No Place in the world embodies both historical and prophetic significance. Like the Land of Israel and as the land of the Bible, no place is more significant to Jews and Christians. This week we're going to explore a unique book with contributions from many believers, all pointing to Israel the Miracle. And our host, Doctor Charlie Dyer, takes us to Psalm 122 for a devotional I think you're going to love. Welcome to the land and the book. As I say,
our host is Doctor Charlie Dyer. Glad you've connected today. I'm John Geiger, and you know, Charlie, people wonder, how do you share the gospel with a Jewish person because of cultural, historical, and religious differences? Sometimes it can be challenging to navigate a gospel conversation with somebody from a Jewish background. You ever wondered, though, how the professionals do it?
That's right, John, and to answer that question, our friends at Life in Messiah want to mail you samples of the tracks their staff use as they share the gospel. This will serve a dual purpose of equipping you with methods of presenting the gospel, and also supplying you with tracks you can share with your Jewish friends and neighbors. Life in Messiah's Prayer is that these tracks will help
further the spread of the gospel among the Jewish people. Now, to receive this helpful assortment of tracks, all you need to do is visit Life in Messiah org and click on the Moody Radio button for more information. That's Life in messiah.org. Now don't miss out on this great opportunity, and.
Let's swing our focus now toward current events, beginning with a look at the current war going on between Hamas and Israel. One of the main headlines. There has been a fire in Rafah, and there's certainly some confusion there. What do we need to know, Charlie?
You know, John, all I kept thinking is I read these stories. Is the quote attributed to Mark Twain. It said a lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes. And we're not even sure Mark Twain said that, uh, Jonathan Swift actually said it first. He said falsehood flies and the truth comes limping after it. And that's the best description of this.
You know, the incident, 45 people killed in Rafah. And if you read the headlines, it sounds like Israel indiscriminately dropped a bomb on a group of tents that caught fire that spread through the camp. The reality is that Israel attacked two Hamas operatives that were hundreds of feet from the nearest tents, almost a mile from the location of the actual fire. Apparently, the site that they bombed also contained munitions being stored by Hamas that caused secondary
explosions sent flaming shrapnel flying. Some of that hit a gas canister in the shelter area, causing it to explode. Not to me. The question should be why was Hamas storing weapons and ammunition near the refugee shelter? And why did the press accept Hamas's version without taking time to verify what had actually happened? It was a sad and tragic event, but the reality is that Israel was attacking Hamas. It was the weapons store by Hamas that ultimately caused all of the damage.
Any other summary statement you'd make about the war and its progress, its impact in that region?
Yeah. Israel is fighting on two fronts. They're fighting against Hamas, and they're making progress heading through Rafah. But they're also fighting the world press. And the world press. And the other countries of the world are stacked against Israel. And that's a major battle. And Israel is not being as successful there.
Story number two, from Palestinian President Abbas to some modern day false messiahs, claims are being made that Ashkenazi Jews aren't really Jewish. What's the basis for these claims? How valid are they and what are the implications?
Yeah, at first you hear these statements. They sound bizarre and they really are. But if you repeat them often, enough people start to believe them. And that's what's happening with this claim. The claim is that Ashkenazi or European Jews have no genetic relationship to Jewish antiquity. In the Land of Israel, they would say that they were Khazars from the Caucasus region who converted to Judaism in the early Middle Ages. A genetic study that was done in
2012 is often cited as proof for this. Now, the problem is that most of us know very little about DNA, though we assume it must be true. You know, DNA matches are what police use to connect evidence with suspects, but the reality in this case is more complex. There is no group of Khazars today to which Ashkenazi DNA can be compared. So the author of that 2012 study compared the genetic signature of Ashkenazi Jews with those of modern day Armenians and Georgians, which he used as a
stand in for the Khazars. But other geneticists described that as an unrealistic premise because Armenians have also, well, they have Middle Eastern roots as well, which is why they appear to be genetically similar. An international group of 30 geneticists wrote to debunk that theory. By using sophisticated molecular tools, they found that Jews worldwide are genetically homogeneous no matter
where they live. Those scientists say the Jews are genetically more similar to each other than to their non-Jewish neighbors, and that they share a middle eastern ancestry. And that leads to the second major point here. Ashkenazi Jews account for just under half of all Jews. The others are Sephardic Jews. Came from Spain and Portugal. Mizrachi Jews from the Middle East, and those arguing that the Jews have
no connection to the land. Tend to leave out those Jews who make up more than half of all the Jewish population. So what are the implications of all this? Well, many who claim the Ashkenazi Jews aren't really Jewish. Well, they're doing so to try to deny their historical connection to the land of Israel. But if they are Jewish, they do have that connection. And one final detail, how do we account for some traces of other DNA in these studies? Well, actually, the answer is kind of easy.
You think back through Israel's history, Rahab was a Canaanite who came into the people of Israel. Uh, Ruth was a moabitess who ended up not only in Israel, but in the line of David and Jesus. Uh, the argument that Jews, especially Ashkenazi Jews, aren't really Jewish. It's just false. It's dangerous, and it needs to be debunked.
An Iranian lawmaker said Iran now possesses nuclear weapons. Is his statement true? It also leads to a second question how serious of a threat is Iran's nuclear program?
Iran probably doesn't yet have nuclear weapons, in spite of what that member of parliament claimed. It seems suspicious that a regular parliament member, you know, rather than someone representing the ayatollah or the military, is the one making that claim. But it's virtually certain that Iran is working to develop nuclear weapons and the means to put them on missiles, and they're close to having a sufficient supply of enriched
uranium to take the final step. The International Atomic Energy Agency estimates that Iran currently has sufficient uranium enriched to 60% purity to take the next small step, and it would give them enough to make three nuclear bombs. The real question is, what would Iran do with nuclear weapons if they were to possess them? Now, some believe even if Iran were to possess them, it wouldn't be a major problem since no rational leader would ever use them. The
inevitable retaliation would destroy the country. But the flaw in that argument is that Iran's leaders are motivated by religious beliefs, and they don't necessarily operate by the same rules of logic. Iran's eschatology, its understanding of the future, is that there is going to be a worldwide conflagration preceding the arrival of the Mahdi, their Messiah. And that final war includes
the destruction of the Jews. If the Ayatollah had nuclear weapons and was convinced God had selected him to hasten the arrival of the Mahdi, what might seem totally illogical to us could seem perfectly rational to him. Uh, European powers have wanted to present a resolution against Iran at the next IAEA meeting. But it's actually interesting. The United
States is the one opposing. Our leaders really need to pay close attention to what Iran is doing, or they could be faced with a major problem down the road from Moody Radio.
This is the land and the book where we're looking at current events from the week based in the Middle East. Proverbs 2120 says the wise store up choice food and olive oil, but fools gulp theirs down. Well, Israel has been taking this to heart with a program to store energy reserves in a secret location in the Negev. What's behind this program? To store up energy reserves?
Yeah. Let me start by talking about our own strategic petroleum reserve. You know, we have had that since 1973. Back in the original energy crisis in 2009, we had 727 million barrels of oil stored in that reserve. Now, that sounds like a lot, except we currently use 20 million barrels of oil a day, so to speak. We'd stored up enough oil to keep our country running at full steam for 36 days. Unfortunately, since 2020, we've drawn down our reserves to a 40 year low of about
350 million barrels, just enough for 17 days. Now, Israel needs less oil, but they're also far more dependent on outside supplies. As a result, they've developed and filled a secret underground fuel reserve in the Negev. That's one of the largest such facilities in the Middle East. It's capable of providing fuel to any part of the country within
a few hours, should it be needed. Israel assumes that in any war with Hezbollah, their offshore gas fields would be shut down and all electrical plants would need to switch back to coal and oil. And much of that oil in this secret reserve would be used to supply the country with electricity. It would also be used to provide fuel for the Army and for other infrastructure like airports and fuel stations. So Israel's continuing to store up energy reserves to be as prepared as possible to face
any threat that may come their way. And I think Solomon would commend them for being very wise for doing so. And unlike the US, they don't draw down their supplies for political reasons like trying to lower the price of gasoline, which in Israel right now is just under $8 a gallon. Wow.
An Israeli university and a rehab hospital have partnered together to develop new technologies to improve post-stroke rehabilitation. Tell us about these developments coming out of Amazing Israel.
Yeah, my mom suffered two strokes toward the end of her life. So this story really had significance to me. Those who worked to help stroke victims recover are simply amazing. Unfortunately, facilities and techniques look pretty much the same today as they did 50 years ago, and as a result, the recovery rates stayed about the same. Now, what intrigued these researchers is. Post-stroke recovery is so much faster in animals.
A monkeys, for example, regained full use of their limbs after only a few weeks, so combining observations like these with the latest technology led them to some significant discoveries. They found that just 40 extra hours of post-stroke treatment can improve upper limb function. Unfortunately, hospitals tend not to have enough physical and occupational therapies to deliver the hours, so these researchers have now developed technologies to help deliver
additional treatment. They're using highly engaging computer simulations to help increase repetition and intensity. There's no one magic bullet that can help someone who's had a stroke resume a normal life. But these researchers and amazing Israel are pioneering new care protocols that will help those who've had a stroke recover more completely.
Thank you Charlie. And because you love Israel and the Jewish people, you should probably know just a bit more about Moody Bible Institute's Jewish Studies. Major Doctor Michael Redlich joins the conversation now, and he guides this exciting program at Moody. Michael, where does the major take students biblically and scholastically?
Well, we help our students understand God's plan for the Jewish people and for Israel. We help them understand the covenants and also the history and destiny of the Jewish people.
So what are some experiences that would be unique to the Jewish Studies major at Moody Bible Institute?
Well, many of our students study in Israel. Many of them do their internships in Israel. Also, they get to engage in cross-cultural ministry right here in the United States. I always consider Jewish people to be the most unreached people right in our midst.
Parents and prospective students might be wondering, what about after I graduate? What does a Jewish Studies major from Moody prepare me to do?
Obviously, it prepares you for Jewish ministry, whether vocationally or by vocationally. You know, we have some students that serve with Jewish organizations, if you can believe it, uh, non-believing Jewish organizations, they serve there and they have a testimony in those kinds of settings. Uh, we have others that have served, actually, for the Israeli consulate. So there's a wide opportunity for people to show their concern and their care for the Jewish people.
And a listener could learn more about the Jewish studies major, how.
Just go to moody.edu.
And click on the Jewish Studies program. It has all sorts of information for you there. So go to moody.edu.
That's Michael Riedel with a bit more about the Jewish Studies major on the land and the book. No Place in the world embodies both historical and prophetic significance as the Land of Israel, as the land of the Bible, no place is more significance to Jews and Christians. What if there was a book, though, that somehow compiled the thoughts of many, many Christians about the significance of the
land of Israel? All between two covers with spectacular photos? Well, that's what we're about to talk about here on the land and the book Israel the Miracle. I'm John Gager. Our guest is Jonathan Feldstein, and he is the president of the Genesis 123 Foundation, building bridges between Jews and Christians in ways that are new, unique, and meaningful. Welcome to the land in the book.
Wow, what a delight. And you know what? I love that setup because you talked about it being between the covers of a book and talking about the land. And here I am on the land in the book. I mean, wow, this is powerful.
Thank you. Well, talk about this issue, first of building bridges between Jews and Christians. What does that look like? Practically? Sure.
So what it means, first of all, is relationships, not transactional experiences. There are a lot of people who are looking for transactional relationships. I knew early on in my calling to be a bridge between Jews and Christians that it can't be about monetizing relationships, but in fact building deep, lasting relationships. So we do things that are involving prayer and blessing Israel, but also even because the name of the organization, Genesis 123 comes from Genesis 12 three, most
people remember, I will bless those who bless you. I will curse those who curse you. Most people don't pay attention to the third third of that verse, which is, the families of the world will be blessed through you. And we don't have time now. But I do that, and we do that in so many ways. So if you remember back in the US in 22, there was a shortage of baby formula. I didn't have that shortage
going on in Israel. And my trip in June of 22, I brought £200 of baby formula to two churches in Texas with Hebrew writing on it, and gave it out to families there for us to be a blessing because we could. So that's what we embody, to try to do things that are different out of the box and much more than transactional.
How was that received? I mean, different people from different perspectives on life. Are they at all suspicious? Do they? Are they warmly welcoming? What's your reaction?
They're warmly welcoming of the sentiment. They're warmly welcoming that I am a foil to many people who simply just want people to write a check or swipe their credit card, or something of that nature to take an offering. Those are important things, and that's a solid way to bless Israel. But it's not the only way. When I brought the baby formula to Texas, just as a continuation of that example, the person who was my host said no. All the times that she has hosted guests from Israel, no one
ever came bearing gifts for people in America. That's pretty powerful. So it's very, very well received, and it's refreshing because the other side of it is, as an Orthodox Jew, I have also a responsibility to help Jews understand that, yes, some Christians have different agendas, and we can speak about that openly but genuinely. Christian love and support for Israel and the Jewish people is pure. And my Jewish friends
who don't understand that or are suspicious of it. It's also my job to make sure that Jews understand, no, we're in a we're in a really historic period, and we need to embrace that back.
We're going to get to this book, I assure you, in a minute. But I want to talk for just a little bit more about this misunderstanding. You know, I, I came to a quote when I was down at the Everlasting Nation Museum in Chattanooga from Adolf Hitler. That absolutely blew me away. Obviously, nobody argues how evil he was. But listen, this is an actual quote from Mein Kampf. He says, I am now convinced that I am acting as an agent of our creator by fighting off the Jews.
I am doing the Lord's work. Well, no wonder there are Jewish people who are suspicious of Christians. You know, these are the things again though, that I have had to learn in my ignorance.
And where are people who who celebrate our history? Every year we celebrate again the exodus from Egypt as if we were there and part of that experience. And so, of course, we're going to remember persecution of the church from 1000 years ago or from 500 years ago, or from Hitler, who obscenely adopted theology into his hateful, uh, positions.
Jonathan Feldstein is president of Genesis 123, uh, building bridges between Jews and Christians. It's an honor to have him on the land. And the book. Let's talk about the book that you brought, small B it's not the Bible Israel, the miracle encounters with the land and people God loves. Describe this gorgeous book and what's between the two covers.
So God gave me this vision in October of 2022, and I had been speaking with the publisher, Higher Life Christian Publisher out of Orlando, about a different book entirely. And I sent an email to David and I said, hey, what do you think about the idea of putting together a book of 75 essays by Christian leaders from all over the world, writing Why Israel's Significant in celebration of Israel's 75th anniversary. Now remember, this is October. Israel's 75th
anniversary was the following year in 23. In May. And he said, yes, great. And he then he improved upon it and said, I don't see it as a book of texts that people will read and be inspired by and put on a shelf. But a coffee table book? Yes. And it has beautiful images. So you interact. And that's what the book is. It's an experience. So we move
forward with this. And I said to you, as we were before we began recording, if, if I had known what an incredible work this would have been and how many obstacles and impediments, I probably would have run away, I probably would not have done this. It was conceived in October. It was delivered to the printer in August the following year, nine months. It came off the press in September this past year, just two weeks before the
war began. And that delayed everything. But honestly, that makes the book even all the more significant.
Yeah, so contributions are from names that many of our listeners will know. Kay Arthur is in this book. Anne Graham Lotz, Steve Brown, the preacher with the big voice, uh, Ben Carson, uh, Joel Rosenberg, a guest many times on the land in the book, uh, Don Sweeting, son of former Moody Bible Institute president George Sweeting. Jim Showers, we've had him on the land in the book, so many and many more that you may not be familiar with
all across a broad spectrum of Christianity, all contributing. Is there a single theme that you picked up on as these things all came in?
Excellent question. The single theme is that there isn't a single theme. I was really afraid that every other person was going to write about blessing Israel and being blessed, or for such a time as this, or being a watchman on the wall, or praying for the peace of Jerusalem. We don't have that. There wasn't that redundancy. If you read it as I've done. I'm now one of a
few people who've read the book entirely. Uh, but you see a common thread, and that thread is love, and it's not lineal because the book is published, except for Pat Robertson at the outset, alphabetically. So it's not published thematically, it's just straight alphabet. But if you pay attention and digest the words of these incredible authors and then absorb the pictures, you actually begin to see the themes, the
threads that run throughout. And that's the beauty of this book, is because this is what we wanted to represent, the depth and the breadth of Christian support for Israel and the Jewish people from all over the world.
What kind of a response are you getting to the book? Uh, in particular, what are people saying?
Even the fact that I wasn't able to come on a press and book launch tour until now, the book came, was supposed to be in November and December because of the war and my son and serving in Gaza and my son in law serving in Gaza. So we deferred it until now to the spring. We've just now ordered our second printing. Wow. Coming from a print shop in one of the communities that was devastated by the terrorist attack on October 7th. So the proceeds go back to
blessing Israel. But we're actually investing in a print shop in one of the communities that needs the rehabilitation. Um, the response has been overwhelming, and I just pray that I ordered enough copies because once conversations like this get out, it still takes a few weeks to print and then ship them over.
Jonathan Feldstein is president of the Genesis 123 Foundation. You know, the timing on this, as you pointed out, is interesting with this recent war. It seems to me now more than ever, the relationships are hugely important as we see mainstream media in much of the United States sort of turning its coverage toward Israel. Uh, not very favorable. What are your concerns there, or thoughts?
Their concerns is that there's not enough understanding that we need, that Christians are hard wired, by and large, to love and support Israel. And you just shared your own growing up but don't know details, don't know how to stand up and be part of blessing Israel. That's what, by the way, that's what makes this book spectacular. Because of the pictures, you can sit with a child and grandchild and educate your next generations about Israel. In 1000 words.
It's not. You don't have to read a whole book of things or chapter at a time, but we need to come together more. We need to stand together more because the evil that we are currently fighting is an evil that's a common enemy of Jews and Christians.
So what's your hope for people as they flip through this book? Um, they're going to get it and spend time with it because they are interested in Israel. But what do you want them to do differently? Be differently, having invested time in this book.
So first of all, I want people to get the book at Israel The miracle.com. And when you check out, I'd like to give your listeners a gift from me and use the code Jonathan ten and get 10% off, because my goal is to have this in Christian hands and Christian homes, that it will be a blessing. And I say this, and I don't say it rhetorically. I believe that someone in their 50s who will buy the book now and share it with their children and grandchildren
will love this and cherish this. And it's going to be a book that's going to be a centerpiece in their home. And when that person dies, this is going to be one of those heirlooms that people are going to differ about who gets to own afterward. And. Because it's that you say.
You want to cause a fight, Jonathan.
Know. Then buy, then buy, then buy copies for all of your children.
There you go.
No, we can do that. No, I don't I want this to be a blessing. And I want this to be a way for people to engage through the words, through the pictures, in the vision of these 75 leaders from all over the world, just to open their eyes more. Yeah. And engage. And as I said at the outset, I'm about building relationships. I would be so blessed if people not only ordered the book, but let me know what they think of the book.
What's next for Genesis 123 Foundation? What's the next bridge you're working on? The next vision you've got?
So the book that was originally discussed two years ago at the NRB convention that was pushed off, is a different book that I hope to put back on the agenda. Now that I know a little bit about publishing and I have a great publisher to work that. But what I'm hoping for is the first program that we launched in 2017 is called run for Zion. It's the first
Christian program around the Jerusalem Marathon. So anyone listening who's a runner or knows a runner full marathon down to five K once in a while for just for fitness. I want them to put March of 25 on their calendar and be in touch with me, because we've got a great connection to bring people for what's one of
Israel's biggest family experiences. And I want to bring Christians to make it a fabulous Christian experience, because if you are a runner, even only 5 or 10 K, Jerusalem is the most significant place that you'll run.
All right, obviously, this book is huge and we've talked about its impact in supporting, but what's something simple that every listener to the land in the book could do right now? To build a bridge with the Jewish friend or neighbor or coworker. What could we do?
Reach out and tell people they heard this conversation, and how important it is just to show love and have dialogue? There are a lot of things that we don't agree upon, and we can. That's fine. We can. Those can be the elephant in the room that we don't need to discuss up front. I do, but not everyone's comfortable doing that. But just learn about one another. Jews and Christians know we exist and know we come. How? The metaphor is a great metaphor grafted into the same to the root.
And that root of the root we're talking about is an olive tree. And this book is abundant with pictures of olive trees appropriately, because that's the metaphor that we're celebrating. But especially now when American Jews are suffering anti-Semitism at levels that are frightening and they're concerned for Israel. And American Jews need to hear from Christians who are no less anguished about what's going on and to say, hey, I don't know how you're feeling, but I'm standing with
you and just and to reach out. And if someone doesn't know a Jewish person, they can be in touch with me and I'll connect them to Jewish people or myself.
Jonathan Feldstein is president of the Genesis 123 Foundation. There's a link to his website at ours, The Land and the book org. We'll get you connected with everything you need to know. Thank you so much for the.
Time, John. What a.
Blessing. Hey, we're looking forward to Charlie Dyer getting back into the studio here with a fresh set of Bible questions. Always something curious that you're wondering about, and I'm wondering about it too. So let's wonder together, as we hear from Charlie next here on the land and the book. Thanks for listening to The Land and the book from Moody Radio. I'm John Gager, looking forward to wow, Charlie. Big stack of questions I see at your side there.
I trust you've got some answers for us today.
Ah, it's like the old saying, you got questions, we got answers, I love it.
We're going to turn to the Bible for those answers, as we always do. First, though, a question I'd like to ask how do you share the gospel with a Jewish person? Because of cultural, historical and religious differences, it's sometimes challenging to navigate a gospel conversation with somebody from a Jewish background. That's been my experience, Charlie, but have you ever wondered how the quote professionals do it? Yeah.
And to answer that question, our friends at Life and Messiah want to mail you samples of the tracks their staff use as they share the gospel. This will serve as a dual purpose of equipping you with methods of presenting the gospel, and also supplying you with tracks you can share with your Jewish friends and neighbors. Life in Messiah's Prayer is that these tracks will help further the
spread of the gospel among the Jewish people. To receive this helpful assortment of tracks, all you need to do is visit Life in Messiah org and click on the Moody Radio button for more information. That's Life in messiah.org and don't miss out on this great opportunity.
All right, let's take a look at our questions for the day from listeners like Mark, who admits, I'm completely confused by First Corinthians 15 verse 29. I get that way, he says at the end of Paul's discourse about the resurrection of the dead, he argues against those who claim that there is no resurrection of the dead. And he says, now, if there is no resurrection, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are the people baptized for them?
He says, I was raised in a tradition of people being encouraged to pray for the dead, for which I know of no scriptural support, so I'm surprised that Paul mentions what appears to be a common practice of baptism for the dead. What am I missing?
Yeah, and let me give you the best explanation I've ever heard from this. It's from a friend of mine, David Lowery. He was a fellow faculty member at Dallas Seminary. And and here's what he wrote in part. He said there's up to 200 explanations that have been given of this verse. So it's clear from the context, though Paul was distinguishing what his practice was and the teaching that he's then describing here. Now, how did the false teachers
come up with a view? We may never know. But north of Corinth there was a place where there was a center of a wildly popular ancient mystery religion that's even mentioned by Homer. Part of the rites of the initiation were washings of purification in the sea, without which they said, no one could hope to experience bliss in the life hereafter. It's likely that some in Corinth, possibly influenced by that mystery religion, were pushing a false view of baptism, which Paul took up and used as an
argument against those who denied the resurrection. And then here's what David adds. He says no interpretation of this text is entirely satisfactory, but this view has as its chief strength the natural reading of the Greek verse, an asset regularly lacking in other explanations. It's also noteworthy that Paul referred to those who are baptizing for the dead, not
we who are baptizing for the dead. So his whole point is, I think Paul's actually describing something that was happening in Corinth because of this local mystery religion that was happening there. But it's also important. Perhaps the most important part is that Paul did not include himself among those who were doing this practice. In fact, he says it's them and in essence saying not us. And he uses it only as an illustration. So he's definitely not endorsing whatever was taking place.
All right. Thank you. Roger says, I've been reading about heaven, and I wonder whether or not we would have memories of earth in heaven. We're often told that there would be no memories of earth, since that might bring sadness and there is no sadness in heaven. But we are coming back to earth to rule with Christ. So wouldn't we have some kind of memory? Any thoughts?
Yeah, well, I don't know of any direct statement on the subject, but that makes me want to tread carefully here. My answer. But it does seem to me that Jesus's story of the rich man and Lazarus provides some insight. You know, it's a story in Luke 16 that's likely a parable, but the information Jesus gives, I think, corresponds to reality, because I can't imagine him sharing details. That wouldn't be true. But in that story, Jesus shares the fact that both the rich man and Lazarus have a
conscious existence after death. And more than that, the rich man knows he has five brothers who are still alive who are going to experience the same fate he's now experiencing unless they change their ways. So at least in that instance, it seems the individual did have a memory of his life on earth prior to his death. Now again, it's a story being told by Jesus, but it suggests that those who have died do possess memories of their life before death.
If you're just connecting, that's Doctor Charlie Dyer, host of The Land in the book. I'm John Geiger, his sidekick, and we get a kick out of your questions here at the land in the book. And you can email them, by the way, anytime to the land and the book@moody.edu, Bob says there's a tradition in the Russian Orthodox Church that after Constantinople, the second Rome fell to the Turks in 1453, Moscow became its successor as the third Rome.
Rome.
Daniel seems to be clear that the prince to come will be from the people who destroyed the temple in 70 A.D.. With all of that as background, do you think Gog and the Antichrist are two separate individuals?
Yeah.
And I think that the verse you're quoting there, Daniel 926, is the key for identifying the location from where the Antichrist comes from. It says he's the prince who's to come, and it's his people who destroyed Jerusalem following the cutting off of the Anointed One that is Jesus. Now, I think it also matches Daniel two and seven, which connect a fourth Empire to arise Rome with the. You know, the Rome was there when Jesus came the first time, and a revived Roman Empire will be around when he
comes again. So the real question then is, could Russia be that empire? And I don't find that that believable. I see Gog from the land of Magog. That's the Ezekiel 38 and 39 prophecy being different than the Antichrist. He's said to be from the far north. His allies are identified as Persia, which is Iran and Kush south of Egypt, and put which is Libya, and Togarmah, which the area of Turkey. I see the Antichrist rising from the west, confirming a covenant with Israel at the beginning
of the seven year tribulation. And it seems like that's what then prompts this Gog, this individual from the far north to launch a one time attack against Israel. So the Battle of Gog and Magog is a one and done battle, if you will, that God uses to begin turning the Jewish people toward himself. And that's why they then refused to worship the Antichrist when he presents himself in the temple as God in the middle of the seven year tribulation period.
Mark's question is about Exodus 34 verses six and seven. It says, the Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, forgiving wickedness, rebellion, and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished. He punishes the children and their children for the sins of their fathers to the third and fourth generation. Mark says this doesn't seem consistent with the concept of responsibility for one's own sin, as expressed in Deuteronomy 2416 or Ezekiel 18, verse four.
Are my grandchildren to be punished for my sins? Help me understand. Yeah, and.
I believe that the two ideas can be reconciled the following way. In passages like Ezekiel 18, God saying he doesn't directly punish a person for sins committed by others, even by someone as close as one's parents. So a child would not be held guilty or directly punished for what his or her parents did. By the way, that's what the proverb being quoted in Ezekiel 18 actually is
all about. The people were saying, well, if we're being punished, it's because of what our fathers have done, not because of what we're doing. And Ezekiel says, no, God's going to punish you for what you yourself have done. Now, in that Exodus 34 passage, I believe God is talking about the effects of sin. He's saying sin's effects are both serious and long lasting. You know, sin isn't a
victimless crime, so to speak. A child can indeed experience pain, heartache, and suffering because of actions committed by a parent, a grandparent, or even a more distant relative. Some examples. If a parent drives drunk and crashes his or her car, a child in that car can suffer serious physical injury. They're experiencing the consequences caused by the sin of their parents. A child can suffer at the hands of an abusive
parent or grandparent. They can grow up in poverty because of foolish and sinful actions of their ancestors, who squandered the family's finances. So God doesn't directly punish a child for the action of parents. But one thing that makes sin so horrible is its impact, not only on the one who commits it, but also on subsequent generations. So rather than the NIV translation of Punish in Exodus 34 seven,
that's probably where the problem is. I think the new American standard provides a more nuanced translation of God visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the grandchildren. There is an impact of a father's sin on his family, but it's not through direct divine retribution from God on the children.
Boy. Either way, though, very sobering. Thank you.
It is.
Robin asks, did Jesus experience fear as a human emotion while in the garden of Gethsemane? If he understands our human emotions and can sympathize with us, would that include fear? I mean, maybe that's why he said fear not because he knows what fear means. What do you think?
Well, my initial thought is Jesus did not experience fear in the Garden of Gethsemane. And I say that for two reasons. First, in first John 418, we're told there's no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. And literally minutes before arriving in the garden, Jesus prayed the prayer we find in John 17, which ends with him saying, I have made your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and
I in them. So Jesus knew he was loved by the father, and he knew he would be glorified and vindicated following the crucifixion. So in that sense, he wasn't afraid of dying when he prayed, father, if it's possible, let this cup pass from me. I think he was looking at the time of separation about to take place when, as Paul described it in Second Corinthians five, for our sake he made him to be sin. Who? Who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the
righteousness of God. Jesus was asking if there was any way the time of separation from the father and punishment by the father as our sin bearer might be eliminated. But then he quickly added, not my will, but thine. And very quickly. The second reason I don't believe Jesus was fearful in the garden is that the word used to describe his actual emotion at the time are sorrowful, troubled,
overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. So I'd say he experienced intense sorrow and sadness, knowing what was about to happen, but not fear.
Boy, a lot of questions we've gotten in today and they've covered a lot of ground. Thank you, Charlie, for your hard work on those. Thank you for keeping those questions coming. Fascinating to hear what you wonder about. Our email address is the land and the book@moody.edu. I'm looking forward to Charlie's devotional. It's coming up next here on the land and the book. You know, when you and I flip through our Bibles, it's easy to read about the city of Jerusalem. And and we almost presume it
was always, always the capital city of Jerusalem. And there was a time when it was not. In fact, Jerusalem Day has everything to do with the celebration of its capturing. We'll talk about that and more in Charlie's devotional next. Welcome back, by the way, to this fourth and final segment. Before we turn things over to Charlie, let's take in this testimony from someone who's been to Israel and shares their own experiences with you and me.
I used to be a flight attendant with TWA and spent many layovers in Israel, and I became a Christian just at that time also. And I remember staying at the Hilton Hotel there in Tel Aviv and sitting by the balcony on the balcony and reading my Bible and listening to the Mediterranean hit the shore, the waves hitting the shore. And it just I felt just so special.
And I also did some trips into Egypt, and I have a pair of sandals that I wore both in Israel and in Egypt, and they, I think, have little grains of sand in them, and I've never gone to give them up until I die. I probably want to wear them when I when I get put in the grave, but I just thought I'd mention that. And I really enjoy your program. It's wonderful. Every Christian should go to
Israel at least once. It's it's a tremendous experience and it would really open their eyes to what the Bible, how the Bible speaks to us. Thank you.
All right, Charlie, where are we headed in today's devotional?
Uh, we're.
Heading to Jerusalem. John.
Psalm 122 is our focus. I'm looking forward to it. With that, I'll hand it over to you.
This week is.
Jerusalem Day, Yom Yerushalayim. So follow me into the city for this rather patriotic celebration. Jerusalem Day marks the day back in June 1967, when Israel captured East Jerusalem during the Six Day War to reunite the city under Jewish control for the first time in nearly 2000 years. The first thing you see as you walk along the streets
are the crowds of people waving Israeli flags. The surging sea of blue and white pushes its way along the already packed streets, forcing us to press against the wall to avoid being carried along by the flood of humanity. While this is technically a secular holiday, those here today are mainly religious Zionists. They believe God is fulfilling his promises to restore and bring back his people. But we're
not here today to argue prophecy or politics. So follow me away from the mob and into the Davidson Center at the southern end of the Temple Mount. We're heading out to the southern steps that led to the temple at the time of Jesus. And while these steps do connect us to events in the life of our Lord, I simply want us to find a quiet place to sit and focus on Jerusalem, especially on this special day. Jerusalem Day reminds me of Psalm 122, a Song of
Ascents written by David. Psalm 122 is a psalm that focuses especially on Jerusalem and Mount Moriah, the place where David erected a tent and where his son eventually constructed the temple. We're sitting on the slopes of Mount Moriah. These steps weren't here in David's day, but somewhere just above us is the spot where David purchased the threshing floor of a round of the jebusite in preparation for that future temple. With all that in mind, let's explore
Psalm 122. David begins by putting himself in the sandals of those traveling to Jerusalem for one of the three annual feasts where God called on them to gather. He describes the sense of excitement and anticipation felt by those visiting Jerusalem, the city where God dwelt among his people. I was glad when they said to me, let us go to the house of the Lord. Our feet are
standing within your gates, O Jerusalem. David's sense of excitement describes the crowd we just saw surging through the streets, and as he switches from the singular, I was glad to the plural. Let us go up. We are standing. It's as if David was reaching out to embrace every pilgrim entering through the gates into the city. But having described this excitement in the first two verses, David quickly
changes the focus of this Jerusalem Day psalm. This isn't about us, it's about God and the place where he has chosen to place his name. In the next three verses, David shifts our attention toward Jerusalem itself and its significance. Jerusalem's importance didn't come from its physical size, though, when David describes it as a city that is compact. Together, he was referring more to its organic unity than its small size. The word for compact in verse three has
the idea of being bound together. It could picture the spiritual unity of the people as much as the tight physical arrangement of the city's houses and walls. Jerusalem was David's capital city, and yet its true significance was the importance given to the city by God. God had commanded Israel to appear before him three times each year at the place he will choose, and the city ultimately chosen was Jerusalem. It was this place, David says, to which the tribes go up, even the tribes of the Lord.
An ordinance for Israel to give thanks to the name of the Lord. Jerusalem was also the city selected by God to be the capital of the United Kingdom, the city from which his chosen king was to reign. It was the place where, he says, the thrones of the house of David were set up. Jerusalem became the city where God visibly dwelt among his people, and the city
where God's anointed ruler led his people. Having explained why all the people were so joyously streaming into this city, David ended his short psalm by calling on these visitors to pray for his holy city. Verses six and seven explain what they're to pray for, and verses eight and nine describe why those prayers are so important. The two items all these visitors were asked to place on their prayer list were peace and security. Pray for the peace
of Jerusalem. May peace be within your walls. And just as important as peace is the second item of prayer security. May those who love you be secure. May there be security within your citadels and asking God for peace. David is referring to more than just an absence of war or violence. Peace. Shalom refers to the health, the wholeness,
the soundness and prosperity of the city. These pilgrims were to pray that Jerusalem would experience all the blessing that comes with a right relationship to the God dwelling in its midst, and one key aspect. That shalom would be physical security. May you be secure personally and may that same security dwell within her walls. Physical well-being and physical safety. Two important items of prayer. David then ended his psalm with a practical application why should all these pilgrims pray
for the peace of Jerusalem? First? David said, it was for the sake of my brothers and friends. Peaceful, secure conditions allowed these visitors to fulfill their obligation to gather before God. A spiritually healthful and secure climate within the city also allowed the kings to rule in a righteous way. But second, David said that this divine peace and security would also benefit God's program here on earth. For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I
will seek your prosperity. The word translated by some as
prosperity is the Hebrew word tov, which means good. It's often used in the Old Testament to refer to something that's agreeable or pleasing or pleasant or valuable, or appropriate or right, as well as having a good benefit or welfare, because God has chosen to place his dwelling in Jerusalem, David says that he, and by extension, all of us, should seek what's best for the safety, security and peace of Jerusalem because it's the place that God selected in
this special way. In many ways, David's words at the end of Psalm 122 parallel Paul's words in first Timothy two, verses 1 to 4. First of all, then I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, in order that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come
to the knowledge of the truth. Prayer for peace, for tranquil, quiet lives is pleasing to God and helps keep his good news from being hindered. Well, it sounds like the pulsating parade of waving flags has passed us by so we can head back out onto the streets of Jerusalem. But as we get ready to go, what can you carry along with you from Jerusalem Day and Psalm 122? First, how about this God wants us to pray for his
peace on this special city. We know that ultimate peace won't come until the Prince of Peace arrives, so perhaps our prayer ought to match that of the Apostle John at the end of the book of Revelation. When Jesus said he was coming quickly, John responded, Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. And then second, how about also committing to pray for Jerusalem and Israel as well as your own city and state and country? Ask God to help you be an instrument of his Shalom, his peace to those
around you. As Jesus said in the sermon on the Mount, blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
I like that thought, an instrument of his shalom, his peace. It's a great way to land this devotional and to end today's broadcast. Thanks for listening to the land and the book with our host, Charlie Dyer. For Dan Anderson, our producer, I'm John Geiger, inviting you to invite a friend to be with you next time for the Land and the book, a production of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.