March 1, 2025 • 46 mins
Each Saturday on Open Line, we explore the Word of God with Bible professor and teacher Dr. Michael Rydelnik as we answer the questions you have about the Scriptures. Join us with your questions this weekend.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
S1 (00:10):
My good friend went to be with the Lord a
couple of weeks ago. I'm really sad, but I am
not grieving as one who has no hope. Stay with me.
We'll talk about that in just a moment. Hello, friends.
Welcome to Open Line, Moody Radio's Bible study across America.
My name is Michael Melnick. I'm the academic dean and
(00:30):
a professor of Jewish studies and Bible at Moody Bible Institute.
I'm so grateful that you're joining me around the radio
kitchen table today. And we're talking about your questions about
the Bible, God, and the spiritual life. If you have
a question and you'd like to call, the phone number
here is (877) 548-3675. Let me tell you, the secret of
(00:56):
getting your call in is calling at the beginning of
the program or the beginning of the hour, because otherwise
it fills up. And then people send me notes and
they say, I couldn't get through, I couldn't get through. Well,
now's the time to call (877) 548-3675. Let me, uh, let
(01:16):
you know who's here to hear Heinz's producing today. Omar
Mendoza is is handling all things technical. And the phone
number here once again. (877) 548-3675. Time to get yourself a
cup of coffee. Open your Bible. We're going to study
the scriptures together. So I made this friend my first
(01:42):
year as a student at Moody Bible Institute. He introduced
himself as lip, and of course, that wasn't his real name.
I said, how did you get the name lip? He said,
it's short for Lappalainen. And I thought, no. Well, later
on I found out that he was stung by a
bee as a kid, right on the lip. And he
(02:03):
had a big swollen lip, and everyone called him lip.
And that's where he got the name. His real name
was Randy. And my dear friend Randy. We stayed friends
since we were freshmen in college. What do I think about?
I think about this guy that was the funniest student
at Moody Bible Institute. Was a riot. Always had us laughing.
(02:24):
Great storyteller. Uh, joking. Uh. He would dress up as
characters in different events. One night we had a, a
50s night in the old gym in North Hall, and
he dressed up as a rock n roll singer and
lip synched to music and so much fun that I
had with him. But also he was a serious Bible student.
(02:46):
We took New Testament courses together and would study on
a regular basis. He was determined to learn the scriptures.
I think that's so crucial. Such. It was such a
crucial part of his life. Uh, and, uh, through the
years we stayed friends. And when he was diagnosed with, uh,
(03:11):
a deadly illness about a year ago, throughout his treatment,
he exhibited tremendous faith and trust in the Lord. And
on the night of the Super Bowl, he called me
up and said, you know, I'd like to plan my
funeral with you. Would you be willing to record something
to be at my funeral? And, uh, I said, this
(03:33):
is really hard to talk about. And he said, I know,
but we're going to have a time together where we
can talk about it later on and we'll be together
and laugh again. So don't sweat it. Let's talk about it.
And we did. And I was really, really sad but
(03:53):
grateful That we had this friendship and then he passed away,
went to be with the Lord the following morning. And
I was thinking about this, that in first Thessalonians chapter four,
it says that we don't grieve as those who have
no hope. And let me read you the passage. It says,
(04:16):
we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, concerning
those who are asleep. Asleep being a euphemism in this
passage for those who have died, so that you will
not grieve like the rest, who have no hope. That
doesn't mean we don't grieve, but we don't grieve without hope,
since we believe that Jesus died and rose again in
(04:38):
the same way, God will bring with him those who
have fallen asleep through Jesus. For we say this to
you by a revelation from the Lord, we who are
still alive at the Lord's coming will certainly have no
advantage over those who have fallen asleep, for the Lord
himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the
archangel's voice, with the trumpet of God and the dead
in the Messiah Jesus will rise first. Then we who
(05:02):
are still alive will be caught up together with them
in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.
And so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore
encourage one another with these words. As I was thinking
about these passages, what is the basis of having hope
in the midst of our sorrow and sadness? Well, the
(05:25):
first is we have hope and a redeemer. It starts
off by saying, if we believe that Jesus died and
rose again, that's the gospel. If we believe the gospel.
We have confidence that our sins are forgiven and that
we will be with him. It says that God will
(05:47):
bring with him those who have fallen asleep. Through Jesus
there is a certainty. My friend didn't just die. None
of us, if we know the Lord, just dies. We
go to be with the Lord. And that's what he did.
He is with the Lord. He is out of pain,
out of suffering. He is comforted. And I have that
(06:07):
hope as well, that one day. And either I'll be
raptured or die. And either way, I have that hope
because I've put my trust in the Redeemer. So first
we have hope and a Redeemer, and secondly, we have
hope in a resurrection. It says the dead in the
Messiah will rise first. That's what first Thessalonians 416 says,
(06:30):
that there will one day we go to be with
the Lord immediately in our immaterial state. But there's going
to be a resurrection. We will be raised up to
a glorified immortal body when the Lord returns at the rapture.
And so? So that is great hope, not the suffering
(06:52):
sick bodies that we have now. But one day, a
glorified immortal body. We have hope in a resurrection. Uh,
and then we also have hope in a reunion. Uh,
it says then we who are still alive will be
caught up together. Together with them. Uh, there's going to
(07:12):
be a great reunion when the Lord returns. Will all
be together again. It'll be the same as that old
cohort of friends that I had in college. Will be
hanging out together, uh, at the time when the Lord
returns at the great resurrection. And that's a real encouraging
thought to me. Uh, as a couple of my friends
now from that college cohort have gone to be with
(07:35):
the Lord. Well, here's the point of the whole passage.
It says, therefore, encourage one another with these words. If
you've lost someone you love and they knew the Lord,
and you know the Lord, you, you have the same hope.
We don't have to grieve as those who have no hope.
We have hope in Jesus the Redeemer. We have hope
(07:56):
in a great resurrection one day and also a hope
in that reunion together. I hope this gives you encouragement.
If you're suffering the sorrow of losing someone you love.
And that's the great message here, the encouragement of first
Thessalonians 413 through 18. Well, we're going to go right
(08:25):
to the phones here, but I wanted it before I do.
I wanted to introduce you to our current resource, and
it's a new one. It's March 1st. We have a
new resource. So many times I get questions about, uh,
you know, how did we get the Bible? How do
we know that the Bible is different than other alleged
(08:48):
sacred texts like the Quran, for example. What makes the
Bible so special? People who love and read the Bible
will sometimes wonder, how did we get the scriptures? Well,
a friend of mine, Doctor Jay Carlini, has written a
book called The Story of the Bible. And this book
(09:09):
takes you on a journey from the scriptures beginnings. It's
being written, inspired text all the way to transmission and
then ultimately to the English translations that we have today.
The story of the Bible reveals how God worked through
human authors, scribes, translators to give us his written word.
(09:30):
This book will give you great confidence in the Bible's
reliability while answering questions that you've always had about where
did the scriptures come from? And if you'd like a
copy of the story of the Bible, it's yours. All
you have to do is give a gift of any
size to open line. And if you'd like to do that,
just go to our website, Open Line radio.org or call (888) 644-7122.
(09:57):
That's (888) 644-7122. We just want to say thanks by sending
you a copy of the story of the Bible. So
make sure when you give ask for the story of
the Bible. We're going to go to the phones right
now and we're going to speak with, uh, Silvana. I
(10:18):
think that's who is next on the. Wait a second.
My screen isn't exactly right. I got to check it out.
There we go. Kirk in Lake Worth, Florida, listening on Wrnb.
Welcome to Open Line. Kirk, how can I help you today?
S2 (10:32):
Shalom, pastor. I just absolutely love listening to you and
Doctor Melnick, number one, Miss Eva.
S1 (10:39):
Oh, I do love listening to her, I'll tell you that.
S2 (10:43):
So my question is, is that I've been reading about
a book called I'm. I believe it's a Hebrew word.
T a n a k h. And the way it's
described is it's the Old Testament Torah with messianic prophecies
in red letters, which would make it easy for me
to find the messianic prophecies and share them with people. Because,
(11:07):
you know, when you talk to people, even unbelievers, Gentiles,
when you start talking New Testament, they say, well, that's
what Jesus said about himself. That's what his followers said.
But I think these prophecies, which are great for our
Jewish friends, would be great for them, too. And it'd
make it easy to find and sort of have a quick.
(11:28):
And I could study each and every one of the prophecies.
What do you think?
S1 (11:32):
Well, I don't know which one you're talking about. The
word Tanakh is the Hebrew word for the Old Testament. Uh, okay.
It's a acronym. Takes the first letter of each section
of the Old Testament Torah, the law Torah. That's the
te nevi'im. The prophets. Yes. And that's the end. And
(11:52):
then Ketuvim, uh, which is the writings Tanakh. And because.
Of the the curse sounds at the end, it gets softened,
if you can believe it's calling it. Softened uh, to
so Tanakh. Uh. And so that's what it is. I
don't know of one that has the messianic prophecies in red.
(12:13):
I'm not aware of that, but that sounds like a
great idea. But the Tanakh is merely the Old Testament,
and if there's one with messianic prophecies in red, that's great. Uh,
and I think a great way of studying the messianic prophecies.
And obviously this is important to me because that's how
I came to the Lord, is I, I was the
editor of a book called The Moody Handbook of Messianic Prophecy. And, uh,
(12:40):
you know what? It's it's, uh, it's a resource book.
It's a deep dive into each of the messianic prophecies
about 50 different people contributed. I did about ten articles
in it. And if you'd like a copy, you know what?
You just hang on. I'm going to send you one
for free since you're interested in it. Uh, and anyone
else listening, if you're interested in that, all you have
(13:01):
to do is go to your local Christian bookstore, or
maybe your favorite online bookstore, and get a copy of
The Moody Handbook of Messianic Prophecy. I think it's a
great tool. And so you hang on, Kirk, don't hang up. Uh,
we're going to have to here, take your name and
your number and your address and all that, and we'll
send you a copy of the Moody Handbook of Messianic Prophecy. Uh,
(13:25):
and we're going to we're going to go to break
right now. When we come back, we have a lot
of questions that I'll try and answer. I'll do the
best I can. So glad you're listening to Open Line
with me. This is our Bible study across America, and
people are calling from all across America. So I'm glad
for that. We'll talk. We'll talk with you in just
a moment. Stay with us. We're. You're listening to Open
(13:46):
Line with Michael Melnick on Moody Radio. We'll be right back.
Welcome back to Open Line with Michael Radonich. I'm so
(14:07):
happy to be here on this Saturday morning with you.
Studying the scriptures. It's it's so fun. I walked in,
saw the people from the previous program. They were all there.
And also, uh, Omar and Tara and Merle, we're all here.
(14:27):
It's a it's a fun team. Uh, and I so
appreciate seeing everyone on the team. And it's a lot
of people think these programs just happen, but no, they don't.
There's a lot of people that put in a lot
of work? Even Tricia is working. She's not here with
us today, but she put a lot of stuff into
today's program. Couldn't do it without the team. And there's
(14:48):
some people on the team that maybe you hadn't thought about.
Those are people who give to Open Line on a
regular basis. Our kitchen table partners, they are really part
of the team. They give monthly so I can be
on the air weekly. I so appreciate them. And one
of the things I do to show my appreciation is
Tricia and I produce a Bible study moment every other week.
(15:09):
It's an audio Bible study designed exclusively for our kitchen
table partners. And we're trying actually, it would be a
big help. So, you know, we're a little bit over
800 kitchen table partners right now. The goal for this year,
I was really hoping to see if we can get
a thousand kitchen table partners. That would be a tremendous benefit.
(15:31):
And we I hope you're considering becoming part of the team.
And if you are, all you have to do is
go to open line radio.org. That's open line radio.org. Or
you can uh, you can call (888) 644-7122 and become part
(15:52):
of the team as well. Well let's talk to Dennis
in Cleveland, Ohio listening on Wtxf. Welcome to Open Line Dennis.
How can I help you?
S3 (16:01):
Good morning. Good morning doctor. There's something I don't understand
about the Bible is, uh. Jesus lineages. Lineage. If Ruth, uh,
was an Israelite, how does that work? He's not a
true Israelite because she became from somewhere else. But Naomi was.
S1 (16:19):
Naomi was an Israelite. Uh, yep. But, uh, now, I
think this is this is, uh, important to remember. If
you read Matthew one, you'll see that Judah fathered. Verse three.
Judah fathered Perez and Zerah by Tamar. Tamar was not
(16:42):
an Israelite, and Solomon fathered Boaz by Rahab. Okay. Uh, okay.
S3 (16:50):
Yes, ma'am.
S1 (16:50):
And Boaz fathered Obed by Ruth. And then, uh, so
you have three women in the lineage of Jesus that
were not, uh, what we would say Israelite, you know. So.
S3 (17:09):
Yes, sir.
S1 (17:10):
But their fathers were, you know, Judah was an as well. Yeah.
He was an Israelite. He was a descendant of Jacob. Uh, Solomon, uh,
who fathered Boaz by Rahab. Solomon was an Israelite. Uh,
Boaz who fathered Obed by Ruth was an Israelite. And
so obviously, uh, the descendancy the genealogical descendancy from from
(17:37):
Jacob of of making an Israelite could go through either parent,
and in this case it's through the fathers. So that's
all it is.
S4 (17:46):
Okay. Okay.
S3 (17:48):
My heart goes out to the Israelites. It bothers me
to see the world treat them the way they do.
It bothers me. And you have a good day, doctor.
S4 (17:57):
Thank you, I appreciate that.
S1 (17:58):
Appreciate your concern about anti-Semitism. I'm concerned about that, too. Uh,
I think that if ever believers need to speak up
and stand up is in opposing the growing anti-Semitism in
the world, well, we're going to talk to Elaine, listening
on 90.1 FM, Moody Radio Chicago Wmbi. Welcome to Open Line. Elaine,
(18:23):
this is our flagship station. Glad you're with us. How
can I help you?
S5 (18:26):
Thank you. I just want to know which Bible you
would recommend for a newcomer. Something simple. But. But, uh,
I'd like it to emphasize the importance of the Jewish nation.
S1 (18:46):
Well, you don't need to have a special translation to
important to emphasize the importance of the Jewish nation. Every
Bible translation does good. So, uh, because that's it's intrinsic
to the Bible. Uh, good. Now, do you mean which
is the best Bible translation for a new follower of Jesus? Okay.
(19:08):
You know, there's just a whole bunch of different ways
of thinking about it. Uh, I would encourage, you know,
I like the CSB. The CSB is an easy to
read translation, easy to understand and accurate. And so some
people will find that helpful. Uh, sometimes that's considered a
little tough for people to understand. Uh, even there, even
(19:30):
though I think it's an easy to read English translation.
So you might want to consider for a brand new
follower of Jesus, the New Living Translation. It's a little interpretive,
but it's easier to understand than that. But, you know,
you just, uh, there there are other kinds of translations.
(19:51):
Some people like the NIV and some people like the
New American Standard. There are different kinds and formats, but
I think I would I would think that the most accurate,
easy to read translation is the Holman CSB. And then
the other alternative is to go something even simpler, which
is a thought for thought translation called the New Living Translation.
(20:13):
That's what I think. Okay.
S5 (20:15):
Thank you, thank you. Yeah.
S1 (20:17):
You're welcome. And by the way, I'll just remind everyone
that the best Bible translation, according to my wife Eva,
is the one you will actually read. That's the best
one for you. So. Okay, thanks for your call, Elaine.
We're going to talk to Stephen in Cleveland, listening on
Wtxf Moody Radio Cleveland. Uh, welcome to Open Line. Stephen,
(20:38):
how can I help you?
S6 (20:39):
Hi, doctor. Ray, can I have a question? It's been
bothering me for a while. I've talked to a disgusting
something about the dead who are going to heaven. And
because of Christ being alive, they intercede for us to God.
Because he quoted Matthew 27, they came out of the graves.
And then one on the bottom was what struck me
as revelations five, eight and eight, 3 to 4. He
(21:03):
says that the even the Bible shows people in heaven
taking our prayers before God. I thought, when you die,
you're not conscious. Well, how would you know who you're
praying for? I thought we'd just go to Jesus Christ
to get to the father. I'm just confused with that
because he says when they came out of the graves,
that shows they're alive and they guess they're conscious, they
could pray for us. I don't understand all this.
S1 (21:25):
Well, whether they're conscious or not, Uh, and, uh, I
think it's interesting. Let's just go to revelation five eight. Yeah.
When he when he took the scroll, the four living
creatures and the 24 elders fell down before the lamb.
(21:46):
Each one had a harp and gold bowls filled with incense,
which are the prayers of the saints. Now, I just
want to be really clear here. This is symbolic language.
And the incense, uh, is the prayers of the saints
is symbolically pictured as incense. But their actual prayers. But
(22:08):
they're not prayers of dead saints. The word saint refers
to followers of Jesus. And so these are the prayers
of people on earth ascending to God. They are not
people who are dead and in heaven praying. So that
verse is not teaching at all anything about the dead
(22:30):
interceding for us. Now the other one, yes, people are resurrected.
There were a few people who had a resurrection at
the resurrection of Jesus according to Matthew 27, but they
would have to die again, sort of like Lazarus. There
was a, I like to call the theological technical term
(22:51):
a super duper burst of resurrection power that happened when
the the Lord Jesus was resurrected and some people came
out of the graves as confirmation of that resurrection of Jesus,
but they were not resurrected to glory. They were resurrected
temporarily and they would have to die again. So what
happens when we die? First of all, we go to
(23:15):
be with the Lord, our immaterial portion, the spirits of us.
Paul talks about in Philippians one that he. He knows
that to live is Christ, to die is gain, and
that he would go to be with the Lord. When
he died. Second Corinthians five says. Absent from the body.
When our spirit leaves the body. It it is present
(23:37):
with the Lord. So we go to be with the
Lord in our immaterial state. And then we descend in
our immaterial state at the resurrection, at the rapture, and
we are resurrected. We meet up with our bodies and
they're given a glorified immortal body. But, uh, the most
important thing to remember is that there's only one mediator,
(24:03):
one person who prays. There's one person who is our advocate.
There's only one high priest who intercedes for us, and
that is the Lord Jesus. So when we pray, the
way to pray is not to any person who died.
The way to pray according to the scriptures is we
pray to the father in the name of the son.
(24:25):
That's because he is our advocate. He is our high priest.
He is the one that leads us before the father. And, uh,
he is the one that intercedes for us. And we
pray as we seek God's will. We seek God's purposes.
When we pray, we pray according to the power of
the Holy Spirit. So when we pray, we don't pray
(24:46):
to people who have died. We pray to the father
in the name of the son by the power of
the Holy Spirit. There's no verse in Scripture that ever,
ever teaches that we should pray to people who have died. Okay. Uh.
S6 (25:04):
That is what they believe.
S1 (25:05):
Yeah, I know they believe that, but does that clarify
it for you?
S6 (25:09):
Yes it does. I thank you so much. I really
appreciate that.
S1 (25:12):
Yeah, well, thank you for your call, Stephen. Uh, you know,
I think that's one of the great privileges that we
have as as a child of God that we can
go to the father directly through our great High Priest,
the Lord Jesus, our intercessor, our our great Redeemer. That's
that's a great reminder to why should we pray? Because
(25:35):
God calls us to and we can enter the holy
presence of God through the Lord Jesus. Well, we're going
to come right back with the mailbag, the Febc mailbag,
to hear us coming in. So don't go away. You're
listening to Open Line with Michael Ray Dolnick right here
on Moody Radio. And we're back. It's time for the
(26:09):
Febc mailbag. I'm so grateful that Far Eastern Broadcasting Company
partners with Moody Radio to bring you Open Line, and they, uh,
bring you the Febc mailbag. And joining me now. My name,
by the way, I didn't mention again was Mike is
Michael Ray Dolnick. And joining me is to hear a Haynes.
She is the person who is going to ask the
(26:33):
questions today about the from the mailbag. But I do
want you to check out because they are bringing the
gospel to people all over the world through media and
then also through personal engagement. And they have a wonderful
podcast with Ed Cannon called Until All Have Heard. You
(26:54):
can find it on whatever podcast distributor you have, or
you can go to their website, because that's where I
recommend you go and check out their podcast until all
have heard and to hear how you how you doing?
S7 (27:07):
I am doing well. How are you today?
S1 (27:09):
Great. I'm thinking, uh, you're here a couple of weeks
in a row now. Uh, we're. I think Tricia needs
to read about Wally Pipp. Oh. Do you know who
Wally Pip is?
S7 (27:22):
I don't tell me who Wally Pip is.
S1 (27:23):
Wally Pipp was a first baseman that got injured and
with the Yankees, and he was replaced by a guy
named Lou Gehrig, who played for the next 2130 games
and set a then record for how many games played
in a row. And Wally Pipp lost his job. So, uh,
you know Tricia. She better. This is two weeks in
a row now. Tricia. Better watch out.
S7 (27:45):
So it's okay. No, Tricia is fine. Tricia has been
at NBI, working really hard in Dallas, and she will
definitely be back next week.
S1 (27:56):
Yeah, just tell her about Wally Pipp, okay. And then
she'll be back. That'll be it. Okay. Thank you. Matthew. Okay. Uh,
let's let's go to the questions.
S7 (28:06):
Great, great. Our first question is from Stanley in Alabama,
listening on Wmw. Do Christians in our century need to
keep the Sabbath and teach others to keep it also?
S1 (28:17):
Okay. There are a lot of people who become very
strong about. It's the Sabbath. It's one of the Ten Commandments. Uh, now,
it's really important that we remember that, you know, people
ask me all the time about the Law of Moses,
are we under it or are we not under it?
And my answer is a really resounding yes and no.
And the no part is that as a direct commandment,
(28:40):
we are no longer under the law of Moses, but where,
according to the New Testament, under the law of Christ,
the Messianic Torah, the messianic law, and as a result
of that, uh, the one what is the New covenant
or the Messianic Torah? That's all these commandments in the
New Testament. And it's interesting. Nine of the Ten Commandments
(29:03):
are not are indeed repeated in the New Testament, but
one isn't. And guess which one isn't the Sabbath command?
That's the only one. Uh, and I think it's important
that you realize that everyone realized that the the reason
for that is that the seventh day Sabbath. I mean,
(29:24):
we still have a Sabbath. It's the seventh day of
the week, but the seventh day Sabbath was considered the
sign of the Law of Moses. Uh, it says in
Exodus 31, you must observe my Sabbaths, for it is
a sign between me and you throughout your generations, so
that you will know that I am the Lord who
(29:45):
sets you apart. Observe the Sabbath, for it's holy to you.
It's the sign. Verse 1731 17 says, for ever between
me and the Israelites. So it's a Sabbath is the
Sabbath is a sign of the mosaic covenant. Thank you.
And then we're under the New covenant. And so that's
the one. That's the one of the Ten Commandments that
(30:06):
is not repeated because it's not the sign of the
New Covenant. It's the sign of the mosaic covenant. Okay.
So that's that's what I would say. So no, we're
not bound like Israel. You know, you couldn't cook or
pick up things or do stuff like that on Sabbath.
That's not our life. However, remember I said, we're not
(30:29):
under the law of Moses. And yes, we are in
the sense that every principle taught in the law of Moses,
every principle, the wisdom principle that governs every command in
the law of Moses is applicable to us. And so
the idea of taking a day off one day a
week for physical rest and spiritual renewal, that's great idea.
(30:55):
That's a wisdom principle. It's something we ought to do.
For example, in Romans 14 it says, one man honors
one day above another. Another views them all alike. Let
each man be convinced in his own mind. So it
doesn't have to be on Saturday, but it has to be.
We have to take a day for physical rest and
(31:17):
spiritual renewal. We have to have our own Sabbath. And
you know, if someone wants to do it on Saturday, fine.
You know, uh, a lot of messianic congregations that I
was part of, uh, met on Saturdays for worship and, uh,
and took that day for rest and renewal. Uh, I
(31:37):
was at a church as an interim pastor that had
Saturday night services. And so they took Saturday as well,
you know, and so they met for worship on Saturdays.
The point is, we need a day for rest and renewal,
physical rest, spiritual renewal. It could be Sunday. You know,
(31:59):
for most pastors, it's not Sunday because they're, you know,
especially if there's multiple services. So true. It's not that, uh,
a person could take their day of rest another day.
So those are those are some of the the reasons
I would say. Are we under the Law of Moses? No,
you don't have to keep the Sabbath the way the
Israelites did. It's the sign of the law of Moses,
(32:21):
not the sign of the law of Messiah. But should
we keep the Sabbath? Yes. We need to have our
own Sabbath. A day for physical rest and renewal.
S7 (32:30):
Thank you, Michael, for that response. And thank you, Stanley,
for that question. We have a question from Heidi in
Ohio listening through Wtxf. I have always had a heart
for Israel, but since October 7th, I weep for them,
the hostages, the anti-Semitism, and so many other things going
on now. Struggling. She's now struggling with so many hostages
being murdered in the captivity. And she wants to know,
(32:53):
she said. God did not answer the prayers of those
who were praying the Christians, the Jews for everyone to
be released. And she had really hoped that that would
have happened. So her question is why didn't God respond
or answer that? And also, what more can Christians do
to bless Israel in these heartbreaking times?
S1 (33:14):
Well, first of all, for me to answer the mystery
of prayer is beyond my pay grade. Just so you know,
I none of us can explain the mysterious nature of
prayer and how and why. Why and how God answers.
Why does he say yes? There were. There have been
a number of hostages that were rescued, a number of
(33:37):
hostages that have been released. And then there are others
that that were murdered by Hamas. Uh, and it's not
just those who are hostages. On the very day of 27,
over 1200 were killed, murdered in that assault. Clearly, people
(33:58):
were praying for the peace of Jerusalem when that happened.
So I don't know the answer to that. I do
know that God tells us to pray and not lose heart.
That's what Jesus said in Luke 17. We are to
pray and not lose heart. We are to trust God
for the answers. And you know the mystery of how
(34:20):
God decides what he's going to do. I don't know, uh, but,
you know, God is still calling us to pray, and
we need to do that. I'm amazed, you know, when
I had a prayer for this beloved person to me
and I. I was not worthy. And I cried out
(34:41):
to God. And I said, God, I am not worthy,
but Jesus is. And deliver this person. And that one
time he answered that prayer exactly as I had asked.
Other times he said no to me about things like that.
I don't know. I don't know. Uh, but I just
keep praying because he's the one I rely on. So, uh,
(35:05):
so I'm sorry to say that there's this is a
great mystery, and it's it's not one who can know
the mind of the Lord. None of us. That's it. Yeah. So, uh,
let's let's take this, uh, last this other question here
by Lori. Okay.
S7 (35:20):
Sure. Thank you so much, Lori. Florida. And she's listening
to Wcqs in the Old Testament sacrificial system, were all
animals required to be male?
S1 (35:30):
Yeah. The reason I thought we'd take this is because
it's a quick answer. No, there were female sacrifices, female
animals for sacrifice as well. Leviticus chapter four, verse uh 28.
It says if someone informs him about the sin he
(35:51):
has committed, he's about. Then he's he's to bring an
unblemished female goat as his offering for the sin that
he committed. So that's Leviticus 428, then verse 32, uh,
he's to bring a female lamb. Uh, uh, Leviticus 432
and then Leviticus five six, he must bring his restitution
(36:14):
for the sin he has committed to the Lord. A
female lamb or goat from the flock. So the answer
is no. They didn't all have to be male. Certain
sacrifices required a female sacrifice. And, uh, thank you so
much for bringing those questions into here, Michael. Yeah. You're
listening to Open Line with Michael Radonich. That was to
(36:35):
hear Haines. Uh, you can send your question in by
going to Open Line radio.org and clicking on Ask Michael
a question. That's a great place to post your question.
And Tricia will put it in the mailbag for upcoming week.
We're going to be right back with more of your calls,
with your questions in just a moment. Keep listening to
Open Line. Welcome back to Open Line. Uh, I am
(37:07):
so glad to be with you today, and I'm so
grateful for the the great privilege to talk with you
about so many important things. And I'm grateful that people
ask me questions about Jewish people. But here's a question
that I think Chosen People Ministries gets over and over.
It's how important is it to reach Jewish people with
(37:30):
the Good News and Chosen People ministries keeps getting asked
that question. And so that's why they're offering a booklet
called To the Jew First in the first in the
21st century. It was written by Doctor Al Mohler, who's
the president of Southern Baptist Seminary. This booklet affirms, reaffirms
God's love for the Jewish people. It shows why believers
(37:52):
must continue to present the Messiah, Jesus, to the Jewish people,
why Jewish people need to believe in their very own Messiah,
the Lord Jesus. Doctor Mohler says Jewish evangelism is the
clearest test case for the faithfulness to the gospel of
the Lord Jesus, the Messiah in this generation. That's the
test for your free copy of To the Jew. First
(38:15):
in the 20 in the 21st century. Just go to
the Open Line website. That's open Line radio.org. Scroll down
till you see the link that says A free gift
from Chosen People Ministries. And when you click on that,
you'll be taken to a page where you can sign
up for your own copy of To the Jew First
in the 21st century. And we're going to talk with
Mary Lynn in Seville, Ohio, listening on the Moody Radio app. Hey,
(38:38):
Mary Lynn, how can I help you today?
S8 (38:41):
Good morning. Thank you for taking my call.
S1 (38:43):
Hey, wait a second. How did you hear about the
Moody Radio app? That's what I want to know from you.
S9 (38:50):
Uh.
S8 (38:51):
Um, I was in South Carolina at my daughter's, and
I tried to listen to Moody Radio, so that's how
I got it.
S1 (39:02):
Well, you know, that's a cool thing. We live in
a kind of a weird neighborhood in Chicago. And even
though we're really close to the WNBA, my wife listens
on the app because we have terrible reception right in
our little pocket of Chicago. And and we get much
(39:23):
better reception, obviously, on the Moody Radio app. And so
if you're listening out there and you think, I'm leaving
my hometown, I won't have my radio station, uh, or
I just want to get better reception. And I think
I'll do it with, with my iPhone. If I do
that or my smartphone, I should say, uh, best thing
to do get the Moody Radio app, be smart like
(39:43):
Mary Lynn and get the Moody, Moody Radio app.
S8 (39:48):
I can't get w Ciara home. I can get it
in the car, but I can't get it in my home.
So that's why I listen.
S1 (39:57):
Same thing as my wife, right? That's it. Right? That's it. Okay.
How can I help you?
S8 (40:03):
Yeah. Okay. I have a question about the timing of
the Israelites crossing the Red sea. Did God hold the
Egyptians back the whole time they were crossing? And how
long would that take for the 2 million plus Israelites
to cross the Red sea?
S1 (40:22):
Well, it doesn't say in the Bible. Uh, I don't
know how long it took. Uh, you know, just to
be honest, that if Moses thought that was important, he
would have told us. Apparently, he didn't think it was crucial.
You know, in terms of, uh, there's a selectivity. This
(40:43):
is this is really important for us to understand. It's
the principle of selection. And a lot of people just
want to know the details. Uh, like Fanny Brice, you know.
Do you remember Fanny Brice, the old comedian on radio? Uh,
I used to listen to a lot of old radio tapes.
She y y she asked a million questions. And the
(41:05):
the the funny thing about, by the way, the movie
Funny Girl is about Fanny Brice, but, uh, Baby Snooks
was the character that she played. But, uh, the funny
part to me here is that people don't know that
when biblical narrative, it's not to answer our curiosity, it's
(41:27):
to tell us what's most important. And so it doesn't say.
I think that obviously the 600 chariots were were really
making some some dust in the distance. And the Israelites
saw it and they cried out. And Moses says in
Exodus 14, don't be afraid. Stand firm and see the
(41:48):
Lord's salvation. He will provide for you today for the Egyptians.
You see today you will never see again. The Lord
will fight for you, and you must be quiet. And
so then he's you know, one of my favorite verses
in the Bible is Exodus 1415. The Lord said to Moses,
why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites
to break camp. In other words, stop talking and start
(42:09):
walking is what what he says. Uh, and, uh, and
that's that's what he does. And the angel of God,
who was going in front of the Israelite forces, moved
and went behind them. The pillar of cloud of cloud
moved from in front of them and stood behind them.
It came between the Egyptian and Israelite forces. The cloud
(42:30):
was there in the darkness, yet it lit up the night.
So neither group came near the other all night long.
So how long did it take? It took all night long.
How long is that? I don't know, but, uh, what
kept the Israelites from being attacked by the Egyptians was
the darkness of the pillar of cloud. So there was
(42:51):
a blockade there, so to speak. Okay.
S8 (42:56):
Okay. I knew this was not a Necessary question, but
I was just always curious.
S1 (43:03):
Yeah, well, you're curious, right? But, you know, we have
a little hint there. It told us all night long. Right? Right.
And and yes, God did hold the Egyptians back because
of the pillar of cloud. I'd be afraid to walk
into a pillar of cloud too, wouldn't you?
S8 (43:20):
Of course. Yes.
S1 (43:22):
Yeah. Yeah. Hey, thanks for your call. Uh, Mary Lynn,
thank you. Appreciate it. Uh, we're going to talk to
Daniel in Tennessee, listening on NRB. Welcome to Open Line, Daniel.
How can I help you?
S10 (43:34):
Thank you. Doctor. Uh, thank you for taking my call.
God bless you. Um, I have a simple question. Well,
it's not a simple question. I have a new friend who, um,
recently told me. Hey, you know, I don't agree with
what you're teaching in the Bible study because I follow
what preterist view, and I didn't know what that was.
(43:54):
Started studying. And I don't necessarily agree with it, but
I want before I ask for your perspective, I just
want to say that I approach matters like this with
humility and ask for God's wisdom. And I don't believe
things like this about end time views or perspectives should
be divisive in the church. So if I could kindly
ask for your perspective, please.
S1 (44:15):
Yeah, I don't think it should be divisive in the church,
but it's disappointing to me, to people who that people
do take the predatorist view, for example, predatorist for people
who are sitting on what in the world is that
a new part for my car? No. Predatorism is the
belief that the events, for example, in Matthew 24, were
(44:40):
fulfilled in the past, or that the book of revelation,
the interpretation of revelation four through 22 is our our
predicted and fulfilled in the past. So, for example, in
Matthew 24, When it talks about the Lord's return, they
(45:00):
would say the Lord did return in A.D. 70. He
returned in judgment. And so the return of the Lord
was the destruction of Jerusalem, and not the deliverance of Israel,
as predicted in in the Hebrew Bible and predicted in
Zechariah 12 and places like that. Rather, he returned in
(45:21):
judgment on Israel. Revelation four through uh 19 is frequently
taken as partial predatorism that all those events of the
tribulation period were fulfilled in A.D. 70, when Jerusalem was destroyed. And, uh,
and it just happened. It just such a problem because
(45:42):
there were full preterists about the book of revelation. But
it's so clearly about the coming of the Lord Jesus
that they had to say, well, okay, in chapter 20
it starts being about the return of the Lord Jesus, uh,
yet future. But yeah, it just seemed to me that
it's clear that this is about the future and we
(46:03):
don't have to, uh, we don't have to worry about that. Well, uh,
shouldn't divide us, but I do think it should guide
us that we're we're we're able to see the return
of the Lord Jesus. Hey, thanks for your question, Daniel.
I hope that helps. Thanks for listening, everyone. That's the
first hour, but we'll be back with more questions in
the second hour of Open Line, so don't miss out
(46:24):
if your station doesn't carry it. You can listen on
the Moody Radio app or listen online. Check out our
web page during the break. Open Line radio.org. You're going
to find that all has all the links you're looking for.
The Bible study across America will continue in the second hour,
so stay with us. Open line with Michael Radonich is
a production of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.
(46:47):
Stay with us. We'll be right back.
My good friend went to be with the Lord a
couple of weeks ago. I'm really sad, but I am
not grieving as one who has no hope. Stay with me.
We'll talk about that in just a moment. Hello, friends.
Welcome to Open Line, Moody Radio's Bible study across America.
My name is Michael Melnick. I'm the academic dean and
(00:30):
a professor of Jewish studies and Bible at Moody Bible Institute.
I'm so grateful that you're joining me around the radio
kitchen table today. And we're talking about your questions about
the Bible, God, and the spiritual life. If you have
a question and you'd like to call, the phone number
here is (877) 548-3675. Let me tell you, the secret of
(00:56):
getting your call in is calling at the beginning of
the program or the beginning of the hour, because otherwise
it fills up. And then people send me notes and
they say, I couldn't get through, I couldn't get through. Well,
now's the time to call (877) 548-3675. Let me, uh, let
(01:16):
you know who's here to hear Heinz's producing today. Omar
Mendoza is is handling all things technical. And the phone
number here once again. (877) 548-3675. Time to get yourself a
cup of coffee. Open your Bible. We're going to study
the scriptures together. So I made this friend my first
(01:42):
year as a student at Moody Bible Institute. He introduced
himself as lip, and of course, that wasn't his real name.
I said, how did you get the name lip? He said,
it's short for Lappalainen. And I thought, no. Well, later
on I found out that he was stung by a
bee as a kid, right on the lip. And he
(02:03):
had a big swollen lip, and everyone called him lip.
And that's where he got the name. His real name
was Randy. And my dear friend Randy. We stayed friends
since we were freshmen in college. What do I think about?
I think about this guy that was the funniest student
at Moody Bible Institute. Was a riot. Always had us laughing.
(02:24):
Great storyteller. Uh, joking. Uh. He would dress up as
characters in different events. One night we had a, a
50s night in the old gym in North Hall, and
he dressed up as a rock n roll singer and
lip synched to music and so much fun that I
had with him. But also he was a serious Bible student.
(02:46):
We took New Testament courses together and would study on
a regular basis. He was determined to learn the scriptures.
I think that's so crucial. Such. It was such a
crucial part of his life. Uh, and, uh, through the
years we stayed friends. And when he was diagnosed with, uh,
(03:11):
a deadly illness about a year ago, throughout his treatment,
he exhibited tremendous faith and trust in the Lord. And
on the night of the Super Bowl, he called me
up and said, you know, I'd like to plan my
funeral with you. Would you be willing to record something
to be at my funeral? And, uh, I said, this
(03:33):
is really hard to talk about. And he said, I know,
but we're going to have a time together where we
can talk about it later on and we'll be together
and laugh again. So don't sweat it. Let's talk about it.
And we did. And I was really, really sad but
(03:53):
grateful That we had this friendship and then he passed away,
went to be with the Lord the following morning. And
I was thinking about this, that in first Thessalonians chapter four,
it says that we don't grieve as those who have
no hope. And let me read you the passage. It says,
(04:16):
we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, concerning
those who are asleep. Asleep being a euphemism in this
passage for those who have died, so that you will
not grieve like the rest, who have no hope. That
doesn't mean we don't grieve, but we don't grieve without hope,
since we believe that Jesus died and rose again in
(04:38):
the same way, God will bring with him those who
have fallen asleep through Jesus. For we say this to
you by a revelation from the Lord, we who are
still alive at the Lord's coming will certainly have no
advantage over those who have fallen asleep, for the Lord
himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the
archangel's voice, with the trumpet of God and the dead
in the Messiah Jesus will rise first. Then we who
(05:02):
are still alive will be caught up together with them
in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.
And so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore
encourage one another with these words. As I was thinking
about these passages, what is the basis of having hope
in the midst of our sorrow and sadness? Well, the
(05:25):
first is we have hope and a redeemer. It starts
off by saying, if we believe that Jesus died and
rose again, that's the gospel. If we believe the gospel.
We have confidence that our sins are forgiven and that
we will be with him. It says that God will
(05:47):
bring with him those who have fallen asleep. Through Jesus
there is a certainty. My friend didn't just die. None
of us, if we know the Lord, just dies. We
go to be with the Lord. And that's what he did.
He is with the Lord. He is out of pain,
out of suffering. He is comforted. And I have that
(06:07):
hope as well, that one day. And either I'll be
raptured or die. And either way, I have that hope
because I've put my trust in the Redeemer. So first
we have hope and a Redeemer, and secondly, we have
hope in a resurrection. It says the dead in the
Messiah will rise first. That's what first Thessalonians 416 says,
(06:30):
that there will one day we go to be with
the Lord immediately in our immaterial state. But there's going
to be a resurrection. We will be raised up to
a glorified immortal body when the Lord returns at the rapture.
And so? So that is great hope, not the suffering
(06:52):
sick bodies that we have now. But one day, a
glorified immortal body. We have hope in a resurrection. Uh,
and then we also have hope in a reunion. Uh,
it says then we who are still alive will be
caught up together. Together with them. Uh, there's going to
(07:12):
be a great reunion when the Lord returns. Will all
be together again. It'll be the same as that old
cohort of friends that I had in college. Will be
hanging out together, uh, at the time when the Lord
returns at the great resurrection. And that's a real encouraging
thought to me. Uh, as a couple of my friends
now from that college cohort have gone to be with
(07:35):
the Lord. Well, here's the point of the whole passage.
It says, therefore, encourage one another with these words. If
you've lost someone you love and they knew the Lord,
and you know the Lord, you, you have the same hope.
We don't have to grieve as those who have no hope.
We have hope in Jesus the Redeemer. We have hope
(07:56):
in a great resurrection one day and also a hope
in that reunion together. I hope this gives you encouragement.
If you're suffering the sorrow of losing someone you love.
And that's the great message here, the encouragement of first
Thessalonians 413 through 18. Well, we're going to go right
(08:25):
to the phones here, but I wanted it before I do.
I wanted to introduce you to our current resource, and
it's a new one. It's March 1st. We have a
new resource. So many times I get questions about, uh,
you know, how did we get the Bible? How do
we know that the Bible is different than other alleged
(08:48):
sacred texts like the Quran, for example. What makes the
Bible so special? People who love and read the Bible
will sometimes wonder, how did we get the scriptures? Well,
a friend of mine, Doctor Jay Carlini, has written a
book called The Story of the Bible. And this book
(09:09):
takes you on a journey from the scriptures beginnings. It's
being written, inspired text all the way to transmission and
then ultimately to the English translations that we have today.
The story of the Bible reveals how God worked through
human authors, scribes, translators to give us his written word.
(09:30):
This book will give you great confidence in the Bible's
reliability while answering questions that you've always had about where
did the scriptures come from? And if you'd like a
copy of the story of the Bible, it's yours. All
you have to do is give a gift of any
size to open line. And if you'd like to do that,
just go to our website, Open Line radio.org or call (888) 644-7122.
(09:57):
That's (888) 644-7122. We just want to say thanks by sending
you a copy of the story of the Bible. So
make sure when you give ask for the story of
the Bible. We're going to go to the phones right
now and we're going to speak with, uh, Silvana. I
(10:18):
think that's who is next on the. Wait a second.
My screen isn't exactly right. I got to check it out.
There we go. Kirk in Lake Worth, Florida, listening on Wrnb.
Welcome to Open Line. Kirk, how can I help you today?
S2 (10:32):
Shalom, pastor. I just absolutely love listening to you and
Doctor Melnick, number one, Miss Eva.
S1 (10:39):
Oh, I do love listening to her, I'll tell you that.
S2 (10:43):
So my question is, is that I've been reading about
a book called I'm. I believe it's a Hebrew word.
T a n a k h. And the way it's
described is it's the Old Testament Torah with messianic prophecies
in red letters, which would make it easy for me
to find the messianic prophecies and share them with people. Because,
(11:07):
you know, when you talk to people, even unbelievers, Gentiles,
when you start talking New Testament, they say, well, that's
what Jesus said about himself. That's what his followers said.
But I think these prophecies, which are great for our
Jewish friends, would be great for them, too. And it'd
make it easy to find and sort of have a quick.
(11:28):
And I could study each and every one of the prophecies.
What do you think?
S1 (11:32):
Well, I don't know which one you're talking about. The
word Tanakh is the Hebrew word for the Old Testament. Uh, okay.
It's a acronym. Takes the first letter of each section
of the Old Testament Torah, the law Torah. That's the
te nevi'im. The prophets. Yes. And that's the end. And
(11:52):
then Ketuvim, uh, which is the writings Tanakh. And because.
Of the the curse sounds at the end, it gets softened,
if you can believe it's calling it. Softened uh, to
so Tanakh. Uh. And so that's what it is. I
don't know of one that has the messianic prophecies in red.
(12:13):
I'm not aware of that, but that sounds like a
great idea. But the Tanakh is merely the Old Testament,
and if there's one with messianic prophecies in red, that's great. Uh,
and I think a great way of studying the messianic prophecies.
And obviously this is important to me because that's how
I came to the Lord, is I, I was the
editor of a book called The Moody Handbook of Messianic Prophecy. And, uh,
(12:40):
you know what? It's it's, uh, it's a resource book.
It's a deep dive into each of the messianic prophecies
about 50 different people contributed. I did about ten articles
in it. And if you'd like a copy, you know what?
You just hang on. I'm going to send you one
for free since you're interested in it. Uh, and anyone
else listening, if you're interested in that, all you have
(13:01):
to do is go to your local Christian bookstore, or
maybe your favorite online bookstore, and get a copy of
The Moody Handbook of Messianic Prophecy. I think it's a
great tool. And so you hang on, Kirk, don't hang up. Uh,
we're going to have to here, take your name and
your number and your address and all that, and we'll
send you a copy of the Moody Handbook of Messianic Prophecy. Uh,
(13:25):
and we're going to we're going to go to break
right now. When we come back, we have a lot
of questions that I'll try and answer. I'll do the
best I can. So glad you're listening to Open Line
with me. This is our Bible study across America, and
people are calling from all across America. So I'm glad
for that. We'll talk. We'll talk with you in just
a moment. Stay with us. We're. You're listening to Open
(13:46):
Line with Michael Melnick on Moody Radio. We'll be right back.
Welcome back to Open Line with Michael Radonich. I'm so
(14:07):
happy to be here on this Saturday morning with you.
Studying the scriptures. It's it's so fun. I walked in,
saw the people from the previous program. They were all there.
And also, uh, Omar and Tara and Merle, we're all here.
(14:27):
It's a it's a fun team. Uh, and I so
appreciate seeing everyone on the team. And it's a lot
of people think these programs just happen, but no, they don't.
There's a lot of people that put in a lot
of work? Even Tricia is working. She's not here with
us today, but she put a lot of stuff into
today's program. Couldn't do it without the team. And there's
(14:48):
some people on the team that maybe you hadn't thought about.
Those are people who give to Open Line on a
regular basis. Our kitchen table partners, they are really part
of the team. They give monthly so I can be
on the air weekly. I so appreciate them. And one
of the things I do to show my appreciation is
Tricia and I produce a Bible study moment every other week.
(15:09):
It's an audio Bible study designed exclusively for our kitchen
table partners. And we're trying actually, it would be a
big help. So, you know, we're a little bit over
800 kitchen table partners right now. The goal for this year,
I was really hoping to see if we can get
a thousand kitchen table partners. That would be a tremendous benefit.
(15:31):
And we I hope you're considering becoming part of the team.
And if you are, all you have to do is
go to open line radio.org. That's open line radio.org. Or
you can uh, you can call (888) 644-7122 and become part
(15:52):
of the team as well. Well let's talk to Dennis
in Cleveland, Ohio listening on Wtxf. Welcome to Open Line Dennis.
How can I help you?
S3 (16:01):
Good morning. Good morning doctor. There's something I don't understand
about the Bible is, uh. Jesus lineages. Lineage. If Ruth, uh,
was an Israelite, how does that work? He's not a
true Israelite because she became from somewhere else. But Naomi was.
S1 (16:19):
Naomi was an Israelite. Uh, yep. But, uh, now, I
think this is this is, uh, important to remember. If
you read Matthew one, you'll see that Judah fathered. Verse three.
Judah fathered Perez and Zerah by Tamar. Tamar was not
(16:42):
an Israelite, and Solomon fathered Boaz by Rahab. Okay. Uh, okay.
S3 (16:50):
Yes, ma'am.
S1 (16:50):
And Boaz fathered Obed by Ruth. And then, uh, so
you have three women in the lineage of Jesus that
were not, uh, what we would say Israelite, you know. So.
S3 (17:09):
Yes, sir.
S1 (17:10):
But their fathers were, you know, Judah was an as well. Yeah.
He was an Israelite. He was a descendant of Jacob. Uh, Solomon, uh,
who fathered Boaz by Rahab. Solomon was an Israelite. Uh,
Boaz who fathered Obed by Ruth was an Israelite. And
so obviously, uh, the descendancy the genealogical descendancy from from
(17:37):
Jacob of of making an Israelite could go through either parent,
and in this case it's through the fathers. So that's
all it is.
S4 (17:46):
Okay. Okay.
S3 (17:48):
My heart goes out to the Israelites. It bothers me
to see the world treat them the way they do.
It bothers me. And you have a good day, doctor.
S4 (17:57):
Thank you, I appreciate that.
S1 (17:58):
Appreciate your concern about anti-Semitism. I'm concerned about that, too. Uh,
I think that if ever believers need to speak up
and stand up is in opposing the growing anti-Semitism in
the world, well, we're going to talk to Elaine, listening
on 90.1 FM, Moody Radio Chicago Wmbi. Welcome to Open Line. Elaine,
(18:23):
this is our flagship station. Glad you're with us. How
can I help you?
S5 (18:26):
Thank you. I just want to know which Bible you
would recommend for a newcomer. Something simple. But. But, uh,
I'd like it to emphasize the importance of the Jewish nation.
S1 (18:46):
Well, you don't need to have a special translation to
important to emphasize the importance of the Jewish nation. Every
Bible translation does good. So, uh, because that's it's intrinsic
to the Bible. Uh, good. Now, do you mean which
is the best Bible translation for a new follower of Jesus? Okay.
(19:08):
You know, there's just a whole bunch of different ways
of thinking about it. Uh, I would encourage, you know,
I like the CSB. The CSB is an easy to
read translation, easy to understand and accurate. And so some
people will find that helpful. Uh, sometimes that's considered a
little tough for people to understand. Uh, even there, even
(19:30):
though I think it's an easy to read English translation.
So you might want to consider for a brand new
follower of Jesus, the New Living Translation. It's a little interpretive,
but it's easier to understand than that. But, you know,
you just, uh, there there are other kinds of translations.
(19:51):
Some people like the NIV and some people like the
New American Standard. There are different kinds and formats, but
I think I would I would think that the most accurate,
easy to read translation is the Holman CSB. And then
the other alternative is to go something even simpler, which
is a thought for thought translation called the New Living Translation.
(20:13):
That's what I think. Okay.
S5 (20:15):
Thank you, thank you. Yeah.
S1 (20:17):
You're welcome. And by the way, I'll just remind everyone
that the best Bible translation, according to my wife Eva,
is the one you will actually read. That's the best
one for you. So. Okay, thanks for your call, Elaine.
We're going to talk to Stephen in Cleveland, listening on
Wtxf Moody Radio Cleveland. Uh, welcome to Open Line. Stephen,
(20:38):
how can I help you?
S6 (20:39):
Hi, doctor. Ray, can I have a question? It's been
bothering me for a while. I've talked to a disgusting
something about the dead who are going to heaven. And
because of Christ being alive, they intercede for us to God.
Because he quoted Matthew 27, they came out of the graves.
And then one on the bottom was what struck me
as revelations five, eight and eight, 3 to 4. He
(21:03):
says that the even the Bible shows people in heaven
taking our prayers before God. I thought, when you die,
you're not conscious. Well, how would you know who you're
praying for? I thought we'd just go to Jesus Christ
to get to the father. I'm just confused with that
because he says when they came out of the graves,
that shows they're alive and they guess they're conscious, they
could pray for us. I don't understand all this.
S1 (21:25):
Well, whether they're conscious or not, Uh, and, uh, I
think it's interesting. Let's just go to revelation five eight. Yeah.
When he when he took the scroll, the four living
creatures and the 24 elders fell down before the lamb.
(21:46):
Each one had a harp and gold bowls filled with incense,
which are the prayers of the saints. Now, I just
want to be really clear here. This is symbolic language.
And the incense, uh, is the prayers of the saints
is symbolically pictured as incense. But their actual prayers. But
(22:08):
they're not prayers of dead saints. The word saint refers
to followers of Jesus. And so these are the prayers
of people on earth ascending to God. They are not
people who are dead and in heaven praying. So that
verse is not teaching at all anything about the dead
(22:30):
interceding for us. Now the other one, yes, people are resurrected.
There were a few people who had a resurrection at
the resurrection of Jesus according to Matthew 27, but they
would have to die again, sort of like Lazarus. There
was a, I like to call the theological technical term
(22:51):
a super duper burst of resurrection power that happened when
the the Lord Jesus was resurrected and some people came
out of the graves as confirmation of that resurrection of Jesus,
but they were not resurrected to glory. They were resurrected
temporarily and they would have to die again. So what
happens when we die? First of all, we go to
(23:15):
be with the Lord, our immaterial portion, the spirits of us.
Paul talks about in Philippians one that he. He knows
that to live is Christ, to die is gain, and
that he would go to be with the Lord. When
he died. Second Corinthians five says. Absent from the body.
When our spirit leaves the body. It it is present
(23:37):
with the Lord. So we go to be with the
Lord in our immaterial state. And then we descend in
our immaterial state at the resurrection, at the rapture, and
we are resurrected. We meet up with our bodies and
they're given a glorified immortal body. But, uh, the most
important thing to remember is that there's only one mediator,
(24:03):
one person who prays. There's one person who is our advocate.
There's only one high priest who intercedes for us, and
that is the Lord Jesus. So when we pray, the
way to pray is not to any person who died.
The way to pray according to the scriptures is we
pray to the father in the name of the son.
(24:25):
That's because he is our advocate. He is our high priest.
He is the one that leads us before the father. And, uh,
he is the one that intercedes for us. And we
pray as we seek God's will. We seek God's purposes.
When we pray, we pray according to the power of
the Holy Spirit. So when we pray, we don't pray
(24:46):
to people who have died. We pray to the father
in the name of the son by the power of
the Holy Spirit. There's no verse in Scripture that ever,
ever teaches that we should pray to people who have died. Okay. Uh.
S6 (25:04):
That is what they believe.
S1 (25:05):
Yeah, I know they believe that, but does that clarify
it for you?
S6 (25:09):
Yes it does. I thank you so much. I really
appreciate that.
S1 (25:12):
Yeah, well, thank you for your call, Stephen. Uh, you know,
I think that's one of the great privileges that we
have as as a child of God that we can
go to the father directly through our great High Priest,
the Lord Jesus, our intercessor, our our great Redeemer. That's
that's a great reminder to why should we pray? Because
(25:35):
God calls us to and we can enter the holy
presence of God through the Lord Jesus. Well, we're going
to come right back with the mailbag, the Febc mailbag,
to hear us coming in. So don't go away. You're
listening to Open Line with Michael Ray Dolnick right here
on Moody Radio. And we're back. It's time for the
(26:09):
Febc mailbag. I'm so grateful that Far Eastern Broadcasting Company
partners with Moody Radio to bring you Open Line, and they, uh,
bring you the Febc mailbag. And joining me now. My name,
by the way, I didn't mention again was Mike is
Michael Ray Dolnick. And joining me is to hear a Haynes.
She is the person who is going to ask the
(26:33):
questions today about the from the mailbag. But I do
want you to check out because they are bringing the
gospel to people all over the world through media and
then also through personal engagement. And they have a wonderful
podcast with Ed Cannon called Until All Have Heard. You
(26:54):
can find it on whatever podcast distributor you have, or
you can go to their website, because that's where I
recommend you go and check out their podcast until all
have heard and to hear how you how you doing?
S7 (27:07):
I am doing well. How are you today?
S1 (27:09):
Great. I'm thinking, uh, you're here a couple of weeks
in a row now. Uh, we're. I think Tricia needs
to read about Wally Pipp. Oh. Do you know who
Wally Pip is?
S7 (27:22):
I don't tell me who Wally Pip is.
S1 (27:23):
Wally Pipp was a first baseman that got injured and
with the Yankees, and he was replaced by a guy
named Lou Gehrig, who played for the next 2130 games
and set a then record for how many games played
in a row. And Wally Pipp lost his job. So, uh,
you know Tricia. She better. This is two weeks in
a row now. Tricia. Better watch out.
S7 (27:45):
So it's okay. No, Tricia is fine. Tricia has been
at NBI, working really hard in Dallas, and she will
definitely be back next week.
S1 (27:56):
Yeah, just tell her about Wally Pipp, okay. And then
she'll be back. That'll be it. Okay. Thank you. Matthew. Okay. Uh,
let's let's go to the questions.
S7 (28:06):
Great, great. Our first question is from Stanley in Alabama,
listening on Wmw. Do Christians in our century need to
keep the Sabbath and teach others to keep it also?
S1 (28:17):
Okay. There are a lot of people who become very
strong about. It's the Sabbath. It's one of the Ten Commandments. Uh, now,
it's really important that we remember that, you know, people
ask me all the time about the Law of Moses,
are we under it or are we not under it?
And my answer is a really resounding yes and no.
And the no part is that as a direct commandment,
(28:40):
we are no longer under the law of Moses, but where,
according to the New Testament, under the law of Christ,
the Messianic Torah, the messianic law, and as a result
of that, uh, the one what is the New covenant
or the Messianic Torah? That's all these commandments in the
New Testament. And it's interesting. Nine of the Ten Commandments
(29:03):
are not are indeed repeated in the New Testament, but
one isn't. And guess which one isn't the Sabbath command?
That's the only one. Uh, and I think it's important
that you realize that everyone realized that the the reason
for that is that the seventh day Sabbath. I mean,
(29:24):
we still have a Sabbath. It's the seventh day of
the week, but the seventh day Sabbath was considered the
sign of the Law of Moses. Uh, it says in
Exodus 31, you must observe my Sabbaths, for it is
a sign between me and you throughout your generations, so
that you will know that I am the Lord who
(29:45):
sets you apart. Observe the Sabbath, for it's holy to you.
It's the sign. Verse 1731 17 says, for ever between
me and the Israelites. So it's a Sabbath is the
Sabbath is a sign of the mosaic covenant. Thank you.
And then we're under the New covenant. And so that's
the one. That's the one of the Ten Commandments that
(30:06):
is not repeated because it's not the sign of the
New Covenant. It's the sign of the mosaic covenant. Okay.
So that's that's what I would say. So no, we're
not bound like Israel. You know, you couldn't cook or
pick up things or do stuff like that on Sabbath.
That's not our life. However, remember I said, we're not
(30:29):
under the law of Moses. And yes, we are in
the sense that every principle taught in the law of Moses,
every principle, the wisdom principle that governs every command in
the law of Moses is applicable to us. And so
the idea of taking a day off one day a
week for physical rest and spiritual renewal, that's great idea.
(30:55):
That's a wisdom principle. It's something we ought to do.
For example, in Romans 14 it says, one man honors
one day above another. Another views them all alike. Let
each man be convinced in his own mind. So it
doesn't have to be on Saturday, but it has to be.
We have to take a day for physical rest and
(31:17):
spiritual renewal. We have to have our own Sabbath. And
you know, if someone wants to do it on Saturday, fine.
You know, uh, a lot of messianic congregations that I
was part of, uh, met on Saturdays for worship and, uh,
and took that day for rest and renewal. Uh, I
(31:37):
was at a church as an interim pastor that had
Saturday night services. And so they took Saturday as well,
you know, and so they met for worship on Saturdays.
The point is, we need a day for rest and renewal,
physical rest, spiritual renewal. It could be Sunday. You know,
(31:59):
for most pastors, it's not Sunday because they're, you know,
especially if there's multiple services. So true. It's not that, uh,
a person could take their day of rest another day.
So those are those are some of the the reasons
I would say. Are we under the Law of Moses? No,
you don't have to keep the Sabbath the way the
Israelites did. It's the sign of the law of Moses,
(32:21):
not the sign of the law of Messiah. But should
we keep the Sabbath? Yes. We need to have our
own Sabbath. A day for physical rest and renewal.
S7 (32:30):
Thank you, Michael, for that response. And thank you, Stanley,
for that question. We have a question from Heidi in
Ohio listening through Wtxf. I have always had a heart
for Israel, but since October 7th, I weep for them,
the hostages, the anti-Semitism, and so many other things going
on now. Struggling. She's now struggling with so many hostages
being murdered in the captivity. And she wants to know,
(32:53):
she said. God did not answer the prayers of those
who were praying the Christians, the Jews for everyone to
be released. And she had really hoped that that would
have happened. So her question is why didn't God respond
or answer that? And also, what more can Christians do
to bless Israel in these heartbreaking times?
S1 (33:14):
Well, first of all, for me to answer the mystery
of prayer is beyond my pay grade. Just so you know,
I none of us can explain the mysterious nature of
prayer and how and why. Why and how God answers.
Why does he say yes? There were. There have been
a number of hostages that were rescued, a number of
(33:37):
hostages that have been released. And then there are others
that that were murdered by Hamas. Uh, and it's not
just those who are hostages. On the very day of 27,
over 1200 were killed, murdered in that assault. Clearly, people
(33:58):
were praying for the peace of Jerusalem when that happened.
So I don't know the answer to that. I do
know that God tells us to pray and not lose heart.
That's what Jesus said in Luke 17. We are to
pray and not lose heart. We are to trust God
for the answers. And you know the mystery of how
(34:20):
God decides what he's going to do. I don't know, uh, but,
you know, God is still calling us to pray, and
we need to do that. I'm amazed, you know, when
I had a prayer for this beloved person to me
and I. I was not worthy. And I cried out
(34:41):
to God. And I said, God, I am not worthy,
but Jesus is. And deliver this person. And that one
time he answered that prayer exactly as I had asked.
Other times he said no to me about things like that.
I don't know. I don't know. Uh, but I just
keep praying because he's the one I rely on. So, uh,
(35:05):
so I'm sorry to say that there's this is a
great mystery, and it's it's not one who can know
the mind of the Lord. None of us. That's it. Yeah. So, uh,
let's let's take this, uh, last this other question here
by Lori. Okay.
S7 (35:20):
Sure. Thank you so much, Lori. Florida. And she's listening
to Wcqs in the Old Testament sacrificial system, were all
animals required to be male?
S1 (35:30):
Yeah. The reason I thought we'd take this is because
it's a quick answer. No, there were female sacrifices, female
animals for sacrifice as well. Leviticus chapter four, verse uh 28.
It says if someone informs him about the sin he
(35:51):
has committed, he's about. Then he's he's to bring an
unblemished female goat as his offering for the sin that
he committed. So that's Leviticus 428, then verse 32, uh,
he's to bring a female lamb. Uh, uh, Leviticus 432
and then Leviticus five six, he must bring his restitution
(36:14):
for the sin he has committed to the Lord. A
female lamb or goat from the flock. So the answer
is no. They didn't all have to be male. Certain
sacrifices required a female sacrifice. And, uh, thank you so
much for bringing those questions into here, Michael. Yeah. You're
listening to Open Line with Michael Radonich. That was to
(36:35):
hear Haines. Uh, you can send your question in by
going to Open Line radio.org and clicking on Ask Michael
a question. That's a great place to post your question.
And Tricia will put it in the mailbag for upcoming week.
We're going to be right back with more of your calls,
with your questions in just a moment. Keep listening to
Open Line. Welcome back to Open Line. Uh, I am
(37:07):
so glad to be with you today, and I'm so
grateful for the the great privilege to talk with you
about so many important things. And I'm grateful that people
ask me questions about Jewish people. But here's a question
that I think Chosen People Ministries gets over and over.
It's how important is it to reach Jewish people with
(37:30):
the Good News and Chosen People ministries keeps getting asked
that question. And so that's why they're offering a booklet
called To the Jew First in the first in the
21st century. It was written by Doctor Al Mohler, who's
the president of Southern Baptist Seminary. This booklet affirms, reaffirms
God's love for the Jewish people. It shows why believers
(37:52):
must continue to present the Messiah, Jesus, to the Jewish people,
why Jewish people need to believe in their very own Messiah,
the Lord Jesus. Doctor Mohler says Jewish evangelism is the
clearest test case for the faithfulness to the gospel of
the Lord Jesus, the Messiah in this generation. That's the
test for your free copy of To the Jew. First
(38:15):
in the 20 in the 21st century. Just go to
the Open Line website. That's open Line radio.org. Scroll down
till you see the link that says A free gift
from Chosen People Ministries. And when you click on that,
you'll be taken to a page where you can sign
up for your own copy of To the Jew First
in the 21st century. And we're going to talk with
Mary Lynn in Seville, Ohio, listening on the Moody Radio app. Hey,
(38:38):
Mary Lynn, how can I help you today?
S8 (38:41):
Good morning. Thank you for taking my call.
S1 (38:43):
Hey, wait a second. How did you hear about the
Moody Radio app? That's what I want to know from you.
S9 (38:50):
Uh.
S8 (38:51):
Um, I was in South Carolina at my daughter's, and
I tried to listen to Moody Radio, so that's how
I got it.
S1 (39:02):
Well, you know, that's a cool thing. We live in
a kind of a weird neighborhood in Chicago. And even
though we're really close to the WNBA, my wife listens
on the app because we have terrible reception right in
our little pocket of Chicago. And and we get much
(39:23):
better reception, obviously, on the Moody Radio app. And so
if you're listening out there and you think, I'm leaving
my hometown, I won't have my radio station, uh, or
I just want to get better reception. And I think
I'll do it with, with my iPhone. If I do
that or my smartphone, I should say, uh, best thing
to do get the Moody Radio app, be smart like
(39:43):
Mary Lynn and get the Moody, Moody Radio app.
S8 (39:48):
I can't get w Ciara home. I can get it
in the car, but I can't get it in my home.
So that's why I listen.
S1 (39:57):
Same thing as my wife, right? That's it. Right? That's it. Okay.
How can I help you?
S8 (40:03):
Yeah. Okay. I have a question about the timing of
the Israelites crossing the Red sea. Did God hold the
Egyptians back the whole time they were crossing? And how
long would that take for the 2 million plus Israelites
to cross the Red sea?
S1 (40:22):
Well, it doesn't say in the Bible. Uh, I don't
know how long it took. Uh, you know, just to
be honest, that if Moses thought that was important, he
would have told us. Apparently, he didn't think it was crucial.
You know, in terms of, uh, there's a selectivity. This
(40:43):
is this is really important for us to understand. It's
the principle of selection. And a lot of people just
want to know the details. Uh, like Fanny Brice, you know.
Do you remember Fanny Brice, the old comedian on radio? Uh,
I used to listen to a lot of old radio tapes.
She y y she asked a million questions. And the
(41:05):
the the funny thing about, by the way, the movie
Funny Girl is about Fanny Brice, but, uh, Baby Snooks
was the character that she played. But, uh, the funny
part to me here is that people don't know that
when biblical narrative, it's not to answer our curiosity, it's
(41:27):
to tell us what's most important. And so it doesn't say.
I think that obviously the 600 chariots were were really
making some some dust in the distance. And the Israelites
saw it and they cried out. And Moses says in
Exodus 14, don't be afraid. Stand firm and see the
(41:48):
Lord's salvation. He will provide for you today for the Egyptians.
You see today you will never see again. The Lord
will fight for you, and you must be quiet. And
so then he's you know, one of my favorite verses
in the Bible is Exodus 1415. The Lord said to Moses,
why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites
to break camp. In other words, stop talking and start
(42:09):
walking is what what he says. Uh, and, uh, and
that's that's what he does. And the angel of God,
who was going in front of the Israelite forces, moved
and went behind them. The pillar of cloud of cloud
moved from in front of them and stood behind them.
It came between the Egyptian and Israelite forces. The cloud
(42:30):
was there in the darkness, yet it lit up the night.
So neither group came near the other all night long.
So how long did it take? It took all night long.
How long is that? I don't know, but, uh, what
kept the Israelites from being attacked by the Egyptians was
the darkness of the pillar of cloud. So there was
(42:51):
a blockade there, so to speak. Okay.
S8 (42:56):
Okay. I knew this was not a Necessary question, but
I was just always curious.
S1 (43:03):
Yeah, well, you're curious, right? But, you know, we have
a little hint there. It told us all night long. Right? Right.
And and yes, God did hold the Egyptians back because
of the pillar of cloud. I'd be afraid to walk
into a pillar of cloud too, wouldn't you?
S8 (43:20):
Of course. Yes.
S1 (43:22):
Yeah. Yeah. Hey, thanks for your call. Uh, Mary Lynn,
thank you. Appreciate it. Uh, we're going to talk to
Daniel in Tennessee, listening on NRB. Welcome to Open Line, Daniel.
How can I help you?
S10 (43:34):
Thank you. Doctor. Uh, thank you for taking my call.
God bless you. Um, I have a simple question. Well,
it's not a simple question. I have a new friend who, um,
recently told me. Hey, you know, I don't agree with
what you're teaching in the Bible study because I follow
what preterist view, and I didn't know what that was.
(43:54):
Started studying. And I don't necessarily agree with it, but
I want before I ask for your perspective, I just
want to say that I approach matters like this with
humility and ask for God's wisdom. And I don't believe
things like this about end time views or perspectives should
be divisive in the church. So if I could kindly
ask for your perspective, please.
S1 (44:15):
Yeah, I don't think it should be divisive in the church,
but it's disappointing to me, to people who that people
do take the predatorist view, for example, predatorist for people
who are sitting on what in the world is that
a new part for my car? No. Predatorism is the
belief that the events, for example, in Matthew 24, were
(44:40):
fulfilled in the past, or that the book of revelation,
the interpretation of revelation four through 22 is our our
predicted and fulfilled in the past. So, for example, in
Matthew 24, When it talks about the Lord's return, they
(45:00):
would say the Lord did return in A.D. 70. He
returned in judgment. And so the return of the Lord
was the destruction of Jerusalem, and not the deliverance of Israel,
as predicted in in the Hebrew Bible and predicted in
Zechariah 12 and places like that. Rather, he returned in
(45:21):
judgment on Israel. Revelation four through uh 19 is frequently
taken as partial predatorism that all those events of the
tribulation period were fulfilled in A.D. 70, when Jerusalem was destroyed. And, uh,
and it just happened. It just such a problem because
(45:42):
there were full preterists about the book of revelation. But
it's so clearly about the coming of the Lord Jesus
that they had to say, well, okay, in chapter 20
it starts being about the return of the Lord Jesus, uh,
yet future. But yeah, it just seemed to me that
it's clear that this is about the future and we
(46:03):
don't have to, uh, we don't have to worry about that. Well, uh,
shouldn't divide us, but I do think it should guide
us that we're we're we're able to see the return
of the Lord Jesus. Hey, thanks for your question, Daniel.
I hope that helps. Thanks for listening, everyone. That's the
first hour, but we'll be back with more questions in
the second hour of Open Line, so don't miss out
(46:24):
if your station doesn't carry it. You can listen on
the Moody Radio app or listen online. Check out our
web page during the break. Open Line radio.org. You're going
to find that all has all the links you're looking for.
The Bible study across America will continue in the second hour,
so stay with us. Open line with Michael Radonich is
a production of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.
(46:47):
Stay with us. We'll be right back.
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If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!