 Welcome to Hard Questions, where we gather pastors together to take on your tough questions and answer them right from the Bible. I'm Tom Hollis, the moderator, and today our panelists include... Dr. Weymar Glaze, Bethany Baptist Church in Pittsburgh. Pastor Mark Motor, Berean Church in the South Hills of Pittsburgh. Pete Giacalone, Lead Pastor, South Hills Assembly of God Church in Pittsburgh. Anthony Gilbert, pastor of another level in the North Hills area, PA. Okay, so you move your church. It wasn't Bethel Park before. All right, well, today on Hard Questions, we're taking on your questions from the hotline. Let's start with this one. I was just wondering if the Jewish people are the chosen people, but they don't believe in Jesus. Are they still under the salvation automatically as Jewish people? This is a really interesting question. And Mark, let's go over to you. Well, we know that the Jews are God's chosen people. They were chosen by the Lord. They have an eternal covenant, but that doesn't mean that they're automatically saved. And I think of Romans, and it's very interesting because in Romans one, it reveals the guilt of the Gentiles who have not received Christ. Romans two shows the guilt of the Jews. And then in chapter three, it shows that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. And so it's really important to recognize that even though God has a call, a covenant with Him, they still need to be born again. I think of one particular Jew, Nicodemus, great Pharisee, hungry, comes to Jesus at night. And Jesus says to him this phrase, you must be born again. So here's a Jewish man. He knows the scriptures. He's learned it in the scriptures, but he had to have that personal relationship with the Messiah. Yeah, that is so good. Pastor Jay. I'm basically, I think you then covered all of that one there. I honestly, I mean, I think he covered all that there. But it's interesting because there are some that waver on this whole issue. Because some believe that just because they're Jewish. Remember, if this is the cross, the Old Testament was saved looking by faith towards the cross. Those who are during the cross were saved looking at the cross. We are saved looking back as a historical event where the cross is taking place. But the key factor is the cross without the cross, without a savior. Jesus said, there's no other name whereby a man can be saved. And no man comes under the father, but by me. We've got to hold on to those scriptures because again, we all know there's teachings out there that are saying that just because they're Jewish, they're automatically going to heaven. I don't believe that. I don't believe the Bible teaches that. There's no other way by the way of the Lord Jesus Christ. I've heard it referred to as dual covenant theology. This is a heresy. This is a heresy saying that you could be saved. Well, I've talked to a Jewish rabbi and several times in the scriptures, it says that all Israel shall be saved. And he pointed to those verses. I think there's one in Zachariah and one in Revelation. He said, well, this is proof that all the Jewish people will be saved. But I said, if you look at Zachariah and read that passage, it says that they will look on him whom they have pierced and they were mourned. And so I look at that and it may be a national repentance, but it's only gonna be those who turn to Jesus in their heart. You know, so there may be a national turning where, you know, a whole lot of Jewish people turn. So I think that that's what it's talking about when it says all Israel shall be saved, that they're gonna look to him at that point, not meaning that every last Jewish person is gonna be saved because they're Jewish. And they really won't go deep with you in Isaiah 53, will they? No. Because Isaiah 53 pinpoints Jesus. Isn't it verse six? They jump over that when they read it. They actually intentionally jump over that part. Yeah, they will not. And so that's, I mean, that's the whole thing is Pete, you had the same verse I had. There is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved. That's Acts 412, the first sermon ever preached there. You know, and that is what we need to understand is we're all saved the same way. No matter where we come from, it's through Jesus Christ. So good question though, let's go to the next one. Hi, my question is, when Christ rode into Jerusalem on a donkey and the Jewish people were praising him and waving palms at him and loving on him, and the very next day they were cursing him and yelling crucify him, what did he say to them that caused the Jewish people to turn away from him so quickly? What was it that Christ said or did to them? All right, this is a great question. I think it's one that's troubled many people for a long time, Pastor Jay. Yeah, I think it's really unique. We need more preachers like that nowadays. She's reading through that and going to my mind thinking about how all people were shouting his name, but he never changed his message. He still went back and where did he not offend them? I mean, he preached on everything. He flipped the tables over in the temple. I mean, he's going through all the things he's called in the scribes, that they're hypocrites, the Pharisees are this. I mean, it's the same thing. He might say, hey, I'm taking it all in, but he still stayed true to his message. And so where the dilemma lies though, is the fact that it wasn't just the next day. It was a few days later because the scribes and Pharisees wanted to kill him, but they said, man, they feared the people because of they were celebrating him. And so that's where when Jesus was in the upper room doing the Passover, the Bible says that Satan went into Judas' heart and then he went back to them and that's how they got their open door. They said, okay, one of his own came in and brought him to them. So then they didn't have to say as the people, it was Judas that brought them to them and that's how they got the open door. And I've heard it shared before. That's the reason why you need to thank God for the Judas' that are in your life because without them, they're the ones that are actually, the ones that set you up for your resurrection. If you think about it, Jesus' betrayal came from in his inner camp. It didn't even come from the scribes and Pharisees. It came from within his own house. So many times that might even be a word for some of those watchers. Sometimes you may wonder, why are people in my own home turning against me? If they turned against Jesus, they'll turn against you. But thank God for them because it's working for you and God is gonna use what's going on even in your home to set you up for the next level of what God has for your life. So it wasn't necessarily the people, why they changed it, all that it was, God was opening up that door for Jesus to be crucified and he had to use Judas in order to get that not the scribes and the Pharisees or the people. All right. I think another part of that too is when you look at, they shouted Hosanna. What does that mean? That means deliver us. And so those individuals are looking for deliverance from the Roman system. Even the disciples in Acts chapter one, they said to Jesus, will you at this time restore the kingdom? So, and they laid these palm branches down and that was the reception of a king. And then you look a couple of days later, he's being betrayed, he's being crucified and it's almost like there was like a let down. And so I think that added to the fickleness of that crowd too, is that when they expected him to deliver them and then they see him being put on trial and they see him being mocked and ridiculed, I think that kind of added to that also. Yeah, that's good. I call it the mob mentality because the home, they didn't get what they want. It's not, I tell my people, this isn't Burger King. As you said, they wanted the deliverance now. They wanted the new kingdom set up now. They wanted the Roman Empire destroyed now and Jesus didn't give them what they wanted. So they said, crucify him. Wow. Wow, Pastor Mark. I have nothing really to add to that. Well, just one other thing I've found is, when was this? What season was this? It was Passover, right? So there were pilgrims coming into the city too that probably hadn't even seen Jesus yet. In many cases, maybe they were the ones that were really doing the shouting and then their Jerusalem cousins might have said, hey, we don't really like this guy. You know, another thing too that we miss is that Jesus came into the city on the same day that they selected the Passover last. So when he came, he was telling them, I'm the Lamb of God, you know? Why would he come on that day? Why would he come on Lamb selection day? You know, he came because he was identifying with the fact that he was offering himself as the Lamb of God. That is a really good point. That is great. Well, great question. We appreciate that. Stay tuned. We'll be back in just 60 seconds and we'll ask why did Jesus go to hell? Welcome back to the show. We're taking your calls from the hard question hotline. If you'd like to leave us your question, we'd love to have it. So we encourage you to call 412-349-4326. We love answering your hard questions on the air. Let's go to the next one now. Hi, I have a question. I want to know why Jesus went, when he rose from the dead, why did he go down to hell before he ascended into heaven? I'm very curious about that. And I don't know the reason. And what did he do down there? And why did he go? I love that last part. What did he do down there anyway? I do like that question though. This is a very interesting question and historically controversial, but Pastor Pete starts off. I'm gonna go to Ephesians 4-8-10. Therefore he says when he ascended on high, he led captivity captive and gave gifts to men. Now this, he ascended, what does it mean? But that he also first descended into the lower parts of the earth. He also descended, is also the one who ascended far above all heavens, that he might fulfill all things. All right, here we go. I was always taught that, and again, if you take a look at Luke chapter 16 about Lazarus and the rich man, that in hell, Hades, down there, there was two compartments. The compartment where the saved, if we can say that, the redeemed, the covered were at. And then the other compartment were those who were non-believers, if I can use that terminology to bring up the date. So when Christ descended, he went there and many believed, took the keys off Satan himself and he took those who were in, I don't wanna use the word paradise, but took them- Abraham's bosom. Abraham's bosom, exactly. He took them from Abraham's bosom and he led them because he told the thief on the cross this day, you gotta put all of us together. This day you shall be with me in paradise. So he went down to take those, not that they were locked up in there. I mean, they were in a beautiful place, but God had a better place because of the resurrection of Jesus. What it means with, he led captivity. Captivity, they were there, but now they're, and anyone else who dies now is in the presence in paradise with God. Because remember what he said to the rich man and Lazarus, he said there's a chasm here and those who go there can't come here and those who come here can't go there. So there was a dividing point, so he took those and led them. Okay, Pastor Bill. Well, I think that, I mean, as far as, again, I say this a lot, as far as the theology, as I understand it, Pete hit it right on the nail, right on the head. Get out of town, did he really? Yeah, I mean, yeah, I mean, but just think of what it took to get him out, the resurrection, right? Yeah, once he died and rose again, or even some people say, well, he maybe was doing it before he actually rose from the dead. But the fact that he had died and went down there, it was all based on the fact that, as I heard the old preacher say, because he got up, we gonna get up. There's some people said that, well, he had to go down there and he had to suffer. Well, he suffered on a cross. All that was done on a cross, right? There was any other comment on this? Without a doubt, matter of fact, if you look when God first brought man on the earth, he gave him instruction, he put legal, and one of the things you're hearing me talk a lot about in the days to come is I think it's so important that we understand our legal rights. I think that's just so important. He gave Adam how the earth was meant to run. When Adam sinned, God spoke again. And he said, this is how things are gonna run from here on out. Well, when Christ came with the new covenant, he went down into hell. This is my theology, as I understand it. Went down into hell and he proclaimed the new law. He proclaimed to even the devils in hell, this is how things are running now. You've been this way since Adam. Now I'm here and it's amazing. Not only did God declare to Adam to Eve, he also declared to the serpent. So the same way now, he declared it to man. He's also going down in the hell to declare to the serpents again, there's a new tadpole in town. And I'm here, there's a new sheriff in town. And now I'm here to declare to, and that's why they had to come out because he had legal right now, through the blood and the new covenant to go down and say, they belong to my good God almighty. They belong to me now. And everybody had to come out and then we began to church age as a result of what he declared there in hell. That's good, yeah. Just to make it fun, there's a scripture that talks about the fallen angels being cast down to hell. And it's a different Greek word. It is the word Tartarus. And some believe there's a third compartment under the earth called Tartarus. And the scripture says there that Jesus went and preached to the spirits in prison. But that word preached doesn't mean evangelize, it just means to declare. And I believe that's what you're talking about. He went down to say, I told you I was coming back. I've done the job, I've paid the price. And there's no redemption for those that are in Tartarus. But interesting, he preached to the spirits in prison. Wow, that is really great. Really interesting stuff. I know that this has been a, it's in the apostles creed, but it's kind of a historically been disputed. But anyway, great insight from the word of God. Let's go to the next question. My question is in Revelation it says God's going to create a new heaven and a new earth. So are we people that are saved going to live on the earth and God's still going to be a heaven or is there going to be heaven and earth together? Who's going to live on the earth? Who's going to live in heaven? That's confusing to me. Yeah, there is a lot that can be confusing in that Pastor Glace. Well, I was going to say that she's exactly right. It is very confusing. And let me throw a third thing in there that's going to confuse it even more. It says not only a new heaven and new earth, but also a new Jerusalem. So actually you got three. So what's the deal here? It always got me if I could interrupt because it says that the new Jerusalem come down out of heaven. And I'm like, well, why aren't we going up there? Why is it coming down here? Can you help us out there? Yeah, well, there's a couple of viewpoints that some people say was three different places. Some people say, well, it's all one. And then some people say, well, there's a new heaven, new Jerusalem and the new earth. So this is what I believe. I believe that there'll still be a heaven that will be new, that God will recreate it according to 1 Peter chapter three. I believe that out of that comes the new Jerusalem that will hover over the earth and then we'll have the new earth. I believe that as believers, we'll have access to all three places. So to me, it's pretty, I mean, when you break it down like that, it's kind of simple. There's three different entities and we'll have access to all. But not everybody believes there's three different entities, but that's what I would say. That new Jerusalem is cubed. You might understand, 120,000 miles long, 120,000 miles high, and it'll hover over the earth. Yeah, hover over the earth. Wow. That's 1200. Oh, it's 1200? Yeah, yep. I had, was it 1200? I thought it was 1500. 15. I think it's 12. Is it 15 there? We're gonna find out. We'll be right back. Well, by the way, experts are really messed up here right now. Maybe there's 15, but I know it's 100. All right, let me just share one scripture. To me, the book of Hebrews in a word is the word better. And I think of Philippians one where Paul talks about going to be with the Lord and he says, I desire to be with Christ, which is far better. The Greek actually says this, some translations put it this way, far, far better. So my point is, I don't know exactly what it's gonna be like, but I know this. It's not just better. It's not just far better. It is far, far better than we can ever imagine. So let me give you a real quick. What do you think it's gonna be like? Like what, I mean, I has not seen nor ear heard. So what is heaven going to be like for us? What's it gonna seem like for us? Well, Pete talked about this in an earlier show, I believe that in his presence is fullness of joy and that his right hand of pleasure is forevermore. So I think that it's gonna be a place of eternal joy and pleasure, that everything that we do in this life, that's pure and holy because every good and perfect gift comes from above that we will enjoy it to the nth degree. If we play, for instance, if we play baseball, man, we'll play like, I mean, you'll just enjoy it. There'll just be unending joy. If you sing, when you sing, you'll just, I don't think that, as he said, it's indescribable. Just what we'll do. Just think about no fear, no pride, no insecurity. Any of that will be there and we will be free to be who we truly are. Any thoughts on that? Well, yeah, I wanna mention also about the New Jerusalem again. I believe when it comes down to it, it's also the city of where Jesus reigns. And so I believe that's also gonna be a place where, even as the New Jerusalem comes down, we will be coming down with it because we're the bride adorned. So, and I believe what he wanted to establish here on earth, he's gonna do it again. It's not like it's over. That's why we have the 1,000 year millennial reign. So we have that as well, but then he's gonna recreate all the faith. Now I'm gonna establish this earth and this new heaven and this New Jerusalem, the way I've called it to be and everything else that they mentioned about how beautiful it's gonna be. I can only wait. I can only imagine. Yeah, well, that's a great question. I appreciate that. Well, coming up at 60 seconds, we're gonna ask when someone is cremated, how will their body rise from the grave? We'll be right back. Wait a minute, before we go to the question, let's correct ourselves. How big is the New Jerusalem? Okay, pass the glaze. It's four square, 1,500 miles four square. Okay. 12,000 furlongs. 12,000, yeah. Well, we got miles furlongs, cubic diameters here. We're good. All right. It's gonna be big. It's gonna be big and glorious. Let's listen to our next and our last hotline question of the show. Hi, my name is Linda. My question is, when somebody passed away and they get cremated, is that an easy transition for them? And when it's time for the Lord to bring everybody back, will they come back as the same person or somebody different? Okay, question about cremation. We get this question a lot. Pastor Mark. Well, just to remind everyone, if we are a believer and we die, I believe our inward man goes up to be with the Lord in heaven. Our body goes to the earth to decompose. But there is coming a day when Jesus is coming back. We do call that the rapture, which just means the catching up of the church. The Lord himself will come down from heaven and the scripture says, first the believers who have died will rise from their graves. And so if someone's already in heaven, they will come back down and be reunited with their body and then be taken to be with the Lord again. Now you say the cremation, it's scattered. They're just a little bit there. But the reality is even if we die a natural death, if we've been dead for any length of time, there's going to be a great decomposing. So no matter whether it's just a body in the grave or there's a cremation or maybe someone that was mutilated in war, there's nothing too hard for our God when it comes to resurrection. He has the ability to fully, totally resurrect any kind of body in any circumstance. So it'll be the same, we'll be the same person no matter what, God can do anything and put that all back together. Well, you know, and in 1 Corinthians 15, Paul says, I show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment of the twinkling of an eye at the last trump, the trump cell sound. And the cremated, I'm gonna throw the cremated in there, will be raised incorruptible, you know? So, you know, and I'm not a scientist and maybe some of you guys might know better than me, but somebody told me that mass that has been created is never, it never goes away. If that's true, you know, no matter what form is in, if it's in the form of ashes or whatever form is in, you know, God is able to bring it back together again and raise it up. And so once he brings it back together and raises it up, it says that this corruption shall put on incorruption and this mortal shall put on immortality. Yeah, that's good, that's good. Well, and I also believe with that, to give it a break, it's real, real simple. It's like if you had an iPhone, which I have right here, you can put this thing in that beautiful iPhone package in the beginning, but you can put it in a bag as well. It's still going to be an iPhone. The physical body is just the outward part of who we are. It's not the inward part. That iPhone's still gonna go with us to heaven, but God's gonna give it a new body. But I think one of the things, I don't know if I mentioned this before or not, but the reason why the bodies have to be resurrected is because you can't come as a foreign being into the earth. You have to come from this planet. So that's reason why he's rapturing us up and saying, I gotta take your body with you so we can come back legally with him in the seven years of the tribulation, at the end of the seven year tribulation to come into rule and reign. You can't be a foreign entity and come here and rule and reign on the earth. You have to have come from this planet. So that's reason why he's also doing it. So we can come back and have legal right. Let me ask you about this. I'll just open this up to you. Is there a problem with cremation? You know, I mean, we have traditionally buried people. Now cremation is much more popular. People say they don't, you know, that, oh, I don't wanna lay in the casket. I don't want people looking at me. It's really for the family. It's not about, you know, it's foreclosure in many cases, but is there any issue with cremation? Well, you know, I thought as a pastor, you know, I'm seeing more and more people being cremated, you know, whether it's for economic reasons or reasons that people don't want people looking at them. Again, I know you guys are getting tired of hearing me say this. You know, as far as my theology is concerned, that I believe that burial is biblical, you know, because when we are buried, you know, what we are saying are the last message that we are leaving as Christian, as a Christian, that I believe that God is able to raise me up again. And so, you know, if you're cremated, you know, I mean, you're not really making that statement other than, you know, unless you study and know about ashes and stuff like that. You know, but I believe that the statement that's being made when you get buried, like Jesus was buried, you know, that you believe that he's able to raise you up again. Maybe they're really putting God to the test. Love, you can really resurrect me. I'm gonna make you prove it. Honestly, I don't care what you do with me. Throw me in the ocean, burn me out. You know, it's just that, you know, again, many times the funerals and the viewings and everything are more for the family to gather. I was just at one from an uncle yesterday and it was a time of healing and a time to pray for one another and a time to greet one another and long since family members I haven't seen for 25 years. So yes, there is times to get together. So we'll pass this, thank you. We're gonna close with a scripture. It says this, but you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, his own special people, peculiar people that you may proclaim the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. First Peter 2.9, it's in the Old Testament, but it's fulfilled in the New Testament. What we hope you enjoyed today's program. We wanna hear from you, email us your questions at hardquestionsatctvn.org or call 412-349-4326 for our hotline. Have a great day.