Search the Scriptures Daily Program #1902c:

Gary :

This is Search the Scriptures Daily, a radio ministry of The Berean Call.  Still ahead, answers to your questions in Contending for the Faith.  And in Understanding the Scriptures, Dave and Tom will resume their conversation on God’s salvation.  In addition to this radio program we publish a monthly newsletter, which we make available free of charge.  We also produce and distribute a variety of teaching materials including books, video and audio tapes and other items to encourage the serious study of God’s Word.  This week a special offer for new subscribers to our free newsletter.   A free copy of our new video “Should Christians be concerned about Harry Potter?”   Just mention Search the Scriptures Daily when you call or write.   For a complete list of materials or to get a copy of today’s broadcast, contact us at PO Box 7019 , Bend , Oregon 97708 .  Call us at 800-937-6638, or visit our website at www.thebereancall.org , ask for Program #0522, and be sure to mention the call letters of this station.  We will repeat this information at the end of the program.   Now:

            RELIGION IN THE NEWS

A report and comment on religious trends and events being covered by the media.  This week’s item is from Christian News, March 4, 2002 , with a headline: “Orthodox Jews protest against Israel .”   An estimated 20,000 Orthodox Jews demonstrated on Tuesday, February 12 ^th to voice their opposition to the existence of the state of Israel and its suppression of religion and brutal treatment of religious people.   The demonstration in front of the Israeli consulate in New York City was organized by the Central Rabbinical Congress of USA and Canada .   Some of the signs say: “Rabbinical Leaders fought Zionism since it’s inception,”   “Israel does not represent world Jewry,” “Zionism stole the name of Jews,” “Zionism has no right to rule over any part of the Holy Land,” “Authentic Rabbis always oppose Zionism and the State of Israel.”  

            Tom:

Dave, this is a stunner to me.   I mean we are talking 20,000—this is not liberal or reformed Jews.   These are Orthodox Jews.   Where are—what—just like the article last month, where are their heads in this?   What’s going on here?  

            Dave:

Well it says the state of Israel is suppressing religion and brutal treatment of religious people.   I don’t know what religion that is.   Did they make it up?

            Tom:

Well why would Orthodox Jews complain if they are referring to—you are not allowed to go in and proselytize Jews, or maybe there’s some rules and regulations—

            Dave:

No, that’s not—they think the state of Israel is suppressing orthodoxy over there.   However, Tom, this is a stunner.   What religion is this that they follow?   Where did they get the authority for this religion?   Who invented it?   The religion if it were biblical—they say authentic rabbis—always oppose Zionism in the state of Israel .   Well go back and read the Bible.   Go back and read what their own prophets have said.   Didn’t this thing start with Abraham?   Wasn’t he given the land of Israel by God?   Didn’t God promise it to his descendants Isaac and Jacob and their descendants?   That is to Israel ?   There are hundreds of promises in the Old Testament that God would well, cast them out of their land, discipline them for their sin, they would be scattered all over the world, they would be hated and persecuted like no other people, but God would preserve them in the last days he would bring them back into their land, an identifiable ethnic people.   The authentic Jews and there he would make Jerusalem a cup of trembling (we have a book by that title) and a burdensome stone around the necks of all the nations of the world.   If that isn’t true today, I don’t know what is.   Jesus said the Jews would be trodden down of the Gentiles.   Hosea said they would be without a temple, without sacrifices and so forth for many, many years which has happened.   That he would make the princes of Judah like fire that would devour the nations around them and again that was fulfilled.   I mean you could not have imagined that this tiny nation could stand up against—they were outnumbered 40 to 1 by Arabs surrounding them who have sworn to exterminate them.   Well what are these people dreaming of?

            Tom:

That’s the point.   We know that [in] Islam, it’s their stated goal to eradicate Israel .   To eradicate the Jews.   Aren’t these orthodox rabbis Jews?   Again, where is their head in this?

            Dave:

There is not an Arab map in the world that shows the existence of Israel .   They have stated over and over and over that they will annihilate them, exterminate the Jews.   This is their purpose.   In fact, Muhammad said the last day will not come until the Muslims confront the Jews and the Muslims destroy them.   Even the rocks and stones will cry out, “Muslim, there is a Jew hiding behind me, come and kill him!”   This is what’s happening in the Middle East .   Israel is willing to give their Palestinian state, let them have it if you will only promise that you will not attack us; if you will simply acknowledge our right to exist and the PLO will not acknowledge it.   No Arab nation will acknowledge Israel ’s right to exist.   They have sworn exterminate them and now it sounds like these Jews want to do the same thing.   Well they wouldn’t exterminate them.   To whom does this land belong?   God said it is—well, let’s go to Leviticus:25:23The land shall not be sold for ever: for the land is mine; for ye are strangers and sojourners with me. God says, “The land shall not be sold for ever: for the land is mine….”   The problem with these orthodox rabbis and these religious Jews, these orthodox Jews, they do not know God’s Word.   They’ve made up their own religion; they’ve got their own ideas.   But they’re right in line with the Vatican .   Remember Pope Pius XII wrote a letter June 22 ^nd , 1943 , to President Roosevelt in which he said there is no president in history for a nation that has been cast out of their land for 1900 years to be allowed back in.   If a homeland is desirable for the Jews, some place better than Palestine would be preferable because if you allow them back in there it will cause great troubles for the world.   You remember that Theodore Herzl in his diary in 1904 said he asked Pope Pius X for help to get the Jews back there.   Pope Pius X said we cannot prevent the Jews from going there; we could never condone it.   Pietro Gasparri, Secretary of State of the Vatican , a cardinal in 1919 said the thing that frightens us the most is the thought of the Jews returning to Palestine .   They were utterly opposed to hundreds of promises that God has made in his word that he would bring his people back.   Tom, it’s staggering.   These people call themselves orthodox Jews?  

            Tom:

Dave, last month in our newsletter, we had a Q & A referring to a man named Norman G. Finklestein and he was anti-Zionist to the point of being a PR guy for the Palestine Liberation Organization.   Unbelievable!

            Dave:

Tom, the more I study it [and] I’ve studied it a great deal, it is a miracle that Israel even exists.   The whole world is against them.   The United Nations is against them.   They have been condemned 370 times by the United Nations and never have the terrorists or those who have attacked Israel been condemned once.   That Israel exists is a miracle of God and that 20,000 orthodox Jews would demonstrate against Israel ’s existence makes it all the more remarkable.   The existence of Israel is one of the greatest evidences of the existence of God and that the Bible is his Word.   We also have people who call themselves evangelical Christians who don’t like the existence of Israel either.   They say Israel is finished; the church is the new Israel and so forth.   This is a very important topic Tom; I wish we had more time for it.      

            Gary :

You are listening to Search the Scriptures Daily, a radio ministry of The Berean Call.  Still to come, Dave and Tom continue their weekly in-depth study of the doctrine of salvation.  Please stay with us.   Now:

            CONTENDING FOR THE FAITH

In this regular feature Dave and Tom respond to questions from listeners and readers of The Berean Call.  Here is this week’s question:   Dear Mr. Hunt and Mr. McMahon, for the last month I’ve been talking to two Jehovah’s Witnesses in order to witness to them.   However, I think I’ve gotten in a bit over my head.   Do you have any suggestions that might help me to be more effective in dealing with them?   Also, a friend told me that the scriptures say I am not to invite them in my house.   Is that true?  

            Tom:

Dave, you’ve had a lot of experiences with Jehovah’s Witnesses coming to your door.   I’ve had a bit myself.   What do you recommend?  

            Dave:

Well Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t come to our door anymore.   You recognize them instantly.   My approach—my wife’s is a different one; she thinks that I’m a little rough on them.   But I mean, I am just straight forward.   I say “You’re Jehovah’s Witnesses, well so am I.   Only I am a true witness for Jehovah and you are false witnesses for Jehovah.”   You have to get their attention and control of the conversation.   And they get a little bit shocked and I say, “Well look, let me have your New World translation and we go right to it.   I John 5 and it says—well you want to call God Jehovah, well let’s put that in there then.   “If we receive the witness of men, the witness of Jehovah (I think that’s verse 10[actually it is verse 9]) is greater.”   Well, “this is the witness of Jehovah and that he has witness concerning his Son.   He who has the Son of Jehovah has life.   He who has not the Son of Jehovah has not life.”   And then John 5:13 says, “These things have I written unto you who believe in the name of the Son of Jehovah, that you may know that you have eternal life.”   So I say this is the witness of Jehovah that we receive eternal life as a free gift by receiving Christ.   The life is in the Son of Jehovah and if you have him you receive him, you have eternal life.”   And then I say, “Do you have this eternal life?   You are Jehovah’s Witnesses, have you received the witness of Jehovah?   And do you have this eternal life by having received his Son?”   JW: “Well now, you can’t really know that.”   I say, “Yes I know, you teach that you have to pass a final test after Armageddon even.   But this is what it says—that you may know (present knowledge), that you have (present possession), eternal life.   Do you have eternal life?   I would sure like you to have it.”   And if they are really a sharp Jehovah’s Witness, they will say, “Well you understand that was written for the 144,000.   I haven’t yet met one of the 144,000.  

            Tom:

They are all out of spaces aren’t they?  

            Dave:

Yes, I don’t know, I’ve never met one.   Maybe.   But anyway I say now wait a minute, where do you get that idea?   Well, it would have to be for the 144,000, they are the ones that have this guarantee.   Now wait a minute, let’s go back and read it again.   It says, “These things have I written unto you that believe in the name of Jehovah that you may know.”   So it tells you to whom it was written and it is written to those who believe in the name of Jehovah.   So I say, indeed it isn’t written to you because you do not believe in the name of the Son of Jehovah.   What is his name?   Isaiah:9:6For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace., “Wonderful, counselor, the mighty God…” and they will try and say well that is mighty God, not almighty God.   Wait a minute, how many Gods are there?   This is a mighty God, but you’ve got an almighty God who’s over him?   There is only one God, even you believe that.   But I can give you 37 verses in the Old Testament where Jehovah is called the mighty God.   But wait a minute, let’s go on.   “…The mighty God, the everlasting Father.   Wow!   So the babe born in Bethlehem is not only the Son of God, he is the Father as well and when Jesus said I and my Father are one, he was right in line with the Old Testament prophecies and you can only explain that by the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.   Three persons, one God and this is absolutely essential.   But without getting into that, I want you to have this eternal life.   Now if you will believe who Jesus really is, remember in John 8, we just went by it—

            Tom:

More slowly.

            Dave:

Yes, but Jesus said, “Except you believe that I am and the “he” is in italics.   That’s the name of Yahweh, Jehovah who introduced himself to Moses at the burning bush in Exodus 3.   Jesus is saying I AM Yahweh, I AM God, and if you do not believe that you are lost in your sins and where I go, (that’s heaven) you will never come.   And I am sorry if you don’t believe—and you don’t believe that Jesus is God, yet you say he is the Savior?   Well you are trusting someone less than God to save you.   But all through the Old Testament Jehovah says he’s the only Savior.  

            Tom:

Dave you know in these days of sort of ecumenical song and dance, whether it be Mormons that come to your door; whether they are Jehovah’s Witnesses, there is an approach that wants to mix lots of things together.   Because they don’t know where you are coming from when they come to your door.   And I would like to talk about Jesus and find out—they say well I love Jesus and they will tell me immediately they love Jesus as well and we can spend maybe two to three minutes just sharing how we all love Jesus.   But then I ask the question, “I thought that it’s only the 144,000 who will ever see Jesus or who spend time with Jesus in eternity.   And they agree to that and then I ask, “Well are you one of the 144,000?”   I say then it is a sad thing that you don’t and cannot and will not spend eternity with him.”

            Dave:

It is important to know Jesus.   Jesus said in John:17:3And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent., “This is life eternal.   That they might know thee, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.”   And he will say, “Depart from me I never knew you.”   I’ve often used the illustration Tom, let’s say that you ask for a picture of my wife and I pull out of my wallet a picture of Marilyn Monroe.   You say, “Is that your wife?   That’s just a dead actress.”   “Well I mean it’s a woman.   What does that matter; you know it’s a female?”   No Jesus is a real person.   You don’t just throw his name around and oh, I love Jesus.   Yes, but who is he?   Do you know him?   Does he know you?   That’s the issue that we have to decide and you just can’t compromise on who he is because then you don’t really know the real Jesus.