I have a question bout Balaam in the book of Numbers. He was obviously a legitimate prophet in the sense that he spoke with God. But I am wondering why it is God gave him that gift, why He gave him permission to go then got mad (though I do understand that there is God’s perfect will and permissive will). And lastly if God was in a relationship with Balaam shouldn’t it have been to further His plan in which case wouldn’t it make sense that God would have been already trying to get Balaam to join Moses or aid in that effort in some way? I was just curious about these things and I know none of them are explicitly answered in scripture, but wondered if maybe there were any traditions associated with them. Thanks for your help.

First of all, thank you for your wonderful website.

I have a question about Matthew 5:39, where it says “But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also”. By this, shouldn’t we all be pacifists? Doesn’t this mean we should dismantle our armed forces, take no action to prevent Iran becoming nuclear, and just roll over and let it nuke us? Doesn’t this mean that fighting against Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan in WWII, we were doing the wrong thing, and the right thing would have been to let them conquer us? That Israel resisting Hamas’ attempts to obliterate it is wrong? That we should take no forceful action to defend ourselves or anything else, ever?

RE: Zechariah 12:2-3. My Bible notes say this passage is talking about before a battle right before Armageddon but it certainly does seem to describe how the World is feeling about Gaza and Israel right now. What do you think?

My brother recommended your web site and I have found comfort in your responses. My question has to do with why does God require innocent blood to be shed? Thank you in advance for any thoughts you share on this topic.

As Christians are we to celebrate Passover in like manner as the Jews, instead of Resurrection Sunday, so called Easter? Or is Passover for the Jews only?

You said that there is no sex in Heaven because there is no procreation, however, there is much more to sex than procreation. I can’t imagine going through eternity without the intimacy my wife and I have. The physical contact of cuddling, caressing and our intimate conversations. When we go to Heaven are we to be denied the love that we had for our partner in this life?

I have a question about the meaning of the word “incontinent” with regard to this being one of the characteristics people will exhibit during the last days. Does it refer to the inability to control the urge to urinate, or is there a different meaning when the word is used in scripture? If the meaning is in the conventional sense, how is that relevant? Thank you for enlightening me.

The Bible says that when Jesus ascended back to heaven, the Holy Spirit came to earth to act as the comforter to God’s people. Also I understand that He restrains evil till He is removed at the rapture. Knowing this, are we to assume that the earth was only evil completely lacking in love and understanding before the Holy Spirit arrived on the scene?

I’ve been giving a Jewish woman at work some of the questions and prophecy studies from your site and a question came up that I couldn’t answer. Is our Old Testament the same as theirs?

I am studying in the book of Genesis. Can you give me any insight into the river that went out of Eden, and was parted and became four heads, Pishon, Gihon, Hiddekel, and Euphrates? Are there Spiritual and or literal interpretations?