1 00:00:08,160 --> 00:00:11,280 S1: Just who was Mary Magdalene in the Bible? You know, 2 00:00:11,320 --> 00:00:14,160 S1: one touch from Jesus, and she was never the same. 3 00:00:14,440 --> 00:00:17,279 S1: Her new mission in life was to serve the one 4 00:00:17,280 --> 00:00:20,200 S1: who set her free. Well, on today's broadcast, you'll meet 5 00:00:20,200 --> 00:00:24,840 S1: Mary Magdalene in a fascinating conversation with Jill Ileene Smith. Plus, 6 00:00:24,840 --> 00:00:27,720 S1: we'll unwrap the mystery of the Cyrus Cylinder. You say? 7 00:00:27,720 --> 00:00:30,200 S1: What's that? You'll find out. And while we're at it, 8 00:00:30,240 --> 00:00:32,320 S1: we'll try to unwrap some of the mysteries that you've 9 00:00:32,360 --> 00:00:35,960 S1: encountered as you read Scripture. Welcome to the land and 10 00:00:35,960 --> 00:00:39,200 S1: the book with Old Testament scholar and Israel expert Doctor 11 00:00:39,200 --> 00:00:42,680 S1: Charlie Dyer. I'm John Gager, and you know, Charlie Passover 12 00:00:42,680 --> 00:00:44,920 S1: will soon be upon us. And one of the traditional 13 00:00:44,920 --> 00:00:48,200 S1: Passover questions is, hey, what makes this night different from 14 00:00:48,200 --> 00:00:51,599 S1: all others? Well, Passover is an important biblical holiday that 15 00:00:51,600 --> 00:00:55,200 S1: has great meaning for Jewish people and believers in Jesus. 16 00:00:55,440 --> 00:00:58,200 S1: And it seems like this is a great question to ask, right, Charlie? 17 00:00:58,360 --> 00:01:00,790 S2: Oh, absolutely, John. And if you want to know more 18 00:01:00,790 --> 00:01:03,670 S2: about what makes Passover so special. Well, our friends at 19 00:01:03,670 --> 00:01:06,270 S2: Life in Messiah are offering to mail you a free 20 00:01:06,270 --> 00:01:10,069 S2: copy of their Messianic Passover Haggadah. The booklet will lead 21 00:01:10,069 --> 00:01:12,750 S2: you through the celebration of Passover to see the rich 22 00:01:12,750 --> 00:01:16,350 S2: connections to Jesus, our Messiah, and the Last Supper. You'll 23 00:01:16,350 --> 00:01:19,750 S2: also receive a link for an interactive Passover Seder video 24 00:01:19,990 --> 00:01:23,069 S2: with the Haggadah on video. You can celebrate Passover this 25 00:01:23,069 --> 00:01:25,830 S2: year with your family and friends. Now to get this 26 00:01:25,830 --> 00:01:29,270 S2: free offer, just go to Life in Messiah org and 27 00:01:29,270 --> 00:01:31,990 S2: click on the radio button to find out more and 28 00:01:31,990 --> 00:01:34,550 S2: to request your copy. That's life in. 29 00:01:36,310 --> 00:01:38,670 S1: Its segment one of the land and the book with 30 00:01:38,670 --> 00:01:41,270 S1: our host, Charlie Dyer. We're looking at current events based 31 00:01:41,270 --> 00:01:44,590 S1: in the Middle East. Well, March 28th was the final 32 00:01:44,590 --> 00:01:48,310 S1: Friday of Ramadan, but it was also international cuts, or 33 00:01:48,310 --> 00:01:52,430 S1: Jerusalem Day, when Iran backed allies marched to call for 34 00:01:52,430 --> 00:01:56,270 S1: Israel's annihilation. As the month of Ramadan drew to an end, 35 00:01:56,310 --> 00:02:00,020 S1: what's been happening in the conflict between Iran, Israel and 36 00:02:00,020 --> 00:02:01,060 S1: the United States. 37 00:02:01,420 --> 00:02:04,180 S2: Yeah. You know, International Quds Day serves as a reminder 38 00:02:04,180 --> 00:02:08,980 S2: that Iran's leadership is actively committed to Israel's destruction and 39 00:02:08,980 --> 00:02:13,060 S2: has been since the ayatollahs took over there back in 1979. 40 00:02:13,300 --> 00:02:17,060 S2: This was actually the 46th year of that event. So 41 00:02:17,060 --> 00:02:19,740 S2: what's been happening over the last few weeks? Well, a 42 00:02:19,740 --> 00:02:25,019 S2: recent U.S. intelligence report said Iran isn't building a nuclear weapon. However, 43 00:02:25,020 --> 00:02:29,220 S2: that report is misleading. Iran is not currently constructing a 44 00:02:29,220 --> 00:02:32,260 S2: nuclear bomb, but they're preparing all the elements for that 45 00:02:32,260 --> 00:02:36,299 S2: to be assembled. Power plants and hospitals use uranium enriched 46 00:02:36,300 --> 00:02:40,620 S2: to between 3 and 5%. Iran now has £600 of 47 00:02:40,660 --> 00:02:45,139 S2: uranium enriched to a purity level of 60%. At that level, 48 00:02:45,139 --> 00:02:47,100 S2: it would only take around a week or so to 49 00:02:47,139 --> 00:02:50,420 S2: further enrich it to 90%, which would give them sufficient 50 00:02:50,460 --> 00:02:54,739 S2: uranium to produce 5 or 6 nuclear weapons. What isn't 51 00:02:54,780 --> 00:02:57,370 S2: known is how far along Iran is in developing the 52 00:02:57,370 --> 00:03:01,690 S2: technology to actually fashion and construct a nuclear device, but 53 00:03:01,690 --> 00:03:05,490 S2: they've spent decades working on those details. Now, 70 years ago, 54 00:03:05,490 --> 00:03:07,850 S2: it took the US just a few months to build 55 00:03:07,850 --> 00:03:11,929 S2: the first atomic bombs. Once we had sufficient uranium and plutonium. 56 00:03:12,169 --> 00:03:15,570 S2: Iran already has the missile technology to deliver a nuclear 57 00:03:15,570 --> 00:03:18,570 S2: bomb several thousand miles, putting all the Middle East and 58 00:03:18,570 --> 00:03:21,730 S2: most of Europe within range. So they might not yet 59 00:03:21,770 --> 00:03:24,770 S2: actually be building a nuclear bomb, but the timeline for 60 00:03:24,770 --> 00:03:27,889 S2: doing so is incredibly short once they make the decision 61 00:03:27,889 --> 00:03:31,730 S2: to do so. President Trump issued an ultimatum in early March, 62 00:03:31,770 --> 00:03:34,970 S2: giving Iran 60 days to enter into negotiations on a 63 00:03:34,970 --> 00:03:38,450 S2: new nuclear treaty. And this past week, the US moved 64 00:03:38,450 --> 00:03:41,770 S2: a group of B-2 stealth bombers and other aircraft to 65 00:03:41,810 --> 00:03:46,330 S2: a base in the Indian Ocean. What's unclear, probably deliberately so, 66 00:03:46,450 --> 00:03:48,810 S2: is if these bombers are there to attack the Houthis 67 00:03:48,810 --> 00:03:52,050 S2: in Yemen or the nuclear sites in Iran. But the 68 00:03:52,050 --> 00:03:54,810 S2: president did threaten to bomb Iran if they refused to 69 00:03:54,810 --> 00:03:57,840 S2: make a deal suggesting the planes might be a warning 70 00:03:57,880 --> 00:04:00,800 S2: to them. A second aircraft carrier is also on its 71 00:04:00,840 --> 00:04:03,720 S2: way to the region, adding additional support for a possible 72 00:04:03,720 --> 00:04:07,360 S2: US strike. Iran responded with threats to US bases in 73 00:04:07,360 --> 00:04:10,880 S2: the region. They also unveiled an underground missile base that 74 00:04:10,880 --> 00:04:14,840 S2: they claim housed thousands of ballistic and precision guided missiles, 75 00:04:14,840 --> 00:04:17,680 S2: and they've said they've already installed the missiles on their launchers. 76 00:04:17,920 --> 00:04:20,960 S2: Both sides are engaged in saber rattling, but there are 77 00:04:20,960 --> 00:04:24,640 S2: also possible hints at a willingness to negotiate. But the 78 00:04:24,640 --> 00:04:27,160 S2: time is starting to run out. We'll probably know in 79 00:04:27,400 --> 00:04:30,880 S2: about another month whether something's going to happen for peace 80 00:04:30,880 --> 00:04:31,680 S2: or for war. 81 00:04:32,040 --> 00:04:34,520 S1: That's Doctor Charlie Dyer. This is the land and the book. 82 00:04:34,520 --> 00:04:37,320 S1: I'm John Gage. We're looking at current events based in 83 00:04:37,320 --> 00:04:41,280 S1: the Middle East. Israeli archaeologists have been excavating a 2200 84 00:04:41,320 --> 00:04:44,520 S1: year old pyramid near the southern end of the Dead Sea. 85 00:04:44,640 --> 00:04:47,680 S1: What exactly is the structure being uncovered? What's it for? 86 00:04:47,680 --> 00:04:49,360 S1: What might have been its purpose? 87 00:04:49,720 --> 00:04:50,919 S2: Yeah, this is one of those where you have to 88 00:04:50,920 --> 00:04:52,880 S2: read it a little bit below the the headlines to 89 00:04:52,920 --> 00:04:55,540 S2: get all the details. Uh, Those who've been to Israel 90 00:04:55,540 --> 00:04:57,500 S2: and stayed down at the southern end of the Dead Sea, 91 00:04:57,540 --> 00:05:00,059 S2: and the hotels there, may have seen the general area 92 00:05:00,060 --> 00:05:02,580 S2: where this discovery was made. On the drive from the 93 00:05:02,580 --> 00:05:05,900 S2: Dead Sea toward Arad and Beersheba, the bus climbs up 94 00:05:05,900 --> 00:05:08,099 S2: into the wilderness, and along the way there are several 95 00:05:08,100 --> 00:05:10,940 S2: spots where you can look back to view the Dead Sea. 96 00:05:11,339 --> 00:05:14,540 S2: That's the area where this discovery was made. But someone 97 00:05:14,540 --> 00:05:17,020 S2: looking for a pyramid like the ones in Egypt would 98 00:05:17,020 --> 00:05:21,339 S2: be disappointed. The pyramid like structure found here is about 99 00:05:21,339 --> 00:05:25,860 S2: 19ft tall and blends in with the surrounding rock. Originally, 100 00:05:25,860 --> 00:05:29,140 S2: the structure was a tower or a building that likely 101 00:05:29,140 --> 00:05:33,260 S2: guarded the roadway from Edom, past the Dead Sea toward Gaza. 102 00:05:33,779 --> 00:05:39,020 S2: So far, the excavators have uncovered papyrus fragments, wooden tools, fabrics, 103 00:05:39,020 --> 00:05:43,380 S2: and coins from the Hellenistic period, sometime after the structure 104 00:05:43,380 --> 00:05:47,460 S2: collapsed or was abandoned. The ruins were then reused by 105 00:05:47,460 --> 00:05:50,860 S2: someone who fashioned it into a monumental grave for himself. 106 00:05:51,180 --> 00:05:54,810 S2: While some artifacts from the grave were also discovered. The 107 00:05:54,810 --> 00:05:58,210 S2: grave must have been looted a long time ago. Excavations 108 00:05:58,210 --> 00:06:01,010 S2: at the site are continuing, so we'll provide an update 109 00:06:01,010 --> 00:06:03,610 S2: should anything else of significance be discovered. 110 00:06:03,650 --> 00:06:05,409 S1: How tall is this thing, do you think, Charlie? 111 00:06:05,490 --> 00:06:08,609 S2: They say 19ft. So just under 20ft tall. But, uh, 112 00:06:08,610 --> 00:06:11,050 S2: you know, it's so rocky in that area. It just 113 00:06:11,050 --> 00:06:14,250 S2: looks like all the other rocks in the area. But, 114 00:06:14,290 --> 00:06:16,490 S2: you know, as as they've explored over time, they did 115 00:06:16,490 --> 00:06:18,570 S2: notice it was, you know, man made these rocks have 116 00:06:18,570 --> 00:06:21,250 S2: been piled up. And then finally somebody decided, well, let's 117 00:06:21,250 --> 00:06:22,530 S2: take a look and see what's there. 118 00:06:23,010 --> 00:06:25,690 S1: Well, several news outlets in Israel reported on the release 119 00:06:25,690 --> 00:06:29,529 S1: of CIA documents suggesting the discovery of the Ark of 120 00:06:29,529 --> 00:06:32,250 S1: the covenant. Are these reports credible, or was that just 121 00:06:32,250 --> 00:06:33,969 S1: an April Fool's Day joke? 122 00:06:34,250 --> 00:06:36,890 S2: You know, if this story had appeared on April 1st, 123 00:06:37,050 --> 00:06:38,890 S2: I would have just assumed it was an April Fool's 124 00:06:38,890 --> 00:06:42,089 S2: Day joke, but it actually was published before April 1st. 125 00:06:42,490 --> 00:06:46,010 S2: The essence of the story is that declassified government documents 126 00:06:46,010 --> 00:06:50,330 S2: from 1988 show the CIA conducting a secret project to 127 00:06:50,370 --> 00:06:54,480 S2: test the possibility of using ESP or other psychic powers 128 00:06:54,480 --> 00:06:57,000 S2: to locate the Ark of the covenant. Kind of thinking 129 00:06:57,000 --> 00:06:58,800 S2: of the theme from the Raiders of the Lost Ark 130 00:06:58,839 --> 00:07:01,960 S2: at this point. But during the experiment, the term Ark 131 00:07:01,960 --> 00:07:05,080 S2: of the covenant was written down. Placed in an envelope 132 00:07:05,279 --> 00:07:08,040 S2: and then a remote, viewers were asked to identify and 133 00:07:08,040 --> 00:07:12,240 S2: locate the object. Without knowing what it was. During the experiment, 134 00:07:12,240 --> 00:07:16,560 S2: one individual described a container made of wood, gold, or silver, 135 00:07:16,600 --> 00:07:19,720 S2: similar in shape to a coffin adorned with images of 136 00:07:19,720 --> 00:07:23,840 S2: six winged angels. The individual also said the object was hidden. 137 00:07:23,880 --> 00:07:30,000 S2: They said subterranean, dark, wet, suggesting it still exists, though concealed. So, 138 00:07:30,040 --> 00:07:31,400 S2: you know, really, what are we to make of these 139 00:07:31,400 --> 00:07:35,080 S2: reports and this experiment? Well, I got three quick thoughts. First, 140 00:07:35,280 --> 00:07:37,560 S2: this could simply be a case of a lucky guess 141 00:07:37,560 --> 00:07:41,200 S2: by someone with an overactive imagination. Remember Raiders of the 142 00:07:41,200 --> 00:07:44,679 S2: Lost Ark? The movie was released in 1981, and filming 143 00:07:44,680 --> 00:07:47,760 S2: was underway for the 1989 sequel at the time of 144 00:07:47,760 --> 00:07:51,350 S2: this experiment. Now, when asked to find something that was lost. 145 00:07:51,350 --> 00:07:53,590 S2: It's possible the person simply thought of the Ark of 146 00:07:53,590 --> 00:07:56,670 S2: the covenant because of the movie. That second thought there 147 00:07:56,670 --> 00:08:00,670 S2: could be something more sinister here. Demonic influence Satan and 148 00:08:00,670 --> 00:08:04,510 S2: his forces can work through so-called psychic powers to reveal 149 00:08:04,510 --> 00:08:07,590 S2: things that almost seem like ESP, and that's why we're 150 00:08:07,630 --> 00:08:11,070 S2: to avoid things like that. My third thought, and here's 151 00:08:11,070 --> 00:08:13,350 S2: what I think we really need to remember. None of 152 00:08:13,350 --> 00:08:16,390 S2: this proves the existence of the real Ark of the covenant. 153 00:08:16,390 --> 00:08:19,470 S2: In Jeremiah 316, God said, in the last days, men 154 00:08:19,510 --> 00:08:21,990 S2: will no longer say, the ark of the covenant of 155 00:08:21,990 --> 00:08:24,510 S2: the Lord. It won't enter their minds or be remembered. 156 00:08:24,510 --> 00:08:27,670 S2: It won't be missed, nor will another one be made. 157 00:08:27,910 --> 00:08:30,230 S2: You know when the glory of the Lord left the temple, 158 00:08:30,270 --> 00:08:32,630 S2: the ark became nothing more than a gold covered box. 159 00:08:32,630 --> 00:08:34,910 S2: So it's not hidden in a warehouse in the Middle 160 00:08:34,910 --> 00:08:38,110 S2: East or in Washington, D.C., or anywhere else, according to 161 00:08:38,110 --> 00:08:38,750 S2: the Bible. 162 00:08:38,790 --> 00:08:41,750 S1: Yeah. Well, haven't you said before you your best suspicion 163 00:08:41,750 --> 00:08:44,030 S1: is that it is long gone. It deteriorated. 164 00:08:44,309 --> 00:08:46,429 S2: Yeah. Again, when God's glory left, it was just a 165 00:08:46,429 --> 00:08:49,780 S2: wooden box taken to Babylon. And with all the gold 166 00:08:49,780 --> 00:08:52,179 S2: that was used in it, it was melted down. And 167 00:08:52,179 --> 00:08:53,579 S2: I don't think we're going to see it. The real 168 00:08:53,580 --> 00:08:56,460 S2: one is in heaven. We know that the copy is 169 00:08:56,460 --> 00:08:57,580 S2: no longer with us. 170 00:08:58,140 --> 00:09:01,860 S1: Israeli researchers have uncovered the equivalent of a genetic on 171 00:09:01,860 --> 00:09:04,459 S1: off switch that they believe could help pave the way 172 00:09:04,460 --> 00:09:07,940 S1: for new treatments of some diseases. How exactly does this 173 00:09:07,940 --> 00:09:10,660 S1: latest innovation from amazing Israel work, Charlie? 174 00:09:10,860 --> 00:09:13,420 S2: Yeah, this seems to be so far beyond my pay grade, 175 00:09:13,420 --> 00:09:16,100 S2: but I found it just fascinating in the process of 176 00:09:16,100 --> 00:09:20,740 S2: mapping DNA methylation, a process where a small chemical tag 177 00:09:20,900 --> 00:09:23,740 S2: is attached to a specific part of a DNA molecule. 178 00:09:23,940 --> 00:09:28,340 S2: Israeli researchers gain insight into how genes are turned on 179 00:09:28,340 --> 00:09:33,500 S2: and off. The researchers identified more than 34,000 genomic regions 180 00:09:33,500 --> 00:09:37,700 S2: with distinct on off methylation patterns, many of which vary 181 00:09:37,700 --> 00:09:41,380 S2: depending on the cell type. They also discovered previously unknown 182 00:09:41,380 --> 00:09:45,179 S2: imprinting effects, where genes can be expressed differently depending on 183 00:09:45,179 --> 00:09:47,980 S2: whether they're inherited from the mother or the father. The 184 00:09:48,090 --> 00:09:52,329 S2: research opens up wide ranging possibilities for understanding the molecular 185 00:09:52,330 --> 00:09:55,570 S2: basis of genetic diseases. One of the most immediate benefits 186 00:09:55,570 --> 00:09:58,890 S2: could be the development of more accurate diagnostic tests for 187 00:09:58,890 --> 00:10:02,650 S2: diseases like cancer or other genetic disorders. It also holds 188 00:10:02,650 --> 00:10:06,689 S2: out promise for age related diseases like Alzheimer's. The Bible 189 00:10:06,690 --> 00:10:09,210 S2: tells us that we are fearfully and wonderfully made, and 190 00:10:09,210 --> 00:10:12,650 S2: this research from Amazing Israel shines a spotlight on one 191 00:10:12,690 --> 00:10:15,730 S2: aspect of God's creation of our bodies that could someday 192 00:10:15,770 --> 00:10:19,290 S2: lead to new, life changing advances in medicine. All thanks 193 00:10:19,290 --> 00:10:23,410 S2: to these dedicated doctors and scientists and researchers from Hebrew 194 00:10:23,450 --> 00:10:26,130 S2: University and Hadassah Medical Center. 195 00:10:26,170 --> 00:10:28,250 S1: Thank you Charlie. And that's a look at current events. 196 00:10:28,250 --> 00:10:30,770 S1: I'm curious, what is the Cyrus cylinder we'll be talking 197 00:10:30,770 --> 00:10:31,690 S1: about later on? 198 00:10:31,770 --> 00:10:34,329 S2: Well, it was actually a cylinder found in Iran that 199 00:10:34,370 --> 00:10:37,689 S2: helps explain Isaiah 44 and his mention of Cyrus. 200 00:10:37,730 --> 00:10:41,130 S1: Okay, biblical evidence there in archaeology, but much more to 201 00:10:41,170 --> 00:10:44,050 S1: come on today's program before we get there, including our 202 00:10:44,050 --> 00:10:48,040 S1: conversation with Jill Eileen Smith about Mary Magdalene. Just who 203 00:10:48,040 --> 00:10:51,280 S1: was she? Why does her life matter still today? That's 204 00:10:51,280 --> 00:10:54,520 S1: all ahead on today's edition of The Land and the book. 205 00:11:08,960 --> 00:11:13,040 S1: All Mary has ever known is fear and loss. Until 206 00:11:13,040 --> 00:11:17,360 S1: she uncovers a rabbi different than all the others. One 207 00:11:17,360 --> 00:11:20,400 S1: touch from Jesus. And she is never the same. Her 208 00:11:20,400 --> 00:11:22,280 S1: new mission in life is to serve the one who 209 00:11:22,280 --> 00:11:25,600 S1: set her free. But when the unthinkable happens, she must 210 00:11:25,600 --> 00:11:29,599 S1: fight not to descend into darkness once again. If you're curious, 211 00:11:29,600 --> 00:11:33,120 S1: we're talking about Mary Magdalene, the woman you've met in Scripture, 212 00:11:33,120 --> 00:11:35,720 S1: and today you're about to meet her in person. Through 213 00:11:35,720 --> 00:11:38,959 S1: the research and imagination of Jill Eileen Smith, this is 214 00:11:38,960 --> 00:11:41,920 S1: the land and the book, by the way. I'm John Gager, 215 00:11:41,920 --> 00:11:43,760 S1: inviting you to pause with me now for a quick 216 00:11:43,760 --> 00:11:46,699 S1: idea on what it could really look like to love 217 00:11:46,700 --> 00:11:51,420 S1: on our Jewish friends and neighbors. Opportunities to share Yeshua 218 00:11:51,420 --> 00:11:54,660 S1: with your Jewish friends come in all kinds of shapes 219 00:11:54,660 --> 00:11:58,060 S1: and sizes. Beth Evelyn's got a great story. She serves 220 00:11:58,059 --> 00:12:01,260 S1: on staff at Olive Tree Congregation in suburban Chicago. Beth. 221 00:12:01,700 --> 00:12:03,980 S3: One day I was talking on the phone with someone 222 00:12:03,980 --> 00:12:07,860 S3: from technical support about my computer. And when he saw 223 00:12:08,020 --> 00:12:10,260 S3: the name of our congregation, he started speaking to me 224 00:12:10,260 --> 00:12:13,380 S3: in Hebrew. Well, I don't speak Hebrew, but I did 225 00:12:13,420 --> 00:12:15,820 S3: take the opportunity to explain to him that we are 226 00:12:16,340 --> 00:12:19,619 S3: a congregation of Jewish people who believe in Jesus, and 227 00:12:19,660 --> 00:12:23,300 S3: he had not really explored that very much. And so 228 00:12:23,300 --> 00:12:26,740 S3: we talked about it a little bit more. And because 229 00:12:26,740 --> 00:12:28,940 S3: he was on the phone, I thought, well, I need 230 00:12:28,940 --> 00:12:31,660 S3: to give him some resources. So I directed him to 231 00:12:31,700 --> 00:12:36,300 S3: the website In Search of Shalom, which is a website 232 00:12:36,300 --> 00:12:41,500 S3: that has a lot of Jewish believers testimonies on video. 233 00:12:41,820 --> 00:12:44,770 S3: And so you can direct Jewish people there, and they 234 00:12:44,770 --> 00:12:47,089 S3: can go in the privacy of their own home and 235 00:12:47,090 --> 00:12:51,050 S3: watch these videos of people who have powerful testimonies. And 236 00:12:51,050 --> 00:12:52,370 S3: they're all Jewish believers. 237 00:12:52,370 --> 00:12:53,530 S1: In search of shalom. 238 00:12:54,170 --> 00:12:54,569 S3: Yes. 239 00:12:54,610 --> 00:12:57,490 S1: Great resource for somebody that's maybe just with tech support 240 00:12:57,530 --> 00:13:00,610 S1: on the phone. Thoughts there from Beth Taplin, who's with 241 00:13:00,610 --> 00:13:03,650 S1: Olive Tree Congregation here on the land and the book. 242 00:13:05,170 --> 00:13:08,770 S1: Jill Ileene Smith loves Jesus, loves his word and all 243 00:13:08,770 --> 00:13:11,570 S1: things related to learning more about the culture and times 244 00:13:11,570 --> 00:13:14,410 S1: of the people of the Bible, particularly the women whom 245 00:13:14,410 --> 00:13:17,569 S1: God has immortalized there. She's the best selling and award 246 00:13:17,610 --> 00:13:21,330 S1: winning author of many biblical novels, including her first series, 247 00:13:21,330 --> 00:13:23,690 S1: The Wives of King David. It's Great to Have you 248 00:13:23,690 --> 00:13:25,050 S1: on the land and the book, Jill. 249 00:13:25,490 --> 00:13:27,010 S4: Well, thanks for having me, John. 250 00:13:27,050 --> 00:13:29,770 S1: Well, we're here to meet the subject of your newest release, 251 00:13:29,770 --> 00:13:33,090 S1: Dawn of Grace, Mary Magdalene's story. Let me start by 252 00:13:33,090 --> 00:13:35,050 S1: asking you what drew you to the story of Mary 253 00:13:35,050 --> 00:13:36,810 S1: Magdalene in the first place? 254 00:13:37,530 --> 00:13:41,569 S4: Oh, boy. Well, I had written about almost all of 255 00:13:41,610 --> 00:13:46,120 S4: the major Old Testament women, and I wanted to come 256 00:13:46,120 --> 00:13:50,480 S4: up with more to write because I still had that desire. 257 00:13:50,480 --> 00:13:54,960 S4: I believe God created me with that desire to write 258 00:13:54,960 --> 00:13:57,920 S4: these stories. So I switched to the New Testament, and 259 00:13:57,920 --> 00:14:01,520 S4: then it was like, okay, who? And it's more like 260 00:14:01,520 --> 00:14:04,800 S4: which one was most interesting to me, and she was 261 00:14:04,800 --> 00:14:07,960 S4: one of them. So she was the first one. I 262 00:14:07,960 --> 00:14:11,240 S4: have two more coming down the road in the New Testament. 263 00:14:11,240 --> 00:14:14,320 S1: So great. Hey, do you think that we give Mary 264 00:14:14,360 --> 00:14:17,640 S1: Magdalene the spotlight in Scripture that she deserves? Have we 265 00:14:17,679 --> 00:14:20,840 S1: have we taken the time to really understand her? Why 266 00:14:20,880 --> 00:14:22,000 S1: or why not? 267 00:14:22,840 --> 00:14:26,360 S4: You know, as a culture worldwide, I think there's a 268 00:14:26,360 --> 00:14:30,320 S4: lot of misunderstanding about Mary Magdalene. And I remember doing 269 00:14:30,320 --> 00:14:32,800 S4: some research and I won't be able to quote the 270 00:14:32,800 --> 00:14:35,760 S4: guy's name exactly, but I think he was a pope 271 00:14:35,760 --> 00:14:39,400 S4: or a bishop or someone years and years ago who 272 00:14:39,440 --> 00:14:43,350 S4: kind of combined some of the different women in Scripture, like, 273 00:14:43,390 --> 00:14:46,550 S4: you know, the sinful woman that weeps at Jesus feet 274 00:14:46,550 --> 00:14:50,710 S4: or whatever, and kind of made the unnamed women part 275 00:14:50,710 --> 00:14:54,630 S4: of Mary Magdalene's story, and that's where she got the idea, 276 00:14:54,670 --> 00:14:57,430 S4: or we got as a world, whatever the idea, she 277 00:14:57,430 --> 00:15:00,590 S4: was a prostitute or the wife of Jesus, which is 278 00:15:00,590 --> 00:15:04,230 S4: a heretical thing going on. But the Bible clearly says 279 00:15:04,230 --> 00:15:07,190 S4: she was delivered of seven demons. That's all he tells us. 280 00:15:07,190 --> 00:15:10,630 S4: And then she helped support Jesus out of her means. 281 00:15:11,110 --> 00:15:14,070 S4: So that made me pause and go, well, how did 282 00:15:14,070 --> 00:15:17,630 S4: she get that money? You know, where did she have means? 283 00:15:17,950 --> 00:15:20,670 S4: Was she wealthy? Was she? I mean, I've read all 284 00:15:20,670 --> 00:15:23,430 S4: kinds of books on her. Some people think she was 285 00:15:23,430 --> 00:15:27,870 S4: older because she's named first a lot in Scripture, but 286 00:15:27,870 --> 00:15:30,750 S4: that doesn't mean for sure. She might have just been 287 00:15:30,750 --> 00:15:34,750 S4: the leader because she had a leadership ability, you know. 288 00:15:34,790 --> 00:15:38,670 S4: And I think the demon possession thing is something we 289 00:15:38,710 --> 00:15:43,780 S4: don't really understand in our culture, so we don't. I 290 00:15:43,820 --> 00:15:46,820 S4: guess maybe we just think of her more easily as 291 00:15:46,820 --> 00:15:49,380 S4: a prostitute. Yeah, but no, I think we need to 292 00:15:49,420 --> 00:15:54,860 S4: understand that because there's a lot of people with serious 293 00:15:54,860 --> 00:15:58,580 S4: mental issues in our world and a lot of evil, 294 00:15:58,580 --> 00:16:01,860 S4: and you can imagine the evil that goes on. You 295 00:16:01,860 --> 00:16:06,220 S4: have to ask yourself, is that someone who's just mentally ill, 296 00:16:06,260 --> 00:16:09,580 S4: or is there a demon situation going on like there 297 00:16:09,580 --> 00:16:11,580 S4: was back in Jesus day? There was a lot of 298 00:16:11,580 --> 00:16:14,740 S4: demon possession then, and I don't have any doubt that 299 00:16:14,740 --> 00:16:16,380 S4: there still exists today. 300 00:16:16,420 --> 00:16:19,340 S1: Yeah. Today on the land and the book An Unusual 301 00:16:19,340 --> 00:16:24,820 S1: Conversation About Mary Magdalene with Jill Eileen Smith describe Mary's 302 00:16:24,860 --> 00:16:29,180 S1: struggles as best we can conjecture. Obviously, she's been delivered 303 00:16:29,180 --> 00:16:33,900 S1: from this, uh, being indwelt by unclean spirits, demons. I mean, 304 00:16:33,900 --> 00:16:35,860 S1: that has to leave some scars, though, perhaps. What do 305 00:16:35,860 --> 00:16:37,420 S1: you think are her her struggles? 306 00:16:38,220 --> 00:16:41,170 S4: Well, I think if it was me, you know, and 307 00:16:41,170 --> 00:16:46,650 S4: I'd been really sick or had a really oppressed, something 308 00:16:46,690 --> 00:16:51,369 S4: oppressed me for a really long time, like she did, um, 309 00:16:52,130 --> 00:16:54,490 S4: whom the son sets free is free indeed, but that 310 00:16:54,490 --> 00:16:59,930 S4: doesn't mean she felt it. I envisioned her as relieved 311 00:16:59,930 --> 00:17:04,050 S4: to be free of the demons, but it's kind of like, 312 00:17:04,090 --> 00:17:06,570 S4: are they going to stay away? You know, I felt 313 00:17:06,570 --> 00:17:09,770 S4: like that she could have a fear that if I 314 00:17:09,770 --> 00:17:14,889 S4: don't stay close to Jesus, I'm susceptible. Especially when Jesus 315 00:17:14,890 --> 00:17:18,170 S4: told that parable. If she heard it about, you know, 316 00:17:18,210 --> 00:17:22,450 S4: if a house has got a man's got demon possessed 317 00:17:22,450 --> 00:17:25,770 S4: and the demons are cast out and he doesn't clean 318 00:17:25,770 --> 00:17:28,609 S4: his house up or whatever, the demons come back, find 319 00:17:28,609 --> 00:17:33,250 S4: it all swept, but there's nothing to replace them. He's like, 320 00:17:33,930 --> 00:17:35,570 S4: I can't. I'm not quoting it exactly. 321 00:17:35,650 --> 00:17:38,000 S1: His condition, his condition, in the end, is worse than 322 00:17:38,000 --> 00:17:38,800 S1: in the beginning. 323 00:17:38,840 --> 00:17:42,480 S4: Right, right. And so that if she heard that, I mean, 324 00:17:42,520 --> 00:17:44,640 S4: she could think, well, could they come back? I mean, 325 00:17:44,680 --> 00:17:47,040 S4: those kind of questions went through my mind. So I 326 00:17:47,040 --> 00:17:52,160 S4: just envisioned her devotion, and she was the most devoted 327 00:17:52,480 --> 00:17:56,240 S4: of all the followers. She would not leave his side 328 00:17:56,440 --> 00:17:59,560 S4: at the crucifixion. She had to know where he was buried. 329 00:17:59,840 --> 00:18:03,040 S4: And Scripture, if you read the Gospels at the end, 330 00:18:03,600 --> 00:18:08,080 S4: indicates she may have gone to the tomb three times separately. Um, 331 00:18:08,119 --> 00:18:09,920 S4: you know, some people want to just say, oh, well, 332 00:18:09,920 --> 00:18:13,359 S4: this says it this way, but maybe she was the 333 00:18:13,359 --> 00:18:16,280 S4: first one up in the morning and then saw that 334 00:18:16,280 --> 00:18:18,760 S4: the tomb was open but ran back, you know, and 335 00:18:18,760 --> 00:18:21,920 S4: then came back with the women. We don't know for sure, 336 00:18:21,920 --> 00:18:25,639 S4: but I envisioned from what I studied that she made 337 00:18:25,640 --> 00:18:29,160 S4: three trips before Jesus said her name, and she knew 338 00:18:29,200 --> 00:18:30,080 S4: he was alive. 339 00:18:30,119 --> 00:18:32,400 S1: All right. I want to go to, uh, Mary Magdalene, 340 00:18:32,720 --> 00:18:35,480 S1: sort of the before Jesus model here for a minute 341 00:18:35,720 --> 00:18:38,910 S1: if she were alive today. This is the before Jesus, 342 00:18:38,910 --> 00:18:42,109 S1: Mary Magdalene. How would she dress? Where would she live? 343 00:18:42,109 --> 00:18:45,030 S1: What would somebody passing her on the street notice most 344 00:18:45,030 --> 00:18:46,230 S1: about Mary Magdalene? 345 00:18:46,910 --> 00:18:51,630 S4: I think she would have looked pretty ragged. I doubt 346 00:18:51,630 --> 00:18:55,070 S4: she was homeless because she had wealth, but she could 347 00:18:55,109 --> 00:18:59,190 S4: have been driven to the wilderness like the other demon 348 00:18:59,190 --> 00:19:03,390 S4: possessed people were. She may not have wanted to eat. 349 00:19:03,430 --> 00:19:05,630 S4: She could have lost a lot of weight. Her clothes 350 00:19:05,630 --> 00:19:09,150 S4: could have been in tatters. She could have been dirty 351 00:19:09,190 --> 00:19:13,750 S4: from not taking good care of herself. Because demons lead 352 00:19:13,750 --> 00:19:17,830 S4: you to do things according to scripture. Like cut yourself 353 00:19:17,869 --> 00:19:22,710 S4: trying to kill yourself, um, drive you to like what? 354 00:19:22,710 --> 00:19:27,310 S4: The wilderness areas be too strong to be controlled. People 355 00:19:27,310 --> 00:19:30,750 S4: may have feared her, and she may have kind of 356 00:19:30,790 --> 00:19:33,550 S4: just gone off to be alone, more than they would 357 00:19:33,590 --> 00:19:36,969 S4: have seen her very often. I wouldn't say she'd be 358 00:19:36,970 --> 00:19:39,770 S4: like the person living in a homeless encampment, but she 359 00:19:39,770 --> 00:19:43,010 S4: might be the homeless person living off all by herself 360 00:19:43,490 --> 00:19:47,290 S4: back in that day and coming and going. Maybe, you know, 361 00:19:47,330 --> 00:19:50,370 S4: I don't know. But that was how I see it now. 362 00:19:50,450 --> 00:19:52,490 S1: Try to imagine that moment, and I'm sure you did 363 00:19:52,490 --> 00:19:55,450 S1: in writing the book. What was it like for Mary 364 00:19:55,450 --> 00:19:59,369 S1: to discover that Christ was interested in her? Exclusively for 365 00:19:59,369 --> 00:20:02,570 S1: her benefit? For her healing? What was that moment like? 366 00:20:03,369 --> 00:20:06,650 S4: Well, can you just imagine him calling your name? I 367 00:20:06,690 --> 00:20:10,450 S4: get goosebumps when I think of that. Just hearing him 368 00:20:10,530 --> 00:20:15,369 S4: say Mary. And I know that may not mean much 369 00:20:15,369 --> 00:20:19,010 S4: to some people, but it's like someone finally knew her. 370 00:20:19,050 --> 00:20:23,330 S4: It's like the minute he touched her physically or just 371 00:20:23,330 --> 00:20:26,130 S4: with his words. We aren't sure how he healed or 372 00:20:26,130 --> 00:20:31,530 S4: it doesn't say, but that's transforming. To hear him actually 373 00:20:31,930 --> 00:20:34,760 S4: call you by name, you are mine. I know The 374 00:20:34,760 --> 00:20:38,760 S4: chosen depicts that moment and they used that verse. Um. 375 00:20:38,840 --> 00:20:40,880 S4: I have called you by name. You are mine. And 376 00:20:40,880 --> 00:20:44,440 S4: I think that it applies to anyone who's healed and 377 00:20:44,440 --> 00:20:47,600 S4: delivered by the Lord. And in her case, I think 378 00:20:47,600 --> 00:20:50,240 S4: it was very true. I didn't use it the same 379 00:20:50,240 --> 00:20:53,600 S4: way they did, but I think that she would have 380 00:20:53,600 --> 00:20:56,160 S4: just been transformed in an instant. 381 00:20:56,640 --> 00:20:59,320 S1: Jill Eileen Smith is the best selling and award winning 382 00:20:59,320 --> 00:21:02,800 S1: author of the biblical fiction series The Wives of King David, 383 00:21:02,800 --> 00:21:05,879 S1: wives of the Patriarchs and Daughters of the Promised Land, 384 00:21:05,880 --> 00:21:08,440 S1: along with many others. She joins us today on The 385 00:21:08,440 --> 00:21:10,919 S1: Land and the book we're talking about, Dawn of Grace. 386 00:21:11,080 --> 00:21:14,280 S1: Her newest release, looking at Mary Magdalene's story. What do 387 00:21:14,280 --> 00:21:16,959 S1: you think was the turning point for Mary? I mean, 388 00:21:17,000 --> 00:21:20,119 S1: she had lived life her own way for so long. Uh, 389 00:21:20,119 --> 00:21:22,800 S1: it was nice to hear her name called out by Jesus. 390 00:21:22,800 --> 00:21:26,800 S1: But why should she trust this carpenter from Nazareth named Jesus? 391 00:21:27,640 --> 00:21:30,920 S4: Well, if she knew the minute he touched her or 392 00:21:30,920 --> 00:21:34,070 S4: called her or told the demons to leave. However, he 393 00:21:34,070 --> 00:21:37,830 S4: did it when she would know they were gone. And 394 00:21:37,869 --> 00:21:41,670 S4: I mean, if you're healed so instantly, I think there'd 395 00:21:41,710 --> 00:21:45,389 S4: be a really strong trust factor after that and wanting 396 00:21:45,390 --> 00:21:48,270 S4: to be with him. I can't imagine that she wouldn't. 397 00:21:48,790 --> 00:21:52,070 S4: I know fear and doubt will still come into any 398 00:21:52,070 --> 00:21:55,830 S4: of our lives when God may answer a prayer or 399 00:21:55,869 --> 00:21:59,750 S4: heal us, or just at our salvation, depending on our age, 400 00:22:00,190 --> 00:22:03,150 S4: it might be still difficult. We're still human. We're going 401 00:22:03,190 --> 00:22:06,669 S4: to doubt, we're going to struggle. And I think she did. 402 00:22:06,710 --> 00:22:10,710 S4: But I also think that especially once he resurrected, then 403 00:22:10,710 --> 00:22:14,710 S4: she could have the Holy Spirit's power to truly be 404 00:22:14,710 --> 00:22:17,470 S4: stronger in her faith. But, you know, she would have 405 00:22:17,470 --> 00:22:21,709 S4: had to learn it as she went along after being healed. 406 00:22:22,270 --> 00:22:26,469 S1: You know, demon possession is no lightweight condition. And it 407 00:22:26,470 --> 00:22:29,429 S1: seems to me that if there was hope for Mary Magdalene, 408 00:22:29,430 --> 00:22:33,419 S1: then that says volumes about messed up people around the world. 409 00:22:33,420 --> 00:22:34,140 S1: Your thoughts? 410 00:22:34,540 --> 00:22:38,899 S4: Yeah, absolutely. In doing the research for that, it was 411 00:22:38,900 --> 00:22:42,660 S4: tough because I do know people that are mentally ill, 412 00:22:43,300 --> 00:22:46,420 S4: but I've never met a demon possessed person. So I 413 00:22:46,420 --> 00:22:49,659 S4: went to, um, fellow author Bill Myers, who wrote a 414 00:22:49,660 --> 00:22:54,780 S4: book about demon possession, because he had experience with that. 415 00:22:54,780 --> 00:22:57,540 S4: I can't remember the title right now, but it's in 416 00:22:57,540 --> 00:23:00,740 S4: my book. I acknowledge him. But anyway, that book was 417 00:23:00,740 --> 00:23:04,580 S4: very eye opening. And then I watched a movie, nefarious, 418 00:23:04,580 --> 00:23:07,700 S4: which was also very eye opening. It was all about 419 00:23:07,700 --> 00:23:11,859 S4: demon possession, and it was like, wow. So I tried 420 00:23:11,859 --> 00:23:16,180 S4: to be as, um, like take from those things of 421 00:23:16,180 --> 00:23:20,100 S4: people who, you know, had more firsthand experience and apply 422 00:23:20,100 --> 00:23:23,220 S4: it to the story. But like I said, I have 423 00:23:23,220 --> 00:23:26,460 S4: no doubt there is a lot of it still going around. 424 00:23:26,500 --> 00:23:31,090 S4: The unclean spirits and the all the anime. I don't 425 00:23:31,090 --> 00:23:34,530 S4: even like to call his name, but, um, he's doing 426 00:23:34,530 --> 00:23:38,410 S4: his level best to destroy every human being, whether you're 427 00:23:38,410 --> 00:23:42,770 S4: a believer or not. But especially he's going after believers 428 00:23:42,770 --> 00:23:46,810 S4: and the Jewish nation. And you know he won't stop 429 00:23:46,810 --> 00:23:49,609 S4: until God stops him. And if he can get Ahold 430 00:23:49,609 --> 00:23:54,409 S4: of people and make them tools of his use, he will. 431 00:23:54,450 --> 00:23:57,650 S4: I mean, it's kind of scary, you know? But we 432 00:23:57,650 --> 00:23:59,370 S4: don't have to be afraid as believers. 433 00:23:59,410 --> 00:24:00,130 S1: That's right. 434 00:24:00,170 --> 00:24:02,850 S4: Greater is he who is in us, right? Than he 435 00:24:02,890 --> 00:24:03,930 S4: who's in the world. 436 00:24:03,970 --> 00:24:06,690 S1: Yeah. Hey, if you were to bring Mary Magdalene to 437 00:24:06,730 --> 00:24:10,010 S1: church services this Sunday, and they opened up the microphone 438 00:24:10,010 --> 00:24:12,730 S1: to anybody in the congregation with a testimony to share, 439 00:24:12,930 --> 00:24:16,650 S1: what one facet of her story do you think Mary 440 00:24:16,810 --> 00:24:18,170 S1: might choose to talk about? 441 00:24:18,970 --> 00:24:23,010 S4: I think she would tell the world I've seen the Lord, 442 00:24:23,330 --> 00:24:28,370 S4: because that was her absolute epiphany when he resurrected and 443 00:24:28,369 --> 00:24:31,000 S4: she thought he was the gardener, and he called her 444 00:24:31,000 --> 00:24:33,760 S4: name again, maybe for the first time, but I doubt it, 445 00:24:33,800 --> 00:24:35,679 S4: you know. But he called her name for the first 446 00:24:35,680 --> 00:24:39,280 S4: time of resurrection. She was the first person to see 447 00:24:39,280 --> 00:24:43,960 S4: him alive. I mean, she ran back to the disciples 448 00:24:43,960 --> 00:24:46,760 S4: and said, I've seen the Lord. And, I mean, I 449 00:24:46,760 --> 00:24:50,600 S4: don't think she ever stopped saying that because I think 450 00:24:50,600 --> 00:24:54,000 S4: it was like, wow. And you look at Scripture and go, 451 00:24:54,400 --> 00:24:57,200 S4: Jesus told the woman at the, well, I'm the Messiah. 452 00:24:57,240 --> 00:25:00,280 S4: The first person was a woman, the first person to 453 00:25:00,280 --> 00:25:03,360 S4: see him alive after he rose was a woman, and 454 00:25:03,400 --> 00:25:09,240 S4: he elevated women in such a wonderful way that we 455 00:25:09,240 --> 00:25:12,360 S4: still don't see in the world. But Jesus did. He 456 00:25:12,359 --> 00:25:16,920 S4: considers us all equal in Christ, and it's like, wow, 457 00:25:17,119 --> 00:25:18,959 S4: I don't think she would have gotten over that. She 458 00:25:18,960 --> 00:25:22,080 S4: probably danced or hopped or skipped or ran all the 459 00:25:22,080 --> 00:25:25,680 S4: way there, you know, it's like, wow. She wanted to 460 00:25:25,680 --> 00:25:28,550 S4: cling to him and he said, don't do that. Yeah. Anyway, 461 00:25:28,590 --> 00:25:30,430 S4: I think that would be her testimony. 462 00:25:30,430 --> 00:25:33,229 S1: I like that, danced, hopped, skipped. She probably did all 463 00:25:33,270 --> 00:25:33,550 S1: of them. 464 00:25:34,070 --> 00:25:35,389 S5: She probably did, yeah. 465 00:25:35,430 --> 00:25:37,750 S1: And that's a great place to pause this conversation while 466 00:25:37,750 --> 00:25:41,230 S1: you think about exploring further. The book is Dawn of Grace, 467 00:25:41,230 --> 00:25:44,070 S1: Mary Magdalene's story. You'll get to know her better as 468 00:25:44,070 --> 00:25:45,910 S1: you pick it up, and we'll link you to that 469 00:25:45,910 --> 00:25:49,590 S1: book and to Jill Eileen Smith's website when you visit ours. 470 00:25:49,590 --> 00:25:52,669 S1: The land and the book.org. Looking forward to more of 471 00:25:52,670 --> 00:25:55,590 S1: your Bible questions next here on the land and the book. 472 00:26:06,869 --> 00:26:08,990 S1: It's great to connect with you today on the land 473 00:26:08,990 --> 00:26:12,310 S1: and the book. Segment three I'm John Yeager, always glad 474 00:26:12,310 --> 00:26:14,949 S1: to be connected in the studio with Doctor Gerald Peterman 475 00:26:15,150 --> 00:26:17,870 S1: of Moody Bible Institute faculty. I say that so often 476 00:26:17,869 --> 00:26:19,429 S1: because to me, it's important, you know that. 477 00:26:19,470 --> 00:26:20,389 S6: Is it really true? 478 00:26:20,430 --> 00:26:22,429 S1: It's really true and it's really important. People need to 479 00:26:22,470 --> 00:26:25,350 S1: know that there isn't some guy just sitting here winging this. 480 00:26:25,590 --> 00:26:27,899 S1: This is somebody that our students get to benefit from 481 00:26:27,900 --> 00:26:30,580 S1: day in and day out, somebody that I enjoy chatting with, 482 00:26:30,580 --> 00:26:33,100 S1: but somebody, most importantly who knows and loves the word. 483 00:26:33,100 --> 00:26:34,260 S1: So thank you for doing this. 484 00:26:34,300 --> 00:26:37,500 S6: Well, I get to enjoy being with the students every day. 485 00:26:37,580 --> 00:26:39,419 S6: So that's that's really fun. 486 00:26:39,460 --> 00:26:42,460 S1: All right. And you always welcome those questions at The 487 00:26:42,460 --> 00:26:46,540 S1: Land and the book at Moody. Again email us at 488 00:26:46,580 --> 00:26:50,500 S1: the land and the book at Moody. Well, before we 489 00:26:50,500 --> 00:26:52,380 S1: get to our questions, let's think about the fact that 490 00:26:52,380 --> 00:26:55,060 S1: Passover is upon us. And and one of the traditional 491 00:26:55,060 --> 00:26:58,540 S1: Passover questions is what makes this night different from all others? 492 00:26:58,820 --> 00:27:01,420 S1: And of course, Passover is an important biblical holiday with 493 00:27:01,420 --> 00:27:04,939 S1: great meaning for Jewish people and believers in Jesus. But 494 00:27:04,940 --> 00:27:07,140 S1: if you want to learn more about what makes Passover 495 00:27:07,140 --> 00:27:10,419 S1: so special, our friends at Life in Messiah are offering 496 00:27:10,420 --> 00:27:14,340 S1: to mail you a free copy of their Messianic Passover Haggadah. 497 00:27:14,619 --> 00:27:16,139 S1: This is a booklet that will lead you to the 498 00:27:16,140 --> 00:27:19,540 S1: celebration of Passover, to see the rich connections to Jesus, 499 00:27:19,540 --> 00:27:22,580 S1: our Messiah, and the Last Supper. We'll also send you 500 00:27:22,580 --> 00:27:25,890 S1: a link for an interactive Passover Seder video. And with 501 00:27:25,890 --> 00:27:28,850 S1: the Haggadah and the video, boy, you'll really celebrate Passover 502 00:27:28,850 --> 00:27:31,130 S1: this year with your family and friends like never before. 503 00:27:31,410 --> 00:27:34,010 S1: Take advantage of this free offer. Just go to life 504 00:27:34,010 --> 00:27:37,770 S1: in Messiah and click on the Moody Radio button there 505 00:27:37,770 --> 00:27:41,210 S1: to find out more and request your copy. That's life 506 00:27:41,369 --> 00:27:46,409 S1: in Messiah Dot. And with that, let's get right into 507 00:27:46,410 --> 00:27:48,889 S1: our first question of the day, this one from Ben. 508 00:27:49,290 --> 00:27:51,889 S1: He says, I hope it doesn't sound heretical, but I 509 00:27:51,930 --> 00:27:56,850 S1: have to ask Jesus, our Lord is 100% man and 100% God. 510 00:27:56,890 --> 00:27:58,730 S1: Now how can he be in everyone's heart at the 511 00:27:58,730 --> 00:28:01,770 S1: same time if he's fully man? My wife says that 512 00:28:01,770 --> 00:28:04,449 S1: when Jesus was raised back to heaven, he no longer 513 00:28:04,450 --> 00:28:08,090 S1: was a man, just God. That I don't believe. I 514 00:28:08,130 --> 00:28:10,409 S1: wanted to discuss it with her, but couldn't think of 515 00:28:10,410 --> 00:28:12,530 S1: any scripture to stand on. Any thoughts? 516 00:28:12,810 --> 00:28:15,570 S6: Well, Ben, thanks so much for the question. First, our 517 00:28:15,570 --> 00:28:18,210 S6: Lord can be in our heart because he is God, 518 00:28:18,210 --> 00:28:21,290 S6: and so he's omnipresent. But it's even better than that 519 00:28:21,290 --> 00:28:24,550 S6: because of his grace and his a saving power. He 520 00:28:24,550 --> 00:28:28,230 S6: is especially with us. This goes beyond mere omnipresence to 521 00:28:28,270 --> 00:28:31,630 S6: what I'm going to call special presence, just as God 522 00:28:31,670 --> 00:28:35,350 S6: has always been omnipresent. But in your Old Testament, you know, 523 00:28:35,350 --> 00:28:39,830 S6: he was especially present in the tabernacle in the holy place. See, 524 00:28:39,830 --> 00:28:45,510 S6: especially Leviticus 16. So now he is specially present with us. Now, second, 525 00:28:45,550 --> 00:28:48,430 S6: about our Lord's body. We can see from acts chapter 526 00:28:48,430 --> 00:28:52,070 S6: one that Jesus is talking to the 11, and he 527 00:28:52,070 --> 00:28:54,550 S6: promises the Holy Spirit is going to come. And then 528 00:28:54,550 --> 00:28:57,670 S6: in acts one nine we read this. And after he 529 00:28:57,670 --> 00:29:00,710 S6: said this, he was taken up. And as they were watching, 530 00:29:00,710 --> 00:29:03,270 S6: the cloud took him out of their sight. And while 531 00:29:03,270 --> 00:29:06,470 S6: he was going, they were gazing into heaven, and suddenly 532 00:29:06,470 --> 00:29:09,070 S6: two men in white clothes stood by them. They said, 533 00:29:09,270 --> 00:29:12,150 S6: Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking into heaven? 534 00:29:12,190 --> 00:29:15,630 S6: This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, 535 00:29:15,630 --> 00:29:18,110 S6: will come in the same way that you've seen him 536 00:29:18,110 --> 00:29:22,230 S6: going into heaven. So when our Lord returns, we'll see 537 00:29:22,380 --> 00:29:27,100 S6: his body. Matthew 2430 says, all the eyes of the 538 00:29:27,100 --> 00:29:29,420 S6: world will see the Son of Man coming on the 539 00:29:29,420 --> 00:29:33,660 S6: clouds of heaven. So I believe in an eternally embodied 540 00:29:34,060 --> 00:29:35,300 S6: Jesus Christ our Lord. 541 00:29:35,860 --> 00:29:38,740 S1: All right. Since you've gone toward the future for that question, 542 00:29:38,740 --> 00:29:41,420 S1: let me let me keep us there. Revelation 21 verse 543 00:29:41,420 --> 00:29:45,380 S1: four promises God shall wipe every tear from their eyes. 544 00:29:45,420 --> 00:29:48,700 S1: Two questions arise here. First, what is the likely source 545 00:29:48,700 --> 00:29:51,940 S1: of the crying? And second, is this wiping away a 546 00:29:51,940 --> 00:29:54,940 S1: one time thing? Or will we have regular occasion to 547 00:29:54,980 --> 00:29:56,140 S1: cry in heaven? 548 00:29:56,580 --> 00:29:59,180 S6: Oh wow that's wonderful. I really enjoyed this question. Let 549 00:29:59,180 --> 00:30:01,460 S6: me go to number two. I don't think there's going 550 00:30:01,460 --> 00:30:03,460 S6: to be any crying in heaven. I don't think there's 551 00:30:03,460 --> 00:30:07,020 S6: going to be any sadness, any mourning, any pain, any death. 552 00:30:07,180 --> 00:30:09,860 S6: These are the things we cry about. No, there will 553 00:30:09,900 --> 00:30:14,140 S6: be no more tears. But number one, this life often 554 00:30:14,140 --> 00:30:17,420 S6: has many tears. Joys, yes, but this life often has 555 00:30:17,420 --> 00:30:20,620 S6: many tears. And so this is a promise of the 556 00:30:20,770 --> 00:30:24,450 S6: blessing the Lord will give us, we will be personally comforted. 557 00:30:24,850 --> 00:30:26,850 S6: He will wipe every tear from our eyes. 558 00:30:26,890 --> 00:30:29,770 S1: Okay, so you're saying this is heaven itself, as opposed 559 00:30:29,770 --> 00:30:31,930 S1: to now that we're here and here we are crying 560 00:30:31,930 --> 00:30:34,250 S1: in heaven, and he'll come along and use his sleeve 561 00:30:34,250 --> 00:30:36,490 S1: and wipe away our tears. No. The gift of heaven 562 00:30:36,490 --> 00:30:37,730 S1: is the wiping away of tears. 563 00:30:37,770 --> 00:30:38,770 S7: The gift of heaven. 564 00:30:38,770 --> 00:30:42,250 S6: Is to have all our griefs wiped away by him. Yeah. 565 00:30:42,530 --> 00:30:44,010 S1: All right. We're going to back up just a bit 566 00:30:44,010 --> 00:30:47,450 S1: before being in heaven to the rapture with this next question. 567 00:30:47,490 --> 00:30:50,410 S1: A listener wants to know why wouldn't the rapture, the 568 00:30:50,410 --> 00:30:54,450 S1: sudden disappearance of millions of Christians, be sufficient to create 569 00:30:54,450 --> 00:30:57,210 S1: a global revival, or at least a large scale sense 570 00:30:57,210 --> 00:30:59,730 S1: of humility? As in, boy, those people we thought were 571 00:30:59,730 --> 00:31:02,850 S1: so nutty, they're actually right. There must be this God 572 00:31:02,850 --> 00:31:05,970 S1: they speak of. Why wouldn't the world in large numbers 573 00:31:05,970 --> 00:31:07,170 S1: turn to that reality? 574 00:31:07,210 --> 00:31:09,850 S6: Well, that is a great question. I really see where 575 00:31:09,850 --> 00:31:13,250 S6: this is coming from. The answer is because human hearts 576 00:31:13,250 --> 00:31:16,290 S6: can be very hard. Let me give you another example 577 00:31:16,290 --> 00:31:19,410 S6: from the Old Testament. In the Old Testament period, of course, 578 00:31:19,560 --> 00:31:23,760 S6: God brought his people Israel out of Egypt. It was miraculous. 579 00:31:23,760 --> 00:31:28,440 S6: It was it was stunning. And Rahab and her family 580 00:31:28,440 --> 00:31:31,800 S6: paid attention to it, and they were touched by it. 581 00:31:31,800 --> 00:31:34,760 S6: But the rest of the Canaanites were not. So here, 582 00:31:34,800 --> 00:31:37,800 S6: here what we have, we have God doing a miracle 583 00:31:37,800 --> 00:31:40,280 S6: that's talked about all over that part of the world. 584 00:31:40,600 --> 00:31:43,560 S6: And most of the people don't care. That seems to 585 00:31:43,560 --> 00:31:45,240 S6: me to be very similar to what you're talking about. 586 00:31:45,280 --> 00:31:47,360 S1: Yeah. And you think of the presence of Jesus himself 587 00:31:47,360 --> 00:31:51,040 S1: on this earth, right? How many saw these miracles and said, nah, 588 00:31:51,080 --> 00:31:51,760 S1: I don't think so. 589 00:31:51,800 --> 00:31:54,840 S6: John, that's a really good example. Sadly, what we see 590 00:31:54,880 --> 00:31:59,840 S6: sometimes is in the Gospels anyway. We see scribes, Pharisees 591 00:31:59,840 --> 00:32:02,960 S6: who say a miracle just happened. What are we going 592 00:32:02,960 --> 00:32:05,200 S6: to do about this? Because we can't stand it. Let's 593 00:32:05,200 --> 00:32:05,720 S6: kill him. 594 00:32:06,160 --> 00:32:06,400 S1: Right? 595 00:32:06,440 --> 00:32:08,239 S6: Right. This is not what you expect to happen as 596 00:32:08,240 --> 00:32:09,280 S6: a result of a miracle. 597 00:32:09,320 --> 00:32:11,720 S1: No. You're listening to the land and the book. Doctor 598 00:32:11,720 --> 00:32:15,240 S1: Gerald Peterman is answering listener questions today. If yours isn't 599 00:32:15,240 --> 00:32:17,479 S1: among them, could it be you haven't asked it yet? 600 00:32:17,680 --> 00:32:20,310 S1: Why not do that when you email us at The 601 00:32:20,310 --> 00:32:24,830 S1: Land and the book at Moody's, the land and the 602 00:32:24,870 --> 00:32:29,390 S1: book at Moody's. We'll keep going on future things with 603 00:32:29,390 --> 00:32:32,110 S1: this next listener question. This person says it feels like 604 00:32:32,110 --> 00:32:36,150 S1: there's a growing movement in evangelical circles today to deny 605 00:32:36,190 --> 00:32:39,110 S1: that those who end up in hell suffer. They're fully 606 00:32:39,110 --> 00:32:42,790 S1: conscious forever and ever. What's driving this trend and how 607 00:32:42,790 --> 00:32:43,790 S1: should we respond? 608 00:32:44,030 --> 00:32:46,590 S6: Well, it's hard to know exactly what's driving the trend, 609 00:32:46,590 --> 00:32:51,910 S6: but this strikes many people as vicious. How could a 610 00:32:51,950 --> 00:32:55,550 S6: God condemn someone to eternal punishment? It strikes many people 611 00:32:55,550 --> 00:32:57,950 S6: as vicious. They're not going to accept it because in 612 00:32:57,950 --> 00:33:01,030 S6: their view, God could never do such a thing. Well, okay, 613 00:33:01,070 --> 00:33:03,470 S6: I appreciate that. I think I understand where they're coming from. 614 00:33:03,470 --> 00:33:07,310 S6: Let's think of it from a different perspective. How bad 615 00:33:07,510 --> 00:33:12,350 S6: is sin? How bad is it to reject God when 616 00:33:12,350 --> 00:33:14,990 S6: there's so many evidences of him around the planet, and 617 00:33:14,990 --> 00:33:17,340 S6: there's so much evidence of the goodness of God in 618 00:33:17,340 --> 00:33:21,900 S6: the gospel. How bad is sin? Sin is as vicious 619 00:33:22,420 --> 00:33:26,100 S6: as hell is described as the punishment that corresponds to it. 620 00:33:26,740 --> 00:33:29,340 S6: So I understand where this question is coming from, but 621 00:33:29,340 --> 00:33:32,700 S6: I think it underestimates the viciousness of sin. 622 00:33:32,740 --> 00:33:35,180 S1: Yeah. Might just be that we have devalued or taken 623 00:33:35,180 --> 00:33:36,460 S1: the claws out of sin. 624 00:33:36,500 --> 00:33:37,180 S7: Yes. 625 00:33:37,220 --> 00:33:37,660 S6: I think you're. 626 00:33:37,660 --> 00:33:37,900 S7: Right. 627 00:33:37,940 --> 00:33:39,780 S1: He poisoned it as if such were possible. 628 00:33:39,820 --> 00:33:40,260 S7: Mhm. 629 00:33:40,820 --> 00:33:43,300 S1: Another question. Do you believe we are moving toward the 630 00:33:43,300 --> 00:33:46,140 S1: last times, the end times? And if so, in what 631 00:33:46,140 --> 00:33:48,700 S1: ways do you see the church today falling away from 632 00:33:48,700 --> 00:33:51,340 S1: the biblical faith as we're told it's going to do. 633 00:33:51,580 --> 00:33:53,860 S1: What are among your greatest concerns. 634 00:33:54,300 --> 00:33:54,700 S7: Mhm. 635 00:33:55,260 --> 00:33:57,460 S6: Well I think I hear 3 or 4 questions in there. 636 00:33:57,500 --> 00:33:58,740 S7: Go for all of them. Yes. 637 00:33:58,740 --> 00:33:59,060 S1: We got. 638 00:33:59,060 --> 00:33:59,380 S7: Time. 639 00:33:59,460 --> 00:34:02,740 S6: Um I think we're moving close, but I don't want 640 00:34:02,740 --> 00:34:04,500 S6: to be a prophet of doom, nor do I want 641 00:34:04,540 --> 00:34:07,380 S6: to fix a date. But I think we're getting close 642 00:34:07,380 --> 00:34:11,820 S6: because Jesus talks about the gospel being preached to all 643 00:34:11,820 --> 00:34:15,300 S6: nations before he arrives. And there is a massive push 644 00:34:15,340 --> 00:34:18,410 S6: going on right now. That where many people are being 645 00:34:18,410 --> 00:34:21,009 S6: evangelized for the first time and people are being reached 646 00:34:21,010 --> 00:34:24,210 S6: in unreached countries around the world. So we're seeing thousands 647 00:34:24,210 --> 00:34:26,969 S6: upon thousands upon millions of people come to know Christ, 648 00:34:27,170 --> 00:34:30,009 S6: to the number we've never seen before. I think this 649 00:34:30,010 --> 00:34:33,850 S6: is an indication we're moving toward the day. Now, John, 650 00:34:33,850 --> 00:34:34,890 S6: I forgot the second part of your. 651 00:34:34,930 --> 00:34:37,650 S1: Question would be what what issues do you see theologically 652 00:34:37,650 --> 00:34:41,770 S1: that maybe we're falling away from or twisting or deliberately, uh, 653 00:34:41,810 --> 00:34:42,610 S1: not paying attention. 654 00:34:42,610 --> 00:34:45,650 S6: To? Right, right. Uh, great. Thanks for reminding me of that. 655 00:34:45,930 --> 00:34:49,330 S6: I don't want to label anyone or any person or 656 00:34:49,330 --> 00:34:53,330 S6: any church, but, uh, there are many churches these days. 657 00:34:53,330 --> 00:34:55,290 S6: There are many churches these days that go by the 658 00:34:55,290 --> 00:34:58,529 S6: name of church who are losing their members because the 659 00:34:58,530 --> 00:35:01,850 S6: churches are abandoning what's in Scripture. And this has been 660 00:35:01,890 --> 00:35:03,810 S6: this has been going on for years. But I think 661 00:35:03,850 --> 00:35:10,450 S6: that's also accelerated the abandonment of classic Christianity, of biblical Christianity, 662 00:35:10,450 --> 00:35:13,930 S6: I think is at a height at this point. But 663 00:35:13,930 --> 00:35:16,670 S6: you'd have to be paying attention to see that. Yeah. 664 00:35:16,710 --> 00:35:19,430 S6: Many churches are closing down because they have stopped preaching 665 00:35:19,430 --> 00:35:22,190 S6: the gospel, and no one wants to come because there's 666 00:35:22,190 --> 00:35:25,630 S6: no there's no hope, there's no life, there's no vitality. 667 00:35:25,790 --> 00:35:28,470 S1: Yeah. We're talking with Doctor Gerald Peterman on this question 668 00:35:28,469 --> 00:35:30,549 S1: and answer segment here on the land and the book. 669 00:35:30,590 --> 00:35:33,630 S1: And again your question is welcome anytime when you email 670 00:35:33,630 --> 00:35:37,190 S1: us at the Land and the book at Moody's, you 671 00:35:37,190 --> 00:35:39,430 S1: don't just teach the Bible. You're a student of the Bible. 672 00:35:39,430 --> 00:35:42,510 S1: So for the listener who's asking what tools do you like, 673 00:35:42,510 --> 00:35:45,390 S1: what's on your shelf, what's on your computer, your phone, 674 00:35:45,510 --> 00:35:48,430 S1: any apps or tools or books? I think for my 675 00:35:48,430 --> 00:35:51,510 S1: own life, what has been very instrumental is Howard Hendricks 676 00:35:51,510 --> 00:35:54,030 S1: and his son, Bill. They wrote the book living by 677 00:35:54,030 --> 00:35:57,510 S1: the book. Tremendous tool for helping you understand and study 678 00:35:57,510 --> 00:35:59,630 S1: the scriptures. What thoughts come to your mind? 679 00:36:00,030 --> 00:36:03,509 S6: Well, um. Am I allowed to say this? Is this advertising? 680 00:36:03,510 --> 00:36:07,750 S6: I go I go to the Moody Bible Commentary quite often, right? 681 00:36:07,790 --> 00:36:10,549 S6: Because I'm reading scripture, I'm reading the Old Testament every year, 682 00:36:10,550 --> 00:36:13,189 S6: reading the New Testament every year. And sometimes I think, huh, 683 00:36:13,260 --> 00:36:16,220 S6: What's going on with that? So for a quick straight 684 00:36:16,219 --> 00:36:18,900 S6: to the point answer, I opened the Moody Bible Commentary. 685 00:36:19,140 --> 00:36:21,740 S6: So while there are lots of other books, the number 686 00:36:21,739 --> 00:36:23,500 S6: one book for me is the Moody Bible Commentary. 687 00:36:23,540 --> 00:36:26,219 S1: All right, great tip. And that's from Moody Publishers. A 688 00:36:26,219 --> 00:36:28,820 S1: link to Moody Publishers is at our website. The land 689 00:36:28,820 --> 00:36:32,460 S1: and the bookstores. And again, I'll mention it one more time. 690 00:36:32,500 --> 00:36:34,339 S1: Our email address. If you'd like to connect and get 691 00:36:34,340 --> 00:36:36,779 S1: your question on board with us. It's easy to do 692 00:36:36,780 --> 00:36:40,259 S1: so when you email the land and the book at Moody's. 693 00:36:42,180 --> 00:36:44,940 S1: I'm looking forward to Charlie Dyer's devotional next on the 694 00:36:44,940 --> 00:37:00,219 S1: land and the book. If you're new to the land 695 00:37:00,219 --> 00:37:02,380 S1: in the book, we've got one last segment for you. 696 00:37:02,500 --> 00:37:05,299 S1: It's our devotional segment. Charlie, what is the the goal here? 697 00:37:05,300 --> 00:37:07,779 S1: Your philosophy in what you put together for us week 698 00:37:07,780 --> 00:37:08,500 S1: after week? 699 00:37:08,620 --> 00:37:10,540 S2: Well, I want to try and introduce people to some 700 00:37:10,540 --> 00:37:13,370 S2: spot in the land and something that connects to the 701 00:37:13,370 --> 00:37:15,850 S2: Bible there. And again, the land and the book. It's 702 00:37:15,850 --> 00:37:18,009 S2: nice to put them together, but in a way that 703 00:37:18,010 --> 00:37:20,450 S2: provides something we can listen to and take home for 704 00:37:20,450 --> 00:37:22,530 S2: the week that draws us closer to God. 705 00:37:22,570 --> 00:37:25,170 S1: All right. And this week is no exception. You're continuing 706 00:37:25,170 --> 00:37:26,490 S1: a series titled What. 707 00:37:26,730 --> 00:37:29,730 S2: The 11 Inscriptions to the Bible. And today we're going 708 00:37:29,730 --> 00:37:33,410 S2: to be looking at the Cyrus Cylinder and Isaiah 44. 709 00:37:33,450 --> 00:37:36,089 S1: First, though, let's listen to this Holy Land experience. That's 710 00:37:36,090 --> 00:37:39,450 S1: what we call it. It's somebody's testimony, having come back 711 00:37:39,450 --> 00:37:41,609 S1: from the Holy Land, and they're kind of fired up 712 00:37:41,610 --> 00:37:43,730 S1: with an impression that God has laid on their heart. 713 00:37:43,810 --> 00:37:44,610 S1: Listen to this. 714 00:37:48,810 --> 00:37:53,130 S8: Hi, my name is John Mitchell. We, uh, toured the 715 00:37:53,330 --> 00:37:57,250 S8: Sea of Galilee and went down to the Dead Sea 716 00:37:57,370 --> 00:38:01,370 S8: and went to Jerusalem. And it just opened up the 717 00:38:01,370 --> 00:38:05,930 S8: Bible to me more than before. And I encourage everyone 718 00:38:05,930 --> 00:38:09,970 S8: to come and experience it. It's it's a wonderful experience 719 00:38:09,969 --> 00:38:13,520 S8: and you'll learn so much that you thought you maybe knew, 720 00:38:13,520 --> 00:38:16,080 S8: but you'll know so much more about it once you 721 00:38:16,120 --> 00:38:16,600 S8: be here. 722 00:38:16,920 --> 00:38:19,439 S9: Hi, my name is Rick Warren and this is my 723 00:38:19,440 --> 00:38:22,560 S9: second time here with Moody Bible Institute to the Holy Land. 724 00:38:22,880 --> 00:38:25,000 S9: And the thing that really hit me this time was 725 00:38:25,000 --> 00:38:28,600 S9: not the different places that we went to. Although they're fabulous. 726 00:38:29,000 --> 00:38:32,120 S9: The different experiences. But just as we've been talking so 727 00:38:32,120 --> 00:38:36,160 S9: much this week about the relationship between Palestine and Israel 728 00:38:36,160 --> 00:38:38,960 S9: and how truly complex it really is. And there are 729 00:38:38,960 --> 00:38:40,680 S9: no simple solutions. 730 00:38:42,719 --> 00:38:45,160 S1: All right, Charlie, I'm looking forward to your devotional today. 731 00:38:45,160 --> 00:38:47,360 S1: I guess we're based in Isaiah 44. 732 00:38:47,600 --> 00:38:50,720 S2: That's right John. We've reached the eighth in my series 733 00:38:50,719 --> 00:38:53,239 S2: of 11 inscriptions to the Bible, and I want to 734 00:38:53,239 --> 00:38:56,560 S2: start today's devotional with a rallying cry heard several times 735 00:38:56,560 --> 00:38:59,800 S2: in our nation's history. The British are coming. The British 736 00:38:59,800 --> 00:39:02,839 S2: are coming. Now, if you're a history buff, you might 737 00:39:02,840 --> 00:39:05,880 S2: have in mind the Revolutionary War and Paul Revere's midnight 738 00:39:05,880 --> 00:39:08,719 S2: ride to Lexington. But if you were a teenager in 739 00:39:08,719 --> 00:39:11,950 S2: the 60s. The same message brings to mind the arrival 740 00:39:11,950 --> 00:39:14,870 S2: of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones and Herman's Hermits, 741 00:39:14,870 --> 00:39:17,190 S2: the Dave Clark Five and all those other British rock 742 00:39:17,190 --> 00:39:20,509 S2: bands that took America by storm. But if you're a 743 00:39:20,510 --> 00:39:23,870 S2: lover of ancient history and antiquities, you might just be 744 00:39:23,870 --> 00:39:27,669 S2: thinking back to a more recent invasion. The British Museum's 745 00:39:27,710 --> 00:39:31,109 S2: Cyrus Cylinder Road show that came to five museums in 746 00:39:31,110 --> 00:39:35,230 S2: the summer of 2013. This historical treasure went on display 747 00:39:35,230 --> 00:39:39,270 S2: in Washington, D.C., Houston, New York City, San Francisco, and 748 00:39:39,270 --> 00:39:43,069 S2: Los Angeles. It was the first time the Cyrus Cylinder 749 00:39:43,070 --> 00:39:46,430 S2: had ever been in the United States. But you ask, 750 00:39:46,510 --> 00:39:49,950 S2: what's the Cyrus Cylinder and why is it so special? 751 00:39:50,469 --> 00:39:53,989 S2: The Cyrus Cylinder is our inscription of the day. It's 752 00:39:53,989 --> 00:39:58,230 S2: an ancient clay cylinder discovered in Babylon 145 years ago, 753 00:39:58,270 --> 00:40:02,989 S2: last month that announced Cyrus key political and religious goals. 754 00:40:03,190 --> 00:40:06,110 S2: It presented Cyrus as the pious leader sent by the 755 00:40:06,150 --> 00:40:10,900 S2: gods of Babylon to replace the impious Babylonian king Nabonidus. 756 00:40:11,219 --> 00:40:14,859 S2: It also announced his policy to repatriate those deported to 757 00:40:14,900 --> 00:40:18,459 S2: Babylon and to rebuild the sanctuaries that had been destroyed. 758 00:40:18,700 --> 00:40:22,940 S2: It was Cyrus's attempt to undo Babylonian policies and to 759 00:40:22,940 --> 00:40:26,259 S2: consolidate Persian rule by presenting him as a kinder and 760 00:40:26,260 --> 00:40:30,340 S2: gentler king. But what does this 2500 year old artifact 761 00:40:30,340 --> 00:40:33,140 S2: in the British Museum have to do with the Bible? 762 00:40:33,580 --> 00:40:36,740 S2: It actually connects two ways. The Book of Ezra begins 763 00:40:36,739 --> 00:40:40,020 S2: with a proclamation from King Cyrus that reads in part, 764 00:40:40,380 --> 00:40:43,140 S2: whoever there is among you of all his people, may 765 00:40:43,140 --> 00:40:46,180 S2: his God be with him. Let him go up to Jerusalem, 766 00:40:46,180 --> 00:40:48,860 S2: which is in Judah, and rebuild the house of the Lord, 767 00:40:48,860 --> 00:40:52,779 S2: the God of Israel. This proclamation to the Jewish people 768 00:40:52,940 --> 00:40:55,819 S2: parallels the one in the Cyrus Cylinder, written to the 769 00:40:55,820 --> 00:40:59,540 S2: people of Mesopotamia. Cyrus also allowed the Jews to go 770 00:40:59,540 --> 00:41:03,219 S2: home and rebuild their temple. But I see another connection 771 00:41:03,219 --> 00:41:07,049 S2: between the Bible and the Cyrus Cylinder. That's even more dramatic. 772 00:41:07,290 --> 00:41:11,170 S2: I say that because this connection took place over 150 773 00:41:11,170 --> 00:41:16,090 S2: years before Cyrus ever arrived on the scene. In Jeremiah 39, 774 00:41:16,090 --> 00:41:18,850 S2: the prophet concluded the first half of his book by 775 00:41:18,850 --> 00:41:22,530 S2: announcing God's final judgment on the nation of Judah. Behold, 776 00:41:22,530 --> 00:41:24,610 S2: the days are coming when all that's in your house 777 00:41:24,610 --> 00:41:26,569 S2: and all that your fathers have laid up in store 778 00:41:26,570 --> 00:41:29,810 S2: to this day shall be carried to Babylon. Nothing shall 779 00:41:29,810 --> 00:41:33,129 S2: be left. Isaiah announced that Judah would be going into 780 00:41:33,130 --> 00:41:36,450 S2: captivity in Babylon. He was so certain about this that 781 00:41:36,450 --> 00:41:39,730 S2: beginning in chapter 40, he begins writing to the people 782 00:41:39,730 --> 00:41:43,210 S2: who were going into captivity, people who hadn't yet even 783 00:41:43,210 --> 00:41:46,490 S2: been born at the time, he wrote. Isaiah offers comfort 784 00:41:46,489 --> 00:41:49,010 S2: and hope to those who would someday be carried off 785 00:41:49,010 --> 00:41:52,130 S2: into exile. God will bring you back to the land. 786 00:41:52,530 --> 00:41:54,890 S2: But how could they be sure? How could they know 787 00:41:54,890 --> 00:41:57,770 S2: this message was from God and not just wishful thinking 788 00:41:57,770 --> 00:42:00,489 S2: on the part of the prophet. God gave Isaiah a 789 00:42:00,489 --> 00:42:04,490 S2: very dramatic way to verify this prediction. Listen to God's 790 00:42:04,489 --> 00:42:07,600 S2: promise made a century and a half before the rise 791 00:42:07,600 --> 00:42:11,040 S2: of Cyrus. It is I who says of Cyrus, he's 792 00:42:11,040 --> 00:42:14,319 S2: my shepherd, and he will perform all my desire. And 793 00:42:14,320 --> 00:42:17,400 S2: he declares to Jerusalem, she will be rebuilt. And of 794 00:42:17,400 --> 00:42:20,640 S2: the temple your foundation will be laid. Thus says the 795 00:42:20,640 --> 00:42:23,480 S2: Lord to Cyrus his anointed, whom I have taken by 796 00:42:23,480 --> 00:42:26,680 S2: the right hand to subdue nations before him. For the 797 00:42:26,680 --> 00:42:29,840 S2: sake of Jacob my servant, and Israel my chosen one, 798 00:42:29,840 --> 00:42:32,319 S2: I have also called you by your name. I have 799 00:42:32,320 --> 00:42:34,480 S2: given you a title of honor, though you have not 800 00:42:34,480 --> 00:42:37,120 S2: known me. I am the Lord. There is no other 801 00:42:37,120 --> 00:42:41,640 S2: besides me. There is no God. God identified Cyrus by 802 00:42:41,640 --> 00:42:44,960 S2: name and said he would be victorious, and announced he 803 00:42:44,960 --> 00:42:47,320 S2: would be the one who would allow Israel to return 804 00:42:47,320 --> 00:42:51,560 S2: home and rebuild the temple. Now, how's that for getting specific? 805 00:42:51,920 --> 00:42:55,520 S2: In fact, some think it's too specific. No one could 806 00:42:55,520 --> 00:42:59,959 S2: predict something that accurately that far in advance. No one, 807 00:42:59,960 --> 00:43:03,000 S2: that is, except God. The critics who try to say 808 00:43:03,000 --> 00:43:06,340 S2: this was written after the time of Cyrus, not before. 809 00:43:06,700 --> 00:43:10,300 S2: Ignore two key truths. First, they missed the fact that 810 00:43:10,300 --> 00:43:13,500 S2: all the way through this section of Isaiah. God does 811 00:43:13,500 --> 00:43:17,259 S2: claim to be predicting the future. In chapter 41, God 812 00:43:17,260 --> 00:43:20,700 S2: challenges all the other so-called gods to announce to us 813 00:43:20,700 --> 00:43:23,860 S2: what's coming. Declare the things that are going to come afterward, 814 00:43:23,860 --> 00:43:27,180 S2: that we may know that you are gods. In chapter 42, 815 00:43:27,219 --> 00:43:30,060 S2: God says, I'm the Lord, that is my name. I 816 00:43:30,060 --> 00:43:32,580 S2: will not give my glory to another, nor my praise 817 00:43:32,580 --> 00:43:35,620 S2: to idols. Behold, the former things have come to pass. 818 00:43:35,660 --> 00:43:39,020 S2: Now I declare new things. Before they spring forth, I 819 00:43:39,020 --> 00:43:43,580 S2: proclaim them to you. In chapter 44, God issues this challenge. 820 00:43:43,820 --> 00:43:46,299 S2: Who is like me? Let him proclaim and declare it. 821 00:43:46,300 --> 00:43:48,940 S2: Let him declare the things that are coming and the 822 00:43:48,940 --> 00:43:52,060 S2: events that are going to take place. I could go on, 823 00:43:52,060 --> 00:43:54,779 S2: but you get the picture. God didn't just throw out 824 00:43:54,780 --> 00:43:58,860 S2: Cyrus's name in some haphazard fashion. It was a deliberate 825 00:43:58,860 --> 00:44:02,380 S2: prediction made to a specific group. It made no sense 826 00:44:02,380 --> 00:44:05,290 S2: to the people in Isaiah's day, but it made perfect 827 00:44:05,290 --> 00:44:08,610 S2: sense to those in captivity in Babylon, and it reminded 828 00:44:08,610 --> 00:44:10,930 S2: them that God was in charge and that they could 829 00:44:10,930 --> 00:44:14,009 S2: trust him. I said there were two reasons we knew 830 00:44:14,050 --> 00:44:17,089 S2: this was a prediction written in advance. The first is 831 00:44:17,090 --> 00:44:19,609 S2: the fact that God himself claims to be predicting the 832 00:44:19,610 --> 00:44:23,089 S2: future when he named Cyrus. And the second reason was 833 00:44:23,090 --> 00:44:26,290 S2: uncovered in Qumran. Those who said this couldn't be a 834 00:44:26,290 --> 00:44:29,850 S2: real prediction of Cyrus constructed an elaborate theory for how 835 00:44:29,850 --> 00:44:33,090 S2: the Book of Isaiah was written. The first 39 chapters 836 00:44:33,090 --> 00:44:35,490 S2: in deed might date back to the time of Isaiah, 837 00:44:35,530 --> 00:44:37,969 S2: they argued, but the last half of the book had 838 00:44:37,969 --> 00:44:40,690 S2: to be written hundreds of years later, after the rise 839 00:44:40,690 --> 00:44:44,570 S2: of Cyrus and the fall of the Babylonian Empire. Then, somehow, 840 00:44:44,570 --> 00:44:48,090 S2: over the centuries, these two separate books got joined together 841 00:44:48,090 --> 00:44:50,089 S2: and people forgot that they were the works of two 842 00:44:50,090 --> 00:44:54,130 S2: different writers. Now, that may sound plausible, at least until 843 00:44:54,130 --> 00:44:57,569 S2: the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered, including a complete scroll 844 00:44:57,570 --> 00:45:00,089 S2: of the Book of Isaiah. The scroll dates to the 845 00:45:00,090 --> 00:45:04,000 S2: second century BC. Chapter 39 ends on the next to 846 00:45:04,080 --> 00:45:06,720 S2: the last line of a column. This was a perfect 847 00:45:06,719 --> 00:45:09,120 S2: opportunity for the scribes to show a break in the 848 00:45:09,120 --> 00:45:12,239 S2: book by starting chapter 40 on a new column. But 849 00:45:12,239 --> 00:45:15,960 S2: chapter 40 begins on the very next line without any break. 850 00:45:16,320 --> 00:45:19,400 S2: This was a single book written by the prophet Isaiah, 851 00:45:19,400 --> 00:45:21,839 S2: with a dramatic prediction of the rise of a king 852 00:45:21,840 --> 00:45:24,920 S2: named Cyrus, who would allow the Jews to return home 853 00:45:24,920 --> 00:45:29,160 S2: and rebuild the temple. And that's just what happened. The 854 00:45:29,160 --> 00:45:32,759 S2: Cyrus Cylinder is impressive, but it pales in comparison to 855 00:45:32,800 --> 00:45:36,720 S2: the Bible. Israel knew about Cyrus and his proclamation before 856 00:45:36,760 --> 00:45:39,959 S2: Cyrus was even born, because the God of the universe, 857 00:45:39,960 --> 00:45:43,080 S2: the only true God, had told them all about him. 858 00:45:43,480 --> 00:45:46,400 S2: So what difference does all this make in your life today? 859 00:45:46,880 --> 00:45:49,680 S2: I think it comes down to this God could identify 860 00:45:49,719 --> 00:45:53,160 S2: Cyrus by name because God was in control of history. 861 00:45:53,400 --> 00:45:56,000 S2: And God has also announced dramatic events that will take 862 00:45:56,000 --> 00:45:59,000 S2: place on this planet leading up to the return of 863 00:45:59,000 --> 00:46:01,830 S2: his son. We don't need to live in fear or 864 00:46:01,830 --> 00:46:05,629 S2: uncertainty about what tomorrow holds because God is in control. 865 00:46:06,110 --> 00:46:09,110 S2: After predicting the coming of Cyrus, God made a statement 866 00:46:09,110 --> 00:46:13,069 S2: that can help us keep our bearings in otherwise uncertain times. 867 00:46:13,469 --> 00:46:16,070 S2: I made known the end from the beginning. From ancient 868 00:46:16,070 --> 00:46:19,350 S2: times what is yet to come. I say my purpose 869 00:46:19,350 --> 00:46:22,230 S2: will stand. And I will do all that I please. 870 00:46:22,750 --> 00:46:26,150 S2: The lesson for us is simple. Breathe easy. God is 871 00:46:26,150 --> 00:46:28,630 S2: in control. And if you'd like to see a photo 872 00:46:28,630 --> 00:46:31,430 S2: of the Cyrus Cylinder on display in the British Museum, 873 00:46:31,469 --> 00:46:32,989 S2: be sure to head over to our land in the 874 00:46:32,989 --> 00:46:35,830 S2: book Facebook page where I've posted a picture of it 875 00:46:35,989 --> 00:46:36,750 S2: that I took. 876 00:46:36,790 --> 00:46:39,390 S1: And it's well worth the visit. Check out that Facebook page, 877 00:46:39,390 --> 00:46:41,270 S1: I urge you. And I want to say thank you 878 00:46:41,270 --> 00:46:44,310 S1: to our host, Charlie Dyer. Thanks to this station for 879 00:46:44,510 --> 00:46:46,790 S1: making room for the land. In the book, I'm John 880 00:46:46,790 --> 00:46:49,230 S1: Geiger for our producer, Dan Anderson. Hope you have a 881 00:46:49,230 --> 00:46:51,470 S1: great day. The land and the book is a production 882 00:46:51,469 --> 00:46:54,910 S1: of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.