Hello, friends. It's time for the second hour of Open Line with me. Michael Zelnick. This is Moody Radio's Bible Study Across America, where we're taking your questions about the Bible, God, and the spiritual life. I'm, uh, my name, as I said, is Michael Zelnick. I'm the academic dean here at Moody Bible Institute. I teach Jewish studies and Bible, and we're live today sitting around the radio kitchen table talking about your questions. So it's time to give me a call.
People often say, when can I get my call in? I'd like to call, but it's always busy at the beginning of the hour. Right now is the time to call (877) 548-3675. That's (877) 548-3675. Beginning of the hour's best time to call. That's a trick. There's some guy that always wanted to call. I always think it's funny. He wanted to call from Florida every week. A minute before the program began, I would see the flashing light over there. He was calling. He knew the beginning of the hour.
That's when to call. (877) 548-3675. If you can't call, just go to our website, Open Line radio.org. You can scroll down. You'll see a link there. It says Ask Michael a question. You click on that. And that will take you to a page where you can post your question. And Trish will put it in the mailbag, and then we'll talk about it on the air. So that's open line radio.org. All the other links there I think you'll find helpful as well. Uh anyway, I hope you have your Bible open.
Hope you have a second cup of coffee, because we're ready to talk about the scriptures. And we're going to talk with Roger in Minnesota, listening on KBW and also listening on the Moody Radio app. Welcome to Open Line. Roger. How can I help you today?
Um, thank you for taking my call. Um, I had a thing happen to me. I was on Facebook about a week ago or so, and I was I posted a couple of positive things about the election, and, uh, a classmate that I haven't really talked to since high school popped on, and he started saying that I was crazy. And, uh, the president elect has the Antichrist. And so that triggered me thinking. I started asking him, well, how do you know about the Antichrist? Have you been reading the Bible?
And he said, no, I don't read that stuff. And I gave him my testimony and he says, well, you're believing a lie. And I said that, um, no, I'm not believing a lie. And I told him about a couple of miracles in particular that.
Well, Roger, Roger, Roger, just just go ahead with a question, if that's okay.
Oh. I'm sorry. Okay. Um, uh, it turns out that he mellowed out and put a heart up. And he said, I see where you're coming from. I've been hard on you. And I said that, well, I, um, I want to reach out to you. And, um, where do I go from here without saying something stupid or, you know, and but using scripture.
So now that's not the question we have on the, on the screen here. Uh, okay.
I'm kind of nervous about the whole thing too, but.
Okay. Uh, let me ask you this. What I would do is always maintain a relationship. I'll answer the question you asked. Maintain a relationship. I like to think, uh, it's really important when we share our faith to do it. I like an agricultural model. You know, the first thing you do when you're going to grow something is you break up the soil, you, you, and then you sow seed in it. And then the third part is so you have cultivation of the soil, sowing the seed, weeding it.
And then finally reaping, letting it grow and reaping a harvest. So the the first part of cultivating the soil is with relationship of friendship. That's it. That's what what breaks up the soil and allows the seed to be sown. So I would start with keeping that relationship open. Keep talking with him. Uh, periodically raise a flag, identify as a believer, talk about an answer to prayer. Talk about something God is doing in your life and see if he is wanting to hear more. If he is, then
what you get to do is sow seed. Uh, well, arguing is probably not the best, but it depends. You know, I, I had a relationship with Hilda Kozar and we argued through the scriptures. Uh, you look at acts 17, Paul argued in the synagogues over whether or not Jesus is the Messiah. So it's not hostilely arguing, but engaging with each other. That's, I think, important. One of the things when when you sow seed, the very first thing that happens is weeds come up. That's objections. And that's when
you you clear out those weeds. You're answering those objections which could be perceived by some as arguing, but just answering those objections. And then finally, when you'll perceive when a person's getting ready, you ask them what's keeping them from trusting in Jesus. And they might say this or that. You might answer those objections, but, you know, give them time, and that will be the way to encourage someone to
make a decision. If they say, I can't think of anything keeping me from trusting in Jesus, then you say, well, let's do that right now. How about that? So and by the way, if you're listening and people have been sowing seed in your life, what's keeping you from trusting in Jesus right now? All you have to do is tell them, I know I've done things wrong, but God sent the Messiah, Jesus, who died for my sins and rose again put my trust. I put my trust in him.
And if you'll do that right now, there should be nothing keeping you from doing that if you put your trust in him. I just love it. A forever. A forever forgiven relationship with God taking us through this life and into the next. What a great, great privilege. So anyway, thanks for your call, Roger. Really appreciate it. Uh, we're going to talk with Alice in Pompano, Pompano Beach, Florida, listening on Wrnb. Welcome to Open Line. Alice. How can I help you?
Hi. I just had two points I wanted to make and see if you agree with them. The first is on repentance, and people seem to extend it out to mean something besides change your mind. The Bible says God repented. So as far as I'm concerned, you know in either language it would be change your mind. But the other thing is um, regarding salvation. Like people say, it's God's gift, but they don't give him full credit for the payment. They think they have to commit their lives to follow Christ.
Ask them in their heart. Confess like those things are for service. They have nothing to do with free salvation. When you believe, you get salvation.
Okay, Alice, let me just explain. Uh, first of all, what repentance is. Repentance in the New Testament means change your mind. So, for example, in acts three, when, uh, speaking to a crowd of Jewish people who had rejected Jesus, Peter says, repent, change your mind. You rejected him as Messiah. Accept him now as the Messiah. So that's metanoia. There's another word that's used both in the Hebrew Bible of turn and in the in the New Testament as well,
means to turn. And what that refers to is turn away from what you used to trust and turn to the one you do you now trust. So faith and repentance are two sides of the same coin. I think a great example of that usage is in First Thessalonians chapter one, where it talks about Paul's describing the Thessalonians, and he talks about how they came to faith. And what he says is that they turned from idols. Here
it is. Ready. Uh, they said he says in verse nine, first Thessalonians one nine for they they themselves report what kind of reception we had from you, how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his son. So what did they do? They turned to God. But what did they also do?
They turned away from idols. And so, in a sense, faith is turning to God, trusting in what Jesus has provided, his death and his resurrection And repentance is turning away from that which we used to trust our own good deeds, our own righteousness, anything like that. Okay. I appreciate the call, Alice. Uh, thanks so much. Uh, we're going to talk to, uh, Wilburn in Akron, Ohio, listening on Wkjf. Welcome to Open Line. Wilburn.
Yes. How are you doing, doctor? Uh, I know it may be early. Happy hanukkah. Thank you. Shalom. Thank you. Yeah.
To you as well.
My question. Okay. My question is from Galatians when God says the Bible says Paul, God is not mocked. We must show what we reap. So the reaping process. Now, do we do that on our own, or can God still be with us? Or just like since we don't mock God, you know, like he just leaves us, you know, like to reap whatever it is, whether it's good or bad on our own.
Well, sir.
I don't think reaping is something that we choose to do. Here's what the let's read the whole verse. So you see what it's saying. It says, don't be deceived. God is not mocked. Whatever a man sows, he will also reap. Well, what is he talking about? Sowing? Because the one who sows to his flesh will reap corruption from the flesh, but the one who sows to the spirit will reap eternal life from the spirit. So the the point is that what are we feeding in our lives? Are we
feeding our spirit or that's sowing? Are we feeding, uh, our flesh? Uh, what are we inputting? You know, the old computer principle. Garbage in, garbage out. That's all this is. If we if we if we fill our mind with trash, watch movies that are corrupting. If we read books that harm us, if we, uh, spend, I think a lot of time on the internet. The result will be it will corrupt our souls. The consequence? That's what we we. That's what reaping is. What's the consequence of that? Our
behavior will reflect that corruption. However, if we read scripture, if we renew our minds, if we listen to spiritual music, if we, uh, if we input into our mind things that are of value, like Philippians four talks about anything of excellence, then what will will have a harvest of righteousness and eternal life? So that's that's what that's talking about. So appreciate the call. Wilburn. Thank you so much. We're going to take a break here. When we come back
we'll talk about your questions. Again the number (877) 548-3675. My name is Michael Radonich. This is open line on the Moody Radio. All across Moody Radio. So stay with us. We'll be right back.
Emmanuel. Emmanuel. Emmanuel. Emmanuel. Wonderful counselor, Lord of life. Lord of all. He is the Prince of Peace.
Ah! One of my favorite passages from Scripture put to song Isaiah nine six. Uh, and that's actually one of the passages we'll be studying when we do a special Christmas Bible study. It'll be Chris favorite, and Tricia McMillan and Eva Wright and me will be studying passages from the Book of Isaiah that foretell the coming of the Messiah. That'll be one of them. I hope you'll be listening. A couple of weeks from now on, a special pre-recorded open line. Uh, also, uh, I it's kind of like
carols here at Moody Bible Institute this weekend. It's one of the great productions that Moody does. We love it here. And it's just wonderful. And, uh, one of the encouraging things is I met some kitchen table partners on the Journeys of Paul tour that I went on in September, and they are going to they drove up from other states and they are here for the weekend, and they're going to Candlelight Carols, and I'm going to meet up with some of our kitchen table partners tonight. I'm pretty
excited about that. What's a kitchen table partner? It's people who commit to give monthly so we can stay on the air weekly. And one of the things I like to do is I send every other week a special Bible study moment right into their mailbox, their email box, and then they click on that, get to hear a little Bible study for about 5 or 7 minutes. and I love producing those. Eva helps me with those quite a bit. She'll join me for these little Bible studies.
We have a good time talking about it, and it's just a way of saying thank you. And by the way, people who commit to a $30 a month commitment for the the kitchen table partner, you get 50% off of the entire Moody Publishers catalog. What a great opportunity. That'd be a great thing to do even today. I mean, it's Christmas season and wow, that you you can do all your Christmas shopping if you become a kitchen table
partner like that. So anyway, I really want to encourage you if that's something you'd like to do, uh, please don't hesitate. All you have to do is go to Openline radio.org, uh, and you'll see a link there about how to become a kitchen table partner. Or you can call 7122. That's (888) 644-7122. We're going to go right back to the phones now. Uh, we're going to talk to Barbara in Chicago listening on Wmbi, our flagship station. Welcome to Open Line. Barbara. Hi.
Thank you. Michael, um, I was wondering when the angel came to Mary and told her that she should call her son Jesus. Is that the origin of the name? Uh, is it the Greek origin? Because I know the Jews call Jesus Yeshua. Why aren't we calling Jesus Yeshua too?
Well, in the event, I'm sure the angels spoke Aramaic or Hebrew with Mary and said, Yeshua, because that's the Hebrew name. Uh, it's like Joshua. That's really that's really what it is. Yehoshua uh, or shortened form Yeshua salvation. And so that's what I'm sure was said, however, when the Gospels were written in Greek.
I don't have my phone right now.
We're at a drive up window right now. There we are. So. Okay, Barbara. So when the Bibles were written in Greek, they the gospel was written. The Gospels were written in Greek. They used the name Jesus, which is the Greek word for Yeshua. They just used the Greek word, the Greek transliteration Jesus. And then when it was translated into English, Jesus became Jesus. That's it. It's it's just going from one language to another language to another language. And that's how it goes
from Yeshua to Jesus to Jesus. That's what we've got. And, uh, you know, I feel comfortable calling him Yeshua. That's probably if it wouldn't shock everyone in the radio audience, I would probably call him Yeshua 100% of the time, because that's even when I read my Bible and I see Jesus, I see Yeshua. When I see Christ, I say Messiah. That's that's just natural to me. Partially because I was raised in a Jewish home. And honestly, I thought the name Jesus Christ was a first and a last name.
You know, like Joseph, Christ, Mary, Christ. And they had a little baby boy named Jesus Christ. I didn't have any idea that Christ meant Messiah. So when I first heard the gospel and heard that the name or the title Christus meant Messiah, I'm like, ah! And I really prefer that because that's who I was looking for. I was looking for the Messiah. Every Jewish person is longing for the coming of the Messiah. So but, you know, I kind of adapt to the culture of our listeners.
And I say the Lord Jesus and and I'm happy with that. Uh, you know, God understands whatever word we use. That's fine. Now, I will caution you. There's a lot of people out there saying that his Hebrew name is Yeshua, and that is a corruption. It is not right. It's they say it's the combination of the your the name of God, Yahweh and Shua, which I don't know what they're saying it is. That's not what it's Yeshua. Uh, y e s uh y e lead to it again.
Y e s h ü and that's that's what I would, uh, you know, if you're going to call him by his Hebrew name. That's it. Okay.
Okay. Thank you so much, Michael.
Yeah. Thank you so much for calling Barbara. Uh, Randy in Indiana, listening on WGN. Ah, welcome to Open Line. How can I help you?
Hey. Good morning Michael. Thank you for taking my call. I have a question for you. I'm sort of, uh, learning Christian. And, uh, when we get to heaven, are we going to know, like, our parents? Are we going to recognize them as our parents, or are we going to recognize our siblings or grandfather or grandmother? Uh, that sort of, uh, confusing to me a little bit there. Well.
I'll give you a couple of reasons why I think, yes, we will recognize people, uh, in Luke 16. And it's a parable. I recognize this the parable of Lazarus and the rich man. But the rich man, even though he is separated from Lazarus and and suffering, whereas Lazarus is finding comfort at Abraham's bosom, the the rich man recognizes Abraham as Abraham. People say, how did he know it was Abraham? I maybe name tags, I don't know. But
the thing is, he was recognizable. And also in First Thessalonians chapter four, it talks about the great reunion that's going to take place when the dead in Christ shall rise first, and we who are alive and remain are translated, and we'll meet them in the air, and so will be together with them forever. So it does appear that there's a great reunion that happens at the rapture. And so I think that when we if we die and go to heaven, we see them before that rapture that yes,
indeed will will recognize them. Okay.
Well, I appreciate that. Thank you very much.
Thank you for asking. Uh, call again. Thanks a lot. Uh, we're we're going to talk with Adrian in Florida listening on R&;B. Welcome to Open Line. Adrian.
Hi. Thank you for taking my call. Um, I was just reading how God spoke through Nathan to David when he said, I will build you a house. And then with the incident with Bathsheba. I was just wondering why God never spoke to David directly where he was a man after his own heart. But then he spoke to Solomon and other kings that that weren't as close to to God as David.
Well, he didn't really speak to Solomon. He spoke to Solomon in a dream.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
So there's only one prophet through to whom God spoke face to face. That was Moses and Moses was promised that God would send a prophet like him to Israel. That would be the Messiah, the Lord Jesus. Deuteronomy 18 predicts that. And so why it is that he chose to speak to David through a prophet, but chose to speak to Solomon through a dream? No clue. Uh, you know, uh, I don't think there's anything in Scripture that would tell us why, other than God is sovereign and decides to
do whatever he wants to do. Okay.
Okay. Yeah. Okay. Thank you.
Yeah. Okay. Thanks for calling, Adrian. Appreciate it. Uh, Joni in Nashville, Tennessee. Welcome, listener. Welcome to Open Line. How can I help you today?
Um, yeah.
I was I've been listening, and I am just very curious. Where did evil come from? Has it always existed? Just like God?
No evil. Evil is not tangible, you know.
Well, neither. Neither is God at this point.
Well, the what I mean, he's not evil, is not a being, is what I'm saying. Uh oh.
Okay.
You know.
Uh, God is an eternal being, and he always existed. Uh, in fact, there was no such thing as a beginning until God created beginnings. Uh, but where did.
Evil come from?
Well.
You know, uh, I'll do my best to try to answer that. I'm not sure that anyone has the best answer for that. Uh, but God isn't the author of evil. Uh, and, uh, and that's really important, uh, for us to know that God, God didn't create evil. Okay. Uh, Now it does say in Isaiah 45 that this is a verse that some people cite as God creating evil. Uh, it says in Isaiah 45, um, I got to look it up. Uh, that in verse seven it says, I form light.
And.
Create darkness. I make success and create. And the Hebrew word is there for evil. So God creates evil. People say, but in context it just means disasters that God is in charge of even of of of the tumults in the world. If there's a tsunami or something like that, that God is still in charge of that. Uh, so I don't think God created moral evil. This is how I understand where it came from in Ezekiel 28. This
is the beginning of evil. Uh, its its first talking to the king of tyre, and then it goes to the power behind the king of tyre, which was Satan. And it says the reason I know its not the king of tyre any longer. It says you were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
Can you tell me where you are? Ezekiel 28.
What?
Verse 12 God says to the king, are you there?
Yeah.
Okay. You are the seal of perfection, full of wisdom, perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God. Well, the King of tyre never was in the Garden of Eden. Uh, so this is talking to to the one behind him. Uh, every kind of precious stone covered you, and it mentions them. Uh, and then it says in verse 14 you were an anointed guardian cherub. So he was an angelic being. For I had appointed you. You were on the holy mountain of God. You walked among the fiery stones from the
day you were created. This is verse 15. You were blameless in your ways until wickedness was found in you. Where did that come from? It came from Lucifer, from this evil one. God didn't create that. It was found in him. Did God allow it? Obviously. But that's the first. That's the beginning of evil, as far as I can tell, was when Satan fell.
Okay. Okay.
All right. So. Well, my, my, that's that's perfect. And I've read that passage and that's kind of what I had thought. But then when, I don't know, I was listening to you talk to other people, and the whole subject of evil came up, and I was thrown for a loop. Yeah. I always thought that evil was like it wasn't a thing, but it. But it has to exist. Just like a hole exists in dirt, but without the dirt, there's no hole.
Yeah, the thing is that it didn't exist before Satan fell. So don't don't know how it happened. You know, I just I know that we don't have every answer. I'll give you Deuteronomy 2929. Why don't you look that up? I'll read it when we come back. Thanks for your call, Johnny. I really appreciate it. We'll be right back with more of your questions. Right here on Open Line.
With Michael Radelet. Oh, man named John the.
Baptist had been heralding the news about the coming of a savior for both the Gentiles.
And the Jews. And it happened in Judea, in the town of Bethlehem.
With a bright star or the stable.
Well, there's that great song by Kathy Mattea. Check out her Christmas album. One of the best Christmas albums I think ever made. And it's a great reminder he came. That song begins by talking that the Messiah came for both the Gentiles and the Jews. And I want to encourage you to remember that when the Lord Jesus came, he was the light to the Gentiles and the glory of his people, Israel. So.
Amen.
Tahira Haynes is going to join me in just a moment with the mailbag. I did want to remind us all about Deuteronomy uh, 29, verse 29. Uh, the last caller, I said, there's some things that we have to just trust God to know. Deuteronomy 2929. The hidden things belong to the Lord our God, but the revealed things belong to us and to our children forever, so that we may know and follow all the words of this instruction. Now what is this saying? Some things God knows and
we'll never know. But he revealed what we need to know. He revealed that we need to choose good and reject the evil. He didn't reveal where evil came from. I just am drawing what I can from Scripture and I won't go further than that. Don't go beyond that which is written, is what Paul says. Uh, one of the interesting things I was reading, actually, this is kind of a I was reading a book with Eva about by D.L. Moody about how to study the scriptures. And, uh, D.L.
Moody told the this story about a guy named, uh, Talmadge. Uh, here's what he says. Talmadge was bothering professor DeWitt with questions about the Bible and God and and wanting to know things that couldn't be known. The professor said, Mr. Tallmadge, you'll have to let God know some things that you don't. And I love that. I love that. So there are some things we just don't know. God knows. And I'm going to be happy with that. So, uh, also, uh, I did want to mention that, you know, it's the
end of year tier. It is. Yeah. And, uh, of course, Moody is wanting to end the year, uh, doing well, uh, and as a result of that, we welcome you to help with an end of year gift to Moody Bible Institute to open line. And the way to do that is by going to our website, Open Line radio.org. And that's, I think, a really great thing. Go to Open Line radio.org. You can give there or you can call (888) 644-7122. Now what happens when we we want to say thank you
when you do that. And we will send you an excerpt from Galatians Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians of the the Moody Bible Commentary. And it is so appreciated when you give a gift. We're so glad we can give you something back and say thanks. And and so really want to encourage you if you've never given. This is a great time, end of year to help us as we close out the year. And we want to say thanks by sending you that wonderful resource that we have, uh, the excerpt
from the Moody Bible Commentary. And now to hear us hear with the with the mailbag, you have a lot of questions there. I'm sorry I had to take up your time with all those things.
No, thank you so much. And we really do love our listeners. And we could not do what we do without our listeners. So thank you, everyone. And, um, we do have some questions. Our first question is from Melanie in California, and she listens. She uses the podcast. She says, I am a listener of Moody Radio and a fellow follower of Jesus Christ. From my understanding of Scripture, Zechariah and Elizabeth are descendants from the line of Aaron, a Levite.
Elizabeth and Mary are cousins, making merry. A Levite, Joseph, Mary's husband, is from the line of David, who is from the tribe of Judah. How is Jesus considered to be from the seed of David? Well.
According to his by rights, he's got the authority to rule on the throne of David, because he was adopted by Joseph, and because he was adopted by Joseph wasn't his physical father, but adopted by him. And you can read the the lineage or the genealogy in Matthew one. And that shows where how it goes from David to Solomon, and then down all the way to Joseph. Okay. So he's the son of David, in that sense, adopted through his father, Joseph. If you read the lineage or the
genealogy in Luke three, that's really Mary's genealogy. And it says that she's from the line of David through Nathan all the way down to marry and and heli. There is Joseph's father in law. Not it says his father, but it's Ellie is actually. Or Ellie is actually the father in law of Joseph. So it has Mary's genealogy. And then it goes to Joseph. Ellie, the father of Joseph. It's the father in law of Joseph. So that's Mary's genealogy. How can Elizabeth? Elizabeth was also probably from the line
of David family of David. But she married Zechariah outside of her tribe. He was from the priestly tribe. Not not Elizabeth. Or it's possible that Elizabeth's parents, her father was a priest, and her mother had been from the line of David and married in there somewhere back that way. But, uh, likely she was from the line of David as well, the family of David, and had married into a priestly line.
Thank you for explaining that, and for tying Elizabeth into the story as well. Thank you.
Yeah.
I hope that answered it, I hope so.
Yeah. And thank you, Melanie, for that question. We have another question from Susan in Idaho who listens via Kmbi. What is the birth order of Noah's sons in Genesis 924 it says the youngest son. And is that referring to him or to the youngest grandson? Cainan?
Well.
This is one of those things where, uh, let me read you the verse. It's not talking about Cainan. Cainan was the grandson of Noah. Noah, the son of Ham. Uh, but in 918, it says Noah's sons who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Ham was the father of Canaan. So that's what we know. Shem, Ham and Japheth. People think that because Japheth is mentioned third, he's the youngest. Could be. Doesn't necessarily have to be. But then in 924 it says, uh, praise the Lord
God of Shem. Conan will be his slave. God will. I'm sorry. I'm reading the wrong verse. When Noah awoke from his drinking and learned what his youngest son had done to him, well, his youngest son clearly is Ham, the father of Canaan. That's what he had done. So maybe when the names are listed, they're not listed in birth order. That's one possibility. The other possibility is here in verse 24, Noah woke from his drinking and learned what his the Hebrew could just as well mean his
younger son, meaning younger than Shem. Okay, but not necessarily youngest. So that that could be it as well. I, I don't, I don't know what the answer is, but it's one of those two.
Thank you. Okay.
Thank you thank you Susan as well. And then also we have Lori, who sent a question via Facebook. When Satan was evicted from heaven, God allowed him to be the prince on earth. Where did the angels who were with him go? Are they also on earth tempting and terrorizing people, believers and non-believers alike?
Well, I don't know. That's not how I describe demonic works, but I think that basically most of the demons are the angels that fell with him, became demons, and they are, you know, up to their malice and malicious works. That's what they're doing. I see them right now. They've been tempting Chris, our engineer, this whole hour, uh, trying to get the right time for when we're going to come in, so. So, no, I don't think that was demons. I think that was
just normal. Uh, but, uh, The. The interesting thing is that, uh, the we don't know, there's some that are, uh, at the abyss, they're unleashed in the tribulation period, and they're bound from the time that they feld up until the future tribulation. So God bound some of them for a while. Others are active. We see them operative in the Gospels. We see demons operative, uh, in the book of Daniel, for example, Daniel chapter ten, the Prince of Persia is
a demon. Uh, an angel that fell. So that's what they're doing. They're just one third of the angels fell with Satan, and they're they're they're making trouble. That's what they're doing, by the way. You know, one of my favorite books. Have you read The Screwtape Letters?
I have not read.
That by C.S. Lewis. It's a wonderful book, and it's a fictional account of letters from a senior tempter to his nephew, a junior tempter named Wormwood. So Uncle Screwtape writes to Wormwood, his nephew, and it's all about how he should try to tempt his first of all, this man. And then finally, when he becomes a Christian, not the not the demon, but the demon has to now deal with the man becoming a Christian. And what does he try to do to harm him? And at times it's
funny and sometimes it's very insightful. Uh, it's it's a it's a great book. And I really encourage you, if you want to know the, the wiles of the enemy about what he's trying to do to us. That's a good book to read. I think it's really very good. Well, we're going to take a break here. Thank you.
Tara, thank you as well. Doctor.
Nick, that's Tara Haynes, and I'm Michael Riedel. You've been listening thus far to Open Line. We're going to come back with more of your questions right here. Uh, on the air with the with your phone calls. Uh, stay with us. This is Moody Radio's open line, and we're wishing you a happy holiday. We'll come back with more Christmas music.
In just a moment. While shepherds kept them watching over silent flocks by night. Behold, throughout the heavens the sun, the holy light. Oh, I said, go tell it on the mountain over the hills.
What a great version! That's one of the.
First songs I listened to. I was so surprised that these two Jewish guys from That's Not Them, but these two Jewish guys from New York, Simon and Garfunkel, had Go Tell It on the mountain on one of their early albums, and I'm like, hmm, I wonder why they were doing that. They just liked the folk song. But it's a great song. Uh, that the Messiah, Jesus has
indeed been born. That's what we're celebrating this whole month, not just this day or, uh, because it's Candlelight Carols at Moody or on the 24th and 25th of December. We're celebrating it every day. How great that we have a messiah. Well, uh, I failed to mention that our mailbag last time was the Febc mailbag. I want to remind people that febc Far Eastern Broadcasting Company partners with us to bring us the mailbag, and also to help
bring Open Line to you. It's a terrific organization that brings the good news to many people through media and through personal touch. Uh, they do a great job. And I really want you to check out their podcast, the Febc podcast. It's called Til All Have Heard. The way to find it is go to febc.org. Check all of that out. Also, uh, Chosen People Ministries has has got a great offer. This is the last week. You'll have it.
It's a book called The Heart of the Apostle. It's about, uh, the Apostle Paul's great heart and love for his own Jewish people. Based on Romans nine through 11, I think you're going to really enjoy it. So many people think Paul was trying to make the story of Jesus into something more palatable for the Gentiles. When Paul himself says what he was trying to do is provoke his own people to jealousy by bringing the gospel to the Gentiles. It's a great, great book, and all you have to
do to get it is go to Openline radio.org. Scroll down to where you see it. There's a link that says A free gift from Chosen People Ministries. Click on that and you'll be able to get a copy of The Heart of the Apostle. I think you're really going to like that. Now we're going to talk to Maria in Georgia, listening on the Moody Radio app. Uh, welcome, Maria. How can I help you today?
Yes. Hi. My teenage son has been bringing up the 400 years of silence between the Old and New Testament. Meant and how that affects prophecy, because he has heard that the 400 years of silence is not necessarily true. And how would we know if Isaiah was written 700 years, if we include that 400 years as part of those silent years?
You know, I have no idea what this is talking about. I don't know what in the world your son is hearing. I've not heard that. It's here's the thing. We know when the Kings were reigning and based on when the kings reigned, that's when Isaiah gave his prophecies. So, for example, uh, I don't have the exact dates in my head, but I have them written here in my Bible. Uh, Hezekiah, though, would would be right around 700 BC. And so when was Abraham Isaiah ministering to him? It was right around
700 BC. And and so we we date the book of Isaiah Somewhere around 700 BC. That's it has nothing to do with the 400 silent years. I don't know what what people are. Here's the thing. When someone comes up with something new and everything you ever heard was wrong and all that. Let me just say that's usually a sign that when everyone comes up with something innovative that no one heard of before. Likely wrong. That's all.
That's.
That's what I would say. I don't, you know, see if you can get some clarity or have your son call so I can find out more about this. Okay.
Yes.
Thank you. Okay.
Thanks, Maria. So, uh, Anne in Fort Myers, Florida, was listening on Wcqs. Welcome to open Line, Anne. How can I help you?
Thank you. Thank you for taking my call.
Um, I've been enjoying reading about Samuel. His courage and his heart for the Lord. And I came across a verse in first Samuel 227 and it says, now a man of God came to Eli and said to him, this is what the Lord says. Did I not clearly reveal myself to your father's house when when they were in Egypt under Pharaoh? And I was wondering, who is the man of the Lord? Who are they referring to, an angel or another prophet? I just was not clear on that.
The phrase man of God is a term from now. This is first. Second Samuel takes place immediately after the judges. So we think it was written then, but it was more likely written right closer to Kings, because there are books that go together first, second Samuel, first second kings. They tell one story, you know, it starts with the foil for King David. That's, uh, that that's King Saul and then King David, then King Solomon, first kings and
then second kings, the rest of the kings, and so forth. Okay, so it's a four volume set, probably written near the time of the captivity, and the term that was used for a prophet then is man of God. So it just means a prophet. Uh, earlier, uh, a prophet was called a seer. Uh, but nevertheless, uh, the man of God, you see it in first Kings 13. There's a guy, he's unnamed. He's an unnamed man of God. He appears. You see, Elijah and Elisha, they're called the man of God, uh,
in different texts. So it just means a prophet. Okay.
Very good. That really helps me. Thank you so.
Much. Sure.
So glad you called. Uh, Drew in Michigan. Welcome to Open Line. How can I help you today?
Hey, doctor, your show is a real blessing.
Thank you.
Chapter 18, Book of Revelation describes the future destruction of the city of Babylon. At the close of this present age, a beloved radio TV pastor teaches that Babylon has to be rebuilt in order for the prophecy to be fulfilled in light of Christ's imminent return. I find very little in my research about a rising, bustling megalopolis of Babylon. I believe Babylon refers figuratively to the global Antichrist.
Well well, well.
You know what? Let me. Let me just answer what you're saying, okay? If that's okay. Uh, I, I agree that Babylon has to be rebuilt, or it could very well be just a reference to Babylonia, not the particular city of Babylon. Uh, Charlie Dyer wrote a great book about it called The Rise of Babylon. Uh oh.
Good.
And, uh, Charlie is a very trusted prophecy teacher. He he wrote two great journal articles about revelation 17 and 18, about why we should take the word Babylon there, literally. Uh, so I think in Iraq, someday there's either going to be a city of Babylon, or it may be just referring to Babylonia in general. I don't think Charlie says that, but I think it could very well be, which would be that same area. And but I do think, you know, sometimes when it says, uh, sometimes a city is just
a city, it's just Babylon. It's don't we don't have to find it. I know it's the book of revelation, but, uh, you know, usually like when it when it's saying something symbolic, it will tell us it's symbolic. No place does it look symbolic. And the other thing is the description of the fall of Babylon in Revelation 17 and 18 looks identical to the description of the fall of Babylon, the city of Babylon predicted in Jeremiah 50 and 51. And
that's never happened. So to make it fit. Uh, so how do I believe in the imminency of the Lord Jesus? I think the rapture will happen first, and that's can happen imminently. Any moment. I'm ready for it right now. And then sometime after that, there will be a covenant between the future false Messiah and the people of Israel, and that will start the tribulation period. And then somewhere in there, that's when the fall of Babylon happens in the tribulation. So that's what I think about that. But
mostly I'm looking for Jesus. That's what I want. Uh, well, that's the program for the week. Thanks for listening, everyone. We'll be back next week with more questions. Get ready for Christmas questions next week. I'd love to talk with you about your questions about the stories of the birth of Jesus. Keep in touch with us by checking out our website openline. radio.org. It's got all the links you're looking for. I think you'll find that really interesting. Even
past programs are there if you want them. Keep reading the Bible. We'll talk about it next week. Open line with Doctor Michael Dolnick is a production of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody Bible Institute. See you next week.