WEBVTT - Hour 2: Head-Scratching Scriptures 0:00:10.640 --> 0:00:13.720 Hello friends. It's time for the second hour of Open 0:00:13.720 --> 0:00:18.279 Line with me. Michael, this is Moody Radio's Bible Study 0:00:18.320 --> 0:00:23.280 Across America, where we're talking about your questions about the Bible, God, 0:00:23.480 --> 0:00:27.080 and the spiritual life. I'm, uh, my name is Michael. 0:00:27.080 --> 0:00:29.160 I don't like, as I said, and I'm also the 0:00:29.160 --> 0:00:31.920 academic dean and professor of Jewish studies and Bible at 0:00:31.960 --> 0:00:36.280 Moody Bible Institute. And we're live here today sitting around 0:00:36.280 --> 0:00:40.199 the radio kitchen table taking your questions. So give me 0:00:40.200 --> 0:00:49.080 a call. The phone number is (877) 548-3675. That's (877) 548-3675. If 0:00:49.080 --> 0:00:51.280 you can't call, you can always go to our website 0:00:51.280 --> 0:00:54.720 Open Line radio.org. And you can click on the link 0:00:54.720 --> 0:00:59.120 that says ask Michael a question and post your question there. 0:00:59.120 --> 0:01:01.440 I hope you have your Bibles open. I hope you 0:01:01.440 --> 0:01:03.920 have a second cup of coffee, because we're going to 0:01:03.960 --> 0:01:09.840 talk about the scriptures, and we're going to start by 0:01:09.880 --> 0:01:16.160 talking with Cheryl in Monticello, Indiana. Listen, we're welcome to 0:01:16.200 --> 0:01:18.440 Open line, Cheryl. How can I help you today? 0:01:19.120 --> 0:01:23.760 Thank you doctor. I recently heard a messianic rabbi teach 0:01:23.760 --> 0:01:30.400 that the Messiah would have to perform four specific miracles, um, 0:01:30.440 --> 0:01:33.479 to identify himself as Messiah, and that the religious leaders 0:01:33.480 --> 0:01:36.119 at the time were looking for that. But when he 0:01:36.120 --> 0:01:39.559 performed those miracles, they gave the credit to Beelzebub rather 0:01:39.560 --> 0:01:42.440 than him and the Holy Spirit. I was wondering what 0:01:42.440 --> 0:01:44.560 your thoughts were on that. 0:01:44.640 --> 0:01:48.640 Was it was it the messianic congregation in Indianapolis that 0:01:48.640 --> 0:01:49.520 you heard that? 0:01:50.800 --> 0:01:53.280 Um, no, I heard it online. 0:01:54.000 --> 0:01:55.080 Oh, online. Okay. 0:01:55.480 --> 0:01:57.120 Well, I'm not sure who he's from. 0:01:57.840 --> 0:02:00.720 Uh, a friend of mine leads a messianic congregation in Indy. 0:02:00.720 --> 0:02:04.400 And you're there in Indianapolis or Indiana, I should say. 0:02:04.640 --> 0:02:07.760 But anyway, I'll tell you this I've only ever heard 0:02:07.760 --> 0:02:13.119 it as three messianic miracles. Miracles. The three are the 0:02:13.120 --> 0:02:15.920 healing of a leper. The second, the casting out of 0:02:15.919 --> 0:02:21.760 a demon, uh, that causes mute muteness, causes a person 0:02:21.760 --> 0:02:24.560 to be mute. And the third is healing someone who 0:02:24.560 --> 0:02:25.640 is born blind. 0:02:26.600 --> 0:02:26.960 Okay. 0:02:27.760 --> 0:02:31.680 Uh. And that these were the three messianic miracles that 0:02:31.680 --> 0:02:35.040 the Lord Jesus fulfilled. Now, I'm going to tell you my. 0:02:35.080 --> 0:02:38.120 I've heard this taught by a lot of people. And 0:02:38.120 --> 0:02:43.520 if you typed in three messianic miracles into Google, you'd 0:02:43.520 --> 0:02:45.480 find a ton of stuff. What I haven't been able 0:02:45.480 --> 0:02:50.960 to find is any rabbinic source that actually says that. 0:02:52.240 --> 0:02:52.800 Okay. 0:02:53.080 --> 0:02:55.560 Do you what I mean. Like, no one has ever 0:02:55.560 --> 0:02:59.079 I hear people say this, but what I always look, 0:02:59.120 --> 0:03:02.080 I say, okay, can you show me the the Mishnah 0:03:02.080 --> 0:03:06.799 or the Talmudic passage or the something from rabbinic writings 0:03:07.360 --> 0:03:10.880 that would lead would lead to that? I've never been 0:03:10.880 --> 0:03:14.720 able to see that. So I've heard many messianic teachers 0:03:14.720 --> 0:03:20.600 say this, but I'm still looking for the substantiation for 0:03:20.600 --> 0:03:22.680 it from rabbinic writings. 0:03:22.720 --> 0:03:24.519 Okay, okay. All right. Well, thank. 0:03:24.520 --> 0:03:26.040 You, doctor. I appreciate your. 0:03:26.040 --> 0:03:26.440 Help. 0:03:26.960 --> 0:03:29.680 Sure. Thanks for your call. Appreciate it. We're going to 0:03:29.680 --> 0:03:33.279 talk to Tom in New Lenox, Illinois, listening on Wmbi. 0:03:33.320 --> 0:03:35.680 Welcome to Open Line, Tom. How can I help you? 0:03:35.720 --> 0:03:37.480 Good morning, doctor. How are you? 0:03:38.240 --> 0:03:40.000 I'm well. Thank you for asking. 0:03:40.960 --> 0:03:46.040 Great. My daughter is a cardiac ward at a hospital, 0:03:46.720 --> 0:03:49.440 and she came home last night with a great question, 0:03:49.440 --> 0:03:51.920 and I thought I pretty much answered it, but I 0:03:51.920 --> 0:03:55.360 wanted to get your take on it. She had mentioned 0:03:55.480 --> 0:04:00.800 when a patient codes when a basically no heartbeat, no 0:04:00.840 --> 0:04:04.280 nothing like that does there. So at that moment go 0:04:04.280 --> 0:04:08.080 to be with God or because sometimes they get them back, 0:04:08.120 --> 0:04:09.800 you know they'll be able to bring them back, shock 0:04:09.800 --> 0:04:11.760 them back. So she had a great question and I 0:04:11.760 --> 0:04:14.520 was like, my opinion is, you know, once you're once 0:04:14.520 --> 0:04:17.240 you're dead, you're dead. And that's it. You go to 0:04:17.279 --> 0:04:19.560 be with the Lord. But she she threw a good 0:04:19.560 --> 0:04:20.720 one at me last night. 0:04:22.400 --> 0:04:25.719 Well, I don't know. I don't know if a person 0:04:25.720 --> 0:04:27.640 goes to be with the Lord and he sends him back. 0:04:27.720 --> 0:04:31.120 I don't believe that necessarily. Right. You know, we've have 0:04:31.120 --> 0:04:35.080 the stories about the white light walking towards the white light, right? 0:04:35.080 --> 0:04:39.360 You've heard that, haven't you? Yes, sir. Yes, sir. It's 0:04:39.360 --> 0:04:43.720 such a bizarre, uh, you know, we do. See, uh, 0:04:43.720 --> 0:04:46.960 this is kind of interesting that people do see frequently 0:04:47.200 --> 0:04:50.240 when they're on their deathbed, just before they die. They 0:04:50.240 --> 0:04:54.650 see loved ones and they talk to them. Uh, that's 0:04:54.650 --> 0:05:00.010 that's pretty common. Uh, I, you know, I just don't 0:05:00.010 --> 0:05:02.610 know really what's going on there. Here's what I believe. 0:05:02.610 --> 0:05:05.290 That when a person is really dead. I'm not talking 0:05:05.290 --> 0:05:11.490 about coded, but, uh, actually dead, uh, their their destiny 0:05:11.490 --> 0:05:16.850 is set. Uh, but, uh, I don't know. You know, 0:05:16.850 --> 0:05:19.610 I'm not going to be the one to say if 0:05:19.610 --> 0:05:21.850 they got him back. Was that person dead? And when 0:05:21.850 --> 0:05:26.610 their heart wasn't beating? I don't know, so. Right. I'm just. 0:05:26.770 --> 0:05:28.730 Here's the thing. I know when someone dies, they need 0:05:28.730 --> 0:05:33.810 to be ready to. To deal with God. Uh, because 0:05:33.810 --> 0:05:36.250 some people say, well, I'll talk to God and he'll. 0:05:36.250 --> 0:05:38.969 He'll accept me as he is. God has given us 0:05:38.970 --> 0:05:42.490 all sorts of opportunities now to enter into a relationship 0:05:42.490 --> 0:05:46.570 with him. And negotiating before the throne is not the 0:05:46.570 --> 0:05:49.410 time to do it. Now is the time. Today is 0:05:49.410 --> 0:05:52.810 the day of salvation. So I would always encourage everyone 0:05:52.970 --> 0:05:55.690 today to be ready, because you never know when we're 0:05:55.690 --> 0:05:57.810 going to go be with the Lord. So when he's 0:05:57.810 --> 0:06:00.570 going to take us and so we we just need 0:06:00.570 --> 0:06:03.250 to be ready. Uh, trust in Jesus. Put your trust 0:06:03.250 --> 0:06:05.930 in him. Uh, believe that he died for us and 0:06:05.930 --> 0:06:08.970 rose again. And our sins are forgiven and we're ready 0:06:08.970 --> 0:06:12.690 to face God. So that's what I would say. Okay. 0:06:12.850 --> 0:06:14.810 Thank you, doctor. I appreciate it. 0:06:15.170 --> 0:06:18.410 Yeah. Thanks, Tom. Thanks for accepting that, I don't know. 0:06:19.650 --> 0:06:21.690 There's things that I just don't know, you know. 0:06:21.730 --> 0:06:23.650 Oh, no. No, that's just a hard question. 0:06:23.810 --> 0:06:25.650 That's just. Yeah, I don't know. 0:06:25.690 --> 0:06:26.010 It's just. 0:06:26.010 --> 0:06:26.370 Hard. 0:06:27.290 --> 0:06:29.130 Uh, when I go to be with the Lord, I 0:06:29.130 --> 0:06:31.450 might ask him. I don't know. I don't know if 0:06:31.450 --> 0:06:32.130 I'll care. 0:06:32.570 --> 0:06:36.409 So I'll hopefully I'll be standing next to you and saying, hey, 0:06:36.410 --> 0:06:37.770 remember that question, doc? 0:06:38.410 --> 0:06:39.849 Okay, Tom, you'll remind me. 0:06:39.970 --> 0:06:40.290 Thanks. 0:06:40.330 --> 0:06:45.570 Thank you. Okay. Bye bye. Uh, we're going to talk 0:06:45.570 --> 0:06:51.409 to Ronald in Elmwood Park, Illinois, listening on Wmbi. Welcome 0:06:51.529 --> 0:06:53.890 to Open Line. Ron, how can I help you? 0:06:54.290 --> 0:06:55.929 Uh, good morning, sir. How are you? 0:06:56.650 --> 0:06:57.970 I'm well, thank you. 0:06:58.010 --> 0:07:01.490 Yeah. Glad to hear that. Uh, and I have a dilemma, 0:07:01.730 --> 0:07:05.810 which I'm going to make your problem now. Okay. Okay. 0:07:05.850 --> 0:07:11.210 In the Bible in Genesis, Adam and Eve are deceived 0:07:11.210 --> 0:07:15.370 by the serpent and caused them to sin. And then 0:07:15.370 --> 0:07:19.610 God came and came into the garden, confronted the serpent 0:07:20.370 --> 0:07:25.530 and told him, uh, I shall put enmity between the 0:07:25.530 --> 0:07:28.850 woman's seed. And you. You shall eat dust, dirt the 0:07:28.850 --> 0:07:31.290 rest of your life, and you shall kick at my heels, 0:07:31.330 --> 0:07:33.250 or something similar to that, am I close? 0:07:34.250 --> 0:07:39.210 And then what's your what's your question? You know. Okay. 0:07:39.210 --> 0:07:41.130 Just go ahead and go ahead with your question. 0:07:41.450 --> 0:07:46.450 Okay. Well, then later on, um, when Moses is leading 0:07:46.450 --> 0:07:50.210 the Israelites, um, to the Promised Land, they are they're 0:07:50.210 --> 0:07:54.090 attacked at one point in time by certain serpents that 0:07:54.090 --> 0:07:59.810 bit a lot of the people, and they died. Moses 0:07:59.810 --> 0:08:03.850 had a pole and he made a replica somehow of 0:08:03.850 --> 0:08:06.050 a serpent, put it on a pole and held it up. 0:08:07.410 --> 0:08:10.929 Now to me, when you hold something up like that, 0:08:10.930 --> 0:08:14.130 it's to honor or look up to. But that seems 0:08:14.130 --> 0:08:17.730 to be what the serpent did. Why are they looking 0:08:17.730 --> 0:08:18.730 up to the serpent? 0:08:18.930 --> 0:08:21.610 Let's see if I can. You want to know? Okay. 0:08:21.610 --> 0:08:24.450 How can the serpent be a mark of healing when 0:08:24.450 --> 0:08:29.490 it was? Obviously, the serpent is the instrument of temptation 0:08:29.490 --> 0:08:35.250 and accursed in Genesis three. Yes, sir. Am I? That's. 0:08:35.250 --> 0:08:37.290 That's the question. That's so. 0:08:37.330 --> 0:08:39.970 Yes. 0:08:40.610 --> 0:08:45.010 So here's what I would say about Genesis three before 0:08:45.010 --> 0:08:48.610 we get to Genesis three. You need to know that 0:08:49.450 --> 0:08:53.890 the animals were created on the sixth day before Genesis three. 0:08:55.090 --> 0:08:59.050 And it says on the sixth day, when God created 0:08:59.050 --> 0:09:04.650 all kinds of animals, let the earth produce living creatures 0:09:06.050 --> 0:09:09.970 according to their kinds livestock creatures that crawl, and wildlife 0:09:09.970 --> 0:09:12.410 of the earth according to their kinds. And it was so. 0:09:13.130 --> 0:09:15.570 So God made the wildlife of the earth according to 0:09:15.610 --> 0:09:19.290 their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and creatures 0:09:19.290 --> 0:09:22.610 that crawl on the ground according to their kinds. And 0:09:22.610 --> 0:09:27.290 God saw that it was good. So intrinsically, serpents are 0:09:27.290 --> 0:09:33.210 part of God's good creation. Genesis three. The judgment is 0:09:33.410 --> 0:09:36.130 that he would be more cursed than all the other creation. 0:09:36.250 --> 0:09:40.170 The whole creation was cursed when Satan used the serpent 0:09:40.170 --> 0:09:44.089 to talk to Adam and Eve and they sinned. Wasn't 0:09:44.090 --> 0:09:46.810 the talking, it was the sinning that did it. The 0:09:46.809 --> 0:09:49.650 whole creation was cursed. And what I, what I noticed 0:09:49.690 --> 0:09:53.690 is in Isaiah 65, it talks about how all the 0:09:53.730 --> 0:09:56.690 animals like, for example, the predatory animals will no longer 0:09:56.730 --> 0:10:01.330 be predatory in the messianic kingdom, but the serpent will 0:10:01.330 --> 0:10:05.450 still crawl on its belly. Meaning that there it's more cursed. 0:10:05.450 --> 0:10:10.850 It will be a perpetual sign of Satan's defeat. Uh, 0:10:10.850 --> 0:10:15.450 so that's how it's more cursed. But it is not intrinsically, 0:10:16.290 --> 0:10:18.170 though it was used by Satan, that didn't mean it 0:10:18.170 --> 0:10:22.569 was always intrinsically bad. In numbers 21, where you have 0:10:22.570 --> 0:10:27.210 the story of the fiery snakes, that's what happens. There 0:10:27.210 --> 0:10:34.770 were fiery snakes and, uh, those fiery snakes, uh, are 0:10:34.770 --> 0:10:39.809 there in numbers 21 and and what they are saying 0:10:39.809 --> 0:10:43.890 is the people were complaining, they became impatient because of 0:10:43.890 --> 0:10:48.090 the journey. And so the Lord sent my version says poisonous, 0:10:48.090 --> 0:10:52.090 but it literally in Hebrew is fiery snakes among the people. 0:10:52.530 --> 0:10:55.370 And they said they repented. We've sinned by speaking against 0:10:55.370 --> 0:10:59.209 the Lord and against you. Intercede for us. And Moses interceded. 0:10:59.610 --> 0:11:03.209 And so, because it was through the judgment of fiery 0:11:03.250 --> 0:11:06.850 snakes that the Lord said, uh, he to build a 0:11:06.850 --> 0:11:10.810 snake image mounted on a pole. Uh, and anyone who 0:11:10.809 --> 0:11:13.290 is bitten looks at it, he will recover. The point 0:11:13.290 --> 0:11:19.209 of that is, I believe that snakes were were the 0:11:19.210 --> 0:11:23.930 instrument by God to discipline. But the people would think 0:11:23.929 --> 0:11:28.330 that somehow the snakes were intrinsically the cause. And so 0:11:28.330 --> 0:11:30.890 by giving them an opportunity to look with faith at 0:11:30.890 --> 0:11:33.330 a snake as God directed, it would help them to 0:11:33.330 --> 0:11:37.050 see that it's not a snake that was disciplining them. 0:11:37.050 --> 0:11:40.370 But God was through fiery snakes, and it was not 0:11:40.370 --> 0:11:42.770 a snake that was healing them, but it was God 0:11:42.770 --> 0:11:45.250 who was healing them through a look of faith that 0:11:45.250 --> 0:11:49.170 the snake was just merely an instrument of God. And 0:11:49.170 --> 0:11:52.690 that's why it was okay to use a snake for that. 0:11:53.730 --> 0:11:57.730 So that's my understanding. It's God who is the one 0:11:57.730 --> 0:12:00.530 who is acting here. But don't think that snakes are 0:12:00.530 --> 0:12:04.650 just intrinsically evil because Satan used one. Anyway, we're going 0:12:04.650 --> 0:12:07.050 to come back with more of your questions in just 0:12:07.050 --> 0:12:09.689 a bit. This is Michael. Nick, you're listening to Moody 0:12:09.690 --> 0:12:12.970 Radio's Open Line. Stay with us. Many more questions coming 0:12:12.970 --> 0:12:32.010 up straight ahead. Welcome back to Open Line. So glad 0:12:32.650 --> 0:12:35.010 that you're listening today. I was just on the break 0:12:35.130 --> 0:12:39.570 talking to Omar, our engineer, and pointing out our last 0:12:39.570 --> 0:12:42.730 caller was asking about the Brass serpent. The Brazen serpent. 0:12:43.330 --> 0:12:46.050 And we were talking about what became of that serpent, 0:12:46.530 --> 0:12:49.890 the one that Moses lifted up on a pole. I 0:12:49.890 --> 0:12:53.010 should probably mention two things about it that I didn't 0:12:53.010 --> 0:12:56.050 mention before. And I was talking about it with Omar. 0:12:56.690 --> 0:13:04.690 One is that Israel preserved that snake. And when Hezekiah 0:13:04.690 --> 0:13:08.810 removed the high places in Second Kings 18, he shattered 0:13:08.809 --> 0:13:11.810 the sacred pillars and cut down the Asherah poles. And 0:13:11.809 --> 0:13:14.410 then it says he broke into pieces the bronze snake 0:13:14.410 --> 0:13:18.450 that Moses made for the Israelites burned incense to it 0:13:18.450 --> 0:13:22.089 up to that time. And he called it the iron 0:13:22.530 --> 0:13:26.610 or a bronze thing. And what that's saying is that 0:13:26.610 --> 0:13:29.370 they took something that was really good and made it 0:13:29.370 --> 0:13:32.010 into an idol. They were offering incense to the snake. 0:13:32.050 --> 0:13:35.530 The very point that I said that they were supposed 0:13:35.530 --> 0:13:38.170 to avoid, that it was God that that was healing them, 0:13:38.170 --> 0:13:41.370 and not the snake. They treated like it was a god, 0:13:41.530 --> 0:13:44.610 the snake, and they offered incense to it. And so 0:13:44.610 --> 0:13:47.410 it was destroyed because even a good thing that God 0:13:47.410 --> 0:13:50.850 used could be, could result in something kind of bad. 0:13:51.010 --> 0:13:54.490 But there was a pattern in the snake, and I 0:13:54.490 --> 0:13:58.089 think this is really important. Just as that snake was 0:13:58.090 --> 0:14:00.170 lifted on a pole and people had to have the 0:14:00.210 --> 0:14:05.170 look of faith. In John three, the Lord Jesus looks 0:14:05.170 --> 0:14:09.770 at that pattern and he says, just as Moses lifted 0:14:09.770 --> 0:14:13.570 up the snake in the wilderness. This is verse 14, 0:14:13.570 --> 0:14:16.130 So the Son of Man must be lifted up, that 0:14:16.130 --> 0:14:19.810 everyone who believes in him will have eternal life. Just 0:14:19.810 --> 0:14:22.850 as the people look to the serpent to be cured 0:14:23.250 --> 0:14:27.890 of those fiery snakes snake bites. So when we look 0:14:27.890 --> 0:14:31.570 to the Messiah who's lifted up for us, when we 0:14:31.570 --> 0:14:34.050 look up at him and trust in him in his 0:14:34.050 --> 0:14:37.850 death and his resurrection, then we're forgiven. And that's the 0:14:37.850 --> 0:14:40.780 great reminder. It became a pattern of how of how 0:14:40.780 --> 0:14:45.660 we look to the Messiah. So anyway, uh, more more 0:14:45.660 --> 0:14:49.300 about snakes and brass serpents than you ever wanted to hear, 0:14:49.300 --> 0:14:51.620 but that's all in there. And I thought it was 0:14:51.620 --> 0:14:55.420 kind of interesting. So. Okay. Mark in Moline, Illinois, listening 0:14:55.420 --> 0:14:58.060 on Wwdm. Welcome to Open Line. Mark, how can I 0:14:58.060 --> 0:14:58.780 help you today? 0:14:59.300 --> 0:15:04.220 Well thank you. Um, I came upon, uh, Harry Ironside's 0:15:04.220 --> 0:15:11.100 lectures on the revelation. He, uh, was associated with Moody 0:15:11.100 --> 0:15:17.180 Bible Institute, apparently 90 or so years ago. And he's 0:15:17.300 --> 0:15:18.380 he was the at the. 0:15:18.420 --> 0:15:20.940 He he was the pastor of Moody Church. 0:15:22.260 --> 0:15:24.700 I see, not the Bible Institute. Okay. 0:15:24.860 --> 0:15:25.500 Right. 0:15:25.860 --> 0:15:30.060 Um, and he's looking at the, uh, seven churches in 0:15:30.060 --> 0:15:37.260 revelation as the church history. Um, and I asked a 0:15:37.300 --> 0:15:39.620 preacher friend of mine about this, and this. And he 0:15:39.620 --> 0:15:45.420 said that somehow tied up in dispensational theology and covenant theology. 0:15:46.300 --> 0:15:50.340 But I can't sort out dispensational and covenant theology. Can 0:15:50.340 --> 0:15:51.900 you shed any light on that? 0:15:52.620 --> 0:16:14.020 Yeah. There. Uh, there are, uh, dispensational, uh, teachers and, uh, 0:16:14.020 --> 0:16:17.700 who hold to that the seven churches representing seven ages 0:16:17.700 --> 0:16:21.580 of the church. And there are dispensational teachers who don't 0:16:21.580 --> 0:16:23.620 hold to that. Uh. 0:16:23.900 --> 0:16:24.460 Just saying. 0:16:25.580 --> 0:16:28.060 I know, I know, I just wanted to make it 0:16:28.060 --> 0:16:31.900 clear that just because Ironside held to that, that does 0:16:31.900 --> 0:16:39.940 not indicate that all dispensational, uh, people hold to that view. 0:16:40.340 --> 0:16:44.340 For example, I would categorize myself as dispensational, but I 0:16:44.340 --> 0:16:47.020 think that those are seven churches from the first century 0:16:47.020 --> 0:16:50.860 that the Lord Jesus was addressing. Obviously applicable to all 0:16:50.860 --> 0:16:54.660 churches for all ages, but not seven ages of church history. 0:16:54.940 --> 0:17:00.260 And yet I'm dispensational. Okay, so now what dispensationalism is. 0:17:00.460 --> 0:17:06.060 It basically reads the Bible progressively. So you don't read 0:17:06.060 --> 0:17:11.379 the New Testament without understanding and believing the Old Testament. 0:17:11.380 --> 0:17:14.340 You read the New Testament through the old. You start 0:17:14.340 --> 0:17:16.340 with the old and work your way to the new. 0:17:16.340 --> 0:17:22.260 In terms of interpretation, uh, covenant theology tends to take 0:17:22.260 --> 0:17:26.900 the new and read it back into the old doesn't 0:17:26.900 --> 0:17:30.780 have the old. It reads back and its meanings into 0:17:30.780 --> 0:17:35.939 the Old Testament. So I would say that's one major difference. Uh. 0:17:36.100 --> 0:17:41.859 Another difference that I would say is that dispensationalism tends 0:17:41.859 --> 0:17:47.420 to be much more consistently, uh, literal or normal in 0:17:47.420 --> 0:17:51.220 its interpretation. I think covenant is also normal or literal, 0:17:51.820 --> 0:17:55.860 but less consistently so when it comes to prophetic matters, 0:17:55.859 --> 0:18:00.219 they tend to be much more symbolic and figurative. And 0:18:00.220 --> 0:18:03.500 that would be another thing that leads this. That approach 0:18:03.500 --> 0:18:10.340 leads to a difference between what is the church and 0:18:10.340 --> 0:18:15.139 what is God's plan for Israel. And, uh, the covenant 0:18:15.140 --> 0:18:19.899 would unite the Church and Israel as one, whereas a 0:18:19.900 --> 0:18:22.780 dispensation would see God's plan for Israel and God's plan 0:18:22.780 --> 0:18:28.939 for the church are distinct. Okay. Does that help, Mark? 0:18:29.900 --> 0:18:31.740 Uh, no it doesn't. 0:18:32.300 --> 0:18:34.260 Well, what is it? I thought you wanted to know 0:18:34.260 --> 0:18:38.580 the difference. You want to know the difference? That's the difference, right? 0:18:39.140 --> 0:18:41.260 And so the difference is how they look at it. 0:18:41.260 --> 0:18:43.740 But I don't see how that gives me a difference 0:18:43.740 --> 0:18:51.660 in understanding God or my position with God or anything 0:18:51.660 --> 0:18:52.500 like that. 0:18:52.540 --> 0:18:54.980 Well, it would change your view of prophecy is what 0:18:54.980 --> 0:19:00.180 it would do. It would change your view of Israel. Uh, 0:19:00.180 --> 0:19:02.700 that those are those are the areas where it would 0:19:02.700 --> 0:19:04.340 be different. Okay. 0:19:05.500 --> 0:19:05.859 Okay. 0:19:06.859 --> 0:19:12.220 Good. Okay. Thanks, Mark. Appreciate it. Okay. Uh, you know, uh, 0:19:12.260 --> 0:19:15.020 sometimes you need a road map to go someplace. I 0:19:15.020 --> 0:19:18.020 remember going on big trips and getting the road map 0:19:18.060 --> 0:19:23.380 out and, uh, sketching out. My son and I did 0:19:23.380 --> 0:19:25.380 this big road trip, and we got out our Rand 0:19:25.380 --> 0:19:28.899 McNally atlas, and we sketched out everywhere we were going. 0:19:28.940 --> 0:19:31.300 And every day, we knew exactly where we were going 0:19:31.340 --> 0:19:34.500 to stop and, uh, where what we were going to do. 0:19:34.540 --> 0:19:36.540 It was a lot of fun. And now we just 0:19:36.540 --> 0:19:39.260 put on the GPS and it, you know, Google Maps 0:19:39.260 --> 0:19:42.060 or something. And and it tells us turn left here 0:19:42.340 --> 0:19:45.620 or go straight or whatever. But I think knowing in 0:19:45.619 --> 0:19:48.740 advance where we're going on that map was always a 0:19:48.780 --> 0:19:50.460 lot of fun. And I think that's what we need 0:19:50.500 --> 0:19:54.540 to when we come to the New Testament, uh, that, uh, 0:19:54.540 --> 0:19:56.140 when we read the Bible, it would be really good 0:19:56.140 --> 0:19:58.020 if we had a good road map to tell us 0:19:58.020 --> 0:20:02.420 where we're going. And that's what our current resource is. It's, uh, 0:20:02.460 --> 0:20:07.180 been a survey of the New Testament, and, uh, that 0:20:07.180 --> 0:20:10.419 book gives us a comprehensive road map of where the Bible, 0:20:10.460 --> 0:20:13.380 how the New Testament fits together and where we're going 0:20:13.420 --> 0:20:16.140 as we read from Matthew to Revelation, how the whole 0:20:16.140 --> 0:20:19.899 thing fits together about God's plan for us. If you 0:20:20.260 --> 0:20:23.940 are a regular listener and you've never given a gift 0:20:23.940 --> 0:20:25.940 to open line before, this is the one you want 0:20:25.940 --> 0:20:28.859 to start giving with. Because this is a great little book, 0:20:28.859 --> 0:20:31.260 I use it all the time. Uh, Paul Benware is 0:20:31.260 --> 0:20:35.420 a friend and also was a teacher of mine. And, uh, 0:20:35.420 --> 0:20:38.219 he was, uh, he's the guy that prayed with me 0:20:38.740 --> 0:20:40.899 my very first day of teaching at Moody, before I 0:20:40.900 --> 0:20:43.980 taught my very first class. Uh, he's a dear friend, 0:20:43.980 --> 0:20:46.140 but it's a great little book, and we want to 0:20:46.140 --> 0:20:47.820 send it to you and to anyone who gives a 0:20:47.859 --> 0:20:50.820 gift of any size. It's our way of saying thank 0:20:50.859 --> 0:20:55.140 you for this, for your generosity and for giving to 0:20:55.180 --> 0:20:58.420 open line. And so if you'd like to give a gift, 0:20:58.420 --> 0:21:03.660 all you have to do is call (888) 644-7122 or go 0:21:03.660 --> 0:21:09.860 to open line radio.org. And uh, we're going to take 0:21:10.100 --> 0:21:14.500 a call now from Kevin in Mississippi who is on 0:21:14.500 --> 0:21:17.419 the road. Uh, we're going to have some music in 0:21:17.420 --> 0:21:20.100 the background there. Omar. No, I guess not. On the 0:21:20.100 --> 0:21:23.379 road again. There we go. Hey, Kevin, how can I 0:21:23.420 --> 0:21:24.180 help you today? 0:21:25.340 --> 0:21:29.100 Yes. Um, I am Kevin from Macomb, Mississippi, and I'm 0:21:29.100 --> 0:21:33.180 traveling on the road. But I have a question, um, 0:21:33.220 --> 0:21:36.980 from a question that I heard in the first segment. It's, uh, 0:21:36.980 --> 0:21:39.780 it's kind of a response as well as a question, 0:21:39.820 --> 0:21:42.460 a response to the answer that you gave about the 0:21:42.460 --> 0:21:47.740 the wedding feast. Um, there was a one that Jesus 0:21:47.740 --> 0:21:51.980 used in the parable, um, that says that, um, yeah. 0:21:52.300 --> 0:21:55.860 Well, just just go ahead. Just don't repeat the whole thing. 0:21:55.859 --> 0:21:56.700 Just go ahead. 0:21:57.540 --> 0:22:01.580 Okay. Well, my question was, um, the response that you 0:22:01.619 --> 0:22:05.820 gave to the question was that, um, that person chose 0:22:05.820 --> 0:22:11.180 to enter to be to call himself being invited by 0:22:11.180 --> 0:22:15.060 his own works or, you know, by his own, um. 0:22:15.100 --> 0:22:15.460 His own. 0:22:15.460 --> 0:22:19.699 Clothes. Yes, with his own clothes. So that was you 0:22:19.740 --> 0:22:24.060 symbolize that as him choosing his own way as far as, like, 0:22:24.140 --> 0:22:29.540 using works to, uh, to be, um, to enter the 0:22:29.540 --> 0:22:33.859 enter the Kingdom of Heaven. And so in Exodus 2020, um, 0:22:33.900 --> 0:22:37.980 God commanded that we be holy as he is holy. 0:22:38.300 --> 0:22:42.420 And a command always stands. So, um, it takes an 0:22:42.420 --> 0:22:45.140 effort to be holy. You don't just be holy. You 0:22:45.140 --> 0:22:48.139 have to. It takes works to be holy. 0:22:48.180 --> 0:22:50.660 Are you saying, Kevin, that I've got to be good 0:22:50.660 --> 0:22:51.859 enough to be saved? 0:22:53.100 --> 0:22:54.820 Yes. You have to be good enough to be holy. 0:22:54.820 --> 0:22:56.659 And if you're commanded to be holy, you have to 0:22:56.660 --> 0:22:58.020 be good enough to be saved. 0:22:58.900 --> 0:23:00.740 Okay, well, let me just read to you what the 0:23:00.740 --> 0:23:06.020 Apostle Paul has to say. Okay. It says in Ephesians 0:23:06.020 --> 0:23:10.780 two eight. Uh, here's what it says. I'm going to 0:23:10.780 --> 0:23:15.260 read it. For you are saved by grace. Grace means 0:23:15.500 --> 0:23:22.060 God's undeserved kindness towards us. You are saved by grace 0:23:22.060 --> 0:23:26.140 through faith. And this is not from yourselves. It is 0:23:26.140 --> 0:23:31.580 God's gift, not from works so that no one can boast. 0:23:32.820 --> 0:23:36.540 So it's really clear that there's not enough. I mean, 0:23:36.540 --> 0:23:42.140 you can go to Romans. See that? Romans three, for example, uh, 0:23:42.180 --> 0:23:47.260 where God is both just and justifier of men. In 0:23:47.260 --> 0:23:50.500 other words, that God is holy and he justifies us. 0:23:50.980 --> 0:23:54.940 He is the one that declares us righteous. It's not us. Now. 0:23:55.220 --> 0:23:59.380 What that doctor may say. So I think that when 0:23:59.380 --> 0:24:02.060 Paul made that statement, he was making a very concerted 0:24:02.220 --> 0:24:05.459 effort to move the people from the idea that it 0:24:05.460 --> 0:24:08.580 was only by works by. And I think he put 0:24:08.619 --> 0:24:12.140 extra emphasis on faith to move them from the position 0:24:12.140 --> 0:24:17.419 of works. But he did not exclude the concept of works. See, 0:24:17.420 --> 0:24:18.900 I think faith. 0:24:18.940 --> 0:24:23.660 Wait, wait, Kevin. I'm not Kevin. Kevin, Kevin. We are 0:24:23.780 --> 0:24:29.389 saved by God's kindness Is that we don't deserve through 0:24:29.430 --> 0:24:36.950 trust in Jesus. It's Jesus and Jesus alone. There's nothing 0:24:36.950 --> 0:24:41.190 we can do to earn our way with God. Uh, 0:24:41.190 --> 0:24:44.869 and now there is a place for works. If you 0:24:44.869 --> 0:24:48.550 look at Ephesians two, it says, once we know him, 0:24:48.550 --> 0:24:53.149 we are his creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, 0:24:53.150 --> 0:24:56.150 which God prepared ahead of time so that we should 0:24:56.150 --> 0:25:02.270 walk in them. The root of our forgiveness is grace 0:25:02.270 --> 0:25:07.550 through faith. But the fruit of being forgiven is that 0:25:07.550 --> 0:25:10.550 God has prepared good works for us to walk in. 0:25:10.990 --> 0:25:12.990 But I want to be really cautious, Kevin, if you 0:25:12.990 --> 0:25:15.630 think that we can be in any way, if it's 0:25:15.630 --> 0:25:23.470 faith plus works, if it's both, uh, then it's all works. Uh, 0:25:23.470 --> 0:25:25.990 we we cannot trust in any of any of our 0:25:25.990 --> 0:25:30.510 own works at all. That's that's what I, I would 0:25:30.510 --> 0:25:32.949 caution you about. And if you're listening and think I 0:25:32.950 --> 0:25:35.989 can be good enough. No. We can't. All we have 0:25:35.990 --> 0:25:37.790 to do is trust in the who. The one who 0:25:37.790 --> 0:25:40.310 is good, the Lord Jesus. And we need to put 0:25:40.310 --> 0:25:42.750 our trust in him. We're going to we're going to 0:25:42.750 --> 0:25:45.270 come back with the mailbag in just a moment. So 0:25:45.270 --> 0:25:47.750 stay with us. This is open line with Michael Wright. 0:25:47.750 --> 0:26:12.150 I'll be right back. Welcome back to Open Line. So 0:26:12.150 --> 0:26:15.510 glad to be with you this Saturday morning talking about 0:26:15.750 --> 0:26:18.790 your questions about the Bible, God and the spiritual life. 0:26:18.790 --> 0:26:20.990 My name is Michael Wright. And joining me right now 0:26:20.990 --> 0:26:24.869 for the Febc mailbag will be Tricia McMillan. We're so 0:26:24.869 --> 0:26:28.910 grateful that Far Eastern Broadcasting Company partners with Open Line 0:26:28.910 --> 0:26:32.990 to bring you the weekly Febc mailbag. It's a wonderful organization, 0:26:32.990 --> 0:26:35.550 and they really bring the good news that Jesus is 0:26:35.550 --> 0:26:38.910 our only way by faith in him. And they bring 0:26:38.910 --> 0:26:42.909 that via media. They bring that message, uh, through personal 0:26:43.109 --> 0:26:48.550 engagement with people. Check out their podcast, Febc's podcast called 0:26:48.550 --> 0:26:51.910 Until all I've Heard, Until All I've Heard by going 0:26:51.910 --> 0:26:56.510 to Febc. Org you'll find it there. And here comes Tricia, 0:26:57.390 --> 0:27:02.030 my other partner in crime. I talked last hour about, uh, 0:27:02.070 --> 0:27:05.070 William Washington being my partner in crime at Moody. But everyone, 0:27:05.070 --> 0:27:08.270 when they think Open Line, they think Tricia. Tricia, she's 0:27:08.270 --> 0:27:09.950 the other person here. Yes. 0:27:09.990 --> 0:27:11.350 Hopefully not for crime, though. 0:27:11.990 --> 0:27:14.310 No, no. When I go out, though, I will tell 0:27:14.310 --> 0:27:17.590 you this, uh, when I go out, people and I'm 0:27:17.590 --> 0:27:21.310 speaking someplace, they say we want to meet Tricia or. 0:27:21.310 --> 0:27:24.150 Or they want to meet Eva when Eva's on, they 0:27:24.150 --> 0:27:26.590 always talk about that. They could care less about meeting me. 0:27:26.590 --> 0:27:28.750 It's just you and Eva that everyone wants to meet. 0:27:28.750 --> 0:27:32.149 I don't want to. I don't want to be ungrateful here. 0:27:32.150 --> 0:27:34.830 But come on. Why do they want to meet you guys? 0:27:34.990 --> 0:27:35.630 I don't know. 0:27:36.470 --> 0:27:41.590 Yeah, well, anyway, I appreciate you being, uh, working with 0:27:41.590 --> 0:27:44.830 me all these many years. And for Tara being here 0:27:44.830 --> 0:27:48.470 and Omar and Titus. And what a great team we 0:27:48.470 --> 0:27:51.790 have here. And I'm really grateful for all of you. 0:27:51.790 --> 0:27:54.990 And I will say this, that there's, uh, other members 0:27:54.990 --> 0:27:57.790 of the team that we don't ever, uh, see in 0:27:57.790 --> 0:28:01.109 the studio, but we we see them all the time 0:28:01.109 --> 0:28:03.630 because they are our kitchen table partners. They're partnering with 0:28:03.630 --> 0:28:06.630 us to help bring Open Line on the air every week. 0:28:07.109 --> 0:28:09.790 And we appreciate them so much. They give monthly so 0:28:09.790 --> 0:28:13.790 we can be on the air weekly. And when they give, 0:28:15.030 --> 0:28:17.669 what we try to do to say thanks is besides 0:28:17.670 --> 0:28:22.550 giving them our our current resource, which is what? It's 0:28:22.550 --> 0:28:25.190 part of the the things we like to do. But 0:28:25.190 --> 0:28:27.949 also every other week we send them a Bible study moment. 0:28:28.230 --> 0:28:31.550 And that Bible study moment is an audio Bible study, 0:28:31.550 --> 0:28:33.870 about 5 or 10 minutes that they can click on 0:28:33.869 --> 0:28:37.869 and listen to and be encouraged by. And so thankful 0:28:38.470 --> 0:28:41.230 that we have these great kitchen table partners. If you're 0:28:41.230 --> 0:28:44.190 thinking about becoming a kitchen table partner, if you'd like 0:28:44.190 --> 0:28:46.510 to become one, all you have to do is call 0:28:46.510 --> 0:28:52.870 (800) 864-4712 two or go to open line radio.org. And boy 0:28:52.870 --> 0:28:55.310 do we appreciate it. We'd really like to see that number. 0:28:55.470 --> 0:28:58.229 Like Doctor Washington says we want to get it to 0:28:58.270 --> 0:29:02.110 a thousand. That'd be great. Yeah. Okay, Tricia, that's your job. 0:29:02.550 --> 0:29:06.430 What's my job? To encourage people. Please support the program. 0:29:08.430 --> 0:29:10.350 No, I'm not going to. I'm not. That's my job. 0:29:10.350 --> 0:29:13.950 Not your job. So. But anyway, I do appreciate you 0:29:13.990 --> 0:29:17.390 joining me in this all the time. Okay, let's let's 0:29:17.390 --> 0:29:18.550 let's go to the mailbag. 0:29:18.550 --> 0:29:21.110 What have we got? Our first question is from Sharon 0:29:21.110 --> 0:29:25.910 in Baltimore. Uh, listens to WBZ. Um, she says, I 0:29:25.910 --> 0:29:29.830 thought that when people followed Jesus that Christians are supposed 0:29:29.830 --> 0:29:32.790 to go out, preach the gospel, and help one another. 0:29:32.910 --> 0:29:35.750 Is that in the Bible? And then when is that 0:29:35.750 --> 0:29:39.469 supposed to happen? Does that pertain to now times, or 0:29:39.470 --> 0:29:41.870 is that just like a future end times thing when 0:29:41.870 --> 0:29:43.390 people are supposed to be doing that? 0:29:43.990 --> 0:29:48.590 No. We're supposed to be sharing the good news. You know, if, uh, 0:29:48.590 --> 0:29:52.390 if everywhere we go, we make Christ known. That's that's 0:29:52.390 --> 0:29:55.790 something that Paul gave as a model for us in 0:29:55.790 --> 0:30:03.190 the book of Colossians chapter four. Uh, he says, devote 0:30:03.190 --> 0:30:05.910 yourselves to prayer. Stay alert in it with thanksgiving. At 0:30:05.910 --> 0:30:08.190 the same time, pray also for us that God may 0:30:08.190 --> 0:30:11.510 open a door for us for the message to speak. 0:30:11.510 --> 0:30:15.030 The mystery of the Messiah for which I am in prison, 0:30:15.030 --> 0:30:17.510 so that I may reveal it as I am required 0:30:17.510 --> 0:30:21.390 to speak. And then he says, act wisely toward outsiders, 0:30:21.390 --> 0:30:24.230 making the most of the time. Your speech should always 0:30:24.270 --> 0:30:27.150 be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know 0:30:27.150 --> 0:30:31.670 how you should answer each person. In other words, Paul said, 0:30:31.670 --> 0:30:33.790 I'm pray for me. I'm out there. I'm in prison. 0:30:33.790 --> 0:30:38.910 Wherever I am, I'm sharing the good news. And, uh, 0:30:38.910 --> 0:30:43.990 you too. You should, uh, your your speech should be gracious, appealing, uh, 0:30:44.030 --> 0:30:48.150 desire when you when you season with salt, uh, flavorful 0:30:48.430 --> 0:30:52.510 is what it's talking about there. Uh, and and seeking 0:30:52.550 --> 0:30:55.830 to know how to answer each person about the good news. 0:30:55.950 --> 0:30:59.550 That's really what that's talking about. So, no, we should 0:30:59.550 --> 0:31:01.470 be doing that. We should be helping each other. We 0:31:01.470 --> 0:31:04.230 should be kind to each other. Uh, the problem is 0:31:04.230 --> 0:31:09.750 that we don't always do that, to be frank. We're 0:31:09.750 --> 0:31:14.630 just still sinful. And first, John talks about how if 0:31:14.630 --> 0:31:18.670 anyone thinks that they don't sin or don't have a 0:31:18.670 --> 0:31:21.790 sin nature once they come to know Jesus. Uh, they're 0:31:21.790 --> 0:31:24.110 they're making God a liar. We have to keep confessing 0:31:24.110 --> 0:31:27.430 our sins. Uh, you know, so often I quote first 0:31:27.430 --> 0:31:30.030 John one nine which says, confess or agree with God 0:31:30.030 --> 0:31:33.710 about our sins so that it restores so that he 0:31:33.710 --> 0:31:40.550 can restore fellowship with us. But here's why. It says, uh, 0:31:40.550 --> 0:31:42.630 if we say we. Verse eight, if we say we 0:31:42.630 --> 0:31:46.110 have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth 0:31:46.110 --> 0:31:48.390 is not in us. Verse ten, if we say we 0:31:48.430 --> 0:31:50.470 don't have any sin, we make him a liar and 0:31:50.470 --> 0:31:53.830 His word is not in us. So the reason people 0:31:53.830 --> 0:31:57.510 aren't always doing that now is we. We continue to 0:31:57.510 --> 0:32:00.790 be sinful and we need to confess it and move 0:32:00.790 --> 0:32:04.710 on and be transformed and share the good news and 0:32:04.710 --> 0:32:06.870 help each other as as Sharon says. 0:32:07.310 --> 0:32:10.270 Okay. All right. Thank you. Thanks for that question, Sharon. 0:32:10.350 --> 0:32:14.070 Next question is from Kimberly on Facebook. She says, I 0:32:14.070 --> 0:32:21.310 was reading Genesis 12. When God gives Abraham the Abrahamic covenant, um, 0:32:21.350 --> 0:32:23.710 and he says, I will bless those who bless you 0:32:23.710 --> 0:32:27.030 and curse those who curse you. Was he referring to 0:32:27.070 --> 0:32:30.790 Abraham specifically, or was he referring to the nation of Israel? 0:32:32.950 --> 0:32:38.150 Well, it seems that what happens is he. This idea 0:32:38.150 --> 0:32:42.270 of blessing for blessing is not just for Abraham. Because 0:32:42.270 --> 0:32:49.310 when you come to Genesis 2729, uh, speaking to his 0:32:49.310 --> 0:32:55.110 descendant who receives the promise, do you remember Abraham has 0:32:55.110 --> 0:33:00.710 two sons, Isaac and Ishmael. Isaac receives the promise. And then, uh, 0:33:00.710 --> 0:33:03.030 Isaac has two sons, Jacob and Esau. And this is 0:33:03.030 --> 0:33:07.470 what Isaac says to Esau. He says, uh, those who 0:33:07.510 --> 0:33:10.990 curse you will be cursed, and those who bless you 0:33:10.990 --> 0:33:17.360 will be blessed. Uh, Genesis In 29. And then, uh, 0:33:17.360 --> 0:33:21.880 in a seeming passage that I think continues on and on, uh, 0:33:21.880 --> 0:33:29.400 in numbers 24. And, uh, this is speaking to the 0:33:29.400 --> 0:33:31.800 Messiah as the head of Israel. So I think it 0:33:31.800 --> 0:33:39.920 really pertains to all of Israel. Uh, it says, uh, 0:33:39.920 --> 0:33:44.840 let's see if I can find it. Uh, those who 0:33:44.840 --> 0:33:48.720 bless you, verse 924 nine, those who bless you will 0:33:48.720 --> 0:33:51.480 be blessed. And those who curse you will be cursed. 0:33:51.760 --> 0:33:55.200 And so, uh, I think what we have is a, 0:33:55.200 --> 0:33:58.840 a promise that goes from Abraham all the way down 0:33:58.840 --> 0:34:01.080 to Jacob, and then it's passed down to all of 0:34:01.080 --> 0:34:04.880 Israel and ultimately to the Messiah of Israel. Uh, as 0:34:04.880 --> 0:34:08.759 the king of Israel, that that is true. Uh, that 0:34:08.760 --> 0:34:11.040 God will bless those who bless Israel and curse those 0:34:11.040 --> 0:34:11.960 who curse Israel. 0:34:12.719 --> 0:34:16.560 Okay. Can I ask a follow up question? Because I, 0:34:16.600 --> 0:34:23.800 in Galatians 316, um, says that the promises were spoken 0:34:23.800 --> 0:34:26.880 to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say 0:34:26.880 --> 0:34:29.359 and to seeds as referring to many, but rather to 0:34:29.400 --> 0:34:34.000 one and to your seed. That is Christ. So how 0:34:34.000 --> 0:34:37.399 how does that fit into this? That it goes to 0:34:37.400 --> 0:34:39.400 the the all of the descendants? 0:34:40.680 --> 0:34:45.520 Well, the background on Genesis, uh, on, uh, Galatians 316, 0:34:45.560 --> 0:34:52.200 I believe is from Genesis 22, where, uh, in verses 0:34:52.239 --> 0:35:01.319 16 and following it says, uh, because you have done 0:35:01.320 --> 0:35:07.719 this one thing and not withheld your son. When Abraham offers. Isaac. Mhm. 0:35:07.760 --> 0:35:11.400 I will indeed bless you and make your seed your offspring. 0:35:11.480 --> 0:35:14.600 My version says, but it's the word seed as numerous 0:35:14.600 --> 0:35:16.440 as the stars of the sky and the sand on 0:35:16.440 --> 0:35:21.920 the seashore. Uh, and so they're obviously the word seed 0:35:21.920 --> 0:35:25.440 refers to the collective people of Israel because of all the, 0:35:25.440 --> 0:35:27.719 you know, multiple stars and sand. Right. 0:35:27.760 --> 0:35:29.520 Right. The the vast number. Yes. 0:35:29.760 --> 0:35:36.400 Yeah. And then, uh, verse 17, in the middle, there's 0:35:36.440 --> 0:35:41.600 a new sentence in the, in the Hebrew it indicates, uh, 0:35:41.600 --> 0:35:45.680 a clear break with a new thought. Okay. Hebrew grammar does. Yes. 0:35:45.719 --> 0:35:49.880 And it says your seed will possess the gate gates. 0:35:49.880 --> 0:35:52.040 And my version says of their enemies. But the Hebrew 0:35:52.040 --> 0:35:54.359 doesn't say that. It says your seed will possess the 0:35:54.360 --> 0:35:59.040 gates of his enemies. It's an individual seed. 0:35:59.280 --> 0:35:59.680 Okay. 0:36:00.440 --> 0:36:04.000 And so it's talking about you're going to have many seed, 0:36:04.000 --> 0:36:06.359 but you're going to have one, two and he will 0:36:06.360 --> 0:36:10.040 possess the gates of his enemies. He'll be a leader, 0:36:10.040 --> 0:36:12.400 he'll be a be a ruler, and all nations of 0:36:12.400 --> 0:36:15.040 the earth will be blessed by your seed. Because you've 0:36:15.040 --> 0:36:18.200 obeyed my command. And so who will bless all the 0:36:18.200 --> 0:36:22.640 nations of the earth, that individual seed, that one. So 0:36:22.640 --> 0:36:27.400 here's what I'm saying. Uh, that there Abraham has many offspring. 0:36:28.000 --> 0:36:28.320 Mhm. 0:36:28.360 --> 0:36:29.560 Abraham. Isaac and Jacob. 0:36:29.719 --> 0:36:30.160 Yes. 0:36:30.560 --> 0:36:35.239 And that's the people of Israel, the Jewish people. And 0:36:35.239 --> 0:36:37.839 then that there's one in particular that's promised to bless 0:36:37.840 --> 0:36:42.799 the nations, and that's the Messiah of Israel, an individual 0:36:42.800 --> 0:36:45.640 who will be the ruler over the gates of his enemies. 0:36:45.640 --> 0:36:50.040 And then when you come to Galatians chapter three, this 0:36:50.040 --> 0:36:53.680 is a kind of a what we're that's the background. 0:36:53.680 --> 0:36:58.560 And Paul now, the word seed is always singular, like sheep. 0:37:00.000 --> 0:37:00.920 Did you know that? 0:37:01.600 --> 0:37:01.960 Okay. 0:37:02.000 --> 0:37:04.759 The word's the word seed is always singular. And yet 0:37:04.760 --> 0:37:09.080 Paul doesn't seem to understand grammar because in Galatians three, 0:37:10.080 --> 0:37:15.800 What does he say? He says, uh, in verse 16. 0:37:15.840 --> 0:37:18.040 Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and his seed. 0:37:18.120 --> 0:37:21.759 He does not say and to seeds plural, as though 0:37:21.760 --> 0:37:25.000 referring to many, but referring to one, and to your seed. 0:37:25.360 --> 0:37:28.080 Who is the Messiah? What is he talking about there? 0:37:28.200 --> 0:37:31.120 He's talking about Genesis 22. He says, the thing I'm 0:37:31.160 --> 0:37:35.319 quoting here about, uh, about the seed. The promises were 0:37:35.320 --> 0:37:38.920 made to Abraham and his seed. I'm not talking about 0:37:38.920 --> 0:37:41.440 the collective one that was used in verse 16, in 0:37:41.440 --> 0:37:44.480 the first half of verse 17. I'm talking about the 0:37:44.480 --> 0:37:49.600 individual seed, the Messiah there. So it's he's not ruling 0:37:49.600 --> 0:37:52.320 out the nation, what he's doing. He's saying both and 0:37:52.320 --> 0:37:55.880 and in this case, I'm only referring to the individual one. 0:37:55.920 --> 0:38:00.799 This extra sentence that's thrown in that that was an 0:38:00.800 --> 0:38:03.680 extra is a is a standalone thought. That's the one 0:38:03.680 --> 0:38:06.160 that he's referring to. Yeah. Okay. 0:38:06.200 --> 0:38:08.680 And and he's not negating the other. He's just saying 0:38:08.680 --> 0:38:11.320 in this case I'm referring to that. 0:38:11.560 --> 0:38:13.799 And so so therefore it is still the nation of 0:38:13.800 --> 0:38:19.200 Israel that yes, being blessed or cursed and and the 0:38:19.200 --> 0:38:24.080 reciprocal happening. Yep. That's it. Okay. Thank you. That took 0:38:24.080 --> 0:38:24.640 us a little deeper. 0:38:24.640 --> 0:38:25.960 That's a pretty involved answer. 0:38:26.000 --> 0:38:28.759 It was. But I appreciate that because I think that 0:38:28.760 --> 0:38:30.480 causes extra confusion. So thank you. 0:38:30.600 --> 0:38:30.920 Yeah. 0:38:30.960 --> 0:38:33.000 Yeah I'm really glad for that. Uh, someday I'm going 0:38:33.000 --> 0:38:34.440 to write a journal article about that. 0:38:34.480 --> 0:38:34.759 It'll be. 0:38:34.760 --> 0:38:35.040 Good. 0:38:35.080 --> 0:38:38.080 So when we come back, we'll take more of your 0:38:38.080 --> 0:38:40.960 questions right here on Open Line. That was Tricia McMillan. 0:38:40.960 --> 0:38:43.879 I'm Michael Melnick. You're listening to Moody Radio. Glad you're 0:38:43.880 --> 0:39:01.560 with us today. We'll be right back. Welcome back to 0:39:01.760 --> 0:39:06.200 Open Line. I did want to mention a couple of things. One, uh, 0:39:06.239 --> 0:39:10.319 I'll be, uh, doing a Bible study on a boat. 0:39:10.360 --> 0:39:13.160 A Bible conference on a boat, uh, next December, if 0:39:13.160 --> 0:39:15.840 you can join me in the Caribbean on a tall 0:39:15.840 --> 0:39:21.600 ship as we make our way. And I hope you'll 0:39:21.600 --> 0:39:25.960 consider joining me for this great Bible conference on a cruise. 0:39:25.960 --> 0:39:28.960 And to find out more about it, just go to 0:39:29.000 --> 0:39:31.440 Openline radio.org and scroll down to where it has a 0:39:31.440 --> 0:39:34.839 link to my, uh, web page. Or you can just 0:39:34.840 --> 0:39:39.360 go to npr.org and click on the ship. Uh, also 0:39:39.520 --> 0:39:45.359 Chosen People Ministries, uh, is offering a really phenomenal book. 0:39:45.360 --> 0:39:47.000 There's so many people that would have liked to have 0:39:47.000 --> 0:39:49.480 seen Israel, but they can't get there right now because 0:39:49.480 --> 0:39:53.520 of the war that Hamas started. And they are now 0:39:53.560 --> 0:39:56.440 chosen people ministries. One of our ministry partners is offering 0:39:56.760 --> 0:39:59.200 Israel the land and the people. It's a coffee table 0:39:59.239 --> 0:40:02.880 book with some of the best photos of Israel anywhere. 0:40:03.800 --> 0:40:06.600 Not only does it show the beauty and history and 0:40:06.600 --> 0:40:09.600 the culture of the land from the north to the south, 0:40:09.600 --> 0:40:13.880 from Mount Hermon down to Masada. It shows ancient Jerusalem, 0:40:13.880 --> 0:40:17.080 modern Tel Aviv. It's really a remarkable book. And it's 0:40:17.080 --> 0:40:20.640 yours free. All you have to do is go to 0:40:21.920 --> 0:40:26.759 Openline radio.org. Scroll down till you see the link that 0:40:26.760 --> 0:40:30.200 says A Free gift from Chosen People Ministries. When you 0:40:30.239 --> 0:40:31.960 click on that link, it will take you to a 0:40:31.960 --> 0:40:33.920 page where you can sign up for your very own 0:40:33.920 --> 0:40:38.120 copy of the book. The photo book, Israel, the land 0:40:38.280 --> 0:40:42.000 and the people. And we're going to talk to Kirk 0:40:42.000 --> 0:40:45.880 right now listening in Indiana on WNBA. Welcome to Open Line, Kirk. 0:40:46.120 --> 0:40:47.120 How can I help you? 0:40:47.160 --> 0:40:48.000 Hi. How are you doing? 0:40:48.840 --> 0:40:51.400 I'm well, thank you. 0:40:51.440 --> 0:40:53.680 Hey. Good. Thanks for taking my call. I was I 0:40:53.680 --> 0:40:56.040 had a question on the book of Revelation. Normally, I 0:40:56.040 --> 0:40:57.600 just read through the Bible once a year, and I 0:40:57.640 --> 0:40:59.920 come to revelation, and, you know, I know it's a 0:40:59.920 --> 0:41:03.239 confusing book, but right in the beginning, it starts out 0:41:03.239 --> 0:41:06.360 right in chapter one, he says, I hold the seven 0:41:06.360 --> 0:41:10.440 angels in one hand. The seven lampstands in the other hand. 0:41:10.800 --> 0:41:14.640 And there's seven spirits before him. And then it says, 0:41:14.960 --> 0:41:18.759 I write to the angels, the I know the lampstands 0:41:18.760 --> 0:41:21.239 are supposed to represent the churches, but why would you 0:41:21.239 --> 0:41:25.080 write to angels? That's the one question. And then who's 0:41:25.080 --> 0:41:29.600 the seven spirits? And are we supposed to, like, apply 0:41:29.600 --> 0:41:31.560 all this to ourselves today? 0:41:32.560 --> 0:41:34.520 Well, first of all, the seven spirits is just a 0:41:34.520 --> 0:41:38.359 way of talking about the seven. Uh, it's talking about 0:41:38.360 --> 0:41:41.839 the Holy Spirit. If you look at Isaiah 11, when 0:41:41.840 --> 0:41:45.400 it talks about the Messiah, he's endowed by the Holy Spirit. 0:41:45.400 --> 0:41:48.560 And it has seven different aspects of the Holy Spirit. 0:41:48.560 --> 0:41:52.600 And I think that's what he's referring to in Isaiah 11, uh, 0:41:52.600 --> 0:41:57.040 with the seven spirits, uh, the seven endowments of the spirit. 0:41:57.800 --> 0:41:58.480 Uh, okay. 0:41:58.520 --> 0:42:01.239 As for as for the angels, the word angel we 0:42:01.239 --> 0:42:06.560 always think of as, uh, heavenly, uh, being. But, uh, 0:42:06.560 --> 0:42:09.839 the word angel can mean messenger. And there are some 0:42:09.840 --> 0:42:13.880 people that think that the seven stars are the messengers 0:42:13.880 --> 0:42:16.920 of the seven churches, that the Messiah is sending a 0:42:16.960 --> 0:42:21.919 messenger with his message to these churches. Some people think 0:42:21.920 --> 0:42:26.640 it refers that they're the messengers who preach in those 0:42:26.640 --> 0:42:30.960 seven churches, like the pastors, so to speak. Uh, so 0:42:30.960 --> 0:42:34.000 they're either messengers of the churches who are bringing them 0:42:34.000 --> 0:42:36.960 this message from Jesus, or they're messengers who bring the 0:42:36.960 --> 0:42:39.800 Word of God on a weekly basis to those churches, 0:42:39.800 --> 0:42:42.680 but they are not probably heavenly beings. I don't, I 0:42:42.680 --> 0:42:43.320 don't think. 0:42:44.280 --> 0:42:45.600 Okay. Okay. 0:42:45.640 --> 0:42:46.880 Can I ask another question? 0:42:47.640 --> 0:42:48.040 Sure. 0:42:49.400 --> 0:42:49.760 Okay. 0:42:49.960 --> 0:42:53.160 Um, when it says in the right, in the beginning 0:42:53.160 --> 0:42:56.600 of it, it says that an angel appeared to John 0:42:56.600 --> 0:42:59.000 and gave him this message. But then when it starts 0:42:59.000 --> 0:43:03.129 talking to the churches, Is, it seems like it's Jesus 0:43:03.130 --> 0:43:05.209 because it says, you know, he's got the fiery eyes 0:43:05.210 --> 0:43:07.370 and the sword out of his mouth and the burning 0:43:07.370 --> 0:43:10.450 feet and all of that. So is it Jesus that's 0:43:10.450 --> 0:43:12.650 giving John the message, or is it an angel? 0:43:13.969 --> 0:43:19.330 Well, at first it's mediated, uh, by an angel that 0:43:19.330 --> 0:43:25.010 he's got a message or a messenger of some sort. Um, 0:43:25.010 --> 0:43:33.049 but then what he says is, uh, who was grace 0:43:33.050 --> 0:43:35.609 to you from? The one who is, who was and 0:43:35.610 --> 0:43:39.530 who is coming from the seven spirits before his throne 0:43:39.530 --> 0:43:42.930 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness. Uh, so it 0:43:42.930 --> 0:43:45.330 seems to me what he's doing over there is saying 0:43:45.330 --> 0:43:48.850 that the message now, uh, is coming directly from the 0:43:48.850 --> 0:43:49.730 Lord Jesus. 0:43:51.010 --> 0:43:51.450 Okay. 0:43:52.170 --> 0:43:53.450 Okay. Okay. 0:43:53.730 --> 0:43:53.969 Yeah. 0:43:53.969 --> 0:43:54.370 Well, thank. 0:43:54.410 --> 0:43:56.450 You for taking the question, I appreciate it. 0:43:56.810 --> 0:43:59.650 Yeah. Thank you so much, Kirk. Really appreciate it. Uh, 0:43:59.650 --> 0:44:03.690 we're going to talk to Greg in Minnesota listening on Ktag. 0:44:03.730 --> 0:44:05.970 Welcome to Open Line, Greg. How can I help you today? 0:44:07.010 --> 0:44:10.290 Uh. Good morning. Um, uh, I'm hoping that maybe you 0:44:10.290 --> 0:44:13.890 can help me. Uh, my wife has, uh, we we 0:44:13.930 --> 0:44:18.770 were both previously married. Uh, and, uh, she has gotten 0:44:18.770 --> 0:44:21.370 into a Bible study with the lady out of Florida. 0:44:21.489 --> 0:44:25.009 And that lady has got her convinced that God does 0:44:25.010 --> 0:44:29.129 not recognize our marriage, that she is still married to 0:44:29.170 --> 0:44:32.250 her husband, that she divorced, and I'm still married to 0:44:32.290 --> 0:44:36.610 the wife that I divorced. And, uh, um, I know 0:44:36.610 --> 0:44:38.730 it's something to laugh about, but it's really not anything 0:44:38.770 --> 0:44:39.129 to laugh. 0:44:39.170 --> 0:44:41.290 I'm not laughing. I'm wondering, how long have you guys 0:44:41.290 --> 0:44:41.969 been married? 0:44:43.170 --> 0:44:46.610 Uh, almost 20 years. And this just started. She started 0:44:46.610 --> 0:44:49.290 this Bible study, uh, a little over a year ago. 0:44:50.290 --> 0:44:51.090 Okay, so. 0:44:51.410 --> 0:44:54.250 It was it was to. So that she could become 0:44:54.250 --> 0:44:57.570 a better wife when she started this Bible study. But 0:44:58.090 --> 0:44:58.450 it's not. 0:44:58.530 --> 0:44:58.850 Working. 0:44:58.850 --> 0:44:59.450 Out that way. 0:45:00.610 --> 0:45:02.330 Greg, I only have about a minute, so I'm going 0:45:02.370 --> 0:45:04.730 to this. Whenever it comes to issues of divorce, I 0:45:04.770 --> 0:45:06.569 like to take more time. I think you need to 0:45:06.570 --> 0:45:10.489 talk to a pastor. That's really important that you do 0:45:10.530 --> 0:45:12.610 go to your church. Talk to your pastor about this. 0:45:12.610 --> 0:45:16.450 But here's yes, there are some times where there's divorce 0:45:16.450 --> 0:45:18.930 that's illegitimate. I don't know if you're divorced or your 0:45:18.930 --> 0:45:24.210 wife's divorce was legitimate or illegitimate. Uh, but even if 0:45:24.210 --> 0:45:31.569 it was illegitimate, you can't undo the illegitimate divorce by 0:45:31.570 --> 0:45:36.650 creating a newer, illegitimate divorce and undoing that. What you 0:45:36.650 --> 0:45:38.489 have to do is you have to be married to 0:45:38.530 --> 0:45:41.569 whom you are married. Now. Receive forgiveness from the Lord 0:45:41.570 --> 0:45:46.250 if you did something wrong in divorcing before. But, uh, 0:45:46.290 --> 0:45:48.770 what you need to do is you and your wife 0:45:48.770 --> 0:45:51.410 need to build your marriage as good as you can, 0:45:51.450 --> 0:45:53.969 as well as you can to make it as good 0:45:53.969 --> 0:45:58.250 as it can be at this point. Do you understand 0:45:58.250 --> 0:46:01.810 what I'm saying? Uh, you can't undo the damage of 0:46:01.850 --> 0:46:04.210 the of the divorces. What you have to do is 0:46:04.210 --> 0:46:08.049 make this work. Now, uh, Greg, why don't you call 0:46:08.090 --> 0:46:12.370 back another time? Uh, we'll talk more. Okay. Uh, but 0:46:12.370 --> 0:46:15.609 that's the program for this week. Thanks for listening, everyone. 0:46:15.650 --> 0:46:19.290 Especially thanks for all of you who called or wrote in, uh, 0:46:19.290 --> 0:46:26.490 for asking your questions. Thanks for today's team. Uh, Tricia. Omar. Uh, Tahira. Also, Titus, 0:46:26.489 --> 0:46:28.810 thanks for all that you guys do keep in touch 0:46:28.810 --> 0:46:31.330 with us during the week by going to our web page, 0:46:31.330 --> 0:46:34.450 Open Line radio.org. That page is everything you need. 0:46:34.450 --> 0:46:35.370 Uh. 0:46:35.370 --> 0:46:39.130 That you're looking for, including links to our current resource 0:46:39.130 --> 0:46:42.330 and other things like that. Becoming a kitchen table partner. 0:46:42.330 --> 0:46:45.489 Also to my personal webpage. Keep reading the Bible. We'll 0:46:45.489 --> 0:46:48.970 talk about it next week. Open line with Doctor Michael 0:46:49.170 --> 0:46:53.410 Melnick is a production of Moody Radio, a ministry of 0:46:53.450 --> 0:46:54.970 Moody Bible Institute.