WEBVTT - Mary Magdalene’s Story 0:00:08.160 --> 0:00:11.280 Just who was Mary Magdalene in the Bible? You know, 0:00:11.320 --> 0:00:14.160 one touch from Jesus, and she was never the same. 0:00:14.440 --> 0:00:17.279 Her new mission in life was to serve the one 0:00:17.280 --> 0:00:20.200 who set her free. Well, on today's broadcast, you'll meet 0:00:20.200 --> 0:00:24.840 Mary Magdalene in a fascinating conversation with Jill Ileene Smith. Plus, 0:00:24.840 --> 0:00:27.720 we'll unwrap the mystery of the Cyrus Cylinder. You say? 0:00:27.720 --> 0:00:30.200 What's that? You'll find out. And while we're at it, 0:00:30.240 --> 0:00:32.320 we'll try to unwrap some of the mysteries that you've 0:00:32.360 --> 0:00:35.960 encountered as you read Scripture. Welcome to the land and 0:00:35.960 --> 0:00:39.200 the book with Old Testament scholar and Israel expert Doctor 0:00:39.200 --> 0:00:42.680 Charlie Dyer. I'm John Gager, and you know, Charlie Passover 0:00:42.680 --> 0:00:44.920 will soon be upon us. And one of the traditional 0:00:44.920 --> 0:00:48.200 Passover questions is, hey, what makes this night different from 0:00:48.200 --> 0:00:51.599 all others? Well, Passover is an important biblical holiday that 0:00:51.600 --> 0:00:55.200 has great meaning for Jewish people and believers in Jesus. 0:00:55.440 --> 0:00:58.200 And it seems like this is a great question to ask, right, Charlie? 0:00:58.360 --> 0:01:00.790 Oh, absolutely, John. And if you want to know more 0:01:00.790 --> 0:01:03.670 about what makes Passover so special. Well, our friends at 0:01:03.670 --> 0:01:06.270 Life in Messiah are offering to mail you a free 0:01:06.270 --> 0:01:10.069 copy of their Messianic Passover Haggadah. The booklet will lead 0:01:10.069 --> 0:01:12.750 you through the celebration of Passover to see the rich 0:01:12.750 --> 0:01:16.350 connections to Jesus, our Messiah, and the Last Supper. You'll 0:01:16.350 --> 0:01:19.750 also receive a link for an interactive Passover Seder video 0:01:19.990 --> 0:01:23.069 with the Haggadah on video. You can celebrate Passover this 0:01:23.069 --> 0:01:25.830 year with your family and friends. Now to get this 0:01:25.830 --> 0:01:29.270 free offer, just go to Life in Messiah org and 0:01:29.270 --> 0:01:31.990 click on the radio button to find out more and 0:01:31.990 --> 0:01:34.550 to request your copy. That's life in. 0:01:36.310 --> 0:01:38.670 Its segment one of the land and the book with 0:01:38.670 --> 0:01:41.270 our host, Charlie Dyer. We're looking at current events based 0:01:41.270 --> 0:01:44.590 in the Middle East. Well, March 28th was the final 0:01:44.590 --> 0:01:48.310 Friday of Ramadan, but it was also international cuts, or 0:01:48.310 --> 0:01:52.430 Jerusalem Day, when Iran backed allies marched to call for 0:01:52.430 --> 0:01:56.270 Israel's annihilation. As the month of Ramadan drew to an end, 0:01:56.310 --> 0:02:00.020 what's been happening in the conflict between Iran, Israel and 0:02:00.020 --> 0:02:01.060 the United States. 0:02:01.420 --> 0:02:04.180 Yeah. You know, International Quds Day serves as a reminder 0:02:04.180 --> 0:02:08.980 that Iran's leadership is actively committed to Israel's destruction and 0:02:08.980 --> 0:02:13.060 has been since the ayatollahs took over there back in 1979. 0:02:13.300 --> 0:02:17.060 This was actually the 46th year of that event. So 0:02:17.060 --> 0:02:19.740 what's been happening over the last few weeks? Well, a 0:02:19.740 --> 0:02:25.019 recent U.S. intelligence report said Iran isn't building a nuclear weapon. However, 0:02:25.020 --> 0:02:29.220 that report is misleading. Iran is not currently constructing a 0:02:29.220 --> 0:02:32.260 nuclear bomb, but they're preparing all the elements for that 0:02:32.260 --> 0:02:36.299 to be assembled. Power plants and hospitals use uranium enriched 0:02:36.300 --> 0:02:40.620 to between 3 and 5%. Iran now has £600 of 0:02:40.660 --> 0:02:45.139 uranium enriched to a purity level of 60%. At that level, 0:02:45.139 --> 0:02:47.100 it would only take around a week or so to 0:02:47.139 --> 0:02:50.420 further enrich it to 90%, which would give them sufficient 0:02:50.460 --> 0:02:54.739 uranium to produce 5 or 6 nuclear weapons. What isn't 0:02:54.780 --> 0:02:57.370 known is how far along Iran is in developing the 0:02:57.370 --> 0:03:01.690 technology to actually fashion and construct a nuclear device, but 0:03:01.690 --> 0:03:05.490 they've spent decades working on those details. Now, 70 years ago, 0:03:05.490 --> 0:03:07.850 it took the US just a few months to build 0:03:07.850 --> 0:03:11.929 the first atomic bombs. Once we had sufficient uranium and plutonium. 0:03:12.169 --> 0:03:15.570 Iran already has the missile technology to deliver a nuclear 0:03:15.570 --> 0:03:18.570 bomb several thousand miles, putting all the Middle East and 0:03:18.570 --> 0:03:21.730 most of Europe within range. So they might not yet 0:03:21.770 --> 0:03:24.770 actually be building a nuclear bomb, but the timeline for 0:03:24.770 --> 0:03:27.889 doing so is incredibly short once they make the decision 0:03:27.889 --> 0:03:31.730 to do so. President Trump issued an ultimatum in early March, 0:03:31.770 --> 0:03:34.970 giving Iran 60 days to enter into negotiations on a 0:03:34.970 --> 0:03:38.450 new nuclear treaty. And this past week, the US moved 0:03:38.450 --> 0:03:41.770 a group of B-2 stealth bombers and other aircraft to 0:03:41.810 --> 0:03:46.330 a base in the Indian Ocean. What's unclear, probably deliberately so, 0:03:46.450 --> 0:03:48.810 is if these bombers are there to attack the Houthis 0:03:48.810 --> 0:03:52.050 in Yemen or the nuclear sites in Iran. But the 0:03:52.050 --> 0:03:54.810 president did threaten to bomb Iran if they refused to 0:03:54.810 --> 0:03:57.840 make a deal suggesting the planes might be a warning 0:03:57.880 --> 0:04:00.800 to them. A second aircraft carrier is also on its 0:04:00.840 --> 0:04:03.720 way to the region, adding additional support for a possible 0:04:03.720 --> 0:04:07.360 US strike. Iran responded with threats to US bases in 0:04:07.360 --> 0:04:10.880 the region. They also unveiled an underground missile base that 0:04:10.880 --> 0:04:14.840 they claim housed thousands of ballistic and precision guided missiles, 0:04:14.840 --> 0:04:17.680 and they've said they've already installed the missiles on their launchers. 0:04:17.920 --> 0:04:20.960 Both sides are engaged in saber rattling, but there are 0:04:20.960 --> 0:04:24.640 also possible hints at a willingness to negotiate. But the 0:04:24.640 --> 0:04:27.160 time is starting to run out. We'll probably know in 0:04:27.400 --> 0:04:30.880 about another month whether something's going to happen for peace 0:04:30.880 --> 0:04:31.680 or for war. 0:04:32.040 --> 0:04:34.520 That's Doctor Charlie Dyer. This is the land and the book. 0:04:34.520 --> 0:04:37.320 I'm John Gage. We're looking at current events based in 0:04:37.320 --> 0:04:41.280 the Middle East. Israeli archaeologists have been excavating a 2200 0:04:41.320 --> 0:04:44.520 year old pyramid near the southern end of the Dead Sea. 0:04:44.640 --> 0:04:47.680 What exactly is the structure being uncovered? What's it for? 0:04:47.680 --> 0:04:49.360 What might have been its purpose? 0:04:49.720 --> 0:04:50.919 Yeah, this is one of those where you have to 0:04:50.920 --> 0:04:52.880 read it a little bit below the the headlines to 0:04:52.920 --> 0:04:55.540 get all the details. Uh, Those who've been to Israel 0:04:55.540 --> 0:04:57.500 and stayed down at the southern end of the Dead Sea, 0:04:57.540 --> 0:05:00.059 and the hotels there, may have seen the general area 0:05:00.060 --> 0:05:02.580 where this discovery was made. On the drive from the 0:05:02.580 --> 0:05:05.900 Dead Sea toward Arad and Beersheba, the bus climbs up 0:05:05.900 --> 0:05:08.099 into the wilderness, and along the way there are several 0:05:08.100 --> 0:05:10.940 spots where you can look back to view the Dead Sea. 0:05:11.339 --> 0:05:14.540 That's the area where this discovery was made. But someone 0:05:14.540 --> 0:05:17.020 looking for a pyramid like the ones in Egypt would 0:05:17.020 --> 0:05:21.339 be disappointed. The pyramid like structure found here is about 0:05:21.339 --> 0:05:25.860 19ft tall and blends in with the surrounding rock. Originally, 0:05:25.860 --> 0:05:29.140 the structure was a tower or a building that likely 0:05:29.140 --> 0:05:33.260 guarded the roadway from Edom, past the Dead Sea toward Gaza. 0:05:33.779 --> 0:05:39.020 So far, the excavators have uncovered papyrus fragments, wooden tools, fabrics, 0:05:39.020 --> 0:05:43.380 and coins from the Hellenistic period, sometime after the structure 0:05:43.380 --> 0:05:47.460 collapsed or was abandoned. The ruins were then reused by 0:05:47.460 --> 0:05:50.860 someone who fashioned it into a monumental grave for himself. 0:05:51.180 --> 0:05:54.810 While some artifacts from the grave were also discovered. The 0:05:54.810 --> 0:05:58.210 grave must have been looted a long time ago. Excavations 0:05:58.210 --> 0:06:01.010 at the site are continuing, so we'll provide an update 0:06:01.010 --> 0:06:03.610 should anything else of significance be discovered. 0:06:03.650 --> 0:06:05.409 How tall is this thing, do you think, Charlie? 0:06:05.490 --> 0:06:08.609 They say 19ft. So just under 20ft tall. But, uh, 0:06:08.610 --> 0:06:11.050 you know, it's so rocky in that area. It just 0:06:11.050 --> 0:06:14.250 looks like all the other rocks in the area. But, 0:06:14.290 --> 0:06:16.490 you know, as as they've explored over time, they did 0:06:16.490 --> 0:06:18.570 notice it was, you know, man made these rocks have 0:06:18.570 --> 0:06:21.250 been piled up. And then finally somebody decided, well, let's 0:06:21.250 --> 0:06:22.530 take a look and see what's there. 0:06:23.010 --> 0:06:25.690 Well, several news outlets in Israel reported on the release 0:06:25.690 --> 0:06:29.529 of CIA documents suggesting the discovery of the Ark of 0:06:29.529 --> 0:06:32.250 the covenant. Are these reports credible, or was that just 0:06:32.250 --> 0:06:33.969 an April Fool's Day joke? 0:06:34.250 --> 0:06:36.890 You know, if this story had appeared on April 1st, 0:06:37.050 --> 0:06:38.890 I would have just assumed it was an April Fool's 0:06:38.890 --> 0:06:42.089 Day joke, but it actually was published before April 1st. 0:06:42.490 --> 0:06:46.010 The essence of the story is that declassified government documents 0:06:46.010 --> 0:06:50.330 from 1988 show the CIA conducting a secret project to 0:06:50.370 --> 0:06:54.480 test the possibility of using ESP or other psychic powers 0:06:54.480 --> 0:06:57.000 to locate the Ark of the covenant. Kind of thinking 0:06:57.000 --> 0:06:58.800 of the theme from the Raiders of the Lost Ark 0:06:58.839 --> 0:07:01.960 at this point. But during the experiment, the term Ark 0:07:01.960 --> 0:07:05.080 of the covenant was written down. Placed in an envelope 0:07:05.279 --> 0:07:08.040 and then a remote, viewers were asked to identify and 0:07:08.040 --> 0:07:12.240 locate the object. Without knowing what it was. During the experiment, 0:07:12.240 --> 0:07:16.560 one individual described a container made of wood, gold, or silver, 0:07:16.600 --> 0:07:19.720 similar in shape to a coffin adorned with images of 0:07:19.720 --> 0:07:23.840 six winged angels. The individual also said the object was hidden. 0:07:23.880 --> 0:07:30.000 They said subterranean, dark, wet, suggesting it still exists, though concealed. So, 0:07:30.040 --> 0:07:31.400 you know, really, what are we to make of these 0:07:31.400 --> 0:07:35.080 reports and this experiment? Well, I got three quick thoughts. First, 0:07:35.280 --> 0:07:37.560 this could simply be a case of a lucky guess 0:07:37.560 --> 0:07:41.200 by someone with an overactive imagination. Remember Raiders of the 0:07:41.200 --> 0:07:44.679 Lost Ark? The movie was released in 1981, and filming 0:07:44.680 --> 0:07:47.760 was underway for the 1989 sequel at the time of 0:07:47.760 --> 0:07:51.350 this experiment. Now, when asked to find something that was lost. 0:07:51.350 --> 0:07:53.590 It's possible the person simply thought of the Ark of 0:07:53.590 --> 0:07:56.670 the covenant because of the movie. That second thought there 0:07:56.670 --> 0:08:00.670 could be something more sinister here. Demonic influence Satan and 0:08:00.670 --> 0:08:04.510 his forces can work through so-called psychic powers to reveal 0:08:04.510 --> 0:08:07.590 things that almost seem like ESP, and that's why we're 0:08:07.630 --> 0:08:11.070 to avoid things like that. My third thought, and here's 0:08:11.070 --> 0:08:13.350 what I think we really need to remember. None of 0:08:13.350 --> 0:08:16.390 this proves the existence of the real Ark of the covenant. 0:08:16.390 --> 0:08:19.470 In Jeremiah 316, God said, in the last days, men 0:08:19.510 --> 0:08:21.990 will no longer say, the ark of the covenant of 0:08:21.990 --> 0:08:24.510 the Lord. It won't enter their minds or be remembered. 0:08:24.510 --> 0:08:27.670 It won't be missed, nor will another one be made. 0:08:27.910 --> 0:08:30.230 You know when the glory of the Lord left the temple, 0:08:30.270 --> 0:08:32.630 the ark became nothing more than a gold covered box. 0:08:32.630 --> 0:08:34.910 So it's not hidden in a warehouse in the Middle 0:08:34.910 --> 0:08:38.110 East or in Washington, D.C., or anywhere else, according to 0:08:38.110 --> 0:08:38.750 the Bible. 0:08:38.790 --> 0:08:41.750 Yeah. Well, haven't you said before you your best suspicion 0:08:41.750 --> 0:08:44.030 is that it is long gone. It deteriorated. 0:08:44.309 --> 0:08:46.429 Yeah. Again, when God's glory left, it was just a 0:08:46.429 --> 0:08:49.780 wooden box taken to Babylon. And with all the gold 0:08:49.780 --> 0:08:52.179 that was used in it, it was melted down. And 0:08:52.179 --> 0:08:53.579 I don't think we're going to see it. The real 0:08:53.580 --> 0:08:56.460 one is in heaven. We know that the copy is 0:08:56.460 --> 0:08:57.580 no longer with us. 0:08:58.140 --> 0:09:01.860 Israeli researchers have uncovered the equivalent of a genetic on 0:09:01.860 --> 0:09:04.459 off switch that they believe could help pave the way 0:09:04.460 --> 0:09:07.940 for new treatments of some diseases. How exactly does this 0:09:07.940 --> 0:09:10.660 latest innovation from amazing Israel work, Charlie? 0:09:10.860 --> 0:09:13.420 Yeah, this seems to be so far beyond my pay grade, 0:09:13.420 --> 0:09:16.100 but I found it just fascinating in the process of 0:09:16.100 --> 0:09:20.740 mapping DNA methylation, a process where a small chemical tag 0:09:20.900 --> 0:09:23.740 is attached to a specific part of a DNA molecule. 0:09:23.940 --> 0:09:28.340 Israeli researchers gain insight into how genes are turned on 0:09:28.340 --> 0:09:33.500 and off. The researchers identified more than 34,000 genomic regions 0:09:33.500 --> 0:09:37.700 with distinct on off methylation patterns, many of which vary 0:09:37.700 --> 0:09:41.380 depending on the cell type. They also discovered previously unknown 0:09:41.380 --> 0:09:45.179 imprinting effects, where genes can be expressed differently depending on 0:09:45.179 --> 0:09:47.980 whether they're inherited from the mother or the father. The 0:09:48.090 --> 0:09:52.329 research opens up wide ranging possibilities for understanding the molecular 0:09:52.330 --> 0:09:55.570 basis of genetic diseases. One of the most immediate benefits 0:09:55.570 --> 0:09:58.890 could be the development of more accurate diagnostic tests for 0:09:58.890 --> 0:10:02.650 diseases like cancer or other genetic disorders. It also holds 0:10:02.650 --> 0:10:06.689 out promise for age related diseases like Alzheimer's. The Bible 0:10:06.690 --> 0:10:09.210 tells us that we are fearfully and wonderfully made, and 0:10:09.210 --> 0:10:12.650 this research from Amazing Israel shines a spotlight on one 0:10:12.690 --> 0:10:15.730 aspect of God's creation of our bodies that could someday 0:10:15.770 --> 0:10:19.290 lead to new, life changing advances in medicine. All thanks 0:10:19.290 --> 0:10:23.410 to these dedicated doctors and scientists and researchers from Hebrew 0:10:23.450 --> 0:10:26.130 University and Hadassah Medical Center. 0:10:26.170 --> 0:10:28.250 Thank you Charlie. And that's a look at current events. 0:10:28.250 --> 0:10:30.770 I'm curious, what is the Cyrus cylinder we'll be talking 0:10:30.770 --> 0:10:31.690 about later on? 0:10:31.770 --> 0:10:34.329 Well, it was actually a cylinder found in Iran that 0:10:34.370 --> 0:10:37.689 helps explain Isaiah 44 and his mention of Cyrus. 0:10:37.730 --> 0:10:41.130 Okay, biblical evidence there in archaeology, but much more to 0:10:41.170 --> 0:10:44.050 come on today's program before we get there, including our 0:10:44.050 --> 0:10:48.040 conversation with Jill Eileen Smith about Mary Magdalene. Just who 0:10:48.040 --> 0:10:51.280 was she? Why does her life matter still today? That's 0:10:51.280 --> 0:10:54.520 all ahead on today's edition of The Land and the book. 0:11:08.960 --> 0:11:13.040 All Mary has ever known is fear and loss. Until 0:11:13.040 --> 0:11:17.360 she uncovers a rabbi different than all the others. One 0:11:17.360 --> 0:11:20.400 touch from Jesus. And she is never the same. Her 0:11:20.400 --> 0:11:22.280 new mission in life is to serve the one who 0:11:22.280 --> 0:11:25.600 set her free. But when the unthinkable happens, she must 0:11:25.600 --> 0:11:29.599 fight not to descend into darkness once again. If you're curious, 0:11:29.600 --> 0:11:33.120 we're talking about Mary Magdalene, the woman you've met in Scripture, 0:11:33.120 --> 0:11:35.720 and today you're about to meet her in person. Through 0:11:35.720 --> 0:11:38.959 the research and imagination of Jill Eileen Smith, this is 0:11:38.960 --> 0:11:41.920 the land and the book, by the way. I'm John Gager, 0:11:41.920 --> 0:11:43.760 inviting you to pause with me now for a quick 0:11:43.760 --> 0:11:46.699 idea on what it could really look like to love 0:11:46.700 --> 0:11:51.420 on our Jewish friends and neighbors. Opportunities to share Yeshua 0:11:51.420 --> 0:11:54.660 with your Jewish friends come in all kinds of shapes 0:11:54.660 --> 0:11:58.060 and sizes. Beth Evelyn's got a great story. She serves 0:11:58.059 --> 0:12:01.260 on staff at Olive Tree Congregation in suburban Chicago. Beth. 0:12:01.700 --> 0:12:03.980 One day I was talking on the phone with someone 0:12:03.980 --> 0:12:07.860 from technical support about my computer. And when he saw 0:12:08.020 --> 0:12:10.260 the name of our congregation, he started speaking to me 0:12:10.260 --> 0:12:13.380 in Hebrew. Well, I don't speak Hebrew, but I did 0:12:13.420 --> 0:12:15.820 take the opportunity to explain to him that we are 0:12:16.340 --> 0:12:19.619 a congregation of Jewish people who believe in Jesus, and 0:12:19.660 --> 0:12:23.300 he had not really explored that very much. And so 0:12:23.300 --> 0:12:26.740 we talked about it a little bit more. And because 0:12:26.740 --> 0:12:28.940 he was on the phone, I thought, well, I need 0:12:28.940 --> 0:12:31.660 to give him some resources. So I directed him to 0:12:31.700 --> 0:12:36.300 the website In Search of Shalom, which is a website 0:12:36.300 --> 0:12:41.500 that has a lot of Jewish believers testimonies on video. 0:12:41.820 --> 0:12:44.770 And so you can direct Jewish people there, and they 0:12:44.770 --> 0:12:47.089 can go in the privacy of their own home and 0:12:47.090 --> 0:12:51.050 watch these videos of people who have powerful testimonies. And 0:12:51.050 --> 0:12:52.370 they're all Jewish believers. 0:12:52.370 --> 0:12:53.530 In search of shalom. 0:12:54.170 --> 0:12:54.569 Yes. 0:12:54.610 --> 0:12:57.490 Great resource for somebody that's maybe just with tech support 0:12:57.530 --> 0:13:00.610 on the phone. Thoughts there from Beth Taplin, who's with 0:13:00.610 --> 0:13:03.650 Olive Tree Congregation here on the land and the book. 0:13:05.170 --> 0:13:08.770 Jill Ileene Smith loves Jesus, loves his word and all 0:13:08.770 --> 0:13:11.570 things related to learning more about the culture and times 0:13:11.570 --> 0:13:14.410 of the people of the Bible, particularly the women whom 0:13:14.410 --> 0:13:17.569 God has immortalized there. She's the best selling and award 0:13:17.610 --> 0:13:21.330 winning author of many biblical novels, including her first series, 0:13:21.330 --> 0:13:23.690 The Wives of King David. It's Great to Have you 0:13:23.690 --> 0:13:25.050 on the land and the book, Jill. 0:13:25.490 --> 0:13:27.010 Well, thanks for having me, John. 0:13:27.050 --> 0:13:29.770 Well, we're here to meet the subject of your newest release, 0:13:29.770 --> 0:13:33.090 Dawn of Grace, Mary Magdalene's story. Let me start by 0:13:33.090 --> 0:13:35.050 asking you what drew you to the story of Mary 0:13:35.050 --> 0:13:36.810 Magdalene in the first place? 0:13:37.530 --> 0:13:41.569 Oh, boy. Well, I had written about almost all of 0:13:41.610 --> 0:13:46.120 the major Old Testament women, and I wanted to come 0:13:46.120 --> 0:13:50.480 up with more to write because I still had that desire. 0:13:50.480 --> 0:13:54.960 I believe God created me with that desire to write 0:13:54.960 --> 0:13:57.920 these stories. So I switched to the New Testament, and 0:13:57.920 --> 0:14:01.520 then it was like, okay, who? And it's more like 0:14:01.520 --> 0:14:04.800 which one was most interesting to me, and she was 0:14:04.800 --> 0:14:07.960 one of them. So she was the first one. I 0:14:07.960 --> 0:14:11.240 have two more coming down the road in the New Testament. 0:14:11.240 --> 0:14:14.320 So great. Hey, do you think that we give Mary 0:14:14.360 --> 0:14:17.640 Magdalene the spotlight in Scripture that she deserves? Have we 0:14:17.679 --> 0:14:20.840 have we taken the time to really understand her? Why 0:14:20.880 --> 0:14:22.000 or why not? 0:14:22.840 --> 0:14:26.360 You know, as a culture worldwide, I think there's a 0:14:26.360 --> 0:14:30.320 lot of misunderstanding about Mary Magdalene. And I remember doing 0:14:30.320 --> 0:14:32.800 some research and I won't be able to quote the 0:14:32.800 --> 0:14:35.760 guy's name exactly, but I think he was a pope 0:14:35.760 --> 0:14:39.400 or a bishop or someone years and years ago who 0:14:39.440 --> 0:14:43.350 kind of combined some of the different women in Scripture, like, 0:14:43.390 --> 0:14:46.550 you know, the sinful woman that weeps at Jesus feet 0:14:46.550 --> 0:14:50.710 or whatever, and kind of made the unnamed women part 0:14:50.710 --> 0:14:54.630 of Mary Magdalene's story, and that's where she got the idea, 0:14:54.670 --> 0:14:57.430 or we got as a world, whatever the idea, she 0:14:57.430 --> 0:15:00.590 was a prostitute or the wife of Jesus, which is 0:15:00.590 --> 0:15:04.230 a heretical thing going on. But the Bible clearly says 0:15:04.230 --> 0:15:07.190 she was delivered of seven demons. That's all he tells us. 0:15:07.190 --> 0:15:10.630 And then she helped support Jesus out of her means. 0:15:11.110 --> 0:15:14.070 So that made me pause and go, well, how did 0:15:14.070 --> 0:15:17.630 she get that money? You know, where did she have means? 0:15:17.950 --> 0:15:20.670 Was she wealthy? Was she? I mean, I've read all 0:15:20.670 --> 0:15:23.430 kinds of books on her. Some people think she was 0:15:23.430 --> 0:15:27.870 older because she's named first a lot in Scripture, but 0:15:27.870 --> 0:15:30.750 that doesn't mean for sure. She might have just been 0:15:30.750 --> 0:15:34.750 the leader because she had a leadership ability, you know. 0:15:34.790 --> 0:15:38.670 And I think the demon possession thing is something we 0:15:38.710 --> 0:15:43.780 don't really understand in our culture, so we don't. I 0:15:43.820 --> 0:15:46.820 guess maybe we just think of her more easily as 0:15:46.820 --> 0:15:49.380 a prostitute. Yeah, but no, I think we need to 0:15:49.420 --> 0:15:54.860 understand that because there's a lot of people with serious 0:15:54.860 --> 0:15:58.580 mental issues in our world and a lot of evil, 0:15:58.580 --> 0:16:01.860 and you can imagine the evil that goes on. You 0:16:01.860 --> 0:16:06.220 have to ask yourself, is that someone who's just mentally ill, 0:16:06.260 --> 0:16:09.580 or is there a demon situation going on like there 0:16:09.580 --> 0:16:11.580 was back in Jesus day? There was a lot of 0:16:11.580 --> 0:16:14.740 demon possession then, and I don't have any doubt that 0:16:14.740 --> 0:16:16.380 there still exists today. 0:16:16.420 --> 0:16:19.340 Yeah. Today on the land and the book An Unusual 0:16:19.340 --> 0:16:24.820 Conversation About Mary Magdalene with Jill Eileen Smith describe Mary's 0:16:24.860 --> 0:16:29.180 struggles as best we can conjecture. Obviously, she's been delivered 0:16:29.180 --> 0:16:33.900 from this, uh, being indwelt by unclean spirits, demons. I mean, 0:16:33.900 --> 0:16:35.860 that has to leave some scars, though, perhaps. What do 0:16:35.860 --> 0:16:37.420 you think are her her struggles? 0:16:38.220 --> 0:16:41.170 Well, I think if it was me, you know, and 0:16:41.170 --> 0:16:46.650 I'd been really sick or had a really oppressed, something 0:16:46.690 --> 0:16:51.369 oppressed me for a really long time, like she did, um, 0:16:52.130 --> 0:16:54.490 whom the son sets free is free indeed, but that 0:16:54.490 --> 0:16:59.930 doesn't mean she felt it. I envisioned her as relieved 0:16:59.930 --> 0:17:04.050 to be free of the demons, but it's kind of like, 0:17:04.090 --> 0:17:06.570 are they going to stay away? You know, I felt 0:17:06.570 --> 0:17:09.770 like that she could have a fear that if I 0:17:09.770 --> 0:17:14.889 don't stay close to Jesus, I'm susceptible. Especially when Jesus 0:17:14.890 --> 0:17:18.170 told that parable. If she heard it about, you know, 0:17:18.210 --> 0:17:22.450 if a house has got a man's got demon possessed 0:17:22.450 --> 0:17:25.770 and the demons are cast out and he doesn't clean 0:17:25.770 --> 0:17:28.609 his house up or whatever, the demons come back, find 0:17:28.609 --> 0:17:33.250 it all swept, but there's nothing to replace them. He's like, 0:17:33.930 --> 0:17:35.570 I can't. I'm not quoting it exactly. 0:17:35.650 --> 0:17:38.000 His condition, his condition, in the end, is worse than 0:17:38.000 --> 0:17:38.800 in the beginning. 0:17:38.840 --> 0:17:42.480 Right, right. And so that if she heard that, I mean, 0:17:42.520 --> 0:17:44.640 she could think, well, could they come back? I mean, 0:17:44.680 --> 0:17:47.040 those kind of questions went through my mind. So I 0:17:47.040 --> 0:17:52.160 just envisioned her devotion, and she was the most devoted 0:17:52.480 --> 0:17:56.240 of all the followers. She would not leave his side 0:17:56.440 --> 0:17:59.560 at the crucifixion. She had to know where he was buried. 0:17:59.840 --> 0:18:03.040 And Scripture, if you read the Gospels at the end, 0:18:03.600 --> 0:18:08.080 indicates she may have gone to the tomb three times separately. Um, 0:18:08.119 --> 0:18:09.920 you know, some people want to just say, oh, well, 0:18:09.920 --> 0:18:13.359 this says it this way, but maybe she was the 0:18:13.359 --> 0:18:16.280 first one up in the morning and then saw that 0:18:16.280 --> 0:18:18.760 the tomb was open but ran back, you know, and 0:18:18.760 --> 0:18:21.920 then came back with the women. We don't know for sure, 0:18:21.920 --> 0:18:25.639 but I envisioned from what I studied that she made 0:18:25.640 --> 0:18:29.160 three trips before Jesus said her name, and she knew 0:18:29.200 --> 0:18:30.080 he was alive. 0:18:30.119 --> 0:18:32.400 All right. I want to go to, uh, Mary Magdalene, 0:18:32.720 --> 0:18:35.480 sort of the before Jesus model here for a minute 0:18:35.720 --> 0:18:38.910 if she were alive today. This is the before Jesus, 0:18:38.910 --> 0:18:42.109 Mary Magdalene. How would she dress? Where would she live? 0:18:42.109 --> 0:18:45.030 What would somebody passing her on the street notice most 0:18:45.030 --> 0:18:46.230 about Mary Magdalene? 0:18:46.910 --> 0:18:51.630 I think she would have looked pretty ragged. I doubt 0:18:51.630 --> 0:18:55.070 she was homeless because she had wealth, but she could 0:18:55.109 --> 0:18:59.190 have been driven to the wilderness like the other demon 0:18:59.190 --> 0:19:03.390 possessed people were. She may not have wanted to eat. 0:19:03.430 --> 0:19:05.630 She could have lost a lot of weight. Her clothes 0:19:05.630 --> 0:19:09.150 could have been in tatters. She could have been dirty 0:19:09.190 --> 0:19:13.750 from not taking good care of herself. Because demons lead 0:19:13.750 --> 0:19:17.830 you to do things according to scripture. Like cut yourself 0:19:17.869 --> 0:19:22.710 trying to kill yourself, um, drive you to like what? 0:19:22.710 --> 0:19:27.310 The wilderness areas be too strong to be controlled. People 0:19:27.310 --> 0:19:30.750 may have feared her, and she may have kind of 0:19:30.790 --> 0:19:33.550 just gone off to be alone, more than they would 0:19:33.590 --> 0:19:36.969 have seen her very often. I wouldn't say she'd be 0:19:36.970 --> 0:19:39.770 like the person living in a homeless encampment, but she 0:19:39.770 --> 0:19:43.010 might be the homeless person living off all by herself 0:19:43.490 --> 0:19:47.290 back in that day and coming and going. Maybe, you know, 0:19:47.330 --> 0:19:50.370 I don't know. But that was how I see it now. 0:19:50.450 --> 0:19:52.490 Try to imagine that moment, and I'm sure you did 0:19:52.490 --> 0:19:55.450 in writing the book. What was it like for Mary 0:19:55.450 --> 0:19:59.369 to discover that Christ was interested in her? Exclusively for 0:19:59.369 --> 0:20:02.570 her benefit? For her healing? What was that moment like? 0:20:03.369 --> 0:20:06.650 Well, can you just imagine him calling your name? I 0:20:06.690 --> 0:20:10.450 get goosebumps when I think of that. Just hearing him 0:20:10.530 --> 0:20:15.369 say Mary. And I know that may not mean much 0:20:15.369 --> 0:20:19.010 to some people, but it's like someone finally knew her. 0:20:19.050 --> 0:20:23.330 It's like the minute he touched her physically or just 0:20:23.330 --> 0:20:26.130 with his words. We aren't sure how he healed or 0:20:26.130 --> 0:20:31.530 it doesn't say, but that's transforming. To hear him actually 0:20:31.930 --> 0:20:34.760 call you by name, you are mine. I know The 0:20:34.760 --> 0:20:38.760 chosen depicts that moment and they used that verse. Um. 0:20:38.840 --> 0:20:40.880 I have called you by name. You are mine. And 0:20:40.880 --> 0:20:44.440 I think that it applies to anyone who's healed and 0:20:44.440 --> 0:20:47.600 delivered by the Lord. And in her case, I think 0:20:47.600 --> 0:20:50.240 it was very true. I didn't use it the same 0:20:50.240 --> 0:20:53.600 way they did, but I think that she would have 0:20:53.600 --> 0:20:56.160 just been transformed in an instant. 0:20:56.640 --> 0:20:59.320 Jill Eileen Smith is the best selling and award winning 0:20:59.320 --> 0:21:02.800 author of the biblical fiction series The Wives of King David, 0:21:02.800 --> 0:21:05.879 wives of the Patriarchs and Daughters of the Promised Land, 0:21:05.880 --> 0:21:08.440 along with many others. She joins us today on The 0:21:08.440 --> 0:21:10.919 Land and the book we're talking about, Dawn of Grace. 0:21:11.080 --> 0:21:14.280 Her newest release, looking at Mary Magdalene's story. What do 0:21:14.280 --> 0:21:16.959 you think was the turning point for Mary? I mean, 0:21:17.000 --> 0:21:20.119 she had lived life her own way for so long. Uh, 0:21:20.119 --> 0:21:22.800 it was nice to hear her name called out by Jesus. 0:21:22.800 --> 0:21:26.800 But why should she trust this carpenter from Nazareth named Jesus? 0:21:27.640 --> 0:21:30.920 Well, if she knew the minute he touched her or 0:21:30.920 --> 0:21:34.070 called her or told the demons to leave. However, he 0:21:34.070 --> 0:21:37.830 did it when she would know they were gone. And 0:21:37.869 --> 0:21:41.670 I mean, if you're healed so instantly, I think there'd 0:21:41.710 --> 0:21:45.389 be a really strong trust factor after that and wanting 0:21:45.390 --> 0:21:48.270 to be with him. I can't imagine that she wouldn't. 0:21:48.790 --> 0:21:52.070 I know fear and doubt will still come into any 0:21:52.070 --> 0:21:55.830 of our lives when God may answer a prayer or 0:21:55.869 --> 0:21:59.750 heal us, or just at our salvation, depending on our age, 0:22:00.190 --> 0:22:03.150 it might be still difficult. We're still human. We're going 0:22:03.190 --> 0:22:06.669 to doubt, we're going to struggle. And I think she did. 0:22:06.710 --> 0:22:10.710 But I also think that especially once he resurrected, then 0:22:10.710 --> 0:22:14.710 she could have the Holy Spirit's power to truly be 0:22:14.710 --> 0:22:17.470 stronger in her faith. But, you know, she would have 0:22:17.470 --> 0:22:21.709 had to learn it as she went along after being healed. 0:22:22.270 --> 0:22:26.469 You know, demon possession is no lightweight condition. And it 0:22:26.470 --> 0:22:29.429 seems to me that if there was hope for Mary Magdalene, 0:22:29.430 --> 0:22:33.419 then that says volumes about messed up people around the world. 0:22:33.420 --> 0:22:34.140 Your thoughts? 0:22:34.540 --> 0:22:38.899 Yeah, absolutely. In doing the research for that, it was 0:22:38.900 --> 0:22:42.660 tough because I do know people that are mentally ill, 0:22:43.300 --> 0:22:46.420 but I've never met a demon possessed person. So I 0:22:46.420 --> 0:22:49.659 went to, um, fellow author Bill Myers, who wrote a 0:22:49.660 --> 0:22:54.780 book about demon possession, because he had experience with that. 0:22:54.780 --> 0:22:57.540 I can't remember the title right now, but it's in 0:22:57.540 --> 0:23:00.740 my book. I acknowledge him. But anyway, that book was 0:23:00.740 --> 0:23:04.580 very eye opening. And then I watched a movie, nefarious, 0:23:04.580 --> 0:23:07.700 which was also very eye opening. It was all about 0:23:07.700 --> 0:23:11.859 demon possession, and it was like, wow. So I tried 0:23:11.859 --> 0:23:16.180 to be as, um, like take from those things of 0:23:16.180 --> 0:23:20.100 people who, you know, had more firsthand experience and apply 0:23:20.100 --> 0:23:23.220 it to the story. But like I said, I have 0:23:23.220 --> 0:23:26.460 no doubt there is a lot of it still going around. 0:23:26.500 --> 0:23:31.090 The unclean spirits and the all the anime. I don't 0:23:31.090 --> 0:23:34.530 even like to call his name, but, um, he's doing 0:23:34.530 --> 0:23:38.410 his level best to destroy every human being, whether you're 0:23:38.410 --> 0:23:42.770 a believer or not. But especially he's going after believers 0:23:42.770 --> 0:23:46.810 and the Jewish nation. And you know he won't stop 0:23:46.810 --> 0:23:49.609 until God stops him. And if he can get Ahold 0:23:49.609 --> 0:23:54.409 of people and make them tools of his use, he will. 0:23:54.450 --> 0:23:57.650 I mean, it's kind of scary, you know? But we 0:23:57.650 --> 0:23:59.370 don't have to be afraid as believers. 0:23:59.410 --> 0:24:00.130 That's right. 0:24:00.170 --> 0:24:02.850 Greater is he who is in us, right? Than he 0:24:02.890 --> 0:24:03.930 who's in the world. 0:24:03.970 --> 0:24:06.690 Yeah. Hey, if you were to bring Mary Magdalene to 0:24:06.730 --> 0:24:10.010 church services this Sunday, and they opened up the microphone 0:24:10.010 --> 0:24:12.730 to anybody in the congregation with a testimony to share, 0:24:12.930 --> 0:24:16.650 what one facet of her story do you think Mary 0:24:16.810 --> 0:24:18.170 might choose to talk about? 0:24:18.970 --> 0:24:23.010 I think she would tell the world I've seen the Lord, 0:24:23.330 --> 0:24:28.370 because that was her absolute epiphany when he resurrected and 0:24:28.369 --> 0:24:31.000 she thought he was the gardener, and he called her 0:24:31.000 --> 0:24:33.760 name again, maybe for the first time, but I doubt it, 0:24:33.800 --> 0:24:35.679 you know. But he called her name for the first 0:24:35.680 --> 0:24:39.280 time of resurrection. She was the first person to see 0:24:39.280 --> 0:24:43.960 him alive. I mean, she ran back to the disciples 0:24:43.960 --> 0:24:46.760 and said, I've seen the Lord. And, I mean, I 0:24:46.760 --> 0:24:50.600 don't think she ever stopped saying that because I think 0:24:50.600 --> 0:24:54.000 it was like, wow. And you look at Scripture and go, 0:24:54.400 --> 0:24:57.200 Jesus told the woman at the, well, I'm the Messiah. 0:24:57.240 --> 0:25:00.280 The first person was a woman, the first person to 0:25:00.280 --> 0:25:03.360 see him alive after he rose was a woman, and 0:25:03.400 --> 0:25:09.240 he elevated women in such a wonderful way that we 0:25:09.240 --> 0:25:12.360 still don't see in the world. But Jesus did. He 0:25:12.359 --> 0:25:16.920 considers us all equal in Christ, and it's like, wow, 0:25:17.119 --> 0:25:18.959 I don't think she would have gotten over that. She 0:25:18.960 --> 0:25:22.080 probably danced or hopped or skipped or ran all the 0:25:22.080 --> 0:25:25.680 way there, you know, it's like, wow. She wanted to 0:25:25.680 --> 0:25:28.550 cling to him and he said, don't do that. Yeah. Anyway, 0:25:28.590 --> 0:25:30.430 I think that would be her testimony. 0:25:30.430 --> 0:25:33.229 I like that, danced, hopped, skipped. She probably did all 0:25:33.270 --> 0:25:33.550 of them. 0:25:34.070 --> 0:25:35.389 She probably did, yeah. 0:25:35.430 --> 0:25:37.750 And that's a great place to pause this conversation while 0:25:37.750 --> 0:25:41.230 you think about exploring further. The book is Dawn of Grace, 0:25:41.230 --> 0:25:44.070 Mary Magdalene's story. You'll get to know her better as 0:25:44.070 --> 0:25:45.910 you pick it up, and we'll link you to that 0:25:45.910 --> 0:25:49.590 book and to Jill Eileen Smith's website when you visit ours. 0:25:49.590 --> 0:25:52.669 The land and the book.org. Looking forward to more of 0:25:52.670 --> 0:25:55.590 your Bible questions next here on the land and the book. 0:26:06.869 --> 0:26:08.990 It's great to connect with you today on the land 0:26:08.990 --> 0:26:12.310 and the book. Segment three I'm John Yeager, always glad 0:26:12.310 --> 0:26:14.949 to be connected in the studio with Doctor Gerald Peterman 0:26:15.150 --> 0:26:17.870 of Moody Bible Institute faculty. I say that so often 0:26:17.869 --> 0:26:19.429 because to me, it's important, you know that. 0:26:19.470 --> 0:26:20.389 Is it really true? 0:26:20.430 --> 0:26:22.429 It's really true and it's really important. People need to 0:26:22.470 --> 0:26:25.350 know that there isn't some guy just sitting here winging this. 0:26:25.590 --> 0:26:27.899 This is somebody that our students get to benefit from 0:26:27.900 --> 0:26:30.580 day in and day out, somebody that I enjoy chatting with, 0:26:30.580 --> 0:26:33.100 but somebody, most importantly who knows and loves the word. 0:26:33.100 --> 0:26:34.260 So thank you for doing this. 0:26:34.300 --> 0:26:37.500 Well, I get to enjoy being with the students every day. 0:26:37.580 --> 0:26:39.419 So that's that's really fun. 0:26:39.460 --> 0:26:42.460 All right. And you always welcome those questions at The 0:26:42.460 --> 0:26:46.540 Land and the book at Moody. Again email us at 0:26:46.580 --> 0:26:50.500 the land and the book at Moody. Well, before we 0:26:50.500 --> 0:26:52.380 get to our questions, let's think about the fact that 0:26:52.380 --> 0:26:55.060 Passover is upon us. And and one of the traditional 0:26:55.060 --> 0:26:58.540 Passover questions is what makes this night different from all others? 0:26:58.820 --> 0:27:01.420 And of course, Passover is an important biblical holiday with 0:27:01.420 --> 0:27:04.939 great meaning for Jewish people and believers in Jesus. But 0:27:04.940 --> 0:27:07.140 if you want to learn more about what makes Passover 0:27:07.140 --> 0:27:10.419 so special, our friends at Life in Messiah are offering 0:27:10.420 --> 0:27:14.340 to mail you a free copy of their Messianic Passover Haggadah. 0:27:14.619 --> 0:27:16.139 This is a booklet that will lead you to the 0:27:16.140 --> 0:27:19.540 celebration of Passover, to see the rich connections to Jesus, 0:27:19.540 --> 0:27:22.580 our Messiah, and the Last Supper. We'll also send you 0:27:22.580 --> 0:27:25.890 a link for an interactive Passover Seder video. And with 0:27:25.890 --> 0:27:28.850 the Haggadah and the video, boy, you'll really celebrate Passover 0:27:28.850 --> 0:27:31.130 this year with your family and friends like never before. 0:27:31.410 --> 0:27:34.010 Take advantage of this free offer. Just go to life 0:27:34.010 --> 0:27:37.770 in Messiah and click on the Moody Radio button there 0:27:37.770 --> 0:27:41.210 to find out more and request your copy. That's life 0:27:41.369 --> 0:27:46.409 in Messiah Dot. And with that, let's get right into 0:27:46.410 --> 0:27:48.889 our first question of the day, this one from Ben. 0:27:49.290 --> 0:27:51.889 He says, I hope it doesn't sound heretical, but I 0:27:51.930 --> 0:27:56.850 have to ask Jesus, our Lord is 100% man and 100% God. 0:27:56.890 --> 0:27:58.730 Now how can he be in everyone's heart at the 0:27:58.730 --> 0:28:01.770 same time if he's fully man? My wife says that 0:28:01.770 --> 0:28:04.449 when Jesus was raised back to heaven, he no longer 0:28:04.450 --> 0:28:08.090 was a man, just God. That I don't believe. I 0:28:08.130 --> 0:28:10.409 wanted to discuss it with her, but couldn't think of 0:28:10.410 --> 0:28:12.530 any scripture to stand on. Any thoughts? 0:28:12.810 --> 0:28:15.570 Well, Ben, thanks so much for the question. First, our 0:28:15.570 --> 0:28:18.210 Lord can be in our heart because he is God, 0:28:18.210 --> 0:28:21.290 and so he's omnipresent. But it's even better than that 0:28:21.290 --> 0:28:24.550 because of his grace and his a saving power. He 0:28:24.550 --> 0:28:28.230 is especially with us. This goes beyond mere omnipresence to 0:28:28.270 --> 0:28:31.630 what I'm going to call special presence, just as God 0:28:31.670 --> 0:28:35.350 has always been omnipresent. But in your Old Testament, you know, 0:28:35.350 --> 0:28:39.830 he was especially present in the tabernacle in the holy place. See, 0:28:39.830 --> 0:28:45.510 especially Leviticus 16. So now he is specially present with us. Now, second, 0:28:45.550 --> 0:28:48.430 about our Lord's body. We can see from acts chapter 0:28:48.430 --> 0:28:52.070 one that Jesus is talking to the 11, and he 0:28:52.070 --> 0:28:54.550 promises the Holy Spirit is going to come. And then 0:28:54.550 --> 0:28:57.670 in acts one nine we read this. And after he 0:28:57.670 --> 0:29:00.710 said this, he was taken up. And as they were watching, 0:29:00.710 --> 0:29:03.270 the cloud took him out of their sight. And while 0:29:03.270 --> 0:29:06.470 he was going, they were gazing into heaven, and suddenly 0:29:06.470 --> 0:29:09.070 two men in white clothes stood by them. They said, 0:29:09.270 --> 0:29:12.150 Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking into heaven? 0:29:12.190 --> 0:29:15.630 This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, 0:29:15.630 --> 0:29:18.110 will come in the same way that you've seen him 0:29:18.110 --> 0:29:22.230 going into heaven. So when our Lord returns, we'll see 0:29:22.380 --> 0:29:27.100 his body. Matthew 2430 says, all the eyes of the 0:29:27.100 --> 0:29:29.420 world will see the Son of Man coming on the 0:29:29.420 --> 0:29:33.660 clouds of heaven. So I believe in an eternally embodied 0:29:34.060 --> 0:29:35.300 Jesus Christ our Lord. 0:29:35.860 --> 0:29:38.740 All right. Since you've gone toward the future for that question, 0:29:38.740 --> 0:29:41.420 let me let me keep us there. Revelation 21 verse 0:29:41.420 --> 0:29:45.380 four promises God shall wipe every tear from their eyes. 0:29:45.420 --> 0:29:48.700 Two questions arise here. First, what is the likely source 0:29:48.700 --> 0:29:51.940 of the crying? And second, is this wiping away a 0:29:51.940 --> 0:29:54.940 one time thing? Or will we have regular occasion to 0:29:54.980 --> 0:29:56.140 cry in heaven? 0:29:56.580 --> 0:29:59.180 Oh wow that's wonderful. I really enjoyed this question. Let 0:29:59.180 --> 0:30:01.460 me go to number two. I don't think there's going 0:30:01.460 --> 0:30:03.460 to be any crying in heaven. I don't think there's 0:30:03.460 --> 0:30:07.020 going to be any sadness, any mourning, any pain, any death. 0:30:07.180 --> 0:30:09.860 These are the things we cry about. No, there will 0:30:09.900 --> 0:30:14.140 be no more tears. But number one, this life often 0:30:14.140 --> 0:30:17.420 has many tears. Joys, yes, but this life often has 0:30:17.420 --> 0:30:20.620 many tears. And so this is a promise of the 0:30:20.770 --> 0:30:24.450 blessing the Lord will give us, we will be personally comforted. 0:30:24.850 --> 0:30:26.850 He will wipe every tear from our eyes. 0:30:26.890 --> 0:30:29.770 Okay, so you're saying this is heaven itself, as opposed 0:30:29.770 --> 0:30:31.930 to now that we're here and here we are crying 0:30:31.930 --> 0:30:34.250 in heaven, and he'll come along and use his sleeve 0:30:34.250 --> 0:30:36.490 and wipe away our tears. No. The gift of heaven 0:30:36.490 --> 0:30:37.730 is the wiping away of tears. 0:30:37.770 --> 0:30:38.770 The gift of heaven. 0:30:38.770 --> 0:30:42.250 Is to have all our griefs wiped away by him. Yeah. 0:30:42.530 --> 0:30:44.010 All right. We're going to back up just a bit 0:30:44.010 --> 0:30:47.450 before being in heaven to the rapture with this next question. 0:30:47.490 --> 0:30:50.410 A listener wants to know why wouldn't the rapture, the 0:30:50.410 --> 0:30:54.450 sudden disappearance of millions of Christians, be sufficient to create 0:30:54.450 --> 0:30:57.210 a global revival, or at least a large scale sense 0:30:57.210 --> 0:30:59.730 of humility? As in, boy, those people we thought were 0:30:59.730 --> 0:31:02.850 so nutty, they're actually right. There must be this God 0:31:02.850 --> 0:31:05.970 they speak of. Why wouldn't the world in large numbers 0:31:05.970 --> 0:31:07.170 turn to that reality? 0:31:07.210 --> 0:31:09.850 Well, that is a great question. I really see where 0:31:09.850 --> 0:31:13.250 this is coming from. The answer is because human hearts 0:31:13.250 --> 0:31:16.290 can be very hard. Let me give you another example 0:31:16.290 --> 0:31:19.410 from the Old Testament. In the Old Testament period, of course, 0:31:19.560 --> 0:31:23.760 God brought his people Israel out of Egypt. It was miraculous. 0:31:23.760 --> 0:31:28.440 It was it was stunning. And Rahab and her family 0:31:28.440 --> 0:31:31.800 paid attention to it, and they were touched by it. 0:31:31.800 --> 0:31:34.760 But the rest of the Canaanites were not. So here, 0:31:34.800 --> 0:31:37.800 here what we have, we have God doing a miracle 0:31:37.800 --> 0:31:40.280 that's talked about all over that part of the world. 0:31:40.600 --> 0:31:43.560 And most of the people don't care. That seems to 0:31:43.560 --> 0:31:45.240 me to be very similar to what you're talking about. 0:31:45.280 --> 0:31:47.360 Yeah. And you think of the presence of Jesus himself 0:31:47.360 --> 0:31:51.040 on this earth, right? How many saw these miracles and said, nah, 0:31:51.080 --> 0:31:51.760 I don't think so. 0:31:51.800 --> 0:31:54.840 John, that's a really good example. Sadly, what we see 0:31:54.880 --> 0:31:59.840 sometimes is in the Gospels anyway. We see scribes, Pharisees 0:31:59.840 --> 0:32:02.960 who say a miracle just happened. What are we going 0:32:02.960 --> 0:32:05.200 to do about this? Because we can't stand it. Let's 0:32:05.200 --> 0:32:05.720 kill him. 0:32:06.160 --> 0:32:06.400 Right? 0:32:06.440 --> 0:32:08.239 Right. This is not what you expect to happen as 0:32:08.240 --> 0:32:09.280 a result of a miracle. 0:32:09.320 --> 0:32:11.720 No. You're listening to the land and the book. Doctor 0:32:11.720 --> 0:32:15.240 Gerald Peterman is answering listener questions today. If yours isn't 0:32:15.240 --> 0:32:17.479 among them, could it be you haven't asked it yet? 0:32:17.680 --> 0:32:20.310 Why not do that when you email us at The 0:32:20.310 --> 0:32:24.830 Land and the book at Moody's, the land and the 0:32:24.870 --> 0:32:29.390 book at Moody's. We'll keep going on future things with 0:32:29.390 --> 0:32:32.110 this next listener question. This person says it feels like 0:32:32.110 --> 0:32:36.150 there's a growing movement in evangelical circles today to deny 0:32:36.190 --> 0:32:39.110 that those who end up in hell suffer. They're fully 0:32:39.110 --> 0:32:42.790 conscious forever and ever. What's driving this trend and how 0:32:42.790 --> 0:32:43.790 should we respond? 0:32:44.030 --> 0:32:46.590 Well, it's hard to know exactly what's driving the trend, 0:32:46.590 --> 0:32:51.910 but this strikes many people as vicious. How could a 0:32:51.950 --> 0:32:55.550 God condemn someone to eternal punishment? It strikes many people 0:32:55.550 --> 0:32:57.950 as vicious. They're not going to accept it because in 0:32:57.950 --> 0:33:01.030 their view, God could never do such a thing. Well, okay, 0:33:01.070 --> 0:33:03.470 I appreciate that. I think I understand where they're coming from. 0:33:03.470 --> 0:33:07.310 Let's think of it from a different perspective. How bad 0:33:07.510 --> 0:33:12.350 is sin? How bad is it to reject God when 0:33:12.350 --> 0:33:14.990 there's so many evidences of him around the planet, and 0:33:14.990 --> 0:33:17.340 there's so much evidence of the goodness of God in 0:33:17.340 --> 0:33:21.900 the gospel. How bad is sin? Sin is as vicious 0:33:22.420 --> 0:33:26.100 as hell is described as the punishment that corresponds to it. 0:33:26.740 --> 0:33:29.340 So I understand where this question is coming from, but 0:33:29.340 --> 0:33:32.700 I think it underestimates the viciousness of sin. 0:33:32.740 --> 0:33:35.180 Yeah. Might just be that we have devalued or taken 0:33:35.180 --> 0:33:36.460 the claws out of sin. 0:33:36.500 --> 0:33:37.180 Yes. 0:33:37.220 --> 0:33:37.660 I think you're. 0:33:37.660 --> 0:33:37.900 Right. 0:33:37.940 --> 0:33:39.780 He poisoned it as if such were possible. 0:33:39.820 --> 0:33:40.260 Mhm. 0:33:40.820 --> 0:33:43.300 Another question. Do you believe we are moving toward the 0:33:43.300 --> 0:33:46.140 last times, the end times? And if so, in what 0:33:46.140 --> 0:33:48.700 ways do you see the church today falling away from 0:33:48.700 --> 0:33:51.340 the biblical faith as we're told it's going to do. 0:33:51.580 --> 0:33:53.860 What are among your greatest concerns. 0:33:54.300 --> 0:33:54.700 Mhm. 0:33:55.260 --> 0:33:57.460 Well I think I hear 3 or 4 questions in there. 0:33:57.500 --> 0:33:58.740 Go for all of them. Yes. 0:33:58.740 --> 0:33:59.060 We got. 0:33:59.060 --> 0:33:59.380 Time. 0:33:59.460 --> 0:34:02.740 Um I think we're moving close, but I don't want 0:34:02.740 --> 0:34:04.500 to be a prophet of doom, nor do I want 0:34:04.540 --> 0:34:07.380 to fix a date. But I think we're getting close 0:34:07.380 --> 0:34:11.820 because Jesus talks about the gospel being preached to all 0:34:11.820 --> 0:34:15.300 nations before he arrives. And there is a massive push 0:34:15.340 --> 0:34:18.410 going on right now. That where many people are being 0:34:18.410 --> 0:34:21.009 evangelized for the first time and people are being reached 0:34:21.010 --> 0:34:24.210 in unreached countries around the world. So we're seeing thousands 0:34:24.210 --> 0:34:26.969 upon thousands upon millions of people come to know Christ, 0:34:27.170 --> 0:34:30.009 to the number we've never seen before. I think this 0:34:30.010 --> 0:34:33.850 is an indication we're moving toward the day. Now, John, 0:34:33.850 --> 0:34:34.890 I forgot the second part of your. 0:34:34.930 --> 0:34:37.650 Question would be what what issues do you see theologically 0:34:37.650 --> 0:34:41.770 that maybe we're falling away from or twisting or deliberately, uh, 0:34:41.810 --> 0:34:42.610 not paying attention. 0:34:42.610 --> 0:34:45.650 To? Right, right. Uh, great. Thanks for reminding me of that. 0:34:45.930 --> 0:34:49.330 I don't want to label anyone or any person or 0:34:49.330 --> 0:34:53.330 any church, but, uh, there are many churches these days. 0:34:53.330 --> 0:34:55.290 There are many churches these days that go by the 0:34:55.290 --> 0:34:58.529 name of church who are losing their members because the 0:34:58.530 --> 0:35:01.850 churches are abandoning what's in Scripture. And this has been 0:35:01.890 --> 0:35:03.810 this has been going on for years. But I think 0:35:03.850 --> 0:35:10.450 that's also accelerated the abandonment of classic Christianity, of biblical Christianity, 0:35:10.450 --> 0:35:13.930 I think is at a height at this point. But 0:35:13.930 --> 0:35:16.670 you'd have to be paying attention to see that. Yeah. 0:35:16.710 --> 0:35:19.430 Many churches are closing down because they have stopped preaching 0:35:19.430 --> 0:35:22.190 the gospel, and no one wants to come because there's 0:35:22.190 --> 0:35:25.630 no there's no hope, there's no life, there's no vitality. 0:35:25.790 --> 0:35:28.470 Yeah. We're talking with Doctor Gerald Peterman on this question 0:35:28.469 --> 0:35:30.549 and answer segment here on the land and the book. 0:35:30.590 --> 0:35:33.630 And again your question is welcome anytime when you email 0:35:33.630 --> 0:35:37.190 us at the Land and the book at Moody's, you 0:35:37.190 --> 0:35:39.430 don't just teach the Bible. You're a student of the Bible. 0:35:39.430 --> 0:35:42.510 So for the listener who's asking what tools do you like, 0:35:42.510 --> 0:35:45.390 what's on your shelf, what's on your computer, your phone, 0:35:45.510 --> 0:35:48.430 any apps or tools or books? I think for my 0:35:48.430 --> 0:35:51.510 own life, what has been very instrumental is Howard Hendricks 0:35:51.510 --> 0:35:54.030 and his son, Bill. They wrote the book living by 0:35:54.030 --> 0:35:57.510 the book. Tremendous tool for helping you understand and study 0:35:57.510 --> 0:35:59.630 the scriptures. What thoughts come to your mind? 0:36:00.030 --> 0:36:03.509 Well, um. Am I allowed to say this? Is this advertising? 0:36:03.510 --> 0:36:07.750 I go I go to the Moody Bible Commentary quite often, right? 0:36:07.790 --> 0:36:10.549 Because I'm reading scripture, I'm reading the Old Testament every year, 0:36:10.550 --> 0:36:13.189 reading the New Testament every year. And sometimes I think, huh, 0:36:13.260 --> 0:36:16.220 What's going on with that? So for a quick straight 0:36:16.219 --> 0:36:18.900 to the point answer, I opened the Moody Bible Commentary. 0:36:19.140 --> 0:36:21.740 So while there are lots of other books, the number 0:36:21.739 --> 0:36:23.500 one book for me is the Moody Bible Commentary. 0:36:23.540 --> 0:36:26.219 All right, great tip. And that's from Moody Publishers. A 0:36:26.219 --> 0:36:28.820 link to Moody Publishers is at our website. The land 0:36:28.820 --> 0:36:32.460 and the bookstores. And again, I'll mention it one more time. 0:36:32.500 --> 0:36:34.339 Our email address. If you'd like to connect and get 0:36:34.340 --> 0:36:36.779 your question on board with us. It's easy to do 0:36:36.780 --> 0:36:40.259 so when you email the land and the book at Moody's. 0:36:42.180 --> 0:36:44.940 I'm looking forward to Charlie Dyer's devotional next on the 0:36:44.940 --> 0:37:00.219 land and the book. If you're new to the land 0:37:00.219 --> 0:37:02.380 in the book, we've got one last segment for you. 0:37:02.500 --> 0:37:05.299 It's our devotional segment. Charlie, what is the the goal here? 0:37:05.300 --> 0:37:07.779 Your philosophy in what you put together for us week 0:37:07.780 --> 0:37:08.500 after week? 0:37:08.620 --> 0:37:10.540 Well, I want to try and introduce people to some 0:37:10.540 --> 0:37:13.370 spot in the land and something that connects to the 0:37:13.370 --> 0:37:15.850 Bible there. And again, the land and the book. It's 0:37:15.850 --> 0:37:18.009 nice to put them together, but in a way that 0:37:18.010 --> 0:37:20.450 provides something we can listen to and take home for 0:37:20.450 --> 0:37:22.530 the week that draws us closer to God. 0:37:22.570 --> 0:37:25.170 All right. And this week is no exception. You're continuing 0:37:25.170 --> 0:37:26.490 a series titled What. 0:37:26.730 --> 0:37:29.730 The 11 Inscriptions to the Bible. And today we're going 0:37:29.730 --> 0:37:33.410 to be looking at the Cyrus Cylinder and Isaiah 44. 0:37:33.450 --> 0:37:36.089 First, though, let's listen to this Holy Land experience. That's 0:37:36.090 --> 0:37:39.450 what we call it. It's somebody's testimony, having come back 0:37:39.450 --> 0:37:41.609 from the Holy Land, and they're kind of fired up 0:37:41.610 --> 0:37:43.730 with an impression that God has laid on their heart. 0:37:43.810 --> 0:37:44.610 Listen to this. 0:37:48.810 --> 0:37:53.130 Hi, my name is John Mitchell. We, uh, toured the 0:37:53.330 --> 0:37:57.250 Sea of Galilee and went down to the Dead Sea 0:37:57.370 --> 0:38:01.370 and went to Jerusalem. And it just opened up the 0:38:01.370 --> 0:38:05.930 Bible to me more than before. And I encourage everyone 0:38:05.930 --> 0:38:09.970 to come and experience it. It's it's a wonderful experience 0:38:09.969 --> 0:38:13.520 and you'll learn so much that you thought you maybe knew, 0:38:13.520 --> 0:38:16.080 but you'll know so much more about it once you 0:38:16.120 --> 0:38:16.600 be here. 0:38:16.920 --> 0:38:19.439 Hi, my name is Rick Warren and this is my 0:38:19.440 --> 0:38:22.560 second time here with Moody Bible Institute to the Holy Land. 0:38:22.880 --> 0:38:25.000 And the thing that really hit me this time was 0:38:25.000 --> 0:38:28.600 not the different places that we went to. Although they're fabulous. 0:38:29.000 --> 0:38:32.120 The different experiences. But just as we've been talking so 0:38:32.120 --> 0:38:36.160 much this week about the relationship between Palestine and Israel 0:38:36.160 --> 0:38:38.960 and how truly complex it really is. And there are 0:38:38.960 --> 0:38:40.680 no simple solutions. 0:38:42.719 --> 0:38:45.160 All right, Charlie, I'm looking forward to your devotional today. 0:38:45.160 --> 0:38:47.360 I guess we're based in Isaiah 44. 0:38:47.600 --> 0:38:50.720 That's right John. We've reached the eighth in my series 0:38:50.719 --> 0:38:53.239 of 11 inscriptions to the Bible, and I want to 0:38:53.239 --> 0:38:56.560 start today's devotional with a rallying cry heard several times 0:38:56.560 --> 0:38:59.800 in our nation's history. The British are coming. The British 0:38:59.800 --> 0:39:02.839 are coming. Now, if you're a history buff, you might 0:39:02.840 --> 0:39:05.880 have in mind the Revolutionary War and Paul Revere's midnight 0:39:05.880 --> 0:39:08.719 ride to Lexington. But if you were a teenager in 0:39:08.719 --> 0:39:11.950 the 60s. The same message brings to mind the arrival 0:39:11.950 --> 0:39:14.870 of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones and Herman's Hermits, 0:39:14.870 --> 0:39:17.190 the Dave Clark Five and all those other British rock 0:39:17.190 --> 0:39:20.509 bands that took America by storm. But if you're a 0:39:20.510 --> 0:39:23.870 lover of ancient history and antiquities, you might just be 0:39:23.870 --> 0:39:27.669 thinking back to a more recent invasion. The British Museum's 0:39:27.710 --> 0:39:31.109 Cyrus Cylinder Road show that came to five museums in 0:39:31.110 --> 0:39:35.230 the summer of 2013. This historical treasure went on display 0:39:35.230 --> 0:39:39.270 in Washington, D.C., Houston, New York City, San Francisco, and 0:39:39.270 --> 0:39:43.069 Los Angeles. It was the first time the Cyrus Cylinder 0:39:43.070 --> 0:39:46.430 had ever been in the United States. But you ask, 0:39:46.510 --> 0:39:49.950 what's the Cyrus Cylinder and why is it so special? 0:39:50.469 --> 0:39:53.989 The Cyrus Cylinder is our inscription of the day. It's 0:39:53.989 --> 0:39:58.230 an ancient clay cylinder discovered in Babylon 145 years ago, 0:39:58.270 --> 0:40:02.989 last month that announced Cyrus key political and religious goals. 0:40:03.190 --> 0:40:06.110 It presented Cyrus as the pious leader sent by the 0:40:06.150 --> 0:40:10.900 gods of Babylon to replace the impious Babylonian king Nabonidus. 0:40:11.219 --> 0:40:14.859 It also announced his policy to repatriate those deported to 0:40:14.900 --> 0:40:18.459 Babylon and to rebuild the sanctuaries that had been destroyed. 0:40:18.700 --> 0:40:22.940 It was Cyrus's attempt to undo Babylonian policies and to 0:40:22.940 --> 0:40:26.259 consolidate Persian rule by presenting him as a kinder and 0:40:26.260 --> 0:40:30.340 gentler king. But what does this 2500 year old artifact 0:40:30.340 --> 0:40:33.140 in the British Museum have to do with the Bible? 0:40:33.580 --> 0:40:36.740 It actually connects two ways. The Book of Ezra begins 0:40:36.739 --> 0:40:40.020 with a proclamation from King Cyrus that reads in part, 0:40:40.380 --> 0:40:43.140 whoever there is among you of all his people, may 0:40:43.140 --> 0:40:46.180 his God be with him. Let him go up to Jerusalem, 0:40:46.180 --> 0:40:48.860 which is in Judah, and rebuild the house of the Lord, 0:40:48.860 --> 0:40:52.779 the God of Israel. This proclamation to the Jewish people 0:40:52.940 --> 0:40:55.819 parallels the one in the Cyrus Cylinder, written to the 0:40:55.820 --> 0:40:59.540 people of Mesopotamia. Cyrus also allowed the Jews to go 0:40:59.540 --> 0:41:03.219 home and rebuild their temple. But I see another connection 0:41:03.219 --> 0:41:07.049 between the Bible and the Cyrus Cylinder. That's even more dramatic. 0:41:07.290 --> 0:41:11.170 I say that because this connection took place over 150 0:41:11.170 --> 0:41:16.090 years before Cyrus ever arrived on the scene. In Jeremiah 39, 0:41:16.090 --> 0:41:18.850 the prophet concluded the first half of his book by 0:41:18.850 --> 0:41:22.530 announcing God's final judgment on the nation of Judah. Behold, 0:41:22.530 --> 0:41:24.610 the days are coming when all that's in your house 0:41:24.610 --> 0:41:26.569 and all that your fathers have laid up in store 0:41:26.570 --> 0:41:29.810 to this day shall be carried to Babylon. Nothing shall 0:41:29.810 --> 0:41:33.129 be left. Isaiah announced that Judah would be going into 0:41:33.130 --> 0:41:36.450 captivity in Babylon. He was so certain about this that 0:41:36.450 --> 0:41:39.730 beginning in chapter 40, he begins writing to the people 0:41:39.730 --> 0:41:43.210 who were going into captivity, people who hadn't yet even 0:41:43.210 --> 0:41:46.490 been born at the time, he wrote. Isaiah offers comfort 0:41:46.489 --> 0:41:49.010 and hope to those who would someday be carried off 0:41:49.010 --> 0:41:52.130 into exile. God will bring you back to the land. 0:41:52.530 --> 0:41:54.890 But how could they be sure? How could they know 0:41:54.890 --> 0:41:57.770 this message was from God and not just wishful thinking 0:41:57.770 --> 0:42:00.489 on the part of the prophet. God gave Isaiah a 0:42:00.489 --> 0:42:04.490 very dramatic way to verify this prediction. Listen to God's 0:42:04.489 --> 0:42:07.600 promise made a century and a half before the rise 0:42:07.600 --> 0:42:11.040 of Cyrus. It is I who says of Cyrus, he's 0:42:11.040 --> 0:42:14.319 my shepherd, and he will perform all my desire. And 0:42:14.320 --> 0:42:17.400 he declares to Jerusalem, she will be rebuilt. And of 0:42:17.400 --> 0:42:20.640 the temple your foundation will be laid. Thus says the 0:42:20.640 --> 0:42:23.480 Lord to Cyrus his anointed, whom I have taken by 0:42:23.480 --> 0:42:26.680 the right hand to subdue nations before him. For the 0:42:26.680 --> 0:42:29.840 sake of Jacob my servant, and Israel my chosen one, 0:42:29.840 --> 0:42:32.319 I have also called you by your name. I have 0:42:32.320 --> 0:42:34.480 given you a title of honor, though you have not 0:42:34.480 --> 0:42:37.120 known me. I am the Lord. There is no other 0:42:37.120 --> 0:42:41.640 besides me. There is no God. God identified Cyrus by 0:42:41.640 --> 0:42:44.960 name and said he would be victorious, and announced he 0:42:44.960 --> 0:42:47.320 would be the one who would allow Israel to return 0:42:47.320 --> 0:42:51.560 home and rebuild the temple. Now, how's that for getting specific? 0:42:51.920 --> 0:42:55.520 In fact, some think it's too specific. No one could 0:42:55.520 --> 0:42:59.959 predict something that accurately that far in advance. No one, 0:42:59.960 --> 0:43:03.000 that is, except God. The critics who try to say 0:43:03.000 --> 0:43:06.340 this was written after the time of Cyrus, not before. 0:43:06.700 --> 0:43:10.300 Ignore two key truths. First, they missed the fact that 0:43:10.300 --> 0:43:13.500 all the way through this section of Isaiah. God does 0:43:13.500 --> 0:43:17.259 claim to be predicting the future. In chapter 41, God 0:43:17.260 --> 0:43:20.700 challenges all the other so-called gods to announce to us 0:43:20.700 --> 0:43:23.860 what's coming. Declare the things that are going to come afterward, 0:43:23.860 --> 0:43:27.180 that we may know that you are gods. In chapter 42, 0:43:27.219 --> 0:43:30.060 God says, I'm the Lord, that is my name. I 0:43:30.060 --> 0:43:32.580 will not give my glory to another, nor my praise 0:43:32.580 --> 0:43:35.620 to idols. Behold, the former things have come to pass. 0:43:35.660 --> 0:43:39.020 Now I declare new things. Before they spring forth, I 0:43:39.020 --> 0:43:43.580 proclaim them to you. In chapter 44, God issues this challenge. 0:43:43.820 --> 0:43:46.299 Who is like me? Let him proclaim and declare it. 0:43:46.300 --> 0:43:48.940 Let him declare the things that are coming and the 0:43:48.940 --> 0:43:52.060 events that are going to take place. I could go on, 0:43:52.060 --> 0:43:54.779 but you get the picture. God didn't just throw out 0:43:54.780 --> 0:43:58.860 Cyrus's name in some haphazard fashion. It was a deliberate 0:43:58.860 --> 0:44:02.380 prediction made to a specific group. It made no sense 0:44:02.380 --> 0:44:05.290 to the people in Isaiah's day, but it made perfect 0:44:05.290 --> 0:44:08.610 sense to those in captivity in Babylon, and it reminded 0:44:08.610 --> 0:44:10.930 them that God was in charge and that they could 0:44:10.930 --> 0:44:14.009 trust him. I said there were two reasons we knew 0:44:14.050 --> 0:44:17.089 this was a prediction written in advance. The first is 0:44:17.090 --> 0:44:19.609 the fact that God himself claims to be predicting the 0:44:19.610 --> 0:44:23.089 future when he named Cyrus. And the second reason was 0:44:23.090 --> 0:44:26.290 uncovered in Qumran. Those who said this couldn't be a 0:44:26.290 --> 0:44:29.850 real prediction of Cyrus constructed an elaborate theory for how 0:44:29.850 --> 0:44:33.090 the Book of Isaiah was written. The first 39 chapters 0:44:33.090 --> 0:44:35.490 in deed might date back to the time of Isaiah, 0:44:35.530 --> 0:44:37.969 they argued, but the last half of the book had 0:44:37.969 --> 0:44:40.690 to be written hundreds of years later, after the rise 0:44:40.690 --> 0:44:44.570 of Cyrus and the fall of the Babylonian Empire. Then, somehow, 0:44:44.570 --> 0:44:48.090 over the centuries, these two separate books got joined together 0:44:48.090 --> 0:44:50.089 and people forgot that they were the works of two 0:44:50.090 --> 0:44:54.130 different writers. Now, that may sound plausible, at least until 0:44:54.130 --> 0:44:57.569 the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered, including a complete scroll 0:44:57.570 --> 0:45:00.089 of the Book of Isaiah. The scroll dates to the 0:45:00.090 --> 0:45:04.000 second century BC. Chapter 39 ends on the next to 0:45:04.080 --> 0:45:06.720 the last line of a column. This was a perfect 0:45:06.719 --> 0:45:09.120 opportunity for the scribes to show a break in the 0:45:09.120 --> 0:45:12.239 book by starting chapter 40 on a new column. But 0:45:12.239 --> 0:45:15.960 chapter 40 begins on the very next line without any break. 0:45:16.320 --> 0:45:19.400 This was a single book written by the prophet Isaiah, 0:45:19.400 --> 0:45:21.839 with a dramatic prediction of the rise of a king 0:45:21.840 --> 0:45:24.920 named Cyrus, who would allow the Jews to return home 0:45:24.920 --> 0:45:29.160 and rebuild the temple. And that's just what happened. The 0:45:29.160 --> 0:45:32.759 Cyrus Cylinder is impressive, but it pales in comparison to 0:45:32.800 --> 0:45:36.720 the Bible. Israel knew about Cyrus and his proclamation before 0:45:36.760 --> 0:45:39.959 Cyrus was even born, because the God of the universe, 0:45:39.960 --> 0:45:43.080 the only true God, had told them all about him. 0:45:43.480 --> 0:45:46.400 So what difference does all this make in your life today? 0:45:46.880 --> 0:45:49.680 I think it comes down to this God could identify 0:45:49.719 --> 0:45:53.160 Cyrus by name because God was in control of history. 0:45:53.400 --> 0:45:56.000 And God has also announced dramatic events that will take 0:45:56.000 --> 0:45:59.000 place on this planet leading up to the return of 0:45:59.000 --> 0:46:01.830 his son. We don't need to live in fear or 0:46:01.830 --> 0:46:05.629 uncertainty about what tomorrow holds because God is in control. 0:46:06.110 --> 0:46:09.110 After predicting the coming of Cyrus, God made a statement 0:46:09.110 --> 0:46:13.069 that can help us keep our bearings in otherwise uncertain times. 0:46:13.469 --> 0:46:16.070 I made known the end from the beginning. From ancient 0:46:16.070 --> 0:46:19.350 times what is yet to come. I say my purpose 0:46:19.350 --> 0:46:22.230 will stand. And I will do all that I please. 0:46:22.750 --> 0:46:26.150 The lesson for us is simple. Breathe easy. God is 0:46:26.150 --> 0:46:28.630 in control. And if you'd like to see a photo 0:46:28.630 --> 0:46:31.430 of the Cyrus Cylinder on display in the British Museum, 0:46:31.469 --> 0:46:32.989 be sure to head over to our land in the 0:46:32.989 --> 0:46:35.830 book Facebook page where I've posted a picture of it 0:46:35.989 --> 0:46:36.750 that I took. 0:46:36.790 --> 0:46:39.390 And it's well worth the visit. Check out that Facebook page, 0:46:39.390 --> 0:46:41.270 I urge you. And I want to say thank you 0:46:41.270 --> 0:46:44.310 to our host, Charlie Dyer. Thanks to this station for 0:46:44.510 --> 0:46:46.790 making room for the land. In the book, I'm John 0:46:46.790 --> 0:46:49.230 Geiger for our producer, Dan Anderson. Hope you have a 0:46:49.230 --> 0:46:51.470 great day. The land and the book is a production 0:46:51.469 --> 0:46:54.910 of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.