September 27, 2025 • 28 mins
On today’s Bible Answer Man broadcast, Hank answers the following questions:
In Deuteronomy 14:28-29, God instructs the people on what to do with the tithe at the end of every three years. Why don’t churches today follow this practice? Kim - Rural Hall, NC (3:09)
Who was Melchizedek? Antonio - Bakersfield, CA (5:22)
Is meeting the Lord in the air from 1 Thessalonians 4:17 meant to be understood metaphorically, or literally? Mark - Baltimore, MD (7:31)
What do you believe the last day will look like? Will there be a rapture? Nick - St. Louis, MO (15:10)
What is your opinion of the Local Church and Witness Lee? Nick - St. Louis, MO (19:16)
Are fallen angels and demons the same thing? If not, where do demons come from? Rick - Meriden, CT (21:08)
Is the Mark of the Beast literal? Sarah - Omaha, NE (22:39)
In Deuteronomy 14:28-29, God instructs the people on what to do with the tithe at the end of every three years. Why don’t churches today follow this practice? Kim - Rural Hall, NC (3:09)
Who was Melchizedek? Antonio - Bakersfield, CA (5:22)
Is meeting the Lord in the air from 1 Thessalonians 4:17 meant to be understood metaphorically, or literally? Mark - Baltimore, MD (7:31)
What do you believe the last day will look like? Will there be a rapture? Nick - St. Louis, MO (15:10)
What is your opinion of the Local Church and Witness Lee? Nick - St. Louis, MO (19:16)
Are fallen angels and demons the same thing? If not, where do demons come from? Rick - Meriden, CT (21:08)
Is the Mark of the Beast literal? Sarah - Omaha, NE (22:39)
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're just in time for the best of the Bible
answer Man broadcast with Hank Canagraph, the radio outreach of
the Christian Research Institute. Our purpose here at CROI is
to equip Christians to provide Biblical answers to life's most
important questions, to read the Bible for all it's worth,
and counter the teachings of cults and world religions that
(00:29):
deviate from the plumb line of God's word, because life
and truth matter. For more information, to order resources or donate,
call eight eight eight seven thousand CRII, or go online
to equip dot org. That's equip dot org. The following
program was pre recorded. Now here's the President of the
(00:52):
Christian Research Institute, Hank Canagraph.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
Say very much, Dia. We begin the broadcast today with
just a word about our resource. It is a laminated
four by six flip chart titled maps Memorable Keys to
the Bible's Divine Inspiration. Of course, the contention that the
Bible is merely human as opposed to divine in origin,
(01:17):
the product of contaminated copies, cleverly invented stories, corrupt collaborators
is nothing new. It's been the stock and trade of
bastions of higher learning for centuries, but that's not the
case today. What was once the province of private academia
(01:39):
is now being popularized in the public arena. When reason
prevails over rhetoric, however, a completely different perspective emerges again.
That is precisely why we are making this flip chart
available to you to do with authority. How do you
(02:02):
know that the Bible is a genuine authority? Muslims say
it's not the Bible, it's the Koran. Mormons say it's
not the Bible, it's the Book of Mormon. How do
we know? How can we know? How can we be
absolutely certain that what we have given our lives to
is credible, sustainable, in fact, is objectively true. Again maps
(02:29):
memorable keys to the Bible's divine inspiration. You can master
the proofs for the divine inspiration of the Bible in minutes,
remember them for a lifetime. It's a memorable defense of
the most significant literary work in the history of humanity.
That's a mouthful, but it's absolutely true.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
Again.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
You can order for your gift on the web equip
dot org via the mailbox eighty five hundred Charlotte, North,
Carol line a ZIP code two eight two seven one,
And of course you can pick up the telephone talk
to one of our resource consultants triple eight seven thousand
in the letters CRI A lot of you're hanging on already.
(03:10):
We'll go right to the calls. First up Kim at
North Carolina, Bi, Kim, Hi.
Speaker 4 (03:16):
Henk How you doing good? How are you just fine?
My question is coming from a Deuteronomy chapter fourteen Versus
twenty eight, twenty nine and Deuteronomy twenty six eleven through thirteen.
Now it says that every third year but tide is
supposed to be taken up and giving back to the people.
I guess today would be the people in your congregation.
(03:38):
And my question is why don't we do that?
Speaker 2 (03:41):
Well? I think if you look in the same chapter
of Deuteronomy, you see the reason for the tithe. Moses
communicates there that we tithe so that we may learn
to revere the Lord our God always and learning to
reverence the name of God is a timeless principle. It
(04:02):
is as crucial today as it was in the days
of Moses. Now, how that tithe is used a course
is for the benefit of God's people, but ultimately for
the propagation of God's word. And one of the ways
in which the word is propagated is when people recognize
(04:23):
the reality that the people of God love one another
and the love of Christ constrains them to come. That
was true and the New Testament Church equally true in
the Old Testament context as well. And of course, you know,
if you go on and read the contextualization of tithing,
you find out that long after Moses, Jesus reaffirmed the
(04:49):
practice of tithing not for outward appearances, but as an
outward expression of an inward reality. And that's why fail
to tithe is a prescription for financial ruin. Again, it's
not that the tenth is the issue. The issue is
(05:11):
learning to trust God with all that you have and
then using what you have again for His glory and
for the extension of His kingdom. Want to go back
to the phone lines. Talk to Antonio in Bakersfield, California,
High Endtonio.
Speaker 5 (05:28):
Hey, I'm really I can't even believe I'm proving you
right now. Hi, how are you doing now?
Speaker 2 (05:33):
I'm doing good. It's great to talk to you as well.
Speaker 5 (05:35):
Yeah, man, I just want to call and you know,
me and my father had been listening to you for
gosh thirteen years now. I got saved about fourteen years ago,
and he turned me on to you, and we both
came out of the Word of Faith movement because of
the thing that we were hearing God say through you
on the radio. And you just opened up our eyes
(05:57):
just so much. And I am totally thankful to God
for you. You are amazing and I thank God for
you so so much. So, man, I'm kind to give
you right now. So I'm sorry. The question tak is Melkededek, Yes,
And I kind of wanted to know more information about
who he was. I read a little bit about him
(06:19):
in the Book of Hebrews, and so I kind of
wanted whatever you can give me on him.
Speaker 6 (06:23):
I'll take it.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
Yeah. A couple of things that I would say. One
is I wrote about this extensively in my book Has
God Spoken, But in short, Scripture not only designates Melchizedek
king of Righteousness and King of Peace, but overtly tells
us that he is without mother or father, without genealogy,
(06:45):
without beginning of days or end of life, but that
like the Son of God, he remains a priest forever
because of all of this, I would say that Melchizedek
is a Christophany, which means an appear of Christ. He
didn't trace his descent from Levi, and yet he collected
(07:05):
a tenth from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises.
And without doubt, the lesser person is blessed by the greater.
In one case the tenth is collected by men who die,
but in the other case by him who is declared
to be the living. So in contrast to men who die,
Melchizedek is declared to be the living. All of that
and more reasons that I believe that Milchizedek is a Christophany.
(07:30):
We want to go back to the phone lines. We'll
talk next to Mark. He's listening in Baltimore, Maryland. I, Hank, good, afternoon.
Speaker 6 (07:38):
I have a question regarding the rapture you did mention
one time in one of your broadcasts. I was listening
to that the rapture, the proper interpretation of I think
Theassalonians four seventeen is that if we should take bad
as a metaphor rather than literally, the line that says
(07:59):
we will meet the law in the air. I just
wanted you to elaborate more why should we make the
interpretation as metaphor than bitterly.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
Well, the point here is first and foremost that this
does not have to do with a pre tribulational rapture
at all. It has to do with resurrection. And you
know that by context where Paul says, brothers, we do
not want you to be ignorant about those who fall
asleep or to grieve like the rest of men who
have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again,
(08:32):
and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus
those who have fallen asleep in him. So this is
a great and glorious passage on resurrection, not a pro
tribulational rapture. So my point simply is that nowhere in
this text do you see Jesus Christ coming down, hovering
in mid air, and then having people come up to
(08:53):
meet him, then reversing directions and taking them to heaven
during the tribulation, and then coming back a second time. Rather,
what you have literally here is that the Lord will
descend with a loud command, with the voice of the
archangel and with the trumpet call of God. So far
(09:14):
from a secret coming, this is what happens when Jesus
appears a second time. As far as the language itself
is concerned, what Paul is communicating is not that Jesus
comes down and reverses direction, but we meet him and
we take him back to our village, as it were.
(09:37):
Because this is precisely what you get when you interpret
scripture and light a scripture. It's not as though Heaven
is up there someplace. It is a new heaven and
a new Earth wherein dwells righteousness. And John sees this
on the island of Patmos, when he sees a new
heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and
(09:59):
first Earth had passed away, and there was no longer
any sea. And he saw the Holy City, the Nuturism,
coming down out of heaven from God prepared as a bride,
beautifully dressed for a husband. And then he hears a
loud voice from the throne saying, now the dwelling of
God is with men, and he will live with them.
(10:19):
They will be his people, and God himself will be
with them and be their God. So far from this
being some kind of a platonic reality, this is a
very physical reality. This is this universe transformed it now
groans intravail, and it is awaiting its liberation from bondage
(10:40):
to decay. That's what we hope for, and along with
that we have our physical resurrection. So this is language
that is rooted in reality, and we dare not take
our own mythological stereotypical beliefs and force them on the Bible. Rather,
(11:02):
we should learn to read scripture in light a scripture.
Speaker 6 (11:05):
Very good, Thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (11:07):
You got it.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
Thank you so much for your call. Will be write
back in just a few moments with more answers to
your questions. Don't touch that dial.
Speaker 1 (11:14):
To find out more about the materials mentioned on the show,
call a CRII resource consultant toll free at eight eight
eight seven thousand cri that's eight eight eight seven thousand CRII.
Our website is also an excellent reference destination to help you.
Just go to equip dot org and find articles by Hank, books,
(11:37):
CDs and DVDs. Again, that's equip dot org. Or write
CRII PO Box eighty five hundred, Charlotte, North Carolina, ZIP
two eight two seven one. The Bible answer man will
continue in just a moment, breaking the code. If the
(12:04):
book of Revelation has become an international obsession. The result
has been rampant misreading of scripture, bad theology, and even
bad politics and foreign policy. In the Apocalypse Code, find
out what the Bible really says about the end times
and why it matters today. Hank Canagraph argues that the
key to understanding the Last Book of the Bible is
(12:25):
the other sixty five books of the Bible, not current
events or recent history. The Apocalypse Code offers sane answers
to some very controversial questions, such as what does it
mean to take the Book of Revelation literally? Who are
the Antichrist and the Great Horror of Babylon? And what
is the real meaning of six hundred and sixty six?
(12:45):
Order The Apocalypse Code by Hank Cantigraph today, available in softcover,
MP three, CD or MP three download from equip dot
org or call eight eight eight seven thousand CRII. The
Complete Bible answer Book Collector's Edition is the comprehensive collection
of the most often asked questions Hank Hannigraph has received
(13:08):
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Man broadcast. With more than half a million copies already
in print, This newly revised and expanded Collector's Edition helped
seekers and skeptics alike sort through the truth on topics
such as reliability of the Bible, religions and cults, the
resurrection and afterlife, and many more issues vital to a
(13:31):
better understanding of God in Christ and our relationship to Him.
To receive your copy of the Complete Bible answer Book
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(13:53):
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(14:14):
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(14:39):
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Once again, that's equip dot org. And now here's Hank
(15:08):
can i graft.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
Let's go back to the phone lines. We'll talk next
to Nick listening in Saint Louis, Missouri.
Speaker 7 (15:14):
Hi, Nick, Hey, Hank, I just wanted to thank you
for your ministry. It's a real blessing to hear your
answers to people's questions.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
Thank you.
Speaker 7 (15:22):
My question is I've heard a lot of what you
don't believe about the end times in talking to people
who believe in pre tribulation rapture and who want to
argue with you about this and that. And I'm actually
personally curious as to what you do believe about the
last day. And by that I mean when Jesus does return,
(15:45):
what exactly do you believe that will look like? And
I'm just curious as to your personal view.
Speaker 2 (15:51):
Sure, well, when Jesus Christ returns, it will be a
glorious day in which the souls of those who have
died will return to bodies, and those bodies will rise,
immortal and perishable, incorruptible, and those who are still alive
will be transformed in a moment, in the twinkling of
an eye. So the problem of sin and satan and
(16:13):
suffering will forever be done with the universe itself that
now groans and travail will be liberated from its bondage
to decay. So out of the womb of earth will
be birthed a new heaven and a new Earth, wherein
dwells righteousness. The veil between this world and the next
will no longer be there, and Jesus will appear, and
(16:36):
we will live with a resurrected Christ in a restored universe,
and we will learn and grow without error, as forever
we explore the glory and grace of the One who
saved us, as well as the glory and grandeur of
the creation which he gave to us. And we're stewards
(16:57):
of that creation even now. And therefore what we do
in terms of not only the Great Commission, but the
cultural mandate matters in the present.
Speaker 7 (17:08):
I gotcha. Do you believe in a rapture of any sort?
Speaker 2 (17:13):
No? I do not. I mean the sense of rapture
is a sense in which we go out to meet
the King of Glory and bring him back, as it were,
to this earth. I mean, that's the picture we get.
But that picture's a metaphorical picture that's given to us
(17:33):
because the hope of the believer is that God will
once again walk with Adam and even the cool of
the day. And therefore in the Book of Revelation we
have John saying, now the dwelling of God is with men,
and He will live with them. They will be his people,
and God himself will be with them and be their God.
(17:54):
He'll wipe every tear from their eyes. There'll be no
more death or mourning, or crying or pain. First Thessalonians,
chapter four. This notion of a rapture being caught up
to meet the Lord does not mean that the Lord
suddenly reverses direction and takes us up for seven years
to heaven while the Jews are butchered on earth. No,
(18:15):
it means that we are welcoming him. It's very much
like this picture of people running out of the city
to welcome dignitary and bring that dignitary back into the city.
What happened, for example, when Alexander the Great came and
he was met by the priests and the assembly, and
brought back into the city. That's the kind of picture
(18:38):
that Paul is giving us in First Thessalonians chapter four,
but not the idea of rapture as God taking us
or Jesus taking us from this earth to heaven for
seven years and then being brought back later on after
the second coming of Jesus Christ or during the second
coming of Jesus Christ.
Speaker 7 (18:57):
Okay, well, I appreciate that I've been I'm curious for
a long time what you believe on the subject, because,
like I said, I hear a lot of people call
with questions that if they read the Bible carefully they
honestly shouldn't have. But I never got to actually listen
to you explain what it is that you do believe.
Do I have time for one quick question? Sure, it's unrelated,
(19:19):
but I've actually called in with a question about a
verse a friend of mine was using to support the
Son and the Father being the same person, and I
was curious to what you think about the organization that
is called the Local Church of Witness Lee.
Speaker 2 (19:35):
Well, what I would say is that many people have
misunderstood the theological underpinnings of the local church and thought
that they were a modalistic group, and we certainly were
among those who contributed organizationally to a fountain head of
misinformation in this regard. And as a result of meeting
(20:00):
with people within the local churches, we began to do
a primary research project, which ended up being a very long,
laborious project that took place over a long period of time.
I believe it was six years, if I recall correctly,
And in that process we discovered that we were wrong
about a lot of things, and certainly we were wrong
(20:23):
about the notion that the local church participated in modalism.
As they make clear in their writings and in their confessions,
they believe in one God revealed in three persons who
are eternally distinct. But they make a distinction as well
between the essential Trinity and the economic Trinity, which is
(20:47):
to say, unless you read them carefully, which means that
you have to have an attention span, you find out
very quickly that they have a very clear distinction between
an economic and an essential trinity. If anybody wants it
to find out more about that and answer that question,
we did a journal article is titled we were wrong
in fact it's an entire issue of the journal. I
(21:07):
want to go back to the phone lines. We'll talk
next to Rick in Meridian, Connecticut.
Speaker 6 (21:12):
Hi, Rick, Hey, Hank, how you doing.
Speaker 3 (21:14):
I just want to say that I really appreciate your brother,
I appreciate your ministry and your extensive knowledge of scripture,
and I pray for you from time to time. I
should pray for you more often, and I just wanted
to I was curious, our fallen angels and demons the
(21:35):
same exact thing, and if not, what is the difference,
And where do demons come from? What are they?
Speaker 2 (21:40):
Yeah, No, they are the same thing. Demons are falling angels.
There are people that will tell you otherwise, but that
from a biblical worldview perspective, is precisely the case. God
created angels. They're non corporeal or non physical, but they're
nonetheless real. And we know from Scripture, in terms of
(22:00):
what we can deduce directly and through theological implication or deduction,
that demons are fallen angels. And the relative number, though
not given, is a third that went with Lucifer in
a rebellion against God. And so they are angels, but
(22:22):
angels that are fallen given over to their own desires,
which is they do not want to worship God, and
so God gives them what they want.
Speaker 3 (22:32):
Interesting. Well, thank you very much, brother, and God bless
you and your family.
Speaker 2 (22:36):
Thank you so much. I appreciate those wonderful words. Let's
go right back to the phone lines and we'll talk
next to Sarah in Omaha, Nebraska. Hi, Sarah, good afternoon,
Good afternoon, that you're well.
Speaker 8 (22:49):
I know we're getting towards the end of the broadcast.
I just want to thank you. I have been familiar
with your books and you're teaching for many years. I
was very privileged be able to go to a Bible
College and listen to you very regularly, and I pray
for your ministry. When we can, we will support financially.
But we're in Omaha here, and my question is regarding
(23:13):
the Book of Revelation and the Sign of the Beast.
And I know that it says on their heads was
the mark six sixty six? I haven't. I've tried to
look up the reference here, but I haven't found it yet.
And I know you've spoken about I've heard you. I
believe what my question would be is that a literal
(23:34):
mark is it with the not being able to buy
or sell without the mark. Without being too sensationalist, I
know that there aren't RFIDs radio frequency IDs on credit
cards that you can swipe. I even heard on the radio.
I don't know how true it is, but that they're
going to have things on the palm for children when
(23:55):
they do their lunchline, lunch money creation, you know, little scanners,
and so I'm just curious this technology is in place
for buying and selling, or at least for your credit card.
Could that any way be the mark of the beast.
Speaker 2 (24:10):
Well, the answer is no, and let me tell you why.
That's what I call newspaper eschatology. And there's no biblical
basis for believing that the mark of the beast is
a silicon microchip. And here's why. Biblically, the mark of
the beast is a parody of the mark of the lamb.
And that's because the beast can parody the lamb, but
(24:33):
can't do what the lamb does or did. So, just
as the mark on the foreheads of the one hundred
and forty four thousand that you see in Revelation chapter
fourteen symbolizes identity with the lamb, in the same way
the mark in Revelation thirteen symbolizes identity with the beast.
(24:55):
So when Jesus says, on him who overcomes, I will
write the name of my God and the name of
the city of my God. And I will also write
on him my new name. We don't think that Jesus
is actually using a magic marker or some kind of
a tattoo machine to write symbols on our forehead. So
(25:17):
one is a parody of the other. But furthermore, I
think what this answer is rooted in is scripture. The
forehead in the hands are Old Testament symbols of a
person's beliefs and behavior. You see that in passages like
Exodus thirteen and Deuteronomy chapter six and Ezekiel chapter nine.
In other words, what you believe in, how you behave
(25:38):
mark you as either belonging to God or belonging to Satan.
So there's no tattoo that's necessary. Your words, your belief
system give you away in terms of who you belong to.
Written about this in various places, including the Complete Bible Answer,
Bok Collector's Edition, and The Apocalypse Code. Find out what
the Bible really says about the end times and why
(25:59):
it matters today. Please do remember that we need your support.
If you can support this ministry prayerfully and financially, it
would be deeply appreciated and is much needed. Thanks for
tuning in. Look forward to seeing you right back here
tomorrow with more of the show.
Speaker 1 (26:14):
Thanks for tuning into the Bible answer Man Broadcast. Our website,
equip dot org has an abundance of resources to sharpen
your discernment skills and help you grow in life and truth.
We provide books, videos, and informative articles. You can also
listen to the broadcast, download archived programs, get answers to
(26:35):
pressing Bible questions, or connect with us via social media.
All this and more at equip dot org. Again, the
address is equip dot org. The Bible answer Man Broadcast
is supported by listeners like you. We're on the air
because life and truth matter. Breaking the Code. If the
(27:04):
Book of Revelation has become an international obsession, the result
has been rampant misreading of scripture, bad theology, and even
bad politics and foreign policy. In the Apocalypse Code, find
out what the Bible really says about the end times
and why it matters today. Hank Canagraph argues that The
key to understanding the Last Book of the Bible is
(27:25):
the other sixty five books of the Bible, not current
events or recent history. The Apocalypse Code offers sane answers
to some very controversial questions, such as what does it
mean to take the Book of Revelation literally? Who are
the Antichrist and the Great Horror of Babylon? And what
is the real meaning of six hundred and sixty six
(27:45):
Order The Apocalypse Code by Hank Cantigraph today available in softcover,
MP three, CD or MP three download from equip dot
org or call eight eight eight seven thousand CRI
You're just in time for the best of the Bible
answer Man broadcast with Hank Canagraph, the radio outreach of
the Christian Research Institute. Our purpose here at CROI is
to equip Christians to provide Biblical answers to life's most
important questions, to read the Bible for all it's worth,
and counter the teachings of cults and world religions that
(00:29):
deviate from the plumb line of God's word, because life
and truth matter. For more information, to order resources or donate,
call eight eight eight seven thousand CRII, or go online
to equip dot org. That's equip dot org. The following
program was pre recorded. Now here's the President of the
(00:52):
Christian Research Institute, Hank Canagraph.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
Say very much, Dia. We begin the broadcast today with
just a word about our resource. It is a laminated
four by six flip chart titled maps Memorable Keys to
the Bible's Divine Inspiration. Of course, the contention that the
Bible is merely human as opposed to divine in origin,
(01:17):
the product of contaminated copies, cleverly invented stories, corrupt collaborators
is nothing new. It's been the stock and trade of
bastions of higher learning for centuries, but that's not the
case today. What was once the province of private academia
(01:39):
is now being popularized in the public arena. When reason
prevails over rhetoric, however, a completely different perspective emerges again.
That is precisely why we are making this flip chart
available to you to do with authority. How do you
(02:02):
know that the Bible is a genuine authority? Muslims say
it's not the Bible, it's the Koran. Mormons say it's
not the Bible, it's the Book of Mormon. How do
we know? How can we know? How can we be
absolutely certain that what we have given our lives to
is credible, sustainable, in fact, is objectively true. Again maps
(02:29):
memorable keys to the Bible's divine inspiration. You can master
the proofs for the divine inspiration of the Bible in minutes,
remember them for a lifetime. It's a memorable defense of
the most significant literary work in the history of humanity.
That's a mouthful, but it's absolutely true.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
Again.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
You can order for your gift on the web equip
dot org via the mailbox eighty five hundred Charlotte, North,
Carol line a ZIP code two eight two seven one,
And of course you can pick up the telephone talk
to one of our resource consultants triple eight seven thousand
in the letters CRI A lot of you're hanging on already.
(03:10):
We'll go right to the calls. First up Kim at
North Carolina, Bi, Kim, Hi.
Speaker 4 (03:16):
Henk How you doing good? How are you just fine?
My question is coming from a Deuteronomy chapter fourteen Versus
twenty eight, twenty nine and Deuteronomy twenty six eleven through thirteen.
Now it says that every third year but tide is
supposed to be taken up and giving back to the people.
I guess today would be the people in your congregation.
(03:38):
And my question is why don't we do that?
Speaker 2 (03:41):
Well? I think if you look in the same chapter
of Deuteronomy, you see the reason for the tithe. Moses
communicates there that we tithe so that we may learn
to revere the Lord our God always and learning to
reverence the name of God is a timeless principle. It
(04:02):
is as crucial today as it was in the days
of Moses. Now, how that tithe is used a course
is for the benefit of God's people, but ultimately for
the propagation of God's word. And one of the ways
in which the word is propagated is when people recognize
(04:23):
the reality that the people of God love one another
and the love of Christ constrains them to come. That
was true and the New Testament Church equally true in
the Old Testament context as well. And of course, you know,
if you go on and read the contextualization of tithing,
you find out that long after Moses, Jesus reaffirmed the
(04:49):
practice of tithing not for outward appearances, but as an
outward expression of an inward reality. And that's why fail
to tithe is a prescription for financial ruin. Again, it's
not that the tenth is the issue. The issue is
(05:11):
learning to trust God with all that you have and
then using what you have again for His glory and
for the extension of His kingdom. Want to go back
to the phone lines. Talk to Antonio in Bakersfield, California,
High Endtonio.
Speaker 5 (05:28):
Hey, I'm really I can't even believe I'm proving you
right now. Hi, how are you doing now?
Speaker 2 (05:33):
I'm doing good. It's great to talk to you as well.
Speaker 5 (05:35):
Yeah, man, I just want to call and you know,
me and my father had been listening to you for
gosh thirteen years now. I got saved about fourteen years ago,
and he turned me on to you, and we both
came out of the Word of Faith movement because of
the thing that we were hearing God say through you
on the radio. And you just opened up our eyes
(05:57):
just so much. And I am totally thankful to God
for you. You are amazing and I thank God for
you so so much. So, man, I'm kind to give
you right now. So I'm sorry. The question tak is Melkededek, Yes,
And I kind of wanted to know more information about
who he was. I read a little bit about him
(06:19):
in the Book of Hebrews, and so I kind of
wanted whatever you can give me on him.
Speaker 6 (06:23):
I'll take it.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
Yeah. A couple of things that I would say. One
is I wrote about this extensively in my book Has
God Spoken, But in short, Scripture not only designates Melchizedek
king of Righteousness and King of Peace, but overtly tells
us that he is without mother or father, without genealogy,
(06:45):
without beginning of days or end of life, but that
like the Son of God, he remains a priest forever
because of all of this, I would say that Melchizedek
is a Christophany, which means an appear of Christ. He
didn't trace his descent from Levi, and yet he collected
(07:05):
a tenth from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises.
And without doubt, the lesser person is blessed by the greater.
In one case the tenth is collected by men who die,
but in the other case by him who is declared
to be the living. So in contrast to men who die,
Melchizedek is declared to be the living. All of that
and more reasons that I believe that Milchizedek is a Christophany.
(07:30):
We want to go back to the phone lines. We'll
talk next to Mark. He's listening in Baltimore, Maryland. I, Hank, good, afternoon.
Speaker 6 (07:38):
I have a question regarding the rapture you did mention
one time in one of your broadcasts. I was listening
to that the rapture, the proper interpretation of I think
Theassalonians four seventeen is that if we should take bad
as a metaphor rather than literally, the line that says
(07:59):
we will meet the law in the air. I just
wanted you to elaborate more why should we make the
interpretation as metaphor than bitterly.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
Well, the point here is first and foremost that this
does not have to do with a pre tribulational rapture
at all. It has to do with resurrection. And you
know that by context where Paul says, brothers, we do
not want you to be ignorant about those who fall
asleep or to grieve like the rest of men who
have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again,
(08:32):
and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus
those who have fallen asleep in him. So this is
a great and glorious passage on resurrection, not a pro
tribulational rapture. So my point simply is that nowhere in
this text do you see Jesus Christ coming down, hovering
in mid air, and then having people come up to
(08:53):
meet him, then reversing directions and taking them to heaven
during the tribulation, and then coming back a second time. Rather,
what you have literally here is that the Lord will
descend with a loud command, with the voice of the
archangel and with the trumpet call of God. So far
(09:14):
from a secret coming, this is what happens when Jesus
appears a second time. As far as the language itself
is concerned, what Paul is communicating is not that Jesus
comes down and reverses direction, but we meet him and
we take him back to our village, as it were.
(09:37):
Because this is precisely what you get when you interpret
scripture and light a scripture. It's not as though Heaven
is up there someplace. It is a new heaven and
a new Earth wherein dwells righteousness. And John sees this
on the island of Patmos, when he sees a new
heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and
(09:59):
first Earth had passed away, and there was no longer
any sea. And he saw the Holy City, the Nuturism,
coming down out of heaven from God prepared as a bride,
beautifully dressed for a husband. And then he hears a
loud voice from the throne saying, now the dwelling of
God is with men, and he will live with them.
(10:19):
They will be his people, and God himself will be
with them and be their God. So far from this
being some kind of a platonic reality, this is a
very physical reality. This is this universe transformed it now
groans intravail, and it is awaiting its liberation from bondage
(10:40):
to decay. That's what we hope for, and along with
that we have our physical resurrection. So this is language
that is rooted in reality, and we dare not take
our own mythological stereotypical beliefs and force them on the Bible. Rather,
(11:02):
we should learn to read scripture in light a scripture.
Speaker 6 (11:05):
Very good, Thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (11:07):
You got it.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
Thank you so much for your call. Will be write
back in just a few moments with more answers to
your questions. Don't touch that dial.
Speaker 1 (11:14):
To find out more about the materials mentioned on the show,
call a CRII resource consultant toll free at eight eight
eight seven thousand cri that's eight eight eight seven thousand CRII.
Our website is also an excellent reference destination to help you.
Just go to equip dot org and find articles by Hank, books,
(11:37):
CDs and DVDs. Again, that's equip dot org. Or write
CRII PO Box eighty five hundred, Charlotte, North Carolina, ZIP
two eight two seven one. The Bible answer man will
continue in just a moment, breaking the code. If the
(12:04):
book of Revelation has become an international obsession. The result
has been rampant misreading of scripture, bad theology, and even
bad politics and foreign policy. In the Apocalypse Code, find
out what the Bible really says about the end times
and why it matters today. Hank Canagraph argues that the
key to understanding the Last Book of the Bible is
(12:25):
the other sixty five books of the Bible, not current
events or recent history. The Apocalypse Code offers sane answers
to some very controversial questions, such as what does it
mean to take the Book of Revelation literally? Who are
the Antichrist and the Great Horror of Babylon? And what
is the real meaning of six hundred and sixty six?
(12:45):
Order The Apocalypse Code by Hank Cantigraph today, available in softcover,
MP three, CD or MP three download from equip dot
org or call eight eight eight seven thousand CRII. The
Complete Bible answer Book Collector's Edition is the comprehensive collection
of the most often asked questions Hank Hannigraph has received
(13:08):
throughout his four decades as host of the Bible answer
Man broadcast. With more than half a million copies already
in print, This newly revised and expanded Collector's Edition helped
seekers and skeptics alike sort through the truth on topics
such as reliability of the Bible, religions and cults, the
resurrection and afterlife, and many more issues vital to a
(13:31):
better understanding of God in Christ and our relationship to Him.
To receive your copy of the Complete Bible answer Book
Collector's Edition Revised and Expanded, call eight eight eight seven
thousand CROI and make a gift to support the Christian
Research Institute's life changing outreaches eight eight eight seven thousand
(13:53):
CROI or visit us at equip dot org. Bertrand Russell
famously said most people would rather die than think, and
many of them do not so with CRI Support Team members.
Support Team members are not only serious thinkers, but their
(14:14):
membership and CRI's Support Team helps to equip hundreds of
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Are you not a member, then you're missing out. Not
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(14:39):
make a difference twenty four to seven and equipping believers
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Check out the benefits of membership at equip dot org.
Once again, that's equip dot org. And now here's Hank
(15:08):
can i graft.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
Let's go back to the phone lines. We'll talk next
to Nick listening in Saint Louis, Missouri.
Speaker 7 (15:14):
Hi, Nick, Hey, Hank, I just wanted to thank you
for your ministry. It's a real blessing to hear your
answers to people's questions.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
Thank you.
Speaker 7 (15:22):
My question is I've heard a lot of what you
don't believe about the end times in talking to people
who believe in pre tribulation rapture and who want to
argue with you about this and that. And I'm actually
personally curious as to what you do believe about the
last day. And by that I mean when Jesus does return,
(15:45):
what exactly do you believe that will look like? And
I'm just curious as to your personal view.
Speaker 2 (15:51):
Sure, well, when Jesus Christ returns, it will be a
glorious day in which the souls of those who have
died will return to bodies, and those bodies will rise,
immortal and perishable, incorruptible, and those who are still alive
will be transformed in a moment, in the twinkling of
an eye. So the problem of sin and satan and
(16:13):
suffering will forever be done with the universe itself that
now groans and travail will be liberated from its bondage
to decay. So out of the womb of earth will
be birthed a new heaven and a new Earth, wherein
dwells righteousness. The veil between this world and the next
will no longer be there, and Jesus will appear, and
(16:36):
we will live with a resurrected Christ in a restored universe,
and we will learn and grow without error, as forever
we explore the glory and grace of the One who
saved us, as well as the glory and grandeur of
the creation which he gave to us. And we're stewards
(16:57):
of that creation even now. And therefore what we do
in terms of not only the Great Commission, but the
cultural mandate matters in the present.
Speaker 7 (17:08):
I gotcha. Do you believe in a rapture of any sort?
Speaker 2 (17:13):
No? I do not. I mean the sense of rapture
is a sense in which we go out to meet
the King of Glory and bring him back, as it were,
to this earth. I mean, that's the picture we get.
But that picture's a metaphorical picture that's given to us
(17:33):
because the hope of the believer is that God will
once again walk with Adam and even the cool of
the day. And therefore in the Book of Revelation we
have John saying, now the dwelling of God is with men,
and He will live with them. They will be his people,
and God himself will be with them and be their God.
(17:54):
He'll wipe every tear from their eyes. There'll be no
more death or mourning, or crying or pain. First Thessalonians,
chapter four. This notion of a rapture being caught up
to meet the Lord does not mean that the Lord
suddenly reverses direction and takes us up for seven years
to heaven while the Jews are butchered on earth. No,
(18:15):
it means that we are welcoming him. It's very much
like this picture of people running out of the city
to welcome dignitary and bring that dignitary back into the city.
What happened, for example, when Alexander the Great came and
he was met by the priests and the assembly, and
brought back into the city. That's the kind of picture
(18:38):
that Paul is giving us in First Thessalonians chapter four,
but not the idea of rapture as God taking us
or Jesus taking us from this earth to heaven for
seven years and then being brought back later on after
the second coming of Jesus Christ or during the second
coming of Jesus Christ.
Speaker 7 (18:57):
Okay, well, I appreciate that I've been I'm curious for
a long time what you believe on the subject, because,
like I said, I hear a lot of people call
with questions that if they read the Bible carefully they
honestly shouldn't have. But I never got to actually listen
to you explain what it is that you do believe.
Do I have time for one quick question? Sure, it's unrelated,
(19:19):
but I've actually called in with a question about a
verse a friend of mine was using to support the
Son and the Father being the same person, and I
was curious to what you think about the organization that
is called the Local Church of Witness Lee.
Speaker 2 (19:35):
Well, what I would say is that many people have
misunderstood the theological underpinnings of the local church and thought
that they were a modalistic group, and we certainly were
among those who contributed organizationally to a fountain head of
misinformation in this regard. And as a result of meeting
(20:00):
with people within the local churches, we began to do
a primary research project, which ended up being a very long,
laborious project that took place over a long period of time.
I believe it was six years, if I recall correctly,
And in that process we discovered that we were wrong
about a lot of things, and certainly we were wrong
(20:23):
about the notion that the local church participated in modalism.
As they make clear in their writings and in their confessions,
they believe in one God revealed in three persons who
are eternally distinct. But they make a distinction as well
between the essential Trinity and the economic Trinity, which is
(20:47):
to say, unless you read them carefully, which means that
you have to have an attention span, you find out
very quickly that they have a very clear distinction between
an economic and an essential trinity. If anybody wants it
to find out more about that and answer that question,
we did a journal article is titled we were wrong
in fact it's an entire issue of the journal. I
(21:07):
want to go back to the phone lines. We'll talk
next to Rick in Meridian, Connecticut.
Speaker 6 (21:12):
Hi, Rick, Hey, Hank, how you doing.
Speaker 3 (21:14):
I just want to say that I really appreciate your brother,
I appreciate your ministry and your extensive knowledge of scripture,
and I pray for you from time to time. I
should pray for you more often, and I just wanted
to I was curious, our fallen angels and demons the
(21:35):
same exact thing, and if not, what is the difference,
And where do demons come from? What are they?
Speaker 2 (21:40):
Yeah, No, they are the same thing. Demons are falling angels.
There are people that will tell you otherwise, but that
from a biblical worldview perspective, is precisely the case. God
created angels. They're non corporeal or non physical, but they're
nonetheless real. And we know from Scripture, in terms of
(22:00):
what we can deduce directly and through theological implication or deduction,
that demons are fallen angels. And the relative number, though
not given, is a third that went with Lucifer in
a rebellion against God. And so they are angels, but
(22:22):
angels that are fallen given over to their own desires,
which is they do not want to worship God, and
so God gives them what they want.
Speaker 3 (22:32):
Interesting. Well, thank you very much, brother, and God bless
you and your family.
Speaker 2 (22:36):
Thank you so much. I appreciate those wonderful words. Let's
go right back to the phone lines and we'll talk
next to Sarah in Omaha, Nebraska. Hi, Sarah, good afternoon,
Good afternoon, that you're well.
Speaker 8 (22:49):
I know we're getting towards the end of the broadcast.
I just want to thank you. I have been familiar
with your books and you're teaching for many years. I
was very privileged be able to go to a Bible
College and listen to you very regularly, and I pray
for your ministry. When we can, we will support financially.
But we're in Omaha here, and my question is regarding
(23:13):
the Book of Revelation and the Sign of the Beast.
And I know that it says on their heads was
the mark six sixty six? I haven't. I've tried to
look up the reference here, but I haven't found it yet.
And I know you've spoken about I've heard you. I
believe what my question would be is that a literal
(23:34):
mark is it with the not being able to buy
or sell without the mark. Without being too sensationalist, I
know that there aren't RFIDs radio frequency IDs on credit
cards that you can swipe. I even heard on the radio.
I don't know how true it is, but that they're
going to have things on the palm for children when
(23:55):
they do their lunchline, lunch money creation, you know, little scanners,
and so I'm just curious this technology is in place
for buying and selling, or at least for your credit card.
Could that any way be the mark of the beast.
Speaker 2 (24:10):
Well, the answer is no, and let me tell you why.
That's what I call newspaper eschatology. And there's no biblical
basis for believing that the mark of the beast is
a silicon microchip. And here's why. Biblically, the mark of
the beast is a parody of the mark of the lamb.
And that's because the beast can parody the lamb, but
(24:33):
can't do what the lamb does or did. So, just
as the mark on the foreheads of the one hundred
and forty four thousand that you see in Revelation chapter
fourteen symbolizes identity with the lamb, in the same way
the mark in Revelation thirteen symbolizes identity with the beast.
(24:55):
So when Jesus says, on him who overcomes, I will
write the name of my God and the name of
the city of my God. And I will also write
on him my new name. We don't think that Jesus
is actually using a magic marker or some kind of
a tattoo machine to write symbols on our forehead. So
(25:17):
one is a parody of the other. But furthermore, I
think what this answer is rooted in is scripture. The
forehead in the hands are Old Testament symbols of a
person's beliefs and behavior. You see that in passages like
Exodus thirteen and Deuteronomy chapter six and Ezekiel chapter nine.
In other words, what you believe in, how you behave
(25:38):
mark you as either belonging to God or belonging to Satan.
So there's no tattoo that's necessary. Your words, your belief
system give you away in terms of who you belong to.
Written about this in various places, including the Complete Bible Answer,
Bok Collector's Edition, and The Apocalypse Code. Find out what
the Bible really says about the end times and why
(25:59):
it matters today. Please do remember that we need your support.
If you can support this ministry prayerfully and financially, it
would be deeply appreciated and is much needed. Thanks for
tuning in. Look forward to seeing you right back here
tomorrow with more of the show.
Speaker 1 (26:14):
Thanks for tuning into the Bible answer Man Broadcast. Our website,
equip dot org has an abundance of resources to sharpen
your discernment skills and help you grow in life and truth.
We provide books, videos, and informative articles. You can also
listen to the broadcast, download archived programs, get answers to
(26:35):
pressing Bible questions, or connect with us via social media.
All this and more at equip dot org. Again, the
address is equip dot org. The Bible answer Man Broadcast
is supported by listeners like you. We're on the air
because life and truth matter. Breaking the Code. If the
(27:04):
Book of Revelation has become an international obsession, the result
has been rampant misreading of scripture, bad theology, and even
bad politics and foreign policy. In the Apocalypse Code, find
out what the Bible really says about the end times
and why it matters today. Hank Canagraph argues that The
key to understanding the Last Book of the Bible is
(27:25):
the other sixty five books of the Bible, not current
events or recent history. The Apocalypse Code offers sane answers
to some very controversial questions, such as what does it
mean to take the Book of Revelation literally? Who are
the Antichrist and the Great Horror of Babylon? And what
is the real meaning of six hundred and sixty six
(27:45):
Order The Apocalypse Code by Hank Cantigraph today available in softcover,
MP three, CD or MP three download from equip dot
org or call eight eight eight seven thousand CRI
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