S1: Everyone reads revelation with an eye toward the date of
S1: Christ's return. And let's face it, clickbait. Eschatology is a
S1: pretty big seller. But what's often missing in the marketplace
S1: is an explanation that it provides for God's character. And
S1: if we're not careful, we can study revelation and miss
S1: the central theme that's Jesus. Well, coming up, we'll help
S1: you avoid misunderstanding and misusing revelation. Plus, you'll find an
S1: update on the conflict in the Middle East. That's all
S1: ahead on the land and the book. Dr. Charlie Dyer
S1: is our host. He's an Old Testament scholar, former pastor,
S1: and a respected Middle East expert. I'm John Geiger, and,
S1: you know, Israel, of course, has been on all of
S1: our minds these past months. Many of us have been
S1: struggling with questions of what to think and feel. And
S1: in the midst of all this, God's heart for the
S1: Jewish people remains unchanged. He is faithful to his chosen people. Right, Charlie?
S2: That's right. John. That's why, as this year is drawing
S2: to a close, our friends at Life and Messiah would
S2: like to help you better connect with this crucial aspect
S2: of God's character. They're offering their new book, Sharing God's
S2: Heart to Land. In the book listeners, this 30 day
S2: guided reflection will help connect you with God's heart for
S2: his precious people. The articles written by Life and Messiah
S2: staff provide insight into Jewish life and culture. They can
S2: help prepare you to share with your friends the peace
S2: of Messiah they so desperately need. If you would like
S2: one of these insightful books for yourself or is a
S2: gift for someone else, visit Life in Messiah org and
S2: click on the Moody Radio button to find out how
S2: you can receive your copy. That's life in messiah.org.
S1: Well, Israel's war against Hamas is now into its seventh week.
S1: Information is finally coming to light, revealing how Hamas was
S1: able to launch such a deadly attack and catch Israel
S1: so completely off guard. What is Israel learned so far
S1: and what are they releasing to the public?
S2: Yeah, John, you know, like so many surprise attacks in
S2: the past. Hindsight is always 2020. Looking back, Israel's starting
S2: to piece together how the terrorists prepared for the invasion.
S2: Prior to the actual attack, Hamas spent two years planning
S2: the attack, all the while sending out false signals suggesting
S2: they weren't looking for a fight. They constructed a mock
S2: Israeli settlement in Gaza, where they taught their fighters tactics
S2: for storming the towns. They kept the actual attack plans
S2: a closely guarded secret known only to a select few.
S2: The fighters themselves were only told about the mission two
S2: hours before the attack, and only the squad leaders knew
S2: the specific targets before each of those groups set out.
S2: The attack itself was well planned. They gathered intelligence on
S2: the towns from the Palestinians. Israel allowed in from Gaza
S2: to work. The attack coincided with the end of the
S2: second holiday, when many soldiers were away from their posts
S2: and back home on leave. The attack began with a
S2: barrage of over 2200 rockets fired against Israel soldiers on
S2: motorized hang gliders then flew into Israel to secure the perimeter,
S2: while elite fighters stormed the border wall and used explosives
S2: and bulldozers to punch through at multiple points. A commando
S2: unit attacked the army's southern headquarters and jammed communications to
S2: prevent personnel from sounding the alarm, and then the groups
S2: of terrorists rushed to pre assigned communities to capture and
S2: kill as many people as possible. Israel had placed too
S2: much faith in electronic surveillance, which caused them to reduce
S2: the number of soldiers on duty. The last time Israel
S2: was so completely fooled, John was 50 years ago, at
S2: the start of the 1973 Yom Kippur War, and the
S2: results were about as catastrophic.
S1: Well, a recent survey here at home suggests more than 70%
S1: of us Jewish people feel less safe now than before
S1: the start of the war. What's causing their angst and
S1: what can be done to help alleviate it?
S2: Yeah, sadly, much of it's being caused by the rise
S2: in antisemitism here in the US as a result of
S2: the conflict and as a result of the biased reporting
S2: on the part of the media, the war has become
S2: a flashpoint on US college and university campuses as students
S2: staged mass protests against Israel. The phrase that they're shouting
S2: from the river to the sea. Well, that message, by
S2: the way, is talking about the establishment of a single
S2: state of Palestine that would extend from the Jordan River
S2: to the Mediterranean Sea, in effect wiping out the state
S2: of Israel. Jewish students are being intimidated on campuses, with
S2: some receiving anonymous death threats. The same things happening in
S2: the cities of our country with people being assaulted, with
S2: synagogues being defaced. Incidents of antisemitism rose nearly 400% since
S2: the start of the war. And all of this is
S2: what's worrying both us Jews and Jews living in Europe.
S2: So what can someone listening right now do to help?
S2: I'd like to offer two suggestions. First contact. Your elected
S2: representatives and I mean local and state and national. You
S2: can do it by email, by letter or by phone call,
S2: but let them know. There's no place for anti Semitism
S2: in our country. Encourage them to take a public stand
S2: against anti Semitism and to make sure our country is
S2: doing everything it can to protect all our Jewish citizens.
S2: And then second, watch in your community for rallies or
S2: gatherings in support of Israel and take the time. Go
S2: and show your support. Genesis 12 three is still operative.
S2: God said, I will bless those who bless you and
S2: the one who curses you, I will curse. So do
S2: what you can to bless Israel and the Jewish people,
S2: and then be praying for the peace of Jerusalem.
S1: You're listening to the land in the book from Moody Radio.
S1: I'm John Geiger, our host, Dr. Charlie Dyer, bringing us
S1: an update on the conflict in the Middle East and
S1: much more. While the horrifying details of Hamas's brutality during
S1: that initial attack sounds kind of like scenes from the
S1: Bible coming to life, help us understand these actions from
S1: a biblical context.
S2: Yeah, John, you know, I found myself trying to figure
S2: out why is it I was so disturbed by the
S2: events as they they reported what came out, and I
S2: found myself focusing on some of the Old Testament imagery that, frankly,
S2: we try not to think about in our so-called modern era,
S2: but it's imagery that helps us explain and understand Hamas's actions.
S2: Some examples. In judges five, Deborah sings a song following
S2: her and Barack's victory over the forces of Sisera. In
S2: verses 28 to 30, she describes the mother of Sisera
S2: watching out the window for her son to come home,
S2: having attacked the Jewish people, and the mother wonders why
S2: it's taking so long for him to return, and her
S2: attendants try to comfort her. They tell her, well, they're
S2: just dividing the spoil. And then it says, 1 or
S2: 2 maidens for every warrior, plus some other loot they
S2: can bring home. Yet plunder and systematic rape were just
S2: par for the course for those invaders. And that pretty
S2: much pictures what Hamas was doing. Another example comes from
S2: the criticism being leveled against Israel. You know, they were
S2: telling the people in Gaza City to flee south to
S2: get out of the fighting. Well, I couldn't help but
S2: think of Jeremiah. In fact, Jeremiah was bitterly criticized for
S2: giving the same advice to the people of Jerusalem and
S2: his day. In Jeremiah 21, he's told to tell the people,
S2: this is what the Lord says. See, I'm setting before
S2: you the way of life and the way of death.
S2: Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword,
S2: famine or plague, but whoever goes out and surrenders will live.
S2: He'll escape with his life. That call to flee was
S2: for the benefit of the people. And that's what Israel's
S2: been trying to do as well, and also being criticized
S2: for it. And then I thought about the taking of hostages.
S2: Yet Naaman the Syrian, the commander who had leprosy, we
S2: had a servant girl who told him about Elisha. But
S2: second Kings five two tells us how she ended up
S2: in Syria. Invaders had attacked Israel and taken away captive
S2: this young girl. So rape and looting and the capture
S2: of innocent civilians and on the opposite end, encouraging civilians
S2: trapped in a war zone to escape. Well, those were
S2: the realities in Old Testament times. And we're seeing those
S2: same scenes being replayed again today.
S1: But not what is merely just old. But ancient is new, right, Charlie?
S1: Exactly right. Yeah, well, Israel's education minister has announced plans
S1: for an eventual Yad Vashem like October 7th memorial. What
S1: does he have in mind, and how soon might that
S1: be completed?
S2: Well, the minister's proposing a center that would preserve everything
S2: having to do with Hamas's attack, as well as the
S2: stories of heroes who protected Israel that day. He wants
S2: the center to be staffed by professionals with the goal
S2: of educating future generations, much like Yad Vashem, Israel's Holocaust
S2: museum does today. He wants the center to have a museum,
S2: a memorial and an information center and a website. It's
S2: a great idea, though, when it might happen. Well, that's
S2: anyone's guess. Right now. Israel is still fighting the war,
S2: and they're also going to be struggling financially once the
S2: war is over to rebuild the areas impacted and revive
S2: their economy. Yad Vashem wasn't established until five years after
S2: the founding of the State of Israel, so it might
S2: not take as long to establish this memorial, though it
S2: will certainly take some time to plan where it ought
S2: to be located and how it ought to be designed
S2: and how it ought to operate. And in many ways,
S2: it might be good to allow just a little time
S2: for healing to take place. But I do look for
S2: Israel to prepare something in the not too distant future,
S2: to keep the victims and the heroes from being forgotten.
S1: Charlie, what are we to make of the softening media
S1: coverage here? Their increasing unwillingness to call a spade a spade,
S1: and to put quote marks around things that are factually
S1: true as far as Hamas's weaponry, tactics, skullduggery, if you will.
S1: It just seems like the media coverage is just continuing
S1: to soften.
S2: Well, to the extent that we no longer have morals,
S2: no longer have absolute rights and wrongs. You find the
S2: media saying, well, depending on which side you're on, you know,
S2: what's who's to say, what's right and what's wrong. And sadly,
S2: that's the outcome of the. Leaving the Bible and the
S2: biblical standards of of what's right. And it just keeps
S2: playing out. Yeah.
S1: Well, everybody reads revelation with an eye toward the date
S1: of Christ's return, but if we're not careful, we're going
S1: to miss its central theme Jesus. We're going to talk
S1: about misunderstanding and misusing revelation on our next segment here
S1: on the land in the book, but thanks for staying
S1: with us and for sharing us with your friends.
S2: Revelation, the.
S1: Bible's last book. You think about the fact that this
S1: is God's final word to mankind, that it offers a
S1: breathtaking revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ? Though this letter
S1: describes depravity and devils and destruction, it also provides an
S1: incredible portrait of our Almighty God, not to mention ultimate hope. Well,
S1: coming up, a fascinating look at God's great finale. You're
S1: listening to the land and the book, and for that
S1: we say thank you. Hey, if we've never met, I'm
S1: John Geiger. Could we switch gears for just a quick
S1: second here and talk about sharing Jesus with a Jewish friend?
S1: What do I mean by that? You've probably heard it
S1: said before. One opposition to becoming a Christian is the
S1: sense that a Jewish person has that they're going to
S1: lose their Jewish identity somehow. You know, I was born
S1: a Jew. I'm going to die a Jew. I could
S1: never become a Gentile Christian. What's the answer to that?
S1: West Tabor is with life in Messiah.
S3: Well, preserving Jewish identity is a high value among Jewish people.
S3: For centuries, both the synagogue and the church agreed that
S3: belief in Jesus meant losing one's Jewish identity. Jewish identity
S3: is rooted in biology. A physical descendant of Abraham, Isaac,
S3: and Jacob can rightfully claim to be Jewish, so nobody
S3: loses their ethnicity. Upon trusting Yeshua. We do gain new
S3: citizenship in God's kingdom, but Messianic Jews often say believing
S3: in Yeshua, the one who perfectly fulfills God's promises to
S3: Israel as Messiah and Redeemer makes me feel all the
S3: more Jewish.
S1: So then our focus might not be on converting to
S1: Christianity so much as trusting in the Jewish Messiah Yeshua.
S3: Exactly. So we're emphasizing a relationship with the God of Israel,
S3: not affiliation with a religion. Love the Lord your God
S3: with all your heart, soul, and strength. We can only
S3: come to God through the merits of his beloved son, Yeshua.
S1: Thoughts there from Wes Tabor, who's with life in Messiah.
S1: Bestselling author Jeff Kinley empowers people with God's truth. He's
S1: the author of 40 books and previously served in pastoral
S1: ministry for three decades. Jeff has been featured on Fox
S1: and Friends, The Glenn Beck Show, The Ben Shapiro Show,
S1: and hundreds of national radio and television programs. His Vintage
S1: Truth podcast is heard in more than 100 countries worldwide,
S1: and he's also the co-host of the Prophecy Pros podcast,
S1: which get this just surpassed 1 million downloads. Jeff and
S1: his wife have three grown sons live in little Rock, Arkansas,
S1: and we welcome him back to the land of the book.
S1: Good to connect, Jeff.
S4: Thanks, John. Good to be with you again.
S1: You write that today's church has become complacent. Lukewarm revelation
S1: was written to arouse a slumbering bride so that she
S1: could prepare for the imminent return of the bridegroom. What's
S1: the way out of our complacency? And why does that
S1: route seem to take us right through revelation?
S4: Yeah, well, it's very interesting. You think about revelation was
S4: written in 95, around 95, and this is about two
S4: generations now past the death, burial, resurrection, ascension of Jesus Christ.
S4: And during that time, of course, acts chapter two happened,
S4: the church was birthed and churches in Asia minor were growing.
S4: But over time, the second and third generation Christians began
S4: to be lethargic. They began to fall away. And God
S4: had one last book to write in his written revelation.
S4: And he wrote the book of revelation. And so he
S4: wrote it really as a way to say, this is
S4: the last thing I'm going to say to you before
S4: I come back. So it really combines John, a beautiful,
S4: really combination of not only Intel about the end times,
S4: but also about God himself.
S1: One common source of confusion about revelation is the use
S1: of violent and apocalyptic imagery. We think of the plagues
S1: and judgments described in the text, and some readers kind
S1: of struggle, Jeff, to reconcile this imagery with the idea
S1: of a loving and merciful God, help us out here.
S4: Yeah, I think sometimes we tend to think of God
S4: as sort of a one dimensional being. We think he's
S4: just loving and compassionate and gracious, which of course he is.
S4: But as you survey the whole of Scripture, you see
S4: that God is also righteous. He's also holy. He's also
S4: a God of justice, and he does have an end
S4: to his patience. And so this particular period of revelation
S4: really tells us about a time when God will be
S4: unleashing his wrath on unbelieving mankind on planet Earth, during
S4: a time we call the tribulation period. Concurrently with that, though,
S4: there's also a lot of grace that's poured out as well.
S4: So it is sort of a wake up call, I think,
S4: for us to see who our God is. In fact,
S4: in the very first chapter of revelation, Jesus portrays himself
S4: as one who has eyes of blazing fire and feet
S4: of burnished bronze and just speaks of his coming in judgment.
S4: And so he's both loving, gracious, but also righteous and holy.
S1: God's great finale. That's our focus for this segment on
S1: the land and the book. Our guest is prophecy expert
S1: Jeff Kinley, and I'm John Geiger. Another area of confusion
S1: is the depiction of God as a vengeful judge, particularly
S1: in the context of the final Judgment. I think some
S1: people struggle with the idea that God would condemn people
S1: to eternal punishment. You know, there's there's a lot of
S1: pushback against hell being, you know, a lake of fire
S1: that burns forever, though Scripture declares it to be so,
S1: they find this portrayal of God to be inconsistent with
S1: the teachings of love and forgiveness found elsewhere in the Bible. Now,
S1: we've touched on some of this, but how should people
S1: view revelation in light of all this?
S4: Well, if you think about it, I mean, when you
S4: think about God's character, we talk about God being a
S4: vengeful or a wrathful God. Really, that's nowhere more accurately
S4: portrayed than at the cross of Christ. Because when Jesus
S4: died on the cross, God the Father unleashed his holy
S4: wrath on the son and abandoned him there, and also
S4: had him punished for the sins of mankind. That's why
S4: Jesus cried out, My God, my God, why have you
S4: forsaken me? And yet we have the beauty of love, grace, forgiveness, holiness, wrath,
S4: and justice all kind of coming to this intersection at
S4: the cross at Calvary. And so I would say to people,
S4: you know, you really do want God to be a
S4: just God. You want him to be a God that
S4: ultimately punishes sin. Because I think John is within all people,
S4: a desire for evil just to go away and for
S4: there not to be any more injustice, any more murder,
S4: any more rape, any more sex trafficking, all these evils
S4: that one day God promises he will actually do away with.
S4: But he can't do that unless he is a God
S4: of vengeance and of wrath. And so that's the beauty
S4: of God is that he deals with evil, but at
S4: the same time he gives us his grace and mercy.
S1: Jeff Kennelly is the co host of the Prophecy Prose podcast,
S1: which just surpassed 1 million downloads. He's written 40 books,
S1: including God's Great Finale. Jeff, aren't there different beliefs regarding
S1: the timing of the rapture and tribulation? Can you explain
S1: the differences? In the pre-trib, mid trib and post tribulation
S1: viewpoints and what each can take away from revelation, despite
S1: those key differences in interpretation.
S4: Absolutely. The word tribulation refers to a seven year period
S4: of time that we believe is going to take place
S4: at the end of time. That's the place where God
S4: is pouring out his wrath. When we talk about the rapture.
S4: The rapture is the rescue of the Bride of Christ
S4: up to God prior to him pouring out his wrath.
S4: So the pre-trib rapture view says that believers are rescued
S4: before God begins those sealed judgments and revelation chapter six.
S4: Much in the same way that the angels rescued lot
S4: before God's wrath came down. So the pattern in Scripture
S4: is sort of God is rescues as his own before
S4: he pours out his wrath, but he does not necessarily
S4: save us from man's wrath. So the pre-trib use, as
S4: it happens before the mid-term review says, in the middle
S4: of that period of time that three and a half
S4: years in bow and Antichrist and acts the mark of
S4: the beast, that right then is where the church is raptured.
S4: They see God's wrath beginning there and then. The post
S4: Trib view says that the rapture occurs at the very
S4: end of the tribulation period, that seven year time where
S4: Jesus returns to snatch his bride up, take her to heaven.
S4: They turn right back around and come straight back down
S4: to earth at the second coming of Christ at Armageddon.
S4: So three very distinct views. Obviously only one view can
S4: be right. And this is an issue that we certainly
S4: don't want to divide the body of Christ over. However,
S4: if it's important enough to study and if it means
S4: that we get delivered from God's wrath, it certainly is
S4: something that every believer should investigate.
S1: Okay, you have opened up that that can of worms there,
S1: so to speak. How can Christians interact in a Christ
S1: like way with those who share different beliefs about the
S1: rapture and tribulation than we do?
S4: I think, number one, realizing that it's not a salvific issue.
S4: In other words, it doesn't determine a one one's eternal destiny.
S4: And so knowing, hey, you know, with a friend that
S4: may have a mid trib view, that, look, we're going
S4: to be in heaven together, regardless of your view of
S4: my view on on the end times. So that should
S4: not prevent us from having great fellowship together. And also
S4: just there are things about the end times that all
S4: three of those views agree on, which is Jesus will
S4: come back at his second coming and then set up
S4: his millennial kingdom on the earth. So there are many
S4: points of agreement that we have is just on the
S4: timing of the rapture that we disagreed.
S1: What about the role of the Antichrist in revelation, Jeff?
S4: Well, it's huge actually. In fact, the Antichrist is the
S4: second most mentioned figure in the end times other than
S4: Jesus Christ himself. There's some hundred passages of Scripture that
S4: mention Antichrist in the Bible. So he's a he's a
S4: prime figure. He's a key character in the end times scenario.
S4: And what happens is he really dovetails into Satan's desire
S4: to establish a global governance system in the world, and
S4: for him to be ruling through that, and that, in essence,
S4: is Satan's way of placing his man of sin in
S4: a place where he can be worshiped, i.e. worship Satan
S4: as well. And so it's just Satan's long held desire
S4: to be worshipped by the world and to rule over
S4: the world. And he'll do that through the man Antichrist.
S1: Questions about revelation. We seem to have no end to them,
S1: which is why it's great to have an expert joining
S1: us today on the land. In the book, he's best
S1: selling author, Jeff Kinley, I'm John Geiger. Hey, will there
S1: be a literal thousand year reign of Christ mentioned in
S1: the book?
S5: Yeah, I.
S4: Believe there will be. In fact, revelation chapter 20 mentions
S4: the number 1006 times in seven verses. And of course,
S4: if God says something once, we should pay attention to it.
S4: But when he repeats it six times and such a
S4: small amount of time, then we should definitely pay attention
S4: to that number. So yeah, I think it's a literal
S4: seven year kingdom. And and the kingdom is mentioned all
S4: throughout the Old Testament. We don't know how long it
S4: is until we get to revelation chapter 20. So based
S4: on just a normal plain interpretation of revelation 20, I
S4: take it to be a literal 1000 years.
S1: What about the mark of the beast? With the advancement
S1: of technology and chips being implanted in people, there's all
S1: kinds of wild things going around. What do we need
S1: to know from revelation?
S4: Well, I think two things. As you know, we've talked
S4: about the mark of the beast for for many years,
S4: and people have wondered how in the world will that happen?
S4: The really two areas that right now make the mark
S4: of the beast more feasible than any other time in
S4: human history? The first is technology. The idea that you
S4: can scan someone's hand or something on someone's hand was
S4: unprecedented even 20, 30 years ago. But now with things
S4: like Amazon one, where they're scanning the the palm print
S4: of your hand and reading the vein structure behind it,
S4: there's a system, technologically speaking, in place now that can
S4: transact that economic transaction just through reading your palm. So
S4: I don't think Amazon wants the mark of the beast.
S4: But there is the. Technology there. But the second aspect
S4: of that, John, is the idea of a digital economy.
S4: In other words, in order for revelation 1316 or 18,
S4: which says that no man can buy or sell without
S4: the mark of the beast, meaning you can't pay your mortgage,
S4: you can't pay online, you can't buy a stick of gum,
S4: you can't buy food without this mark. Digitally speaking, it
S4: has to be a digital economy. And so there has
S4: to be some sort of way to transact online without
S4: actually exchanging paper or cards or anything like that. And
S4: of course, there are over 114 countries in the world
S4: right now that are on their way to implementing a
S4: digital economy, including the United States of America. So the
S4: scary thing about that is, is that once that happens,
S4: every transaction becomes traceable, becomes trackable, it becomes programmable and expendable.
S4: So in essence, becomes a control issue over everyone's money
S4: down to the penny. And Antichrist will have to have
S4: that in order to have that mark of the beast.
S1: How close do you think we are to that in
S1: the US?
S4: Well, the fed now rolled out here this June, and
S4: this is kind of the test case for banks to
S4: begin to transact in real time immediately. And of course,
S4: they're selling all the positive aspects of it. And of course,
S4: digital transactions themselves are not evil. We do that every day.
S4: In fact, over half of our transactions in America are
S4: already done digitally. The scary part is when the government
S4: gets involved and there's a potential for tyranny to have
S4: its hand in your pocketbook. And so it's being rolled
S4: out right now. It's being tested. Our current president wants
S4: there to be a central digital currency bank, where all
S4: money just flows through the same digital bank, as it were.
S4: And so yeah, we're rapidly moving towards that right now.
S1: What is the ultimate message of revelation for Christians today?
S1: What would you like our listeners to walk away from
S1: this conversation with? If it was just one thing?
S4: Yeah, I think it's just simply this, you know, the
S4: Old Testament said someone is coming. The New Testament says
S4: someone has come. The revelation says someone is coming again.
S4: And I think the message for believers are prepare yourself
S4: for the return of the bridegroom. Be ready for the
S4: wedding and for the wedding feast. And that's what revelation does.
S4: It helps us know God better and know what's going
S4: to happen so that we can prepare ourselves.
S1: What's one thing we could do to prepare ourselves well?
S4: Revelation three two says to the church at Sardis, first
S4: you have to wake up, and waking up means opening
S4: your eyes and seeing the risen Christ. In fact, that's
S4: what revelation chapter one does. And how the whole book
S4: begins is a vision of who Jesus is right now
S4: and what he's done for us. And when John looks
S4: at that vision, the Bible says he falls at his
S4: feet as a dead man. It overwhelmed him. And so
S4: it really got his attention. So I think the number
S4: one thing we need to do is believers is to
S4: look at Jesus as described in revelation chapter one.
S1: Jeff Kinley has written God's great Finale, a link to
S1: his book at our website. The land and the book Talk.
S1: Thanks for connecting today, Jeff.
S6: Thank you John. God bless.
S1: Charlie's back. He's got some questions, no surprise there, but
S1: some of the answers might just be surprising. Bible questions.
S1: Maybe one of them. Yours. Next on the land and
S1: the book. Sure good to have your company today on
S1: the land. In the book I'm John Yeager, our host, Dr.
S1: Charlie Dyer. This segment, it's about you, your thoughts, your
S1: questions about the Bible as you crack open that ultimate
S1: book of wisdom and maybe ponder a verse of Scripture
S1: that leaves you scratching your head, you can always get
S1: your question to us when you email us at The
S1: Land and the Book at Moody Edu Charlie, many of
S1: us wonder what the future holds for Israel, and while
S1: some things are uncertain, the Bible gives us an outline
S1: of what will happen in the last days.
S2: Yeah, John and our friends at Life and Messiah recently
S2: hosted a prophecy conference. Focus specifically on this topic Israel
S2: and the church living in the last days. They're now
S2: making the videos of the conference available for early access
S2: exclusively to the land. In the book listeners, you'll hear
S2: from many knowledgeable speakers on this topic, including Moody Radio
S2: host Michael Rudnick and me, Charlie Dyer. These encouraging and
S2: informative videos will help you better understand God's future plans
S2: and how we can be actively waiting to get access
S2: to this video series. Visit Life in Messiah org and
S2: click on the Moody Radio button to sign up. That's
S2: life in Messiah org.
S1: All right, let's dig into our questions for the day.
S1: Lester starts us off asking, what is a cherubim and
S1: what does it look like?
S2: By the way, a cherubim are plural for a single
S2: is a cherub, multiple are cherubim. And the best description
S2: is found in Ezekiel one, verses 5 to 14. Cherub
S2: has a general appearance of a man, it says, but
S2: with four faces and four wings. The legs are straight,
S2: but with hooves like a calf. Under its wings are
S2: the hands of a man, and having described the cherubim,
S2: Ezekiel identifies them when they reappear, then in chapter ten,
S2: and that's when he specifically tells us what they are.
S2: Now cherubim are part of the angelic order, and they
S2: appear to be the angels who are closest to God
S2: and who guard the presence and his holiness. In fact,
S2: according to Ezekiel 2816, Satan was originally a guardian cherub
S2: until he was judged for his sin. The other descriptions
S2: we have of cherubim are are the golden representations of
S2: the cherubim that were placed on the mercy seat over
S2: the ark of the covenant, and in the Holy of
S2: Holies in Solomon's Temple. These descriptions are less detailed than Ezekiel's,
S2: but we're told in Exodus 2520 that they have their
S2: wings spread upward, overshadowing the mercy seat. Now, obviously we
S2: don't have any actual pictures of cherubim, though they did
S2: appear numerous times in the Bible. One thing we do know, though,
S2: they don't look like those little chubby babies we sometimes
S2: call cherubs.
S1: All right, here's a question from Alan. He says, I
S1: have some questions on John chapter 14. Jesus says, in
S1: my father's house are many mansions. I've heard two opinions
S1: on the meaning of my father's house. One commentary said
S1: it refers to the New Jerusalem, while another said it
S1: refers to the entire universe that God created. Could my
S1: father's house be the entire created universe, including all the galaxies?
S2: Well, I take my father's house in John 14 to
S2: refer to the New Jerusalem, and I base it in
S2: part on Hebrews chapter 12, in verses 22 to 24.
S2: There the New Jerusalem is said to be the abode
S2: of God and Jesus and angels, the church, the Old
S2: Testament saints, and the souls of righteous made perfect. In
S2: John 14, Jesus is talking about his father's house, and
S2: he also says this is where he will be. He
S2: tells the disciples, where I am, there you may be also.
S2: The New Jerusalem does come down to earth at the
S2: end of the millennium, but it is in existence now.
S2: And I take it that that's where the dwelling places
S2: are that Jesus is preparing for us.
S1: The land and the book from Moody Radio is what
S1: you're listening to. Questions and answers are focused with host Dr.
S1: Charlie Dyer. I'm John Geiger with this question from Todd.
S1: He says, I received a letter from a friend who
S1: has come to disbelieve the Bible. He has several objections,
S1: including what he claims is academic consensus that the Pentateuch
S1: is composed of multiple strands of stories that weren't compiled
S1: until the exile period, and that the early events are historical.
S1: He also believes Daniel couldn't have been written until the
S1: second century, based on the kind of language used and
S1: the prophecies that it makes. I'm not sure how to
S1: counter these assertions. Can you help?
S2: Well, what your friend has done is throw a bunch
S2: of mud against the wall, hoping that some of it
S2: will stick, and whether he was taught some of this
S2: at university or read it in books. The reality is
S2: that those objections have actually been answered quite convincingly. Now,
S2: for the sake of time, let me just pick up
S2: a few of them. His argument against the Pentateuch, based
S2: on an old, now discredited theory often called the documentary hypothesis,
S2: which says the Pentateuch was constructed from four or more
S2: different sources, often called J, E, D, and P, and
S2: finally stitched together during or after the Babylonian exile. Now,
S2: a book called The Documentary Hypothesis and the composition of
S2: the Pentateuch by a Jewish scholar named Humberto Kazuto presents
S2: a clear and compelling critique of the GDP theory. Another
S2: book was written. It's titled Before Abraham. M was by
S2: two professors at UC Berkeley, and the discovery of two
S2: amulets at Katif, home by Jerusalem, also causes a problem.
S2: In fact, let me talk about that just a second.
S2: These two amulets are from the First Temple period, and
S2: they contain quotations from numbers. Chapter six, the ironic benediction,
S2: which supposedly is part of the document which wasn't written
S2: until the exile. And yet, here's some amulets found before
S2: the exile, quoting something that supposedly hasn't yet been written. Now,
S2: the Greek loanwords in Daniel, they're actually musical instruments, and
S2: a scholar named Edwin Yamauchi has shown that musical instruments
S2: were imported and exported throughout the Middle East long before
S2: the time of Daniel. The reality that Daniel identified Belshazzar
S2: as ruling in Babylon was actually lost by the second
S2: century in the writings of others, but here in the
S2: past century or so, documents from Babylon were uncovered showing
S2: Daniel was correct. But the real problem the friend has
S2: is the issue of predictive prophecy. Can God predict the future,
S2: including the rise of Persia, Greece and Rome? And if
S2: he can, there's no problem with those countries being named,
S2: since that's exactly what God is claiming to do in
S2: those passages. Now, the bottom line is that every objection
S2: raised by your friend has a solid answer. A good
S2: book to recommend as evidence that demands a verdict by
S2: Josh McDowell. You might want to buy a copy to
S2: share with him and also get a copy for yourself.
S2: It's really good.
S1: Mary writes the church I attend chose a Sunday school
S1: curriculum I don't like. For example, the lesson assigned to
S1: me to teach was this promise the Lord will keep
S1: you from harm. The key verse second Timothy four, verse
S1: 18 in the Bible story about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
S1: The point was that God kept them from harm and
S1: used second Timothy four, verse 18. The Lord will deliver
S1: me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely
S1: to his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever
S1: and ever. But Second Timothy is Paul's swan song. Before
S1: his execution, wasn't Paul more concerned about his heart attitude
S1: toward the Lord?
S2: Well, your concerns are right on target. Shadrach, Meshach, and
S2: Abednego were convinced God would save them from death. He
S2: says the God we serve is able to save us
S2: from the blazing furnace, and he will rescue us from
S2: your hand, O King. However, they did acknowledge that even
S2: if he doesn't, we want you to know we will
S2: not serve your gods. But the point of the story
S2: is they had faith that God could physically deliver them
S2: from death. Now, second Timothy four Paul knows he's soon
S2: going to be executed, and he says in four six,
S2: the time has come for my departure. And though God
S2: stood by him during his first defense before Caesar, Paul
S2: knew the order for his execution would eventually be given.
S2: So in verse 18, he is saying that God will
S2: deliver him through death and bring me safely to his
S2: heavenly kingdom. When teaching this, the best approach is to
S2: talk through the two stories and have the people note
S2: the similarities and differences. You know, both accounts are a
S2: believers remaining faithful during times of persecution, but then you
S2: can note that the three friends were rescued from death
S2: while Paul found deliverance through death. In both cases, God
S2: provided deliverance. But that doesn't mean his followers won't experience
S2: death or martyrdom. I'm not sure if that's the lesson
S2: they're trying to give in the literature, but it's the
S2: lesson I see when you compare those two passages.
S1: Donna comments I recently saw a documentary about how we
S1: got our Bible, particularly the Old Testament, and I was
S1: wondering where the Dead Sea Scrolls used in translating any
S1: of our modern translations, and if so, which ones?
S2: Well, I believe most modern translations do use the Dead
S2: Sea Scrolls in their attempt to arrive at the most
S2: accurate Hebrew text for translation. Now, here's how the 1984
S2: and IV translators explained it. They actually wrote this in
S2: their preface to the translation for the Old Testament. The
S2: standard Hebrew text, the Masaryk text, as published in the
S2: latest edition to Biblical Hebraic, was used throughout the text,
S2: and then they add the Dead Sea Scrolls contain material
S2: bearing on an earlier stage of the Hebrew text. They
S2: were consulted, as were in any list. Some other ancient
S2: sources as well. I remember from my time in seminary
S2: that there were times when the Septuagint translation and the
S2: Dead Sea Scrolls seemed to suggest a different reading for
S2: a passage other than the traditional mass text. It didn't
S2: happen too often, but those are the places where the
S2: translators would explore all the different ancient sources to try
S2: to determine which seems to match best what the original
S2: author wrote. Now, unfortunately, it's difficult to discover those variations
S2: in our English translations, and the NIV. They'll usually appear
S2: as a footnote under the text and will say something
S2: like or. And then they'll have an alternate reading in italics.
S2: But you don't know if the alternative readings from the
S2: Dead Sea Scrolls or the Master Attic text, or some
S2: other ancient source. To find that, you really need to
S2: know how to read the textual apparatus in the biblical Hebraic.
S2: And let me tell you, that's not an easy task.
S2: And frankly, it's not worth the effort because most of
S2: what we have is very accurate.
S1: Todd asks, do we have extra biblical examples of hematite
S1: being used in a concrete sense of missing the mark,
S1: as in archery or the like?
S2: Yeah, the word hammer is the word for sin and an.
S2: It had the idea of missing the mark or failing
S2: to achieve a standard. It was used in the time
S2: of Homer to refer to a warrior who hurled a spear,
S2: but failed to strike his foe. It was also used
S2: to refer to someone who missed his way, and of
S2: a poet who sought to attain results beyond the limits
S2: of his art. By the time the words used in
S2: the Septuagint and the New Testament, it took on a
S2: more definite religious character, meaning to air or to sin.
S1: Well, it's always a great experience to connect with your
S1: questions and Charlie's answers. We're not done yet. One more segment.
S1: It's Charlie's devotional coming up right here. Well, like just
S1: about anything else in life, Thanksgiving comes with a list
S1: of do's and don'ts. Yeah, there are probably some rules,
S1: written or unwritten, that we should follow. As our host, Dr.
S1: Charlie Dyer, is about to share in his devotional. Charlie,
S1: what do we mean by do's and don'ts?
S2: Oh, those are the things your parents tell you before
S2: you arrive at the grandparents house. Know. Make sure you
S2: do this and make sure you don't do that.
S7: Yeah.
S1: All right. We'll get to that devotional after we hear
S1: this Holy Land experience. I love these testimonials. Here's another.
S8: Hi, I'm Paul Lange. I actually was invited to come
S8: with my wife by friends of ours who have been
S8: before with Moody, and we turned them down twice, but
S8: they prevailed on us and we did agree to go.
S8: And it is a life changing experience. I think the
S8: reality of what God is doing in such a small place,
S8: again and again and again, all throughout history, just to
S8: save us is just the most remarkable thing. And then
S8: to see that history unfold in front of us and
S8: to hear about it from experts, it is just a
S8: remarkable thing. It will change me forever.
S9: My name is Joyce Pappas, and my experience with what
S9: the Bible so far has been getting to know the
S9: Lord and him teaching me on the level that I
S9: was ready for. And now I can understand things on
S9: such a greater level and have so much more communication
S9: with him and reading through the Bible, knowing where he's been,
S9: knowing where all these events have happened, I can experience
S9: them at a deeper level and get even more out
S9: of all the messages that he has for me. I'm
S9: just so excited to have a whole new world open
S9: up to me.
S10: My name is Wayne Steadman and just finishing my second
S10: trip to Israel, and I'm absolutely struck by the reality
S10: of the presence of God in this small land. In
S10: the second visit, there's just it's just become so clear
S10: that in this small land, God came here first and
S10: he's still very present, and we know he's with us everywhere.
S10: But if you want to find God in a footprint,
S10: come to Israel.
S1: Psalm 95 is our text today. Appropriately enough, our topic
S1: is Thanksgiving. Charlie, what you got for us?
S2: Well, thanks, John. I remember as a child going to
S2: my grandparents house for Thanksgiving dinner. The kids would play
S2: outside while the ladies helped prepare the turkey and all
S2: the other salads and side dishes. And there were certain
S2: rules of etiquette my parents reminded me of on the
S2: way to Grammie and Grandpa's, and then quietly reminded me
S2: of again before we actually sat down to eat. You know,
S2: in addition to the standard no shouting, no reaching out
S2: and grabbing for food and make sure you finish what's
S2: on your plate. There were other Thanksgiving specific rules. Make
S2: sure you eat the Lima beans in addition to the
S2: turkey dressing and mashed potatoes. Only dip your vegetables, not
S2: your fingers, in the salt cellar or the salt dish
S2: by your plate, and perhaps the most repeated and the
S2: hardest to obey. Don't just try to scoop out the
S2: maraschino cherries from the ambrosia salad. It was a great
S2: meal in spite of all the rules for the kids. Now,
S2: as we grow up, the specific rules change. But the
S2: overall concept still remains the same. There are still some
S2: do's and don'ts we're expected to observe on Thanksgiving, and
S2: God has specific do's and don'ts for his children as
S2: they approach him in Thanksgiving. So this coming week, as
S2: we head into Thanksgiving, let's go back over the house
S2: rules set up by God in Psalm 95 to help
S2: us remember how to act. The psalmist begins in the
S2: first two verses of that psalm by reminding us why
S2: we're gathering together. Come, let us sing for joy to
S2: the Lord. Let us shout aloud to the rock of
S2: our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving, and
S2: extol him with music and song. The psalmist uses two
S2: different words to encourage us to gather before the Lord,
S2: whom he describes as the rock of our salvation. Like
S2: a solid, immovable peak rising from the valley floor, God
S2: is the place we can flee to avoid the devastating
S2: floods of life when they sweep. By now, I like
S2: the expression, let us come before him with thanksgiving, and
S2: before him is literally his face picturing God's presence. And
S2: the word for thanks is the Hebrew word toda. It's
S2: the Jewish expression used today to say thank you to someone.
S2: We're to stand before the very presence of God, look
S2: to him and say thank you. But why are we
S2: to thank God? Well, verse three says we're to do
S2: so because of who he is. For the Lord is
S2: the great God, the great King above all gods. God
S2: is to be praised and thanked because he is great
S2: when it says, God is the great King above all gods.
S2: The writer isn't suggesting there are actually other gods. What
S2: he's saying is that while other nations might worship idols,
S2: the God of Israel was infinitely superior to any supposed rival.
S2: But we're not just to be thankful for who God is,
S2: we're also to be thankful because of what God has done.
S2: In his hand are the depths of the earth, and
S2: the mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is his,
S2: for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.
S2: From the ocean depths to the highest mountain peak. God
S2: created and controls all the earth. In verses six and seven,
S2: the psalmist changes his theme just slightly. We're not just
S2: gathering to thank God for who he is and what
S2: he's done. We're also gathering to worship him for his
S2: care and protection over us. Come, let us bow down
S2: and worship. Let us kneel before the Lord our maker,
S2: for he is our God, and we are the people
S2: of his pasture, the flock under his care. There are
S2: three main verbs in these verses that point to us
S2: humbling ourselves or getting low before God. The word for
S2: worship means to bow down, and it's used with the
S2: second word for bowing down, along with another word that
S2: means to kneel. When we recognize God's greatness and his
S2: care for us, it causes us to bow in humble submission.
S2: We're like sheep under the protection of the ultimate good
S2: and great Shepherd. Now, while the first half of this
S2: psalm has all the positive instructions, the do's of our thanksgiving,
S2: if you will, the remainder of the Psalm switches and
S2: focuses on the don'ts of our relationship during this Thanksgiving season.
S2: In the remaining verses, the psalmist focuses on the bad
S2: example of Israel in the wilderness today. If you hear
S2: his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did
S2: at Maraba and as you did that day at Massah
S2: in the desert, the psalmist takes his readers back to
S2: Exodus 17, when Israel camped at RAF Edem. Here's a
S2: summary of that chapter. There's no water. So they quarreled
S2: with Moses and said, give us water to drink. And
S2: they grumbled against Moses. After this incident, the place was
S2: called Massa and Maraba. Testing and quarreling. If you truly
S2: acknowledge God as being both great and good, and being
S2: the Shepherd who cares for you, then guard against putting
S2: God to the test, or arguing with him and complaining
S2: about what you see as the places where he's failed you.
S2: By not meeting all your demands. In the final three verses,
S2: the writer switches perspective instead of one human exhorting another human. Come.
S2: Let us. God himself begins to speak and his message
S2: is one of warning. This is the. Don't scoop out
S2: the maraschino cherries from the ambrosia part of the psalm.
S2: The command is simple and direct. Do not harden your hearts.
S2: God explains how this worked itself out in the lives
S2: of those in the wilderness. They were a people whose
S2: hearts go astray and who have not known my ways.
S2: The people drifted off course morally and spiritually because they
S2: didn't come to know intimately God's ways. The word God
S2: uses for ways is Derek, which is used to describe
S2: a roadway or a pathway. They failed to pay close
S2: attention to the pathway of righteousness God had laid out
S2: for them in His word. As a result, the path
S2: they chose for themselves led them astray, and the consequences
S2: for the nation were devastating. So I declared on oath
S2: of my anger, they shall never enter my rest. An
S2: entire generation died off in the wilderness, never able to
S2: enter the place of blessing promised to them by God.
S2: So what's the point of Psalm 95 for us as
S2: we get ready to gather this coming Thursday? I can
S2: summarize it in three brief commands celebrate, submit, or suffer
S2: the consequences. The majority of the Psalm is a reminder
S2: for us to sing, shout joyfully, and come into God's
S2: presence with thanksgiving. This is a day to remember who
S2: God is and all he has done for us. But
S2: with great privilege also comes great responsibility. We're also to
S2: willingly submit, bow down, and kneel before our sovereign King.
S2: To remember he's the good Shepherd, and we're the sheep
S2: of his hand. But if we refuse to submit and
S2: instead harden our hearts, complain about his actions, and put
S2: him to the test, then we can expect to see
S2: the other side of our God. Those who shake their
S2: fist at God and refuse to bend the knee will
S2: discover that God will eventually abandon them to the consequences
S2: of their own choices. Those who deliberately choose to follow
S2: their path, rather than submitting to his will, not enter
S2: into his place of rest. So what's the secret to
S2: a restful, blessed Thanksgiving? Celebrate, submit and choose to follow
S2: the Lord. Oh yeah, and make sure not to scoop
S2: out the maraschino cherries from the ambrosia salad. Have a
S2: great Thanksgiving.
S1: Thank you, Charlie, and I'll watch the cherries. Well, today's
S1: program has been a full one. You can hear it
S1: all again at the land and the book org. Happy
S1: Thanksgiving to you and your family. On behalf of our host,
S1: Charlie Dyer and Dan Anderson, I'm John Geiger. The land
S1: in the book is a production of Moody Radio, a
S1: ministry of Moody Bible Institute.