Dr. Louis T. Talbot
natural and superhuman he is not all-knowing. If he were not limited then it could not be said: “ Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4). I thank God that Satan cannot tempt us in any way without God’s permission, and that with every temptation God Him self makes a way of escape (1 Cor. 10:13). Who Is Michael? Is Michael, mentioned in Daniel 10:21, the Lord Jesus? No. In Jude 9 we read: “ Yet Mich ael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.’ ’ Michael called upon the Lord to'rebuke Satan, but Jesus is the Lord Himself. Thus, you see, Michael cannot be the Lord. Carnal Christians W ill Christians who walk after their own lusts and desires inherit heaven? If by Christians you mean those who have truly been bom again, your answer is, Yes. All born-again persons will inherit heaven, but car nal Christians will lose much of bless ing for their carnality, both here and hereafter (1 Cor. 3:11-15; 11:30-32). Conversion of the Apostles Had the apostles been converted before being called by Christ? There is no evidence that the apos tles (disciples) had been converted before they were called by Christ. As a matter of fact I doubt whether any of them were bom again until the in cident related in Matthew 16:16, where Simon Peter made the great confession by which he became a child of God. Destruction of Jerusalem In what period of Church history would you place the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus? Jerusalem was destroyed by the Roman armies under Titus in the year A.D. 70. The beginning of the Church was A.D. 30 with the descent of the Holy Spirit ten days after the ascension of our Lord. Thus the de struction of Jerusalem was 40 years after the birth of Christ.
idle words here covers gossip, exces sive foolish talking, and the like. Those sins are taken care of in other Scriptures. This is much more serious, amounting practically to a denial of Christ in life while professing Him with the lips. The Oldest Book Which is the oldest book in the Bible? The book of Job is said to be the oldest in the Bible, seeing it is the record of one who lived in the pa triarchal age. There is an absence of references to the Mosaic law, the ceremonials and sacrifices, and this very fact would indicate that it is older than any of the five books of Moses (Genesis to Deuteronomy). The New Jerusalem What about the “New Jerusalem” in Rev. 21:10-27? It is not heaven, but seems, to be a heavenly city. Is it in mid-air? The New Jerusalem is that part of God’s universe where He manifests Himself, where God is seen. Now God is of course everywhere, for He is om nipresent, but in the New Jerusalem His presence is not only felt, but seen. The New Jerusalem is a literal city. It will be the home of the Bride of Christ, although our service for the Lord in the ages to come will extend to the whole universe. Israel is asso ciated with the New Jerusalem, and the Bride with the New Jerusalem. The New Jerusalem is somewhere in the universe at present, but during the millennium it will be suspended like a huge chandelier over the earth, and “ The nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it” (Rev. 21:24). The earth at present is God’s footstool but when the New Jerusalem is associated with the earth, the earth will become God’s throne, and will be one with the New Jeru salem during the eternal ages. Is Satan Omniscient? Speaking of Satan 1 have heard it said that he tempts us where we are weakest. If this is true then he must be all-knowing. Does the Bible give us any light on this subject? Satan is not omniscient. I am glad to believe that although he is super
Fully Persuaded What is the meaning of “Let every man (be fu lly persuaded in his own mind” ? (Rom. 14:5.) This exhortation to every man means that each of us for himself must study the Word of God until convinced as to what that Word teaches, and then having come to know what it teaches we must obey it. We all need to pray definitely for two things—wisdom and grace. We need wisdom to know the will of God, and then we need grace to do that will when we know it. God's Permissive Will A child was killed in an automo bile accident. Was it God’s w ill that he should be killed. W e know God has power to prevent it. Yes, we know He has all power, and could prevent it. Since He did not prevent it, the accident was His permissive will. There is a vast dif ference between His directive will and His permissive will. No one knows why God permits such a thing as you have described, but that God has a good and righteous reason will not be doubted by any who have put their trust in Him. “ Someday we’ll understand.” Idle Words What are “ idle words” referred to in Matthew 12:36? Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament states as follows in regard to this adjective: “ The word is com pounded of the Greek words for not, and work. ‘An idle word is a non-work ing word. It has no legitimate work, no office, no business, but is morally useless and unprofitable.” If you read the entire chapter, you will note that the Lord Jesus Christ is speaking to the Pharisees, and warning them against empty profession ‘(outward religion), when their hearts were not right with God. In other words, idle words would be just words without mean ing, a claim of righteousness while “ denying the power thereof.” In that sense it is taking the name of the Lord in vain, pretending a knowl edge of Him, and a holiness they did not possess. I do not think from the context that
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