Thru the Bible - Questions & Answers

Guest (Male): Many of you have heard the stories; someone dies and is revived back to life, returning with visions of the afterlife. So what really happened to these people? Did they really die and return from heaven? Well, stay with us to find out what is fact and what is fiction.

Guest (Male): You've tuned into the question and answer program with our Bible teacher, Dr. J. Vernon McGee. This is a ministry of the Thru the Bible Radio Network, and we begin our questions today with this one from a listener in Los Angeles who writes, "Could you please explain Hebrews chapter 1, verses 13 and 14?"

Dr. J. Vernon McGee: And I'll have to turn to it; it's Hebrews 1:13 and 14. It says, "But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool? Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be the heirs of salvation?"

So we have here actually a quotation from Psalm 110:1. First of all, let me say that what he is doing here, the writer to the Hebrews, he is attempting to set before us that the Lord Jesus Christ is God manifest in the flesh, that he's better than the angels. The angels in the Old Testament communicated with man for God, but now God in the person of the Lord Jesus, he communicates directly with man.

And he's a better communicator than the angels were. And he's using an Old Testament scripture now to prove that point. And he's not saying that the angels are those who minister to us today. All he's saying is that the angels back in the Old Testament ministered to the saints, those that were heirs of salvation.

And there's many instances of that in the Old Testament. And that's all that he is saying there. He's not saying that they minister to us today. He didn't give that scripture for that reason. He gave that scripture to show that Jesus is superior to the angels as a communicator, as the one to speak to man, and that in the Old Testament, why the angels, they were just ministers, and the son is more than that.

Now, he never said to the angels, "Sit on my right hand" either, but he did say that to the son. That's back in the Old Testament, you see. Now, that's the reason that he's giving that. And I'm sure that the thing that prompted this question is that I have made the statement, and continue to make the statement, that angels do not today minister to Christians.

My feeling is that the scripture that says their angels are before my Father in heaven, it really means the spirits of babies who've died. So that actually, there's no place in the New Testament where we're told that we have guardian angels. Now I'll tell you what we are told. We're told that we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit.

Paul says if any man have not the spirit, he's none of his. And that that's the mark. He also said in the fifth chapter of Romans that the Holy Spirit's been given unto us. We're told that on the day of Pentecost that the Holy Spirit not only baptized, not only filled, not only regenerated, but actually that the Holy Spirit indwelt the believers. And therefore, a child of God who's indwelt by the Holy Spirit won't need a guardian angel to follow him around. That is something that will not be necessary.

Guest (Male): Our next question comes to us from a listener in El Toro, California. She says, "During your study in the book of Amos, I noticed a translation difference in chapter 2, verse 3, when comparing the New International Version and the King James Version. The meanings of these translational differences seem to make an impact on the interpretation of the verse. Could you please explain which translation is correct according to the original manuscript? And what are the main reasons that you accept the King James Version over others?"

Dr. J. Vernon McGee: He is asked a very important question. Now, the American Standard Version of 1901 gives the same translation as yours does. And actually, a great many of the other translations do the same. But the American Standard puts in the margin the King James translation to let you know that a change had been made and that they do not reject the King James translation.

Now, here is something, though it is unimportant at this particular point of just how you translate it. And I have gone back now and read several books on this particular verse. And it's been interesting to me that the interpretation that is given, even by several Hebrew scholars, actually did not depend on the original, but rather on their viewpoint. That is their feeling, their understanding, their background.

And therefore, here is a case where I'm sure that both translations actually would be acceptable, though they seem to give an altogether different meaning. And they do. And I think I should read what the King James says. It says, "Behold, I am pressed under you, as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaves." And these new translations say, "Now then, I will crush you, as a cart crushes when loaded with grain."

Very candidly, I stuck to the King James, which I generally do. And I notice some of my friends, one man especially who I consider an outstanding Hebrew scholar, called attention to the American Standard Version, but also to what was in the margin of the American Standard Version, and that's the one of 1901. But he took the new translation because he felt that it was not giving a good high lofty viewpoint of God to say that God here was being pressed down.

In other words, that he was like a cart that was overloaded with grain, and that as it went along through the mud, why it gradually sank lower and lower in the mud. And that's not a very high view of God. Well, very candidly, my feeling is that it does reveal not only a high view of God, but it reveals something of the heart of God. And this is what I mean.

Amos is definitely a book of judgment. Amos, as we said when we studied it, we called him the Shakespeare of the Bible. He writes like a Shakespeare. Picturesque language. And he certainly sets forth the judgment of God. And we also made the statement that when we think of Amos today, we think of Amos and Andy.

But in the Bible, it's Hosea and Amos. Hosea presents the love of God in judgment, and Amos presents the righteousness and the holiness of God in judgment. And yet you find in both of them that both are emphasizing not only the love of God in judgment, but the righteousness and justice of God in judgment.

And I think here in Amos, where he's very strong, I think that actually God is saying here—and this was very specific sins; the Nazarites were those who had taken a vow never to touch the fruit of the vine, and the people were tempting them and getting them to drink, and it was one of the many sins that they were committing in that day; they were breaking God's laws—and I say this reverently, and I think this is a reverent view of God, God is saying you've put me in a hard place.

You've put me in a difficult place. You're my chosen people. I want to save you. I want to exhibit through you my love. But you've departed from me. You don't represent me. You've given me a difficult decision. You've pressed me down, made it difficult. But I'll have to judge you, because I'm a righteous and a holy God.

And this, I think, illustrates that our God is a God of love. You can do nothing to destroy God's love for you. He'll always love you. But above that is the holiness and righteousness of God, and God will judge, even those that he loves. When you want the supreme exhibition of that, look at the cross of Christ.

God so loved the world that he gave his son, his only begotten son, the son that he loved, if you please. And though you have the love of God when he took the sin of the world, why the righteousness and holiness of God prevailed as it must always prevail. And I think this is a marvelous illustration of that.

And for that reason, again, it may seem small when you go through that to take the position of the King James. But as I see it, it's very important to take that position. And this is another place where I find the King James translation much superior to these modern translations. I've taken this time today because I consider this rather important, in fact, supremely important in these days in which we live.

Guest (Male): Our last question comes to us from a listener in Roberts, Montana, who writes, "I had a recent discussion with a friend about people who have presumably died and seen beyond this world and then come back to tell about it. I told her that I didn't think they were really dead. I gave her the passage of scripture in Luke chapter 16, verses 19 through 31. Was I right in giving her this passage? And could you please explain your opinion on this issue?"

Dr. J. Vernon McGee: The very interesting thing is that you have given the right scripture to this individual. And it could be added to, of course, if you wanted to go back and pick up what David said when that baby that he had by Bathsheba, the first one, died. Well, he had been in sackcloth and ashes asking God to spare the life.

And when he did not spare the life of the little one, but took the little one, David arose and laid aside sackcloth and ashes. It says that he anointed himself; that is, he had a good bath and sat down to a banquet. And the servants thought it was strange, so strange that they dared to ask him what the meaning was, that the little one was dead now and he should be in mourning.

And his whole point was that the little one, as long as he was alive, there was a chance that he might be restored to life, and he was asking God for that. And that's the reason he went in sackcloth and mourning. But after the little one died, there was no chance at all of the little one coming back. And that is the statement that David made. David said, "I cannot go to him, and he cannot come to me."

In other words, the doorway of death is a door, and when you go through it, you're not coming back into this life through that same door. That is the thing that scripture makes clear. And the one that you have used here concerning the so-called parable that the Lord Jesus gave in Luke 16.

And when I say so-called parable, I think that he took this from real life in that day about the rich man that died and Lazarus, the poor beggar. This is the only place, by the way, he gives a name to any characters in a parable, and it leads us to believe that he's talking about the real thing. In fact, I do not think the Lord ever made up a parable; I think he drew them all from real life, and I'm sure this one was drawn from real life.

Now, when the rich man found himself in a place of torment, he wanted some relief. And not only that, he wanted someone to go and talk to his brothers and warn them and tell them, and actually to send Lazarus and let him be the one to be the bearer of a message. And so the thing that the Lord Jesus made very clear—and he said this in verse 26 of Luke 16—"And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence."

So that there have been restorations to life. And in the Old Testament, we have the widow of Zarephath, her son was restored to life. Nothing is said about that, no details given at all. And the same thing is actually true concerning the ones that the Lord Jesus raised from the dead. You'd think that they might be in a sideshow or appear on somebody's television program and that sort of thing.

But nothing like that happened at all, because it was played down rather than played up. And that was the exception to the rule. And today, it'd be impossible for anyone to actually die—that is, have the spirit leave the body—and for them to be restored to life where they could give you a report on the other side.

Now, I know that there are those that are doing that or saying that. I know several people right here in Southern California, people that I consider friends and consider actually sensible people, that is, more or less. And they make a statement that they always talk about going down a beautiful cavern, but I actually think they use another word to describe it. That it's a long hallway, as it were, and they go down that. And everything seems to be very beautiful; everything seems to be very nice.

Now, I do not believe that they died and came back. Now, I'm not discounting the fact that in a state of unconsciousness that they might have had a dream. And at the time of death for so many people, and so many that come right up to the door and do not step over, that they tell you, but probably the medicine they took, or their weakness of the body, the condition of the body, caused them to have fantastic dreams.

Now, that all could be true, but all of that took place this side of death. From the other side, nobody has returned to report on that, except the Lord Jesus Christ. It's quite interesting, none of those that he restored back to this life gave any report at all on it. The Bible wants it that way and the Holy Spirit has it that way for the very simple reason that to dwell on this type of thing is not the purpose of Christianity at all. That's not our message; it's not the message of the word of God.

Now let me come back, because this is such a popular thing today. If you have noted over the past few years that the tendency of the American public is to go in for fads, go in for certain types of things that some of them are maybe a little idiotic. I remember when I was much younger, we went through the period known as the yo-yo period. Everybody had a yo-yo. I had a yo-yo at that time.

Then later on there came the hula hoop period. And everybody had a hula hoop. Now, by that time, I had matured to the place where I didn't think I could operate a hula hoop, so I didn't get one of those. But I did get one for my daughter, and I did try it out and came to the conclusion that that was not for me.

But those are the periods we went through. And today, I've noticed that we go through the same thing. I can remember when golf was more or less of an old man's game, at least a mature individual. And then all of a sudden golf became very popular. And when I went to college, I played tennis a great deal at that time; in fact, I didn't care for golf at all, but I did enjoy tennis.

But you know, it was difficult then to find anybody in the dormitory in college that played tennis. There were very few of us that played tennis. And to get up a foursome was just a difficult thing to do. And so we played twosomes. And when I became pastor and came here to Pasadena, I still played tennis, and another pastor and myself, we couldn't find anybody else. We had to play with each other, but we were pretty evenly matched and so we had a wonderful time playing tennis.

Now, it's "Tennis, anyone?" and when you say that, why you're swamped with people that want to play tennis. It's a fad. We Americans go in for fads. Now, the Christians do the same thing. Way back many years ago, I can remember when the tongues movement came along. Actually, it was a fad at that time, and it went across this country like a wave of the ocean.

It was called glossolalia. And then it died out. Then it came back with an altogether new name, charismatic. And actually glossolalia was the correct name for it; that means "tongues." But charisma means "gifts." And charis means "grace." And charisma are the gifts that the Holy Spirit gives, and it doesn't apply to just one. But nevertheless, that was the way the movement was labeled, and it's still going on today. And I think it's largely a fad.

And then after that, though, we got into another fad, and that was demonology. Do you remember that everyone was around talking about people being possessed with demons, and quite a few said they cast out demons? I remember I was with a preacher in a conference and he got up and told the people he'd cast out a demon.

It was quite a thriller, I tell you, it had people sitting on the edge of their seats. But recently, as far as I've heard, he's not casting out demons. And you know why? The fad is over. There're not many around doing that today. It's not in the fad stage, you see. It's not a hobby. Casting out demons was a little gruesome, you know.

Now, after that, there came along the study of angels. And every preacher wrote a book on angels. All of a sudden every preacher became an authority on angels. And they all wrote books on it, and that became very popular. And then after that, there came along death.

And that is where we are right now. There is more talk today about death, the more weird it is, sensational that it is, the more that it appeals. We're in that particular period. And you have movies that have come along that have promoted that sort of thing and made it a popular thing. So that it's not strange that there are Christians telling you about the experiences they have.

Now, somebody says are you trying to say that they're charlatans, that they're not really legitimate? No, I think that these people are sincere, very sincere. I think they've probably been sick. The woman I referred to is a woman that's been very sick ever since I've known her. And she had a very serious operation some time ago.

And I'm of the opinion that she's very sincere about it. And she does listen to our program, and when she hears me say what I'm saying now, she'll think that I'm very terrible, that I'd even question that anybody that gives an experience like this did not go over into a period of actually the spirit leaving the body.

And so, that's the period we're in today. And I think the best thing to do is more or less to be nice and sweet to these people that are telling us they're having these experiences, and just realize that they'll get over it sooner or later. And I often wonder what's coming along next. I've tried to speculate on that, and I'm of the opinion that we might have some resurrections from the dead in the next year or two.

I'm sure that we're moving in that direction. And there'll be those that will come on the scene that have been raised from the dead. And I'll be honest with you, they'll probably have some cases that will be convincing to the crowd. But I'm very sorry that I'm a cynic. I'm very skeptical. It took me quite a while to become a Christian, you know. I had some questions that had to be answered. And I sure got a lot of them about these folks today. So we'll pass on from that, but I've spent this time because I think it's important right now.

Guest (Male): And with that answer, we come to the close of another Questions & Answers program. Dr. McGee elaborates on many of these issues and more in the numerous books, booklets, and CDs that we make available. So contact us by phone, email, or letter to ask for the current resource catalog. Now, we encourage you to join us every Monday through Friday on the Thru the Bible Radio program. Notes and outlines are available by request. To reach our offices by phone for the notes or the catalog, call 1-800-65-BIBLE anytime, or write to Questions & Answers in the US at Box 7100, Pasadena, California, 91109. For those in Canada, Box 25325, London, Ontario, N6C 6B1. More information about this ministry can be found by going to our website at ttb.org, where you can download the notes, browse our bookstore, or link to Facebook, Twitter, and our iPhone app. Until you can join us again next time, we pray that God will answer all your questions and solve all your problems.

[Song: Jesus Paid It All]