S1: Everybody has a story, something to teach us about life.
S1: So from A to Z, get ready to meet some
S1: of the Bible's heroes, villains, and ordinary people. And as
S1: you get to know the God these people encountered, your
S1: own story will be better too. Welcome again to the
S1: land and the book. Our host is the widely respected
S1: Middle East expert and author Doctor Charlie Dyer. I'm John
S1: Gager and Charlie. Last week we presented listeners with a
S1: book blast drawing our winner, by the way, Isobel Lundin
S1: from Billings, Montana. Charlie, maybe you could share an excerpt
S1: from Isobel's email. I'd be.
S2: Happy to. John. She said, I think the most important
S2: thing I gained this year from listening to the land
S2: in the book was becoming better educated to be able
S2: to speak up against anti-Semitism, and seeing the importance of
S2: writing to appointed and elected officials and those running for office,
S2: urging them to support Israel and speak up to denounce anti-Semitism.
S1: And we'll look forward to doing another one of our
S1: famous book blast events in the near future. Stay tuned.
S1: Right now, though, Israel in the news forever. It seems
S1: this past year and as we know, the Bible is
S1: jam packed with end times prophecies about epic world events,
S1: the regathering of the Jewish people to their ancient homeland,
S1: and Jesus return. It's crucial for us as believers to
S1: have a proper understanding of Bible prophecy. So our view
S1: of the future is shaped by Scripture, not today's headlines.
S2: Yeah, and with that in mind, our friends at Life
S2: and Messiah have published a book titled God, Israel and
S2: Bible Prophecy, and they're offering it to listeners of the
S2: land in the book for a limited time. This informative
S2: book is focused on providing readers with a deeper understanding
S2: and greater appreciation of what God has in store for
S2: Israel and the nations by digging into what the scriptures
S2: say about these issues. Now, if you're interested in learning
S2: more about what God has in store, visit Life in
S2: Messiah org and click on the Moody Radio button there
S2: to find out how you can receive your copy of God,
S2: Israel and Bible Prophecy. That's life in messiah.org.
S1: And now a look at current events from the Middle East.
S1: Reports from the Middle East keep vacillating between uneasy peace,
S1: limited attacks and all out war as Iran and Hezbollah
S1: face off against Israel. So what exactly has been happening
S1: and what might we expect in the coming days?
S2: Well, you know, looking at all the contradictory reports, it's
S2: pretty clear no one really knows at any given moment
S2: what the leaders of Iran and Hezbollah are planning to do.
S2: They both say they'll strike Israel to punish it for
S2: attacks in their countries, but at the same time, they
S2: don't want to do something that could bring the U.S.
S2: and Israel against them militarily to cause them greater military
S2: or economic harm. So what can we expect? Well, for
S2: the past two weeks, the world has watched for Iran
S2: and Hezbollah to launch an imminent attack, and it could
S2: still come at any time, even before this program actually airs.
S2: But it's also possible both countries are looking for some
S2: sort of excuse to back away from an attack, at
S2: least for now. The ceasefire and hostage negotiations that just
S2: resumed between Israel and Hamas could furnish them with that excuse.
S2: Both countries have said they wouldn't attack if Israel agrees
S2: to a ceasefire with Hamas. Now, this could be a
S2: ploy to force Israel to accept specific cease fire conditions
S2: that would otherwise be rejected. Now, if there is an attack,
S2: both Iran and Hezbollah could attack together, though even that
S2: isn't a given, and the attack could extend over days.
S2: Though again, the scope of the attack and the length
S2: of it will only become clear if or when it unfolds.
S2: Listening to all the threats being made by Iran and Hezbollah, though,
S2: reminds me of the threat against the King of Israel
S2: by the King of Syria back in first Kings 20.
S2: He threatened the total annihilation of the northern Kingdom of
S2: Israel and their capital, Samaria. And he said, May the
S2: gods deal with me, be it ever so severely. If
S2: enough dust remains in Samaria to give each of my
S2: men a handful. In essence, he said, we're going to
S2: annihilate you. The response of the King of Israel is
S2: a good reminder why a leader shouldn't boast about what
S2: he's going to do before the fight even begins. King
S2: Ahab said to him, tell him, let him who girds
S2: on his armor not boast like those who take it off.
S2: In other words, don't get too overconfident before the battle starts.
S2: Only the one who remains standing in the end gets
S2: to boast. The bottom line application don't bet against Israel
S2: in any future fight.
S1: All right. And as you mentioned, Charlie, Israel and Hamas
S1: have once again resumed indirect negotiations over a cease fire
S1: and hostage deal. What brought about the resumption in negotiations?
S1: I'm curious. And what are the prospects for a successful outcome?
S2: Well, the negotiations resumed after the U.S. and Qatar and
S2: Egypt released a statement pressuring both Israel and Hamas to
S2: resume talks. The pressure being placed on Israel by the U.S.
S2: is quite intense, especially with the US providing so much
S2: military backing for Israel against Iran and Hezbollah. But as
S2: the talks began, both sides were continuing to play a
S2: deadly game of chess, if you will. Conflicting reports were
S2: circulating that Hamas is desperate to conclude a deal, and
S2: that Sinwar has no desire at all to reach a deal.
S2: It's hard to get any further apart between. Those reports
S2: were also leaked, saying the deal was ready to be signed,
S2: while other reports said Hamas wants the mediation to be
S2: based on past talks and wasn't even planning on attending
S2: the negotiations. So what do we know right now? Well,
S2: we know Sinwar, the new leader of Hamas, wants to
S2: prolong negotiations as long as possible. He believes his goals
S2: are being accomplished right now. He's turning the world against
S2: Israel while keeping Israel from reaching a military victory in Gaza. Apparently,
S2: Israel believes it's drawing the noose tighter around sinwar by
S2: continuing to eliminate Hamas's leadership and degrading its area of operation.
S2: One example from this last week illustrates both aspects. Israel
S2: attacked a mosque connected to a school where dozens of
S2: Hamas fighters were gathered, along with a senior Hamas leader.
S2: Hamas reported that Israel had attacked a school, killing almost
S2: 100 civilians, including women and children. The report was uncritically
S2: picked up and broadcast by news media, bringing still more
S2: worldwide condemnation on Israel. Israel responded by identifying, along with photos,
S2: 31 Hamas fighters who were killed, proving Israel apparently has
S2: very good intelligence in terms of who was in the building.
S2: They also provided aerial footage showing that the bombs used
S2: did not hit the school complex, just the building where
S2: these fighters had gathered. Now, in light of all this,
S2: what are the expected outcomes for these negotiations? Ultimately, it's
S2: anyone's guess. The US is pushing to reach an agreement
S2: because they feel that could defuse the current conflict. Netanyahu's
S2: caught between pressure from our country and pressure from the
S2: far right parties in his own coalition, and Sinwar is
S2: caught between his continuing political success against Israel and his
S2: shrinking chances of remaining alive if the conflict continues. The
S2: real question in these negotiations is which side will blink first,
S2: or will it once again all fall apart?
S1: That's doctor Charlie Dyer. I'm John Gager. This is the
S1: land and the book from Moody Radio on segment one,
S1: a look at current events from the Middle East. A
S1: 3300 year old Canaanite shipwreck was discovered off Israel's coast.
S1: What makes this discovery unique, Charlie?
S2: Well, two items make this discovery so unique. The first
S2: is that this is the oldest intact shipwreck discovered in
S2: the eastern Mediterranean, dating to around the time of the
S2: beginning of the period of the judges in Israel. And
S2: the second thing that makes it unique is the fact
S2: that it was discovered so far from land. It was
S2: found by a ship searching for natural gas 56 miles
S2: off the coast, in water more than a mile deep.
S2: The ship contained hundreds of clay storage jars. Two were
S2: brought to the surface using a submersible robot. Because the
S2: wreckage is so deep, it's remained relatively undisturbed. The one
S2: intriguing question the discovery has raised is this why was
S2: the ship so far from shore, literally over the horizon
S2: and out of sight of any land? Archaeologists have suggested
S2: this might show that the ancient navigators were more advanced
S2: than what had been assumed, possibly using celestial bodies to
S2: determine their position on the open sea, rather than always
S2: sailing within sight of land. However, there might be a
S2: more mundane possibility the ship could have been caught in
S2: a sudden storm and pushed out into the sea before
S2: it could reach shore. In Ezekiel 27, he describes the
S2: city of tyre as a ship of state and pictures
S2: God destroying it just like a fierce storm destroying a
S2: literal ship on the sea. And that's what might have
S2: happened to this ship. It could also illustrate the storms
S2: that struck ships on on which Jonah was, and the
S2: Apostle Paul when they sailed said later. A sudden, violent
S2: storm pushing a ship away from land and out into
S2: the open sea would have been frightening, and this particular
S2: ship ended up 56 miles from land when it finally
S2: went down.
S1: Any thoughts as to the contents of the clay jars?
S2: They have not said anything yet, and I suspect that's
S2: going to be something they'll be studying in detail in
S2: the next months.
S1: Israeli scientists have turned a common parasite into a brain healer.
S1: Sounds intriguing. Tell us about this latest innovation out of
S1: amazing Israel. Yeah.
S2: One problem with people suffering from neurological diseases is the
S2: difficulty in delivering drugs into the brain through that blood
S2: brain barrier, and that's where these Israeli scientists came up
S2: with the idea of using Toxoplasma gondii, a parasite sometimes
S2: called the cat parasite. Now, the parasite only reproduces in
S2: the guts of cats, but it's highly effective in infecting humans.
S2: About one third of the global population have been infected
S2: at some point in time. The parasite is able to
S2: penetrate the human brain via the blood brain barrier, where
S2: it remains in a dormant state. Well, the scientists genetically
S2: engineered the parasite to enable it to secrete therapeutic proteins
S2: using laboratory animals. They were able to demonstrate that injecting
S2: the parasite into the subjects enabled the beneficial proteins to
S2: reach the brain. They've now set up a company called
S2: Epius Pharma to develop ways to implement the discovery of
S2: this drug delivery and genetic editing process. The name they
S2: used for that company seems appropriate, since in Greek mythology,
S2: Epius was the man who crafted the Trojan horse. Their
S2: first project is to tackle Rett syndrome, a debilitating neurological disorder.
S2: But all in all, Jon, this is yet another discovery
S2: with amazing potential coming our way from, of course, amazing Israel.
S1: Thank you. Charlie, what I love about the guest we've
S1: got coming in our next segment is our focus on
S1: the Bible's heroes, villains, and ordinary people. These are names
S1: that don't often hear about from the Bible. You're about
S1: to hear from them as we continue here on the
S1: land and the book. Everybody has a story, something to
S1: teach us about life. So from A to Z, get
S1: ready to meet 125 of the thousands of heroes and
S1: villains and ordinary people in the Bible, and we'll get
S1: to know the God these people encountered, so your own
S1: story will be better. Hey, welcome to the second of
S1: four segments on the Land and the book. I'm John Gager,
S1: and before we dive into the stories of some great
S1: Bible characters, let's you and I think about the stories
S1: of our unsaved Jewish friends. How could we love them
S1: more strategically for Christ? Think with me for just a moment.
S1: So you would like to have a conversation with your
S1: Jewish friend, and you'd like that conversation to be centered
S1: on Jesus and your Christian faith. But you're kind of
S1: nervous because they might just ask a question that you
S1: cannot answer. What then? Greg Savitt, what do you say?
S3: Well, by your faith in Jesus, the New Testament that
S3: has over 250 direct quotes and 880 allusions, you will
S3: know more about the Bible than they will. And if
S3: they ask a question, go to the gospel of Google.
S3: Look it up right there on your phone, and if
S3: you don't have an answer, I would go and research
S3: them and find them the next day and say, I
S3: found the answer that you were looking for, and then
S3: you can sit down and have a conversation. Jewish people
S3: will respect you more if you say, I really don't
S3: know that. That's a great question, as opposed to you
S3: just flying by the seat of your pants and giving
S3: them an answer that really you don't know anything about.
S3: So it's okay to say I don't understand and to
S3: get back to them.
S1: Greg Savitt is with Rock of Israel and joins us
S1: with insights here on the land and the book. Woodrow
S1: Michael Kroll is an evangelical preacher and radio host. For
S1: many years, he served as the president and Bible teacher
S1: for the international Back to the Bible Radio and Television Ministry.
S1: That's where I had the privilege of linking up with him,
S1: and before that he was president of Davis College in
S1: Johnson City, New York. In addition to preaching and teaching,
S1: Doctor Kroll is quite a writer, having authored more than
S1: 50 books expounding on the Bible and Christian living. And
S1: one of those books is a devotional called people in
S1: the Bible. And though it's been out for a while,
S1: the message is timeless. So it's a real pleasure to
S1: welcome Doctor Woodrow Kroll to the land and the book.
S1: Good to have you.
S4: Thank you so much, John.
S1: Hey, how did you choose the 125 Bible characters? Out
S1: of all the thousands that are in Scripture.
S4: Uh, process of elimination, I've got maybe 250 or so,
S4: and I said, I have to cut this down to
S4: a readable size. And so I chose not necessarily the
S4: most popular or most well known, but characters that had
S4: stories sometimes that nobody even knows their story. And I
S4: wanted to tell that story. So that's how I chose
S4: those 50 characters.
S1: Any surprises for you personally in this journey of researching
S1: all those Bible figures, you had to have invested a
S1: lot of time.
S4: Yes. And over the course of the years, I have
S4: picked out characters in the Bible to do maybe a
S4: series of messages on them, characters who had just terrific
S4: stories behind them, terrific stories of their life or how
S4: they died or how they lived. And yet, these are
S4: the kind of people that don't make the top five
S4: or top 100 list. Some of them are names people
S4: would never even recognize, and yet they're in the Bible
S4: and they have a story of God's grace in their lives.
S1: Pastor, radio host, college president, writer. Doctor Woodrow Kroll is
S1: all of these. He's also a great friend and the
S1: author of people in the Bible. I'm John Gager. You're
S1: listening to The Land and the book. I noted that
S1: you've included some villains in this collection. Some might ask why?
S4: Well, there are people in the Bible, too, and not
S4: everybody who is mentioned in the Bible was a great hero.
S4: There were a lot of great villains in the Bible,
S4: men and women, I might add. And they have a
S4: story to tell of their evil, or perhaps sometimes their
S4: attempted evil. Uh, the good guys of the Bible. So
S4: their story is important because we learn from their stories
S4: how to watch out for wicked people or wicked intent
S4: from people today. So it's important that they're included in
S4: the book as well.
S1: You know, one of my intriguing Bible characters for me
S1: personally is King Saul. I just feel so sad for
S1: the way he ended. I mean, nobody had a brighter start,
S1: a better start, a more likely success story ahead of
S1: him than Saul. And yet it just all fell apart.
S4: Yeah, it's a shame. Affected his family as well. His
S4: sons died with him. Even David's best friend Jonathan. And
S4: Saul's life is a life that should have had certainly
S4: had had more promise than it ended with, and should
S4: have had a better conclusion. Except I think pride or
S4: jealousy got in his way. David, you know, they were
S4: saying that Saul killed his thousands and David's ten thousands
S4: and and it's just got to him. Here was this
S4: young prince that God had anointed. And Saul knew it,
S4: but he didn't want to give up the throne. Certainly.
S4: And his actions toward David and toward even the people
S4: of the Empire Are clearly indicated that something was wrong
S4: with Saul in the end of his life.
S1: Well, name 1 or 2 lesser known Bible characters that
S1: you look forward to meeting in heaven. And what is
S1: it about them that fascinates you?
S4: Well, there are probably a dozen that their names are
S4: not household names. One of my favorites is a guy
S4: named Itai. Itai was a hero, but in the true
S4: sense of the word, an unknown hero. He was from
S4: the city of Gath, so he's called a Gittite. That's
S4: what you call people from Gath. And Itai befriended David
S4: and helped David in times of his need. And yet
S4: you find out in the end of the story that
S4: he comes from the same town that Goliath comes from.
S4: So here's a man who clearly should have been an
S4: enemy of David, and yet he ends up being David's
S4: great friend and deliverer on occasion.
S1: All right. How about another lesser known Bible character? I
S1: like that one that you're looking forward to hanging out
S1: with once we're in glory.
S4: Well, of course, there are people like Barzillai, who was
S4: a man who helped David cross the Jordan River when
S4: he was on the run from his son Absalom. Barzillai
S4: was a relatively wealthy man. He helped David when he
S4: crossed over the Jordan into Transjordan. Then he helped him
S4: back into the land after David's son was dethroned and
S4: David was going back to the throne. He's one of
S4: those great characters. And then there are some people like Martha.
S4: We know her name. We know what she does, but
S4: we don't know what her connection to the Lord really
S4: is and the family from which she comes. So Martha
S4: is better known, but still a story all on her
S4: own Because while Jesus said that Mary chose the better part,
S4: Martha was still very important in this story, an important
S4: role model for us today.
S1: Well, and the thing about Martha is, if you read
S1: the account, it says that Martha welcomed Jesus into the home.
S1: It wasn't Mary, it was Martha. And I think there's
S1: something to be said for that sense of hospitality.
S4: Yes. And, you know, Martha had certain questions for Jesus.
S4: And it shows us, I think, that when you're on
S4: a good basis with the Lord Jesus, when you're, uh,
S4: you know, you're all prayed up and all repented up, uh,
S4: when you're living a life that's pure and wholesome and
S4: something comes into your life and you want to question
S4: the Lord about it, that's okay. You know, it's all
S4: right to ask the Lord why didn't this happen? But
S4: we have to be willing to accept the answer. And
S4: apparently Martha was. Because she's the one who welcomed Jesus
S4: into the house.
S1: How does studying Bible characters enhance our walk with Christ.
S4: Well, there are people like we are, you know, and
S4: we have a tendency because they're in the Bible story.
S4: We have a tendency to think these are untouchables. These
S4: are these are people. I could never be a David. Well,
S4: it's true, I never could be a David. But that
S4: doesn't mean that I can't employ in my life some
S4: of the character qualities I see in David. And the
S4: same thing is true for Moses or Abraham or the disciples.
S4: Certainly the Lord Jesus and I want to incorporate in
S4: my life my daily living, some of the hero qualities
S4: that I find in these unsung heroes.
S1: If you've joined us midstream, this is the land and
S1: the book. I'm John Gager, our guest, Doctor Woodrow Kroll,
S1: a man I've admired for decades. We're talking about people
S1: in the Bible. Answer the skeptic who says, look, we
S1: don't really need to dig into people. These lesser characters, particularly.
S1: We know plenty about the Bible. People that quote really matter.
S4: Yeah, it all depends on your perspective. I think if
S4: you want to fly 37,000ft over the land, you choose
S4: a jet. If you want to get down into the land,
S4: you probably go by train or by car. Both of
S4: those are important. We use both trains cars and we
S4: use jets to get around. But by digging down into
S4: these people, we get stories and lessons from those stories
S4: that you don't get at 37,000ft. So it's important to
S4: have that high overview of the Bible. Learn as much
S4: as we can. Genesis to revelation, but then to drill
S4: down in some characters to learn even more of what
S4: we could not get by flying high over the Bible.
S1: All right, here's a personal confession and a request for advice.
S1: Are you ready for this?
S5: Sure.
S1: My my tendency I've noticed over the years is to
S1: set these great men and women of the Bible on
S1: a pedestal, and I'm sad when I go on to
S1: read that they've messed up. You mentioned David. Wonderful guy
S1: and we all knew what he ultimately got into. I
S1: suspect there are two lessons here. First, only Jesus belongs
S1: on a pedestal. And second, since my life is flawed,
S1: I shouldn't be surprised that they were flawed as well.
S1: What are your thoughts?
S4: Yeah, that's certainly true. When we think of, let's say,
S4: David's life, when we think of his life, David clearly
S4: loved the Lord. I mean, he he was walking more
S4: closely with his God than most Christians do today. However,
S4: he also was a human being, and his human qualities
S4: overtook him on a number of occasions, the worst of which,
S4: of course, was the affair with Bathsheba. However, if you
S4: go far enough in David's story, you see that he
S4: repented of that sin. He even wrote Psalm 51 as
S4: a written confession and repentance of his sin with Bathsheba.
S4: And here's a man who learned how to live, how
S4: to sin, and then how to repent of that sin
S4: and live again. And I think we learn so much
S4: from him and all the characters of the Bible.
S1: And I think the fact that these flawed women and
S1: men were still used of God, that ought to be
S1: a great source of encouragement to us. Develop that thought
S1: just a bit further, Doctor Crowell.
S4: Sure. Uh, you know, we we have to remember that
S4: we are nobody, uh, those that others set on a
S4: pedestal still are nobodies. You know, I, I loved my
S4: time in Christian radio. I have a binder, probably. Oh,
S4: an inch and a quarter thick of single spaced comments
S4: from people when I retired from radio. And, you know,
S4: they're just such delightful people, those who listen to Christian radio. However,
S4: if they set me on a pedestal, they need to
S4: know that I grew up on a chicken farm. You know, I,
S4: I caught chickens at night just to help our families survive.
S4: And my life is no different from anyone else's life
S4: and anyone else that we might put on a pedestal.
S4: That's a mistake because we are people who have feet
S4: of clay. We're going to mess up, and we're going
S4: to have to learn how to ask God to forgive
S4: us and move on from when we messed up, to
S4: when we can do something very vital for the Lord.
S1: In addition to preaching and teaching, Doctor Woodrow Kroll is
S1: quite a writer with more than 50 books to his credit.
S1: One of those books, a devotional called people in the Bible.
S1: That's our focus today on the land and the book.
S1: What kind of a message do you think these people
S1: in the Bible would have for us, the living? What
S1: would they want us to know or think or do.
S4: Well, a lot of them messed up as we've talked about.
S4: A lot of them were in situations of their own making,
S4: and they had to learn how to handle failure, how
S4: to handle mistakes. We do too. I mean, we we
S4: mess up and we do this very same things that
S4: some of these people in the Bible do, their stories.
S4: If the story ends well, that is to say, if
S4: they get right with God and they get back in
S4: the saddle, so to speak, so that they can actually
S4: be a part of the army of God. If that happens,
S4: we need to look at their lives and find out
S4: how did they do that? You know, how did God
S4: use them? What did God do to bring them back?
S4: Because we need that so often in our own lives.
S4: And if they didn't mess up, if they if they
S4: lived a life that was exemplary, we have to ask ourselves,
S4: what is the character quality in this person that I
S4: need in my life. And from that we learn how
S4: to live a life of the Lord.
S1: Well, that's great advice. And there's more in the book.
S1: People in the Bible, a link to that and to
S1: Doctor Krull's ministry at our website, the land and the book. Org. Well,
S1: in our next segment, Doctor Charlie Dyer is back to
S1: answer Bible questions. And Doctor Crowell, I'm looking forward to
S1: connecting again in the future. Thanks for your time.
S5: Thank you John. My pleasure.
S1: More to come on the land and the book. Thanks
S1: for staying with us here at The Land and the
S1: book with our host, Doctor Charlie Dyer. I'm John Gager,
S1: and we love this next segment because it's all about you,
S1: your thoughts, your wonderings as you wander through Scripture. No
S1: shortage of questions come to mind. Right, Charlie? Oh, I.
S2: Love it, John. You're exactly right. When we read the Bible,
S2: It's amazing what questions it raises in our mind, and
S2: answering them gets us even deeper into the Bible.
S1: Well, Israel has been in the news a lot over
S1: the past year and as we know, the Bible is
S1: jam packed with end times prophecies about epic world events,
S1: the regathering of the Jewish people to their homeland, Jesus returned.
S1: And it is really crucial, it seems to me that
S1: believers have a proper understanding of Bible prophecy. So our
S1: view of the future is shaped by Scripture, not just
S1: today's headlines. What do you think?
S2: I agree completely, and with that in mind, our friends
S2: at Life and Messiah have published a book titled God,
S2: Israel and Bible Prophecy, and they're offering it to listeners
S2: of the land in the book for a limited time.
S2: This informative book is focused on providing readers with a
S2: deeper understanding and greater appreciation for what God has in
S2: store for Israel and the nations by digging into what
S2: the scriptures say about these issues. Now, if you're interested
S2: in learning more about what God has in store, visit
S2: Life in messiah.org and click on the Moody Radio button.
S2: To find out how you can receive your free copy
S2: of God, Israel and Bible Prophecy. That's life in messiah.org.
S1: And now drum roll please. Question number one for today's
S1: segment it's Jeff. He says based on your understanding of
S1: Old and New Testament prophecies, specifically second Thessalonians two verse four,
S1: how likely do you believe it is that current events
S1: in Israel are a precursor to the end times?
S2: Well, I do find Bible prophecy something that people really
S2: ought to study, but in light of that, my answer
S2: might be surprising. I think an honest answer is that
S2: we don't know if current events are a precursor to
S2: the end times, and we won't know until the day
S2: God removes the church from the earth and resumes working
S2: to fulfill his program and his promises for Israel. I
S2: think that's the main point Paul is making there in
S2: second Thessalonians two. Actually, in verses 1 to 8, the
S2: Thessalonians believed that the day of the Lord had already arrived,
S2: and Paul reminds them of specific events connected with that
S2: day that hadn't been fulfilled, and he says he'd already
S2: explained this to them earlier. Now, I do believe we
S2: might be seeing God setting the stage for the end times.
S2: For example, the Antichrist, to fulfill Daniel 927 has to
S2: confirm a covenant with the many. It says for a
S2: seven year period, and to do that, Israel needs to
S2: be back in the land. And I do see Israel
S2: back in the land as a milestone event. It took
S2: place in 1948, and by the middle of that future
S2: seven year period, it says a functioning temple needs to
S2: be in place. In fact, at least 3 or 4
S2: different places in the scriptures, it mentions that temple that's
S2: going to be there. Now, this suggests that Israel also
S2: has to be back in the land and needs to
S2: be rebuilding that temple, which could be part of God
S2: setting the stage. But again, I believe the next event
S2: to be fulfilled is the removal of the church from earth.
S2: That will be followed by the resumption of God's program
S2: for the nation of Israel. So what we're seeing could
S2: be a precursor to God resuming his program. But I
S2: don't think we can say with absolute certainty that what
S2: we're seeing today is being the fulfillment of Bible prophecy,
S2: since nothing needs to happen prior to God's return for
S2: his church. Boy that's.
S1: Encouraging. Thank you Charlie. Todd takes us to two Samuel eight,
S1: verse 18, where we read that David's sons were priests.
S1: He wants to know how could this be, since David
S1: was not a Levite or a descendant of Aaron?
S2: Yeah. And the Hebrew word used in Second Samuel 818
S2: that describes David's sons is indeed Kohanim, which is the
S2: normal Hebrew word for priests. However, in this case, it's
S2: likely the reality that the word is being used in
S2: a less common sense to refer to some type of
S2: royal advisor. You know, the new American standard translates it
S2: as chief ministers. The NIV translates it their royal advisors.
S2: We do something similar in English, by the way. We
S2: use the word minister to refer to a high government
S2: official as well as a member of the clergy. Now,
S2: some might say, well, Charlie, it sounds like you're just
S2: doing that as a cop out, but I believe it's
S2: supported by a parallel passage in First Chronicles 1817. The
S2: two sons are said to be chiefs at the king's side,
S2: or chief officials at the king's side, and the Hebrew
S2: word used there is richon, which has the idea of
S2: first or chief. It literally says the sons of David
S2: were first by the hand of the king. So the
S2: parallel passage makes it clear that the two sons were
S2: functioning as chief court advisers, and not as priests or
S2: religious officials.
S1: Question now from Robert. Is there any evidence that the
S1: Achaeans were expelled from temple worship in Jerusalem because of
S1: their endorsement of unapproved texts like Enoch and Jubilees?
S2: Yeah, I don't know of any evidence that would suggest this.
S2: Josephus describes the scenes, and he does say at one point,
S2: the Essenes do not offer sacrifices because they have more
S2: pure lustrations of their own, on which account they are
S2: excluded from the common court of the temple, but offer
S2: their sacrifices themselves. But this exclusion he's talking about relates
S2: to sacrifices, not to the non-canonical books of the Bible.
S2: In fact, Josephus and another ancient writer, Philo, suggest the
S2: Essenes were admired for their piety and generosity. So the
S2: only negative I can find is the one from Josephus
S2: relating to not offering sacrifices. It doesn't relate to those
S2: extra biblical books.
S1: Thanks for listening to the land and the book today
S1: where we're looking at questions from the Bible. Your questions,
S1: questions also about prophecy, questions about Israel itself. They're all
S1: welcome when you email us at The Land and the book@moody.edu.
S1: Here's a question about prophecy. It seems to be fairly
S1: well documented that Muslims who control the Temple Mount treat
S1: the dome of the Rock as if it were Solomon's
S1: Third Temple. Do you think there's any possibility that Israel
S1: or the rabbis in Israel will or could ever recognize
S1: the dome of the Rock as their own temple?
S2: Well, you know, from the earliest Islamic times, up until
S2: the establishment of the State of Israel, Muslim sources were
S2: virtually unanimous in stating that the Temple Mount area of
S2: the Haram al-Sharif is where Solomon's Temple once stood. However,
S2: after the beginning of the modern state of Israel, especially
S2: since after Israel captured the city in 1967, Muslims have
S2: been adamant in insisting that the Jews have no historical
S2: connection to Jerusalem or the Temple Mount. But now, to
S2: answer the question specifically, I do not believe the rabbis
S2: would ever recognize the dome of the Rock as the temple.
S2: They have solid historical information on the dimensions of the temple,
S2: and the dome of the Rock just doesn't match. I
S2: read Biblical Archaeology Review. I don't recall in there being
S2: an article where Muslims were trying to simulate temple practices,
S2: but even if they were, those practices wouldn't match those
S2: that existed in Solomon's Temple or in the one at
S2: the time of Jesus.
S1: This listener says it's clear that various different Islamic tribes
S1: conquered Judea or Palaestina, or whatever the Romans used to
S1: call it in the seven hundreds. And and this had
S1: a negative impact on the Jewish inhabitants as well. Do
S1: you cover the administrative practices of the different occupiers since
S1: 700 AD in your new book?
S2: Yeah, and most of what new book? Well, the new
S2: book is the one that's coming out in October. Who
S2: Owns the land? And I talked with this fellow about
S2: it in the book. I do deal briefly with the
S2: groups that controlled the region during the Islamic period. However,
S2: I do so only in passing and without really covering
S2: the different administrative practices. For example, there is a short
S2: section that talks about the Arabs conquest of the Holy
S2: Land and how it began a period of nearly 13
S2: centuries of Muslim rule. But the Arabs themselves only controlled
S2: the area about five of those centuries. Arab control ended
S2: when the Seljuk Turks took Jerusalem in 1071, and then
S2: it passed between different Muslim groups until the Ottomans finally
S2: controlled it, and that ended in World War One. Now
S2: it's a confusing period for most in the West, and
S2: I try in the book not to get too technical
S2: or I'll put everybody to sleep, but there are other
S2: good sources available, and I have a lot of footnotes
S2: in there that direct people to them.
S1: Well, here's a question from Charles. He says. I've read
S1: Jesus quote in John ten verses 34 through 36, where
S1: he answers the blasphemy charges by quoting Psalm 82, verse six.
S1: The God's mentioned there, though, are what he's confused was
S1: this first verse referring to celestial beings who is being
S1: called God's? Is verse six referring to men? Help us
S1: unpack this, Charlie.
S2: Yeah, and this is going to sound a bit convoluted,
S2: so bear with me. I first start with the Psalm 82,
S2: the passage that Jesus is quoting, and the psalmist is
S2: drawing a parallel between God as the ultimate judge and
S2: the wicked rulers or judges in his day, who set
S2: themselves up almost as having the power of life and
S2: death over others like God, these human judges saw themselves
S2: as gods, lowercase g there, since they possess the power
S2: to impact the lives of others. And the psalmist then
S2: asks God, you know, the ultimate judge, the capital G God,
S2: to call them to account for their actions. But here
S2: in another passages like Exodus 22 eight, the Hebrew word
S2: Elohim gods can indeed sometimes be used to refer to
S2: human judges. Now, in John ten, Jesus is answering Jews
S2: who want to stone him for blasphemy. They're accusing him
S2: of breaking God's law by claiming to be one with God.
S2: Jesus points out that in the law itself, referring to
S2: the whole Old Testament, not just the mosaic law, that
S2: God is the ultimate judge and he could refer to
S2: human judges as gods in the sense of being expected
S2: to carry out his work on earth. And his argument
S2: goes something like this if the Word of God can
S2: call human judges gods because of the work they were
S2: claiming to do for God, then how could the religious
S2: leaders in Jesus's day accuse him of blasphemy for claiming
S2: to be God's son while also doing God's work on earth?
S2: In essence, he's using the Word of God to blunt
S2: their argument they were trying to make against him.
S1: One last question from Terry. I would appreciate knowing what
S1: your description of the Kingdom of God is. Any thoughts?
S2: Yeah, I take the kingdom of God to be, especially
S2: in the book of Matthew, to refer to the coming
S2: Messianic Kingdom. We also would call it the Millennial Kingdom.
S2: You know, in the Lord's Prayer, Jesus said, your kingdom come,
S2: your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
S2: That second part of the phrase explains the first. That is,
S2: when God's kingdom comes. It's when God is ruling on
S2: earth as he has been in heaven. And Jesus will
S2: do that when he rules from David's throne over the
S2: entire earth.
S1: Well, we promised you there'd be a lot of variety
S1: in these questions, and boy, there always is. Thank you
S1: for sharing yours with us when you email us at
S1: The Land and the book@moody.edu. Another segment to come. It's
S1: Charlie Dyer's devotional next, right here on the land and
S1: the book. You know, the older I get, the more
S1: I have to write things down. I've taken to doing that.
S1: Typically on my phone, I get 17 different apps that
S1: let me write down lists of to do things. But
S1: this is the land in the book. And we're not
S1: about lists per se. We are about God's Book of Remembrance.
S1: That's a list of sorts, right, Charlie?
S2: It is John.
S1: And that's the focus as Charlie continues his interesting devotional series,
S1: 3/16 of the Bible. We're going to get to that
S1: after we listen to this testimony from an Israel traveler.
S1: Check this out.
S6: The desert was the biggest thrill for me, and I
S6: think it may be because I've spent the last several
S6: months reading and studying the life of Abraham. So to
S6: go there and to see the Negev, and to see
S6: the land that he lived in, and to see Beersheba,
S6: to see the wealth that's located there. And to me,
S6: it made the Bible so much richer. And I'll give
S6: you just a small example. But one of the things
S6: we learned was about camels. And we would see camels
S6: in the desert. And our tour guide, who was excellent,
S6: mentioned that camels would drink about ten buckets of water.
S6: And then she directed us to point it out to
S6: Abraham's servant, who went to the well and was told,
S6: you know that look for the woman who would not
S6: only offer water to you, but for your camels. Well,
S6: I went back to the Scripture that night and read
S6: that scripture. Do you know that Abraham's servant had ten camels?
S6: Do you know that each camel would have drunk ten
S6: buckets of water? So Rebecca served 100 gallons of water
S6: to the camel. Now to me it makes the scripture
S6: so much richer. And that's one of 100 examples I
S6: could give you.
S1: Charlie, I've been intrigued with where you've taken us in
S1: your three sixteens of the Bible. Where are we headed today?
S2: Well, today we're heading to Malachi. Uh, but I got
S2: to back up just a second. It's week three of
S2: our five week series on these famous 316 of the Bible.
S2: And our destination today is going to be the city
S2: of Jerusalem and the last book of the Old Testament. Now,
S2: when I was growing up, John, I really thought the
S2: prophet who wrote this book was named Malachi. And no,
S2: I didn't hear the old joke about him being the
S2: Italian prophet in our little corner of northeast Pennsylvania. There
S2: was a children's television program called Hatchi Malachi that featured
S2: Miss Judy. The name of the program actually came from
S2: a song of the same name that was recorded by
S2: Rosemary Clooney back in the early 1950s. But if the
S2: make believe Hatchi Malachi was a wonderful place that you
S2: really should see, as the opening line said, then the
S2: real life prophet named Malachi, not Malachi, lived in a
S2: far less wonderful time and place. The Jewish exiles were
S2: back in Jerusalem and the temple had been rebuilt. But
S2: the halcyon days of Haggai, Zechariah, Ezra, and even Nehemiah
S2: seemed like a distant memory. The first three of those
S2: had already passed from the scene, and Nehemiah had returned
S2: to Persia. Sadly, in his absence, the people slipped back
S2: into the same sinful patterns as before, and now their
S2: actions were matched by an attitude of arrogance, Apathy and cynicism.
S2: In the first three chapters of his book, Malachi carries
S2: on a running debate between God and the people. God
S2: makes a statement only to have the people question its truthfulness.
S2: I have loved you, says the Lord. But you ask,
S2: how have you loved us? God rebukes the priests for
S2: showing contempt for his name, but they respond, how have
S2: we showed contempt for your name? God says that they
S2: have done so by offering defiled food on the altar.
S2: Their response? How have we defiled you? The debate continues
S2: ad nauseam. You wearied the Lord with your words. How
S2: have we wearied him? You need to return to the
S2: Lord so he can return to you. How are we
S2: to return? You've robbed God. How have we robbed you?
S2: You've said harsh things against God. What have we said
S2: against you? In each round of this debate, Malachi delivers
S2: God's answer to their sarcastic question. So what had they
S2: done wrong? In spite of God's love and faithfulness to them,
S2: the people had cheated God. They violated God's covenant and
S2: had broken faith with God and with their own spouses.
S2: They didn't trust his promise, justice, and redemption. Instead, they
S2: were cheating God by withholding what rightfully belonged to him.
S2: And through it all, they were displaying an attitude of
S2: self-centered arrogance. The people's arrogance and disrespect reached its climax
S2: in the middle of chapter three. God tells them that
S2: they have said harsh things against him, literally. God says
S2: they are hard against me. Your words. The word for
S2: hard or harsh has the idea of trying to overpower
S2: or prevail against. In their arrogance, they were actually telling
S2: God he wasn't worth serving. Malachi explains why you have
S2: said it is futile to serve God. What did we
S2: gain by carrying out his requirements? They had reached the
S2: point where they were calling those who were arrogant blessed. Why?
S2: Because Malachi says they felt the evildoers prosper. And even
S2: those who challenge God escape. Don't miss what these people
S2: were saying, because it's crucial for understanding Malachi 316, the
S2: very next verse. In their arrogance, the people were saying,
S2: in effect, what's in it for me? I don't see
S2: any advantage in trying to obey God or follow him.
S2: Only suckers do that. Life is what you make of it.
S2: So I'm going to grab for everything I can and
S2: make sure I take care of number one. Me. Sound familiar?
S2: That self-centered sense of arrogance and entitlement is as true
S2: today as it was during the days of Malachi. Their
S2: inflated sense of self-importance saw meeting their own wants and
S2: needs as being far more important than humbly submitting to God.
S2: And at least for a time, it looked like those
S2: who put themselves ahead of God were in fact coming
S2: out on top. They were the ones prospering. They were
S2: the champs making those who put God first look like chumps.
S2: But that's when we come to Malachi 316. Listen to
S2: what the prophet wrote. Then those who feared the Lord
S2: talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard.
S2: A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning
S2: those who feared the Lord and honored his name. Now
S2: I see three parts to this verse. First, there were
S2: still some who chose to put God first. They might
S2: only have been a remnant, but they were still present.
S2: They saw the majority heading in one direction, but they
S2: decided to continue following God's ways, even if that path
S2: seemed almost deserted. And yet they weren't alone. This faithful
S2: remnant talked with each other. They encouraged one another to
S2: remain faithful, to stay true to God. Never underestimate the
S2: importance of gathering with other like minded individuals to provide
S2: mutual encouragement. As the writer of Hebrews put it, let
S2: us not give up meeting together, as some are in
S2: the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another,
S2: and all the more so as you see the day approaching.
S2: The next part of the verse is just as important,
S2: perhaps even more so. And the Lord listened and heard.
S2: God took special notice of those who feared or revered
S2: him in a special way. Like the 7000 who hadn't
S2: bowed the knee to Baal in the times of Elijah,
S2: God knew those who were still faithful. He paid special
S2: attention to them. There are times when you might feel alone,
S2: but if you placed God front and center in your life,
S2: you can be confident that he will never leave you
S2: nor forsake you. And finally, Malachi reports that a scroll
S2: of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who
S2: feared the Lord and honored his name. Now the image
S2: is of God as the divine King, having his angelic
S2: scribes record in his heavenly archive the names of those
S2: who are still faithful. But when Mordecai uncovered a plot
S2: against the king of Persia and reported it, Esther 223
S2: says the event was recorded in the book of the
S2: Annals in the presence of the King. And though nothing
S2: happened immediately, at just the right moment, Mordecai was rewarded
S2: for his faithful deed. In the same way, God is
S2: keeping a record of those who remain faithful in spite
S2: of what others might choose to do. Malachi ends his
S2: book with God's special promise to those who make it
S2: into his book. They will be mine, says the Lord Almighty.
S2: In the day when I make up my treasured possession,
S2: I will spare them. Just as in comparison a man
S2: spares his son who serves him. And you will again
S2: see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between
S2: those who serve God and those who do not. So
S2: what can we take home with us from our visit
S2: to Malachi 316? Once again, I see two important lessons. First,
S2: we need to distinguish between what we see now and
S2: what God says is still coming. It often does seem
S2: as if those who practice sin, rebellion, and selfishness are
S2: the ones who are getting ahead, while those who put
S2: God first fall behind. But we need to remember that
S2: God is keeping detailed records and that the end of
S2: the story hasn't yet unfolded. There is a day coming
S2: when God will open his heavenly annals to reward those
S2: who remain faithful. And second, we need to remember the
S2: importance of encouraging our fellow believers to remain faithful and
S2: stay the course. Malachi 316 is a reminder to fear God,
S2: encourage the saints, and focus on his eternal reward.
S1: Boy, I think that's a reminder we need today as well.
S1: Thank you Charlie.
S2: You're welcome.
S1: Lots to think about, and maybe you'd like to hear
S1: today's program again or share it with a friend. We
S1: encourage you to do that. It's available at the Land
S1: and the book. Org. Check out our podcast at the
S1: Land and the book.org. Thanks for making us a part
S1: of your day. I'm John Gager for our host, Charlie Dyer.
S1: The land and the book is a production of Moody Radio,
S1: a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.