Messianic Perspectives

Liz Aiello: Shalom and welcome to Messianic Perspectives, a daily program where we look into the scriptures from a distinctive first-century Jewish point of view. This is Liz Aiello. One of the longest-running television series of all time was Star Trek, created by producer Gene Roddenberry in the 1960s.

It made William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy famous. Then there was Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Voyager, and Deep Space Nine. But did you know the Bible talks about a spectacular series of star treks that began many thousands of years ago? And now, to tell us more about it, here is our Bible teacher, Dr. Gary Hedrick.

Dr. Gary Hedrick: Thank you and welcome back to our studios here in San Antonio, Texas. It's good to have you with us today, listening friend, as we continue these studies on biblical journeys through outer space. You know, some people look upon the Bible as a dry, dusty, antiquated book. They think it's out of date and behind the times. But Star Trek and Star Wars, now there's state-of-the-art technology. There's real excitement. But let me tell you something, my friend: anyone who says that simply doesn't know very much about the Bible.

I can't think of any area of technological achievement where science fiction outstrips the Bible, even in the area of space travel. Listen: thousands of years before anyone had ever heard of Star Trek or Star Wars, the Bible had already told about intergalactic journeys by human beings—excursions into outer space. Two of the most notable space travelers in the Bible were Enoch and Elijah, both of whom made the journey from planet Earth to heaven.

So science fiction can't hold a candle to the Bible. Listen: there is nothing that man can do or even imagine himself doing that God can't do better. So why do we let the world get the upper hand with all of this flashy Star Wars technology and industrial light and magic and Star Trek, making it look like they're the ones who came up with this stuff? Listen: God was the first one to make space travel available to human beings.

Let me tell you something: a lot of science fiction today is nothing more than New Age propaganda. Take Star Trek, for example. Star Trek: The Next Generation is set in the 24th century, 300 years from now. And look how the Star Trek producers portray life in the 24th century. For one thing, there's no money or assets. You don't accumulate wealth because you don't need it.

Everything is provided for you by the government. And it's not a national government, by the way—it's a global government. Do you see the New Age slant? It's propaganda. It's a tool for the promotion of a social and economic agenda. On questions of morality and sexuality, it's the New Age agenda as they've explored gender and sexual identity issues on various programs. On questions of religion, it's the New Age agenda where there's no room for biblical absolutes.

On questions of politics and economics, it's the New Age agenda. Do you know what they're really big on, especially in the Next Generation Star Trek? Evolution. As they travel through the cosmos, meeting up with different species and life forms, they'll say, "This life form is not as highly evolved as we are," or in some cases, "They're more highly evolved than we are." So they take for granted this evolutionary scale of development.

So again, it's this New Age agenda, this politically correct agenda. So hopefully we can take some of the wind out of their sails with a little education just so you'll know what's going on. Now, when we finished up last time, we were looking at the record in Genesis where we find that after the six generations of death, Enoch, the seventh generation, is raptured into heaven before the judgment of God falls upon a wicked world.

Enoch becomes the first clear type of the rapture of the church of Jesus Christ. Because Jesus plainly stated that the events that occurred before the flood were a picture of His coming again. He said in Luke 17:26, "And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of Man." So then as we study the account of the book of Genesis concerning those days before the flood, we can apply the very same description to the days in which we are living today.

And the characterization of the pre-flood era can be summarized in just one word: ungodly. They were determined to eliminate God from every area of their lives. Ungodly: living without God, living in rebellion against God's laws and God's authority. Here's what Jude said in verse 14: "Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, 'Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of His saints.'"

To do what? To execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him. Ungodly: that's the biblical characterization of the age before the flood. And by the way, that word doesn't necessarily indicate gross wickedness, but rather living without regard for the things of God.

A person may be moral, he may be ethical, he may be refined, cultured, law-abiding, and honest, and yet be ungodly. And no other word can more accurately describe our civilization at the end of the 20th century on the threshold of the 21st century. This is an ungodly age, where scientists are determined to leave God out of science, where educators want to leave Him out of education, where politicians want to leave Him out of affairs of state, and where New Age social engineers want to leave Him out of our society.

He is even excluded from His own creation—the work of His own hands—and blind evolutionary forces are given the credit which belongs to God. Truly it may be said in this day of technological miracles and scientific achievement that God is not in all their thoughts. Few indeed by comparison are the wise men of this age who recognize the hand of God in creation and believe the Bible to be the word of God.

Leaders in the field of religion and even some evangelical Christians are openly suggesting that we abandon the old-time faith in the literal record of Genesis and bring the Bible up to date so it harmonizes with this scientific age. Do you know what the big debate is today on many evangelical Christian college campuses? This is going to shock many of you, especially if you haven't been keeping up with what's going on.

Back in the 1970s and the 1980s, the debate was over the inerrancy and infallibility of the Bible and the first chapters of Genesis and the creation and so on. But today, the big debate on many Christian college campuses is over whether or not to recognize homosexuality as a legitimate sexual orientation for students and, in some cases, for faculty. Do you know what this proves? It proves that bad doctrine sooner or later always leads to bad living.

In the 1970s, they were questioning inerrancy and the authority of God's word. And what are they doing now in the 1990s? Questioning the moral standards of God. Bad doctrine sooner or later always leads to bad living. Like in the days of Enoch, those who still believe the Bible and preach the judgment of God and the soon coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, Adonai Yeshua HaMashiach—those of us who believe these things and preach these things are looked upon by the world as, shall we say, unenlightened, superstitious, and gullible.

But that's how it was in Enoch's day. In spite of Enoch's preaching of the coming judgment, there is no indication that he was taken seriously by the masses of his day. No converts are reported in the record of Enoch's ministry. Instead, they must have smiled at this preacher of judgment. And as the years slipped by, they undoubtedly began to scoff and say, "When is this judgment coming? You've been preaching this message for almost 300 years, Enoch, and nothing has happened yet."

And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of Man. The events leading up to the coming of the Messiah parallel the events leading up to the flood. In Noah's day, things weren't getting better and better; they were getting worse and worse. The same thing is happening today. In Noah's day, there was very little responsiveness to the truth. We see the same thing today.

In Noah's day, they had left God out of their lives, and that's exactly what we see happening today—not just in our country, but around the world. In 2 Peter chapter 3, the Apostle Peter gives us an unmistakable commentary on the days of Noah. In speaking of the imminent return of Christ, this is what he says in verse 3: "Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts and saying, 'Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.'"

Today there are multitudes—even religious people—who scoff at those who preach the literal, personal, and visible return of the Messiah. In Judaism, those in the Reform movement tend to look upon Orthodox Jews and ultra-Orthodox Jews who are looking for the coming of a literal Messiah as backward and ignorant. In Christendom, we too have reformists who would like to jettison the fundamental beliefs of Christianity and strip us of a literal second coming.

And you'll hear them say things like, "You guys have been preaching this second coming stuff ever since I can remember, and nothing's happened yet. Everything's going along pretty much the same as it always has. Jesus hasn't come back yet." But these very people who say this, my friend, are destroying their own argument because they are fulfilling the very words of Peter that in the last days these scoffers will come.

And so when people scoff at the return of Christ, it only confirms our faith in God's word because 1,900 years ago—listen: 1,900 years ago—Peter already said that this in itself would be a sign of the last days. Well, we've got a lot more to say about this, but we're out of time again. So hold your place and we'll start right here on the next program. Until then, this is Gary Hedrick saying God bless you. Take care. Bye-bye.

Liz Aiello: Thank you, Gary, and thank you, listening friend, for tuning into today. Today we've been listening to our Bible teacher, Dr. Gary Hedrick, talking about Star Trek: The Original Series. By the way, if you enjoyed today's study, you'll be glad to know that we've placed all seven of these programs on one convenient CD.

The title is "Star Trek: The Original Series," and it shows that space travel originated not in recent times, but thousands of years ago. In fact, many instances of human space travel both in the distant past and also in the future are mentioned in the Bible. It's available for your gift of just $6 or more to help us keep this program here on your station.

Just ask for the program GT25, entitled "Star Trek: The Original Series." Visit our secure online store at messianicspecialties.com to place your order. If you would prefer to order by mail, just address your request to Messianic Perspectives, PO Box 345, San Antonio, Texas 78292. To order by phone, use our toll-free order line. The number is 1-800-926-5397.

And as always, when you're in touch with us, please mention the call letters of this station. If you're listening to our webcast or podcast, we need to know that too. I'm Liz Aiello. Join us next time, won't you, as Dr. Gary Hedrick continues our series of studies on Star Trek: The Original Series right here on Messianic Perspectives.