Anchor School of Theology: Prophetic Principles

Lessons from a Forbidden Tree

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

Program transcript

Participants: Stephen Bohr

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Series Code: ASTPP

Program Code: ASTPP000021


00:15 Well, welcome back.
00:17 We need to finish our study of biblical symbolism;
00:21 how to interpret Bible symbols in a proper way.
00:25 So we want to go on now to speak about time periods.
00:29 And we're not going to deal much with this,
00:31 because we had a whole principle that dealt with
00:34 the year/day principle.
00:35 Remember that?
00:37 Time periods are also symbolic.
00:39 That's all I'm going to say about that.
00:41 Because we dedicated two classes to discuss
00:45 this particular subject.
00:47 Now the next point is that things and objects
00:50 are also symbolic.
00:52 Things and objects are also symbolic.
00:56 Waters. What do waters represent?
01:00 Multitudes, nations, tongues, and peoples.
01:03 What kinds of peoples?
01:05 People at enmity with the people of God.
01:09 What do eyes represent?
01:12 Eyes represent wisdom. Absolutely.
01:15 And you have some references there in Revelation 2 verse 18
01:20 and Ephesians 1 verse 18.
01:23 You have examples of what eyes represent.
01:26 And what animal do we use to represent wisdom?
01:30 An owl?
01:31 Why do we use an owl to represent wisdom?
01:34 What is the predominant characteristic of an owl?
01:37 It's eyes.
01:38 See, so we have a remnant of that today.
01:40 An owl has large eyes.
01:42 And eyes represent wisdom.
01:45 What does fire represent?
01:48 Fire is a symbol of the Holy Spirit.
01:50 There are many passages that deal with that.
01:53 What does the sun represent?
01:56 The sun is a symbol of Jesus Christ.
01:59 "The Sun of Righteousness shall rise with healing in His wings."
02:04 What does the forehead represent?
02:06 The forehead represents your mind.
02:08 Because your mind is behind your forehead, your brain.
02:12 So you can read these text that are here.
02:14 What do trees represent?
02:17 Trees represent people.
02:20 And maybe it might be a good idea for us to read
02:23 a couple of these verses just for this point.
02:26 Go with me to Psalm 1 and verses 1 to 3.
02:31 Psalm 1 and verses 1 to 3.
02:33 This is a passage that is very, very well known.
02:38 Some people might have it memorized.
02:42 It says, "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel
02:44 of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners,
02:49 nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
02:52 but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
02:55 and in His law he meditates day and night."
02:58 And now comes the comparison, now comes the symbol.
03:01 "He shall be like..." What?
03:03 "...like a tree..."
03:04 The word, "like," is the key here.
03:06 You're dealing with symbolism.
03:08 "He shall be like a tree..."
03:09 In what sense will he be like a tree?
03:11 Is he going to have branches and leaves?
03:14 Well not literally, no.
03:16 There's one particular aspect.
03:18 It says, "He shall be like a tree planted by
03:21 the rivers of water..."
03:23 What would the rivers of water represent?
03:26 In this sense, rivers would represent
03:28 the Holy Spirit, right?
03:30 Fresh water.
03:31 See, when it says that the harlot sits on many waters,
03:34 it's the waters of the raging sea.
03:37 But fresh waters represent the Holy Spirit.
03:40 Isn't that correct?
03:42 So it says, "He shall be like a tree planted by
03:45 the rivers of water, that brings forth its..." What?
03:49 "...its fruit in its season, whose leaf also
03:54 shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper."
03:58 So in what sense is a tree compared to a righteous person?
04:03 In two points.
04:04 Number one, where does he get the strength
04:08 to produce the fruit?
04:10 From the water.
04:12 And when he receives the water, he bears what?
04:15 He bears fruit.
04:16 Those are the two points of comparison.
04:19 Now let's notice one other example here of a tree.
04:23 Jeremiah 17.
04:26 Jeremiah chapter 17 and verse 8 is another example.
04:34 It says here, and let's read verse 7 for the context,
04:38 "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
04:41 and whose hope is the Lord.
04:44 For he shall be like..." What?
04:47 "...he shall be like a tree," once again, "planted
04:51 by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river,
04:56 and will not fear when heat comes;
04:59 but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the
05:03 year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit."
05:07 The same basic idea, right?
05:10 So in Revelation when it says that a third of the trees
05:14 were destroyed, in the trumpet series,
05:16 you have to look for some place on planet earth where
05:19 at some point a third of the trees were destroyed.
05:23 Right?
05:24 No.
05:27 You have to look at a place where a third of
05:29 God's people were mowed down.
05:31 And what if it says, "Spare the trees?"
05:35 Well, it means spare the people.
05:36 Because trees are symbolic of people.
05:40 And by the way, it can represent also a bad person.
05:44 So it doesn't always represent God's people.
05:47 It represents God's people sometimes, and other times
05:50 it represents wicked people.
05:53 Okay, now what does oil represent?
05:56 Oil represents the Holy Spirit.
06:00 What does clothing represent?
06:03 Clothing represents righteousness.
06:06 What does a sword represent?
06:08 We covered this.
06:10 It symbolizes God's Word, and it also symbolizes
06:15 the authority of the civil power.
06:18 What do horns represent?
06:21 Kingdoms or divisions of kingdoms.
06:23 Stars represent what?
06:26 Stars represent Christ.
06:29 Or they can represent God's people,
06:31 or they can represent Lucifer, depending on where they appear.
06:36 And then on the next page you have mountains.
06:38 What do mountains represent?
06:40 Mountains represent kingdoms.
06:43 So in Revelation 17, this beast that has seven heads
06:47 and the seven heads are seven mountains,
06:49 what is represented by this?
06:51 You don't even have to guess.
06:53 Because in Revelation 17 it says the seven heads
06:56 are seven mountains, and they are seven kingdoms.
06:59 So there you have the heads, mountains, and kingdoms.
07:03 So you have the interpretation of what it means.
07:05 Daniel 2, the stone becomes a mountain.
07:08 What does that mean?
07:10 Well, it's God's kingdom that fills the whole earth,
07:14 and lasts forever.
07:16 And so, whenever you find mountains in symbolic prophecy,
07:20 it represents kingdoms.
07:23 And this is the reason why the heads of the beast of
07:26 Revelation 17 does not represent seven popes.
07:31 These days people are saying, "Oh, you know, the seven heads
07:35 are seven popes, and then there's an eighth.
07:37 And the eight is Francis I."
07:41 Well the fact is that mountains don't represent
07:44 individual persons.
07:47 Mountains represent kingdoms.
07:50 And furthermore, Revelation chapter 17
07:55 clearly says that number eight is of the seven.
08:00 One of the seven.
08:02 And Francis I is not one of the seven.
08:04 But anyway, some people take the seven heads to be seven popes,
08:08 and then an eighth pope is the present pope.
08:10 So basically they're saying the last pope is this one.
08:14 And then comes the end of the world.
08:16 That's pretty close to setting a date.
08:21 Okay, let's go now to the next point.
08:23 Colors are symbolic.
08:26 What does white represent?
08:29 Purity, light, righteousness.
08:32 The robes that Adam and Eve wore in the Garden of Eden
08:35 were white robes of light.
08:39 Blue, what does blue represent?
08:42 Blue represents truth as found in God's holy law.
08:47 Let's go to Numbers 15 so that you can see an example of this.
08:51 Numbers 15 verses 38 through 40.
08:56 Numbers 15:38-40
09:01 There you have a clear, clear example.
09:06 Numbers 15 verse 38, this is what it says,
09:13 "Speak to the children of Israel:
09:16 Tell them to make tassels on the corners of their garments
09:20 throughout their generations, and put a blue thread
09:25 in the tassels of the corners.
09:27 And you shall have the tassel, that you may look upon it
09:32 and remember all the commandments of the Lord
09:34 and do them, and that you may not follow the harlotry
09:38 to which your own heart and your own eyes are inclined..."
09:42 So why did God tell them to put blue tassels
09:45 at the bottom of their garments?
09:47 To remember God's commandments.
09:49 So blue represents God's truth.
09:52 And we have the saying, "True blue."
09:56 Have you ever heard of the expression, true blue?
09:59 Because blue represents the truth.
10:02 And you know, just as a side light, have you ever noticed
10:04 that the Roman Catholic priests and their vestments
10:07 never use blue.
10:13 They use scarlet, they use purple,
10:17 combined with white.
10:20 But you'll never find them clothed in blue.
10:24 Very, very interesting nuance.
10:28 And then you have red. What does red represent?
10:32 Sacrifice.
10:33 It can represent the blood of Jesus,
10:37 or it can represent the shed blood of the wicked.
10:40 And you have Bible verses there.
10:42 What does purple represent?
10:45 It represents royalty.
10:46 Remember that they put a robe of purple on Jesus,
10:49 and then they mocked Him as a king.
10:52 So in Revelation chapter 17 where it speaks about
10:56 the harlot being clothed in purple and scarlet,
11:00 it means that she considers herself a queen.
11:03 She considers herself royalty.
11:05 And she rules over the waters, and she rules over the
11:08 kings of the earth.
11:10 What does gold represent?
11:13 Gold represents character.
11:16 You know, faith that works by love
11:21 and purifies the soul, as Ellen White says.
11:24 And you find this, for example, in the church of Laodicea.
11:27 God says that He wants us to buy gold tried in the fire.
11:32 Which is character, especially love; the love of God
11:36 in our lives.
11:37 And then in Scripture, black or darkness represents
11:40 sin, error, and the power of Satan, the powers of darkness.
11:46 Okay, now let's go also to the next section.
11:49 Places and directions of the compass are symbolic.
11:54 Even directions of the compass are symbolic.
11:58 What does Sodom represent?
12:02 We've already dealt with this.
12:03 Sodom represents a nation that has become
12:06 very immoral, licentious.
12:12 Did that happen during the French Revolution?
12:14 Yes.
12:15 And then you have Egypt.
12:17 These are locations.
12:18 Was Egypt an atheistic nation?
12:23 Did it challenge the existence of the true God?
12:25 It most certainly did.
12:26 "Who is the Lord? I don't know the Lord.
12:28 And I'm not going to let His people go."
12:30 Babylon. Is Babylon symbolic?
12:33 Yes, we've already noticed that.
12:36 How about Israel and Jerusalem when they're found in prophecy?
12:39 Would those be symbolic?
12:42 Of course they would be.
12:44 How about the king of the north and the king of the south?
12:48 Would those directions of the compass be symbolic?
12:51 Of course.
12:52 Are we to look for enemies that are going to attack Israel
12:55 from the south and the north?
12:58 You know, south of Israel was Egypt.
13:01 So the speculation is that the Arabs, you know,
13:05 represented by Egypt and the Arabic nations,
13:07 are going to come and they're going to attack
13:09 Israel from the south.
13:11 And then from the north you're going to have the Russians,
13:14 and you're going to have others who come from the north
13:17 to attack literal Israel.
13:19 Well the fact is that in symbolic prophecy,
13:23 the points of the compass become universalized.
13:29 The north, in other words, is the place where
13:32 Babylon comes from to attack Israel.
13:34 And what is Babylon?
13:36 Babylon is spiritual and global.
13:40 How about the south?
13:41 The south represents secularism or communism.
13:47 It's the opposite of the king of the north.
13:48 The king of the north is false religion.
13:50 And the king of the south is non-religion,
13:55 or adversarial to religion.
13:59 And so is that going to be a global phenomenon?
14:03 Did the French Revolution cause that to be a global phenomenon?
14:06 Absolutely.
14:07 So south and north are not literal points of the compass
14:11 in end time prophecy.
14:13 They become symbolic of global worldwide systems.
14:17 Is Israel centered in the Middle East?
14:21 No. Listen folks, if Israel is not centered in the Middle East,
14:24 neither is the king of the south nor the king of the north.
14:28 Because the king of the south was Egypt and the king of the
14:30 north was Babylon.
14:33 So if you say that Babylon is symbolic
14:36 and the king of the south, Egypt, is symbolic,
14:38 you would have to say that Jerusalem is symbolic too.
14:43 And also global and worldwide.
14:45 Are you understanding that principle?
14:47 It's a vital principle in the interpretation
14:50 of Bible prophecy.
14:52 Finally, the final point under symbolism is that actions
14:58 are also symbolic.
15:03 For example, the eating of the little book.
15:08 We're going to study about Revelation 10 tomorrow.
15:11 The eating of the little book.
15:13 Is that a symbolic action?
15:15 Of course it is.
15:17 In fact, John is a representative of God's people.
15:22 He's a representative person.
15:24 We're going to notice that in our study tomorrow.
15:26 He represents God's people symbolically.
15:29 So when John is told to devour this book,
15:34 which is Daniel 8 through 12...
15:36 We're also going to study that this afternoon.
15:38 The book that is found in Revelation chapter 10
15:41 is Daniel 8 through 12.
15:43 The book of Daniel is composed of two books in one.
15:47 Daniel 1 through 7 is one book,
15:49 and Daniel 8 through 12 is another book.
15:52 But they're both found in one book.
15:54 Just like the Bible you have 66 books,
15:56 but you really have only one book.
15:57 In Daniel you have two books within one book.
16:01 And the two parts, Daniel 1 through 7
16:04 and Daniel 8 through 12, can be clearly distinguished
16:08 even by language.
16:11 Because Daniel 1 is the introduction to the book.
16:15 But beginning with Daniel 2 through Daniel 7
16:17 it's written in Aramaic, whereas Daniel 8 through 12
16:22 is written in Hebrew.
16:23 Just the language itself tells us that there's a distinction
16:27 between the first half of Daniel and the last half
16:30 of Daniel as well.
16:32 So the little book that is being eaten in Revelation chapter 10
16:36 is Daniel 8 through 12.
16:38 And we're going to find that the central theme
16:40 of Daniel 8 through 12 is the 2300 day prophecy.
16:45 You'll see that when we study it this afternoon.
16:46 It's amazing.
16:48 And so this action, this symbolic action, is that
16:52 John is representing God's church at this
16:55 particular stage of history.
16:57 And John is commanded to eat this little book,
17:00 which is centered in the 2300 day prophecy.
17:04 And so John eats the book.
17:07 And when he eats the book, or he assimilates the message...
17:13 You know, how do we devour a book?
17:17 It's not talking about eating paper.
17:20 You know, we devour our book because we read it.
17:22 Have you ever devoured a book?
17:23 Sometimes I'll find a book that's so interesting
17:25 I can't put it down.
17:26 I've got to eat the whole thing in one sitting.
17:29 Yeah.
17:30 And so he devours this book.
17:32 Wow, it's exciting.
17:34 And it's sweet in the mouth.
17:36 In other words, the message from the book is a sweet message.
17:41 But then in the aftermath, it gets to the belly
17:43 and becomes bitter.
17:44 The message caused joy at first, and then bitterness.
17:51 So would you have to look in history, at some point
17:54 in history, where there was a people who assimilated
17:58 the message of the 2300 days and it was a sweet experience,
18:02 and then in the aftermath it turned bitter?
18:08 Wow.
18:09 The Millerite movement fits the description
18:12 perfectly in every detail.
18:16 Because the action of eating the book is a symbolic action.
18:20 So even actions in Bible prophecy are symbolic.
18:25 And then the final point, a woman who acts
18:28 in an adulterous manner represents a church
18:32 that has come into illicit relationships
18:35 with the civil powers of the world.
18:37 So actions are also of symbolic value.
18:42 So I hope that these principles have helped us a little bit
18:46 as we struggle with Bible prophecy in helping us
18:50 interpret the meaning of Bible symbols.
18:53 Now what we want to do is go to the material.
18:55 We're going to go to our next principle.
18:58 And our next principle has to do with the importance
19:02 of understanding the Hebrew Sanctuary
19:06 in order to understand Bible prophecy.
19:08 And I'll read it from your syllabus.
19:10 It's page 32 in your syllabus.
19:14 It reads this way:
19:16 Consider the importance of the Sanctuary
19:19 in the understanding of Bible prophecy.
19:23 It is absolutely indispensable...
19:26 And I underlined the word, "indispensable."
19:30 ...to understand the Hebrew Sanctuary in order to
19:33 comprehend the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation.
19:37 You cannot understand Daniel and Revelation
19:39 unless you understand the Sanctuary.
19:40 It's an impossibility.
19:44 We're going to take a look at in this material,
19:47 particularly this chart that you have in the handout
19:50 that you received, it says,
19:52 "Salvation History and the Sanctuary in Revelation."
19:56 That's the one that you need to make reference to.
19:58 And we're going to read the description at the bottom
20:02 so that you understand the chart.
20:04 And then what we're going to do after you understand
20:07 the chart, then we're going to go back to the beginning
20:10 of this handout and we are going to go through
20:14 the material step by step, which is a description
20:17 of what we find in the chart.
20:20 Now let's take a look at this chart
20:27 and let me explain a little bit about it.
20:30 You look at the extreme left hand side,
20:34 at the bottom, and you find that it says, "Court."
20:37 You see that there? "Court."
20:41 And what was in the court?
20:43 The altar of sacrifice and the laver.
20:47 Those represent the death and resurrection of Christ.
20:51 Now where did that take place?
20:54 On earth, right?
20:56 So the line that you see at the bottom,
20:58 the broken line at the bottom, represents the earth.
21:03 And so you see there Jesus is on earth.
21:06 In Revelation 1 verse 5, it speaks about His death
21:10 and His resurrection.
21:13 And so Revelation actually begins with the work that
21:16 Jesus performed in the court.
21:20 But then you'll notice the ascending line
21:22 on the left hand side.
21:23 Do you see it with the arrow going up?
21:26 Jesus ascended to heaven.
21:29 And where did He enter?
21:31 See, the line above with the little boxes are heaven.
21:36 So Jesus ascends to heaven.
21:39 And where is He in Revelation 1 through 3?
21:44 He is in the Holy Place.
21:45 Where in the Holy Place specifically?
21:47 What piece of furniture?
21:50 He is at the candlesticks in Revelation 1 to 3.
21:53 That's the central theme of Revelation 1 through 3.
21:57 Then in Revelation 4 and 5, we're going to notice
22:00 the reasons for this, Jesus is at the table of showbread.
22:04 Now where was the showbread in the Sanctuary?
22:08 In the Holy Place.
22:10 And then when you go to the beginning of the trumpet series,
22:13 in Revelation 8:2-5, Jesus is at the altar of incense.
22:20 So in the series on the churches, the seals,
22:23 and the trumpets, where is Jesus?
22:27 Jesus is in the Holy Place.
22:28 Now don't misunderstand, towards the end of each series
22:31 Jesus goes into the Most Holy.
22:34 But as He begins His ministration with the churches
22:38 and the seals and the trumpets, Jesus is ministering
22:41 in the Holy Place.
22:42 In fact, the interesting thing is that every time you get
22:45 to number six in the series of the churches,
22:49 the seals, and the trumpets, you have the Most Holy Place
22:52 that comes into view when you get to number six.
22:56 You say, "How is that?"
22:59 In the churches you come to number six,
23:01 it's the sixth church, Philadelphia.
23:04 An open door is placed before them.
23:08 The open door leads into the Most Holy Place.
23:11 When you come to the seals, and you come to the sixth seal,
23:16 there you have a description of the sealing
23:20 of the 144,000.
23:23 The sealing takes place in the Most Holy Place.
23:26 And when you get to the trumpets
23:28 you have the little book episode,
23:31 which is the 2300 day prophecy.
23:34 Which takes you into the Most Holy Place.
23:37 So in other words, number six in the series
23:40 always is a transition from the Holy into the Most Holy.
23:45 But at the beginning of each series, Jesus is
23:49 at the candlesticks, He's at the table of showbread,
23:52 and then He is at the altar of incense.
23:54 And then we continue down the line.
23:55 You see, all of this is being done by Jesus in heaven, right?
23:59 Are you able to follow along?
24:01 Everything is being done by Jesus in heaven.
24:03 You know, in Revelation 11 verse 19, what is opened?
24:10 We studied this in prayer meeting last night.
24:12 The temple of God is opened in heaven.
24:14 What is that temple?
24:16 It's the Most Holy Place is opened,
24:18 and the ark of His covenant is seen.
24:22 Question, could you ever make any sense out of this
24:25 without the Sanctuary?
24:28 How could you understand the candlesticks
24:29 without the Sanctuary?
24:31 How can you understand the table of showbread
24:34 without the Sanctuary?
24:35 How can you understand the altar of incense
24:38 without the Sanctuary?
24:39 How can you understand the opening of the door
24:41 to the Most Holy Place and seeing the ark of the covenant
24:44 if you don't know the Sanctuary?
24:47 The whole book of Revelation is patterned after the
24:50 Hebrew Sanctuary in its proper order.
24:54 And so in 11:19 you have the ark of the covenant seen,
24:59 the Most Holy Place is opened, and the judgment begins.
25:03 Now when you get to Revelation 15
25:06 verse 1 and verses 5 through 8, the service in the
25:11 Most Holy Place comes to an end.
25:15 And we studied that last evening.
25:17 Remember what happens in Revelation chapter 15?
25:22 Particularly verses 5 through 8.
25:26 It says that the temple is filled with what?
25:29 With smoke.
25:31 And no longer can anyone enter the temple.
25:35 Or the naos, or the Most Holy Place.
25:40 There the temple is opened for the plague angels to come out,
25:45 not for people to go in.
25:46 In 11:19, the Most Holy Place is open so that people can
25:49 go in and follow Jesus and His work in the Most Holy Place.
25:52 In Revelation 15, you can't follow Him in anymore.
25:55 No one can enter.
25:56 The temple is opened so the plague angels can come out.
26:01 So in chapter 15, the Most Holy Place ministry comes to an end.
26:08 Are you following the Sanctuary here?
26:10 Is the Day of Atonement going to end someday?
26:13 You better believe it.
26:15 And then, notice, in chapter 16 through chapter 18
26:22 you have the plagues, a description of the plagues.
26:26 By the way, do you know where the plagues come from?
26:29 They come from the Most Holy Place.
26:31 Do you know specifically where they come from?
26:34 They come from the ark of the covenant.
26:37 You say, "How do you know that they come..."
26:38 What was in the ark of the covenant?
26:42 The Law.
26:46 What has the world been doing?
26:49 They've been trampling on God's Law.
26:51 So the ark sends plagues.
26:53 You say, "Where do you get that from?"
26:54 You remember the story of the Philistines?
26:57 The uncircumcised Philistines.
27:00 What does uncircumcised mean?
27:03 It means that they were not part of God's chosen people.
27:08 They were rebellious, they were among the wicked.
27:11 And so they take the ark of the covenant with unholy hands.
27:15 And what does the ark do?
27:17 The ark starts pouring plagues out on them.
27:21 Because they are tramplers of God's holy Law.
27:25 So the plagues come from the Most Holy Place
27:27 after probation closes.
27:29 Are you following me?
27:31 And so the plagues are poured out.
27:33 And then when you get to Revelation 19:1-10,
27:37 God's people stand victorious in heaven.
27:41 And they're singing the song of victory.
27:44 Isn't that interesting?
27:46 Now, there are many nuances in between these large segments.
27:50 I'm only showing you the large sections that
27:53 deal with the Sanctuary.
27:55 In our study tomorrow, we're going to take a look at
27:58 the structure of Revelation 12 to 22.
28:02 It's an amazing structure.
28:04 Intricate, beautiful, complex when you look at all of the
28:10 details that are in between all of these large segments.
28:14 What I want you to see now is the
28:15 progression of the Sanctuary.
28:18 And so God's people stand victorious in heaven.
28:20 And then what do you have next?
28:24 In Revelation 20 what do you have?
28:29 You have the scapegoat ceremony.
28:32 Was that at the conclusion of the Day of Atonement?
28:36 Absolutely.
28:37 The Sanctuary was closed.
28:39 And then the sins that had been cleansed from the Sanctuary
28:42 were placed on the scapegoat in the Sanctuary service.
28:45 How can you understand Revelation 20 unless
28:48 you understand Leviticus 16.
28:51 You see, Revelation 20 is the scapegoat ceremony
28:55 where the devil is bound to the earth for a thousand years.
29:01 And then, of course, it all ends in Revelation 21 and 22
29:06 where God establishes or creates a new heavens and a new earth.
29:12 And then the interesting thing is, do you notice
29:14 that the arrow moves down?
29:17 Revelation 21 and 22 should actually be down
29:19 on the lower line.
29:22 Jesus descends.
29:24 And the tabernacle.
29:26 It says in Revelation 22 that the tabernacle of God
29:29 is with men, and He will dwell with them.
29:35 So you've gone full circle.
29:37 You've gone from the point of Jesus leaving the earth
29:43 after His work in the court.
29:45 He's been at the candlesticks, He's been at the
29:47 table of showbread, He's been at the altar of incense.
29:50 The temple in heaven was opened for the judgment.
29:53 And then intercession in heaven ended.
29:56 And then you have the time of trouble when the
29:57 plagues are being poured out.
29:58 Then God's people stand victorious in heaven.
30:00 And then the sins are placed upon the scapegoat.
30:04 And the scapegoat is here for a thousand years.
30:06 And then Jesus descends.
30:09 And you have a new heavens and a new earth.
30:13 All in the Sanctuary.
30:16 The book of Revelation is a book that portrays the exact order
30:22 of the Hebrew Sanctuary and all the steps that Jesus takes.
30:27 Now, you notice that there's a broken line at the bottom.
30:32 Do all of these things have a spiritual reality on earth
30:37 while Jesus is in heaven?
30:38 Do they have a spiritual reality?
30:41 Do the candlesticks have any spiritual reality?
30:44 Do you believe that there really are candlesticks in heaven?
30:47 Yes I do.
30:49 Because there you have the symbol and what the
30:51 symbol represents.
30:54 See, in heaven you have the reality and the shadow.
30:59 And so in heaven you have the candlestick
31:00 and you also have the Holy Spirit who is
31:03 represented by the candlestick,
31:05 or by the oil in the candlestick.
31:08 In heaven, you have really a table of showbread.
31:12 But the reality to which the showbread points is there too.
31:17 And you have an altar of incense.
31:18 And the reality to which the altar of incense
31:21 points is there too.
31:24 You have a real ark of the covenant in heaven.
31:28 Probably much larger than the one on earth
31:30 because the one on earth was made to scale.
31:33 But nevertheless, you have an ark of the covenant there.
31:36 In other words, in heaven you have the reality and the symbol.
31:39 On earth you only have what is symbolized spiritually.
31:45 So let me ask you this, does the candlestick
31:49 have any spiritual relevance to the church on earth?
31:54 We're going to study that in a few moments, yes.
31:56 What does the candlestick represent symbolically?
32:00 It represents the Holy Spirit imparted to the church
32:03 so that the church will shed light.
32:09 What does the bread represent?
32:12 The Word of God.
32:13 See, spiritual on earth.
32:17 What does the incense represent?
32:20 Actually, the incense represents the merits of Christ
32:25 mingled with the prayers of the saints.
32:29 Revelation 8 makes that clear.
32:31 The incense is the merits of Christ's blood
32:34 that is mingled with our prayers.
32:36 See, our prayers have no virtue.
32:39 If we came to God in prayer without the fragrance
32:44 of the incense, God would have to destroy us.
32:48 But when our prayers are mingled with the
32:50 righteousness of Christ,
32:53 ah, our prayers are acceptable in the sight of God.
32:55 Because of Jesus, not because of us.
33:00 And so, does the altar of incense have spiritual
33:03 relevance for us?
33:04 Of course it does.
33:05 How about the ark of the covenant?
33:08 Are we to proclaim God's law on earth?
33:10 Are we to proclaim the Sabbath on earth?
33:13 Are we to proclaim health reform on earth?
33:16 Are we to proclaim the hour of God's judgment on earth?
33:19 See, what is literal up there has spiritual significance here.
33:24 Now when Jesus fills the temple with His glory,
33:28 with smoke, so to speak, will that have any
33:31 implications on earth?
33:34 Of course.
33:35 You see, when nobody can enter the temple in heaven,
33:38 that means that nobody on earth can enter
33:40 the temple spiritually.
33:43 Are you understanding the principle?
33:45 Sometimes we focus so much on what Jesus does up there
33:48 that we forget about what He's doing here.
33:51 You see, there's another temple here.
33:53 It's a spiritual temple.
33:55 That's at the bottom of the line.
33:57 You know, Jesus said, "I am going,"
34:00 but He says, "I will come to you."
34:04 So how can Jesus say, you know, "I am with you always,
34:08 even unto the end of the world," and yet He can say to Peter,
34:10 "Peter, I'm going.
34:11 And where I'm going now, you can't go with me."
34:16 Is Jesus talking out of both sides of His mouth?
34:19 No.
34:20 What He's saying is that physically He is going to
34:23 be in heaven, but spiritually through the work of the
34:26 Holy Spirit, He's going to be with us on earth.
34:31 So where does the antichrist sit?
34:32 You know, the antichrist, he can't take any position
34:35 in the heavenly temple.
34:37 So what does he do?
34:39 He says, "Well, I can't take over the place in the
34:41 heavenly temple, so the best I can do is
34:43 take over the place on earth."
34:45 And so he sits in the church.
34:48 And he does his thing.
34:50 That's 2 Thessalonians chapter 2.
34:52 He sits in the temple of God showing that he is God.
34:56 And do you know whose position he's usurping?
34:59 He's usurping the position of the Holy Spirit.
35:01 Because the pope was not left as Christ's representative;
35:04 the Holy Spirit was.
35:10 Are you with me?
35:13 Now you understand the chart.
35:15 So let's go to the description at the bottom of the chart
35:18 and review to make sure, absolutely sure,
35:23 that you understand the meaning of this chart.
35:27 Because next we're going to go to the document itself
35:31 and we're going to go step by step.
35:35 Things to keep in mind as you study this chart.
35:39 Number one, the book of Revelation is not written in
35:42 strict chronological order.
35:45 It functions on the principle of climax and anti-climax.
35:49 It often presents flashbacks and foretastes.
35:57 Let me illustrate that.
35:59 And when we deal with literary structure matters,
36:02 it will become clearer.
36:05 Revelation 14:1-5
36:08 It says there that the 144,000 stand victorious on Mount Zion
36:12 with the Lamb.
36:16 We have a problem.
36:19 Because in Revelation 14:6, the very next verse
36:24 through verse 12, you have the three angels' messages.
36:27 So how could they be standing on Mount Zion with Jesus
36:30 victorious if the three angels' messages
36:32 haven't been proclaimed yet?
36:35 Are you following me?
36:37 It's because, you know...
36:39 In fact, Revelation 14:1-5 really belongs with chapter 13.
36:45 Because chapter 13...
36:46 See, we need to understand this.
36:48 I wish I had more time.
36:50 You know, we could take just the total hours of this class
36:55 just to study this one principle.
36:57 I'm serious.
36:59 I'm not exaggerating.
37:01 Because Revelation is so intricate,
37:03 and Daniel is so intricate, that it takes time
37:09 to decode it.
37:11 But once you do, oh wow, a whole panorama
37:15 opens up to your view.
37:20 Revelation 14:1-5 belongs with chapter 13.
37:23 You say, "Why?"
37:24 Because chapter 13 ends by speaking about the beast
37:30 and his image imposing his mark.
37:35 And whoever does not receive the mark will be killed.
37:39 And so when Revelation 13 ends, you ask the question;
37:42 okay, so there was this crisis.
37:46 The beast imposed his mark.
37:51 And the beast said that he would kill everyone who
37:53 did not receive the mark or did not worship the image.
37:56 The question is, was there anybody who stood victorious?
38:03 Chapter 14 says yes.
38:05 The 144,000.
38:08 The climax is that there was a group that will stand
38:11 on Mount Zion victorious over the beast, his image,
38:15 his mark, and the number of his name.
38:19 Is that making sense?
38:22 Let's go to Revelation 15, I'll show you.
38:25 Revelation chapter 15.
38:29 And you're going to see that the 144,000
38:32 really are those that were victorious over the beast,
38:34 his image, his mark, and the number of his name.
38:38 So chapter 14:1-5 really belongs to chapter 13.
38:42 It's the climax to chapter 13.
38:46 And it says there in Revelation 15 and verse 2,
38:49 "And I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire,
38:52 and those who have the victory over the beast,
38:56 over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name,
38:58 standing on the sea of glass, having harps of God.
39:01 They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God,
39:03 and the song of the Lamb, saying..."
39:04 Are these the same characteristics as the group
39:07 in Revelation 14:1-5?
39:11 So did God have a victorious group?
39:13 Yes He did.
39:16 There are several chapter divisions in Revelation
39:19 that are wrongly divided.
39:22 Of course, the translators, the ones who created
39:26 the chapter divisions, you know, they did the best they could.
39:30 They didn't have the light that we have as Adventists.
39:34 You know, another example is the one I gave
39:35 in prayer meeting last night.
39:37 Revelation 11 verse 1 belongs with chapter 10.
39:44 You say, "Now how does Revelation 11 verse 1
39:47 belong with chapter 10?"
39:48 Let me explain it.
39:50 Now why are we getting off into structure here?
39:52 Well, it has to do with what we're talking about anyway,
39:55 with the Sanctuary.
39:57 So let's use that excuse.
40:02 I get caught off on these tangents.
40:04 My mind is like a big pool of thoughts.
40:08 You know, and I have the tendency to get distracted.
40:10 But anyway, where were we?
40:13 Okay, chapter 11 verse 1 belongs to chapter 10.
40:17 Chapter 10 ends by speaking about the little book
40:23 that John ate.
40:24 Sweet in his mouth, bitter in his stomach.
40:29 And then the chapter ends by saying,
40:30 "You must prophecy again."
40:34 And then the very next verse says,
40:36 "Arise, measure the temple."
40:40 Let me ask you, what started immediately after the
40:43 great disappointment in 1844?
40:45 What started after the disappointment?
40:50 The measuring of the temple.
40:52 The investigative judgment.
40:54 And so Revelation 11 verse 1 is telling you that after
40:58 the disappointment they would understand that now the
41:01 temple was going to be measured.
41:05 So 11:1 belongs with chapter 10.
41:08 It's the climax of chapter 10.
41:10 The same thing with Revelation 21 and verse 1.
41:15 That's part of chapter 20.
41:18 Because chapter 20, the last two verses, 14 and 15,
41:22 speaks about the devil and his angels and the wicked
41:24 cast into the lake of fire, which is the second death.
41:27 And then it says, "I saw a new heavens and a new earth."
41:29 Revelation 21 verse 1.
41:33 And then verse 2 says the heavenly city descends.
41:36 Now, it's out of order.
41:40 Because the holy city descends before God makes
41:43 a new heavens and a new earth.
41:45 Before He destroys the wicked.
41:48 So what happens is, Revelation chapter 21
41:52 and verse 2 begins a new cycle.
41:56 In fact, we're going to study the millennium.
41:57 And you're going to see in practical terms
41:59 the nuts and bolts of how to do this literary study.
42:04 Revelation 20 verse 1 through Revelation 21 and verse 8
42:07 has four cycles, four repetitive cycles,
42:13 where the same material is repeated four times,
42:16 but with a different emphasis.
42:20 The first emphasis is upon Satan and the earth.
42:25 The second emphasis is upon the saints.
42:28 The third emphasis is upon the wicked.
42:30 And the fourth emphasis is on what life is going to be
42:34 in the holy city.
42:36 And when you study each cycle, and then you put them
42:40 all together, you have a complete picture.
42:44 If you try to read Revelation 20 verse 1
42:46 through 21:8 in chronological order,
42:49 you will be so goofed up you don't know
42:51 what planet you're on.
42:55 Because it goes back and forth, it goes in cycles.
42:59 And unless, you know...
43:01 Interpreting symbols is important,
43:03 the Sanctuary is important, but I've come to the
43:05 conclusion that the most important thing in studying
43:08 Bible prophecy is understanding how things are put together.
43:14 And what amazes me is when I read the writings
43:16 of Ellen White, she has it all together.
43:22 And I study the structure, and I say,
43:24 "This fits here, this fits here."
43:25 Then I read, Great Controversy, she says,
43:27 "Well, this is where this fits and this is where this fits."
43:31 And the little old lady didn't have a PhD.
43:35 She had two and a half years of primary education.
43:37 Hello.
43:39 You don't have to be King Solomon
43:42 to understand Bible prophecy.
43:43 All you need is to pray to the Lord for enlightenment.
43:48 And make up your mind that you're going to sit down
43:50 and you're going to study it.
43:51 Because you have to pray and you have to sweat.
43:57 You know, some people will say, "Only pray, and then God will
44:00 give you and enlightening thought."
44:04 Well, God will give you enlightening thoughts,
44:06 but God does not condone laziness.
44:10 Jesus said, "Search the Scriptures."
44:14 And, "search the Scriptures," is different than reading them.
44:18 There's too many people who read the Scriptures
44:21 and not enough people who search the Scriptures.
44:26 So the Sanctuary is vitally important, is it not.
44:32 Now that was point number one.
44:37 Is that clear, that first point there?
44:39 Okay.
44:41 Number two, each major section of Revelation
44:44 has a Sanctuary introduction which not only clarifies
44:49 when the vision historically begins, but also the direction
44:54 toward which the vision is flowing.
45:00 In other words, the introductory vision gives you the beginning
45:02 point and the ending point of the series.
45:07 I'll give you an example.
45:09 Revelation 3 verse 21.
45:11 We're on point two.
45:12 We're doing well.
45:15 Revelation chapter 3 verse 21.
45:20 This is the concluding verse to the churches
45:27 and is the introductory verse to the seals.
45:32 In other words, it concludes the previous section
45:35 and it introduces the next section.
45:38 So Revelation 3 verse 21, Jesus says,
45:42 "To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me
45:47 on My throne, as I also overcame and sat with
45:52 My Father on His throne."
45:56 What points of time do we have in this verse?
46:00 We've got two points of time.
46:03 The first point of time is when Jesus overcame
46:06 and sat with His Father on His throne.
46:09 The second point of time is when we will sit with Jesus
46:13 on His throne.
46:16 What do you have in between?
46:18 The seals.
46:22 Are you with me?
46:23 So in other words, this one verse is the introduction
46:27 to the next section, and it also gives you
46:29 the ending point of the next section.
46:33 I'll give you another example.
46:36 Revelation 8.
46:40 Revelation 8, the introductory Sanctuary vision.
46:47 And verse 2.
46:53 "And I saw the seven angels who stand before God,
46:56 and to them were given seven trumpets.
46:58 Then another angel, having a golden censer,
47:01 came and stood at the altar.
47:04 He was given much incense, that he should offer it
47:07 with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar
47:10 which was before the throne."
47:11 Let me ask you, is intercession open at this point?
47:15 Is the censer interceding?
47:18 It is interceding.
47:20 Absolutely.
47:23 Verse 4, "And the smoke of the incense,
47:26 with the prayers of the saints..."
47:28 See, the incense and the prayers are two separate things.
47:32 Related, but separate.
47:34 "...with the prayers of the saints ascended before God
47:37 from the angel's hand."
47:41 But now something is going to happen.
47:45 What's going to happen?
47:48 Verse 5, "Then the angel took the censer,
47:53 filled it with fire from the altar,
47:56 and threw it to the earth."
48:01 What does that mean, he took the censer
48:02 and threw it to the earth?
48:06 There's no longer an intercession.
48:09 The censer is not being presented before the Lord.
48:13 And notice what the result is.
48:14 "And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings,
48:17 and an earthquake."
48:20 At the end of the trumpet series, you're going to
48:22 find those same phenomena when the trumpets come to an end.
48:29 So this introductory scene is giving you two points of time.
48:33 The trumpets begin with the intercession of Jesus.
48:37 And they end when intercession ceases.
48:44 Did you catch the point?
48:46 Now, let's go to this material.
48:47 Let's go to point number three now.
48:51 There is a Sanctuary progression in the book of Revelation;
48:55 from the court to the Holy Place,
48:59 and from the Holy to the Most Holy Place.
49:02 When the ministry of the Most Holy Place
49:04 concludes at the end of the thousand years,
49:08 then Jesus will physically return to the court
49:11 from whence He ascended to heaven.
49:14 Caught that point?
49:17 Number four, each heavenly event in Revelation
49:21 has a corresponding earthly repercussion and reflection.
49:26 Jesus does nothing in heaven in a vacuum.
49:30 In other words, the work of Jesus in heaven
49:35 is reflected by His people on earth.
49:41 While Jesus is doing His work in heaven,
49:43 His people are preparing on earth.
49:46 Number five, the church on earth is a spiritual reflection
49:50 of the literal heavenly temple.
49:53 Number six, I have included the scapegoat
49:57 and the cutting off of the wicked.
50:00 Do you remember what would happen with people
50:01 who did not sympathize with the high priest
50:05 on the Day of Atonement?
50:08 Leviticus 23 says they will be cut off from among the people.
50:14 So you have two things
50:15 that happened on the Day of Atonement.
50:17 Number one, the sins that had been confessed and forgiven
50:20 previously by the blood of the Lord's goat
50:24 were placed on the head of the scapegoat.
50:27 And then he was sent out to the wilderness, to an uninhabited
50:31 land, and the wicked were cut off.
50:35 Do we find that in Revelation?
50:38 Absolutely.
50:39 At the second coming of Jesus, what happens to the wicked?
50:43 They're cut off.
50:44 What happens to the devil?
50:48 He's bound to the earth, like the scapegoat.
50:53 And so, I have included the scapegoat and the cutting off
50:56 of the wicked after the thousand years as part of
50:58 the Most Holy Place ministry because these events are
51:01 included in the Day of Atonement chapters
51:04 of Leviticus 16 and 23.
51:08 Finally, number seven, at the present
51:13 there exists a gulf between heaven and earth.
51:17 Right?
51:20 There's a gulf between heaven and earth.
51:23 Christ is physically present in a literal heavenly temple.
51:28 He is also spiritually present with His spiritual
51:31 temple on earth.
51:35 Let me ask you something.
51:37 You know I travel a lot.
51:41 And I spend a lot of time away from my wife.
51:47 And after I've been gone for a few days...
51:50 By the way, she's with me in spirit.
51:54 But after several days, I long to be with her.
52:01 Physically.
52:04 Is it different to be with someone in spirit
52:07 than to be with them physically?
52:10 So is Jesus with us in spirit?
52:12 Do you think He's happy about that?
52:15 No.
52:17 He doesn't want to be only with us spiritually,
52:20 He wants to be with us physically.
52:23 That's the whole purpose of the Sanctuary service.
52:25 Jesus said, "I'm going to prepare a place."
52:28 All of this is the preparation of the place.
52:33 His work in the Sanctuary.
52:35 And while He prepares the place for us,
52:37 we prepare for the place...
52:41 ...on earth.
52:43 We do a parallel work to the work that Jesus does
52:47 in heaven on earth.
52:49 We shine like the candelabra.
52:53 We assimilate the bread.
52:56 We present our prayers to Him.
52:58 We enter with Him into the Most Holy Place.
53:01 See, we sympathize with His work.
53:04 But the goal of this whole thing is that, "Where I am,
53:10 you may be also."
53:13 And so He is also spiritually present with His
53:16 spiritual temple on earth.
53:18 That is the church.
53:19 The goal of salvation is to join the physical
53:22 and spiritual realities at the end
53:27 so that Jesus and His people can not only experience
53:31 spiritual fellowship, but physical fellowship as well.
53:37 The Sanctuary service illustrates the steps
53:41 which Jesus must take so that he and His people
53:45 can live together in fellowship in a perfect universe
53:48 that has been freed from the curse of sin.
53:53 Wow.
53:55 So is the Sanctuary a vital thing in the book of Revelation?
53:59 It's one of the principles of prophetic interpretation.
54:02 That's why I included it as a separate principle.
54:05 Because it is vital in understanding
54:08 where the book of Revelation is trending to.
54:12 It's not merely academic, folks.
54:16 It's a matter of salvation.
54:18 To understand, to follow Jesus by faith.
54:23 And I repeat once again, Israel could not see into the tent.
54:29 So what God did was He gave them a description
54:32 of what went on in the tent.
54:35 So that when the priest went in every day to offer incense
54:39 morning and evening,
54:41 they would gather outside.
54:42 It says in Luke when Zacharias was offering the incense,
54:45 the people were outside praying.
54:47 And they were outside and they were praying,
54:49 they're saying, "Ah, Zacharias right now is presenting
54:52 the incense in the Sanctuary."
54:56 See, they were doing the reality,
54:58 and in the Sanctuary was the symbol.
55:02 And then when the high priest went in to light the lamps
55:05 morning and evening, that was the high priest that did that,
55:09 the people would say, "Oh, he went in
55:12 to fill the lamps with oil."
55:15 Because the lamp had to give light.
55:16 It was the only source of light in the Sanctuary,
55:20 was the candlestick.
55:22 And so they were to understand and say,
55:24 and they're following the high priest, they're saying,
55:27 "He's lighting the Sanctuary with the oil.
55:29 And so give me oil in my lamp.
55:32 Keep me burning."
55:34 As the song says, "Give me Your Spirit so that I can shine."
55:39 See, there's a spiritual implication
55:43 in our personal life.
55:46 And the showbread; every Sabbath the showbread was changed
55:51 and put fresh.
55:52 Just like we get a fresh sermon every Sabbath.
55:57 And so when the priest when in to put the bread,
55:59 the people were saying, "This is the holy Sabbath."
56:04 It's the day to get fresh bread.
56:07 Spiritually speaking.
56:10 And so the Sanctuary had profound significance,
56:13 not only because of what Jesus does in heaven,
56:16 but it has a profound spiritual significance
56:19 for us on earth.
56:22 And sometimes we miss that because we talk about
56:25 temple geography.
56:28 And we're able to explain, "Oh yeah, yeah, you know,
56:30 yeah the table of showbread, and measured so much,
56:32 and it had twelve loaves of bread on it.
56:33 And you know, and the incense was a special
56:35 kind of incense, you know.
56:37 And Aaron, he would light the lamps morning and evening,
56:40 and he would make sure that they had oil.
56:41 And you had the ark of the covenant with the law inside."
56:44 Folks, the reason for the law inside the ark of the covenant
56:47 is because God wants it to be in the ark of the heart.
56:52 It does us no good to have it in the ark up there.
56:54 Jesus says, "I want the ark to be down there."
56:58 Spiritually.
57:01 And so in that way, the Sanctuary becomes relevant.
57:05 Not only geographically, but it becomes relevant to our own
57:12 spiritual walk with Jesus.
57:17 And so what we'll do in our first class when we reconvene
57:23 is we're going to go to this document and we're going to
57:25 go step by step through what we just covered in the chart,
57:29 with Bible verses and quotations from the spirit of prophecy,
57:33 so that we're sure that it is absolutely crystal clear
57:38 and that it will cause an impact in our lives.
57:39 And we can share it with other people so that
57:42 they can have this wonderful experience with Jesus.


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Revised 2015-07-13