The Succession of Nations, and Q&A

0:00Welcome to the Bible Answerman broadcast with Christian Research Institute President Hank Hanagraff. Our mission at CRI is not only to equip you with Christian doctrine, apologetic accuracy and discernment, but to help you become a faithful apprentice of Jesus Christ because life and truth matter. If you'd like to know more about CRI and the Bible Answerman broadcast, call 888-7000-CRI, 888-7000-CRI or go to our website at equip.org. That's equip.org. The following program was pre-recorded. And now, here's Hank Hanagraff. Thank you very much, Randy. Want to say something about prophecy as we get started and then we'll go right to our phone callers. So one of the spectacular stars in the constellation of biblical prophecy is the succession of nations

1:05predicted in the book of Daniel. It is a significant demonstration that the Bible is divine rather than merely human in origin, and it is an undeniable reality that Daniel, who was writing six centuries before the advent of Christ, was empowered by God to do what no Su-Sayer or astrologer could, with awe-inspiring precision. He predicted a succession of nations from Babylon through the median and the Persian empires, all the way down to the persecution and suffering of the Jews under the second century Greco-Serbian beast in Tychus IV epiphanies. And that includes his prediction of the despots' desecration of the Jerusalem temple, his untimely death, and freedom for the Jews and Arjudus Maccabeeus.

2:07As Daniel looked down the core of time, he got a glimpse of the first century coming of Messiah as well. As prophesied by Jeremiah, Jerusalem would experience a partial restoration when seventy years were completed for Babylon. However, as revealed to Daniel through the angel Gabriel, the return from exile was merely a type of the antitipical freedom that would be experienced through Judas Maccabeeus, which itself was typological of ultimate restoration through the Messianic Jesus. As such, Daniel's seventy-sevenths encompass ten Jubilee eras and represent the extended exile of the Jews that would end in the fullness of time. In other words, the quintessential Jubilee when the people of God would experience ultimate

3:08redemption and restoration, not in a holy city, but in a holy Christ. A holy Christ who inaugurated a kingdom that itself will endure forever. Truly the succession of nations immortalized by the book of Daniel is a surpassingly spectacular star in the constellation of biblical prophecy. And it is one of the entries in my book, Has God Spoken Demonstrating that the Bible is the infallible repository of redemptive revelation. Again, the book Has God Spoken proof of the Bible's divine inspiration available for your gift to the ongoing work of the Christian Research Institute. You can check it out online at equip.org. A lot of you hanging on. First call her up. Craig, listening in Vancouver, British Columbia. Hi, Craig. Hi, Hank. It's good to hear from you. It's good to talk to you as well. My question is, I've talked to you on a couple of occasions and you've well advised me.

4:11And I appreciate that. A lot of times you say context, context, context. I was struggling or am struggling. I mean, in and out of this battle with fear concerning my salvation, have I seen my way out of God's hands somehow in my inappropriate behavior. And I took you to some verses in Hebrews and also in Matthew, Mark, Luke, where they deal with the unpardonable sin and what not. And you always took me to context, context, context. But my question is a lot of the teaching in the New Testament that the apostles, the old Testament, can feel is in the New Testament revealed sort of thing. And they disclose truth in the Old Testament revealing them in the New Testament. But some of those things like the Psalms where they're talking about Jesus and David speaking almost literally that Jesus would come and that he would suffer.

5:15And I think, well, I can't remember. I should have looked it up before I called. I can't remember what Psalms precisely. It's almost word for word. When Jesus talks about their way in their heads, they divide my clothing and whatnot. I'm wondering, are those historical accounts of David? Did he experience those things for himself or is he merely prophesying? Maybe it's he just in the spirit and he's foretelling things to come? Well, there are two different kinds of prophecies that you have in the Old Testament, which are fulfilled in the New Testament. Some of those prophecies are typological in nature. The others are direct messianic prophecies. So for example, if you read the Micah 5, 2, you have a direct fulfillment in Jesus Christ in that Micah foretells the precise place that Jesus Christ will be born, Bethlehem of Ephraeth. However, there are typological prophecies. And you mentioned the passages or at least allude to them. Great stars in the constellation of biblical prophecy would be found in passages like

6:15you allude to Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53. But many of those are typological in nature, which is to say that they're not double fulfillment nor are they direct fulfillment, but Jesus Christ fulfills them typologically. He becomes the ultimate fulfillment through historical escalation and heightening. And I lay this out pretty clearly in a couple of places. One is in my book, Has God Spoken, where I actually have a chapter called typological prophecy. The other is in a article which I prepared for the Christian Research Journal. So there is a distinction between typological prophecy and a direct prophetic fulfillment. Okay. But you don't see any likening of those types of typological, I think it's the right pronunciation. The words have never been introduced to my vocabulary before. Thank you for that.

7:16What do you think of it as a type or a shadow and they're from you get the idea of a typological or a typological prophecy? Okay. I think. Okay. So, well, that puts them in a category completely different of what those other verses and the New Testament might be. I don't want to take those verses literally because well then I'm condemned, of course, especially when dealing with the unpardonable sin that has blessed me the Holy Spirit. And sitting willfully, but then you brought me to the context while who's he's speaking to and what is the background and that sort of thing. So that's why I tried to make the comparison. Yeah. I think that's really important though, Craig. It's to realize that there is a historical context when Jesus talks about the blasphemy against the Spirit which cannot be forgiven. And that context does deal specifically with people who know that he is the fulfillment

8:20of the Old Testament prophets, that he is the only one that can walk through that doorway. And yet with impunity, they say that what he is doing is done through the power of B.L.s above the Prince of Demons. So this is not a sin. It is an ongoing, willful, continuous rejection. And my point, I'm sure to you previously, although I don't specifically remember what I did or didn't say in previous conversations, but I always try to explain to people that you have not committed the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit through an act. It is a continuous, ongoing, willful rejection. And even now you can turn from that rejection if you're one that is in that continuous willful rejection and receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Well, when you go on, I'm curious, I don't mean to drag this one. I know you got lots of colors. It's an important issue, and I don't mind dragging it on because a lot of people struggle

9:22with this. And I myself went through a struggle with this very early on in my life. I thought that I had committed the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit and therefore I had no opportunity of ever being reconciled to God. And I myself then struggled with it and came to a resolution to that struggle. And I'm certainly very sympathetic to people that are struggling with this very thing. Can I ask you how long did you remain in that struggle with the weeks or months? I remained in it for a fairly short period of time because I got resolution. The resolution initially came through my father who explained to me that if I cared now about having committed the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, I didn't commit it. Because if you committed the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, you would have had a hearted heart. You wouldn't care what God thinks and you wouldn't be looking for reconciliation with God. As long as you have a tender heart, the kind of heart that you display, you haven't committed

10:25an unpardonable sin. Any sin can be pardoned. The only sin that cannot is if you continue in sin until the time that you die. Jesus knew the hearts. I mean, that's part of the historical cut. He knew the hearts, the Pharisees, and the teachers of the law. He knew that they knew that only he could walk through the doorway of Old Testament prophecy and despite that knowledge, they still rejected him. You're not in that boat. That doesn't apply to you. I'm going to have to leave it at that, unfortunately, because I'm at a heartbreak. Anything we can do to help you or arms are open. We love you. Appreciate your struggle and the fact that Jesus Christ can bring resolution in the midst of that struggle. We'll be right back with more of your calls right here in the Bible, I'm Lance Man, and I'm a broad guest. To find out more about the materials mentioned on the show, call a CRI Resource Consultant toll-free at 888-7000-CRI. That's 888-7000-CRI.

11:28Our website is also an excellent reference destination to help you. Just go to Equip.org and find articles by Hank, Books, CDs, and DVDs. Again, that's Equip.org or write CRI-PO Box 8500-Charlotte, North Carolina, ZIP 28271. The Bible Answer Man will continue in just a moment. Breaking the Code of the Book of Revelation has become an international obsession. The result has been rampant, misreading of Scripture, bad theology, and even bad politics and foreign policy. In the Apocalypse Code, find out what the Bible really says about the end times and why it matters today. Hank Hanagraph argues that the key to understanding the last book of the Bible is the other 65 books of the Bible, not current events or recent history.

12:30The Apocalypse Code offers sane answers to some very controversial questions such as, what does it mean to take the book of Revelation literally? Who are the Antichrist and the Great War of Babylon? And what is the real meaning of 666? Order the Apocalypse Code by Hank Hanagraph today, available in Softcover MP3 CD or MP3 download from Equip.org or call 888-7000-CRI. Anyone who's been paying attention knows there's a war going on. Just untraditional morality, civility, and decency, but even more fundamentally on historic notions of truth, and the enemy isn't just the onslaught of fake news facilitated by a post-truth culture and turbocharged by growing legions of ideological spend-doctors. Note the real enemies of truth range from post-modernist convictions that there is no objective truth, to militant scientists that claims that only science can determine truth, and religion

13:33is little more than primitive superstitions. But CRI support team members are not waving a white flag of surrender. They're holding the fort by undergirding every one of Christian research institutes, mind shaping, and life changing outreaches 24-7. To learn how you can make a difference and enjoy all the benefits of support team membership, simply visit equip.org. Has God spoken? Are the words of Scripture merely human and origin, or are they in fact the very words of God Himself? Three years in the making and based on two decades of research and reflection, Hank Hanna Graf's monumental book Has God Spoken? Answers what is surely the most important question facing our world. And Has God Spoken? Memorable proofs of the Bible's divine inspiration, Hank counters the contentions of the Bible

14:34attackers and clearly shows that belief in the Holy Scriptures is not a guess or wishful thinking. It is the only logical conclusion after an honest examination of overwhelming evidence. Order Has God Spoken from the Christian Research Institute by calling 88-7000-CRI, or go online to equip.org, equip.org. Now back to the Bible Answerman broadcast and your host, Hank Hanna Graf. Thank you, Randy, and we'll go right back to our phone callers next up as Lisa. She's listening in St. Louis, Missouri. Hi, Lisa. Hi, Hank. I'm so happy to talk to you. I think that you are just wonderful and your courage to stand up and say the truth. I know you get a lot of criticism, but you continue to do it. And I hope God blesses you and your family for the rest of your life.

15:35Thank you so much. And I just thank you. And my question is about when Jesus was in the garden before he was to be crucified. And he asked God if it was God's will that this cup might be removed from him. My question is knowing that Jesus was God is God, you know, 100% God, 100% human. And giving that time is of no consequence to God. He can see in the future. He can see in the past, it's all the same. Why would Jesus ask the Father to remove the cup if it was His will when Jesus, I'm thinking Jesus would know that He would have to go through what He would have to go through. He said He came here to go about His Father's will and the plan had always been in place. So why would Jesus ask that question? Well, I don't want to minimize the fact that Jesus Christ is going through intense agony

16:35in the Garden of Gethsemane. In fact, He's experiencing a medical condition known as hematodrosis where tiny capillaries in His sweat glands rupture mixing sweat with blood. So you know He is an extreme, extraordinary agony in the Garden of Gethsemane. And again, I say that His prologue to my answer that I don't want to minimize that in any sense whatsoever. The cup that He is going to take is a cup that we cannot in our wildest imaginations relate to because He will not only bear our sins by suffering extraordinary physical torment, but beyond that a metaphysical torment as He carries the sins of the world to which we simply cannot relate because it's not just all of our personal agony. It is the cumulative agony of all of humankind that is placed upon Him in His passion on the

17:40cross. So there's a sense in which we can imagine the agony of facing that. And as you point out correctly, His one person with two natures, a hundred percent human, a hundred percent divine. And therefore, He from a human perspective is suffering in a way that exceeds our Ken or comprehension. But having said that as prologue, there's also a sense in which we have to recognize this as an anthropomorphism, which is to say, this is a communication to us so that we get a sense as human beings reading the passage or the disciples being there experiencing the agony, we get a sense of what Jesus Christ is going to do on our behalf. So the cry is genuine English, but also a communication to us of what our Redeemer did

18:43to reconcile Himself to the world, to all those who would want a relationship with an altogether holy and righteous God. I totally understand that I want to thank you very much for your answer. It makes perfect sense to me. And God bless you. You've helped me so much over the years, Hank. Thank you very much. Well, thank you for your encouragement. God bless you, Lisa. I want to go back to the phone lines. Talk to Wendy, listening on Lady Lake, Florida. Hi, Wendy. Hi, Hank. How are you? Good. Thank you. Very good. My question today is, it's funny. My husband and I were reading Revelation 20 and we talked about the thousand year in the Lonean. And I have been brought up to believe in the rapture. And my mother believes in the rapture. My aunt, however, her sister does not believe in the rapture. And so the other day I was on a computer and researching it. I typed in a thousand year in the Lonean and Steve Wohlberg came up.

19:45And I read a whole article about him quoting Revelation 20, explaining Revelation 20. He heard a collar call on and asked about pulmonary elism and post-maloney elism. And it was amazing to me because I prayed last night and asked the whole spirit, Father, if this is something that you want to reveal to me and all the truth about, please give me some kind of confirmation. Let me know the truth. I don't want to be deceived. And then I heard you answering a question about pulmonary elism. So I just wanted to call and ask you, what is your position on the two resurrections? The first, you believe it's good, the second, you believe it's bad, the second coming of Christ, and the actual thousand year millennium. Yeah, well, first of all, I think you want to take that which is cloudy and interpreted in light of that which is clear. Now, what is crystal clear, at least to me in the scripture, and I think it should be to everyone who reads the Bible, are the words of Jesus Christ in John 5, where he says,

20:47do not be amazed if this is a time is coming when all who are in the graves will come out. Some will rise to live and some will rise to be eternally condemned. And therefore, I've always held the position that when Jesus Christ returns, He will put all things to right. The dead will rise immortal, imperishable, incorruptible, the dead in Christ. But everyone will be resurrected. Everyone will be resurrected to eternal life and some resurrected to eternal condemnation. Therefore, I don't see this in stages as though there are different resurrections taking place at different times. I see what happens is the consummation of all things when our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ returns. That means that the problem of sin and Satan will be fully and finally resolved. The universe that now groans and trivial will be liberated from its bondage to decay.

21:50And we ourselves will experience the immortality, imperishability, incorruptibility promised in 1 Corinthians 15. So I think, again, if you look at the clear passages of Scripture, you don't see various commings and various resurrections. You see, there are various resurrections only in the sense that there is a spiritual resurrection and there is a physical resurrection. And in Revelation chapter 21, first resurrection cannot mean physical resurrection at the second coming of Christ. Instead, it means to be made alive in Christ. You were dead in your transgressions and sin says Paul in Ephesians, but God made us alive with Christ. God raised us up with Jesus Christ. So there is a difference in resurrection in that sense, but there aren't different resurrections

22:50in terms of timing. So I don't see any place in the Bible where you find a secret coming. Now a lot of people will say, well, if you want to find that, you find it in John 14, you find it in Revelation chapter 3, and predominantly people are pointed to 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. But if you actually go to those passages, you don't find a secret coming of Jesus Christ. Certainly don't find it in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 where Jesus returns with a loud command with the voice of the archangel with the trumpet call of God. That doesn't sound like a secret coming. So the notion that there's going to be a secret coming and then seven years later, there's going to be a second coming and people will be saved after the second coming and then there'll be a semi-golden age with a rebuilt temple and a reinstituted temple sacrifices. I think speaks against that which is clear in Scripture, which is to say that when Jesus Christ suffered on the cross, he suffered for the complete remission of sins and then left us a sacrament. This do in remembrance of me.

23:52So every time we take the cup, every time we break the bread, we are remembering, we're memorializing in some traditions, the coming of Jesus Christ, his passion on the cross until he comes again. And we do that. So we don't go back to types and shadows when the ultimate sacrificial lamb has come. Nor do we have a semi-golden age and then have another great revolt by Satan at the end of that semi-golden age and then have the eternal state. And I think that's reading far too much into a passage that is not intended to communicate a literal thousand years, but rather communicating a quality of vindication for the martyrs, which is to say that they'll suffer for a short time. Their vindication will be for a thousand years. Now how do you take thousand years and contextualize that? Well, you read it in light of Scripture. And I mentioned this on a previous program, but if you look at the Scripture and you

24:55start to look at the whole number of thousand, what do you find? Well, you find, for example, God increasing the number of the Israelites a thousand times. You find God keeping His covenant to a thousand generation. You find God owning the cattle on a thousand hills. And so on, the use of thousand as a metaphor is well established in biblical history. And therefore, I think to now in Revelation 20, take the metaphor and try to make a walk on all fours as doing an injustice to the communication and revelation. I've written about this in a lot of detail in a book. It's called the Apocalypse Code. Find out what the Bible really says about the end times and why it matters today. And I would just simply qualify everything I've said by saying that timing of the tribulation, the meaning of the millennium, ultimately our secondary issues. We can debate them vigorously. We don't have to divide over them.

25:55Thank you so much for tuning in to this edition of the Bible Answerman broadcast. We look forward to seeing you next time right here with more of the show. We appreciate you tuning in to the Bible Answerman broadcast. Before we sign off today, here's our contact information. By phone dial 888-7000-CRI, which translates to 888-7274. On the internet go to equip.org. That's equip.org. You can also write CRI at Post Office Box 8500 Charlotte, North Carolina. Zipcode is 28271. Our prayer is that today's broadcast has equipped you to better defend your faith and encouraged you to pursue sound doctrine and godly living. Thank you for listening. The Bible Answerman broadcast is supported by listeners like you. We're on the air because life and truth matter.

27:03Breaking the code if the book of Revelation has become an international obsession. The result has been rampant, misreading of scripture, bad theology, and even bad politics and foreign policy. In the Apocalypse Code, find out what the Bible really says about the end times and why it matters today. Hankanagraph argues that the key to understanding the last book of the Bible is the other 65 books of the Bible, not current events or recent history. The Apocalypse Code offers sane answers to some very controversial questions such as, what does it mean to take the book of Revelation literally? Who are the Antichrist and the Great War of Babylon? And what is the real meaning of 666? Order the Apocalypse Code by Hankanagraph today. Available in Softcover, MP3 CD or MP3 Download from equip.org. Or call 888-7000-CRI.