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Amazing Facts

Doug Batchelor

Jean Ross

Say my Name

No volume ever written has been more loved and quoted, and its words, sometimes simple and sometimes mysterious, should always be studied carefully.

Welcome to Bible Answers Live, providing accurate and practical answers to all your Bible questions.

This broadcast is a previously recorded episode.

To receive any of the Bible resources mentioned in this broadcast, call 800-835-6747.

Now, Here's your host from Amazing Facts International, Pastor Doug Batchelor.

1 of the greatest proofs for the supernatural nature of the Bible is the Jewish people and the nation of Israel.

Consider, no other people in history have been driven from their native land 3 times over a period of 2, 600 years, maintained their unique language, religion, and identity, and then repossessed their homeland.

In 1660 BC Jacob and his tribe were driven from Canaan to Egypt by a famine.

Then, 250 years later, Joshua led them back into their inheritance.

Afterward, in 586 BC, The Jews were conquered by the Babylonians, the city of Jerusalem and the temple were burnt and then they were carried off to Babylon for 70 years.

But then under the Persian Empire they returned to Israel and rebuilt the temple and the city.

In 30 AD Jesus foretold the Temple would again be destroyed and Jerusalem burned in 40 years.

In 70 AD, the Romans burned and destroyed the city and the Temple.

For the next 1900 years, the Jewish people were scattered around Europe and the world until 1948 when Israel became an independent state in its native land.

This is just an amazing example of how God has had his hand over this unique people through history.

And you might be surprised to learn, Pastor Ross, even though Israel has their own country, 30% of the Jews in the world, 16 million Jews, are in Israel, but over 51% are in the United States of America.

We were talking before we went on the air and You mentioned that there's really 2 strongholds where Jews find themselves today, of course Israel and the United States, and the United States is more Jews.

And then just sort of a smattering here and there in other countries, Europe and some other places.

But it really seems that the Jewish people being dispersed through these different nations for almost, whatever, almost 2, 000 years, less than that, 1, 900 years, and yet being able to come back to their same land, having the same capital city after such a long period of time, is rather remarkable.

It's amazing they survived, because not just during the Nazi regime, but through history, there've been a lot of efforts to just annihilate them.

And yet they've remained a distinct people.

And probably the central reason for that was the scriptures.

The scriptures are 1 reason they continue to thrive because they would always teach the young people to read.

So they did well in education and high offices and finances as well.

And it helped them maintain their identity because their whole culture was based on the scriptures.

And so, and even for us as Christians, we are in a sense, spiritual Israel.

It's what gives us our freedom and our identity, where we are, Christianity has thrived and become a world religion.

And it's again because of the scriptures.

And we have a book that talks about this and some of these other amazing facts that we'll offer any of our viewers tonight.

And oh, you know, I should probably read something.

I think we had a scripture all queued up and I wanted to make sure and share this with people.

I mentioned a prophecy of Jesus where He talked about predicting the fall of Jerusalem.

If you look in the book of Luke 21, verse 20, Jesus said, but when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near.

Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let those who are in the country enter her.

For these are the days of vengeance, that All things that are written may be fulfilled.

And woe to those that are pregnant and those that are nursing babies in those days, for there'll be great distress in the land and wrath upon the people.

And they will fall by the edge of the sword and be led away captive into all nations.

And Jerusalem would be trampled down by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

And all of this vividly came to pass that Christ had foretold, and then God again brought them back to their land.

So it's just an amazing, I think, evidence of the dependability of prophecy.

And if you wonder about the truth of the Bible, just look at the history of the Jewish nation.

It's only supernatural that they've survived.

Any other country, when it's been conquered, dispersed, they're absorbed, they lose their identity, they intermarry and they disappear.

But the Jews have just continued to persevere through history.

What does the Bible say about Israel, both literal Israel, of course the Bible has a lot to say about that, but what about spiritual Israel that you read about in the New Testament?

We'll be happy to send it to anyone who calls and asks.

You can also dial pound 250 on your smartphone, say Bible Answers Live, and then ask for the book by name.

We'll be happy to send it to anyone here in the US and in Canada.

If you're outside of North America, you can just go to our website, just amazingfacts.org, and you'll be able to read the book there.

If you have a Bible question, you can call and ask.

All right, I think we're ready to go to the phones, but Pastor Doug, before we go, let's start with prayer.

Dear Father, once again, we are grateful for the opportunity to be able to open up your Word and study.

And Lord, as we always do, we want to invite the Holy Spirit to be with us, to guide us here in the studio and be with those who are listening, wherever they might be, and lead us to a clearer understanding of what the Bible says and teaches in Jesus' name.

First caller this evening is Gary, listening in Illinois.

It seems that Malachi 4 is a good chapter for these times.

It starts out with, or behold, the day is coming, It shall burn like an oven.

And, but my question specifically is verse 5, behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and dreadful day of the Lord.

So is Elijah they're talking about Malachi the same 1 who had the problem with the priests of Baal And how is he coming?

He coming like Reincarnating or or how's he how's he gonna come and?

Yeah, great question First of all, it's not a reincarnation.

If you read the story of Elijah, before he went to heaven, God brought him to heaven in a fiery chariot, he had an apprentice named Elisha.

And the Bible says that Elisha prayed that the spirit of Elijah in a double portion would fall on him, meaning that Holy Spirit, the spirit of revival.

God doesn't transfer souls from 1 body to the next.

And when Elijah went to heaven, it says the spirit of Elijah fell on Elisha.

Then you go to the New Testament and you look in the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 1, when the angel appeared to the father of John the Baptist to let them know they're going to have a baby, he said that the baby would go before the Messiah in the spirit and power of Elijah.

So when it talks about I'll send you Elijah, an individual would come that would have the same spiritual power of Elijah.

And that was in first part, John the Baptist.

John the Baptist is Elijah that was to come.

But Jesus also said, Elijah has come and he will come because the prophecy in Malachi said, I'll send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of the Lord.

So before the second coming, there is going to be either an individual or a message again that will go in the spirit and the power of Elijah and like John the Baptist.

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