S1: Just who was Mary Magdalene in the Bible? You know,
S1: one touch from Jesus, and she was never the same.
S1: Her new mission in life was to serve the one
S1: who set her free. Well, on today's broadcast, you'll meet
S1: Mary Magdalene in a fascinating conversation with Jill Ileene Smith. Plus,
S1: we'll unwrap the mystery of the Cyrus Cylinder. You say?
S1: What's that? You'll find out. And while we're at it,
S1: we'll try to unwrap some of the mysteries that you've
S1: encountered as you read Scripture. Welcome to the land and
S1: the book with Old Testament scholar and Israel expert Doctor
S1: Charlie Dyer. I'm John Gager, and you know, Charlie Passover
S1: will soon be upon us. And one of the traditional
S1: Passover questions is, hey, what makes this night different from
S1: all others? Well, Passover is an important biblical holiday that
S1: has great meaning for Jewish people and believers in Jesus.
S1: And it seems like this is a great question to ask, right, Charlie?
S2: Oh, absolutely, John. And if you want to know more
S2: about what makes Passover so special. Well, our friends at
S2: Life in Messiah are offering to mail you a free
S2: copy of their Messianic Passover Haggadah. The booklet will lead
S2: you through the celebration of Passover to see the rich
S2: connections to Jesus, our Messiah, and the Last Supper. You'll
S2: also receive a link for an interactive Passover Seder video
S2: with the Haggadah on video. You can celebrate Passover this
S2: year with your family and friends. Now to get this
S2: free offer, just go to Life in Messiah org and
S2: click on the radio button to find out more and
S2: to request your copy. That's life in.
S1: Its segment one of the land and the book with
S1: our host, Charlie Dyer. We're looking at current events based
S1: in the Middle East. Well, March 28th was the final
S1: Friday of Ramadan, but it was also international cuts, or
S1: Jerusalem Day, when Iran backed allies marched to call for
S1: Israel's annihilation. As the month of Ramadan drew to an end,
S1: what's been happening in the conflict between Iran, Israel and
S1: the United States.
S2: Yeah. You know, International Quds Day serves as a reminder
S2: that Iran's leadership is actively committed to Israel's destruction and
S2: has been since the ayatollahs took over there back in 1979.
S2: This was actually the 46th year of that event. So
S2: what's been happening over the last few weeks? Well, a
S2: recent U.S. intelligence report said Iran isn't building a nuclear weapon. However,
S2: that report is misleading. Iran is not currently constructing a
S2: nuclear bomb, but they're preparing all the elements for that
S2: to be assembled. Power plants and hospitals use uranium enriched
S2: to between 3 and 5%. Iran now has £600 of
S2: uranium enriched to a purity level of 60%. At that level,
S2: it would only take around a week or so to
S2: further enrich it to 90%, which would give them sufficient
S2: uranium to produce 5 or 6 nuclear weapons. What isn't
S2: known is how far along Iran is in developing the
S2: technology to actually fashion and construct a nuclear device, but
S2: they've spent decades working on those details. Now, 70 years ago,
S2: it took the US just a few months to build
S2: the first atomic bombs. Once we had sufficient uranium and plutonium.
S2: Iran already has the missile technology to deliver a nuclear
S2: bomb several thousand miles, putting all the Middle East and
S2: most of Europe within range. So they might not yet
S2: actually be building a nuclear bomb, but the timeline for
S2: doing so is incredibly short once they make the decision
S2: to do so. President Trump issued an ultimatum in early March,
S2: giving Iran 60 days to enter into negotiations on a
S2: new nuclear treaty. And this past week, the US moved
S2: a group of B-2 stealth bombers and other aircraft to
S2: a base in the Indian Ocean. What's unclear, probably deliberately so,
S2: is if these bombers are there to attack the Houthis
S2: in Yemen or the nuclear sites in Iran. But the
S2: president did threaten to bomb Iran if they refused to
S2: make a deal suggesting the planes might be a warning
S2: to them. A second aircraft carrier is also on its
S2: way to the region, adding additional support for a possible
S2: US strike. Iran responded with threats to US bases in
S2: the region. They also unveiled an underground missile base that
S2: they claim housed thousands of ballistic and precision guided missiles,
S2: and they've said they've already installed the missiles on their launchers.
S2: Both sides are engaged in saber rattling, but there are
S2: also possible hints at a willingness to negotiate. But the
S2: time is starting to run out. We'll probably know in
S2: about another month whether something's going to happen for peace
S2: or for war.
S1: That's Doctor Charlie Dyer. This is the land and the book.
S1: I'm John Gage. We're looking at current events based in
S1: the Middle East. Israeli archaeologists have been excavating a 2200
S1: year old pyramid near the southern end of the Dead Sea.
S1: What exactly is the structure being uncovered? What's it for?
S1: What might have been its purpose?
S2: Yeah, this is one of those where you have to
S2: read it a little bit below the the headlines to
S2: get all the details. Uh, Those who've been to Israel
S2: and stayed down at the southern end of the Dead Sea,
S2: and the hotels there, may have seen the general area
S2: where this discovery was made. On the drive from the
S2: Dead Sea toward Arad and Beersheba, the bus climbs up
S2: into the wilderness, and along the way there are several
S2: spots where you can look back to view the Dead Sea.
S2: That's the area where this discovery was made. But someone
S2: looking for a pyramid like the ones in Egypt would
S2: be disappointed. The pyramid like structure found here is about
S2: 19ft tall and blends in with the surrounding rock. Originally,
S2: the structure was a tower or a building that likely
S2: guarded the roadway from Edom, past the Dead Sea toward Gaza.
S2: So far, the excavators have uncovered papyrus fragments, wooden tools, fabrics,
S2: and coins from the Hellenistic period, sometime after the structure
S2: collapsed or was abandoned. The ruins were then reused by
S2: someone who fashioned it into a monumental grave for himself.
S2: While some artifacts from the grave were also discovered. The
S2: grave must have been looted a long time ago. Excavations
S2: at the site are continuing, so we'll provide an update
S2: should anything else of significance be discovered.
S1: How tall is this thing, do you think, Charlie?
S2: They say 19ft. So just under 20ft tall. But, uh,
S2: you know, it's so rocky in that area. It just
S2: looks like all the other rocks in the area. But,
S2: you know, as as they've explored over time, they did
S2: notice it was, you know, man made these rocks have
S2: been piled up. And then finally somebody decided, well, let's
S2: take a look and see what's there.
S1: Well, several news outlets in Israel reported on the release
S1: of CIA documents suggesting the discovery of the Ark of
S1: the covenant. Are these reports credible, or was that just
S1: an April Fool's Day joke?
S2: You know, if this story had appeared on April 1st,
S2: I would have just assumed it was an April Fool's
S2: Day joke, but it actually was published before April 1st.
S2: The essence of the story is that declassified government documents
S2: from 1988 show the CIA conducting a secret project to
S2: test the possibility of using ESP or other psychic powers
S2: to locate the Ark of the covenant. Kind of thinking
S2: of the theme from the Raiders of the Lost Ark
S2: at this point. But during the experiment, the term Ark
S2: of the covenant was written down. Placed in an envelope
S2: and then a remote, viewers were asked to identify and
S2: locate the object. Without knowing what it was. During the experiment,
S2: one individual described a container made of wood, gold, or silver,
S2: similar in shape to a coffin adorned with images of
S2: six winged angels. The individual also said the object was hidden.
S2: They said subterranean, dark, wet, suggesting it still exists, though concealed. So,
S2: you know, really, what are we to make of these
S2: reports and this experiment? Well, I got three quick thoughts. First,
S2: this could simply be a case of a lucky guess
S2: by someone with an overactive imagination. Remember Raiders of the
S2: Lost Ark? The movie was released in 1981, and filming
S2: was underway for the 1989 sequel at the time of
S2: this experiment. Now, when asked to find something that was lost.
S2: It's possible the person simply thought of the Ark of
S2: the covenant because of the movie. That second thought there
S2: could be something more sinister here. Demonic influence Satan and
S2: his forces can work through so-called psychic powers to reveal
S2: things that almost seem like ESP, and that's why we're
S2: to avoid things like that. My third thought, and here's
S2: what I think we really need to remember. None of
S2: this proves the existence of the real Ark of the covenant.
S2: In Jeremiah 316, God said, in the last days, men
S2: will no longer say, the ark of the covenant of
S2: the Lord. It won't enter their minds or be remembered.
S2: It won't be missed, nor will another one be made.
S2: You know when the glory of the Lord left the temple,
S2: the ark became nothing more than a gold covered box.
S2: So it's not hidden in a warehouse in the Middle
S2: East or in Washington, D.C., or anywhere else, according to
S2: the Bible.
S1: Yeah. Well, haven't you said before you your best suspicion
S1: is that it is long gone. It deteriorated.
S2: Yeah. Again, when God's glory left, it was just a
S2: wooden box taken to Babylon. And with all the gold
S2: that was used in it, it was melted down. And
S2: I don't think we're going to see it. The real
S2: one is in heaven. We know that the copy is
S2: no longer with us.
S1: Israeli researchers have uncovered the equivalent of a genetic on
S1: off switch that they believe could help pave the way
S1: for new treatments of some diseases. How exactly does this
S1: latest innovation from amazing Israel work, Charlie?
S2: Yeah, this seems to be so far beyond my pay grade,
S2: but I found it just fascinating in the process of
S2: mapping DNA methylation, a process where a small chemical tag
S2: is attached to a specific part of a DNA molecule.
S2: Israeli researchers gain insight into how genes are turned on
S2: and off. The researchers identified more than 34,000 genomic regions
S2: with distinct on off methylation patterns, many of which vary
S2: depending on the cell type. They also discovered previously unknown
S2: imprinting effects, where genes can be expressed differently depending on
S2: whether they're inherited from the mother or the father. The
S2: research opens up wide ranging possibilities for understanding the molecular
S2: basis of genetic diseases. One of the most immediate benefits
S2: could be the development of more accurate diagnostic tests for
S2: diseases like cancer or other genetic disorders. It also holds
S2: out promise for age related diseases like Alzheimer's. The Bible
S2: tells us that we are fearfully and wonderfully made, and
S2: this research from Amazing Israel shines a spotlight on one
S2: aspect of God's creation of our bodies that could someday
S2: lead to new, life changing advances in medicine. All thanks
S2: to these dedicated doctors and scientists and researchers from Hebrew
S2: University and Hadassah Medical Center.
S1: Thank you Charlie. And that's a look at current events.
S1: I'm curious, what is the Cyrus cylinder we'll be talking
S1: about later on?
S2: Well, it was actually a cylinder found in Iran that
S2: helps explain Isaiah 44 and his mention of Cyrus.
S1: Okay, biblical evidence there in archaeology, but much more to
S1: come on today's program before we get there, including our
S1: conversation with Jill Eileen Smith about Mary Magdalene. Just who
S1: was she? Why does her life matter still today? That's
S1: all ahead on today's edition of The Land and the book.
S1: All Mary has ever known is fear and loss. Until
S1: she uncovers a rabbi different than all the others. One
S1: touch from Jesus. And she is never the same. Her
S1: new mission in life is to serve the one who
S1: set her free. But when the unthinkable happens, she must
S1: fight not to descend into darkness once again. If you're curious,
S1: we're talking about Mary Magdalene, the woman you've met in Scripture,
S1: and today you're about to meet her in person. Through
S1: the research and imagination of Jill Eileen Smith, this is
S1: the land and the book, by the way. I'm John Gager,
S1: inviting you to pause with me now for a quick
S1: idea on what it could really look like to love
S1: on our Jewish friends and neighbors. Opportunities to share Yeshua
S1: with your Jewish friends come in all kinds of shapes
S1: and sizes. Beth Evelyn's got a great story. She serves
S1: on staff at Olive Tree Congregation in suburban Chicago. Beth.
S3: One day I was talking on the phone with someone
S3: from technical support about my computer. And when he saw
S3: the name of our congregation, he started speaking to me
S3: in Hebrew. Well, I don't speak Hebrew, but I did
S3: take the opportunity to explain to him that we are
S3: a congregation of Jewish people who believe in Jesus, and
S3: he had not really explored that very much. And so
S3: we talked about it a little bit more. And because
S3: he was on the phone, I thought, well, I need
S3: to give him some resources. So I directed him to
S3: the website In Search of Shalom, which is a website
S3: that has a lot of Jewish believers testimonies on video.
S3: And so you can direct Jewish people there, and they
S3: can go in the privacy of their own home and
S3: watch these videos of people who have powerful testimonies. And
S3: they're all Jewish believers.
S1: In search of shalom.
S3: Yes.
S1: Great resource for somebody that's maybe just with tech support
S1: on the phone. Thoughts there from Beth Taplin, who's with
S1: Olive Tree Congregation here on the land and the book.
S1: Jill Ileene Smith loves Jesus, loves his word and all
S1: things related to learning more about the culture and times
S1: of the people of the Bible, particularly the women whom
S1: God has immortalized there. She's the best selling and award
S1: winning author of many biblical novels, including her first series,
S1: The Wives of King David. It's Great to Have you
S1: on the land and the book, Jill.
S4: Well, thanks for having me, John.
S1: Well, we're here to meet the subject of your newest release,
S1: Dawn of Grace, Mary Magdalene's story. Let me start by
S1: asking you what drew you to the story of Mary
S1: Magdalene in the first place?
S4: Oh, boy. Well, I had written about almost all of
S4: the major Old Testament women, and I wanted to come
S4: up with more to write because I still had that desire.
S4: I believe God created me with that desire to write
S4: these stories. So I switched to the New Testament, and
S4: then it was like, okay, who? And it's more like
S4: which one was most interesting to me, and she was
S4: one of them. So she was the first one. I
S4: have two more coming down the road in the New Testament.
S1: So great. Hey, do you think that we give Mary
S1: Magdalene the spotlight in Scripture that she deserves? Have we
S1: have we taken the time to really understand her? Why
S1: or why not?
S4: You know, as a culture worldwide, I think there's a
S4: lot of misunderstanding about Mary Magdalene. And I remember doing
S4: some research and I won't be able to quote the
S4: guy's name exactly, but I think he was a pope
S4: or a bishop or someone years and years ago who
S4: kind of combined some of the different women in Scripture, like,
S4: you know, the sinful woman that weeps at Jesus feet
S4: or whatever, and kind of made the unnamed women part
S4: of Mary Magdalene's story, and that's where she got the idea,
S4: or we got as a world, whatever the idea, she
S4: was a prostitute or the wife of Jesus, which is
S4: a heretical thing going on. But the Bible clearly says
S4: she was delivered of seven demons. That's all he tells us.
S4: And then she helped support Jesus out of her means.
S4: So that made me pause and go, well, how did
S4: she get that money? You know, where did she have means?
S4: Was she wealthy? Was she? I mean, I've read all
S4: kinds of books on her. Some people think she was
S4: older because she's named first a lot in Scripture, but
S4: that doesn't mean for sure. She might have just been
S4: the leader because she had a leadership ability, you know.
S4: And I think the demon possession thing is something we
S4: don't really understand in our culture, so we don't. I
S4: guess maybe we just think of her more easily as
S4: a prostitute. Yeah, but no, I think we need to
S4: understand that because there's a lot of people with serious
S4: mental issues in our world and a lot of evil,
S4: and you can imagine the evil that goes on. You
S4: have to ask yourself, is that someone who's just mentally ill,
S4: or is there a demon situation going on like there
S4: was back in Jesus day? There was a lot of
S4: demon possession then, and I don't have any doubt that
S4: there still exists today.
S1: Yeah. Today on the land and the book An Unusual
S1: Conversation About Mary Magdalene with Jill Eileen Smith describe Mary's
S1: struggles as best we can conjecture. Obviously, she's been delivered
S1: from this, uh, being indwelt by unclean spirits, demons. I mean,
S1: that has to leave some scars, though, perhaps. What do
S1: you think are her her struggles?
S4: Well, I think if it was me, you know, and
S4: I'd been really sick or had a really oppressed, something
S4: oppressed me for a really long time, like she did, um,
S4: whom the son sets free is free indeed, but that
S4: doesn't mean she felt it. I envisioned her as relieved
S4: to be free of the demons, but it's kind of like,
S4: are they going to stay away? You know, I felt
S4: like that she could have a fear that if I
S4: don't stay close to Jesus, I'm susceptible. Especially when Jesus
S4: told that parable. If she heard it about, you know,
S4: if a house has got a man's got demon possessed
S4: and the demons are cast out and he doesn't clean
S4: his house up or whatever, the demons come back, find
S4: it all swept, but there's nothing to replace them. He's like,
S4: I can't. I'm not quoting it exactly.
S1: His condition, his condition, in the end, is worse than
S1: in the beginning.
S4: Right, right. And so that if she heard that, I mean,
S4: she could think, well, could they come back? I mean,
S4: those kind of questions went through my mind. So I
S4: just envisioned her devotion, and she was the most devoted
S4: of all the followers. She would not leave his side
S4: at the crucifixion. She had to know where he was buried.
S4: And Scripture, if you read the Gospels at the end,
S4: indicates she may have gone to the tomb three times separately. Um,
S4: you know, some people want to just say, oh, well,
S4: this says it this way, but maybe she was the
S4: first one up in the morning and then saw that
S4: the tomb was open but ran back, you know, and
S4: then came back with the women. We don't know for sure,
S4: but I envisioned from what I studied that she made
S4: three trips before Jesus said her name, and she knew
S4: he was alive.
S1: All right. I want to go to, uh, Mary Magdalene,
S1: sort of the before Jesus model here for a minute
S1: if she were alive today. This is the before Jesus,
S1: Mary Magdalene. How would she dress? Where would she live?
S1: What would somebody passing her on the street notice most
S1: about Mary Magdalene?
S4: I think she would have looked pretty ragged. I doubt
S4: she was homeless because she had wealth, but she could
S4: have been driven to the wilderness like the other demon
S4: possessed people were. She may not have wanted to eat.
S4: She could have lost a lot of weight. Her clothes
S4: could have been in tatters. She could have been dirty
S4: from not taking good care of herself. Because demons lead
S4: you to do things according to scripture. Like cut yourself
S4: trying to kill yourself, um, drive you to like what?
S4: The wilderness areas be too strong to be controlled. People
S4: may have feared her, and she may have kind of
S4: just gone off to be alone, more than they would
S4: have seen her very often. I wouldn't say she'd be
S4: like the person living in a homeless encampment, but she
S4: might be the homeless person living off all by herself
S4: back in that day and coming and going. Maybe, you know,
S4: I don't know. But that was how I see it now.
S1: Try to imagine that moment, and I'm sure you did
S1: in writing the book. What was it like for Mary
S1: to discover that Christ was interested in her? Exclusively for
S1: her benefit? For her healing? What was that moment like?
S4: Well, can you just imagine him calling your name? I
S4: get goosebumps when I think of that. Just hearing him
S4: say Mary. And I know that may not mean much
S4: to some people, but it's like someone finally knew her.
S4: It's like the minute he touched her physically or just
S4: with his words. We aren't sure how he healed or
S4: it doesn't say, but that's transforming. To hear him actually
S4: call you by name, you are mine. I know The
S4: chosen depicts that moment and they used that verse. Um.
S4: I have called you by name. You are mine. And
S4: I think that it applies to anyone who's healed and
S4: delivered by the Lord. And in her case, I think
S4: it was very true. I didn't use it the same
S4: way they did, but I think that she would have
S4: just been transformed in an instant.
S1: Jill Eileen Smith is the best selling and award winning
S1: author of the biblical fiction series The Wives of King David,
S1: wives of the Patriarchs and Daughters of the Promised Land,
S1: along with many others. She joins us today on The
S1: Land and the book we're talking about, Dawn of Grace.
S1: Her newest release, looking at Mary Magdalene's story. What do
S1: you think was the turning point for Mary? I mean,
S1: she had lived life her own way for so long. Uh,
S1: it was nice to hear her name called out by Jesus.
S1: But why should she trust this carpenter from Nazareth named Jesus?
S4: Well, if she knew the minute he touched her or
S4: called her or told the demons to leave. However, he
S4: did it when she would know they were gone. And
S4: I mean, if you're healed so instantly, I think there'd
S4: be a really strong trust factor after that and wanting
S4: to be with him. I can't imagine that she wouldn't.
S4: I know fear and doubt will still come into any
S4: of our lives when God may answer a prayer or
S4: heal us, or just at our salvation, depending on our age,
S4: it might be still difficult. We're still human. We're going
S4: to doubt, we're going to struggle. And I think she did.
S4: But I also think that especially once he resurrected, then
S4: she could have the Holy Spirit's power to truly be
S4: stronger in her faith. But, you know, she would have
S4: had to learn it as she went along after being healed.
S1: You know, demon possession is no lightweight condition. And it
S1: seems to me that if there was hope for Mary Magdalene,
S1: then that says volumes about messed up people around the world.
S1: Your thoughts?
S4: Yeah, absolutely. In doing the research for that, it was
S4: tough because I do know people that are mentally ill,
S4: but I've never met a demon possessed person. So I
S4: went to, um, fellow author Bill Myers, who wrote a
S4: book about demon possession, because he had experience with that.
S4: I can't remember the title right now, but it's in
S4: my book. I acknowledge him. But anyway, that book was
S4: very eye opening. And then I watched a movie, nefarious,
S4: which was also very eye opening. It was all about
S4: demon possession, and it was like, wow. So I tried
S4: to be as, um, like take from those things of
S4: people who, you know, had more firsthand experience and apply
S4: it to the story. But like I said, I have
S4: no doubt there is a lot of it still going around.
S4: The unclean spirits and the all the anime. I don't
S4: even like to call his name, but, um, he's doing
S4: his level best to destroy every human being, whether you're
S4: a believer or not. But especially he's going after believers
S4: and the Jewish nation. And you know he won't stop
S4: until God stops him. And if he can get Ahold
S4: of people and make them tools of his use, he will.
S4: I mean, it's kind of scary, you know? But we
S4: don't have to be afraid as believers.
S1: That's right.
S4: Greater is he who is in us, right? Than he
S4: who's in the world.
S1: Yeah. Hey, if you were to bring Mary Magdalene to
S1: church services this Sunday, and they opened up the microphone
S1: to anybody in the congregation with a testimony to share,
S1: what one facet of her story do you think Mary
S1: might choose to talk about?
S4: I think she would tell the world I've seen the Lord,
S4: because that was her absolute epiphany when he resurrected and
S4: she thought he was the gardener, and he called her
S4: name again, maybe for the first time, but I doubt it,
S4: you know. But he called her name for the first
S4: time of resurrection. She was the first person to see
S4: him alive. I mean, she ran back to the disciples
S4: and said, I've seen the Lord. And, I mean, I
S4: don't think she ever stopped saying that because I think
S4: it was like, wow. And you look at Scripture and go,
S4: Jesus told the woman at the, well, I'm the Messiah.
S4: The first person was a woman, the first person to
S4: see him alive after he rose was a woman, and
S4: he elevated women in such a wonderful way that we
S4: still don't see in the world. But Jesus did. He
S4: considers us all equal in Christ, and it's like, wow,
S4: I don't think she would have gotten over that. She
S4: probably danced or hopped or skipped or ran all the
S4: way there, you know, it's like, wow. She wanted to
S4: cling to him and he said, don't do that. Yeah. Anyway,
S4: I think that would be her testimony.
S1: I like that, danced, hopped, skipped. She probably did all
S1: of them.
S5: She probably did, yeah.
S1: And that's a great place to pause this conversation while
S1: you think about exploring further. The book is Dawn of Grace,
S1: Mary Magdalene's story. You'll get to know her better as
S1: you pick it up, and we'll link you to that
S1: book and to Jill Eileen Smith's website when you visit ours.
S1: The land and the book.org. Looking forward to more of
S1: your Bible questions next here on the land and the book.
S1: It's great to connect with you today on the land
S1: and the book. Segment three I'm John Yeager, always glad
S1: to be connected in the studio with Doctor Gerald Peterman
S1: of Moody Bible Institute faculty. I say that so often
S1: because to me, it's important, you know that.
S6: Is it really true?
S1: It's really true and it's really important. People need to
S1: know that there isn't some guy just sitting here winging this.
S1: This is somebody that our students get to benefit from
S1: day in and day out, somebody that I enjoy chatting with,
S1: but somebody, most importantly who knows and loves the word.
S1: So thank you for doing this.
S6: Well, I get to enjoy being with the students every day.
S6: So that's that's really fun.
S1: All right. And you always welcome those questions at The
S1: Land and the book at Moody. Again email us at
S1: the land and the book at Moody. Well, before we
S1: get to our questions, let's think about the fact that
S1: Passover is upon us. And and one of the traditional
S1: Passover questions is what makes this night different from all others?
S1: And of course, Passover is an important biblical holiday with
S1: great meaning for Jewish people and believers in Jesus. But
S1: if you want to learn more about what makes Passover
S1: so special, our friends at Life in Messiah are offering
S1: to mail you a free copy of their Messianic Passover Haggadah.
S1: This is a booklet that will lead you to the
S1: celebration of Passover, to see the rich connections to Jesus,
S1: our Messiah, and the Last Supper. We'll also send you
S1: a link for an interactive Passover Seder video. And with
S1: the Haggadah and the video, boy, you'll really celebrate Passover
S1: this year with your family and friends like never before.
S1: Take advantage of this free offer. Just go to life
S1: in Messiah and click on the Moody Radio button there
S1: to find out more and request your copy. That's life
S1: in Messiah Dot. And with that, let's get right into
S1: our first question of the day, this one from Ben.
S1: He says, I hope it doesn't sound heretical, but I
S1: have to ask Jesus, our Lord is 100% man and 100% God.
S1: Now how can he be in everyone's heart at the
S1: same time if he's fully man? My wife says that
S1: when Jesus was raised back to heaven, he no longer
S1: was a man, just God. That I don't believe. I
S1: wanted to discuss it with her, but couldn't think of
S1: any scripture to stand on. Any thoughts?
S6: Well, Ben, thanks so much for the question. First, our
S6: Lord can be in our heart because he is God,
S6: and so he's omnipresent. But it's even better than that
S6: because of his grace and his a saving power. He
S6: is especially with us. This goes beyond mere omnipresence to
S6: what I'm going to call special presence, just as God
S6: has always been omnipresent. But in your Old Testament, you know,
S6: he was especially present in the tabernacle in the holy place. See,
S6: especially Leviticus 16. So now he is specially present with us. Now, second,
S6: about our Lord's body. We can see from acts chapter
S6: one that Jesus is talking to the 11, and he
S6: promises the Holy Spirit is going to come. And then
S6: in acts one nine we read this. And after he
S6: said this, he was taken up. And as they were watching,
S6: the cloud took him out of their sight. And while
S6: he was going, they were gazing into heaven, and suddenly
S6: two men in white clothes stood by them. They said,
S6: Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking into heaven?
S6: This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven,
S6: will come in the same way that you've seen him
S6: going into heaven. So when our Lord returns, we'll see
S6: his body. Matthew 2430 says, all the eyes of the
S6: world will see the Son of Man coming on the
S6: clouds of heaven. So I believe in an eternally embodied
S6: Jesus Christ our Lord.
S1: All right. Since you've gone toward the future for that question,
S1: let me let me keep us there. Revelation 21 verse
S1: four promises God shall wipe every tear from their eyes.
S1: Two questions arise here. First, what is the likely source
S1: of the crying? And second, is this wiping away a
S1: one time thing? Or will we have regular occasion to
S1: cry in heaven?
S6: Oh wow that's wonderful. I really enjoyed this question. Let
S6: me go to number two. I don't think there's going
S6: to be any crying in heaven. I don't think there's
S6: going to be any sadness, any mourning, any pain, any death.
S6: These are the things we cry about. No, there will
S6: be no more tears. But number one, this life often
S6: has many tears. Joys, yes, but this life often has
S6: many tears. And so this is a promise of the
S6: blessing the Lord will give us, we will be personally comforted.
S6: He will wipe every tear from our eyes.
S1: Okay, so you're saying this is heaven itself, as opposed
S1: to now that we're here and here we are crying
S1: in heaven, and he'll come along and use his sleeve
S1: and wipe away our tears. No. The gift of heaven
S1: is the wiping away of tears.
S7: The gift of heaven.
S6: Is to have all our griefs wiped away by him. Yeah.
S1: All right. We're going to back up just a bit
S1: before being in heaven to the rapture with this next question.
S1: A listener wants to know why wouldn't the rapture, the
S1: sudden disappearance of millions of Christians, be sufficient to create
S1: a global revival, or at least a large scale sense
S1: of humility? As in, boy, those people we thought were
S1: so nutty, they're actually right. There must be this God
S1: they speak of. Why wouldn't the world in large numbers
S1: turn to that reality?
S6: Well, that is a great question. I really see where
S6: this is coming from. The answer is because human hearts
S6: can be very hard. Let me give you another example
S6: from the Old Testament. In the Old Testament period, of course,
S6: God brought his people Israel out of Egypt. It was miraculous.
S6: It was it was stunning. And Rahab and her family
S6: paid attention to it, and they were touched by it.
S6: But the rest of the Canaanites were not. So here,
S6: here what we have, we have God doing a miracle
S6: that's talked about all over that part of the world.
S6: And most of the people don't care. That seems to
S6: me to be very similar to what you're talking about.
S1: Yeah. And you think of the presence of Jesus himself
S1: on this earth, right? How many saw these miracles and said, nah,
S1: I don't think so.
S6: John, that's a really good example. Sadly, what we see
S6: sometimes is in the Gospels anyway. We see scribes, Pharisees
S6: who say a miracle just happened. What are we going
S6: to do about this? Because we can't stand it. Let's
S6: kill him.
S1: Right?
S6: Right. This is not what you expect to happen as
S6: a result of a miracle.
S1: No. You're listening to the land and the book. Doctor
S1: Gerald Peterman is answering listener questions today. If yours isn't
S1: among them, could it be you haven't asked it yet?
S1: Why not do that when you email us at The
S1: Land and the book at Moody's, the land and the
S1: book at Moody's. We'll keep going on future things with
S1: this next listener question. This person says it feels like
S1: there's a growing movement in evangelical circles today to deny
S1: that those who end up in hell suffer. They're fully
S1: conscious forever and ever. What's driving this trend and how
S1: should we respond?
S6: Well, it's hard to know exactly what's driving the trend,
S6: but this strikes many people as vicious. How could a
S6: God condemn someone to eternal punishment? It strikes many people
S6: as vicious. They're not going to accept it because in
S6: their view, God could never do such a thing. Well, okay,
S6: I appreciate that. I think I understand where they're coming from.
S6: Let's think of it from a different perspective. How bad
S6: is sin? How bad is it to reject God when
S6: there's so many evidences of him around the planet, and
S6: there's so much evidence of the goodness of God in
S6: the gospel. How bad is sin? Sin is as vicious
S6: as hell is described as the punishment that corresponds to it.
S6: So I understand where this question is coming from, but
S6: I think it underestimates the viciousness of sin.
S1: Yeah. Might just be that we have devalued or taken
S1: the claws out of sin.
S7: Yes.
S6: I think you're.
S7: Right.
S1: He poisoned it as if such were possible.
S7: Mhm.
S1: Another question. Do you believe we are moving toward the
S1: last times, the end times? And if so, in what
S1: ways do you see the church today falling away from
S1: the biblical faith as we're told it's going to do.
S1: What are among your greatest concerns.
S7: Mhm.
S6: Well I think I hear 3 or 4 questions in there.
S7: Go for all of them. Yes.
S1: We got.
S7: Time.
S6: Um I think we're moving close, but I don't want
S6: to be a prophet of doom, nor do I want
S6: to fix a date. But I think we're getting close
S6: because Jesus talks about the gospel being preached to all
S6: nations before he arrives. And there is a massive push
S6: going on right now. That where many people are being
S6: evangelized for the first time and people are being reached
S6: in unreached countries around the world. So we're seeing thousands
S6: upon thousands upon millions of people come to know Christ,
S6: to the number we've never seen before. I think this
S6: is an indication we're moving toward the day. Now, John,
S6: I forgot the second part of your.
S1: Question would be what what issues do you see theologically
S1: that maybe we're falling away from or twisting or deliberately, uh,
S1: not paying attention.
S6: To? Right, right. Uh, great. Thanks for reminding me of that.
S6: I don't want to label anyone or any person or
S6: any church, but, uh, there are many churches these days.
S6: There are many churches these days that go by the
S6: name of church who are losing their members because the
S6: churches are abandoning what's in Scripture. And this has been
S6: this has been going on for years. But I think
S6: that's also accelerated the abandonment of classic Christianity, of biblical Christianity,
S6: I think is at a height at this point. But
S6: you'd have to be paying attention to see that. Yeah.
S6: Many churches are closing down because they have stopped preaching
S6: the gospel, and no one wants to come because there's
S6: no there's no hope, there's no life, there's no vitality.
S1: Yeah. We're talking with Doctor Gerald Peterman on this question
S1: and answer segment here on the land and the book.
S1: And again your question is welcome anytime when you email
S1: us at the Land and the book at Moody's, you
S1: don't just teach the Bible. You're a student of the Bible.
S1: So for the listener who's asking what tools do you like,
S1: what's on your shelf, what's on your computer, your phone,
S1: any apps or tools or books? I think for my
S1: own life, what has been very instrumental is Howard Hendricks
S1: and his son, Bill. They wrote the book living by
S1: the book. Tremendous tool for helping you understand and study
S1: the scriptures. What thoughts come to your mind?
S6: Well, um. Am I allowed to say this? Is this advertising?
S6: I go I go to the Moody Bible Commentary quite often, right?
S6: Because I'm reading scripture, I'm reading the Old Testament every year,
S6: reading the New Testament every year. And sometimes I think, huh,
S6: What's going on with that? So for a quick straight
S6: to the point answer, I opened the Moody Bible Commentary.
S6: So while there are lots of other books, the number
S6: one book for me is the Moody Bible Commentary.
S1: All right, great tip. And that's from Moody Publishers. A
S1: link to Moody Publishers is at our website. The land
S1: and the bookstores. And again, I'll mention it one more time.
S1: Our email address. If you'd like to connect and get
S1: your question on board with us. It's easy to do
S1: so when you email the land and the book at Moody's.
S1: I'm looking forward to Charlie Dyer's devotional next on the
S1: land and the book. If you're new to the land
S1: in the book, we've got one last segment for you.
S1: It's our devotional segment. Charlie, what is the the goal here?
S1: Your philosophy in what you put together for us week
S1: after week?
S2: Well, I want to try and introduce people to some
S2: spot in the land and something that connects to the
S2: Bible there. And again, the land and the book. It's
S2: nice to put them together, but in a way that
S2: provides something we can listen to and take home for
S2: the week that draws us closer to God.
S1: All right. And this week is no exception. You're continuing
S1: a series titled What.
S2: The 11 Inscriptions to the Bible. And today we're going
S2: to be looking at the Cyrus Cylinder and Isaiah 44.
S1: First, though, let's listen to this Holy Land experience. That's
S1: what we call it. It's somebody's testimony, having come back
S1: from the Holy Land, and they're kind of fired up
S1: with an impression that God has laid on their heart.
S1: Listen to this.
S8: Hi, my name is John Mitchell. We, uh, toured the
S8: Sea of Galilee and went down to the Dead Sea
S8: and went to Jerusalem. And it just opened up the
S8: Bible to me more than before. And I encourage everyone
S8: to come and experience it. It's it's a wonderful experience
S8: and you'll learn so much that you thought you maybe knew,
S8: but you'll know so much more about it once you
S8: be here.
S9: Hi, my name is Rick Warren and this is my
S9: second time here with Moody Bible Institute to the Holy Land.
S9: And the thing that really hit me this time was
S9: not the different places that we went to. Although they're fabulous.
S9: The different experiences. But just as we've been talking so
S9: much this week about the relationship between Palestine and Israel
S9: and how truly complex it really is. And there are
S9: no simple solutions.
S1: All right, Charlie, I'm looking forward to your devotional today.
S1: I guess we're based in Isaiah 44.
S2: That's right John. We've reached the eighth in my series
S2: of 11 inscriptions to the Bible, and I want to
S2: start today's devotional with a rallying cry heard several times
S2: in our nation's history. The British are coming. The British
S2: are coming. Now, if you're a history buff, you might
S2: have in mind the Revolutionary War and Paul Revere's midnight
S2: ride to Lexington. But if you were a teenager in
S2: the 60s. The same message brings to mind the arrival
S2: of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones and Herman's Hermits,
S2: the Dave Clark Five and all those other British rock
S2: bands that took America by storm. But if you're a
S2: lover of ancient history and antiquities, you might just be
S2: thinking back to a more recent invasion. The British Museum's
S2: Cyrus Cylinder Road show that came to five museums in
S2: the summer of 2013. This historical treasure went on display
S2: in Washington, D.C., Houston, New York City, San Francisco, and
S2: Los Angeles. It was the first time the Cyrus Cylinder
S2: had ever been in the United States. But you ask,
S2: what's the Cyrus Cylinder and why is it so special?
S2: The Cyrus Cylinder is our inscription of the day. It's
S2: an ancient clay cylinder discovered in Babylon 145 years ago,
S2: last month that announced Cyrus key political and religious goals.
S2: It presented Cyrus as the pious leader sent by the
S2: gods of Babylon to replace the impious Babylonian king Nabonidus.
S2: It also announced his policy to repatriate those deported to
S2: Babylon and to rebuild the sanctuaries that had been destroyed.
S2: It was Cyrus's attempt to undo Babylonian policies and to
S2: consolidate Persian rule by presenting him as a kinder and
S2: gentler king. But what does this 2500 year old artifact
S2: in the British Museum have to do with the Bible?
S2: It actually connects two ways. The Book of Ezra begins
S2: with a proclamation from King Cyrus that reads in part,
S2: whoever there is among you of all his people, may
S2: his God be with him. Let him go up to Jerusalem,
S2: which is in Judah, and rebuild the house of the Lord,
S2: the God of Israel. This proclamation to the Jewish people
S2: parallels the one in the Cyrus Cylinder, written to the
S2: people of Mesopotamia. Cyrus also allowed the Jews to go
S2: home and rebuild their temple. But I see another connection
S2: between the Bible and the Cyrus Cylinder. That's even more dramatic.
S2: I say that because this connection took place over 150
S2: years before Cyrus ever arrived on the scene. In Jeremiah 39,
S2: the prophet concluded the first half of his book by
S2: announcing God's final judgment on the nation of Judah. Behold,
S2: the days are coming when all that's in your house
S2: and all that your fathers have laid up in store
S2: to this day shall be carried to Babylon. Nothing shall
S2: be left. Isaiah announced that Judah would be going into
S2: captivity in Babylon. He was so certain about this that
S2: beginning in chapter 40, he begins writing to the people
S2: who were going into captivity, people who hadn't yet even
S2: been born at the time, he wrote. Isaiah offers comfort
S2: and hope to those who would someday be carried off
S2: into exile. God will bring you back to the land.
S2: But how could they be sure? How could they know
S2: this message was from God and not just wishful thinking
S2: on the part of the prophet. God gave Isaiah a
S2: very dramatic way to verify this prediction. Listen to God's
S2: promise made a century and a half before the rise
S2: of Cyrus. It is I who says of Cyrus, he's
S2: my shepherd, and he will perform all my desire. And
S2: he declares to Jerusalem, she will be rebuilt. And of
S2: the temple your foundation will be laid. Thus says the
S2: Lord to Cyrus his anointed, whom I have taken by
S2: the right hand to subdue nations before him. For the
S2: sake of Jacob my servant, and Israel my chosen one,
S2: I have also called you by your name. I have
S2: given you a title of honor, though you have not
S2: known me. I am the Lord. There is no other
S2: besides me. There is no God. God identified Cyrus by
S2: name and said he would be victorious, and announced he
S2: would be the one who would allow Israel to return
S2: home and rebuild the temple. Now, how's that for getting specific?
S2: In fact, some think it's too specific. No one could
S2: predict something that accurately that far in advance. No one,
S2: that is, except God. The critics who try to say
S2: this was written after the time of Cyrus, not before.
S2: Ignore two key truths. First, they missed the fact that
S2: all the way through this section of Isaiah. God does
S2: claim to be predicting the future. In chapter 41, God
S2: challenges all the other so-called gods to announce to us
S2: what's coming. Declare the things that are going to come afterward,
S2: that we may know that you are gods. In chapter 42,
S2: God says, I'm the Lord, that is my name. I
S2: will not give my glory to another, nor my praise
S2: to idols. Behold, the former things have come to pass.
S2: Now I declare new things. Before they spring forth, I
S2: proclaim them to you. In chapter 44, God issues this challenge.
S2: Who is like me? Let him proclaim and declare it.
S2: Let him declare the things that are coming and the
S2: events that are going to take place. I could go on,
S2: but you get the picture. God didn't just throw out
S2: Cyrus's name in some haphazard fashion. It was a deliberate
S2: prediction made to a specific group. It made no sense
S2: to the people in Isaiah's day, but it made perfect
S2: sense to those in captivity in Babylon, and it reminded
S2: them that God was in charge and that they could
S2: trust him. I said there were two reasons we knew
S2: this was a prediction written in advance. The first is
S2: the fact that God himself claims to be predicting the
S2: future when he named Cyrus. And the second reason was
S2: uncovered in Qumran. Those who said this couldn't be a
S2: real prediction of Cyrus constructed an elaborate theory for how
S2: the Book of Isaiah was written. The first 39 chapters
S2: in deed might date back to the time of Isaiah,
S2: they argued, but the last half of the book had
S2: to be written hundreds of years later, after the rise
S2: of Cyrus and the fall of the Babylonian Empire. Then, somehow,
S2: over the centuries, these two separate books got joined together
S2: and people forgot that they were the works of two
S2: different writers. Now, that may sound plausible, at least until
S2: the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered, including a complete scroll
S2: of the Book of Isaiah. The scroll dates to the
S2: second century BC. Chapter 39 ends on the next to
S2: the last line of a column. This was a perfect
S2: opportunity for the scribes to show a break in the
S2: book by starting chapter 40 on a new column. But
S2: chapter 40 begins on the very next line without any break.
S2: This was a single book written by the prophet Isaiah,
S2: with a dramatic prediction of the rise of a king
S2: named Cyrus, who would allow the Jews to return home
S2: and rebuild the temple. And that's just what happened. The
S2: Cyrus Cylinder is impressive, but it pales in comparison to
S2: the Bible. Israel knew about Cyrus and his proclamation before
S2: Cyrus was even born, because the God of the universe,
S2: the only true God, had told them all about him.
S2: So what difference does all this make in your life today?
S2: I think it comes down to this God could identify
S2: Cyrus by name because God was in control of history.
S2: And God has also announced dramatic events that will take
S2: place on this planet leading up to the return of
S2: his son. We don't need to live in fear or
S2: uncertainty about what tomorrow holds because God is in control.
S2: After predicting the coming of Cyrus, God made a statement
S2: that can help us keep our bearings in otherwise uncertain times.
S2: I made known the end from the beginning. From ancient
S2: times what is yet to come. I say my purpose
S2: will stand. And I will do all that I please.
S2: The lesson for us is simple. Breathe easy. God is
S2: in control. And if you'd like to see a photo
S2: of the Cyrus Cylinder on display in the British Museum,
S2: be sure to head over to our land in the
S2: book Facebook page where I've posted a picture of it
S2: that I took.
S1: And it's well worth the visit. Check out that Facebook page,
S1: I urge you. And I want to say thank you
S1: to our host, Charlie Dyer. Thanks to this station for
S1: making room for the land. In the book, I'm John
S1: Geiger for our producer, Dan Anderson. Hope you have a
S1: great day. The land and the book is a production
S1: of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.