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- [00:02]
Vic Batista
Good news, Good news. The good news is finally here. Friends, listen to me. This is serious business. What the world needs today is Jesus. The Bible says in John 3:16 that for God so love the world that he gave his only begotten son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
- [00:32]
And hello everyone and welcome to our program the truth will set your free Bible Prophecy edition. I'm Vic Batista along with my co host Nathan Jones with Lamb Lion Ministry. We thank you for being part of today's program. We have a great program prepared for you today as we look at Isaiah chapter 65 with a message titled New Heavens. So we encourage you to stay tuned and get your bible ready to follow along with us in today's study. But before I continue, I'm going to ask my co host, Nathan Jones if he will open us up with the word of prayer.
- [00:58]
Nathan Jones
Lord Jesus, we thank you so much for everybody tuned in. And Lord, we're all excited to know more about you. What you have to say through Isaiah to us today. We long to see your return and we praise your holy name. Amen.
- [01:12]
Vic Batista
Bible Prophecy edition. Big Batista, Nathan Jones with Limelight ministry. Again we are in Isaiah chapter 65 with a message titled New Heavens. Before we continue, I'm going to welcome my co host of the program, Nathan Jones. Nate. Another wonderful opportunity for this week's program together.
- [01:29]
Nathan Jones
Yes, man, we are so close to the end of Isaiah. Just think about it. After all these weeks of covering 66 chapters, we're up to 65. And folks, I think you're going to be in for a real treat here because 65 and 66 is like the bow on the present. It's the, the, it sums it all up, but it gives you this beautiful hope for the future and it's just also it gives us victory and God's enemies being defeated, defeated. It sums up everything so beautifully. And Vic and I have long to finally reach these chapters.
- [02:02]
Vic Batista
And here we are, Nathan, and you mentioned it, you hit it right on the head. What a beautiful thing. It's like what I love about God's word is that it always has a happy ending. And it's like we're getting to that place where we're seeing that happy ending in the word of God. But maybe someone is new to the program. Maybe this is the first time they're tuning in and they say, what? I, I missed 64 chapters. How can they get the rest of the chapter?
- [02:29]
Nathan Jones
That, that's a lot to miss. So no, if you're Joining us for the first time. We're so glad you could join us. The truth will set you free is the podcast outreach of lamb and lion ministries where a Bible prophecy, teaching, ministry, and our mission is to proclaim the soon return of Jesus Christ. We believe strongly that the signs of the times indicate that Jesus Christ is on the cusp of his return. And and we're getting the church excited about his return. If you want to catch up on previous podcasts, just go to our website christinprophecy.org that's Christin prophecy.org, go under media and podcasts and we've got all the truth will set you free podcasts stretching all the way far as back as 2010 in our archive. Or if you prefer to listen on Apple podcasts, Spotify, Audible, Pray.com or sign up through our RSS feed, you. You can have all the links. The buttons are right there on that page and we'd love to have you join us. I get reports from Spotify all the time, Vic, telling me that Almost every day, 10, 20, 30 people are signing up to get this podcast as well as our radio program, Christ in prophecy and our audio version of our television program, Christ in Prophecy. So praise the Lord, brother. I'm just so glad that we're connecting people and hopefully getting them jazzed about Christ's soon return.
- [03:46]
Vic Batista
Nate, that is such good news. And we are so encouraged by that because we really appreciate people who like the content, right, Nate? We're not just here for people to hit likes or subscriptions, but it's nice that people are enjoying the content and I think that is such a blessing. So we thank those of you that tune in and. And are taking advantage of the resources. So, Nate, that's why we do what we do, right? So the. So that the Holy Spirit will speak to the hearts of individuals.
- [04:15]
Nathan Jones
Absolutely.
- [04:17]
Vic Batista
And, and speaking of that, Nate, I'm so excited about chapter 65 and I can't wait to dive in already. And we want to encourage anyone that has a Bible. We. We're going to be reading from the new King James version of the Bible. So if you want to follow along with us, you're more than welcome to do so. Nate, would you be able to open us up there? Verses 1 through 10 and Isaiah 65. And I'll do 11 through 16.
- [04:43]
Nathan Jones
Okay. Wow. 1 through 10. Here we go. I was sought by those who did not ask for me. I was found by those who did not seek me. I said, here I am, here I am. To a nation that was not called by my name. I have stretched out my hands all day long to a rebellious people who walk in a way that is not good according to their own thoughts. A people who provoke me to anger continually to my face, who sacrifice in gardens and burn incense on altars of brick, who sit among the graves and spend the nights in the tombs, who eat swine's flesh and the broth of abominable things in their vessels, who say, keep to yourself, do not come near me, for I am holier than you. These are smoke in my nostrils, a fire that burns all the day. Behold, it is written before me. I will not keep silent, but I will repay every, even repay into their bosom your iniquities and the iniquities of your fathers together, says the Lord, who have burned incense on the mountains and blasphemied on the hills. Therefore I will measure their former work into their bosom. Thus says the Lord, as the new wine is found in the cluster, and one says, do not destroy it, for a blessing is in it, so will I do for my servant's sake, that I may not destroy them all. I will bring forth descendants from Jacob and from Judah, and heir of my mountains, my elect shall inherit it, and my servant shall dwell there. Sharon shall be a fold of flocks, and the valley of Acor a place for herds to lie down for my people who have sought me and verse 11.
- [06:22]
Vic Batista
But you are those who forsake the Lord, who forget my holy mountains, who prepare a table for God, and who furnish a drink offering for many. Therefore I will number you for a sword, and you shall all bow down to the slaughter. Because when I called you, you did not answer when I spoke, you did not hear, but did evil before my eyes, and chose that in which I do not delight. Therefore thus says the Lord. O God. Behold, my servant shall eat, but you shall be hungry. Behold, my servant shall drink, but you shall be thirsty. Behold, my servant shall rejoice, but you shall be ashamed. Behold, my servant shall sing for joy of heart. But you shall cry for sorrow of heart, and wail for grief of spirit. You shall leave your names as a curse to my chosen for the Lord God will slay you and call his servants by another name, so that he who blesses himself in in the earth shall bless him in the God of truth. And he who swears on the earth shall swear by the God of truth. Because of the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hidden from my eyes. Nate, what an amazing passage. And I know we read A little bit longer verses here, but I just wanted to capture the both of the messages that were here for our listeners.
- [07:45]
Nathan Jones
Yeah, this is a tremendous passage here. And you know, we started this by saying, hey, there's a lot of hope and promise. And you're like, wait a minute, what God is cursing this people? Well, we gotta. Let's go to the context here of what Isaiah is all about. 2700 years ago, right? This is ancient Israel. And Isaiah the prophet was sent to call God's people back to himself. Moses, his last message in Deuteronomy 28:30, he told the people God's will. He says, hey, if you follow me, if you obey me, we have that good relationship. You're going to be blessed beyond measure. There won't be any enemies, and you'll have plenty of food and long health and lots of children. And, you know, it'll just be incredible. But if you rebel against me and you turn against me, then I'm going to bring all sorts of curses and judgments upon you in the hopes that you will repent and return to me. And if you ultimately do it again and again and again, I'll finally put my foot down and I will exile you out of the land. Well, we're getting close to already the northern 10 tribes in 722 BC have been exiled out of the land. And, and that just leaves Judah and Benjamin in the south. And so Isaiah is saying, hey, look, you know, God is fulfilling what he told through, through Moses, his prophets, that this was going to happen if you continue to rebel against me. And this is the frustration as we've been going through Isaiah. We see in the, in the Lord. And again and again he says, hey, you know, we had this arrangement. You know, you're my covenantal people, I'll bless you, but you got to abide in me. But ever since the days of Joshua when you didn't obey me and you, you didn't kill all the enemies of God, you instead adopted their evil practices and rejected me. And, you know, we're now hundreds of years later, 600 years later, and they're still rejecting me. And he says, my patience is coming near an end.
- [09:41]
Vic Batista
Nathan, that's a very good point. And in between here, there's a little hope in, in between the pause. God also highlights there his work that he's going to do on, on the Gentiles in a, in a, in a way to kind of woo the Jewish people back. He says, I have sought those who did not ask for me. I have found I was found by those who did not speak me. Excuse, excuse me, seek me. I said, here I am to a nation that was not called by my name. Nate, it reminds me too the, the, the passage in, in Romans where Romans chapter 10 speaks about this wooing that God used and how he came to also gave the opportunity to the Gentiles. Romans 10:19 says, But I say, did not Israel know first Moses says, I will provoke you to jealousy by those who are not a nation. I will move you to anger by a foolish nation. But Isaiah is very bold in saying, I was found by those who did not seek me, and I made manifest to those who did not ask for me, but to Israel. He says, all day long I have stretched out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people. And Nate, even until today we see a little bit of that, quite a bit of that in certain ways.
- [10:59]
Nathan Jones
Oh, it's fascinating because in verse 15, like you said, it says, and call his servants by another name. Well, 2700 years ago they didn't know what that name is, but in the first century we now know it is Christians. His servants will be called Christians, followers of Christ. So here's a prophecy about the church. So when you hear in the people say, well, there's nothing about the church in the Old Testament. It was a mystery. In part it was a mystery. But now that we have that hindsight, right where they say hindsight is 20 20, we can look back and say, yes, this was a prophecy about how the Lord was going to bring the gender. People who had rejected God for millennia now accept him his son as Savior and are called Christ followers or Christians. And, and they're the ones who follow the Lord. Now I love though here it does say though that there will be a remnant. And again, this is something that comes again and again through the book of Isaiah that the Lord says, yes, I am rejecting you for your disobedience, but I will allow a remnant that returns to me. They will inherit all the blessings which we'll read later in the chapter and in the next chapter. And it just, it's like a cycle. And I don't know how over time Isaiah gave these messages. Obviously he didn't sit down and write Isaiah 1:1 all the way to 66, the very last. You know, this happened over years of him giving his ministry and is believed in church history that Isaiah was actually murdered for this message. That the people didn't just reject God, of course, and his message, but they rejected his messenger and Isaiah was killed.
- [12:39]
Vic Batista
Well, Nathan and That's why you're right. As we have been making our way through Isaiah, some of these messages might sound repetition for individuals that are following us, but it's just how God continues to remind us of his love and his grace because we have a tendency to forget things. The nation of Israel, throughout history, the same thing. And it seems frustrating. People that read through the book of Isaiah is like, when are they going to learn? But then I place myself in there and God is saying, vic, when are you going to learn? So there's a little bit of learning curve for everyone. But the key here is that God has a wonderful plan for people. God loves them. God gives opportunity for repentance. He stretches out his hands to people that are willing to accept it. And that's why we love the book of Isaiah, because we see all that woven in through these messages. Right, Nate?
- [13:34]
Nathan Jones
Yeah. And we are not talking about people just accidentally forgetting God's word. We are talking about a people who had so devolved that they were an open rebellion against God. You know, he's talking about them going up on the high places and sitting in the tombs and eating pig flesh, which was abominable to the Lord. At the time, they would say that I am holier than you. Boy, do we see that today. The whole pride movement. I am better than you, God. I think that my moral compass is correct and you are wrong. And so the same just horrible abominations that we are seeing today. I think of the Olympics. Every time there is an Olympics, the opening ceremony is something horrifically blasphemous against God. You know, it's the world shaking a fist at God and not just ignoring some of his moral law, absolutely rejecting it and running to the complete opposite and doing what's abominable God, just to spite God. That's how bad Israel had gotten at that time period, Nathan.
- [14:40]
Vic Batista
That's why, as we look at verse 11, there's the. But again, but. But you are those who forsake the Lord, who forget my holy mountain, who prepare a table for God. And I always think, you know, there's two sides. There's those that are trying to draw closer to God, and then there are those, again, who just really blatantly turn their backs on the things of the Lord. And that's why that judgment is coming. And the judgment that we read throughout the Bible really is because God wants to get people to return back to him at whatever cost. And we know in the latter days there's going to be another judgment that's coming on the people of Israel. Those have turned their backs on God. But at the end, there is that remnant, and God is going to look for that repentance. So that was a good reminder, Nate, regarding the remnant, that God always has those that are truly his, you know.
- [15:31]
Nathan Jones
Oh, absolutely. And again, we're seeing that cycle again and again and again throughout Isaiah. Is that okay? The Lord's calling out the people for their sin. He's saying, repent, let's fix that relationship. Let's move forward. I said, okay, a majority of you aren't going to repent, and, well, I'm casting you aside. You're worthless. But those who repent and turn to him are a righteous remnant. And they will then inherit the blessings that the Lord promises. And then he goes into. And like, we'll see. Starting in verse 17, the Lord begins explaining those blessings to the people. And they're not just, oh, your food will be, you know, your crops will be bountiful, and you'll have lots of kids and your enemies will stay away. That's all wonderful. No, I mean, these are galactic eternal promises that the Lord makes for faithfulness. If you put it on a scale, you get the sins of the people on one side and you get the eternal promises on the other. And the eternal promises so far outweigh the fleeting pleasures of sin that it should be obvious for the people to turn away from their sin, but they refuse to. So, brother, this is where now, this contrast. We're getting this, the contrast to help us better understand the glories that God is promising to his faithful.
- [16:47]
Vic Batista
Oh, Nate. And this is what we're saying, the shift, because we see the bad news, but then we see the good news. Now, you mentioned galactic good news.
- [16:56]
I love that.
- [16:56]
It brought me back to Battlestar Galactica
- [16:58]
back in the days.
- [16:59]
Nathan Jones
Oh, yes. Hey, I was at a retro con this year, and I got to meet a lot of the Battlestar Galactica actors, both the old series and the new series. What? Nothing compared to what's going to be happening here. When we say galactic, we mean eternal.
- [17:16]
Vic Batista
And to compare that, Nate, I say we. We dive in, because this is. This is an area where the Lord really blessed you with the book that you wrote. And we'll talk about that in a minute. But will you be able to take us there? Verses 17 through 21. And I'll read 22 through 24 in case 25. In case someone doesn't have a Bible.
- [17:36]
Nathan Jones
Okay, well, let's get into the good stuff, folks. This is what we've Been promising you. Verse 17. For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former shall not be remembered or come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create. For behold, I create Jerusalem as a rejoicing, and her people a joy. I will rejoice in Jerusalem and joy in my people. The voice of weeping shall no longer be heard in her, nor the voice of crying. No more shall an infant from there live but a few days, nor an old man who has not fulfilled his days. For the child shall die 100 years old. But the sinner being 100 years old shall be accursed. They shall build houses and inhabit them. They shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
- [18:23]
Vic Batista
Verse 22. They shall not build in another inhabit they shall not plant in another eat. For for as the days of a tree, so shall be the days of my people. And my elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth children for trouble. For they shall be as the descendants of the blessed of the Lord and their offsprings with them. And it shall come to pass that before they call I will answer. And I and while they are still speaking I will hear the wolf and the lamb shall feed together. The lion shall eat straw like an ox, and dust shall be the serpent's food. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, says the Lord. Nathan, really shall there be a time like this?
- [19:08]
Nathan Jones
Yeah, we folks are talking about when Jesus returns at his second coming, defeats evil and sets up his earthly kingdom initially for a thousand years and then it goes on into eternity. These are prophecies that fulfilled in the future to us. So Isaiah isn't just some Old Testament relic. You know, you hear guys like Andy Stanley say we should divorce ourselves from the Old Testament. Why in the world would we divorce ourselves from the Old Testament when we just read a prophecy about the church and we just read about promises to God's faithful that haven't even happened yet. Isaiah isn't just an Old Testament relic. It is a New Testament and eternal future application to believers today. It's meant to give us hope. And brother, there are a lot of prophecies that we just read about what life will be like in the millennial kingdom.
- [20:01]
Vic Batista
Oh Nathan. And let me tell you, in this passage, there is so much that goes into this passage just throughout the whole Bible. Revelation chapter 21:1 speaks about the new heavens and the new earth Earth. But I love the way that you are able to sum it up, Nathan, on your new book The Coming Millennial Kingdom page, chapter 201 and 4th. You write to us, Nathan, there in the book regarding this longevity of life and what life will be like. And again, I Wish we had 10 more programs to do on this verses, but we don't. But people can pick up your book, right, Nate? And that fills in a lot of the gap.
- [20:42]
Nathan Jones
Yeah, well, praise the Lord. My doctrinal dissertation was on the Millennial Kingdom. And I made a, you know, an every man's version of it and Harvest House published it called the Coming Millennial Kingdom. What life will be like for us when Jesus reigns on Earth. Brother, I wish it was called the Forgotten Kingdom, because most people don't know anything about the Millennial Kingdom. They think, well, Revelation 20 is the only place you can find about the Millennial Kingdom. Hello. In Isaiah 65, we just read a lot of passage there. Now, this new heavens and a new earth. There will be a rebirth of this earth when Jesus returns to clean up the destruction of the tribulation. So this new heavens and new earth is actually a prophecy that goes beyond the Millennial Kingdom. This is talking about the eternal state where this world, there's an argument whether it be refurbished or brand new. I think it's going to be brand new because it says new heavens and a new earth. And it also promises here that the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind. You know, Vic, I, I frequently, and I'm sure you do too, get people to say, well, when I'm in heaven and where I'm in the eternal state, well, I think about all my family members who rejected God or in hell, and I point them here to Isaiah 65, 17, the former shall not be remembered or come to mind. So, I mean, as much as it pains us now to know that we have family members and friends who have rejected Christ as Savior, who will be separated from the Lord forever, whose God's wrath remains on them. John 3:36 that so that heaven is a place where there is joy and peace and no crying and no suffering. Well, we can't have all those horrible memories from this life going with us. And so here's this prophecy that all the horrible memories of this life will cease to exist. Now we'll remember our family and friends up in heaven, but this world, this life and all the sin and destruction in it will be forgotten. And I gotta tell you, Vic, praise God about that.
- [22:45]
Vic Batista
That's right. I love this type of amnesia, Nathan.
- [22:48]
Nathan Jones
Yeah, it's the good kind of amnesia. The stuff you don't Want to remember. And you know, again, I. We have a short amount of window of time to share the gospel with the lost. But there's going to come a time where the promises that God made of having eternal peace, no sorrow, no sorrow in heaven, joy forever and ever. Well, you can't sit there and mourn the loss of loved ones for rejecting God and that they're in hell. So it would appear that the Lord will remove those memories from us so that we can enjoy that joy and peace without having that sorrow.
- [23:25]
Vic Batista
And Nathan, and we notice here, not this actually goes beyond just a thousand years because there will be that new heavens and the new earth. But in the meantime, it speaks here about longevity of life. It talks about the animal kingdom living in peace together. It speaks about so much an infant. No more shall an infant from there live but a few days, nor an old man has not been fulfilled. Also speaks about the life of a people will be like life of a tree. If you cut a tree and you look at the rings around it, right, Nate, the years and it's going to be fantastic things that God has in store for us.
- [24:02]
Nathan Jones
Well, yeah. Think about. So those people who survived the tribulation and accepted Christ as savior will go through the sheep goat Judgment of Matthew 25 and they will live on into the Christ millennial kingdom, and they will have children and their lifespans will return to what it was like before the flood. A lot of times we will hear people say, well, that is just a bad calculation or a misprint or something in the Bible that they lived up to 900 years. Not at all. It has been well documented that those are actual numbers found in ancient documents. Mankind at one time, the Lord said, was meant to be eternal. But we sinned and death came upon us. And so the Lord reduced our age to about 900 and some. And then he dropped it again after the flood to 200. And now we're lucky to get 70 to 80 years. But during the millennial kingdom, it says if a child dies at 100 years old, you know, a person dies at 100. That's ancient for us. But at that time, they'll be considered a child. Now there will be people who can choose Christ or not in the millennial kingdom. And those who reject Christ will die young, like 100 years old. They'll. They'll be considered accursed. And so, yes, long life is returning. Now we in our glorified bodies resurrected. We are eternal. So we don't have. We don't have an end. And I believe Those who survive the millennial kingdom that know the Lord, they will also get their glorified bodies at the end of the millennial kingdom. So heaven is filled with all the glorified saints and there's no sin whatsoever. So, you know, this is amazing when you think about the Lord is really giving the Jewish people here a really big, like as high as you can go, the biggest picture, new heavens, new earth, eternal life. That's all for my faithful. In other words, why are you chasing after these ridiculous idols? It's ridiculous. You know, they don't legion, they lead to hell. And you know, people I guess, are short sighted even with the big picture. And they, they often choose hell over heaven.
- [26:01]
Vic Batista
I know, Nathan, and that's why I'm so glad that you and I get to share the word of God, the good news for anyone that's paying attention, because this is really what God has in store for you. This is the life that God wants for you. But you have to turn to him and see the bigger picture. And Nathan, that's why we don't talk to people about religion, but we talk about a relationship. And that's what we find here that God is offering is a relationship to those that want to grab hold of it. It's a free gift. Nate, I Love also verse 24 in terms of how God will communicate with us. We talk about prayer and today we pray and we have to wait for so long. Verse 24 says, it shall come to pass that before you call, I will answer. While they're still speaking, I will hear. I just love those verses.
- [26:49]
Nathan Jones
Yeah, we forget that the Lord is omniscient and omnipresent. So how can the Lord have a personal relationship with billions of people or so during the millennial kingdom in the eternal state is because he's God and he's everywhere and he knows everything and he's all powerful. So you can have a personal relationship knowing the Lord as your savior, your father, your friend, and he's right there with you. But he's also with all the other billion people at the same time having different conversations with them, you know, mind blown. But that's what the Bible teaches. God is just so amazing and awesome. Vic, you ever thought if God was like Satan, what a hell on earth it would be as we just exist to satisfy his ego. But since God is perfect love and perfect justice, then we only see the benefits of God's love and also perfect justice as well. We can have that relationship. Whereas if you have something like Islam, where Allah is distant and unknowable. Or Buddhism, where you come one with nothingness and. No, we have a personal God in the Bible, the only God. And he shows us that he loves us so much that he died for our sins so that we could have that eternal life with him.
- [28:01]
Vic Batista
Oh, Nathan, how fantastic that is. The peace relationship with God. And Nate, I also look at verse 25 real quickly here as we get ready to wrap it up. The wolf and the lamb and the sheep feed together. The lion shall eat straw like an ox. You know, Lamb lion ministry has the wonderful logo that you guys use as a reminder of God's peace.
- [28:25]
Nathan Jones
Yeah, I know. People read verse 25 and they say, well, shouldn't that be the land the lion and the lamb shall feed together? And they'll say, well, the Bible was changed. No, no, you go back to the ancient documents. It was always within the wolf and the lamb. We at Lamb and Lion Ministries are called Lamb and Lion Ministries because Jesus first came as a suffering lamb to die for our sins, but he's going to return as a conquering lion to set up his kingdom. And so that's where we get the lamb and the lion imagery from. Not from verse 25.
- [28:53]
Vic Batista
Oh, praise the Lord. And just the whole imagery in this ending, chapter 65 is so encouraging. And for those of you that are out there that maybe have been waiting to come to a relationship with God, maybe you. You are not clear in what that was all about. Well, I hope we made it clear in this chapter that this is awaits the individuals that turn to God and truly seek him. So we invite you to come to the Lord and don't waste any time because you never know when your last day will be. So, Nate, that's why we always close with an invitation for people to come to Jesus while there is still time. How, Nate, might someone be able to start that relationship, even right now, from wherever they are?
- [29:37]
Nathan Jones
Well, it's time to give up that rusty penny of sin and accept the eternal riches of a relationship with God, with him forever in heaven. Pray from your heart, Lord Jesus, I know I'm a sinner. I've rebelled against you. Please forgive me. I love you and I want you to be my savior and the Lord of my life. And Jesus promises he will forgive your sins. He will wash away the guilt and you will inherit eternal life with him.
- [30:04]
Vic Batista
Praise the Lord. And listen, if maybe that's you and you just trusted in the Lord, we would love to hear from you. Call or text us at 305-992-9537. Or write to us at webministerlamlion.com Nathan and I would love to rejoice with you. And also, there's a celebration in heaven for every individual that turns to the Lord. So we're so excited for you. Also want to thank thank you all for tuning in for today's program. As we come to the end of this program, we're so excited that you've been journeying with us through the book of Isaiah. And next time, stay tuned as we close the Book of Isaiah on our next episode. But for now, big Batista Nathan Jones, say goodbye. May the Lord bless you and keep you. May his face shine upon you. Have a wonderful day.
- [30:50]
The good news is finally here. Friends, listen to me. This is serious business. What the world needs today is Jesus. The Bible says in John 3:16 that for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.