Did Jesus ever say that he’s not God? Are there any scriptures in the Bible that don’t belong there? To become a Christian, do you have to believe in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ? This is Hope for Today with Bible teacher and author David Hawking. On today’s special question and answer broadcast, we’re going back into our archive of listener questions and David’s answers that we’ve tackled over the last couple of decades. Stay right there. Some of David’s answers just might surprise you. And just before that, if you’d like prayer for a situation in your life, some pressing problem that you’re facing, well, you can reach out to us. Call us at 800-75-BIBLE. We’d love to speak with you. In Canada, call us at 888-75-BIBLE. And Bible by the numbers is 24253. And if you’d like to get in touch with us some other way, by mail perhaps, we’ll tell you just a bit later how to do that. All right, let’s get things started. David?
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, welcome, friends, to another question-answer program. Jim, it’s great to see you. We’re back at it again.
SPEAKER 02 :
We’re at it again. Hey, you know, what’s interesting about this set of questions, David, there’s no particular theme here. It’s kind of like an open mic. We’re going to catch up on some of the topics that we don’t get to all the time here. So, David, the first question here, in Matthew 19, 17, did not Jesus imply that he is not God?
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, some people who read it too quickly and don’t think it through might argue that. Let me refer to the question of the rich young ruler. He said, good master, good teacher, what good thing do I do that I may inherit eternal life or I have eternal life? Well, what Jesus said to him was, well, why do you call me good? There’s none good but one, that’s God. Either I’m God or I’m not good. And therefore, why in the world would you ask me that question? Oh, I think it’s a tremendous testimony to the fact that Jesus is claiming to be God. And that’s not the only reference.
SPEAKER 02 :
David, and I understand why this listener asked this question, because many Bibles put a qualification on this next text that we’re going to look at here. The question is, does Mark 16, 14 through 20 belong in the Bible?
SPEAKER 03 :
You know, the question even assumes that there’s some sort of aristocracy or group of scholars who determine what’s in the Bible or not. There is some truth to that. As we look at Bible translation and various manuscripts throughout history, somebody has to do it. And it is a matter of manuscript evidence. And Mark 16, from verse 14 to the end, is one of those passages that has, I’d say, variant readings. The King James translators prayed earnestly over all these things. As a matter of fact, if they didn’t have total agreement among them, they threw it out. So there was very stringent requirements, and they put it in. I have in my library books that deal with what we call the Textus Receptus. That’s simply Latin for the received text, meaning the one the churches throughout history were using. And in that Textus Receptus, Mark is in that text, Mark 16, 14 to 20. Now, it is true that in some of the manuscripts discovered at the end of the 19th century, like Codex Sinaiticus, Codex Vaticanus, Codex Alexandrinus, that these, in fact, leave it out. But I don’t have much confidence in any of those. Two men, British men named Westcott and Hort— came up with the brilliant idea that the King James translation of Textus Receptus needed to be altered due to these new manuscript pieces they had. You know, it’s amazing to me what people know or they don’t know about it. Codex Vaticanus ends at Hebrews 9.14. There’s nothing the rest of the way. It makes about 76,000 changes in the Gospels alone from Texas Receptus. Codex Sinaiticus, interestingly, only half of the New Testament leaves are there. And in the text, they have the Epistle of Barnabas and the Shepherd of Hermes. And by the way, in Codex Vaticanus, all 14 Jewish apocryphal books are not a separate section like Jerome’s Latin Vulgate had, but were actually in the text, throughout the text. No, I’m going to stick with the King James. I’m going to stick with Textus Receptus. Mark 16 belongs in the Bible. The last verse is verses 14 to 20. There you go.
SPEAKER 02 :
David’s next question, I think I can almost answer this one myself. It says, are there any verses in the Old Testament that show the Messiah is God? But if I was going to answer that, I would use a booklet that you have, which is very good.
SPEAKER 03 :
Who is the Messiah?
SPEAKER 02 :
Yeah, it’s a wonderful booklet, yeah.
SPEAKER 03 :
We have a lot of questions that come from time to time, as you know, Jim, on this subject. Interestingly, people from other religious groups who listen to our broadcast often ask the question, They’re not just Jewish people. We have those of the Muslim belief, Sikhs, Buddhists. People might be surprised at who’s listening. Some of our tapes and materials, by the way, are filtering out through the Internet. I’m told over 152 countries have people in them that listen to us. That’s amazing. We don’t often keep track of all that. Anyway, let’s get to the point at hand. One of the great Messianic texts, if I can put it that way, is Isaiah, where we have in chapter 9, verse 6 and 7, some very specific arguments about the Messiah. In fact, in Jewish literature, there isn’t any doubt. Jewish commentators and writers before the time of Jesus said, actually said this is a Messianic passage. There was no doubt about it. There was no controversy about it. We read in Isaiah 9, 6, “‘For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given.'” That’s what we had last month over and over again from various pastors and churches teaching these wonderful verses. “‘The government shall be upon his shoulder.'” and his name will be called Wonderful Counselor, and here it comes, the Mighty God. Now, in Hebrew, that’s El, the singular form of Elohim, El, God. Gabor is the warrior. We translate it, the Mighty God, the God who is the warrior. And so, without a doubt, We have many, many passages, especially in the last 27 chapters of Isaiah. They all deal with the servant of the Lord, sometimes refers to Israel, sometimes it refers to the Messiah. And when it does refer to the Messiah, we have statements about him being God. In fact, in Isaiah 44, verse 6, it says, Thus saith the Lord, the King of Israel. Well, who’s that? Well, it’s probably the Father. The Lord is a tetragrammaton, four letters. If you try to pronounce it, probably Yahweh is the closest. And then it says, “…and his Redeemer.” Now, everybody knows, from Jewish commentators to Christian ones, that the Redeemer is the Messiah. He’s called the Lord of hosts, the Lord of armies. The Father doesn’t come with armies at Armageddon. The Messiah does. Now, he’s called the Lord of hosts. People say, well, there are two words for Lord in Hebrew. You have the Yahweh Tetragrammaton, the sacred name of God, but you have also Adonai, meaning an earthly Lord. Well, nice try, but here in this verse, we got two Yahwehs. The Messiah, the Redeemer, is called the Yahweh of armies. Also, it ends by saying, I’m the first, I’m the last. These are quoted in Revelation of our Messiah. And listen to this. Beside me, there is no God. Wow. The end of verse 8, is there a God beside me? Yea, there is no God. I know not any. Look, this is just a sampling, folks. There’s a lot in the Old Testament, the Jewish Bible, about the Messianic prophecies and statements about the Messiah that prove He indeed is God.
SPEAKER 02 :
Amen. That booklet is Who is the Messiah? And it’s available from Hope for Today, an excellent study and a great thing to have on hand. David, the next question, did Paul go against the will of God in Acts chapter 21, verses 10 through 14?
SPEAKER 03 :
That’s a common belief. And I appreciate all those who argue that, but I think they’re wrong. The issue in Acts 21 involves a prophet named Agabus, who’s mentioned in verse 10. He took Paul’s belt, a girdle around him, around his robe, and he bound his own hands and feet and then said, this is what the Holy Spirit says that the Jews are going to do to the man who owns this. They’re going to deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles. Now, why do people believe that Paul was going against the will of God? Because that’s what happened. When he went to Jerusalem, he was arrested. He was put into the hands of Gentiles. That’s what eventually led him to Rome. Now, when they heard these things, both we and they of that place besought him, Paul, not to go up to Jerusalem. Well, you heard the prophecy, don’t go. Paul said, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? For I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. And when he would not be persuaded, they stopped and said, The will of the Lord be done. The will of the Lord was done. It was in the plan of God from the beginning that he would eventually go to Rome and give the gospel in front of of the kings themselves. So God was fulfilling his word. Jim, life is like that in the Christian world. There are many people who say, you know, the Lord showed me that you should not be going to such and such a place. Because if you do, you’re going to suffer. Yeah, right.
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, so be it. So we suffer. Yeah. So it is within God’s will that we suffer. Yeah. Right. David, the next question, when a person becomes a Christian, do they have to believe in the resurrection as well as the death of Jesus? And is there any proof of that in the Bible?
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, of course, there’s a great deal of proof about that all the way through the Gospels, the epistles of Paul. Even when he listed what is the true gospel in 1 Corinthians 15, it involves the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord. Romans 10 would be a good passage if you’re struggling with this. By the way, there was more that the person wrote about. Apparently, there was questioning as to whether there was a literal bodily resurrection from the dead, and a false cult had come along and told him that no, it was kind of a spiritual apparition and so forth. Well, Romans 10 makes it clear, verse 9, that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, or because it’s an apposition in the grammar, it would be Jesus as Lord, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. So, yes, my friends, you must believe what the Bible teaches about the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. By the way, that is not a hard issue to prove the arguments. I don’t know if you’ve ever heard anybody teach on why I believe in the resurrection. We have. We have a tape on it. And it goes over all the facts that are in the Bible. And it’s one of the most carefully documented truths of all of history. And a lot of people don’t know that. They think we’re just making it up. But there’s plenty of evidence.
SPEAKER 02 :
Amen. There is indeed. And David, boy, here’s a question that has some contemporary application. Where does the Bible say that it is wrong to divide the land of Israel? Well…
SPEAKER 03 :
We have a lot of strange stuff circulating in the world today and on the web. The delegitimizing of Israel and its right to the land is an incredible problem. But let me answer this question specifically. First in Joel. Chapter 3, verse 2, it says, I will gather all nations and bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat, will plead with them there for my people, for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations and parted or divided my land. So there’s the first indication it’s a bad deal to do that. And then Daniel, which speaks of the coming Antichrist as a king who will do according to his own will, starting with verse 36 of chapter 11, says, When you come down to verse 39, it says, Thus shall he do in the most strongholds with the strange God, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory. He shall cause him to rule over many and shall divide the land for gain. So those would be two of the passages. Also, to properly answer this question, you need to study the issue of the land in the Bible. It is overwhelming. It is not a minor subject. It is a huge one. It starts with Genesis 12, the promise of a land that I’ll show you, I’ll give to you and your descendants forever. That was repeated to Isaac as well as Jacob, and also was repeated at the time of King David in Psalm 105, verses 8 to 11. But this land issue is huge today. The European Union is putting on an incredible amount of pressure. South American countries that don’t know the first thing about it, biblically or historically, are all saying they support this. dividing the land and having a Palestinian state. By the way, the Palestinian state has already stated itself that it will not allow any Jews to live in there. So we know one thing. It’s another Muslim country they are trying to formulate right within Israel so they can ultimately destroy and annihilate the Jewish people, which is their goal. I’m sorry, folks. It’s about time somebody shot straight with us and told us the truth.
SPEAKER 02 :
I think people are surprised to learn that the land that Israel has now is a fraction of what God promised them. And they’re surprised to learn just how small that country is. Oh, yes.
SPEAKER 03 :
If they do divide it like they’re talking, that means Israel along the Mediterranean will have about nine miles wide. Yeah, nine miles wide.
SPEAKER 02 :
David, here’s a question, and you’re not going to find the answer, folks, on the History Channel on this one. Did Jesus have brothers and sisters?
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, in honor of our Catholic friends, they have been raised to believe that they are relatives, not direct blood relatives, but like cousins. The passage is in Mark 6 and verse 3. It says, Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James and Josie and of Judah and Simeon, and are not his sisters here with us? Folks, I’ve done a lot of study on it, and there are others who have too. Catholic attempts to eliminate this because they want to maintain the perpetual virginity of the mother of Jesus. But Miriam had sex with Joseph after the birth of Jesus, and they did have at least four brothers of Jesus and two or more sisters of Jesus. So, yes, there were brothers and sisters of our Lord. By the way, James, the book of James, is the brother of our Lord. And it’s also my name. How’s that? Yeah.
SPEAKER 02 :
David, next question here says, does Daniel 11.38 teach that the Antichrist will be Jewish?
SPEAKER 03 :
Another very, very common view, Jim, that people have. They think that’s why Israel will be deceived, because this political leader that arises out of the nations of the world will deceive them. But, folks, if he arises out of the nations, the word nations is goyim. It’s the word Gentiles. When it says in verse 38 of Daniel 11, in his estate shall he honor the God of forces, a God whom his fathers knew not shall he honor. Too many people read Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob there. That isn’t what it says. It says his fathers obviously were different than he was. No, I don’t believe he’s a Jew. I believe he’s a Gentile. I believe Revelation clearly teaches that. Be careful, folks. It’s a part of the anti-Jewish, anti-Zionist argument.
SPEAKER 02 :
David, back to the book of Daniel on this next one. What is the meaning of Daniel chapter 12, verses 10 through 13? Why is it a blessing to wait for 1,335 days?
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, I might ask, why in the world do you keep asking these pointed questions about passages very few people want to answer? Really? Well, we thank God for every one of you. You sometimes nail it. Let me read the verses, Daniel 12, 10 to 13. Many shall be purified and made white and tried or tested, but the wicked shall do wickedly, and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand. And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.” Now, Revelation chapter 11 tells us there are two parts to the Revelation picture of the tribulation. There are 42 months in each section, three and a half years, but they’re prophetic years of 360 days. That’s why it’s 1260. So right away, we have 30 more days right there. Then verse 12 says, “‘Blessed is he that waiteth and cometh to the 1,305 and 30 days.'” Wow, that’s 75 days more than the end of the tribulation. Well, a lot of things will happen there. One is the judgment of the nations, and that’s going to take some time. The sheep and goat nations of Matthew chapter 25. We also know that the statement, “‘Blessed is he who waits and comes,’ is a statement dealing with the resurrection, which was indicated at the beginning of the chapter, that many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt. What I think it’s talking about is because of all the tribulation martyrs and all the Old Testament saints, they’re going to be resurrected at the end of the tribulation. And they’ll go into the millennium in glorified bodies, for which we praise the Lord. Amen. But anyway, God bless you all for asking.
SPEAKER 02 :
Amen. Amen. This is Hope for Today with Bible teacher and author David Hawking. Tomorrow we’re going back to the very start of it all with David’s series covering Genesis chapters 1 through 11. It takes us from creation all the way past the flood to the early days of civilization after the flood. And we hope you can be with us. And just before we wrap up things today, Matt and I want to tell you about a really great home Bible study resource. And Matt, take it away.
SPEAKER 01 :
Why did God choose to destroy the first civilization except Noah and his family in this global catastrophe of the Genesis flood?
SPEAKER 02 :
Find the answer inside David Hawking’s engaging study of Genesis 1-11 titled, The Beginning, From Creation to the Flood.
SPEAKER 01 :
Why can we have confidence in the biblical teaching of divine authorship in creation versus the popular notions of evolution? Again, answers inside the beginning from creation to the flood by David Hawking. How about lessons from creation that will build our faith and encourage our walk with the Lord today? You’ll find them with supporting scriptures inside this book.
SPEAKER 02 :
Matt, our culture is incredibly, incredibly confused regarding values.
SPEAKER 01 :
ethics, and the meaning and purpose of life. And one reason is our failure to understand the origin of human life. And David tackles this concern inside The Beginning, From Creation to the Flood. There’s so much inside this 156-page work by my dad. The chapters cover the creation week, Garden of Eden, and the fall of mankind. And that’s an outstanding study that gives understanding to the temptations we face today. Sex, marriage, and human relationships, human depravity, and divine judgment, and more. Matt, we cannot overstate the importance of Genesis 1 through 11. And our feature book for May, The Beginning from Creation to the Flood, takes you on a dramatic journey through it. And the cost is $15. And friend, your purchase or donation will help the Ministry of Hope for today.
SPEAKER 02 :
And please pray for hope for today. To get your copy, call 875-BIBLE in the U.S. or 888-75-BIBLE in Canada, and Bible by the numbers 24253. Or visit us online at DavidHawking.org. And for more on today’s topics or other Bible questions that you might have, well, visit the Media Center at DavidHawking.org. Listen, when you go there, you’re going to find on-demand video studies from David’s Bible teaching ministry. And if today’s broadcast has stirred your heart, maybe raised some questions or left you wanting to go further, you can at the Media Center at davidhawking.org. Listen, the Media Center is a great way to keep taking in solid scripture-rich teaching on your own schedule. You can go back over truths you want to hear again, dig deeper into the Word of God beyond what you’ve heard today. And while you’re on the website, be sure to browse through our catalog of resources. You’re going to find books, booklets, audio teaching, and other materials designed to help you grow in your knowledge of the Lord. It’ll strengthen your understanding of scriptures and keep God’s truth in front of you throughout the week. Again, more on today’s topics or other Bible questions you might have, visit the Media Center at DavidHawking.org. Just click on the Media tab. And just before we go, would you prayerfully consider, prayerfully consider standing with Hope for Today financially? Whether it’s a one-time gift or regular support, your partnership helps keep this broadcast on the air and online. If I could speak plainly just for a moment, you know, ministries like this do not continue by accident. There are real costs involved in keeping Hope for Today on the air, in producing and distributing strong Bible teaching, and in making these resources available to people who need them. A one-time gift helps right now, and faithful regular support helps give this ministry stability as we look ahead. To send a donation by mail, write to Hope for Today, Box 3927, Tustin, California, 92781. In Canada, write to Hope for Today, Box 15011, RPO, Seven Oaks, Abbotsford, B.C., V2S 8P1. Or call us at 875-BIBLE in the U.S., 888-75-BIBLE in Canada. Contact us online at davidhawking.org. Well, again, tomorrow we’re going back to the book of Genesis, starting a series in chapters 1 through 11. And I hope you’ll join us then, right here on Hope for Today.
