He is risen! He is risen indeed. It's Easter weekend, of course, and we hope that you're celebrating all that Christ accomplished on the cross for us. I'm John Jaeger, and this is the land and the book. The Old Testament scholar, Doctor Charlie Dyer. What a great weekend, Charlie. John, this is a great weekend. This is the central weekend
in Christendom because we're looking at what Jesus did for us. Amen. Well, as we turn the calendar back to October 7th, we think of Hamas firing 3000 rockets, invading Israel, killing more than 1200. Shockingly, though, that tragedy looks remarkably similar to an attack on Israel that took place back in the Old Testament. Coming up here on the land in the book, we'll take you to a site called Lachish. The biblical account is chilling, but bears a striking resemblance to things
that we just witnessed. First, though, Passover will soon be upon us. One of the traditional Passover questions is what makes this night different from all others? Well, Passover is an important biblical holiday that has really great significance for Jewish people and believers in Jesus. So I think this is an important question to ask Charlie. It is an important question. And if people want to know more about what makes Passover.
So special, well, our friends at Life in Messiah are offering to mail you a free copy of their Messianic Passover Haggadah. The booklet will lead you through the celebration of Passover to see the rich connections to Jesus, our Messiah, and the Last Supper. You'll also receive a link for an interactive Passover Seder video with the Haggadah and video. You can celebrate Passover this year with your family and friends. To get this free offer, just go to life in Messiah.
Org and click on the Moody Radio button to find out more and request your copy. That's life in messiah.org.
In this opening segment on the land in the book, we turn our focus toward current events. Israel and the United States continue to disagree over Israel's handling of the war against Hamas. What are the key areas of disagreement and what can be done to resolve the tension?
Well, the number of areas of disagreement continues to grow. In fact, the most recent incident was the US abstaining from vetoing a UN Security Council resolution calling for a Gaza ceasefire without conditioning it on the release of hostages. Israel responded by saying the decision harmed the war effort
against Hamas and the attempts to free the hostages. Now, the US has committed financially and materially to help Israel in its war against Hamas, but we've provided military equipment, logistical support and political backing, at least up to a point. But we now appear to be pulling back in our support. Part of the reason is because of pressure from our allies and from other countries in the Middle East. A report delivered to the UN Human Rights Council Tuesday said
Israel's campaign in Gaza amounted to genocide. In fact, it called for countries to impose sanctions and an arms embargo. But such increasing international pressure isn't the only reason for our apparent change in position with national elections on the horizon.
The administration is concerned about losing the support of progressives and Muslims in our own country, who are very vocal in their opposition to Israel, to say Israel is disappointed with the US decision in the Security Council and with other recent actions. Well, that's putting it mildly. They see the war as an existential fight for their very existence. Hamas's attack was unprovoked and it was designed to kill Jews. It was the worst attack against the Jews since the Holocaust.
Hamas is the group guilty of genocide, and they're also the ones who committed war crimes and who continue to do so by using schools and mosques and hospitals and residential areas to launch attacks and to use the Palestinian people themselves as human shields. Over a quarter million Israelis, both along the border with Gaza and in the north, were forced from their homes. More than 80,000 from the
north still can't go home. Though many Israelis currently distrust their prime minister, it's not over his approach to the war. Polls indicate that most Israelis support their government's policies, not those being pushed by the UN or by the US. So what can be done to bridge the growing gap between our country and Israel? Well, first, I think we need to urge our government to continue to support Israel there in a war that they didn't start fighting, an
enemy that's committed to genocide and ethnic cleansing. And then instead of us trying to dictate war policy, we should look for ways to help Israel accomplish its goals of defeating Hamas as quickly as possible. I think at the same time, we should do what we can to increase the flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza, while also being more aggressive in answering the false propaganda being hurled against Israel.
In the end, we need to pay less attention to the upcoming election and more attention to supporting our longtime ally and friend.
Well said. A few weeks ago, we talked about Egypt's economic struggles. Now, it seems Turkey is joining the ranks of countries struggling financially. What's the latest financial news out of Turkey?
Yeah, and let me start with the Egypt part. The world Bank did announce that it will provide Egypt with more than $6 billion in financial assistance. To help it meet its development priorities. Now, that's good news for Egypt. But the news out of Turkey, well, it's not so good. The Turkish central bank raised its key interest rate to 50% to try and get a handle on soaring inflation. Wow. This was especially surprising since mayoral elections are being held
this weekend. Most thought the central bank would hold off on any increase until after the election to help President Erdogan's party, but a deterioration in Turkey's economy forced them to act sooner. The Turkish lira has lost 40% of its value against the dollar over the past year, part of the problem fueling inflation. Well, they had a 49% increase in the minimum wage ahead of the elections, which was seen as a vote getting measure. We're concerned about
an inflation rate here still hovering just below 4%. Turkey's consumer prices increased by 4.5% just in the month of February, for an annual inflation rate of 67%, a government official said. Inflation will begin to decrease after June. However, in the short term it's expected to rise to 80% by early summer, hopefully easing to 36% by the end of the year.
Turkey's economic future could depend to a large extent on what happens in this weekend's elections, and I suspect many in Turkey will be watching anxiously to see what happens.
From Moody Radio. This is the land in the book with our host, Doctor Charlie Dyer. I'm John Jaeger. We're looking at current events from the Middle East region. As the winter rainy season starts drawing to a close, the Sea of Galilee is continuing to rise. What does this mean as Israel approaches the dry summer months? Well, right.
Now the Sea of Galilee is about two feet below the upper red line. That's when the towns around the lake can actually start to flood. While the winter rains are just about over, there's still at least some possibility of rainfall through April and even into May, and the rainfall and snow that fell on Mount Hermon will continue to flow down the Jordan River and into the lake, so the water will continue to rise. Now, in the past, this was good news for Israel because the Sea of
Galilee was the country's main water reservoir. Now its desalination plants make Israel less dependent on the lake, though it still remains their emergency backup. You know, if possible, Israel would like to not open the dam at the southern end of the sea. So they're actually drawing out about 800,000m³ of water every day, trying to lower the water level by about a third of an inch, sending that
water down the Jordan River. The last time the dam had to be open was back in 1995, almost 30 years ago, and they're continuing to monitor the water level and weather reports to predict what will happen if they decide to open the dam. They need to provide a two day warning to those downstream, and they would then gradually open the dam to release even more water. Now, what all this means for Israel is that the Sea of Galilee will once again be full, thanks to the
abundant winter rains in the north of the country. Unfortunately, now they need to start being extra diligent and watching for fire hazards. Once all the grass and the shrubs that were nourished by all that rain begin to dry out.
Well, during our recent trip to Israel, Charlie, you and I visited several modern safe rooms designed to help Israeli families shelter during enemy rocket attacks. Archaeologists have now uncovered several 2000 year old safe rooms in the Galilee area. What were those rooms like and what were they used for?
Yeah, the archaeologists excavating the ancient Jewish site of Hooke near the Sea of Galilee, described the rooms they uncovered as being like small underground bomb shelters. Now, these weren't like modern safe rooms, since they weren't designed to protect against a missile attack. Instead, think of them like underground hiding cavities or hiding spaces connected to homes and even
converted water cisterns. So far at this site, archaeologists uncovered eight of these hiding places, and that makes a total of 83 of these underground shelters throughout Galilee that have been discovered so far. They were apparently used during the first Jewish revolt against Rome in A.D. 66 to 70, and then against the revolt around A.D. 132 to 135. Now these safe rooms allowed individuals to hide out when Roman patrols would come through the area of being inside.
You can imagine the fear they must have felt they were safe as long as the entrance wasn't uncovered. But if the soldiers found the opening, they would build a fire to smoke out those taking refuge, and at that point those inside were trapped. Which, sadly, is what happened to some of those along the border with Gaza when they went into their safe rooms to find shelter from the missiles, only to be trapped when Hamas entered their homes?
Charlie, the moments remaining, I want to circle back to the UN Human Rights Council report that was released this week. What exactly did it say and and why is it such a problem?
You know, the wording on that report is just almost inflammatory. In fact, it starts following nearly six months of unrelenting Israeli assault on occupied Gaza. It's my solemn duty to report on the worst of what humanity is capable of and to present my findings. But the supposed genocide it talks about isn't that it was caused by Hamas when they came into Israel. It's the genocide, they said, driven by genocidal logic integral to Israel's settler colonial project in Palestine.
In other words, Israel is part of a western colonial project that came in to get rid of the Palestinians who were there. Now, the problem with that is to use those modern terms, Israel were actually the indigenous people. They lived in the land for over 2000 years until they were ethnically cleansed by the Romans. And then a remnant continued to live in the land. They weren't the
Western colonizers. You know, if there's anyone guilty of genocide, it was Hamas, Hamas's charters built on the destruction of Israel and the killing of Jews. They're the ones who committed genocide. And sadly, that's missing in this report.
Well, there's a lot more to come in today's programme, including a question and answer session. Charlie's devotional. But up next, the Hamas attack as seen in the Old Testament. Believe it or not, that tragedy looks remarkably similar to an attack on Israel that took place back in the Old Testament. So coming up here on the land of the book, we'll take you to a site called Lachish. The biblical account is chilling, but bears a striking resemblance to things
we just witnessed. So stick around for the entire program that we call the land and the book. They say what's old is new. And when that comes to understanding today's conflict in terms of ancient history, there's an interesting contrast that develops lessons we can learn. This is the land in the book. Segment two. I'm John Geiger with Charlie Dyer, our host. Charlie, we're in the back of a van. Where are we headed? Well, we're.
Creeping our way along on the superhighway right now, but we're heading to Lake ish. Uh, it was actually in the Old Testament times, the second largest city in Judah. Only Jerusalem would have been larger.
Lessons to be learned there. And we'll get to that story after this thought about how you and I can be more effective in sharing the love of Jesus with a Jewish friend. So you and your Jewish friend are close enough that you feel comfortable sharing from Scripture. You read Isaiah 5213 through chapter 53, and then you ask them who they think the servant of the Lord is referring to. What's going to be their likely response? Roy Schwartz of Chosen People Ministries, what do you think?
Well, they're going to say, well, I guess that's Jesus, right? And you'll say, well, I think so. Yeah, I think that's Jesus. Do you know where this came from? They'll say, well, New Testament and you'll say, no, no, this is the Jewish scriptures. This is from the prophet Isaiah 700 years before Jesus was born. So what do you think about that?
And what will they think?
Well, they'll think, I got to talk to the rabbi about this. And the rabbis say, well, that's Israel. Israel is the suffering servant.
And what's the answer then to that?
Well, yes, to a degree that's true. He did suffer. I mean, Israel did suffer. But what Jesus is is the perfect Israel, just as Jesus is the second Adam. Jesus is also the second Israel. He modeled what it is to be a true Jew, right?
Schwartz is with Chosen People Ministries, joining us today on the land and the book. Doctor Charlie Dyer, our host today with John Geiger. We're on an unusual mission. We're headed where? Charlie?
We're heading to the Old Testament site of Lachish. Some would say Lachish, but, you know, for those who speak English, Lachish is what we would usually say. It's down in the valley, in the low foothills of the land of Judah. And it was actually one of the most dominant cities in Judah, next to Jerusalem.
And what is our goal in heading there today, Charlie?
Well, you know, I like taking people there to help them to see the city, but we're going there for a special reason. We're going down to the area around Gaza. And I believe there's a lesson from Lachish in Israel's history that can help us understand Hamas and the events of October 7th.
You know, Americans are really not good at history. And sadly, Christians are not good at biblical history, even. But this is important if we're going to understand what happened on October the 7th, what's the first indicator that says what happened in ancient biblical times in Lachish is significant in understanding what happened October 7th?
Well, I think it's recognizing that the human heart has never changed. People believe we're getting better. We're progressing. We're becoming more modern. In reality, the heart's deceitful above all
else and desperately sick. Who can understand it? That's what Jeremiah talks about, and the patterns of human heart that showed up in the Assyrian invasion of Judah back in the time of King Hezekiah, are the same kind of patterns of the human heart that showed up on October 7th, when Hamas attacked those communities along the border with Gaza.
If the sounds in the background are a bit different, it's because they are. We're in a van, we're not in our studio, we're in Israel, and we're looking at lessons from Lachish today as it helps us understand what happened October 7th. What's another insight that we can gain as we think about Lachish?
Well, I think it's a recognition that no matter what we think we can do to protect ourselves, the best that human effort has is something we shouldn't depend on. Ultimately, God is the one who can protect us. It's a reminder of where our security ought to come from, and that's from God and God alone.
Well, you mentioned the word security. And that, of course, is still being puzzled over worked over as we try to unpack what happened October 7th, whose forces are more secure than the IDF, the Israel Defense Forces, what technology is more advanced than theirs? And yet that attack still happened.
It did. And it's that's why it's a reminder to us that whatever we depend on, if we're not depending on God, the best defenses we can come up with will always be inadequate. The parallels between Hamas and the Assyrian army are truly frightening, actually staggering. You know, we saw what Hamas did because they attached GoPro cameras. I mean, they videoed the atrocities that they committed. The Assyrians did
almost the same thing. Now, they didn't have GoPro cameras, but they took one entire room of a palace in Nineveh and devoted it to the taking of the city of Lachish in great detail and graphic detail, so much so that the archaeologists could use what they put on the walls of that palace to help them understand what they were going to find archaeologically when they dug Leykis up. Both of them wanted to boast in their exploits on how they had overcome the defenses of this enemy.
Well, insomuch as it's appropriate, describe what they did put on those walls.
The sad part is they started by showing how how strong the defenses were. In Lake Ish's case, they had double walls with a a ramp in between that made what they thought impossible for someone to attack. But the Assyrians figured out a way to get around it. In Israel's case, they had the iron wall, the this massive defensive structure that they put up that would stop people from tunneling under. But they didn't recognize that Hamas had
plans to just blow their way through. The Hamas recorded all of the the horrible things that they did as they killed, beheaded, tortured individuals. But the Assyrians did exactly the same thing. They show beheading individuals, cutting off their heads with knives. They show them hoisting the bodies up on stakes, displaying the mutilated corpses for all to see. Hamas captured over 250 individuals and took them away into Gaza.
The Assyrians actually boasted that they took 200,150 Judeans captive, and they said, young and old, men and women, they took them away as slaves to Assyria. In fact, the only difference between the Assyrians and Hamas Hamas could attack one small area around the Gaza. Assyria came in and tried to take the whole country, and they nearly succeeded, except for God's intervention.
Doctor Charlie Dyer, our host, leading us in a conversation today on a van headed south, were moving toward the Gaza Strip. And lessons from Lachish is where we're focused. 200,000 plus prisoners being hauled off. Talk about the logistics there. How far did they eventually travel from Israel?
It was hundreds of miles. The Assyrians are what's today if people picture that in a map, uh, northern Iraq, Mosul, where we finally managed to cross ISIS, was the capital that was the capital of Nineveh. So they took those people back to the Assyrian empire, uh, in terms of 200,000 people. Imagine if 200,000 in the United States were. Taken away today, we'd be amazed. We're a country of over 330 million people. In that day, Judah was probably
about the size it is now or less. You know, you're talking about 6 or 7 million people, and to have 200,000 taken away as slaves would have devastated the economy, devastated the country.
And you think about how this would be noted historically. I mean, people would never, ever forget it. Generation after generation after generation, 200,000 people.
Oh, absolutely. In fact, it's interesting. It's remembered both ways. The Assyrians left written copies. One of them's in the British Museum. One of them is in what used to be called the Oriental Museum in Chicago, and one of them is in the Israel Museum here in Jerusalem. Uh, it's funny, he says, you know, he took how many people? 200,000, 150 took 46 strong walled cities, countless villages. And then he says, and Hezekiah the Jew, I shut up like
a bird in a cage in his city Jerusalem. Well, what he what he leaves out is the fact that he can't capture Jerusalem. And that's where God intervened for Israel, the part they remember and the part that appears in the Bible in, uh, Second Kings around 18 to 20, in Isaiah 36 to 39, uh, in Chronicles, uh, is the fact that when it came down to it, Hezekiah took the terms of surrender he was given, laid him out in front of God and and said, in essence,
there's nothing I can do. We need your help. And the angel of the Lord came and killed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers. That's what spared Judah. And that was remembered hundreds of years later.
So what lessons do you think we can take away from this, uh, ancient incident in Lachish?
Well, I think one of the key lessons for us is to remember. And the United States is a good example. We boast great technology, great power, great strength. Let's remember that if God is not in it, it doesn't matter how strong you are. There are ways to get around any kind of defense someone develops. Our strength needs to be the Lord in God we trust. We read it
on our coins. We just need to make sure that that becomes the model not only of our country, but of individual believers we don't trust in our bank accounts. We don't trust in what we have, what we can see. And the most important thing we can do is to make sure that we stay close to God.
You know, we don't come here merely as travelers or as journalists. We're not just recording programs. I have to say that in my own soul, as we travel south, as we move closer toward this destination, which is so close to Gaza, I just feel a sense of foreboding and darkness and heaviness. Uh, how do you feel?
Two things go through my mind, and one is it was a somber place that we're heading to right now. We know October 7th fundamentally changed how Israel responds to events around them, and we should as well. And if we leave and we're not somber because of it, we've not taken the lesson to heart. The second thing is to remember, though, even in times of greatest need, God can then intervene in the most remarkable ways he did
with Lachish originally. And he's doing that, I think, in the process of Israel today, there's more of a spiritual openness. In many parts of Israel, uh, believers have stepped up, are trying to demonstrate the love of Christ in a more dramatic fashion. And so what we really need to pray is that God can get a victory out of this, just like he did in the time of Hezekiah.
I'm so glad you turned the corner, Charlie, and the conversation toward that direction, because throughout our trip here, we have heard many stories about impact and the testimony that the gifts, the intervention, the generosity of God's people in the United States who care about Israel, how that is making a difference here in Israel.
It is, in fact, we can't overestimate it. Uh, it's amazing in difficult times when people are looking, when they're wondering, when they're searching to find a person willing to help, willing to step up, willing to stand in the gap, uh, makes an impression. And when that person says, oh, I'm, you know, I'm no better than you, but let me tell you about the God who loves both of us. That can make a real major difference in the lives
of of everybody. So there's a great opportunity right now to share the good news of Jesus Christ in very tangible ways. And that's what we've been experiencing. And, uh, we're part of a group that is demonstrating the love of God to people of Israel.
Well, one tangible way that our listeners can step up and show their support is by going ahead and coming to Israel. You know, we've been here, uh, we're just not seeing airplanes. We're not hearing bombs. Uh, and a tour to Israel right now makes perfect sense.
It does. You know what I love to say, John, is when I was in Boy Scouts, we learned, uh, whenever there's trouble, you know, somebody's drowning. They told us, reach, throw row, then go. In other words, you know, you can do something. You try and reach out to help you, uh, throw something and throw a lifeline if you have it, uh, you know, if you have a boat. But finally, if there's no other way, you go, uh, that's the last
step you're supposed to take. But it's the one that can make the most direct impact if there's no other way to go. In our case today, uh, people need to recognize there's things they can do to help and support Israel. But one of the last things they can do is go and going. What they'll find is that the news media is the truth. It's not the whole truth. They get a whole different perspective than what they see on the media. They find that they can make an
impact on people's lives. They'll change themselves spiritually by interacting with the land and the people, and they find that God is a great God.
And on a purely human level, maybe slightly selfish. It's a great time to go now because the lines are shorter, the roads are a bit more free. You're able to see a whole lot more and a lot less time.
Absolutely, yeah. When tourism finally comes back, when all the planes are filled once again and they will be, the lines will get a lot longer. Whether it's eating lunch or waiting in line to get into a an event or a venue, it will get better for tourists. But much longer lines right now is a great time to be here.
The thing is, this window won't last very long. I mean, as you say, tourism is going to ramp up and amp up, but in the long lines will be back. So it's a it's a great time to be thinking about a trip to Israel.
Yeah. Well it is I always say, you know, it's the will of God for you to go to Israel. I don't know exactly when, but I do know it's the will of God for you to go, because your life will never be the same again. That's what was true for me, and I know people will find that to be true for themselves as well.
All right, now, if you're an audio file, you're a person who's really into audio. You've noticed the background sounds have shifted. Our van has picked up speed. We are nearly at our destination, Lachish. But one last insight, Charlie, before we leave.
The final insight would be they've got to come to Lachish. When you go to Israel. Lachish is a place that most tours don't go to. Tell your guide, tell your driver, tell your your pastor. You want to go to Lachish. You want to see the second largest city. You want to see the place where the Assyrians were. You want to see what God's great miracle was, and there's no better place to see it than at a place like Lachish.
And on a physical dimension. What are we going to see when we're at Lachish? What are the actual ruins?
We're going to see the city gate. The the massive part. You're going to see a massive stone structure on top. That was the foundations of the governor's palace because it was a regional capital for that area. You're going to find the part of the siege ramp that the Assyrians built, that they built at the top to break into the city.
And we're even going to start our our tour looking down at the bottom where the Kingston Palace and Nineveh shows, where he put his throne as he observed the the taking of the city of Lachish.
I'm excited. I feel like telling our driver, Munir, step on the gas, brother.
Ah, and he gave a good laugh for that. But he will get us there safely. And that's the great part.
And that's what you should hear about Lachish. From the back seat of our van cruising down south here in Israel, coming up here on the land of the book, we'll give Charlie a break from chatting with me, and he's going to be looking at questions, one of them yours. I hope that's all ahead on the next segment of the land and the book. It's questions and. Welcome. We're glad you're here. I think you'll find this fascinating, I
always do. Our host, Doctor Charlie Dyer, has his Bible open and a stack of Bible questions on the other side of that Bible. I'm looking forward to hearing what you're curious about and to Charlie's answers as well. First, though, Passover will soon be upon us, and one of the traditional Passover questions is what makes this night different from all others? Well, Passover is an important biblical holiday that has great meaning for both Jewish people and believers in Jesus. So, Charlie,
I think that's a great question to ask. It is.
John. And if you want to learn more about what makes Passover so special, our friends at Life and Messiah are offering to mail you a free copy of their Messianic Passover Haggadah. The book will lead you through the celebration of Passover to see the rich connections between Jesus, our Messiah, and the Last Supper. You'll also receive a link for an interactive Passover Seder video with the Haggadah and video. You can celebrate Passover this year with your
family and friends. Now to get this free offer, just go to life in Messiah org and click on the Moody Radio button to find out more and request your copy. That's life in messiah.org.
Marianne has the honor of asking today's first question. She takes us to second Samuel chapter 11. It says. Then it happened in the spring at the times when kings go out to battle. I'm thinking that probably this was the start of the dry season. And Marianne goes on to say, perhaps it was hot, or at least had the potential of being hot, and that was why Bathsheba was bathing. I've heard it said that she was doing a ritual cleansing, but I don't see anything in the
text that warrants that for the first time. I recently heard it taught that David was abdicating his responsibilities and that this was the cause of all that happened. I've always heard it taught before that Bathsheba was a seductress, but the longer I've lived, the less I see in the text to support this. Your thoughts and Charlie, I've never heard it said that Bathsheba was a seductress. Is that that popular a theory?
I'm not sure how popular it is, but it is a theory that's out there. Now. I do see the events in that passage taking place in the late spring, probably during the time of the barley or wheat harvest. You know, the winter rains are over. Makes travel easier. The ripening grain actually would have been looted by the armies on their way to provide food. So it was the best time to go. And I do think David
abdicated his responsibility. It says this is the time when the kings go out to war, and it pointedly says that and then says, David wasn't there. And that's what led to the disaster. Now, in terms of Bathsheba, I believe she was ritually purifying herself. Following her monthly period from Leviticus 15. Has some of the information on that. Now,
I see this alluded to in verse four. The writer adds she had purified herself from her uncleanness, which suggests she was undergoing ritual purification while bathing on the roof. Now I don't see her acting as a seductress, since she appeared to be following the Levitical purification process, and since she assumed the army and the king had left for battle, David is the one primarily at fault in the account, though Bathsheba didn't refuse advances, which suggests she
does share at least some responsibility in what followed. But in reading Psalm 51, David certainly acknowledges he's the one responsible for his sin.
Todd asks, when would you say the rebellion of Satan occurred in the timeline of history?
Well, it's a good question and the answer is a bit complex, so bear with me here. I believe God created the angelic realm before the creation of the universe that we know today. And I say that because in job 38, verses 4 to 7, God says to job there, where were you? And I laid the earth's foundation? Tell me if you understand. You know, God is basically saying you weren't there at creation, were you, job who marked off its dimension? Surely you know who stretched to measuring
line across it? Where were its footing? Said who had laid its cornerstone? And then, he adds, while the morning star sang together and all the angels shouted for joy. So if the angels were present at the very creation of the universe, they must have been created prior to that time. Well, that leads to my second observation. I believe Satan's rebellion against God when a third of the
heavenly host followed him. That also likely took place before the creation we read about in Genesis 1 to 3, I believe Ezekiel 28, verses 11 to 19 describe, I think in poetic fashion, that event Satan was originally an absolutely perfect anointed cherub who was blameless in his ways. From the day you were created to wickedness was found in you. To me, that also explains how suddenly a serpent can show up in the Garden of Eden shortly
after the creation of Adam and Eve. And finally, as I put all that together, I believe the creation we see in Genesis 1 to 3 is in part, God's response to Satan's rebellion and fall. Satan claimed the right to be equal to God, and the subsequent program of creation and the fall and redemption is God's response. And that's why Satan's ultimate judgment in the Lake of Fire doesn't happen until the end of the Book of Revelation,
when everything's finally resolved. You know, Jesus said, the lake of fire was prepared for the devil and his angels. So why wasn't Satan thrown into it when he first fell? I think it's because the current program is part of God's contest with Satan to show that God has the
right to rule in. Satan does not. Now all that to say, I think Satan's rebellion took place just before the timeline of history that we see in the Bible actually began, and its final doom will happen just as this timeline of history dissolves into eternity.
A follow up do you think Isaiah 14 applies to Satan's fall? If so, how do we explain the verse that says, those who see you will stare at you and ponder over you? Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms, who made the world like a desert and overthrew its cities? Who did not let his prisoners go home?
Yeah. You know, I said before Ezekiel 28, I do see, referring to Satan. Isaiah 14, I don't believe refers to Satan. And one key reason is the passage that you cited. Todd, I think it clearly identifies this individual as a man. And though he claims to say in his heart, I will ascend to the heavens, God says in all his pomp, you're going to be brought down to the grave. And then in a further slight, God says in that passage, you're not even going to stay in your tomb. You're
going to be cast out of your tomb. And those are characteristics of a human who thought he was as good as God. So in that sense, his character, his pride, matches Satan. But the passage is talking about a human from Moody Radio.
This is the land in the book. Our host, Charlie Dyer, I'm John Jaeger. The questions, they're yours and they're welcome anytime with an email to the land and the book at Moody's Edu. Mark takes us to act 16, where the relieved jailer asked, sirs, what must I do to be saved? And the apostles reply, believe in the Lord Jesus,
and you will be saved, you and your household. That seems to say that if one believes his whole family or household receives salvation, I'm not sure that's the intended message. What am I missing?
Well, I think there's a simple explanation here. The man wanted to know what he needed to do to be saved, and the answer was he only had to believe to exercise faith in Christ. When Paul and Silas said that was sufficient to save both him and his household, I think it's with the understanding that they would also need to exercise faith to be saved, but that the salvation
was also clearly available to them. Now, I believe that's the correct interpretation in light of verse 34 that says the jailer quote had come to believe in God, he and his whole household. And that verse is saying that the entire family had come to believe and not just him alone. So his salvation didn't save them. But since the entire family responded in faith to the message, they were saved. At the same time.
Larry says, we hear quite a bit about how the US is not mentioned and thus thought not to be influential in end times prophecy. But what about countries like China and India, which comprise about 40% of the world's population? I don't believe they're mentioned in prophetic scripture, and I don't hear much speculation as to their possible roles. What do you think the influence of these highly populated countries will be in the end times?
Yeah, it is true the US isn't mentioned by name and end time prophecy, and that does suggest either we don't play a prominent role or something else has happened. We're not told what the reason is, but that's certainly true. Now in terms of India and China, I see two possibilities. First, it's possible that they could be the kings from the east that are mentioned in revelation 16. It says there the sixth angel poured out his vial on the great river Euphrates, and the waters dried up. So the way
of the kings of the East should be prepared. But it's not clear in the text who the kings of the East are. Could it be China and India? Possibly, but we're not told. The second possibility is that China and India are caught up in the conflict that decimates the world's population during the period. In revelation six, at the opening of the fourth seal, it says a fourth of the world's population is killed. Then, in revelation nine, at the sounding of the Sixth Trumpet Judgment, an additional
third of the world's populations killed. The world's population today is about 8 billion. So as a result of those two judgments, 4 billion people are going to perish. It seems reasonable to assume that those kind of large numbers must include at least part of the population of China and India. Now, we're not provided all the details on
the specific countries impacted by those judgments. So I have to say here you have to tread cautiously, but knowing that half the world's population is going to be wiped out during this time, it is at least reasonable to think that could include people from the United States and China and India, since all three account for significant segments of the world's total population.
Todd asks, do modern day Jews observe religious days and civic days? What I mean is, do they have their religious days start at sunset and their civic days start at midnight?
Well, modern Israelis still followed the Jewish custom of starting the next day at sunset for both religious and more secular holidays. For example, Yom Karen, their version of Memorial Day begins at sunset the previous day, and it's followed immediately by their version of Independence Day, which begins at the sunset of Memorial Day, so even their civil days start the evening before. Now, some things do blend into
Western culture. For example, some Israelis would celebrate the start of the new year at midnight on January 1st, even though it's not the start of either the civil or. A religious New Year in Judaism, nor is it the beginning of a new day. So some Western traditions do creep in at times, but basically they still follow the Jewish custom of beginning the next day at sunset of the previous day.
Thank you, Charlie boy. It's been great getting the questions today. And if yours wasn't aired, well, maybe it's in the queue or maybe you didn't get it to us. You can email that question anytime when you connect with Charlie at the Land and the book@moody.edu. Well, we're looking forward to another segment here to come on the broadcast. It's a devotional and we want to point you as well to our website, where you can always stay current with what's coming up next. And that website is The Land
and the book.org Charlie's devotional is next. Hope you're enjoying our program today at The Land and the book. I'm John Geiger with our host, Charlie Dyer. And as we are at Easter weekend, it's appropriate, Charlie, that we turn toward the gospel account of that very first Resurrection Day. Where are we going?
We're heading to John chapter 20, and we're going to look at what happened early on that first day.
I'm looking forward to that. After this testimony from a listener who's been to Israel and wanted to share this with you and me.
Hello, my name is Denise, and, um, my whole alien experience was, um. I lived on a kibbutz for three months as a student. We were right near the Golan Heights, and, um, I enjoyed seeing the moon come up over the mountains. It was really peaceful and beautiful. And I also really enjoyed going to the garden tomb and seeing the garden Tomb. The idea of being there where Jesus was raised from the dead was just overwhelming and just a wonderful thing.
My name is Jeff Stokowski and my Holy Land experience was in 2000. I went there with Chuck Swindoll and Steve Greene and viewing scripture differently. I really have a tendency to have a mental picture now of some of the things that I read, which is really a nice way to connect Scripture to real life. One of the places that really struck me was the area that was the tomb area, and how now it's kind of a clash of cultures. There's a bus terminal right there in
the midst of it. And so you're you're in the midst of this Holy Land tour and you're enjoying learning about Scripture in real life, but you're also in the midst of real world, 21st century society.
No story is more profound has more implications than Jesus rising from the dead. I'm looking forward, Charlie, to your devotional early on the first day.
Thanks, John. And I got to start by asking a question how's your eyesight? Early in the morning. You know, about five days a week, I head out for an early morning walk before the sun comes up. It's too early to pop in my contact lenses, so the world around me is dark and a bit bleary, though the occasional street lamp does help light my way. And thankfully, now that spring is here, it's getting a bit lighter each morning. Well, on this Easter weekend, we're heading to
Jerusalem to focus on the very first Resurrection Sunday. It's still dark as we approach the area outside Jerusalem, where Jesus body had been placed in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. We're making our way forward cautiously for two reasons. First, we want to make sure we don't stumble and fall in the darkness. And second, we've learned that a group of Roman soldiers were sent to guard the tomb. We don't want to surprise them or have them think we've
come to attack. As we approach the general area of the tomb, were startled to see Mary Magdalene run past, heading toward the city. We're not sure what has happened, but we turn and run after her. She darts through the nearest city gate and then twists and turns her way through the still empty streets. She's so focused on her mission that she doesn't even notice us running behind. She appears to be heading to the house of John, Mark's mother, the home where, just a few days earlier,
the disciples had celebrated Passover with Jesus. Mary burst into the room with us. Following along behind, she locates Peter and John, who are seated on cushions along the wall. No pleasantries are exchanged. Instead, Mary blurts out the message she has rushed here to deliver. They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him. Someone has stolen his body and we don't know where it is. Peter and John immediately
bolt for the door and once again we follow. They can run faster than Mary, but we have an advantage because we know where they're going. In addition, the sun is now starting to peek out behind the Mount of Olives so we can see a bit more clearly as the two rush through the streets and out the gate. Both are running, but John, who's younger, outruns Peter and arrives at the tomb first. We arrive just behind Peter. John's description of these events in John 20 captures the
intensity of the emotions on that first Easter Sunday. Mary's cry of alarm cut through any pleasantries. This was a crisis that demanded immediate action. In response, John says, Mary, Peter and John ran. They were in a hurry and John ran ahead faster. He wasn't running with Peter. He was setting a pace that Peter couldn't match. Apparently, Mary also followed the. She was now physically drained and unable to keep up. Every Easter we focus on the empty tomb,
and rightly so. But sometimes we need to view the events of that day with a fresh pair of eyes. On a past Israel trip, my brother in law shared a devotional with our group. That was an aha moment for me. It came from some of the other details in John's account that are often overlooked. In this case, we need to dig just a little below the surface to focus on some of the specific words John uses. So follow along as I summarize what I learned from
my brother in law that day. In verse one, John reports that when Mary first went to the tomb, she saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. The word for seeing that John uses there as Aleppo. It has the idea of seeing or observing or perceiving by the use of the eyes. Mary saw an empty tomb,
but jumped to a wrong conclusion and became discouraged. Later in the story, after Peter and John leave, Mary is still standing outside the tomb, despondent and weeping, until she finally looks in and has an encounter with two angels, followed afterward by a meeting with Jesus himself. And just like Mary, it's possible for someone listening today to read the biblical account or hear a message on Resurrection Sunday, but to only perceive it as a collection of historical
facts totally disconnected from his or her life today. Well, John then reached the tomb before Peter and also looked in at the strips of linen in verse five. It's the same word used of Mary. John hadn't yet entered the tomb, but he only saw evidence that a body had once been inside. But we're not yet finished with the two disciples. Peter finally arrived at the tomb, but though he was the second to reach the entrance, he was the first one inside. Verses six and seven say
Peter went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus's head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen. The word John now uses to describe what Peter saw is the Greek word that around it has the idea of to see, perceive, or look at something with interest and for a purpose. Peter examined the contents carefully, trying to make sense of
what he saw. Peter's response was puzzlement. The strips of linen were lying where they had apparently been placed, but without the body that had been once inside, and the face cloth placed over the head was. Neatly placed off to the side, carefully folded up by itself. This showed care and intentionality, but Peter's examination, his moment, brought confusion. It came because he didn't yet comprehend what Jesus had
predicted about his own resurrection. Or, as John describes it in verse nine, that Jesus had to rise from the dead. And there are some listening today who are also confused. How could Jesus rise from the dead? And what difference does that make in my life today? The facts are clear, but the meaning still seems to be obscured. And this is where the final word used by John becomes so important in verse eight. John describes what happened when he
followed Peter into the tomb. Just like Peter, he spotted the strips of linen and the face cloth neatly placed off to the side and folded. But then John adds this he saw and believed, and the word he uses for seeing in verse eight is the Greek word hero. It has the idea of seeing what the mind perceiving, knowing, or experiencing its seeing in the sense of wow, I get it. John got it. Then it says immediately that he believed he now fully understood and accepted and trusted
what Jesus had been saying all along. He really had risen from the dead. So what kind of site do you have this resurrection weekend? Are you standing on the outside looking in, but still finding yourself discouraged because you don't see any relevance between the events 2000 years ago and your struggles today? Or maybe you're trying to understand seeking to piece together all the facts, but still confused
by all the details of what really happened. If so, how about making a decision today to look more carefully at what Jesus did for you? He died to pay the penalty for your sin, and then he rose from the dead to demonstrate that his payment was sufficient. You now have an opportunity to internalize that truth, to move beyond the facts by placing your trust in Jesus as
your personal Lord and Savior. And doing so is as simple as praying something like the following right now, dear Lord, I believe you died for my sins, and that you did rise from the dead. Right now I want to turn from my sinful past and place my trust in you as my Savior and Lord. Please forgive me of my sins and give me eternal life because of what Jesus did for me. Amen.
Powerful, powerful thought there, and nothing more important than making that decision to receive Jesus and His forgiveness. And if you'd like to have a conversation with somebody who would really enjoy talking with you, patiently answering any questions that you might have about Jesus and His death for you, his resurrection for you. Pick up the phone. Will you? Call 888? Need him 888. Need him who answers? A volunteer who knows Jesus, who will not try to sell
you anything because there's nothing to buy. Okay, so it's safe. Call 888. Need him but a great program. As always, we thank you for being a part of the land. In the book I'm John Geiger for our host, Charlie Dyer. Our producer Dan Anderson. Hope to see you back next time for The Land. In the book, a production of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.