S1: If ever there was a place of wonder, it's heaven.
S1: When was the last time you truly wondered about heaven?
S1: I mean, if heaven is our eternal destiny as believers,
S1: shouldn't we give it more thought, more study? And and
S1: shouldn't our daily agenda be shaped by the need to
S1: prepare for that life to come? Well, coming up, a
S1: fabulous look at heaven. You'll love our sneak preview. By
S1: the way, welcome to the land and the book. Our
S1: host is a man whose heart never leaves Israel. Doctor
S1: Charlie Dyer, and I'm John Gager. You know, we asked
S1: Charlie at this time of year, what does Passover mean
S1: for us as believers in Jesus? Some will remember the
S1: story from the book of Exodus, but there's a lot
S1: more to it. For example, did you know that the
S1: Last Supper was actually a Passover meal? Not only did
S1: Jesus and his disciples celebrate Passover, it also foreshadowed his
S1: death on the cross for our redemption, right?
S2: That's right. John, Jewish people have been keeping the feast
S2: of Passover for thousands of years. Understanding the history and
S2: importance of this holiday will help you connect with your
S2: Jewish friends and neighbors. And what better way is there
S2: to learn about Passover than to experience a Passover Seder yourself?
S2: If you've never celebrated Passover, our friends at Life in
S2: Messiah would love to partner with you in hosting a
S2: Seder experience. Every year, their staff engage churches and small
S2: groups in an interactive Messiah in the Passover Seder, allowing
S2: participants to taste and see the redemption story. If you're
S2: interested in having someone come lead a Seder in your area,
S2: visit Life in Messiah. Org and click on the Moody
S2: Radio button there to learn more. That's life in messiah.org.
S1: And let's bring our focus now toward current events from
S1: the Middle East. This week, President Trump's plan to have
S1: the people of Gaza relocated to Egypt, Jordan and other
S1: places has been rejected by most countries as nothing more
S1: than ethnic cleansing. What are the legal issues involved and
S1: is the plan even workable?
S2: Yeah, let me break that down into a couple bite
S2: sized chunks. First, is this ethnic cleansing and is it
S2: even legal? Well, population movement and resettlement has, at least
S2: until recent times, been seen as a logical way to
S2: resolve ethnic tensions. After the Greek Turkish War, back in
S2: 1919 to 1922, a population exchange took place in which
S2: a half million Turks living in Greece were sent to Turkey,
S2: while hundreds of thousands of Greeks and Turkey were sent
S2: to Greece. In 1937, the British Peel Commission recommended transferring
S2: more than 200,000 Arabs from the proposed Jewish state to
S2: the Arab state. Following World War Two, there were an
S2: estimated 40 to 60 million people displaced due to redrawn
S2: borders and ethnic tensions. This ultimately included 650,000 Arabs who
S2: fled their homes in what became Israel, and about 850
S2: to 950,000 Jews who were forced to flee their homes
S2: in the surrounding Arab countries, and in the early 1990s,
S2: after the breakup of Yugoslavia. The war between Bosnia and
S2: Serbia resulted in the displacement of over 2 million refugees. Now,
S2: in that case, several individuals were convicted of war crimes
S2: for the forced transfer and deportation of Bosnians. The bottom
S2: line today is that forced population transfer is considered a
S2: war crime. However, President Trump stressed a voluntary transfer to
S2: improve living conditions. That's more of a gray area. Which
S2: leads to the second question is this plan even workable?
S2: And my answer is probably not, at least not as
S2: it was described. But it's possible that the very point
S2: of the plan is its absurdity. It's Trump's Art of
S2: the deal, where you start with an extreme demand that
S2: forces everyone to shift the boundaries of what was previously
S2: considered possible. Since his proposal, Arab countries have been meeting
S2: to develop an alternative plan, which is far different than
S2: their earlier position that Gaza must return to. Exactly what
S2: it was before October 7th. One proposal suggests forming a
S2: national Palestinian committee to govern Gaza, replacing Hamas. Jordan offered
S2: to take in several thousand children from Gaza for medical treatment,
S2: and Egypt's president traveled to Saudi Arabia to discuss an
S2: Arab plan that could include up to $20 billion from
S2: the region for reconstruction. Ultimately, however, over $53 billion is
S2: going to be needed over the next ten years. The
S2: initial $20 billion would only cover the first three years. Now,
S2: I have a friend who once described the type of
S2: negotiation technique that President Trump used here as the equivalent
S2: of throwing a hand grenade on a conference table. What
S2: he meant by that was when all sides are so
S2: entrenched and no one's willing to compromise, propose something totally
S2: outrageous and out of the box and suggest it as
S2: your course of action. It forces everyone to scramble for
S2: other alternatives. Now, hopefully, President Trump's plan will get people
S2: to cooperate in reaching an acceptable compromise.
S1: Charlie, quick question about Hamas. I read a headline, didn't
S1: really explore it much from a Hamas representative who stated
S1: that they will not be in charge of whatever becomes
S1: of Gaza in the future. Was that just words, or
S1: do you think that might be true?
S2: That, I think, is words. In fact, I believe what
S2: Hamas would say is we'll just be regular Palestinians. And
S2: of course, then there will eventually be elections. And of course,
S2: our people will run in the elections and they'll be
S2: voted into office and and we'll take over again by
S2: the ballot box. So don't believe everything Hamas says.
S1: Several news outlets have reported that Israel is planning to
S1: attack Iran's nuclear facilities in the near future. How accurate
S1: are these reports, do you think?
S2: Yeah, when it comes to these reports, everything isn't always
S2: what it seems to be. We do know the International
S2: Atomic Energy Agency believes time is running out for any
S2: kind of a nuclear deal with Iran right now. Iran
S2: has enough highly enriched uranium to eventually construct six nuclear weapons,
S2: and they're apparently exploring ways to more quickly turn that
S2: uranium into crude nuclear bombs. Now, these recent reports suggest
S2: Israel is planning to attack Iran's nuclear facilities sometime this year.
S2: But here's the problem. We don't know if those reports
S2: are stories that were uncovered by reporters or stories planted
S2: by the U.S. or Israel. It's possible the U.S. or
S2: Israel want to frighten Iran into being more willing to
S2: negotiate a deal to limit their nuclear program. President Trump
S2: has said this would be his preferred outcome. But in
S2: light of Iran's intransigence, it's also possible the stories were
S2: intended as a final warning to Iran that time is
S2: running out. I suspect the second option is more likely.
S2: Israel and the U.S. are discussing ways to eliminate or
S2: severely degrade Iran's nuclear facilities. The main question is whether
S2: Israel will act alone, or if the U.S. will assist
S2: with technical and logistical support, like providing tankers for refueling planes,
S2: or if the two countries will actually unite in a
S2: joint attack. In the past week, Israel took delivery of
S2: 1500 bunker busting bombs from the US. These 200 £0
S2: bombs could damage a great deal of Iran's nuclear facilities,
S2: though it's uncertain if they could reach the underground facilities
S2: at places like Fordow. However, the US has developed a
S2: 30 zero zero £0 bomb that's apparently able to destroy
S2: a facility hundreds of feet underground. If the US and
S2: Israel do conduct a joint strike on Iran, it's likely
S2: they would set back Iran's nuclear program for years and
S2: send a message to other countries as well, like North Korea. Unfortunately,
S2: we won't know if the news stories are real or
S2: planted until later this year.
S1: This is the land and the book from Moody Radio
S1: with Middle East expert Doctor Charlie Dyer. 3000 Years of
S1: Jewish history is now on display in a new exhibit
S1: at Israel's Ben-Gurion airport. What exactly is on display and
S1: how long will it be there?
S2: Yeah, those traveling through Ben-Gurion airport can now spend time
S2: exploring this new archaeological Illogical exhibition. It's called The Eternity
S2: of Israel, and the exhibit takes visitors through 3000 years
S2: of Jewish history, showing Israel's connection to the land. Now,
S2: part of the reason for the exhibit is to show
S2: how the archaeological history of the land and the history
S2: of Israel and the Jewish people do intertwine. It reinforces
S2: the reality of Israel's historical connection to this strategic piece
S2: of real estate. The exhibit includes both photographs and actual discoveries,
S2: including a five ton stone from the western wall of
S2: the Second Temple in Jerusalem. It also features a hoard
S2: of coins discovered in the desert, tools from a Hasmonean
S2: era farm near Mount Arbel, ancient weapons and a seal
S2: bearing the name Ahab, the King of Israel, who married Jezebel.
S2: Every display and photo comes with its own QR code
S2: that will allow passengers to access videos filmed at the
S2: excavation sites and other details. Now, the exhibit is scheduled
S2: to run through the end of this year and Lord willing, John,
S2: I'm looking forward to seeing it during my trip in November.
S1: And we'll look forward to hearing your report on that exhibit. Well,
S1: speaking of Ben Gurion Airport, what's the latest on travel
S1: to Israel? Is the country finally opening for tourism as
S1: we hear about more airlines going ahead with flights?
S2: Yeah, I've got good news and less good news, but
S2: thankfully it's not bad news. Air France did resume flights
S2: from Paris to Tel Aviv on January 25th, and Lufthansa
S2: began flying February 1st. Several other major U.S. and international
S2: airlines have also announced they'll begin flying in the coming weeks.
S2: United said it will resume flights starting on March 15th,
S2: and Delta will begin flying April 1st. British Air is
S2: scheduled to follow with direct flights from London beginning April 5th.
S2: The one major airline that's still not planning to fly
S2: anytime soon is American Airlines. They've said they won't start
S2: flights until September. Now, the number of daily flights will
S2: start out slowly, which means ticket prices aren't expected to
S2: start falling until later in the summer. And that's one
S2: part of the less good news. But as airlines expand flights,
S2: hopefully ticket prices will also begin to drop. The other
S2: less good news is that beginning in January, travelers are
S2: now required to obtain an electronic travel authorization prior to
S2: flying to Israel. It's similar to the requirements that are
S2: in place in the UK and other places in Europe
S2: that are going into place this summer, and we have
S2: a similar system for visitors who arrive here from other countries.
S2: Israel's program is going to cost about $7. It's applied
S2: for online and it will be valid for two years.
S2: So it's a bit of a hassle, but then it's
S2: a small price to pay to help make sure that
S2: there's no one on that plane who's going to cause
S2: problems once they get to Israel.
S1: And that's a look at current events from the Middle East.
S1: In our next segment, we're going to take a look
S1: at heaven itself. You know, when was the last time
S1: you really wondered about heaven? If our eternal destiny is
S1: not here, not now. Shouldn't we give the future more thought,
S1: more study? Well, that's where we're headed in a conversation
S1: you don't want to miss on the land and the book.
S1: Then it's Bible questions and answers and Charlie Dyer's devotional
S1: All Ahead on the land and the book. If ever
S1: there was a place of wonder, it's heaven. But when
S1: was the last time you actually wondered about heaven? If
S1: that's our eternal destiny as believers, shouldn't we give it
S1: some thought, some study, some prep? Even I think so. Hey,
S1: welcome back to the land and the book. I'm John Gager.
S1: We're about to separate what's true about heaven from what's legend.
S1: But while we remain here, we're called to share the
S1: love of Christ and His saving message with everybody. So, hey,
S1: what do you say we take another shot of encouragement
S1: for reaching out to our Jewish friends? Have you ever
S1: wondered what the Bible is referring to when it talks
S1: about Israel's spiritual blindness? Let's ask Wes Tabor, who's an
S1: ambassador with life in Messiah. What do we mean by that? Well,
S1: all non-believers are blinded by Satan.
S3: John. Second Corinthians four says, but even if our gospel
S3: is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing,
S3: whose minds the God of this age has blinded, but
S3: God also judicially blinded, rebellious Israel, you know, back in
S3: Isaiah six. Second Corinthians 315 says that there's a veil
S3: on their hearts when the Torah is read. And Paul
S3: says in Romans, this blindness is both partial and temporary.
S1: So in light of this spiritual blindness, what can we
S1: as believers do?
S3: Well, pray. Pray for the veil to be removed and
S3: for God's Spirit to enliven the truth. Paul prays in
S3: Ephesians one, I pray that the eyes of your heart
S3: may be enlightened. Verse 18.
S1: What a great prayer. May the eyes of your heart
S1: be enlightened. That's Wes Tabor with life in Messiah. Jennifer
S1: Rothschild cannot see, but that hasn't stopped her from much
S1: of anything blind. Since the age of 15. She's written
S1: 19 books and Bible studies, including her video based Bible study, Heaven.
S1: When Faith Becomes Sight, Jennifer travels the country offering fresh, sensible,
S1: biblical advice to audiences who, like her, are determined to
S1: pursue healthy and productive lives. Jennifer has shared her inspiring
S1: message to the arena sized audiences of the popular women
S1: of Faith conferences and media outlets, including Doctor Phil, Good
S1: Morning America, as well as a Billy Graham television special.
S1: We really enjoyed our last visit. Jennifer. We had to
S1: have you come back and talk about heaven. Thank you
S1: for reconnecting.
S4: Oh, I loved our last conversation and I'm really looking
S4: forward to talking about heaven.
S1: All right, let's give a quick overview, for starters about
S1: what this video based Bible study is all about. You're
S1: not the first to tackle the subject of heaven, and
S1: it's a big one.
S4: It's such a big one. It was daunting and I
S4: thought it was a great idea until I started writing
S4: the Bible study, and I realized I knew so little.
S4: And the real interesting thing, John, is heaven is this
S4: place we all want to go and some of us
S4: think we're going. And so what I recognized is there's
S4: so much misunderstanding about heaven. And in that misunderstanding, people
S4: miss not just going there when they die, but missing
S4: the impact of heaven now. So, oh, listen, I learned
S4: so much about it. It's a six week Bible study
S4: which is video based, and we go through what heaven is,
S4: what heaven is, not, what the Bible says about our
S4: eternal life, our resurrected bodies. But I do it in
S4: such a way that it's like holding the hand of
S4: the reader, because I needed somebody to hold my hand
S4: as I was learning. And so the beautiful thing is,
S4: we learn that God called us to live with him
S4: forever in heaven. That's why Jesus came to bring us
S4: to heaven someday. But even better, it's to bring heaven
S4: to earth.
S1: Now let's ponder a bit of basic theology you write.
S1: Our hope of heaven rests on the resurrection. Yeah. For
S1: somebody who's never given it a thought, why is that
S1: so critical?
S4: Well, if Jesus had not died and risen from the grave,
S4: then according to First Corinthians chapter 15, there would be
S4: zero resurrection. In other words, when we think of heaven,
S4: or at least when I originally thought of heaven, I thought, well,
S4: if I close my eyes to this life right now,
S4: that I'm going to show up in heaven with this
S4: glorified body, and I'm going to be able to see
S4: and dance, and I'll probably have beautiful blonde hair, even
S4: though I don't have it here on earth. I just
S4: pictured this glorified body. Okay. And the more I studied heaven,
S4: the more I realized, no, there is a present heaven
S4: where yes, we go when we close our eyes to
S4: this earth. Because to be absent from the body is
S4: to be present with the Lord. But it's not necessarily
S4: the glorified body that we will receive someday when Christ returns. See,
S4: when the Bible talks about heaven. For the most part,
S4: it's it's speaking of our glorious, unending, this new heavens
S4: and new earth. And that's where we will receive this
S4: resurrected body. And the beautiful thing is, John, the Bible
S4: says it will be like Jesus resurrected body. And if
S4: you study what Jesus's body was like when he raised
S4: from the grave, it was a material body. Yes, he ate,
S4: he drank, he laughed. And so heaven is not just
S4: this ethereal place. It will be a material, literal, glorious, unending.
S4: When our faith becomes sight.
S1: We're looking up into heaven as best we can. On
S1: today's edition of The Land and the book leading our
S1: exploration is an adventurer by the name of Jennifer Rothschild.
S1: You know, when it comes to what we'll be doing
S1: in heaven, Jennifer, the Bible is a little thin. Yeah,
S1: I sometimes wish we had more to go on. Part
S1: of me says, you know, if people really understood how
S1: awesome it'll be, they'd step up their game spiritually. They'd
S1: get more excited about heaven. They'd share Jesus more with
S1: their unsaved friends? But the other part of me says
S1: we've already been told I has not seen nor ear heard.
S1: Neither has it entered into the heart of man. The
S1: things that God has prepared for those who love him.
S1: So oddly. Heaven itself is a trust issue even after
S1: we've trusted Christ for our salvation. How do you react
S1: to that?
S4: Well, you know the same way I react every time
S4: I get on an airplane. And here's what I mean
S4: by that. When I get on an airplane, I am
S4: not a licensed pilot. I am a passenger. And I
S4: will sit on the airplane and I will buckle up.
S4: And I trust the pilot. Yes, I trust things I
S4: don't understand, and I literally put my life in that
S4: pilot's hands, knowing that he knows more than me. You
S4: know the Apostle Paul in second Corinthians 12, he had
S4: this experience where he was caught up to what he
S4: called the third heaven Paradise. It would be like what
S4: we consider today the present heaven where God dwells, where
S4: our deceased loved ones in Christ are right now. And
S4: so Paul said, I have this experience. And he said
S4: several times, whether it was in the body or out
S4: of the body, I do not know. God knows. That's
S4: how we deal with heaven. But God does, and we
S4: can trust him. And really, the point of heaven is
S4: Christ Himself. All of the questions we may have, all
S4: the longing. Those are pointers. They're not the destination. They're
S4: the pathway to get to the ultimate point of heaven,
S4: which is oneness with Christ, which we were created for.
S4: Heaven is our ultimate home because Jesus is our Savior,
S4: and so he's the point of heaven. Everything else just
S4: points to it.
S5: Yes.
S1: Jennifer Rothschild founded Women's Ministry Net back in 1998, an
S1: online leadership resource providing tools for women in the local church.
S1: She talks with us today on the land and the
S1: book about her book, Heaven when Faith Becomes Sight, which
S1: is also partnered with a video series. You got to
S1: check it out. We'll have a link at our website. Jennifer,
S1: there's no shortage of legends and mistruths about heaven. What
S1: are the first 1 or 2 that come to your mind?
S4: Well, as a little girl, John, I remember singing that song.
S4: I've got a mansion just over the hilltop and I
S4: literally thought, okay, I have got a mansion. I have
S4: been decorating it in my mind's eye since I was
S4: eight years old. And then that's based on, of course,
S4: John chapter 14, where Jesus says in the King James Version,
S4: in my father's house are many mansions. Well, a more
S4: accurate rendering is many rooms, many dwelling places. So it's interesting.
S4: I had a very, oh gosh, self-centered, Jennifer centric view
S4: of heaven. It was about me. I can't wait to
S4: get there. I'm blind now, but I'm going to be
S4: able to see there that is heaven, or I'm going
S4: to have a mansion. I'm going to have freedom. Oh,
S4: that's heaven, or I'm going to get to see my dad,
S4: who I miss so much. Oh that's heaven. And the
S4: more I realized and unlearned what Scripture says about heaven,
S4: I realized, no, that's not the point of heaven. If
S4: I've got nothing, if I'm just a doorkeeper in the
S4: house of the Lord, and I get to see Jesus
S4: face to face, which I will. That's heaven enough right there.
S4: And so I think if we can move from a
S4: self-centered view of heaven to a Christ centered view of heaven,
S4: then we're going to really begin to experience the reality
S4: of heaven here on this side.
S5: You know, it really.
S1: Seems to me that the issue is how much do
S1: we love Jesus? I mean, as you've correctly pointed out,
S1: heaven is essentially being with Jesus. It's not necessarily the
S1: place and all of its accoutrements, although I'm sure those
S1: will be mind blowing. Heaven is Jesus. It's presence with Jesus,
S1: living with Jesus, worshiping with Jesus. That either excites us
S1: or it doesn't. Seems to me.
S4: Yeah, yeah. You know, unfortunately, on this side of eternity,
S4: Unless Christ returns, we have to die to get to heaven.
S4: And so sometimes we're still afraid of death, that we
S4: make that the period at the end of our sentence like, well,
S4: there's nothing, you know. Yes, heaven is good, but it's
S4: an afterthought. And what I'm learning is, no, death is
S4: not like the period at the end of a sentence.
S4: It's not like the end of our story. It's the
S4: comma that transitions us to the forever story of our
S4: life this side of eternity. It's beautiful, but it's the prologue.
S4: The better story is part of the better country. And
S4: so when, when we can consider it that way, we
S4: look at it almost like C.S. Lewis did, like this
S4: is the Shadowland, but there's going to be a greater substance.
S4: And when it comes to longing for heaven, I mean,
S4: he even talked about death, that we have one of
S4: three ways that we experience it. We either fear it,
S4: we ignore it, which he contends, most of us in
S4: culture do even Christian culture. And then he said, or
S4: we desire it. And I don't really none of us
S4: listening right now would desire death. But I think what
S4: he's referring to is what Paul did, you know, that
S4: I would rather I would more desire to be with Christ.
S4: And that's that longing that you're talking about seeing that
S4: heaven is about Jesus. And I remember one day, John,
S4: I was in the kitchen with my daughter in law.
S4: She was new in our family, and with blindness, it's
S4: really hard to do a lot of things. Yeah, my cooking.
S4: But I was convinced I was going to impress her
S4: and make Thanksgiving dinner by myself. So she's sitting there
S4: at the kitchen bar and she's like, can I help you?
S4: I'm like, no, I got this. Well, it was clear, John,
S4: after a little bit, I did not have it. Like
S4: I left the microwave open and banged into it in
S4: my face. I burned my hand and she keeps saying,
S4: can I help you? And I'm like, no, I got it,
S4: I got it. Well, finally she pauses and she goes, man,
S4: blindness must be really hard. And I paused and it
S4: was like the kindness of the Lord. He just echoed
S4: this phrase in my heart, and I've clung to it
S4: ever since. I looked at my daughter in law and
S4: I said, yes, blindness is hard, but earth is.
S5: Short.
S4: And heaven is long. And I think, John, that was
S4: the kindness of God to me. And I say it
S4: to you, and I say it to all of us
S4: right now who are listening, that our true home is
S4: heaven and earth is short, but heaven is long. And
S4: if we can attach our hope and our treasure to heaven,
S4: then even the hard things here on earth, they begin
S4: to work within us that far greater weight of glory.
S1: Jennifer, talk to that listener right now who has up
S1: to this point thought they're going to get to heaven
S1: on their own. They're going to try hard enough. They've
S1: got this just like you in that kitchen. You're going
S1: to do this. You're going to. And frankly, they've banged
S1: their head and they've burned their hands and and they're
S1: not headed for heaven, and they don't know what to do.
S1: Would you explain real simply what they need to do
S1: to receive the gift of eternal life?
S4: Well, you know, when Jesus was talking to his disciples,
S4: the guys who loved him, and he was saying, you know,
S4: don't let your heart be troubled. You know, you believe
S4: in God. You believe also in me. And that's when
S4: he started talking about heaven. And he said, in my
S4: father's house there are many rooms. And if it were
S4: not so well, then I would have told you so
S4: I'm going to prepare a place for you. So then
S4: these guys who are trust in Jesus, they say like
S4: one of them named Thomas. He says, okay, that's good Jesus.
S4: But like, how do we know the way?
S5: Yeah.
S4: And that's essentially what you're saying because that's what we
S4: want to know. How do we know the way? And
S4: Jesus said the most simple and profound way. He didn't say, well, Thomas,
S4: you work hard enough. You please me, you make me happy.
S4: You be a good guy, a great citizen. You go
S4: to church, you love your people. No. All he said was, Thomas,
S4: I am the way, I am the truth, and I
S4: am the life. And nobody comes to the father except
S4: through me. So if you've been banging your head and
S4: burning your hands trying to get to heaven, that's because
S4: you're trying to make a way. When Jesus is the way.
S4: So to go to heaven simply means you say, Jesus,
S4: I trust that you are the way. You are the truth.
S4: It's not my truth. It's not anybody else's truth. It's
S4: your truth. And because you died on the cross, that
S4: cross became the bridge that I can walk across. When
S4: I trust you to walk from my sin into your salvation.
S4: From my sad, sinful ending to the glorious, unending of
S4: being with you forever.
S1: You know, if you have given that thought and right now,
S1: or even praying that prayer, we'd love to connect with you.
S1: You can email us at The Land and the book@moody.edu,
S1: if you would like to talk with a real human
S1: being right now, who knows Jesus, who knows the way
S1: to heaven and they'll be glad to pray with you.
S1: Call 888. Need him. 888. Need him. Jennifer. Our time
S1: is gone, man. It's a blast. Always to connect. Thank
S1: you for your work on this book. Thank you for
S1: sharing with us.
S4: Yeah. My pleasure. Thank you John. Bless you.
S1: And again, a link to Jennifer's book about heaven when
S1: Faith Becomes Sight at our website, the land and the book.org.
S1: What are you wondering about when you read the Bible?
S1: We'll talk about it next on the land and the book. Hey,
S1: thanks for listening to the land and the book. If
S1: you weren't listening, then probably nobody would be listening. I mean,
S1: come on, it takes all of us, right? Thanks for
S1: your company. Appreciate knowing you're out there. I'm John Geiger,
S1: by the way. Segment three is devoted to questions and
S1: answers from Doctor Gerald Peterman, our resident Bible expert here
S1: on the Moody Bible Institute faculty. How's your day going today, Jerry?
S6: Ah, I haven't got frostbite, so I'm doing really well.
S1: Okay, well, you know, I'm going to get to our
S1: first question after I focus for a moment on Passover itself.
S1: What does Passover mean for us as believers in Jesus?
S1: Some might remember the story from the book of Exodus,
S1: but there's so much more to it. Did you know
S1: that the Last Supper was actually a Passover meal? Not
S1: only did Jesus and his disciples celebrate Passover, it also
S1: foreshadowed his death on the cross for our redemption. And
S1: Jewish people have been observing the feast of Passover for
S1: thousands of years and understanding the history. The importance of
S1: this holiday will help you and me better connect with
S1: our Jewish friends and neighbors and coworkers. Hey, what better
S1: way is there to learn about Passover than to experience
S1: a Passover Seder yourself? We did this last year. It
S1: was awesome. And if you've never celebrated Passover well, our
S1: friends at Life in Messiah would love to partner with
S1: you in hosting a Seder experience. Every year their staff
S1: engaged churches and small groups in an interactive Messiah in
S1: the Passover Seder, allowing participants to taste and to see
S1: the redemption story firsthand. If you're interested, and I bet
S1: you are in having somebody come lead a Seder in
S1: your area, just head to life in messiah.org. Life in messiah.org.
S1: Click on the Moody Radio button there to learn more. Again,
S1: that's life in messiah.org. All right. He's got a lot
S1: of time invested in your questions, and I'm looking forward
S1: to hearing some of those answers. Ready for this first one.
S6: Yes, sir.
S1: All right Gerald Peterman never breaks a sweat. Here he
S1: is with a question from Ken who takes us to
S1: Daniel 11. Verse 37 says the Antichrist will have no
S1: interest in women. I've heard various opinions on what this means,
S1: but I'm wondering if he will be gay. What is
S1: your opinion?
S6: Well, good. Let's go to Daniel 1137 and read it.
S6: We see two things that the Antichrist will pay no
S6: attention to. It says he shall pay no attention to
S6: the gods of his fathers. So gods is the first thing.
S6: He's anti-God. Further, it says he will pay no attention
S6: to the one who is loved by women. So it's
S6: not ignoring women, but ignoring the one loved by women.
S6: I think Doctor Michael Dolnick has it right when in
S6: the Moody Bible Commentary he says this is a reference
S6: to the longing of Jewish women to give birth to
S6: the Messiah. So in other words, it's not a romantic reference,
S6: but a spiritual one. The Antichrist, as his name tells us,
S6: is opposed to the Christ.
S5: Lorna.
S1: Wants to know about. First Chronicles two seven and first
S1: Chronicles four, verse one, that mention Karmi as a descendant
S1: of Judah who was Karmi, and also who was the
S1: father of her and Shobal.
S6: From first Chronicles, it's clear that Karmi is a descendant
S6: of Judah, but it's difficult to know exactly how Karmi
S6: is remembered as the father of aCaa, or sometimes spelled akin,
S6: who defied Israel by stealing and hiding in his tent.
S6: Things taken from Jericho. I'll go back and read that story.
S6: It's well worth reading. That event takes place in Joshua nine,
S6: but we should keep in mind that Genesis 46 tells
S6: us Judah and his brothers and their families went into Egypt,
S6: and then 400 years later, out comes Joshua with the
S6: people of God for the conquest of the land. So
S6: there's a very large gap of time between Judah and
S6: his descendant Carmi. Now, wait, there's a second part of
S6: this question, and that's about her and Shobal. Her and
S6: Shobal are mentioned in First Chronicles four one. They're descendants
S6: of Judah, but in both cases it's difficult to know
S6: where to place them. Exactly. I think probably they're from
S6: the family of Caleb, from the Tribe of Judah.
S1: Gina is reading Charlie Dyer's book, Who Owns the Land?
S1: And she says. In it, Doctor Dyer describes the rise
S1: of Christian animosity toward Jews in the Byzantine era as
S1: assassins of God and their authority being more merciless than
S1: their heathen enemies. She wants to know what events led
S1: to the decline of the early church under Peter to
S1: allow such hatred toward the Jews. Aside from their perception
S1: of being assassins, surely the apostles and their students taught otherwise.
S6: You are right to wonder how the apostles and the
S6: early church leaders thought about Jews. And we don't need
S6: to speculate. We can go right to Romans and Romans nine,
S6: verses three and four. Paul says, I could wish that
S6: I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for
S6: the sake of my brothers, those of my own race,
S6: the people of Israel. And then he begins chapter 11.
S6: He's asking questions. Did God reject his own people? And
S6: his answer is by no means so clearly, Paul, the
S6: early church. The book of acts. They're not anti-Jewish. They're
S6: not anti-Semitic. So the question is, what happened. A key
S6: turning point was the rise of the allegorical method of
S6: interpreting Scripture, which happened during the time of origin. He
S6: was a Christian theologian in the second century. This allegorical
S6: reading of scripture was adopted by Jerome. You might recognize
S6: that name and by Augustine, and it became prominent well
S6: up into the Reformation era. Why does that matter? It
S6: matters because in the allegorical interpretation, all the kingdom promises
S6: made to Israel in the Old Testament were transferred to
S6: the church. And then once the church, or at least
S6: some people in church, were thinking of themselves as a
S6: replacement for Israel as the people of God, it opened
S6: the door for the church to meld together with the
S6: anti-Semitism of the secular Roman Empire, which was evident following
S6: the Jewish revolt in the first century and then in
S6: the second century. So that's that's kind of a quick
S6: history of how this happened.
S1: From Moody Radio. This is the land and the book.
S1: I'm John Gager with our Bible answer man, Doctor Gerald
S1: Peterman of Moody Bible Institute faculty. We're glad to have
S1: you on board with us. Since we've already brought Peter
S1: into the conversation. Let's continue with this question from Betty.
S1: She says in acts two, when the Holy Spirit came
S1: and enabled the apostles to speak in other languages, thus
S1: spreading the gospel message, did the apostles change the language
S1: as they spoke to different peoples, or did some speak
S1: in one dialect and others in another? And when Peter spoke,
S1: did the Holy Spirit act as a universal translator, so
S1: that Peter spoke in one language? But the people gathered,
S1: each heard in their own language? Well, I.
S6: Really appreciate that question. We go to acts two four
S6: and here's what we're told. And they were all filled
S6: with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other
S6: tongues as the spirit gave them utterance. Now this word
S6: tongue is a typical word in the New Testament for
S6: a language or a dialect. Revelation five nine. Revelation seven nine.
S6: So the spirit gave this supernatural ability to speak in
S6: other languages, namely the languages of the people who had
S6: all gathered together for the festival in Jerusalem, its people
S6: from all over Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and residents
S6: of Mesopotamia. It's a stunning work of God. So I
S6: take it that the spirit enables the people in the
S6: church to speak the languages they don't know. So the
S6: gospel is spread. It's a spirit given utterance. But I
S6: take it later when Peter preached his first sermon, acts two,
S6: verses 14 to 36, he preaches a language he knew,
S6: probably Aramaic, although it might have been Greek, and gave
S6: that first gospel message and 3000 people came forward. Stunning stuff.
S1: Yeah.
S5: For sure.
S1: All right, let's head to Thessalonians. Todd asks if the
S1: church's removal is the next event on the prophetic calendar.
S1: Why did Paul not tell the Thessalonians the fact that
S1: they were still here to hear his letter was proof
S1: that the day of the Lord had not come. Instead,
S1: he says, the proof was that the man of lawlessness
S1: had not appeared in Second Thessalonians chapter three. Wouldn't the
S1: fact that the Thessalonians were still there have been the
S1: greatest evidence?
S6: Well, thanks, Tony, I appreciate that question. Basically, I think
S6: what Paul did was he answered the way he did
S6: because the question the church asked didn't focus specifically on
S6: rapture or why they were still there. Paul went back
S6: to a teaching he had given them previously in First
S6: Thessalonians chapter four. But apparently the believers in Thessalonica had
S6: either received a fake letter supposedly written by Paul, or
S6: a verbal report from someone who claimed to have heard
S6: from Paul. Because we come to Second Thessalonians chapter two,
S6: we find this concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus
S6: and our being gathered to him. We ask you, brothers,
S6: not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy
S6: or report or letter supposed to have come from us
S6: saying that the day of the Lord had already come. Now,
S6: I suspect that the persecution they were experiencing added to
S6: their emotional distress, making this fake news even more plausible
S6: to them. The fact that they were still there, experiencing
S6: terrible persecution, was what was causing them to doubt the
S6: order of events that Paul had previously taught. So he
S6: takes them back to what he previously taught. He chose
S6: one piece of teaching that could help them be confident
S6: that they were not in the day of the Lord,
S6: and that fact was the reality that the day of
S6: the Lord would not come until the rebellion came first
S6: and the man of lawlessness was revealed, the man doomed
S6: to destruction. It was clear that that man had not
S6: showed up yet. So because that was the fact that
S6: he had previously told them, he reminds them of it
S6: so they can be confident that the day had not
S6: yet come.
S1: And that's a look at some of the Bible questions
S1: that have come our way. And if you didn't hear yours, well,
S1: it's either in the queue or you didn't ask it.
S1: All right, now the fun part is on us. The
S1: other is on you. If you didn't ask it, you
S1: still can. Why not send an email to Doctor Gerald
S1: Peterman in care of the land and the book@moody.edu. The
S1: land and the book at Moody dot. Edu. How long
S1: does it take to get an answer? Typically from you.
S6: Anywhere from 2 to 3 days.
S1: Okay, so it's not horrible. You're not waiting a week.
S1: Two weeks. No. Thanks for your good work on that.
S1: Thank you for being a part of the land and
S1: the book. We're up next. We're opening up our Bibles.
S1: We're going to somewhere in the Holy Land. We're going
S1: to somewhere in Scripture. Charlie Dyer will weld them together.
S1: You'll never forget it in his devotional. Next. His name
S1: was Uzziah. And believe it or not, an inscription that
S1: has everything to do with his life and death. Well, Charlie,
S1: that's the subject of your devotional coming up. Is that right?
S1: That's exactly right, John. And we're headed for Second Chronicles,
S1: chapter 26. Welcome back to this final segment of The
S1: land and the book. By the way, before we head
S1: to Charlie's devotional, let's pause for a thought from somebody
S1: who's traveled to the Holy Land and has this reflection
S1: for you and me.
S7: The highlight for me was today at Mount Nebo. Whenever
S7: we've been to a site, a biblical site that is
S7: for certain site and not are we really think it's
S7: been overwhelming. And to stand there and visualize Moses looking
S7: over the promised land where God in his grace let
S7: him see it. But even for a godly man like that,
S7: disobedience had consequences. It was a tremendous learning experience and reminder.
S7: Very sobering reminder. And then our moody faculty teacher in
S7: reading the Scripture, said something I had never thought about,
S7: and that was that. On the Mount of Transfiguration, God
S7: showed his grace to Moses by letting him stand in
S7: the Promised Land. I had never thought of that in
S7: my life.
S8: What was important to me was time on Mount Arbel
S8: to be able to look over all of the land
S8: where Jesus walked and preached, and for me, it was
S8: a real time of spiritual rejuvenation recommitment, and it was
S8: extremely emotional and moving to be able to have that
S8: time there.
S1: All right, Charlie, you've got a continuing devotional series here.
S1: What's our theme again?
S5: Well, it's.
S2: Actually going to focus on 11 inscriptions that connect us
S2: with the Word of God. And and in this series,
S2: we're examining this inscription uncovered by archaeologists. That will give
S2: us additional insight into our understanding of God's Word and
S2: today's journey. Well, it might seem just a bit ghoulish
S2: because we're heading to a tomb. Well, not actually a tomb,
S2: but to an inscription that was once affixed to the
S2: entrance of a tomb. The stone plaque is rather small.
S2: It's about a foot square, and it's now in the
S2: Israel Museum. But it was discovered by an archaeologist in
S2: 1931 at the Russian Orthodox Church on the Mount of Olives.
S2: The plaque, written in a Hebrew script that was in
S2: use about the time of Jesus, says rather simply and
S2: yet directly to this place were brought the bones of Uzziah,
S2: king of Judah, not to be opened the bones of
S2: King Uzziah buried somewhere on the Mount of Olives, but
S2: with a plaque dating to the time of Jesus. That's
S2: a mystery worthy of the legendary Sherlock Holmes. And to
S2: solve it, we need to visit Jerusalem during the reign
S2: of this amazing monarch. So join me on a journey
S2: to discover the triumphs and tragedies of one of Judah's
S2: longest reigning monarchs. The story of Uzziah is found in
S2: the Books of Kings and Chronicles, but relatively few know
S2: any of the details concerning his life. Here's what the
S2: Book of Second Chronicles tells us about him. Uzziah was
S2: 16 years old when he became king, and he reigned
S2: 52 years in Jerusalem. The only king who ruled for
S2: a longer period of time was Manasseh. But more significant
S2: than the length of his reign was the spiritual quality
S2: of it. The writer of Chronicles summarized it this way,
S2: and he did right in the sight of the Lord.
S2: He was one of the good kings militarily. Uzziah strengthened
S2: the kingdom. He prevailed over the Philistines on the west,
S2: and the ammonites, Mennonites and Arabian kingdoms to the east.
S2: His reign saw an emphasis on national defense. He fortified
S2: the walls of Jerusalem, and he built defensive structures in
S2: the wilderness. In fact, the Bible goes out of its
S2: way to focus on all his military preparations. Patients. Much
S2: like modern Israel, Uzziah developed a trained army that could
S2: be called up for battle at a moment's notice, and
S2: he also focused on making sure his defenses included the
S2: most advanced weapons of the day. Moreover, Uzziah prepared for
S2: all the army shields, spears, helmets, body armor, bows, and
S2: sling stones, and in Jerusalem he made engines of war,
S2: invented by skilled men, to be on the towers and
S2: on the corners for the purpose of shooting arrows and
S2: great stones. But Uzziah focused on more than just the military.
S2: The writer of Second Chronicles goes on to say he
S2: hewed many cisterns, for he had much livestock, both in
S2: the lowland and in the plain. He also had plowmen
S2: and vine dressers in the hill country and the fertile fields,
S2: for he loved the soil. In an age when water
S2: and food weren't things taken for granted, Uzziah worked to
S2: ensure a steady supply of both for his people. King
S2: Uzziah was militarily and economically strong. He was smart, talented
S2: and godly. And then he made one incredibly stupid decision.
S2: He started to believe all the accolades and praise being
S2: heaped on him by the people. I really am amazing.
S2: In fact, I'm indispensable. God needs me and it's time
S2: I approached him on a more equal basis. Other kings
S2: get to lead worship in their nations, why can't I?
S2: I have a right to go to the temple and
S2: offer incense to God. And that's just what I'm going
S2: to do. Uzziah went to the temple to burn incense
S2: on the altar. The high priest, along with 80 other
S2: courageous priests, tried to block his way. It is not
S2: for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord, but
S2: for the priests, the sons of Aaron. Were it not
S2: so tragic? This scene would almost be comical. Picture it.
S2: The doorway to the holy place of the temple is
S2: open and standing at the threshold as King Uzziah censer
S2: in hand, ready to offer the burning incense. Behind him
S2: on the steps are the palace guard, his royal secret service,
S2: while inside the temple is the High priest, and filling
S2: the space behind him are 80 other priests, all trying
S2: to block his path. The Bible says Uzziah became enraged
S2: at the priests. Who do you think you are? Don't
S2: you know I'm the king? I can do whatever I want.
S2: The priest took their lives in their hands to oppose Uzziah,
S2: and I suppose it really was a frightening moment for them.
S2: But they needn't have worried, because God was about to
S2: step out from behind the curtain to resolve the issue.
S2: And he did it in a most dramatic way. As
S2: Uzziah screamed at the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead.
S2: Leprosy was seen as a sign of God's displeasure. And
S2: just like God did to Moses's sister Miriam. So now
S2: he extended his hand of judgment against King Uzziah. The
S2: king was forced to flee from the temple, and the
S2: Bible records the sad conclusion to an otherwise amazing life.
S2: And King Uzziah was a leper to the day of
S2: his death, and he lived in a separate house, being
S2: a leper, for he was cut off from the house
S2: of the Lord. So Uzziah slept with his fathers, and
S2: they buried him with his fathers in the field of
S2: the grave which belongs to the kings. For they said,
S2: he is a leper. Uzziah went from triumph to tragedy.
S2: In one dramatic moment, the king, who thought so highly
S2: of himself that he could barge into God's house and
S2: presume on God, ended up being barred from his own
S2: royal palace, and when he died, they buried him in
S2: the field where the royal tomb was located, but not
S2: in the tomb itself. And the last word spoken about
S2: him in Second Chronicles 36 tells us why he is
S2: a leper. Fast forward to the time of Jesus. New
S2: construction is taking place in Jerusalem, and during the construction
S2: a tomb is uncovered, the separate tomb hewn for leprous
S2: King Uzziah. The bones need to be moved. The grave
S2: relocated outside the expanding city. The likely location is on
S2: the Mount of Olives and the grave is about to
S2: be sealed up. A small plaque is placed at the entrance,
S2: a plaque that reminds visitors about the tomb's occupant. To
S2: this place were brought the bones of Uzziah, king of Judah.
S2: Not to be opened. So what lesson can we learn
S2: from this small limestone plaque? And the king it commemorates?
S2: Perhaps it's this many start well, but far fewer finish well.
S2: However far along you are in your walk with Christ,
S2: don't ever let yourself reach a point where you forget
S2: that he is indispensable to you, and start thinking that
S2: you are indispensable to him. It only takes one foolish
S2: mistake to ruin a life. That's the real message of
S2: the inscription on Uzziah's tomb. And it ought to be
S2: a flashing warning light to all of us. Now, if
S2: you'd like to see a photo I took of this plaque,
S2: which is now in the Israel Museum, be sure to
S2: head over to our land in the book Facebook page
S2: where I'll be posting that photo.
S1: Thank you Charlie. And maybe as you listen to this
S1: whole conversation, this arrogant king you're saying to yourself, quite frankly,
S1: I've been calling the shots in my life. I've been
S1: the king and it hasn't been God himself. And maybe
S1: you've come to the place where you realize you need
S1: the Lord in your life. You. You need a Savior. Well,
S1: today is your day to take action on that. Charlie,
S1: we've we've got a volunteer at a phone number. We're
S1: going to give out. It's called eight, eight, eight. Need him? Eight. Eight.
S1: Eight need him. And listeners can call there. And right now,
S1: talk to a real volunteer who knows Jesus and who
S1: can help them know Jesus. Seems to me this is
S1: something we ought to take care of today, right?
S2: Oh, I agree completely. And there's no pressure on the individual.
S2: But if you want to find solid answers to life's questions,
S2: that's where you need to go right now.
S1: Again, that toll free number is 888. Need him. Always
S1: great to visit with our host, Charlie Dyer. I'm John Gager,
S1: thanking you for listening to the Land and the book,
S1: a production of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.