Is Ben Shapiro an Antichrist?

Since Ben Shapiro is an Orthodox Jew and Jews deny that Jesus is the Messiah, does that make him an Antichrist? It's time for The Line of Fire with your host, biblical scholar and cultural commentator, Dr. Michael Brown. Your voice for moral sanity and spiritual clarity.

Call 866-34-TRUTH to get on The Line of Fire. And now, here's your host, Dr. Michael Brown. Welcome to Thoroughly Jewish Thursday here on The Line of Fire.

Michael Brown, delighted to be with you. If you have a Jewish-related question of any kind, a Jewish listener and you differ with my views about Jesus being the Messiah. Maybe you've got a question about Messianic prophecy or the Hebrew language. You've heard something about Judaism.

You wonder if it's true or not. You want to talk to you about Israel and the war in Gaza. By all means, give me a call. 866-348-7884. If it's Jewish-related, it works for today.

866-34-TRUTH. I get to calls a little later in the broadcast. Also, I was preaching in Philadelphia last night and got a great Jewish testimony for you.

I'll share with you, just flew back this morning, share that with you a little later in the broadcast. Some months back, I began to see people talking about Ben Shapiro as an Antichrist. Why? Well, it says in 1 John, if you deny that Jesus is the Christ, that Jesus is the Messiah, you're an Antichrist. And therefore, because he's an Orthodox Jew, he's an Antichrist. When I did a recent debate about the ongoing election of Israel, the debater said plainly that Judaism is a blasphemous Antichrist religion. And if you differ with that at any level, if you push back against that at any level, you're seen as a compromiser or not holding to the exclusivity of salvation through Jesus. Or as one person attacked me online, you're worshipping your own race, not Jesus.

Ridiculous stuff like that. But it's a fair question to ask because I plainly, bluntly, unequivocally, unapologetically say and have said for all my years in the Lord, almost 53 now, that salvation is found alone in Jesus Yeshua, that there is no other way to God but through him, for Jew or Gentile. So a religious Jew who observes the Torah as best as he or she can, follows the traditions, seeks to honor God, but rejects Jesus as Messiah is lost. Just like a devout Muslim or just like an atheist.

Now, some people are more ethical than others and God will judge us accordingly. But as I said to Rabbi Shmueli in one of our debates, you can drown in 10 feet of water or in 100 feet of water, but you still drown. You say, Dr. Brown, why do you always repeat the same thing over and over? Because people often don't hear it. They hear selectively or they don't hear me all the time.

So I want there to be no ambiguity there whatsoever. But is it right? Is it righteous?

Is it fair? Is it scriptural? To say that someone like Ben, who's an Orthodox Jew and denies Jesus as the Messiah, is therefore an Antichrist according to scripture.

So let's take a look at the word together here. And I want to read to you from 1 John chapter 2, verse 22, which says that anyone who denies that Jesus is the Christ, meaning the Messiah, is a liar and an Antichrist. And Jesus did say, Matthew 12, 30, that whoever is not with me is against me and whoever does not gather with me scatters. So in that sense, you could say Ben Shapiro, who's a friend of Christians, works with Christians and encourages Christians to follow Jesus.

Or Dennis Prager, who believes that he has helped many Gentiles connect to Christianity and be better Christians. Because they deny Jesus as the Messiah, that they are therefore Antichrists, even though they encourage Christians, Gentile Christians, to go on with their worship and believe as they believe and be the best Christians they can, etc. So they're not telling Christians, you shouldn't believe in Jesus or Jesus is not your Messiah. They're just saying he's not our Messiah. The issue that I have, so in that sense, yes, if you're not with Jesus, you're against him. Okay, they are against him in terms of who he ultimately is. Fine.

I got it. But when 1 John says the person who denies Jesus as the Messiah is a liar, well, what if that person, according to their upbringing, their understanding, doesn't believe he's the Messiah? Why would they be a liar to deny it? For example, if you say as a Christian, Muhammad is not a prophet and the Quran is not the word of God, that's what you believe. That's what you believe to be factually true.

If you hold to that, you're not lying, are you? A Muslim could say you're wrong, but they could say you're lying. In the same way, if you're a Muslim and according to your upbringing and faith, you don't believe Jesus is the Son of God, you're wrong, but are you lying and saying it? I just want to be fair to what Scripture is saying, okay? And it's interesting that while Paul has very strong words for Jewish people, pseudo-believers, who try to stop them from preaching the Gospel, what he called the circumcision party, referred to them as dogs in terms of what they were doing, he had no problem rebuking those who were heretics and who stopped the preaching of the Gospel of his own people in general. He said that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. He didn't call them all antichrists. He said they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. So let's look at what the Word says. Can we do that? Can we be bound by Scripture?

Not polemics, not push-button things that get reactions, not clickbait. Can we be bound by Scripture? So let's look at the Word together. 1 John 2, verses 18 and 19. Dear children, this is the last hour, and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come.

This is how we know it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us.

But their going showed that none of them belonged to us. Now, by the way, this is not a statement about anyone who ever leaves the faith or anyone who leaves the community. It's not a statement about that. And we'll look at some other verses in a moment. But it's not a statement that anyone who leaves is an antichrist, or anyone who leaves was obviously never in the faith in the first place.

That's not what it's talking about. Those heretics who left, if they had really been true to us, they would have still been here. But the fact they leave proves their heresy. So now we go back to the scripture. 1 John, chapter 2, beginning in verse 20.

But you, in contrast with they, in contrast with those who left, with them. 1 John 2, beginning in verse 20. You have an anointing for the Holy One, and all of you know the truth, or you know all things. I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie comes from the truth.

Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ, that Yeshua is the Messiah. Such a person is the antichrist, denying the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father.

Whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also. And now we skip down to verse 26. I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. As for the anointing you receive, as for you, the anointing you receive from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as this anointing teaches you about all things, and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit justice as it's taught you, remain in Him. So, 1 John, John is writing about those who are trying to lead you astray. Heretical teachers who claim to be Jesus' followers, but are denying either that He's the Messiah, or that He's the Son of God. And in their denying that, they are heretics, they are liars, they are antichrists, and in denying the Son, they are denying the Father. So, as I read this and thought about this, nothing new, but just looking back at Scripture, I thought, I know what's going on here.

It's clear enough. Let's see what the commentaries think. Let's see if it confirms my understanding, or if my understanding needs to be challenged. So, one of the best commentaries written on 1, 2, and 3 John was by Stephen Smalley for the Word Biblical Commentary Series. And Smalley says, for the first time in 1 John, the content of the heretics' Christological error is specified. So, in other words, he's dealing with heretical Christians, professing Christians who are heretics. He's not dealing with Jews who don't believe in Jesus. He's not dealing, say, if you put it centuries later, with Muslims or Buddhists. He's dealing with heretical people who claim to be Christians.

So, in other words, this is an in-house dispute. So, that's why John calls the people liars. They've been presented with the truth about Jesus, they claim to be Orthodox in their faith, and yet they're lying. Can you see this is different than, say, an Orthodox Jew like Ben Shapiro, who encourages Christians to be Christians, and encourages Christians to read the Bible, and encourages faith in Jesus, even though he himself does not believe in Jesus? Or Dennis Prager, who appreciates Christianity, and encourages people to be Christians, and follow Jesus, and doesn't tell them you can't believe what you believe? That, compared to, say, a Jehovah's Witness, that compared to a Unitarian who denies the deity of Jesus, and they claim to be Bible believers.

There are two very different groups. Are you following that? So, Smalley says this, and I'm going to interpret it along the way.

I'm going to comment on the commentary. Thus, in verse 22, 1 John 2-22, when John says that the liar is the person who denies that Jesus is the Christ, he could be referring to the ex-pagan docetic heretic, who refused to acknowledge the real humanity of Jesus Christ. So, someone who was a pagan, and now says that, yes, Jesus is God, but he didn't come in the flesh, he doesn't have human nature, or he continues, or the unity of his human and divine nature. So, this person is denying that his human and divine nature are one. For that person, the Christ was not Jesus. Equally, he could be describing the ex-Jewish heretics of someone, Jewish person, who now is claiming to follow Jesus, but is heretical, who did not believe that Jesus was the Christ. So, he's following this Jesus, but doesn't believe he's actually the Messiah.

And this is, after all, the obvious meaning of the Greek as it stands. He said, The denial of Jesus as the Christ is equated with disowning the Father and the Divine Son. Do you get what Smolley's saying? He's saying, this is not, John's not writing about a Jewish person in his day, who is following the Old Testament faith, and now the traditions of the rabbis, and doesn't believe in Jesus. That's not who he's addressing. That person is lost, but he's not addressing them. The ones he's calling Antichrists and liars are the ones that claim to be followers of Jesus, but were heretics.

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We've got some phone lines open and I'll be getting to your calls shortly. So I want to lay this out because people are either going to intentionally misquote me or unintentionally misquote me because of misunderstanding. So I'm going to give this one more shot and say this plainly. I believe with all my heart, according to the Bible, that Ben Shapiro and Dennis Prager need to put their faith in Jesus, Yeshua, in order to be saved. That they, like every other human being, no matter what they try to do or how well they try to live, that they fall short of the holy high standard of God. That there is no atonement, no matter how much you try to repent, there is no atonement outside of the cross. And that Ben and Dennis and every other Jewish person on the planet that rejects Jesus as Messiah, that they are all lost. Just like Muslims are lost and Buddhists are lost and Hindus are lost and atheists are lost and hypocritical Christians are lost, etc. So no ambiguity there.

If you get that wrong, you're getting it wrong willfully at this point. At the same time, I do not believe that when 1 John is talking about Antichrist and an Antichrist is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ, I do not believe that it is right to call Ben or Dennis an Antichrist unless they are actively working against people believing in Jesus as the Christ. Or claiming to be true followers of Jesus, but denying that he is the Christ or holding to some other heresy.

Those are the ones John is speaking about as far as being Antichrist. Now, what about Judaism being a blasphemous religion? Well, anyone that says that is basically ignorant of the tenets of Judaism. Have you ever read the Talmud? Okay, have you read the Talmud? First, what's the difference between the Babylonian Talmud and the Jerusalem Talmud?

Just out of curiosity. And then, how many tractates are in the Mishnah? What's the relationship between the Mishnah and the Gemara? What is the Gemara? Just asking because you know the Talmud. You can quote passages to me from the Talmud so you obviously know about it. Yes, there's a difference between Jerusalem Talmud and Babylonian Talmud.

When did they reach their final edit? What's the difference between that and the Mishnah and the relationship between Mishnah and Talmud, Mishnah and Gemara? And then, how many divisions are there? The six divisions of the Mishnah. I told you how many.

What are they? What are the six divisions of the Mishnah? Which then carry over into the Talmud. Then, how many tractates total? This is like books of the Bible.

This is basic stuff. Anyone who's read it knows this stuff, right? If you've really read it, studied it. And then, what's the breakdown of the orders and the tractates? And then, how many of those tractates are covered in the Babylonian Talmud and Jerusalem Talmud? Or just tell me the contents of any tractate.

Just give me an overview of the tractates. Or what's a Sugiah? What's that?

What's a Daf? What's the Vilma edition of the Talmud? Why is that important? What's the difference between Rosh and the Tosephot? Just asking. Just ask basic questions. And what's the primary language of the Talmud? And what makes it somewhat unique in terms of the way it functions?

And what are primary differences between Mishnah and Talmud in terms of use of Scripture, quotation of Scripture? And just asking. Or you see the term Ma'aseh.

What does that mean? Because it's very, very common. You see it all over the place.

Or what's the difference between Rav and Rabi? I mean, this is like basic stuff. Any kid in Yeshiva would be laughing, like, why are you asking such stupidly simple questions? Right? And I'm not a Talmud scholar, okay?

I'm not, right? Anybody who reads these knows it, right? Or how much does the Talmud actually talk about Jesus? Let's say we're not sure about some of the passages, but we're pretty sure. How much does it actually talk about? Most people are quoting stuff they've got zero idea what they're talking about.

Zero idea what they're quoting. They've never read a Jewish prayer book. Maybe they've never even spent an hour in serious dialogue with a religious Jew talking about their own faith. So, again, I believe that Judaism, with all of its beauty and with the power of its traditions and many beautiful practices, is still falling short. It's like a bridge that goes partway across the water.

It still doesn't get you to the destination. And I grieve when I pray at the Kotel at the Wall in Jerusalem, side by side with religious Jews. My heart breaks for them as I hear them praying passionately and pouring their heart out to God and praying for the Redeemer to come.

My heart breaks for them. I have a whole chapter in my book, Our Hands Just Stand With Blood, so near and yet so far. Yet if you just say, Blasphemous Antichrist religion, you probably have no idea what's in it. Well, it denies Jesus' influence. Blasphemous Antichrist. The triumphalist, arrogant mindset behind that fails to realize that many Jews only know the Jesus of church history, which is absolutely, that's blasphemous.

The Jesus of Muslim church history, that where the church misrepresented him and misportrayed him and separated him from who he is in the word and separated him from being a Jewish Messiah at all and made him into some anti-Semitic Gentile monster. That's blasphemous, for sure. But failing to understand that a religious Jew grows up in his or her mind doing what they were taught by their parents, who learned from their parents, from their parents, from their parents, going all the way back to Moses, this is their perception. And they're willing to die for their faith and not deny the one God of Israel. And why should they worship this God who has statutes that they're forbidden to bow down to? And this Jesus guy that, because of him, all this Jewish blood was shed through history, they have no idea who he really is. And they pray beautiful prayers and pour out their heart to God.

That should break your heart and you should say with me, yes, so near and yet so far. Let me just draw your attention to what's called the Shemona Estuary. It is also known as the Amida, so it's recited standing, but it's recited silently. It's 18, consists of 18 benedictions. Traditional Jews were recited three times a day. And you pray and Jewish tradition says you say these words and this way you bow, et cetera. But I want you to hear what's prayed in this alleged blasphemous Antichrist religion and prayed three times daily. Blessed are you, Lord our God and God of our fathers, God of Abraham, God of Isaac and God of Jacob. The great and mighty and awesome God, exalted God who bestows bountiful kindness, who creates all things, who remembers the piety of the patriarchs and who in love brings a redeemer to their children's children for the sake of his name.

Scroll down. Oh, King, you are a helper and a savior and a shield. Blessed are you, Lord shield of Abraham. You are mighty forever, my Lord.

You resurrect the dead. You are powerful to save. He sustains the living with loving kindness, resurrects the dead with great mercy, supports the failing, the falling, heals the sick, releases the bound and fulfills his trust to those who sleep at the dust. Who is like you, mighty one? And who can be compared to you, King, who brings death and restores life and causes deliverance to spring forth? You are holy and your name is holy and holy beings praise you daily for all eternity. Blessed are you, Lord, the holy God. You graciously bestow knowledge upon man and teach mortals understanding, graciously bestow upon us from you wisdom, understanding and knowledge.

Blessed are you, Lord, who graciously bestows knowledge. Cause us to return, oh Father, to your Torah. Draw us near our King to your service and bring us back to you in wholehearted repentance. Blessed are you, Lord, who desires penitence. Pardon us, our Father, for we have sinned. Forgive us, our King, for we have transgressed. For you are a good and forgiving God. Blessed are you, Lord, gracious one who pardons abundantly. Oh, behold our affliction and wage our battle. Redeem us speedily for the sake of your name. For you, God, are the mighty Redeemer. Blessed are you, Lord, Redeemer of Israel.

I'll share a little bit more of the Shemona Estra with you after the break. We'll get to your calls as well. This is the alleged antichrist blasphemous religion.

Instead, Christians should say, God, hear the prayers these Jewish people are praying every day, and reveal Jesus, Yeshua, your Son to them. We'll be right back. You could be canceled. You could be cast out. You could be put down.

You could be silenced. I'm here to say, friends, that I am not about to be silenced, and I don't believe you are either. It is time for us to stand up. It is time for us to say enough is enough. It is time for us to push back in Jesus name, not fighting the way the world fights. No, overcoming evil with good, overcoming hatred with love, overcoming the flesh with the power of the Spirit, overcoming lies with truth. And that's what we're here to do on the Line of Fire broadcast.

And friends, it's not just a broadcast. It is a movement of people around the world. God's people standing up saying enough is enough and saying, Lord, here we are. Send us, use us. I want to urge you today to join our support team because we are on the front lines together, and we are literally touching people around the world in America, in the nations, in Israel. And together with your help, we're going to amplify this voice and spread this movement around the globe. So I encourage you go right now to the line of fire dot org, the line of fire dot org. Click donate monthly support the line of fire dot org. Click donate monthly support.

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Get on the line of fire by calling 866-34-TRUTH. Here again is Dr. Michael Brown. Shalom, Shalom, Shalom, Shalom. It's a day early for Shabbat Shalom, but welcome to the broadcast. Shalom Shalom to you. Often when I hear Shalom Shalom, I often immediately think of Isaiah 26.

So it says there that the mindset that has stayed on God, titzor, Shalom Shalom, you keep in. Shalom Shalom, perfect peace, kivich havatur, because it trusts in you. 866-34-TRUTH. Okay, Steve and Brian, you're next.

I'm going to the phones momentarily. Let me just read a little more of the prayers that are prayed daily, three times a day, by traditional Jews. I just want you to get an idea of what Judaism is about. As a messianic Jew, as a Jewish person who says, my people need Jesus to be saved. So again, heal us, O Lord, and we will be healed. Help us and we will be saved. For you are our praise. Grant complete cure and healing to all our wounds. For you, almighty King, are a faithful and merciful healer. Blessed are you, Lord, who heals the sick of his people Israel.

Remember, traditional Jews are praying this during the Holocaust. Bless for us, Lord our God, this year and all the varieties of its produce for good. And bestow blessing upon the face of the earth. Satisfy us from your bounty and bless our year like other good years for blessing. For you are a generous God who bestows goodness and blesses the years.

Blessed are you, Lord, who blesses the years. Sound the great shofar for our freedom. Raise a banner to gather our exiles and bring us together from the four corners of the earth into our land. Blessed are you, Lord, who gathers the dispersed of his people Israel.

Restore our judges as in former times and our counselors as of yore. Remove from us sorrow and sighing and reign over us. You alone, O Lord, with kindness and compassion, with righteousness and justice. Blessed are you, Lord, King, who loves righteousness and justice. Let there be no hope for informers and may all the heretics and all the wicked instantly perish. May all the enemies of your people be speedily extirpated. And may you swiftly uproot, break, crush, and subdue the reign of wickedness speedily in our days.

Blessed are you, Lord, who crushes enemies and subdues the wicked. May your mercies be aroused, Lord our God, upon the righteous, upon the pious, upon the elders of your people, the house of Israel, upon the remnant of their sages, upon the righteous proselytes, and upon us. Grant ample reward to all who truly trust in your name and place our lot among them.

May we never be disgraced, for we have put our trust in you. Blessed are you, Lord, the support and security of the righteous. Return in mercy to Jerusalem, your city, and dwell therein. As you have promised, speedily establish there in the throne of David your servant and rebuild it soon in our days as an everlasting edifice. Blessed are you, Lord, who rebuilds Jerusalem. Speedily cause the sign of David your servant to flourish and increases power by your salvation, for we hope for your salvation all day. Blessed are you, Lord, who causes the power of salvation to flourish.

And much of this is taken from scriptural prayers as well. And in all of this, friends, this constant prayer for the Messiah, the Son of David, you pray, God, open the hearts and minds of you people to see that Messiah has come. Hear our voice, Lord our God, merciful Father. Have compassion upon us and accept our prayers in mercy and favor. For you are God who hears prayers and supplications. Do not turn us away empty-handed from you, our King, for you hear the prayer of everyone.

Blessed are you, Lord, who hears prayer. Look with favor, Lord our God, on your people Israel and pay heed to their prayer. Restore the service to your sanctuary and accept with love and favor Israel's fire offerings and prayer. May the service of your people Israel always find favor. May our eyes behold your return to Zion in mercy. Blessed are you, Lord, who restores his divine presence to Zion. We thank thee, acknowledge that you are the Lord our God and God of our fathers forever. You are the strength of our life, the shield of our salvation in every generation. We will give thanks to you and recount your praise, evening, morning, and noon, for our lives which are committed into your hand, for our souls which are entrusted to you, for your miracles which are with us daily, and for your continual wonders and beneficences. You are the beneficent one, for your mercies never cease, the merciful one, for your kindness never end, for we always place our hope in you. So this is prayed daily, three times a day in Hebrew by traditional Jews. We should be joined together saying, God, open their hearts, open their minds, reveal your son to them. Brothers and sisters in antichrist blasphemous religion. I hope you heard me loudly and clearly. 866-34-TRUTH.

We go over to Washington State. Stephen, welcome to the line of fire. Yes, hello. So I have, I want to word this just carefully. I understand that there are like bombings attacks on Gaza hospitals and schools. Based on what information, sir?

Give me an example of a bombing where, do you mean that they bombed, that they accidentally bombed themselves or that Israel bombed the hospital? That's what I'm trying to understand. Ah, OK. Great. Yes. Yeah. Got it. OK.

Thank you. Very important question, because if Israel was intentionally bombing hospitals and schools filled with innocent civilians, that would be horrific. I don't care if there are 10 Hamas terrorists in a hospital. If that hospital is filled with innocent civilians, that's a war crime. You don't do that. Right.

So we agree on that. So the first hospital that was bombed in Gaza City, number one, the hospital itself was not bombed. It was the parking lot next to the hospital.

That's the first thing. The second thing is the hospital was being used as a hospital and also as a place for people to flee from the war. And it was not an Israeli bomb. The Israeli bombers did not bomb. We've got excellent data of what they bombed, when the precise strikes, the videotape. That was a failed bomb from the Palestinian Liberation Organization or from Palestinian, Palestinian jihad.

Excuse me. It was it was one of their rockets that went astray. So first, the myth went out that Israel bombed the hospital and 500 people died.

That was the first myth. The reality was the hospital was not bombed. It was the neighboring. It was the parking lot next to the hospital.

That's the first thing. There were scores of people killed. But it was it was a Palestinian bomb rocket that went astray and Israel tracked it. And then Israel even produced the audio with people saying that was one of us.

That was one of our own. That was the first big myth of the idea that they bombed the church where people were taking refuge. Again, tragedy. People died. They bombed an adjacent building where which was a terrorist enclave. The collateral damage caused part of the church to collapse. People were killed.

That's unfortunate. It was not intentional. It was not realized that the structural damage would happen like that. As for bombing schools and places like that with Israel, I'm not justifying everything Israel does. I'm not justifying everything the government does or everything Netanyahu does.

But under no circumstances did they intentionally bomb civilians. So what happens? Let's say you're in an apartment building and it's being used. One floor of this building is being used as terrorist headquarters for Hamas. Israel will drop thousands of leaflets in the area saying your building is being used as a terrorist enclave. We're going to bomb it. Then, because Israel has the intelligence to do this, they will call everyone they have a number for in that building. They will call them. It's a robocall on their cell phone saying we are about to bomb your building.

You need to get out of there. And then, for example, before they went into Rafah, they had to evacuate one million citizens out of there and successfully did it. Israel said you can't bomb until you do that. They set up tent cities for them and got supplies to them. And although the conditions there are very, very difficult, the people are not dropping from malnutrition and famine left and right. That's another myth in terms of what's actually happening there. So before Israel even went in there, they successfully relocated the people. So have there been civilian casualties? Absolutely. Have more Palestinians died than Israelis?

Absolutely, tragically. However, the ratio of terrorists killed to civilians killed, if the statistics are right, is a very low ratio of civilians compared to terrorists. In other words, when you're at war, let's say for every enemy soldier killed, two civilians are killed. That would not be unusual at all. In some cases, it's three or four civilians.

Here, it may be as close as one or one and a half. So it's still tragic. But it's brought on by Hamas. The recent bombing, where Israel allegedly bombed tents where people were taking refuge, they were burned to death.

This is where they evacuated from Rafah. So they evacuate them there, and then the allegation is Israel then bombs. Israel took out Hamas terrorists who apparently had a weapons store, a weapons cache. And when they took out the terrorists, it exploded the Hamas weapons that were stored right next to the tents with the refugees, and it blew up, and it created a tragedy.

Who's responsible? Hamas. By setting up their weapons and doing war side by side with their own people. And remember, for Hamas, every Palestinian civilian who dies is a victory. Every Palestinian civilian who dies aids them in their trying to make Israel look bad worldwide. And as Yahya Sinmar, the brains behind much of what Hamas does, and apparently behind October 7th, according to Sinmar, it's okay to lose 100, 200,000 Palestinians for a cause.

That's okay. It's not a problem, because it's a higher cause. So that's what we're dealing with, the myth that Israel is intentionally bombing hospitals and schools filled with innocent people is simply a myth, although it will never go away.

No matter what the facts are, that myth will never go away. Thank you so much, Dr. Brown. Well, thank you for taking the time to ask, because many times people don't. Thank you for the call, sir, and the serious nature of that call.

I mean, just your tone of voice said it all. All right, hang on. I'm just trying to do something here. We can put Stephen on hold there and drop that.

My screen's not working properly for some reason. All right, there we go. All right, so 866-348-7884. There are elements in the Netanyahu government that I believe are dangerous, that are hurting the nation as a whole. I absolutely do not stand behind all of Prime Minister Netanyahu's decisions, and for sure, Israel has made some really bad moves.

Here, just think of this. On October 7th, there were Israeli hostages that were being held in a house or building. So Hamas terrorists holding Israeli hostages, and the IDF killed the hostages when they killed the terrorists.

They blundered. They killed their own people while killing the terrorists. It was a military mishap of massive consequence. Three hostages escaped in Gaza. Israeli hostages and the Israeli army killed them by mistake, mistaking them for terrorists. They violated protocol. So if Israel said this to its own people, yes, the Palestinians too have suffered. Innocent Palestinians.

That's the exception to the rule and contrary to the intent. But let me tell you, there are some great supplements that can help you along the way, and these are supplements that I use daily. That's why I'm so excited to tell you about them so you can benefit as well.

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You can also go to TriVita.com and use the code BROWN25. Let's get you healthy and strong. It's the line of fire with your host, Dr. Michael Brown. Get on the line of fire by calling 866-34-TRUTH.

Here again is Dr. Michael Brown. Did you check your inbox or your spam folder last day or two? Did you get our frontline newsletter? If so, are you encouraged by the story?

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All right. Before I go to the phones, I got an email from our granddaughter, Eliana, our eldest grandchild, a few months ago. And she said, hey, dad, there's a guy who went to school with Liberty University.

He works at a church in Philadelphia. They're doing these outreach services on Wednesday nights. They would love for you to come in. And so I said, I connect you. And she didn't want me to feel obligated to do it for her. OK, my granddaughter asked for something.

Of course I want to do it. Heard about the church, what they're doing and their heart to reach the lost. I said, I'm in. So prerecorded yesterday's show for you on Tuesday. Prerecorded that flew out yesterday morning to Philly and spoke last night before the service. I met the young man and his wife. They both went to Liberty.

They were friends with Ellie, met them there. And the young man showed me a video from a few weeks ago of a Jewish man, maybe his 30s, just came to faith at the church there and was baptized. And there is this baptismal testimony.

And what a blessing to see that. So I share my testimony last night. My own background, descent into drugs and how we all need the Lord gave a call for the lost to come and others to surrender their lives to the Lord. And the end of the night, one of the prayer workers came up to me and said, hey, I want you to meet this young man.

Name was Sean. And Sean said, yeah, he received the Lord that night, just born again last night. And story similar to mine, I said, you mean nominal religious upbringing or Jewish? He goes, no, Jewish.

Nominal Jewish upbringing. So we talked and who was it that invited him? The other gentleman, I believe his name was David, whose video I just saw before the service now is a new Jewish believer. He brings another Jewish person and that person is now following the Lord.

Just beautiful, wonderful. And I said to him, hey, Real Messiah website, realmessiah.com, any questions come up, any issues, Real Messiah. And if you really need something you get hit with, don't know how to answer, just write to us.

We'll absolutely help you out. So all of you, if you've got questions, you're a Jewish person, you have questions about who Jesus is, you want to hear both sides, watch me debate a rabbi. You've seen some videos by this internet rabbi, Tobia Singer, and they're attacking the Christian faith and attacking belief in Jesus as Messiah. And you're a little confused by it. Don't worry, as we have time, they're easily rebutted, but we have maybe 10, 11 videos out.

Hope to put out a whole bunch more in the months ahead. Go there, get both sides, see for yourself. Questions, common questions, we've got answers there. If you're a Jewish believer, you need your faith strengthened, you want to be trained more, all free, realmessiah.com.

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Click donate, monthly support. Alright, we go over to Louisville, Kentucky, our friend Brian. Yeah, I was just in Lexington a few weeks ago.

I did not realize that, Dr. Brown, how was it, how'd it go? Great, great, yeah, a fine church there, been there decades, did two Sunday morning services for them, and then a leaders meeting with about 150 leaders on Monday. I didn't realize Lexington was as close to Charlotte until I got on the plane, and I didn't realize that Lexington was so close to Asbury. So a lot of folks from Asbury go there. How far is Louisville from Lexington? I would say maybe an hour and 15 minutes, not far at all.

Yeah, right on 64, 64 West, and that'll take you in there, and then I live right outside of that in southern Indiana. So your question? Yeah, so anyway, glad to be on again, Dr. Brown, appreciate you having me. My question for you is, so at church a few weeks ago we were talking about the great story David and Goliath, and really enjoyed talking about that story, especially first time analyzing it since I've gotten back into the faith over the last just short period, maybe a year.

I've been at my current church right out of year. But anyway, really enjoyed that. The thought jumped into my mind, and I figured I'd throw it your direction and see what you thought. So I know that the Philistines or the Israelites come to this agreement that kind of, I guess, control of this region is going to go to whomever's team wins this battle or whomever's representative wins. But thinking about probably the Philistines weren't the most morally upstanding group, who was to stop them from, say, two days later after the battle happens and the Israelites win and David's celebrating, the Hebrews are celebrating, was there anything to stop the Philistines from saying, you know what, forget what we agreed to, we're going to attack them in the middle of the night.

What made the Philistines keep to the contract? Right, so let's take a look in 1 Samuel 16 where we have the account. What happened to, okay, my Bible software just crashed there for a moment, let me just get it back up here. So 1 Samuel 16 where we have this account, come on, how could this stall here, let me just pull it up elsewhere then. Alright, 1 Samuel 16th chapter, and I'll read from the, let's see, the MIV. So the Lord said to Samuel, okay, so we've got that whole account, actually we'll skip over to the 17th chapter, so chapter 17 of 1 Samuel. So we have David introduced there and anointed.

Now the Philistines gathered their forces for and assembled at Soko and Judah, they pitched camp at Ephes-dameen between Soko and Azekah, Israel is assembled, et cetera, a champion named Goliath who is from Gath came out of the Philistine campus site with six cubits in the span, he had a bronze helmet, et cetera, the whole background there. He shouted to the ranks of Israel, why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine or are you not the servants of Saul?

Choose a man and have him come down to me. If he's able to fight and kill me, we'll become your subjects, but if I overcome him and kill him, we'll become your subjects and serve us. Then the Philistines said, this day I defy the armies of Israel. So David defeats Goliath, right?

The first thing is, it's not that they're coming into a contractual agreement, it's basically that one is representing each army. So you take down our giant that nobody can take down, that's our downfall. Our giant takes any of your people down, that's your downfall. It was a public challenge because they knew nobody could beat our giant.

It wasn't like a contractual agreement. And then David's defeat of the Philistine is just the beginning of the downfall of the Philistines. So let's keep reading here and we'll get into, he moves closer, the Philistines saw their hero was dead, they turned and ran. Then the men of Israel drew the search forward with a shout and pursued the Philistines to the gates of the canes, their dead were strewn. So they then went and killed them. It's not like David lost, David beat Goliath, they said, okay, because your guy won, we'll stay with you, right?

No, now they went to battle and Israel put them to flight. Yeah, you just got to keep reading. That's why I wanted to get in front of us. Just read through to the end of the chapter. Okay, well, I appreciate that.

Yeah, sometimes the main part sticks out to you more than the other, but yeah. Okay. So it wasn't just, they said, okay, your guy won, we'll be your slaves now.

No, no, they went to battle then and Philistines were terrified, Israelites emboldened and God was with him. So that was one simple thing, which is just keep reading to the end of the chapter, all right? Sure. Thank you, Dr. Brown. I appreciate that. I think sometimes the main part sticks to you when you, like you go home from church and you think just about the battle and the thing, but you're, hey, great, great point.

I appreciate that. Yeah, so always, always a key little lesson there is keep reading to the end of the chapter. You know, it's just like people say, what about Matthew 21 43? Jesus says to the Jews that the kingdom will be taken from you and given to a people bearing its fruit. So God's done with the Jews. They replaced the Jews with the church.

Actually, just keep reading to the next verse. When the chief priests and Pharisees heard these words, they knew Jesus was speaking about them, the hypocritical leaders of Israel. And, but they were afraid to do anything because of the crowd, the Jewish crowd that thought that Yeshua was a prophet. So the hypocritical religious leaders will be replaced.

Who are they replaced by? Jewish apostles. This was not the Jews getting replaced by the Gentile church. It was the hypocritical leaders of Israel being replaced with godly leaders. It wasn't a Jew Gentile thing.

That was not what it was about. Now the kingdom, the body expands. The ecclesia expands Jew and Gentile in a massive way, mainly Gentile since then, worldwide. Praise God for the ingathering of the nations. Glory to God. So many pastors that keep reading.

Same with who's a real Jew. The end of Romans 2, so 2 29. Keep reading. Next verse, Romans 3 1. Keep reading. All right, friends, you have more questions, we'll take them off tomorrow.