WEBVTT
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We live in an amazing
time where the Bible,
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God's word, is one of the
most widely available
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books on the planet.
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Whether on a bookshelf in
your home or on an app on
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your phone, most of us have
a Bible easily within reach.
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But that doesn't mean it's
always easy to understand.
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The truths of the Bible
are simple, but that
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doesn't mean we don't
still have questions.
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The good news is
that God has answers.
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Join us on this episode of Tomorrow's World for another
00:28.094 --> 00:32.031
installment of "Your Questions, the Bible's Answers!"
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as we tackle three common
and challenging questions
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and answer them directly from the pages of your Bible.
00:39.339 --> 00:45.678
♪
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Greetings.
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Welcome to Tomorrow's World, where we help you make
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sense of your world through
the pages of the Bible.
00:51.851 --> 00:55.355
You know, the Bible isn't
just a book--it's the
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inspired word of God.
00:57.490 --> 00:59.893
The night before He was
crucified, Jesus Christ,
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the Son of God, told His
Father in prayer,
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"Your word is truth."
01:05.932 --> 01:09.469
However, that doesn't mean it's
always easy to understand.
01:09.536 --> 01:12.372
And when you think about
it, why should the Bible
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always be easy
to understand?
01:14.607 --> 01:18.011
Its words are intended to
convey to us the mind of God.
01:18.077 --> 01:21.181
And as our Creator tells us
in Isaiah 55 and verse 8,
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"My thoughts are not
your thoughts, nor
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are your ways My ways."
01:26.853 --> 01:30.156
Yet the Bible can be
understood with God's help
01:30.223 --> 01:31.724
and a little effort.
01:31.791 --> 01:35.728
And comprehending God's
word is worth that effort.
01:35.795 --> 01:38.431
For those viewers today who
are sincerely interested
01:38.498 --> 01:41.167
in beginning that effort,
we're offering you our
01:41.234 --> 01:44.537
24-lesson Tomorrow's World
Bible Study Course today.
01:44.604 --> 01:47.106
The entire course is
completely free, just like
01:47.173 --> 01:49.642
everything we offer on
Tomorrow's World, so be
01:49.709 --> 01:51.144
sure to keep an eye out
for the information
01:51.211 --> 01:54.047
you need to request
your first lesson.
01:54.113 --> 01:57.217
But today, we're going to
focus on three specific Bible
01:57.283 --> 02:00.086
questions and, in each case,
not only explain the Bible's
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answer, but also highlight the broader principles you can
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use in the future to answer Bible questions for yourself.
02:07.126 --> 02:09.028
Our three questions
today are...
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1. Where did Cain
get his wife?
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2. Which are the right
"Ten Commandments"?
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3. (And) Are Enoch and
Elijah in heaven?
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So, let's get started.
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Our first question is a
favorite of atheists
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who seek to discredit
the Bible, but also
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a legitimate question
sometimes asked by
02:27.180 --> 02:30.517
sincere people simply
trying to understand.
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Genesis chapters 1 and 2 are
plain that the first human
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beings God created
were Adam and Eve.
02:37.423 --> 02:42.228
And Genesis 4 speaks of
their sons, Cain and Abel:
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"Now Adam knew Eve his wife,
and she conceived and
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bore Cain, and said, 'I have
acquired a man from the LORD.'
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Then she bore again, this
time his brother Abel.
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Now Abel was a keeper
of sheep, but Cain was
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a tiller of the ground."
03:00.246 --> 03:02.382
You may know the story
of Cain and Abel.
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Both brothers made
offerings to God, but
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Cain's offering was not
as worthy as Abel's.
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Instead of seeking to learn and improve, Cain became filled
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with anger, and, eventually,
he killed his brother, Abel.
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Murder started early
for the human race.
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After God curses Cain for his sin, we read in Genesis 4:16-17,
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"Then Cain went out from the presence of the LORD and
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dwelt in the land of Nod
on the east of Eden.
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And Cain knew his wife, and
she conceived and bore Enoch."
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And this brings us to
our first question.
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Many ask, "Where did
Cain get his wife?"
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After all, Adam and Eve
were the first humans,
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and the only two children
mentioned here are Cain
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and Abel--two boys, one
of which one is dead.
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So, just whom did
Cain eventually marry?
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Surely not a giraffe,
or an oak tree.
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People marry people.
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And who was there
for Cain to marry?
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To answer this question, we
need to consider the first
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principle we'll apply for answering Bible questions:
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Examine the context around
the verse or passage.
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So, let's examine additional verses near this tale
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in Genesis 4 to see if
we can get more details.
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And, indeed, we can--right
next door in Genesis 5.
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Beginning in verse one
of Genesis 5, we read...
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"This is the book of
the genealogy of Adam.
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In the day that God
created man, He made him
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in the likeness of God.
04:31.304 --> 04:34.073
He created them male and
female, and blessed them
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and called them Mankind in
the day they were created.
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And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years, and begot a son
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in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth.
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After he begot Seth, the days of Adam were eight hundred years;
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and he had sons and daughters."
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Now note that: Adam lived another eight hundred years
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and continued conceiving
sons and daughters.
05:01.401 --> 05:04.404
Yes, Adam and Eve's family
did not just consist of
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Cain, Abel, and Seth.
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Instead, when God commanded
them in Genesis 1:28 to
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"be fruitful and multiply,"
they did exactly that.
05:13.980 --> 05:15.415
And for how long?
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Notice that Genesis 5:5
says that "all the days
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that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years"
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--that is a long life.
05:26.559 --> 05:29.095
Given that the events of
Genesis 1, 2, and 3
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were about 6,000 years
ago, Adam lived almost
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one-sixth of that time.
05:35.601 --> 05:38.504
And that is plenty of time
to have many children.
05:38.571 --> 05:41.107
So, the answer to "Where
did Cain get his wife?"
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is plain: Cain married
one of his sisters.
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Now, of course, today no one should marry his sister.
05:48.047 --> 05:49.982
But remember, we're
talking about the very
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beginning of humanity.
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God directly created
Adam and Eve, personally
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designing every feature of
their bodies and biology.
05:58.124 --> 06:00.827
The genetic problems that
plague children of close kin
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today would not have been a problem in the beginning.
06:03.863 --> 06:06.165
And while God later
forbids such relationships
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in His law, as seen, for
example, in Leviticus 18:9,
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it simply wasn't necessary
at the beginning.
06:12.872 --> 06:16.442
In fact, after Adam and Eve, but before the laws of Leviticus,
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the patriarch Abraham was married to his half-sister.
06:20.046 --> 06:24.150
The point is that there is
no need to have difficulty
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at all in understanding
the Bible's statement.
06:26.919 --> 06:30.323
Yes, Cain had a wife, and
that wife was his sister--
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another descendant
of Adam and Eve.
06:32.892 --> 06:35.628
Simply reading a little
more of the context around
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the passage immediately
clears up the question.
06:39.031 --> 06:41.534
Now our next question is
sometimes presented by
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skeptics as a challenge to the consistency of the Bible--and,
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also, by different denominations as a challenge to each other.
06:49.208 --> 06:51.344
We'll get to that
question in a moment.
06:51.410 --> 06:54.480
But first let me give you an opportunity to request today's
06:54.547 --> 06:57.784
free offer, the Tomorrow's
World Bible Study Course.
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This study course is unique, designed to teach you what
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the Bible itself says, not what man says about the Bible.
07:05.925 --> 07:09.395
This collection of lessons has been specially designed to take
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you through a wide range of Biblical topics, that will open
07:12.965 --> 07:17.003
up your understanding to God's word, and the world around you.
07:17.069 --> 07:20.173
You'll find lessons teaching you, from the pages of your
07:20.239 --> 07:24.644
own Bible, what God is like,
how to understand prophecy,
07:24.710 --> 07:28.014
the meaning of the inspired
Holy Days of the Bible,
07:28.080 --> 07:32.852
where our world is headed,
how to live a rich and full
07:32.919 --> 07:37.857
Christian life, and the ultimate meaning of your life.
07:37.924 --> 07:40.593
Created to allow you to
progress at your own pace
07:40.660 --> 07:43.863
through the teachings of
the Bible, this 24-lesson
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course is completely free.
07:46.365 --> 07:50.503
Every fourth lesson ends with
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07:50.570 --> 07:54.407
each answer key, we send you the next collection of four lessons.
07:54.473 --> 07:57.844
As always, there is no
obligation, all 24 lessons
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are absolutely free--
no strings attached,
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and you can cancel the
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You have nothing to risk, but all of God's word to gain.
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All you have to do is start by ordering your first free lesson.
08:11.924 --> 08:14.794
Here's the information you need, but be sure to come right back,
08:14.861 --> 08:18.364
as we resolve the case of
the Battling Commandments.
08:18.431 --> 08:19.232
♪
08:19.298 --> 08:26.205
For today's free
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♪
09:18.891 --> 09:20.126
Welcome back.
09:20.192 --> 09:23.195
Our next question has not
only been used by some in
09:23.262 --> 09:25.865
attempts to discredit the
Bible, but has also been
09:25.932 --> 09:28.000
a source of confusion in
different denominations
09:28.067 --> 09:29.835
claiming to be Christian.
09:29.902 --> 09:33.172
It might be called "The Case of the Battling Commandments."
09:33.239 --> 09:35.308
If you're a longtime viewer
of Tomorrow's World, you've
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heard us teach about the
vital importance of the
09:37.677 --> 09:40.846
Ten Commandments numerous
times in the program.
09:40.913 --> 09:43.182
Jesus Christ loved
the commandments, and
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Christians everywhere are
commanded to live by them.
09:46.485 --> 09:49.288
Yet, just what are
the Ten Commandments?
09:49.355 --> 09:53.025
Well the answer you get will vary, depending on whom you ask.
09:53.092 --> 09:56.462
The list of Ten Commandments, given in Exodus 20 and
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Deuteronomy 5, is parsed differently by different groups.
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Here are the two
main approaches:
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For example, many would give
the following summarized list
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of the Ten Commandments:
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1. You shall have
no other gods.
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2. You shall make
no graven images.
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3. You shall not take
God's name in vain.
10:14.880 --> 10:18.150
4. You shall remember the
Sabbath day and keep it holy.
10:18.217 --> 10:20.252
5. You shall honor your
father and your mother.
10:20.319 --> 10:21.821
6. You shall not murder.
10:21.887 --> 10:23.422
7. You shall not
commit adultery.
10:23.489 --> 10:24.991
8. You shall not steal.
10:25.057 --> 10:27.026
9. You shall not bear
false witness.
10:27.093 --> 10:29.161
10. [And] You shall not covet.
10:29.228 --> 10:31.097
Yet, if you ask a
Roman Catholic,
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you might get this list of
summarized commandments:
10:34.400 --> 10:36.335
1. You shall have
no other gods.
10:36.402 --> 10:38.371
2. You shall not take
God's name in vain.
10:38.437 --> 10:41.007
3. You shall remember the
Sabbath day and keep it holy.
10:41.073 --> 10:43.142
4. You shall honor your
father and your mother.
10:43.209 --> 10:44.310
5. You shall not murder.
10:44.377 --> 10:46.012
6. You shall not
commit adultery.
10:46.078 --> 10:47.413
7. You shall not steal.
10:47.480 --> 10:49.181
8. You shall not bear
false witness.
10:49.248 --> 10:51.517
9. You shall not covet
your neighbor's wife.
10:51.584 --> 10:54.720
10. [And] You shall not covet
your neighbor's goods.
10:54.787 --> 10:59.592
You'll surely notice that those
two lists are not the same...
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The first one has a commandment against the use of idols, the
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second commandment, but that commandment doesn't show up
11:07.266 --> 11:11.303
at all in the second list,
the Roman Catholic one.
11:11.370 --> 11:15.908
And in the first list, the last commandment is against coveting.
11:15.975 --> 11:18.811
But in the second list,
the Roman Catholic one,
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that command is split into
two commands: Not coveting
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your neighbor's wife, and not coveting your neighbor's goods.
11:27.653 --> 11:30.589
So, that brings us to today's second Bible question:
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"Which are the right
'Ten Commandments'?"
11:34.060 --> 11:36.095
We know that there
are ten because the
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Bible says so, itself.
11:37.997 --> 11:43.202
We see this in Exodus 34:28, Deuteronomy 4:13, and
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Deuteronomy 10:4.
11:45.137 --> 11:47.673
But which are the Ten?
11:47.740 --> 11:50.342
To find the answer, you might look at Deuteronomy 5,
11:50.409 --> 11:52.511
which lists all
ten commandments.
11:52.578 --> 11:57.817
There we see the final passage stated this way in verse 21:
11:57.883 --> 12:00.786
"You shall not covet your neighbor's wife; and
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you shall not desire
your neighbor's house,
12:03.022 --> 12:07.059
his field, his male servant,
his female servant, his ox,
12:07.126 --> 12:10.529
his donkey, or anything
that is your neighbor's."
12:10.596 --> 12:13.799
But should "You shall not
covet your neighbor's wife"
12:13.866 --> 12:17.503
be broken out as a separate commandment from "you shall
12:17.570 --> 12:20.840
not desire your neighbor's house, his field, etc."?
12:20.906 --> 12:23.642
The verse numbering was
added later by scholars,
12:23.709 --> 12:25.144
so that doesn't help.
12:25.211 --> 12:28.380
Looking at the verse, it
seems that there's no way
12:28.447 --> 12:30.549
to tell--so is the answer
to the question,
12:30.616 --> 12:32.351
"Which are the right
'Ten Commandments'?"
12:32.418 --> 12:35.121
"Well, it depends
on whom you ask"?
12:35.187 --> 12:36.589
Nonsense.
12:36.655 --> 12:39.325
Because the truth is not determined by Roman Catholic
12:39.391 --> 12:43.262
councils or Lutheran synods
or Evangelical conferences.
12:43.329 --> 12:46.532
The truth is determined by the word of God, and when it
12:46.599 --> 12:50.269
comes to His commandments,
He makes the answer plain.
12:50.336 --> 12:53.272
To discover it, we just
need to use another
12:53.339 --> 12:56.075
helpful principle for
understanding the Bible:
12:56.142 --> 13:00.779
Examine other scriptures
that cover the same topic.
13:00.846 --> 13:03.549
Jesus Christ said
in John 10:35 that
13:03.616 --> 13:05.618
"the Scripture cannot
be broken"--
13:05.684 --> 13:08.220
meaning God's word does
not contradict itself.
13:08.287 --> 13:10.523
So, if two passages of
the Bible speak about
13:10.589 --> 13:14.093
the same subject, including
the Ten Commandments, they
13:14.160 --> 13:15.661
must both be true.
13:15.728 --> 13:17.930
In this case, we should
ask ourselves: Is there
13:17.997 --> 13:21.967
any other passage that also lists the Ten Commandments,
13:22.034 --> 13:23.636
other than Deuteronomy 5?
13:23.702 --> 13:25.671
And, yes, there is.
13:25.738 --> 13:29.842
The Ten Commandments are
also listed in Exodus 20.
13:29.909 --> 13:33.612
In fact, that chapter comes before Deuteronomy 5,
13:33.679 --> 13:37.116
and is the chapter most
would turn to first to
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read the Ten Commandments
in the Bible.
13:38.918 --> 13:42.755
There, we can read the end of the commandments in verse 17:
13:42.821 --> 13:45.691
"You shall not covet
your neighbor's house;
13:45.758 --> 13:48.260
you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor
13:48.327 --> 13:50.930
his male servant, nor his
female servant, nor his ox,
13:50.996 --> 13:54.433
nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's."
13:54.500 --> 13:57.002
Notice one very important
difference from the way
13:57.069 --> 13:59.838
Moses worded the ending
in Deuteronomy 5...
13:59.905 --> 14:03.075
When God spoke these words
in Exodus 20, the part about
14:03.142 --> 14:06.912
not covering your neighbor's wife is placed inside the
14:06.979 --> 14:10.649
rest--after the part about
your neighbor's house.
14:10.716 --> 14:13.552
So, when God spoke the Ten
Commandments in Exodus 20,
14:13.619 --> 14:15.921
did He accidentally
mix them up?
14:15.988 --> 14:19.225
Did He start by going from the eighth commandment and skipping
14:19.291 --> 14:22.294
the ninth to give part of
the tenth commandment,
14:22.361 --> 14:24.096
"You shall not covet
your neighbor's house,"
14:24.163 --> 14:26.899
then jump back to
the ninth commandment,
14:26.966 --> 14:29.902
"You shall not covet your
neighbor's wife," only to
14:29.969 --> 14:32.771
jump forward again to
finish the tenth?
14:32.838 --> 14:34.206
That's ridiculous.
14:34.273 --> 14:37.476
If anyone understands the
Ten Commandments, it's the
14:37.543 --> 14:41.347
divine One who spoke them
aloud at Mount Sinai.
14:41.413 --> 14:45.050
And these two passages,
Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5,
14:45.117 --> 14:48.287
cannot both be right
if the commandment against
14:48.354 --> 14:51.557
coveting is split into
two pieces--coveting your
14:51.624 --> 14:54.660
neighbor's wife and then
coveting everything else.
14:54.727 --> 14:59.365
They only work if there is
only one commandment--the
14:59.431 --> 15:02.468
tenth commandment--against
coveting anything that
15:02.534 --> 15:03.736
is your neighbor's.
15:03.802 --> 15:07.106
So, which Ten Commandments
is the real Ten Commandments?
15:07.172 --> 15:10.442
The one that includes an
explicit 2nd commandment
15:10.509 --> 15:13.946
against making and worshiping idols and that has one
15:14.013 --> 15:17.816
unified 10th commandment
against coveting.
15:17.883 --> 15:19.585
And you don't have to
take my word for it.
15:19.652 --> 15:22.288
Take the Apostle Paul's,
who summarized the
15:22.354 --> 15:25.791
single 10th commandment
himself as, simply,
15:25.858 --> 15:28.661
"You shall not covet".
15:28.727 --> 15:30.496
So, if you are wondering who
gets the Ten Commandments
15:30.562 --> 15:33.799
right, your local clergyman
or the Creator of the Universe
15:33.866 --> 15:36.902
who thundered them to His
people at Mount Sinai...
15:36.969 --> 15:39.305
I'd stick with
your Creator.
15:39.371 --> 15:42.174
That brings us to our
third and final question.
15:42.241 --> 15:44.877
And this one, I admit,
totally ruins one
15:44.943 --> 15:46.912
of my favorite
childhood stories.
15:46.979 --> 15:49.315
First, I'll give you
another opportunity to
15:49.381 --> 15:52.117
request today's free
offer, our beautiful
15:52.184 --> 15:55.421
24-lesson Tomorrow's
World Bible Study Course.
15:55.487 --> 15:57.790
This course has been
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15:57.856 --> 16:00.559
help you gain the intimate
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16:00.626 --> 16:03.128
word of God that you
have always wanted.
16:03.195 --> 16:06.198
Each mailing will give you
four lessons, designed to
16:06.265 --> 16:09.401
take you through a variety of Biblical topics, that will
16:09.468 --> 16:12.905
increase your understanding,
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16:12.971 --> 16:14.340
of the world around you.
16:14.406 --> 16:16.408
I understand that it is
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away an entire 24-lesson
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16:20.112 --> 16:23.082
But as long-time viewers
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16:23.148 --> 16:26.385
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16:26.452 --> 16:28.821
with no strings
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When you contact us to get
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and we take that
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16:41.033 --> 16:43.769
Here's information you can
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16:43.836 --> 16:46.638
four lessons, and then don't
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16:46.705 --> 16:48.674
to kick two people
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16:48.741 --> 16:50.008
You won't want to miss it.
16:50.075 --> 16:51.076
♪
16:51.143 --> 16:52.978
This clear and
straight-forward resource
16:53.045 --> 16:55.514
will help you understand
this vital truth--
16:55.581 --> 16:58.517
straight from the
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16:58.584 --> 16:59.418
Call now!
16:59.485 --> 17:03.689
Or go to...
17:03.756 --> 17:05.491
♪
17:05.557 --> 17:08.427
Our third question involves
two famous individuals in
17:08.494 --> 17:11.196
the Bible: Enoch and
Elijah the prophet.
17:11.263 --> 17:14.500
Now in the case of Enoch,
Genesis 5 gives us an
17:14.566 --> 17:17.836
interesting tale concerning
this ancient patriarch.
17:17.903 --> 17:21.240
Amidst many who were sinning
and living unrighteously,
17:21.306 --> 17:23.742
we read of him beginning
in verse 21:
17:23.809 --> 17:27.646
"Enoch lived sixty-five years, and begot Methuselah.
17:27.713 --> 17:30.849
After he begot Methuselah,
Enoch walked with God
17:30.916 --> 17:34.086
three hundred years, and
had sons and daughters.
17:34.153 --> 17:36.989
So all the days of Enoch
were three hundred and
17:37.055 --> 17:38.657
sixty-five years.
17:38.724 --> 17:44.029
And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him."
17:44.096 --> 17:47.800
The phrases "he was not"
and "God took him" have
17:47.866 --> 17:49.935
led many to believe that
Enoch was removed
17:50.002 --> 17:52.404
from earth and taken
into heaven.
17:52.471 --> 17:54.640
In fact, when I was a
child, I had a popular
17:54.706 --> 17:57.709
Children's Bible that told
its version of the story of
17:57.776 --> 18:01.914
Enoch and titled it "The Man
Who Walked into Heaven".
18:01.980 --> 18:04.016
This understanding is
bolstered in the eyes of
18:04.082 --> 18:06.919
many by the fact that the
passage does not mention
18:06.985 --> 18:09.588
his death explicitly,
and the Apostle Paul,
18:09.655 --> 18:12.291
writing in Hebrews,
said that Enoch was
18:12.357 --> 18:15.260
"taken away so that he
did not see death."
18:15.327 --> 18:18.831
Like Enoch, another biblical figure is thought by
18:18.897 --> 18:21.800
many to be in heaven:
The prophet Elijah.
18:21.867 --> 18:25.370
In chapter 2 of the book
of 2 Kings, we read how
18:25.437 --> 18:28.307
the time came for the mantle
of prophetic leadership
18:28.373 --> 18:32.277
to be passed from Elijah
to his protégé Elisha:
18:32.344 --> 18:35.714
"Then it happened, as they continued on and talked,
18:35.781 --> 18:38.884
that suddenly a chariot
of fire appeared with
18:38.951 --> 18:42.387
horses of fire, and
separated the two of them;
18:42.454 --> 18:46.291
and Elijah went up by a
whirlwind into heaven."
18:46.358 --> 18:48.994
Now part of the challenge
in these passages is that
18:49.061 --> 18:51.997
the language is ambiguous
and open to interpretation.
18:52.064 --> 18:54.933
Nowhere in the story of
Enoch are we told where
18:55.000 --> 18:58.036
he was taken, and nothing
explicitly and clearly
18:58.103 --> 18:59.938
says that he did not die.
19:00.005 --> 19:03.775
And in the case of Elijah, the Bible speaks of three heavens:
19:03.842 --> 19:06.545
the air above us where
birds fly and clouds move,
19:06.612 --> 19:09.548
and the space above that
in which the stars shine,
19:09.615 --> 19:12.451
and then what Paul calls
"the third heaven"
19:12.518 --> 19:14.386
in which God dwells.
19:14.453 --> 19:17.389
Whenever heaven is mentioned
in the pages of your Bible,
19:17.456 --> 19:21.126
it's vital to keep in mind
these three different
19:21.193 --> 19:25.030
possibilities and determine
from the context, which one
19:25.097 --> 19:26.832
applies to the passage.
19:26.899 --> 19:30.068
Which one applies here
to Elijah's chariot ride
19:30.135 --> 19:32.137
is not immediately clear.
19:32.204 --> 19:34.506
All of this brings us to
the common question:
19:34.573 --> 19:37.676
"Are Enoch and Elijah
in heaven?"
19:37.743 --> 19:40.946
That is, are Enoch and
Elijah still living up in
19:41.013 --> 19:43.582
heaven, in the presence
of God and the angels?
19:43.649 --> 19:46.351
The details of what
happened to Enoch and
19:46.418 --> 19:49.221
Elijah after their
disappearance is a larger
19:49.288 --> 19:52.157
topic than we have time
for, but the answer to
19:52.224 --> 19:55.594
the question itself is
actually very easy--and it
19:55.661 --> 19:59.131
involves a third fundamental principle that is eminently
19:59.197 --> 20:02.434
helpful for anyone trying to understand the Bible:
20:02.501 --> 20:05.904
Use plain scriptures
to help explain those
20:05.971 --> 20:07.773
that are more ambiguous.
20:07.839 --> 20:10.809
In this case, the tales
of Enoch and Elijah
20:10.876 --> 20:13.378
have ambiguities that
we need to resolve.
20:13.445 --> 20:16.782
Yet, there are very plain
passages that are far
20:16.848 --> 20:18.717
easier to understand.
20:18.784 --> 20:21.687
And these passages leave us
no doubt as to the whether
20:21.753 --> 20:25.057
or not Enoch and Elijah
are alive in heaven.
20:25.123 --> 20:28.527
Let's look at one--spoken
by none other than the
20:28.594 --> 20:31.863
Son of God, Himself:
Jesus Christ.
20:31.930 --> 20:35.133
Speaking to a Pharisee named Nicodemus, who himself
20:35.200 --> 20:38.337
may have believed Enoch and Elijah were in heaven,
20:38.403 --> 20:42.808
Jesus is very plain,
saying in John 3:13,
20:42.874 --> 20:47.212
"No one has ascended to
heaven but He who came down
20:47.279 --> 20:51.149
from heaven, that is, the Son
of Man who is in heaven."
20:51.216 --> 20:54.620
There you have it
from Jesus' own mouth:
20:54.686 --> 20:57.723
no one has ascended
into heaven.
20:57.789 --> 21:00.826
Jesus Christ, the Son of
Man and the Son of God,
21:00.892 --> 21:04.896
is the only Man to have traversed both heaven and earth.
21:04.963 --> 21:08.100
He didn't say "No one but
two..." or "No one but
21:08.166 --> 21:11.870
Enoch and Elijah..."
He said "No one."
21:11.937 --> 21:15.607
And that leaves no room for our
two Old Testament friends.
21:15.674 --> 21:17.442
In fact, we can go further.
21:17.509 --> 21:21.046
We mentioned earlier that Enoch is mentioned in Hebrews.
21:21.113 --> 21:24.349
That passage, Hebrews 11,
is called by some the
21:24.416 --> 21:28.920
"Heroes of Faith" chapter, and Enoch is mentioned in verse 5.
21:28.987 --> 21:32.958
But later, in verse 13,
we're told very plainly
21:33.025 --> 21:36.928
what has happened to all of
these "heroes of faith":
21:36.995 --> 21:43.368
"These all died in faith, not having received the promises..."
21:43.435 --> 21:47.472
"These all" would include
Enoch, eight verses earlier.
21:47.539 --> 21:50.876
In fact, of course Enoch
and Elijah have died...
21:50.942 --> 21:53.311
Romans 3:23 promises us that
21:53.378 --> 21:57.049
"all have sinned and fall
short of the glory of God,"
21:57.115 --> 21:59.184
and Romans 6:23 tells us that
21:59.251 --> 22:02.320
"the wages of sin is death."
22:02.387 --> 22:05.624
More could be said, but no
matter what tale we might
22:05.691 --> 22:09.294
speculate about concerning
Enoch and Elijah, these
22:09.361 --> 22:13.699
plain verses limit us
to what must be true:
22:13.765 --> 22:16.568
That Enoch and Elijah
are now dead, awaiting
22:16.635 --> 22:19.671
their reward, and
are not in heaven.
22:19.738 --> 22:22.240
To claim otherwise would
be to disagree with
22:22.307 --> 22:25.343
the declaration of
Jesus Christ Himself.
22:25.410 --> 22:27.779
In this case, the plain
verses of the Bible
22:27.846 --> 22:30.482
add clarity to those
that are more open
22:30.549 --> 22:33.885
to misinterpretation
and misunderstanding.
22:33.952 --> 22:36.888
In our last segment, we'll summarize what we've
22:36.955 --> 22:39.958
learned today--but first I
need to give you one more
22:40.025 --> 22:42.861
opportunity to request
our free 24-lesson
22:42.928 --> 22:45.263
Tomorrow's World
Bible Study Course.
22:45.330 --> 22:47.165
Whether you have never
cracked open a Bible
22:47.232 --> 22:49.634
before or whether you are
a long-time student of
22:49.701 --> 22:52.204
the Scriptures desiring
a deeper understanding,
22:52.270 --> 22:55.640
this life-changing course
was designed for you--
22:55.707 --> 22:58.510
allowing you to study at
your own pace in the
22:58.577 --> 23:00.312
comfort of your own home.
23:00.378 --> 23:03.749
So many people all over
the world are using
23:03.815 --> 23:06.985
the Tomorrow's World Bible
Study Course, to understand
23:07.052 --> 23:10.288
challenging ideas in the
Bible for the first time
23:10.355 --> 23:11.556
in their lives.
23:11.623 --> 23:14.993
Whether your question is about the natures of God and man,
23:15.060 --> 23:18.029
how to understand prophecy
and what lies ahead,
23:18.096 --> 23:23.001
the origins of civilization,
how to pray and build a
23:23.068 --> 23:27.305
relationship with God, or the very purpose of life itself,
23:27.372 --> 23:31.209
this Bible Study Course has
been carefully crafted to
23:31.276 --> 23:34.946
guide you through God's word
at the pace you feel most
23:35.013 --> 23:38.817
comfortable with, opening up
the Bible's ideas in new ways
23:38.884 --> 23:42.320
whether you're a first time Bible student or a long-time
23:42.387 --> 23:44.089
reader of the Scriptures.
23:44.156 --> 23:47.292
Accelerate your understanding
of the most important book
23:47.359 --> 23:50.695
in the world by ordering your
first lessons right now,
23:50.762 --> 23:53.231
and I'll be right back to highlight the lessons you
23:53.298 --> 23:56.935
can begin applying today
in your own Bible study.
23:57.002 --> 23:57.836
♪
23:57.903 --> 24:05.143
For today's free
offer call...
24:05.210 --> 24:10.148
Or go to...
24:10.215 --> 24:12.818
This clear and
straight-forward resource
24:12.884 --> 24:15.387
will help you understand
this vital truth--
24:15.453 --> 24:18.790
straight from the
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24:18.857 --> 24:21.426
If you're calling for the
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24:24.129 --> 24:25.497
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24:29.000 --> 24:31.770
and modern culture will
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24:31.837 --> 24:35.640
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24:35.707 --> 24:38.443
Call today and join
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24:38.510 --> 24:41.012
who are turning to
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24:41.079 --> 24:46.852
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Call now!
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Or go to...
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♪
24:57.429 --> 25:00.165
Today we've answered three
questions that leave some
25:00.232 --> 25:03.235
confused about what the
Bible says, and we've seen
25:03.301 --> 25:07.038
God's own inspired answers
to those questions.
25:07.105 --> 25:09.341
Concerning where Cain could
have gotten his wife,
25:09.407 --> 25:11.943
we've seen that Adam and
Eve had many children,
25:12.010 --> 25:15.881
including daughters, easily providing a wife for Cain.
25:15.947 --> 25:18.850
Concerning which collection are the right "Ten Commandments,"
25:18.917 --> 25:21.686
we've seen that skipping
the third commandment about
25:21.753 --> 25:25.257
idols and splitting the tenth commandment about coveting into
25:25.323 --> 25:29.160
two different commandments
violates the word of God.
25:29.227 --> 25:32.564
And as for Enoch and Elijah,
we have determined that, no,
25:32.631 --> 25:35.734
they are not in heaven--
trusting Jesus Christ
25:35.800 --> 25:38.603
when He says that He is
the only man to have
25:38.670 --> 25:41.539
trod both heaven and
earth at this time.
25:41.606 --> 25:44.175
But more than simply
answering three questions,
25:44.242 --> 25:46.578
we've also illustrated
three solid principles
25:46.645 --> 25:49.714
that you can use in
your own Bible study:
25:49.781 --> 25:53.084
Examine the context around
the verse or passage.
25:53.151 --> 25:55.987
Examine other scriptures
that cover the same topic.
25:56.054 --> 25:59.791
[And] Use plain scriptures
to help explain those that
25:59.858 --> 26:01.092
are more ambiguous.
26:01.159 --> 26:05.563
And studying your Bible is
worth the time you invest.
26:05.630 --> 26:08.900
As the Apostle Peter told
Jesus Christ after His
26:08.967 --> 26:12.337
Master had just delivered
a challenging message that
26:12.404 --> 26:14.105
was difficult to understand,
26:14.172 --> 26:17.409
"Lord, to whom shall we go?
26:17.475 --> 26:21.179
You have the words
of eternal life."
26:21.246 --> 26:24.950
And the inspired words of
the Bible are just that:
26:25.016 --> 26:27.619
the words of eternal life.
26:27.686 --> 26:29.754
Your effort to understand
them will be rewarded
26:29.821 --> 26:33.058
beyond your wildest dreams.
26:33.124 --> 26:35.093
If you're serious about
understanding the words of
26:35.160 --> 26:37.629
life, then I can't think
of a more powerful way
26:37.696 --> 26:40.799
to begin than requesting
today's free offer,
26:40.865 --> 26:44.569
the 24-lesson Tomorrow's
World Bible Study Course.
26:44.636 --> 26:48.039
This study course is unique, designed to teach you what
26:48.106 --> 26:52.911
the Bible itself says, not
what man says about the Bible.
26:52.978 --> 26:55.747
Whether you have never
cracked open a Bible before
26:55.814 --> 26:58.750
or whether you're a long-time student of the Scriptures
26:58.817 --> 27:01.720
desiring a deeper
understanding, this
27:01.786 --> 27:04.222
life-changing course
was designed for you,
27:04.289 --> 27:07.192
allowing you to study at
your own pace in the
27:07.258 --> 27:08.893
comfort of your own home.
27:08.960 --> 27:11.496
As always, there
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27:11.563 --> 27:15.867
All 24 lessons are absolutely free, no strings attached,
27:15.934 --> 27:18.370
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27:18.436 --> 27:22.674
You have nothing to risk, but all of God's word to gain.
27:22.741 --> 27:27.078
All you have to do is start by ordering your first free lesson.
27:27.145 --> 27:31.516
Don't let anything stand between you and the word of God.
27:31.583 --> 27:34.085
It's time to understand.
27:34.152 --> 27:37.188
I hope you'll order your free
copy--and I hope you'll
27:37.255 --> 27:38.556
come back next week.
27:38.623 --> 27:41.259
When you do, you'll find that Gerald Weston, Richard Ames,
27:41.326 --> 27:44.596
Rod McNair, and I will be
right here waiting for you,
27:44.662 --> 27:46.898
looking forward to sharing with
you the hope of the coming
27:46.965 --> 27:50.502
Kingdom of God, the inspiring teachings of Jesus Christ,
27:50.568 --> 27:53.838
and the vital end-time prophecies of the Bible.
27:53.905 --> 27:56.508
Until we see you
again, take care.
27:56.574 --> 27:57.375
♪
27:57.442 --> 28:04.049
For today's free
offer call...
28:04.115 --> 28:08.319
Or go to...
28:08.386 --> 28:11.056
Call today and join
millions around the world
28:11.122 --> 28:13.792
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Tomorrow's World for
28:13.858 --> 28:17.729
truth, prophecy, and hope
in these confusing times.
28:17.796 --> 28:20.198
♪
28:20.265 --> 28:22.333
The preceding program
is produced by the
28:22.400 --> 28:23.368
Living Church of God.
28:23.435 --> 28:24.769
♪