With Paul in Prison at Caesarea Maritima

I share the gospel with my Jewish friend? And that's a good question. And that question recognizes the need, I think, for a sensitive approach to sharing with our Jewish friends.

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the Prime minister. One reason the tension is escalated is Israel's impending attack against Hamas's last remaining stronghold of Rafah. Because of the previous fighting, about 1.4 million of Gaza's 2.3 million people are now packed into this relatively small area, and the US and other Western leaders are concerned about the impact of fighting on those civilians. In a 45 minute call last Sunday, President Biden bluntly told Netanyahu not to press into Rafah without a credible plan for civilians.

Prime Minister Netanyahu countered that to defeat Hamas, Israel must operate in Rafah for battalions of Hamas fighters remain in Rafah. In addition to Hamas's leadership and the hostages, Netanyahu has ordered a plan to be developed that allows for the evacuation of civilians while still pushing forward with the war against Hamas. One option being explored is to set up 15 tent cities along the coast of Gaza, each with 25,000 tents. But let me go back to the reason

for these fissures widening. Two other factors appear to be in play. The first is the way both countries view the war. As one Israeli pundit put it, the US is still stuck in October 6th. It assumes the solution to all the problems in the Middle East is the establishment of a Palestinian state, forgetting that Hamas attack was unprovoked, and that Hamas has said it will never accept the

existence of a Jewish state of Israel. Israel sees Hamas and its ideology as a deadly cancer, threatening their very lives, and they won't stop until the cancer is removed. The US is more willing to let a weakened Hamas remain. The other factor at play is our upcoming presidential election. Progressives and Muslims are sharply critical of President Biden's support for Israel in the war against Hamas, and he appears to be pushing Israel to wind down the war to

satisfy those voters. A memorandum issued by the white House last week requires countries receiving U.S. military funding to prove their following international humanitarian and human rights laws. Most countries have 180 days to comply, but Israel was only given 45 days. This is the kind of pressure the US is placing on Israel to try to force them to pull back and stop short of total victory, or risk losing U.S. support and future military aid.

ahead of a strike to warn civilians. The so-called roof knocking to let residents know the building's about to be bombed. Evacuating urban areas before the full air and ground attack begin. Now, on the other side of the equation, it's Hamas that deliberately embedded themselves within civilian population centers, used hospitals, mosques, schools and even UN buildings as shields as they built their control centers underneath them. Hamas, not Israel, is the

one who attack civilians and took civilians as hostages. Family of the hostages have actually filed a war crime complaint against Hamas in The Hague. The West does want to help civilians and hostages, but they're also motivated by unrest within their own growing Muslim population. The question now is what will happen next? If Israel goes after Hamas and Rafah,

they'll be condemned by the world. It's possible the current talks could force Hamas to accept a more reasonable hostage deal, perhaps allowing the hostages to go in exchange for allowing Hamas leadership and and some fighters to go into exile. But right now, Europe and the US, for their own political reasons, are war weary. While Israel's pushing for victory over Hamas, Hamas is hoping these other nations will force

Israel to stop before it's too late for them. They don't care about civilians or hostages, except to use them as bargaining chips to remain in power.

idea of when it was built. Slight changes in the magnetic field of the bricks from which samples were taken show that the building process took place in phases over several years, apparently after other nearby building projects caused the street to be raised. The original unglazed Ishtar Gate that's still in Babylon. I've walked on it, but you need to go down a flight of stairs to reach it. Nebuchadnezzar covered that gate and replaced it with one made

of glazed brick. And that gate is the one that's now in the Pergamum Museum in Berlin. Well, what the archaeologists discovered was that the construction on this revised Ishtar Gate didn't begin until about 583 BC. That's three years after the destruction of Jerusalem, and the construction continued for several years. This study reminds me of Nebuchadnezzar's words in Daniel 430. You know, that's when he boasted, is this

not Babylon the Great, which I myself have built? Well, he might have even been looking at the remodeled Ishtar Gate, rising right next to his palace on which he was standing when he made those words in any case, this new study simply reminds us that Nebuchadnezzar's prideful statement was true. He was constantly remodeling, improving, and beautifying his city, which he saw as a monument to his greatness.

the other two larger pyramids nearby. Needless to say, the project has come under fire from historians and archaeologists who see it almost as a desecration. It would be like rebuilding the Colosseum in Rome or adding a roof back on the Acropolis in Athens. In light of the uproar, the Minister of Tourism issued a decree forming a committee

to review the restoration project and issue its recommendations. No time frame was announced, and I'm kind of hoping that this project dies a quiet death in committee.

The program can help triage and prioritize care for patients. The other AI program developed allows for more rapid and accurate identification of victims in mass casualty events. Israel suddenly had to deal with thousands of bodies, some that appeared to be burned or mutilated, almost beyond recognition. They first performed CT scans on all the bodies, looking for any identifiable markers like pacemakers, surgery scars, hip replacements, things like that.

Some bodies, though, were virtually disintegrated, with only small bone fragments remaining. They then gathered all the medical records of anybody reported missing, and the AI program then performed an automatic comparison of up to 117 skeletal parts to try to match the remains with any available evidence using the program, which also included DNA evidence, fingerprints, dental records. When available, the pathologists were able to identify many of those who'd

been killed, providing some closure to grieving families. The truly amazing aspect of all this is that both of these AI programs were developed in a matter of weeks, under some of the most difficult circumstances, highlighting the impact of these dedicated scientists, doctors and researchers in amazing Israel.

spend time in prison. Just ask the Apostle Paul. Actually, we're about to do better than that. Hey, welcome back to the land in the book. It's our second segment on the program. Our host, Doctor Charlie Dyer, spent many years as a licensed Israeli tour guide. I'm John Geiger, always hungry to learn something new, especially when we're traveling together with our wives in Israel. It's a privilege to be here, Charlie, isn't it?

though he was king of the Jews. And for his security, building a new port out of nothing gave him that strategic link. Until he built this, ships had to dock out at sea on their way from door in the north to Joppa in the south. And so Herod needed this strategic port.

Romans in a force. And they left the barracks. It makes note at 9 p.m., which is about the time everything would shut down for the night in Jerusalem. So they're slipping away in the dark. And they marched all night to Antipater, which is a 30 mile hike. Now again, 400 of those guys are not on horses. They're marching on foot. That would take a good seven hours to hike that far, that at that point they let the

400 soldiers head back. The 70 horsemen with Paul on a horse, then made the additional 30 mile journey from there to Caesarea. So it was a two day journey to get Paul up here and a major force.

a soldiers barracks or headquarters. So as we were walking through the site, they're actually excavating right now, that spot underground where the barracks was, and likely that's where Paul was kept. So putting it all together, it looks like the palace complexes where Paul was and specifically underground in that palace complex. Okay, you.

been smelly, probably damp in there. Right? Being right here as we are right next to the ocean. Uh, likely he got normal food rations, probably the same rations fed to the soldiers, but it would not have been a pleasant place.

imprisoned in that prison. In AD 135, Jewish Rabbi Akiva was imprisoned in Caesarea, probably in that same prison as well. And we know from history he was taken out then and executed.

equipment in that theater. But but otherwise I think he would have understood it and and said, yeah, I've been here.

and put him to death at that point. Uh, but remember, this is a guy who said he learned all things through all things. He's going to be content. So I think Paul would have said, yeah, it looks fine.

everything it needed. So eventually this place just seemed to settle back into the backwater that it was before Herod the Great came along.

a new seat. And underneath that theater, when the when the excavated it by archaeologists, they, they found on it, it mentioned, uh, the the sign was for a building called the Tiberium Tiberius Caesar and had been built by Pontius Pilate, the prefect of Judah.

of Judah. Uh, but Paul likely gave his message. And that's what we just talked about with the group at the end, uh, to Festus and Agrippa and the prison where Paul spent years of his life. You know, those are real people. They were real events in the Bible. And I think this is one of those places where you stand and suddenly say, wow, it did happen right here.

had it all planned. He said, God's going to take me to Rome, I'm going to go to Spain. And I really do think that's what Paul expected to happen.

things through him who gives me strength. Well, that involved I can be in a prison, I can endure the shipwreck, I can endure all of that because God is there with me. So can we learn to be content like that? And can we remember that God can give us the strength we need for all of our details? Those are great lessons from Paul right here at Caesarea.

is the land and the book@moody.edu. That's the land and the book at Moody. Edu. Don't go away. Questions and answers. Next here on Moody Radio's The Land and the book. Hope you're having a good day. This is the land in the book. I'm John Jaeger, seated across from Doctor Charlie Dyer, whose Bible is open, whose pulse is at a rest rate. I mean, the guy just doesn't sweat it when you ask him questions and I say questions. Those are questions about the Bible prophecy and our own

Christian walk. They're always welcome at the land and the book at Moody, Edu and Charlie, because our stack is thick with questions. I'll get out of the way and we'll dig into two questions based on John chapter five. We'll start with Judy. She says in John five four. Why do some translations only have the number for verse four in brackets, while the verse itself is at the bottom of the page? Who is an angel of the Lord who stirred the waters at the pool? And does

this pool still exist today? And was it filled by an underground source? Along those same lines, Mark wants to know about John five. Apparently this was a place known for healing. It happened when an angel went down and stirred up the water. The first one in the water was healed. Do we know if this was tradition, superstition, or the real deal? And do we know what the religious leaders attitude was? Would they have been upset if the angel healed on the Sabbath? Why didn't they prohibit

people from coming to the pool on the Sabbath? Faith played a central role in Jesus other healings, but the lame man in John five didn't even know who Jesus was, let alone demonstrate faith in him. There's got to be a lesson here I'm missing. All right, Charlie, we've scrambled it all up. We'll look to you to make sense of it all. Okay?

don't think they're original. Not my personal feeling. I think the verses ought to be included. I believe they were left out of some manuscripts because the early copyists saw them as problematic. But one principle of textual criticism of figuring out what the original text is, is that the more difficult reading is often the original, since that's the one most copyist would tend to leave out or gloss

over the angel that's mentioned in those verses. It sounds like the product of American theology rather than biblical theology. And here's what I mean. We tend to think God helps those who help themselves. That's not a biblical concept, but it says when the angel stirred up the pool, you know, the first to step in would be healed. Well, the most likely first one to step in would be the healthiest. The one most in need, like this man was, could never seem to get into the water in time.

So in light of that, I think the issue is the who the angel was. I don't think the angel was a good angel, but a fallen angel. You know, all angels were created by God. But a third of the angelic host followed Satan in his rebellion against God. This event has all the hallmarks of satanic deception written over it. People were held hostage to the sight, hoping against Hope to be the first one to win that

healing lottery and get in. And if the angel wasn't sent from God, then the problem with the verse disappears and we see the hopeless position these people were in. Now, the remains of this pool, it has been uncovered. It's just to the north of the Temple Mount. There's no water in it today, and we're not even sure how the pools were filled in the past. Some think it

was with rain water. Others believe, and I tend to go with them, that it may have been a conduit or an aqueduct that brought in water from a spring. An earlier version of this aqueduct, actually, I think it's mentioned in Isaiah seven. Now, there's archaeological evidence that the site was a pagan healing center known as an Asclepius, a pagan healing site. The man who was healed had no idea who Jesus was, so he wasn't healed by faith.

In fact, when Jesus met up with him later, he focused on the man's needs to stop sinning or something worse will happen to you. And the name of the place, Beit Hassid or Bethesda, means House of mercy or House of unmerited favor. And that's what Jesus did demonstrate to the man. And in terms of asking what lessons I see, well, I see at least one other lesson in this passage. It's the danger of legalism. Here's a site with pagan

influence just north of the temple. But the main issue the religious Jews had was the fact that the man was carrying his pallet on the Sabbath. They apparently weren't as concerned about the pagan influence or the miraculous healing that had taken place. And legalism often ends up with people majoring on the minors, which is a lesson I really see us needing to take away from that event.

way up through the reigns of David and Solomon. Now, following Solomon's death, the kingdom split into the northern Kingdom. It kept the name Israel. The southern kingdom became known as. Judah, since that's the tribe that their king came from. After the destruction of the northern Kingdom in 722 BC, the remaining kingdom was still called Judah, but refugees from the northern Kingdom of Israel fled there and became citizens of Judah, and as a result they were known as Jews, even

though they weren't from the tribe of Judah. Now a good example of this Esther two five were introduced to a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin named Mordecai. Now get to the other part of the question. All Jewish people are physical descendants of Jacob or Israel, so technically they're all Israelites. However, once the kingdom divided, the term Israel was more commonly used to identify those from the northern kingdom, while the term Judah was used for the

southern kingdom. So once the northern kingdom disappeared, Judah or Jew became the more common designation for Abraham's descendants, since Judah was the remaining kingdom.

of revelation. However, one member of the group is very much opposed to what he believes a narrow perspective on the book, and would like to do a book that includes all possible theories with regard to the rapture, Millennial Kingdom, etc.. Do you know of such a book, i.e. Bible study on revelation that deals with all possible interpretations of revelation? I'm concerned such a book might just be confusing.

and it solves. It's appealing to our postmodern approach to life where you have your truth. I have my truth, but in the end it usually either confirms someone's prejudice or else convinces someone it's hopeless to study a book with so many possible interpretations. Now, having said that, the book rises above many in that those arguing the case

do so in a scholarly fashion. But what I would suggest, though, is say to your friend, maybe you and he or she could do a study on these four views, but using it as a basis for a Bible study with a whole group will generate more heat than light, and probably lead more people to be afraid to study a book that promises a blessing for reading and heeding its message. As revelation one three says.

Josephus in Antiquities of the Jews. He provides the historical background, and it matches quite closely the record in First Maccabees, and he explains how it became a Jewish festival. Now, most scholars accept the historicity of the Maccabees and the revolt against Antiochus Epiphanies, and they see First Maccabees and Josephus being historically reliable when it comes to the establishment

of Hanukkah. By the way, the events took place about 160 years before the time of Christ in the Inner Testament period.

you an example of this. Proverbs 26, verses four and five, uh, verse four tells us not to answer a fool according to his folly, but the very next verse tells us to answer a fool according to his folly. And what the writer is saying is, there are times when we need to make sure we don't descend to the level of the fool, so we become like him, but in other situations we need to respond in a way the fool can understand, lest he. He thinks he's wiser than

he really is. And wisdom comes knowing which response is appropriate. Anyway, the bottom line is that if we understand it's wisdom literature that explains how life generally works and how we should respond, uh, that makes better sense. And by the way, wisdom literature also includes the Book of Job, which is a reminder that life doesn't always work the way we might expect.

is just fantastic. Then we get to Jerusalem and we see where Jesus wrote in on the triumphal entry, and he just sobbed over the city because they were lost. And then we get to see where Jesus walked and where he taught. And it's just a great experience. I'd suggest it highly to anyone that is looking for an experience to to walk closer with the Lord.

to our southwest? That's the modern Arab town of Taqwa. It preserves the name of the Jewish town that set at the same spot in the Old Testament, the village of Tekoa, the hometown of Amos the Prophet. Seeing the physical location of Tekoa, helps us understand more about Amos. Off to our right we can see Bethlehem about four miles to the northwest. But more importantly, Bethlehem is about 2500ft above sea level. That's about 100ft higher than where

we are now standing. Tekoa is also on top of a hill, but that hill is another 300ft lower than where we're standing. Bethlehem is on the spiny ridge that runs through the center of ancient Judah. Anyone heading east from Bethlehem also begins traveling down in elevation on the way toward the Dead Sea. Rainfall begins dropping off dramatically to the east of Bethlehem. As we know from the

Book of Ruth. Wheat and barley grew in the fields around Bethlehem, but head east, and the cultivated fields give way to the flocks and herds, feeding off the grass and shrubs growing there. David tended his father's flocks to the east of Bethlehem. It's no wonder that Amos, living in Tekoa, described himself as a shepherd and a herdsman, rather than a farmer. This is a place for watching

over sheep and cows, not tilling the soil. Amos also describes himself as having one other occupation, saying that he, quote, took care of sycamore fig trees. He actually describes himself as a quote, nipper of sycamore figs in Hebrew. Sycamore figs aren't the same as the sycamore trees or fig trees. We know they're a tall tree that produce fruit that look similar to a fig. However, the unripe fruit needs to be nipped or scratched open to promote ripening. These

trees require a lot of water, something lacking in Tekoa. Likely, Amos led his flocks through the wilderness to a place like Jericho, where sycamore fig trees did grow in exchange for allowing his flocks to graze on the grass underneath. Amos would climb the tree to nip the figs, helping them to ripen long before the time of Zacchaeus. Amos likely climbed up in the sycamore tree in Jericho, but we're not here today to focus on Toccoa, or sheep

or even sycamore fig trees. Instead, I want to focus on one of the sermons God called on this fig nipping shepherd to deliver. Amos traveled from Toccoa to Bethel, north of Jerusalem, to share God's message of impending doom with the people of the Kingdom of Israel, beginning in chapter three. Amos delivered three messages of judgment from the Lord.

Each one in chapter three, four, and five begins with the phrase hear this word, and in the middle of each message, Amos then announces the judgment that God is about to bring. After stating his overall theme in the first two verses of chapter three. Amos then asks a series of rhetorical questions, each point to the reality of cause and effect. Two people walking along engaged in deep conversation probably just didn't happen to chance by a lion

just doesn't roar for no reason. A bird doesn't just walk into a snare and push the trap shut. When a warning trumpet, a city's original emergency alarm system, sounds, people do stop and tremble at approaching danger. And then Amos connects his message and those cause and effect questions to God's early warning system. The lion has roared. So who will not fear? The sovereign Lord has spoken. Who

can but prophesy as a shepherd? Amos likely had felt a surge of fear rush up his spine when he was surprised by the roar of a lion as it charged from a thicket toward him and his flock. And now heaven's ultimate lion was issuing his divine roar just before pouncing on the nation of Israel. The message from this heaven sent prophet was direct into the point God was about to send an enemy to overrun the land. He will pull down your strongholds and plunder your fortresses. Amos.

His message of judgment could actually be understood in two ways. In chapter one, he reported that he delivered his message two years before the earthquake, and in chapter nine, he prophetically reports the devastation caused by that earthquake. Archaeologists have discovered evidence of a massive earthquake that tore through the land around 750 BC from hot sore north of the Sea of Galilee, all the way down to Giza and Lachish,

southwest of Jerusalem. This earthquake devastated the land. 200 years later, the prophet Zechariah used this earthquake as a point of. Reference, you will flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah, king of Judah. Zechariah 14 five. But Amos message also looks beyond the impending earthquake to describe an even greater devastation that would strike the northern

kingdom of Israel a quarter of a century later. That's when the Assyrian army came through to devastate and conquer Israel. They quite literally overran the land, pulled down the strongholds and plundered all the fortified cities and towns. Recalling his experience trying to protect his flock against a marauding lion, Amos graphically pictures the outcome of God's judgment as a shepherd saves from the lion's mouth only two leg bones

or the piece of an ear. So will the Israelites be saved once God has unleashed his judgment on Israel. Amos compares what remains to the scraps of flesh and bones left behind after a lion has finished killing and devouring a helpless lamb. Even as he spoke those words, Amos must have remembered the sickening feeling he felt in the pit of his stomach as he surveyed such carnage in the past and recognize what God was threatening to unleash in the not too distant future. Why was God

announcing such destruction? Amos shares why in his message, though some of it is more difficult for us to understand. In verse nine, he says the nation is guilty of great unrest and oppression. In the next verse, he explains that they do not know how to do right as they hoard, plunder and loot in their fortresses. Evidently, the rich and powerful were oppressing those who were less fortunate.

In the very next chapter, Amos describes the wealthy women of Samaria who oppressed the poor and crushed the needy. They were guilty, he says, of immorality, greed, dishonesty, corruption, and idolatry. And now it was time for God to settle accounts. Amos wasn't a professional prophet. He was a shepherd, just a businessman from that little village you see over there in the distance. But God called him to deliver a series of profound messages to a nation on the

brink of national disaster. And yet, did you notice God's grace? Amos delivered the message two years before the earthquake, and about 25 years before the arrival of the Assyrians, God gave the nation time to repent. They chose not to obey, but he still gave them that opportunity through Amos. The application for us today is twofold. First, our nation seems to be running away from God and His Word as fast as it can. But as Paul wrote in Galatians

six seven, do not be deceived. God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. And the same is true of nations. We need to be praying for revival. And that leads to the second application. Revival needs to start with us. Are you living for God today? And if you are, are you sharing God's message of hope

and forgiveness with your family, friends, and neighbors? Amos was called out of his comfort zone to deliver God's urgent message to a needy nation, and God is now calling on each of us to do the same.

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