1: has his ways, but it's not unheard of. All right.
S1: Let's get to this question from Libby, who says, I
S1: have a friend very interested in history as I am.
S1: We have the Bible, of course, but I'm wondering about
S1: the nation's history. That's Israel throughout Scripture. And and when
S1: Scripture ends, maybe one book wouldn't contain all this information.
S1: Could you please recommend a book or books for us? Yeah.
S2: And I don't know, one book that covers all the history,
S2: but I can recommend two books and then I'll add
S2: a third for a bonus. The first book is Kingdom
S2: of Priests by Eugene Merrill. He does an excellent job
S2: of tracing Israel's history from Abraham through the post excellent period.
S2: The second is a book called Who Owns the Land Now?
S2: It was written originally by Stanley Ellison, and then I
S2: had the privilege of updating and revising it for Tyndale
S2: back 20 years ago, in 2003. Now, sadly, both versions
S2: of the book are out of print, but you can
S2: usually find them for sale online. The book traces the
S2: history of Israel's involvement with the land, from the fall
S2: of Jerusalem in AD 70 through the early 2000, and
S2: the third book, the bonus Book, is also worth exploring
S2: its volume one of the Expository Bible Commentary series. Now,
S2: this first volume has introductory articles that are very helpful.
S2: It talks about the cultural setting of the New Testament
S2: between the Testaments, chronology of the Old Testament, the chronology
S2: of the New Testament, each articles about 20 to 30
S2: pages long and contains a good summary of appropriate historical material.
S1: All right. Judy wants to know, can you please tell
S1: me what Matthew six verse 20 means when Jesus tells
S1: us to lay up your treasures in heaven? I don't
S1: understand what this means or how we lay up treasures
S1: in heaven. Your kindness, your help is greatly appreciated.
S2: Well, I think Jesus answers the what of that question
S2: in verse 19? And then the why in verse 21.
S2: Laying up treasures in heaven is the opposite of verse 19,
S2: where he says, do not store up for yourselves treasures
S2: on earth. And then he talks about where moths and
S2: vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. Most
S2: people think security comes from amassing wealth and possessions here
S2: on earth, but anything we store up can be destroyed
S2: or stolen, he says. We ought to focus instead our
S2: rewards that we're going to get in heaven. And it
S2: leads to two practical points. First, how do we do that?
S2: And he provides a potential answer in Matthew 1921 you
S2: are rich in. Came and said, what do I need
S2: to do to receive eternal life? And Jesus talks about
S2: following God's law. And the man says, oh, I do that.
S2: And then Jesus said, well, sell your possessions and give
S2: them to the poor. And the problem was, the man
S2: was very rich and didn't want to do that. He
S2: he cared more for his possessions than he did for others.
S2: The bottom line is, working hard, accumulating wealth aren't wrong,
S2: but we need to remember God wants us to use
S2: those resources to also meet the physical and spiritual needs
S2: of others.
S1: If you didn't hear your question today, it's time you
S1: got that thing emailed to us at The Land and
S1: the book@moody.edu. We're back with Charlie's devotional next. Living in
S1: the United States. You know what? December 7th is in
S1: Franklin Delano Roosevelt's own words, a day of infamy. But
S1: if we travel to Zechariah chapter seven, there's a different
S1: day of infamy. Is that right, Charlie?
S2: That's right. John.
S1: And that's the focus I understand of your devotional coming up.
S1: We'll get to that after this Holy Land experience. It's
S1: a testimony from somebody who's traveled to Israel and would
S1: like to share this reflection with you and me.
S6: Hi, I'm Jennifer and this is my Holy Land experience.
S6: And the part that stands out for me is we
S6: went to see the Judean wilderness, which is totally not
S6: what I expected. Just the rough terrain in the hills.
S6: And and then we went to an Getty. And then
S6: Charlie had mentioned that that might be where Naomi and
S6: Ruth made their trek up and over, and then had
S6: to go clear across the wilderness to Jerusalem. And I
S6: just thought how overwhelming that is, and had no idea
S6: what they faced. And it gave me such an appreciation
S6: for what they went through. But also, you know, they
S6: had those obstacles and that adversity, but they look to
S6: God and he brought them through. And it's just it
S6: was such a lesson to me. Like, if they can
S6: face that, you know, there's nothing I can't face with God.
S1: Well, we're quite familiar with our own day of infamy
S1: here in the United States. I'm intrigued, though, that the
S1: Israelis have their own version. If we go back in
S1: ancient history, Charlie, they do.
S2: And I want to start, actually, where you began. Monday,
S2: December 8th, 1941 Franklin Delano Roosevelt addressed a joint session
S2: of Congress to request a state of war be declared
S2: between the United States and Japan. And he began that
S2: message by saying yesterday, December 7th, 1941, a day which
S2: will live in infamy. The United States was suddenly and
S2: deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire
S2: of Japan, and since his speech, December 7th continues to
S2: be known as a day that lives in infamy. But
S2: most people don't know. There's another event that took place
S2: on December 7th that also lived in infamy. This event
S2: happened 2458 years before the attack on Pearl Harbor. It's
S2: not as well known today, though. It's centered around God
S2: and the prophet Zachariah, but I'm getting ahead of myself.
S2: So let's head to Jerusalem on December 7th 518 BC.
S2: December in Jerusalem can be cold and blustery, and the
S2: dark clouds scudding across the sky suggest rain might be
S2: on the way. The temple is finally being rebuilt, though
S2: it will still be another 15 months until the work
S2: is completed. In the first few verses of chapter seven,
S2: Zechariah introduces us to his December 7th, the day about
S2: to live in infamy. It was, he says, the fourth
S2: year of King Darius, on the fourth day of the
S2: ninth month, the month Kislev. That's December 7th five, 18 BC.
S2: On that very day, the inhabitants of Bethel, about 11
S2: miles north of Jerusalem, sent a delegation to ask a
S2: question of the Lord should I mourn? And fast? In
S2: the fifth month, as I've done for so many years now,
S2: that's usually the point in the account where our eyes
S2: start to glaze over and we try to push on
S2: in the text to seek firmer footing for our chronologically, historically,
S2: and geographically challenged minds. We don't know the names of
S2: the months in the Hebrew calendar, nor do we know
S2: much about the Jewish days of fasting. In fact, in
S2: the next chapter, God has Zachariah remind the people that
S2: they had actually set up four specific days in four
S2: different months when they were to fast. In chapter eight,
S2: verse 19, God referred to them as the fast of
S2: the fourth, fifth, seventh and 10th months. Now bear with
S2: me on this. The fast in the seventh month is
S2: the one fast God had commanded in His Word. That
S2: was the fast on the Day of Atonement. Apparently the
S2: people had also connected that fast to another event that
S2: had occurred about a year following the destruction of Jerusalem.
S2: Nebuchadnezzar had installed get Elijah as governor of the land
S2: and established his capital at Mizpah, just north of Jerusalem.
S2: But in the seventh month, a man named Ishmael killed
S2: both get Elijah and his Babylonian guards. The next day,
S2: Ishmael's forces killed an additional 80 men on their way
S2: to Jerusalem. They'd shaved off their beards and torn their
S2: clothes and cut themselves as a sign of mourning, either
S2: for the Day of Atonement or because of the destruction
S2: of the temple. They were on their way to Jerusalem
S2: to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles, so fasting on the
S2: seventh month made sense. But why were they also fasting
S2: on the fourth, fifth, and 10th months? According to Jeremiah 39,
S2: Nebuchadnezzar's forces finally breached Jerusalem's walls on the ninth day
S2: of the fourth month, and it was in the fifth month,
S2: the month of when the temple was set ablaze. But
S2: what about the 10th month? Well, that particular date is
S2: mentioned four separate times by the prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel,
S2: and by the compiler of Second Kings. The 10th day
S2: of the 10th month was the day Nebuchadnezzar's army arrived
S2: outside Jerusalem, bent on conquest. It marked the beginning of
S2: the end for Judah and Jerusalem. All four dates commemorated
S2: bitter milestones in Jerusalem's rebellion against Babylon. The seventh month
S2: also included the one fast ordained by God, but now
S2: the people were perplexed. The fifth month especially commemorated the
S2: month the temple was burned and destroyed. However, a new
S2: temple was being erected should they continue to look back
S2: and mourn the events of the past? Or was this
S2: the time to bring closure to those events and instead
S2: look forward to a new temple and a new time
S2: of blessing? Though the delegation from Bethel only mentioned the
S2: fasts of the fifth month in chapter seven, the larger
S2: context lets us know they had the entire year long
S2: cycle of fasts in mind. God's response through Zechariah involved
S2: both a rebuke and a promise blessing. First, the rebuke
S2: when you fasted and mourn for the past 70 years,
S2: was it really for me that you fasted and when
S2: you were eating and drinking, were you not just feasting
S2: for yourselves? God peered into the hearts and minds of
S2: the people to uncover the real motives for their actions.
S2: Though they claimed that both their fasts and their feasts
S2: were done to honor God, they had really been done
S2: for the benefit of. The people themselves. Their attitude needed
S2: an adjustment from God's original message to the people prior
S2: to the Babylonian captivity, all the way up to the
S2: message from Zechariah and the other prophets in his day.
S2: God's expectations hadn't changed. This is what the Lord Almighty
S2: says administer true justice. Show mercy and compassion to one another.
S2: Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien
S2: or the poor in your hearts. Do not think evil
S2: of each other. A person's attitude of obedience to God
S2: will show up in how they treat those around them,
S2: especially those who are struggling and needy. God says that
S2: when he called to the earlier generation, they did not listen.
S2: So when they called, I would not listen. I scattered
S2: them with a whirlwind among all the nations where they
S2: were strangers. The message to the people in Zechariah's day
S2: was obvious don't go down the same road as your ancestors.
S2: God's rebuke is then followed by his promised blessing. I
S2: will return to Zion and dwell in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem
S2: will be called the city of truth, and the mountain
S2: of the Lord Almighty will be called the Holy Mountain.
S2: I will save my people from the countries of the
S2: East and the West. I will bring them back to
S2: live in Jerusalem. They will be my people, and I
S2: will be faithful and righteous to them as their God.
S2: And what about the different months with fasts? The fast
S2: of the fourth, fifth, seventh and 10th months will become
S2: joyful and glad occasions and happy festivals for Judah. Therefore love, truth,
S2: and peace. God promises that Judah's days of infamy will
S2: someday become days of joy and gladness. But what does
S2: any of this have to do with us today? Well,
S2: we're coming into our own time of celebration when we
S2: focus on the birth of Jesus. But sadly, this can
S2: be a time of family stress, financial pressures, unfulfilled expectations,
S2: and even sadness and loneliness. We can get so busy
S2: focusing on the mechanics of the season decorations, parties, cards
S2: and gifts that we lose sight of, the one whose
S2: birth were celebrating and the attitude that he wants us
S2: to display toward others. Paul said it best in Philippians
S2: to do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit,
S2: but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of
S2: you should look not to your own interests, but also
S2: to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the
S2: same as that of Christ Jesus, who, being in the
S2: very nature of God, did not consider equality with God
S2: something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the
S2: very nature of a servant being made in human likeness
S2: and being found in appearance as a man, he humbled
S2: himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross.
S2: This December, let's focus less on all the activities and
S2: more on demonstrating mercy, compassion and joy to others. Smile
S2: at the harried store workers and wish them a heartfelt
S2: Merry Christmas. Put something in the Salvation Army collection kettle
S2: and thank the volunteers for giving of their time. Turn
S2: your stress on its head by deliberately focusing on being
S2: a blessing to others, rather than satisfying yourself. Over the
S2: next three weeks, work to make each day one that
S2: will be remembered by those you meet as a time
S2: of blessing, rather than a day that lives on in infamy.
S1: Great passage and great application. Thank you Charlie. Let's hang
S1: on to that all season long. Our time is gone,
S1: but we want to say thank you to you for
S1: listening to the land of the book. Thank you to
S1: this station for providing airtime. I'm John Geiger for our host,
S1: Charlie Dyer. The land in the book is a production
S1: of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.