Thru the Bible - Questions & Answers

Guest (Male): Jesus, when rebuking the religious leaders of his day, said that every idle word spoken would be judged. King Solomon wrote in his day that all was vanity. What do these things mean? What is scripture trying to teach us about our thoughts, speech, and deeds? Well, stay with us to find out.

Guest (Male): Welcome to another edition of the Question and Answer program. Our Bible teacher Dr. J. Vernon McGee answered the questions of his many listeners for over 30 years. And thankfully for us, those answers have been preserved for the benefit of generations to come. This of course is a ministry of the Through the Bible Radio Network. A listener in Whitmore, Michigan begins our program with this question. She says, Revelation 7 verses 9 to 10 speak about a great multitude. Since the church has already been enraptured, this group must be from the believers during the tribulation. What is not clear to me is how this multitude relates to Revelation 20 verse 5.

Are they part of the first resurrection or the second?

Dr. J. Vernon McGee: May I say to you, there is in scripture what is known as the first resurrection and the second resurrection. A great deal is made of the first resurrection. In that company, first of all is the Lord Jesus Christ. Now the program is given in 1 Corinthians the 15th chapter where it says Christ the first fruits and afterward those that are Christ and is coming. And Christ is already back from the dead in a glorified body. And the next item on the program is the rapture of the church which scripture says could take place any moment.

That is it's been imminent for 1,900 years. And many of us believe that because of the time in which we're living that that time is drawing near. We could be wrong on that because no date is given to us for the rapture. Now in the rapture of the church, that is a very definite group that go out before the great tribulation period. Then we are told that there were those that were saved during the great tribulation period and that they are raised from the dead and they are part of the first resurrection that's made clear to us.

And then in Revelation 25 it says but the rest of the dead live not again until the thousand years were finished. That is in the first resurrection is the resurrection of the saved. That is those that are in the first Christ. Those that are Christ that is coming when he takes the church out of the world. Then during the great tribulation period, there are many that will be martyrs. Many will lay down their life for the Lord Jesus. And they are part of the first resurrection. Now apparently that's a great company of people. We are told that during the great tribulation period that 1/4 of the population of the world goes out at one fell swoop.

And again another third of the population of the world goes out. The building up of the population of the world today is quite interesting. Not only frightening, but interesting to the child of God because he knows that there'll probably be a great population on the earth at the time of the rapture of the church and the great tribulation period. And at that particular time there's a great company of saved. Now the company that you are referring to in the two passages that you give, Revelation 7 9 10, Revelation 6 11 I probably should turn to the one in Revelation 7 9 and 10.

And I'll read that. After this I beheld and lo a great multitude which no man could number. Of all nations, kindreds, and people and tongues stood before the throne, before the lamb clothed with white robes and palms in their hands. Cried with a loud voice saying salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne and under the lamb. Apparently that's the great company of those of Gentiles and of the nation Israel that are going to enter the millennial kingdom down here upon this earth. And Revelation 20 the verse I've read there that after the thousand years there is the second resurrection.

And that resurrection are those that are raised for judgment. It's the loss. That's the great white throne and I think it's the lost of all ages that all wanted to be saved by works regardless. Never turned to the mercy of God. Never cared to do that sort of thing. And they are raised for judgment because they wanted to be saved by works. They're going to be judged by their works. And a lot of these do-gooders down here today that think they've got it made. They've given to every cause. They raise money for this thing that and it's a needful thing.

They do good according to human standards. But they never recognize that they're a sinner in the sight of God, alienated from the life of God and actually in rebellion against him. And then we're told in Revelation 26 blessing and holy is he that has part in the first resurrection. On such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with him a thousand years. Now they're going to be here I think upon this earth reigning with Christ a thousand years. And that is this company that are part of the first resurrection.

I don't think they're part of the church, friends. My feeling is that God has different groups. He has Old Testament saints that are raised at the end of the tribulation period. We're told that in the 12th chapter of Daniel which I've referred to in several questions recently that there's coming a time of trouble on the earth. Nothing like it. After that will be the resurrection of these and they are raised to enter the kingdom. The church is raised to be with Christ. That's what he said. I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I'll come again and receive you unto myself.

You see there are going to be different groups of people in eternity that are saved people. The church just happens to be one group by the way. We think we are it and I think we are too, but the thing is they're going to be other saved people that are going to be there also.

Guest (Male): Matthew 12:36 says, but I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give an account of it in the day of judgment. So a listener in Paramount, California asks, what does it mean by idle word? Does it mean joking?

Dr. J. Vernon McGee: May I say to you that no, not joking, not having fun. Our Lord used a great deal of very gentle ridicule and sarcasm and did it in a humorous vein when he said for instance of the religious rulers, he says you strain at a gnat and swallow a camel. That's really humorous, friends. But we don't see camels tethered around every day in our parking lots. Generally they are Datsuns today and there few Cadillacs around. But we don't understand that. If we did change that maybe a little, we strain at a gnat. Most of us know what that is.

And swallow a Cadillac. Then you begin to understand what he's talking about and it becomes rather humorous. There's a great deal of humor in the Bible. And I understand that idle word is a word that actually is blasphemy against God and against Christ. And I think today that there is a grave danger among us evangelicals who are having it so easy in this world. Not many of us have suffered. Fact of the matter is the minute that we mash our finger, we all do we cry out to God today and complain that our lot in life.

We are having it very easy. So that has slipped into our conversation today an element of ridicules really sacred thing. Of making light of certain things that are very sacred. For instance, I was with a man the other days, a fine Christian brother. And I hit a golf ball and as usual it didn't go exactly where I wanted it to go. And he said to me, well, you didn't pray enough this morning. Well, I had a feeling that that isn't what we should be saying today. In a world like we're living in today, as I told this man, I never pray about God.

That's a recreation, relaxation that I think I need physically. But I tell you, I got more things to pray about than a golf game. In this sad world in which we live and I think there are a lot of idle words. I would say that type of thing is the dangerous thing that's being kicked around today.

Guest (Male): Now this listener is concerned with the apparent numerical contradiction when comparing 2 Kings 8:26 and 2 Chronicles 22:2. He says, is this numerical difference a legitimate contradiction, scribal errors, or just the lack of scriptural knowledge? If this is a scribal error, what does this do to offer belief about our error-free Bible?

Dr. J. Vernon McGee: Now if you can put down a premise, if you're a believer and if you've trusted the Lord Jesus Christ and you've really been born again by the spirit of God you have had the word of God confirmed to your heart. And as a result, when you come to a passage like this in the scripture you come to the conclusion that the Bible is right and that there is an explanation for the seeming contradiction. And that the problem is always on the human side not on God's side. Now apparently we're moving into the area today of apologetics again.

I'm getting quite a few questions along that line. And very frankly, I personally passed this stage years ago. All young preachers go through it. And then of course a great many people outside, that is unbelievers, like to find fault, try to find contradictions in the Bible. I started out with the viewpoint that if I could answer all these questions that that's the way you'd win people to Christ. And I found out that is not the way you win people to Christ. You win people to Christ by presenting the word of God as it is, the word of God.

And as Dr. Walfield says that the Bible is the word of God in such a way that whatever the Bible says, God says. Now are you prepared to say that? And then you come to a place like this and you ask the question and I do not know the spirit you ask it in. What does that do with our faith in an error-free Bible? Now number one, let me say that what you and I have before us is a translation. And though I support the King James translation, anyone that follows us through the Bible know that as we go through, I make many changes as we go.

I make no apology for that. I just say that the King James is the best translation that I've found that satisfies me up until now. I don't say that it is always letter perfect. That is that we need to examine when you find a statement like this it would require a great deal of study. And I'm going to suggest to this person here, this young man I take it is a young man that asks a question like this that he spends some time, if he's sincere that he do some scholarly research. And if he'll do that then I think he'll find the answer that'll be satisfactory to him.

Now I cannot do all of that on this program for him. I'm not going to do his work that he should do for him. Now I do want to read these two scriptures that he's given that he finds a contradiction in. And on the surface it's here. We make no apology for that. 2 Chronicles 22:2 reads 42 years old was Ahaziah. When he began to reign and he reigned one year in Jerusalem his mother's name also was Athaliah the daughter of Omri. Now this of course immediately reveals that there has been a marriage actually in the family of David with Ahab and Jezebel's line.

And that is something that wasn't good at all and it brought in to the throne at this time several kings that are all bad. In fact the worst spot until you come to the end of the kings of Judah why this is the worst spot that there is. Now you have here the fact that it is mentioned in in the second verse here that I've read to you. 42 years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign. Now you go back to 2 Kings the 8th chapter and the 26th verse and you'll read this. 220 years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign.

And he reigned one year in Jerusalem and his mother's name was Athaliah the daughter of Omri, king of Israel. And that is put in both kings and the other. Now you will find that in my book on briefing the Bible where I have a chronological table of the kings of the divided kingdom that I have in parentheses at this particular point. And I have a couple of stars from Jehoshaphat to Jehoram to Ahaziah and then Athaliah, his mother, who by the way reigned for him. So you have here a very mixed up affair. Athaliah, very brutal woman.

She was just as bad as Jezebel ever was. And of course she had a right to be it as her grandma. And Athaliah reigned during this particular period so that actually Ahaziah didn't really get a hold of the throne until he was actually 42 years of age. But that offers one explanation. Now the other explanation that we offer is Dr. Lightfoot calls attention to the fact that it's in translation. And that if you would bring down Jehoram, he began to reign. And then you would move back of him actually to the time of his father.

That he was co-reigning during that particular period so that you do have a sliding scale there. And he feels like that the translation should be changed. And he gives his translation there which would clarify. That is one explanation of it. And then of course there is the explanation that it has to do with the error of a scribe. Remember we're dealing with the translation now. And we do know that in several places in our better manuscripts there are scribal errors that have come in. And this is one of the explanations that is offered. And this is offered by several outstanding scholars.

You caused me to go back and do some research because I've graduated from apologetics. I no longer try to defend the Bible. I preach the Bible. In fact I come to the place where I can say I no longer believe the Bible is the word of God. I know it's the word of God. I have right here on my desk right now several sheaths of letters of those that have come to Christ from all over the world. Now you tell me another book that changes hearts. Now people in every language, every condition of life and changes homes.

And I've come to place I know it's the word of God, you see. And therefore your question to me is beside the point. There are several explanations for it. Now I'm giving these cursory explanations that is brief, very brief, in order that I might suggest to you certain lines of examination and research. Now if you're really sincere and want to know, I think if you'll pursue the different explanations that I've actually just suggested to you you will find out that there's every reason in the world to realize that this does not in any way affect an error-free Bible.

And that the very interesting thing when you boil it all down, what does this have to do with the great doctrines of the scripture? Here is a place that I'm confident that scribes in the past got a little sleepy in the afternoon. And they were not as careful as when they translated John 3:16. And very candidly if they had to get sleepy, I'm glad it was here and not over at the other place. So that this does not in any way disturb the doctrine of the inspired, the verbal inspiration of the word of God.

Guest (Male): A Fresno, California listener has a question about Israel and prophecy. She says, would you please explain how the modern day return of the Jews to Israel relates to Bible prophecy?

Dr. J. Vernon McGee: The present return of Israel to the land as far as I can tell is not mentioned in the word of God nor is it prophesied in the word of God. And God intends to bring them back into the land on his own terms and his own way. And I believe that will be yet in the future. Now I do think that this return has accomplished a God-given purpose but not prophetic purpose. And I think the main thing that it has revealed is the fact that there were many liberal theologians and liberal interpreters that said God is through with Israel.

And they're scattered throughout the world and whoever heard tell of them being able to come back to the land. Well, they came back to the land and became a sovereign nation after 2,500 years. Now there's nothing like that in the history of the world. And I think God says, look, when I get ready to bring them back, I'll bring them back. And you ought not to listen to these liberals because they don't know what they're talking about. Now I think that it has that prophetic significance. But to say that it's a fulfillment of prophecy that means the next step and the next step that will be taking place shortly, I don't think so.

I think that their return is marvelous and miraculous. But to say that we're seeing the fulfillment of prophecy, that's another statement. And I know I got on the bandwagon at the beginning and it took me a little while to ferret out the prophecies and the fact that they're back in the land on not a fulfillment of prophecy, but certainly a God-given purpose.

Guest (Male): Now this San Diego listener writes, when the author of Ecclesiastes says vanity, vanity, all is vanity, is he speaking about a materialistic life apart from God and Christ? Or is there a sense in which all the activities of women and men are vain and worthless?

Dr. J. Vernon McGee: No, not the least at all. And it is the first. If you'll note that the key to the book of Ecclesiastes is under the sun. That is that which is as you call it materialistic. And that which has to do with the here and now, the nuts and bolts things of life, the meat and potatoes issues today, all of life apart from God is really meaningless. To get up every day and go to work, to make a buck and then to go and sit at the bar in the evening for an hour or two and swig on some drink that sort of peps you up and neighbors you to make it to bed and then you go to sleep and you get up and repeat the same thing every day.

My friend, apart from God that's vanity. You're just wasting your time. All you do is to as the poet says, you just live this life and all you do is eat and leave behind an empty dish. That's all you've done. And that, my friend, is not worthwhile. That's what vanity, all is vanity, saith the Lord. And I think that's the meaning of it.

Guest (Male): All is vanity except a life that's dedicated to God, being filled with his wonderful word. You know, there's no vanity in the time that we spend to read, study, and meditate on the word of God. And in order to help you gain a passion for the Bible, we suggested you get a copy of Dr. McGee's hardback book, Feasting on the Word. A second way to increase your desire to learn the word of God is to follow along with Dr. McGee during the Through the Bible Radio program heard on this station Monday through Friday. Dr. McGee spends 5 years going book by book and chapter by chapter through the whole Bible.

To help you in your studies, we provide notes and outlines to all who request them. To ask for the notes or to order the book Feasting on the Word, give us a call at 1-800-65 Bible. We have people waiting to take your calls Monday through Thursday from 6:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Pacific time. If you'd like to download the notes in the PDF format or purchase the book through our online bookstore, visit our website at ttb.org. For those who prefer to write, send your request to questions and answers. For those in the US, Box 7100, Pasadena, California 91109.

Or in Canada, Box 25325, London, Ontario N6C 6B1. Now we pray that God will answer all your questions and solve all your problems. This program has been brought to you by the faithful friends and supporters of Through the Bible Radio Network.