Question:

Matthew 18:10 says, “For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of My father in heaven.”  Does this mean that they have guardian angels?  If so, do we all have guardian angels?

Answer:

The Bible doesn’t say that each believer has one specific angel.  Angels are plural in this verse, and in Hebrews 1:14 we read, “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for those who shall be heirs of salvation?”  This denotes a broader range of activity than being “guardians.”  Angels help us a lot, no doubt in many ways that we are not aware of.  “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares” (Hebrews 13:2).  Generally, if we think we have been helped in a supernatural way, we have no way of knowing whether the help came from angels or from the Lord Himself.  In any case, we must always give thanks to God who “is our help” (Psalm 33:20) and who directs and sends the angels to help us.

Angels are not to be prayed to or worshiped.  When the apostle John “fell down to worship before the feet of the angel,” the angel responded, “See you do it not: for I am your fellow servant … worship God” (Revelation 22:8,9).

There are a number of instances in the Bible in which angels visited God’s people, including Abraham and Lot (Genesis 18:1-19:22), Gideon (Judges 6:11-23), Samson’s parents (Judges 13:3-20), Zechariah (Luke 1:11-20), Mary (Luke 1:26-37), Joseph (Matthew 1:20,21), and others.  When Elisha and his servant were surrounded by a great army of Syrian troops with horses and chariots, an even greater army of angels came between the two men and the Syrians (2 Kings 6:14-17).  There are modern day stories of similar happenings, such as bandits threatening to strike a foreign mission compound being turned away by the appearance of armed guards on the roof of the building.  Another story was told of a minister of the Lord who left his attaché case in an airport, returned a couple of hours later to try to find it, and found it just where he left it but with a “man” standing there straddling it between his legs.  The minister leaned over to identify the case and when he started to say something, the “man” had totally disappeared.

Do only important people have angels helping them?  This brings us back to the original question.  Even “these little ones” have angels helping them (Matthew 18:10).  It was brought out in the Bible Reading on Matthew 18 that this verse might be referring to the fact that the spirits of little ones who die would be taken to heaven instead of referring to angels who help the little ones.  The commentaries disagree on this point.  The Greek word found in this verse is the ordinary one for “angels” and not the word for “spirits.”

Do we become angels when we die?  No, but rather we are closer to Christ than the angels are (Hebrews 2:14-18), and in fact will judge angels (1 Corinthians 6:3).

Question:

What is the difference between disciples and apostles?

Answer:

“When it was day, He called unto Him His disciples; and of them He chose twelve, whom also He named apostles” (Luke 6:12,13).  Disciples are learners and followers of a teacher, while apostles are sent ones.  One must be a disciple first before being sent out to minister to others.

Do we still have apostles today?  The original twelve disciples were chosen by the Lord Himself, and the replacement for Judas Iscariot needed to “have companied with [the twelve disciples and Christ] … beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that [Christ] was taken up” (Acts 1:21,22).  Later on Saul of Tarsus qualified as an apostle as one who had seen and heard the risen Christ in a vision on the road to Damascus, “as one born out of due time” (1 Corinthians 15:8; also 9:1).  Nobody today meets the criteria for an apostle.

Question:

Does one need faith for miracles to take place?

Answer:

The greatest miracle that could happen to an individual—that of becoming saved— requires faith (John 3:16; Acts 16:31; Ephesians 2:8).  Jesus said to the woman who touched the hem of His garment, “Daughter, be of good comfort; your faith has made you whole” (Matthew 9:22).  Then when He healed the two blind men, “He touched their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you” (Matthew 9:29).

In the raising up of Lazarus, Jesus said to Martha, “Said I not unto you that if you would believe, you should see the glory of God?” (John 11:40).  So faith was required to see this as a miracle rather than a coincidence or sleight of hand or a magic trick.

In healing of the lame man by Peter and John (Acts 3:1-11) it would appear that the faith was exercised on the part of those who healed rather than the one healed, for Peter said, “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.”

Question:

What is the purpose of the 4 Gospels?

Answer:

First, the Lord inspired four writers to write the account of the life of the Lord Jesus Christ. He wanted the four accounts to be written. 

We need all four Gospels to give us an understanding of the life and teachings of the Lord.  The four Gospels present the Lord in four different aspects.

Matthew portrays Him as the King.

Mark portrays Him as a Servant.

Luke portrays Him as a Man.

John portrays Him as the Son of God.

When discussing this question, I placed my Bible case in front of some young ones and asked them to describe it. I then asked those who could see the other side of the case to describe what they saw. Both witnesses had different viewpoints and had different descriptions of the case. All were correct, but it took all to get a complete description of the Bible case.  We get a complete description of the life of Christ in the four Gospels the Lord has given us.

Question:

How do you know for sure that you are saved?

Answer:

An excellent and important question.  We need to know from the Word of God what it means to be saved. Romans 10:9: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” This Scripture, along with many, many more, tells us how we can be saved … by faith, confessing Jesus as Lord. The Lord Jesus said, “No man cometh unto the Father, but by Me” (John 14:6). 1 John 5:9-13 teaches us that we can know, through the authority of the Scriptures that we are saved through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.  So, if you are trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour, then you are truly saved.  If you are trusting in your works, Church membership, tithing, etc., then you are not saved.

Question:

Why does the New International Version (NIV) of the Bible leave out some verses, such as Matthew 18:11?

Answer:

There are several thousand manuscripts of the Greek New Testament dating back as early as the second century A.D.  These display only very minor variations, no doubt due to copying errors.  Some of the manuscripts include Matthew 18:11 while others omit this verse.  Biblical scholars attempt to classify these manuscripts into “family trees” according to the variations found in them so as to get as close as possible to the original writings of the New Testament.  But disagreement remains among scholars as to which manuscripts are closest to being the originals.

Question:

God said that there would be no sorrow in Heaven.  So, does that mean that people in Heaven cannot see what is happening on the Earth?  If they look down and see a family member sinning, they would be sad.

Answer:

We touched a little on this in the Young People’s meetings at the Nassau conference.  While we read in the story of the rich man and Lazarus (this is never called a parable, and should be considered as a real occurrence), that the rich man, in Hades could see Lazarus (Luke 16:23), we are not told that Lazarus could see the rich man.  It’s impossible to see into outer darkness while in the presence of the one who is “Light.”  Besides, in the presence of our precious Saviour, our eyes, our ears, our focus will be upon Him, our blessed Redeemer.

As far as no sorrow in Heaven, it’s only in Revelation 21:4 that finally “God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.”

Question:

Are the so-called “Lost Books” really missing chapters of the Bible? Do you believe in the Gospel of Judas?

Answer:

The expression “Lost Books” generally encompasses a broad collection of ancient books written at the same time as some of the 66 Books of the Bible or else in the early centuries A.D. about themes or characters found in the Bible.  These include a number of Gnostic gospels that are often referred to in New Age teachings and the recently discovered “Gospel of Judas.”  The so-called apocryphal books found in Roman Catholic Bibles are sometimes included in this category as well.

The Old Testament books as found in Protestant Bibles were originally written in Hebrew and have been accepted as the Word of God by Jewish people.  Some manuscripts of the Septuagint, a Greek translation of the Old Testament made around 250 B.C., include the apocryphal books, but these were not accepted by the Christian Church until added to Roman Catholic Bibles in 1546.  The Protestant reformers rejected these books as being “of no authority.”

The Gnostic gospels were rejected by early Christian leaders because they strongly contradicted major doctrines of the Scriptures, particularly those concerning the Person and work of Christ.  The Gospel of Judas reportedly teaches that Jesus married Mary Magdalene and had a child by her and that Jesus asked Judas to betray Him.  Such teachings may have supported Gnostic philosophy but they are so contrary to the rest of Holy Scripture as to be unworthy of consideration for inclusion in the Bible.  Furthermore, early Gnostic teachings are specifically refuted in Colossians and 1 John.

Question:
Do you believe in the “Gap Theory”?

Answer:

The “Gap Theory” says that the account of the creation in Genesis, chapter one, is really a re-creation…back to the original state the world was created. Genesis 1:1,2: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” In the phrase, “was without form,” the word ‘was’ can be correctly translated ‘became.’ So, it appears that the world was not created without form, but came to be without form. 

Isaiah 45:18: “For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God Himself that formed the earth and made it; He hath established it, He created it not in vain, He formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else.” In this verse in Isaiah the word “vain” is the same Hebrew word as “without form” in Genesis 1:2. This teaches us that although the world was without form, that is not the way the Lord created it. He formed it to be inhabited.

So … the “Gap Theory” says there is an undetermined amount of time between Genesis 1:1, and Genesis 1:2. “God created the heaven and the earth” … and it was perfect.  Something happened, and it became “without form.”  Some teach that this is when Lucifer was cast down from his position in Heaven. The six days of creation is when the Lord established order for His creation.

You asked if I believe in the Gap Theory. Yes, I do. However, I would not be dogmatic and try to force my thoughts on this matter on someone else. This issue is not significant enough, or brought out in Scripture clearly enough to become a matter of contention.

Question:

Can someone who has passed away see what is going on on the earth or see what is going on in hell, just as the rich man saw Lazarus in Abraham’s bosom in heaven (Luke 16:23)?

Answer:

While the body is dead, the spirit is awake, “absent from the body and…present with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8).  The unsaved ones who die will experience torment, like the rich man in Luke 16.  This is not purgatory because no one escapes this place of torment (Luke 16:26-28).  However, this is not yet the actual lake of fire which awaits the final judgment.  Why is there a waiting period?  In Revelation 20:11-15 we read of the final judgment of the unsaved which takes place at the end of the 1,000 year reign of Christ over the earth.  Just as the believers in Christ will be raised up at the rapture prior to the 1,000 year reign, soul and spirit being clothed with a resurrection body, so the unbelievers will have their bodies resurrected and joined with soul and spirit at the end of the 1,000 years to “stand before God” at the “great white throne” to be “judged out of those things that were written in the books, according to their works” and “cast into the lake of fire.”

Returning to the original question, just as a person inside a lighted home cannot see what is going on outside on a dark night, while a person outside can see what is going on inside a lighted home, so the rich man could see into heaven while there is no indication that Lazarus could see into hell.  Luke 15:10 suggests that the souls and spirits of departed believers “in the presence of the angels of God” will know, and have joy, when souls are saved on earth.  We don’t know if they are actively observing all that happens on earth or if the Lord informs them of certain happenings, such as the salvation of a soul.  We know for sure that the primary focus of these is Christ Himself: “Today you shall be with Me in paradise” (Luke 23:43).

Question:

Why does God allow us to do all these sinful things?

Answer:

It is not the will of the Lord that we sin. There is never an excuse for sin, and the Lord will strengthen us through His Word, so that by walking in the Spirit, we won’t fulfill the lusts (sin) of the flesh.  The Lord, in his patience, is withholding his judgment on men against sin.  “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16). His desire is that ALL men repent (Acts 17:30)…that ALL should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). 

Question:

Is someone sinning in God’s eyes who is committing a sin but honestly does not think that it is a sin?

Answer:

The Bible often speaks of sins of ignorance (Leviticus 4:2; 5:15; Numbers 15:24; Luke 23:34; Acts 3:17; 17:30) which, nevertheless, require a sacrifice or forgiveness.

If one truly has sinned, wouldn’t his conscience bother him?  Not necessarily.  Everyone is born with an innate sense of right and wrong about certain major behaviors.  Even pagans have a sense of the wrong of sins like murder, stealing, and rape.  But one’s conscience can be “seared with a hot iron” (1 Timothy 4:2) so that the heart may be hardened concerning even these gross sins.  Also, our consciences need to be instructed.  How?  By reading God’s Word.  The apostle Paul exercised himself “to have always a conscience void of offense toward God, and toward men” (Acts 24:16).  The Holy Spirit uses Scripture to convict us of sin, so we need to read and memorize Scripture so as to give the Holy Spirit material with which to speak to our hearts.

If a young Christian, uninstructed in the Word, sins, does God hold him responsible?  God is very patient with His children (see, for example, Luke 22:24-30), but He does expect us to grow in the knowledge of His Word (1 Peter 2:2) and live accordingly.  If a true believer in Christ sins, we know that Christ died for that sin (1 Corinthians 15:3) and has already forgiven that sin (Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:14).  The important question is whether the one who has sinned changes his ways if Scripture is brought to his attention or if he persists in his sin.  Sin has consequences.  It adversely affects the believer’s relationship with the Lord.  “If I regard iniquity in my heart [that is, keep on sinning], the Lord will not hear me” (Psalm 66:18).  “When I kept silence, my bones waxed old … Thy hand was heavy upon me…. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and Thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin” (Psalm 32:3-5). “Whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap” (Galatians 6:7).

Question:

The Revelation is a book about basically what happens in the Book of Life and how the unsaved will be judged. Why then do the believers need to study Revelation if we are not going to be there?  Aren’t we going to be with the Lord?  Why then do we need to study it?  All this does is confuse the young believer and discourage them. How do we deal with this? Why do we need to study it?

Answer:

Revelation is the only book that promises to bless us for reading and keeping it. Revelation 1:3: “Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.”  We will be there in part of Revelation. The history of the church is shown in the second and third chapters. Chapter four starts with the ‘rapture’ of the saints of God. Revelation 4:1: “After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter.”

We find in 2 Timothy 3:16: “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” We benefit when we read ALL of God’s Word. It is all for us to read and profit thereby.

[Paul Canner offers three more reasons why we believers need to study Revelation, in addition to the excellent ones above:

1. Sprinkled throughout the book are words of encouragement for those who remain faithful. In this regard, the Book of Revelation could provide much practical benefit to those who are currently experiencing deep tribulation and/or persecution for their faith.

2. When we are discouraged and depressed by the moral darkness and decay in the world around us, this book shows that God will have the final word and will set everything straight through the destruction of evil and the reign of the Son of Man over the earth.

  3. This book helps to give balance to people’s thoughts about the character of the Lord Jesus. That “meek and mild” baby lying in the manger who is only concerned about love and tolerance is presented in a quite different light in the Book of Revelation. Sometimes we need to ask our friends who present this unbalanced view of Jesus to read the Book of Revelation.]

Question:

If someone says that he/she is saved but knowingly continues to sin without asking for forgiveness can he/she go to heaven?

Answer:

If a person is truly saved, that person cannot be lost.  However, the question is worded, “If someone says that he/she is saved….”  1 John 3:9 says, “Whosoever is born of God does not commit [or practice] sin.”  We cannot know the heart of another person, but the person who is continuing in sin is not acting as if he/she were saved.  Matthew 7:20 says, “By their fruits you shall know them.”  James 2:14-26 talks about a man who says he has faith but exhibits no evidence of good works or is continuing in sin.  While, again, God knows our hearts, we have no right to count one as saved who gives no evidence of it in his/her life, and we should seek to warn and evangelize such a person.  Another relevant passage is Romans 6 which says that believers are counted by God as being “dead to sin” (verse 2) and therefore should not continue to live in sin (verses 11-14).

Question:

Why did God choose Judas as a disciple since He knew he would betray Him?

Answer:

Psalm 41:9: “Yea, Mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of My bread, hath lifted up his heel against Me.” It was prophesied that one would betray the Lord … one of his close friends. Although the Lord did not force Judas to betray Him, He knew that he would. John 13:11 “For He knew who should betray Him….”

Question:

Is Matthew 18:8,9 only to be taken as an illustration?  Can it be taken literally?

Matthew 18:8, 9: “And if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut it off and cast it from thee; it is good for thee to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into eternal fire. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out and cast it from thee; it is good for thee to enter into life one-eyed, rather than having two eyes to be cast into the hell of fire.”

As mentioned in the former question about verse 9, if we are living in the power of the Holy Spirit, we can get the victory over sinful tendencies, and literal mutilation of our body will not provide any additional help.  Cutting off hand or foot or plucking out our eye would hurt, and breaking sinful habits may hurt, at least for a while, until these are replaced by Christ-centered habits.

Question:

Since God chose Judas to betray Him, was Judas in control? 

Answer:

Although the Lord knew Judas would betray him, He did not “choose” Judas to betray Him.  Neither did the Lord force Judas to betray Him. James 1:13,14: “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth He any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.” This portion teaches us that sin is our choice. The Lord never tempts (entices) us to sin. Satan was able to use Judas because he did not believe that Jesus was truly the Messiah, or Christ. Anyone who rejects the Lord as Saviour is subject to the control of Satan. 

Question:

Matthew 18:9 reads, “It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.”  Does this mean life on earth or eternal life in heaven?

Matthew 18:9: “And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out and cast it from thee; it is good for thee to enter into life one-eyed, rather than having two eyes to be cast into the hell of fire.”

Certainly no one will enter heaven crippled or maimed, but this passage most likely means entering eternal life having been crippled or maimed in this present life.

What about the second part of this verse?  Can a saved person be lost again and then be sent to hell?  In John 10:27-29, the Lord Jesus says, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand.  My Father, who gave them Me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father’s hand.”

To whom was the Lord Jesus speaking in Matthew 18, and what is “the kingdom of heaven” (verse 1)?  Jesus was speaking to His disciples and the kingdom of heaven includes all who outwardly own the King.  People may become part of this kingdom by baptism or by profession of faith in Christ, but these are not necessarily saved.  Those who profess to be Christians but who continually allow their hand or foot or eye to lead them into sin are in danger of “hell fire.” True believers who have these sinful tendencies can only get the victory through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit (by the fruit of “temperance” or self-control, Galatians 5:23).  Cutting off body parts (as suggested in Matthew 18:8,9) without living in the power of the Holy Spirit would not help.

Question:

If a Christian sins purposefully again and again and keeps asking for forgiveness, will God forgive him?

Answer:

First, we again bring up the thought that this person may not truly be saved. But, if he truly is, then 1 John 1:9 would apply to this person. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” The Word is full of examples of saints who fell into sin. These can teach us and warn us that we can also fall into sin if we are not following the Lord closely.  However, if we confess our sins to the Lord, He is faithful and just … He will forgive and cleanse us. 

Question:

Is there any sin too great to be forgiven?

Answer:

The only sin that will not be forgiven is to pass into eternity without believing on the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no second chance to those who die in their sins.

Jesus said: “I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am He, ye shall die in your sins” (John 8:24).

Question:

If we are saved, can we just go and keep on sinning?

Answer:

Romans 6:1,2: “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?”  How can we who are saved continue to live in the lifestyle that the Lord saved us from?  God forbid!!!  If the attitude is that I since I am saved, I can “do what I want,” then the salvation would surely be questioned. This is not the attitude of one who truly knows the Lord and His salvation. If we do sin, because of the indwelling Holy Spirit in us, we would be convicted of those sins. Peter denied the Lord three times, but when the Lord turned around and looked at him, Peter “went out and wept bitterly” (read Luke 22:54-62).

We were challenged to look up the different times in the Scriptures that the Lord Jesus turned to look at someone. 

Question:

In the Bible, a lot of Godly people made huge mistakes such as Solomon, the wisest man, had a lot of wives.  David, a man after God’s own heart, killed another man. I know these are examples of how Christians sin too, but it almost seems like it’s okay to sin once you’re saved. It will be hard trying to explain this to an unbeliever and almost seems that Christians that do things like adultery once they are saved may be okay and still go to Heaven. I think this is wrong and am puzzled by this.  Please help me.

Answer:

The fact that the Lord includes the sins of His people in the Bible shows us that we are all subject to failure, even the man after God’s own heart.  We should realize our dependence on the Lord on a moment by moment basis so that we do not sin. When we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as our Saviour, we are saved for eternity. John 10:27-29 teaches us that we are safe in the hands of both the Son and the Father: “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand.  My Father, which gave them Me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father’s hand.” Romans 8:38,39 teaches us that no matter what happens in a true believer’s life, we can never be separated from the love of the Lord.  “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Question:

What is the difference between the soul and the spirit?

Answer:

Both animals and man have souls.  “And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the living creature that has life [nephesh, soul], and fowl that may fly about the earth in the open firmament of heaven.  And God created great whales, and every living creature [nephesh] that moves…. And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature [nephesh] after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing….  And man became a living soul [nephesh]…. At the hand of every man’s brother will I require the life [nephesh] of man” (Genesis 1:20,21,24; 2:7; 9:5).  Only man has a spirit.  “And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled” (Genesis 41:8).  “And they came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing” (Exodus 35:21).  “Those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24).

Because of their possession of a soul, man and animals alike can learn, remember, and have appetites, desires, and emotions.  It is the possession of a spirit that sets man apart as created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26,27).  The attributes of the spirit include reasoning power, creativity, conscience, responsibility, moral qualities, and ability to know and believe on the invisible God.  “The [Holy] Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God” (Romans 8:16).

Question:
What are the fruits of repentance?

Answer:

John the Baptist told those who came to him for baptism, “Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance” (Matthew 3:8).  In Luke’s Gospel, we read that the people responded to John by asking, “What shall we do then?  He answered and said unto them, He who has two coats, let him impart to him who has none, and he who has meat, let him do likewise.”  To the tax collectors, “Exact no more than that which is appointed you.”  To the soldiers, “Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages” (Luke 3:10-14).

Repentance means making a 180 degree change or acknowledging the need for making a change.  John the Baptist could not preach the whole gospel since Christ had not died and risen as yet, but he was preparing the hearts of the people for Christ.  The Lord Jesus confirmed the preaching of John by saying, “Except you repent, you shall all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3,5).  The apostle Paul preached that “God … now commands all men everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30), and testified “both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21).

We should see a definite change (that is, fruits of repentance) in the life of a person who claims to trust in Christ.

Question:

In Matthew 19:28 we read that the disciples “shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”  Who was the mother of the twelve sons of Israel (Jacob)?

Answer:

Jacob had four wives, Leah, Rachel, Bilhah, and Zilpah, who mothered his twelve sons.

Was it right for Jacob to have four wives?  “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife; and they shall be one flesh” (Genesis 2:24).  The Lord Jesus makes this even clearer by quoting this verse, “And they two shall be one flesh.  Wherefore they are no more two, but one flesh.  What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder” (Matthew 19:5,6).  A man cannot be “one flesh” with multiple wives.

Christian young people should be reminded that when considering marriage, they are to consider only one who both is a believer in Christ (2 Corinthians 6:14) and desires to please the Lord (1 Corinthians 7:39).