Anchor School of Theology: Prophetic Principles

The Importance of Literary Structure in the Study of Bible Prophecy

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

Program transcript

Participants: Stephen Bohr

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Series Code: ASTPP

Program Code: ASTPP000022


00:15 Welcome back, everybody.
00:18 I hope that you had a good lunch.
00:21 I know I did.
00:23 I had the chance of going home and eating lunch,
00:25 and changing my suit.
00:28 The production crew said that light suit is not good,
00:32 because it's hard to color balance.
00:34 So I have to obey the production crew.
00:38 They know best.
00:39 They are the ones that do the technology.
00:42 This afternoon we are going to conclude our remarks about
00:47 the importance of the Sanctuary in the study of Bible prophecy.
00:51 You know, I could have spoken about Daniel.
00:55 Daniel also has many Sanctuary scenes.
00:58 You know, Daniel 7 has Jesus coming on the clouds
01:01 to the Ancient of Days for the judgment.
01:03 That's the Day of Atonement.
01:05 In Daniel chapter 8, the Sanctuary shall be cleansed.
01:09 In Daniel chapter 11, the king of the north
01:11 tramples on the Sanctuary.
01:12 So the book of Daniel is saturated
01:15 with the Sanctuary as well.
01:16 But we just don't have enough time to refer to all of the
01:20 Sanctuary scenes in Daniel and Revelation.
01:23 So let's go to the document that is titled,
01:28 "The Sanctuary Sequence in the Book of Revelation."
01:30 That will be our study.
01:31 But before we do, we want to have a word of prayer
01:34 to ask the Lord's blessing for our session this afternoon.
01:37 So let's bow our heads.
01:39 Father in heaven, we thank You for the privilege of
01:41 being here once again, and we plead for the Holy Spirit
01:46 to be present with us.
01:48 Bless us as we study, give us understanding,
01:50 open our minds, open our hearts, that we might be able to
01:54 receive the seed of truth.
01:55 And we thank You, Father, for the promise of Your presence,
01:58 because we ask it in Jesus' name, amen.
02:03 Okay, "The Sanctuary Sequence in the Book of Revelation."
02:07 This basically is a review and amplification of the chart
02:12 that we looked at this morning.
02:14 Now as you see at the top of the page, there are five places
02:20 of the Sanctuary ministration.
02:22 Five places.
02:23 The first place is in the camp.
02:25 What did Jesus do in the camp?
02:28 In the camp, Jesus lived His perfect life.
02:32 He came and camped in our midst.
02:34 He tabernacled among us.
02:37 And the purpose of His life was to live the life
02:40 that the law requires from us.
02:42 You see, we can't offer the law perfection.
02:44 And so because we can't offer the law perfection,
02:47 the law says you have to die.
02:49 But of course, we don't want to die.
02:51 And so how can we offer the law what the law requires?
02:55 The only way is if the Creator, Jesus Christ, takes the place
03:00 of His creatures and lives the life in human flesh
03:03 that we should live.
03:05 And then Jesus bore our sins upon Himself,
03:08 and He went to the cross.
03:10 In other words, He died the death that we should die.
03:13 So basically, the first step in the Sanctuary service
03:17 is the perfect life of Jesus in the camp with us.
03:23 That is symbolized by the lamb without blemish.
03:25 You know, when they brought a lamb to the Sanctuary,
03:28 it had to be without blemish even before it was killed.
03:32 And so Jesus Christ had to have a life without blemish,
03:35 or else His sacrifice would not have been accepted.
03:38 Now the second step, of course, is in the outer court.
03:41 And in the outer court, you have the altar of sacrifice.
03:44 And that is where Jesus died.
03:47 The altar of sacrifice represents the cross of Calvary.
03:51 And there He bore our sins.
03:53 Now, there's one piece of furniture that I don't
03:56 mention here, it's part of the court,
03:58 which is the laver.
04:01 And after the priest offered the sacrifice, he would go
04:05 and he would cleanse himself before he went
04:07 into the Holy Place.
04:08 And basically, this represents the fact that Jesus totally
04:11 cleansed Himself from death.
04:13 He came forth from the tomb.
04:15 Death defiles.
04:16 You couldn't touch even the body of a dead person
04:19 because you'd become defiled.
04:21 So Jesus left death behind.
04:22 He cleansed Himself from death at the laver.
04:25 And then the next function in the Sanctuary
04:28 is in the Holy Place.
04:30 And that's where Jesus intercedes for individuals
04:33 and applies His life and His death to those who come to Him
04:38 in repentance confessing their sins.
04:41 Then He takes the benefits of His life and death
04:44 and He places them to their personal account.
04:47 Then the fourth place in the Sanctuary
04:50 is the Most Holy Place.
04:52 And that is where Jesus goes into the Most Holy Place
04:55 to perform a work of judgment beginning in the year 1844,
05:00 October 22, 1844.
05:03 And then the last place, which is very important,
05:05 is the outer court again.
05:08 In the outer court, once the Sanctuary was cleansed,
05:11 the sins that had been forgiven by the blood
05:14 now were brought out and they were placed
05:17 on the head of the scapegoat.
05:19 And if you read Leviticus 16 verse 7, it says that the
05:22 scapegoat was at the entrance to the tabernacle of meeting.
05:26 And that's, the devil is going to be on earth, isn't he.
05:28 He's going to be in the court on earth.
05:30 And Jesus is going to come out and He's going to place
05:33 the ultimate responsibility as the originator and instigator
05:37 of sin upon Azazel, upon the scapegoat.
05:41 And then of course Jesus goes back into the Most Holy Place.
05:44 He changes His garments from His priestly garments,
05:48 because His priestly functions have already come to an end,
05:51 His high priestly functions.
05:52 And then Jesus places His kingly garments upon Himself.
05:58 And that is where Jesus returns to the earth
06:00 as King of kings and Lord of lords.
06:03 So those are the five key places of the Sanctuary.
06:06 Those are the functions of Jesus in the Sanctuary.
06:10 Now we all know that the Sanctuary service
06:12 had two parts, two main parts.
06:15 I'm not talking about geographically.
06:17 I'm talking in terms of ministration.
06:20 The first was the daily service.
06:22 And the daily service was performed in the camp,
06:26 in the court, and in the Holy Place.
06:29 And then there was the yearly service.
06:32 And the yearly service was performed
06:34 in the Most Holy Place.
06:37 And then at the conclusion of the Day of Atonement,
06:40 the high priest would come out and place the responsibility
06:44 for sin upon the head of the scapegoat
06:47 there at the entrance in the court of the Sanctuary.
06:51 Now, the ministration in the court was very, very important.
06:55 You have there the altar of sacrifice.
06:58 And according to Revelation chapter 1 and verse 5,
07:02 Jesus loved us and washed us in His blood.
07:06 Notice that the verbs are past.
07:08 So Revelation begins with the past work of Jesus,
07:11 in Revelation 1 verse 5.
07:13 He loved us and He washed us in His blood.
07:18 Past tense.
07:19 So Revelation begins by describing the work of Jesus
07:23 while He was on the earth.
07:25 By the way, Revelation 1:17-18 also amplifies that.
07:30 Because it says that Jesus was the one who was dead
07:33 and yet is alive.
07:35 So see, you have there the death and resurrection of Christ.
07:38 So in chapter 1, you have an allusion to the work of Jesus
07:43 in the court; His death and His resurrection.
07:47 And then of course, we have the ministration of Jesus
07:51 in the Holy Place of the Sanctuary.
07:54 And in Revelation, this takes place during the period
07:58 of the churches, the seals, and the trumpets.
08:03 Now in the church series, we find Jesus walking among
08:08 the seven candlesticks.
08:10 And in heaven, the candlesticks are literal.
08:13 But on earth, the candlesticks have a symbolic value.
08:17 What do the candlesticks represent on earth?
08:20 On earth, they represent the history of the church.
08:25 Not only the literal seven churches in Asia Minor,
08:28 but seven stages in the history of the church universal.
08:31 Isn't that right?
08:33 And you notice that Jesus walks in the midst
08:38 of the seven candlesticks.
08:39 He does that literally in the heavenly Sanctuary,
08:42 but spiritually He walks among the churches here on earth.
08:47 In other words, He walks in the church throughout the
08:52 different stages of church history.
08:54 Now, what is it that the high priest did with the
08:57 candlestick in the Sanctuary?
08:59 Well, you have to go...
09:01 And we're not going to go there because we don't really
09:03 have a lot of time.
09:04 I'll just summarize what we have in our document here.
09:07 The purpose of the high priest, with regards to the
09:12 seven branch candlestick, was to make sure
09:15 that the wicks were long enough to burn,
09:19 and also that the candlestick had a constant supply of oil.
09:25 And of course the high priest, he would walk, so to speak,
09:29 among the candlesticks to make sure that the candlestick
09:32 never ceased giving its light.
09:37 Now, Jesus walks among the candlesticks in heaven.
09:40 He keeps them lighted.
09:42 But what does that represent on earth?
09:45 On earth, it represents the fact that Jesus
09:47 walks throughout the course of church history.
09:50 The seven churches represent all of church history.
09:52 And Jesus walks in the midst of the history of the church
09:56 to make sure that the light of the church never goes out;
10:01 to make sure that there's always a supply of the Holy Spirit,
10:04 to keep the light of the church shining.
10:07 Even in the Dark Ages, the light did not totally go out.
10:12 Because Jesus was walking in the midst of church history
10:15 keeping the lamps lighted.
10:19 The number seven, of course, indicates the totality
10:23 of church history.
10:24 Jesus is in the midst of His church on earth
10:27 during the total period of church history
10:31 from the first century till the end of time.
10:34 So you'll notice here, the key text is
10:36 Leviticus 24 verses 1 through 4 where we are told that the
10:42 high priest was to trim the lamps.
10:44 And he was suppose to do it morning and evening.
10:47 In other words, the lights could never go out.
10:51 The oil represents the Holy Spirit.
10:54 And the light represents the witness that the church
10:57 presents to the world through the agency of the Holy Spirit.
11:01 Jesus makes sure that the oil never runs out
11:04 so that His church can be the light of the world.
11:08 What was the purpose of the giving of the Holy Spirit
11:10 on the day of Pentecost?
11:11 We studied this.
11:13 Was it for personal edification to make you feel good?
11:16 Is that why God gave the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost?
11:19 No. "Ye shall receive power, and you shall be My..." What?
11:23 "...witnesses."
11:24 "You are the light of the world," is what Jesus said.
11:28 And so the purpose of the oil in the lamp is for the
11:31 church to give light.
11:32 And Jesus makes sure that there is always a supply
11:35 of the Holy Spirit to keep the light of the church burning.
11:40 During the Dark Ages, the light of the church
11:42 was on the brink of going out.
11:44 Why do you suppose they're called, the Dark Ages?
11:46 But Jesus did not leave Himself without witness.
11:51 Even in the darkest period of the history of the church,
11:55 the light still shone.
11:56 Notice this statement from Ellen White.
11:58 It's found in, Acts of the Apostles, page 586.
12:02 Beautiful statement about the seven candlesticks.
12:05 She says, "Christ is spoken of as walking in the midst
12:10 of the golden candlesticks.
12:13 Thus is symbolized His relation to the churches.
12:18 He is in constant communication with His people.
12:22 He knows their true state.
12:24 He observes their order, their piety, and their devotion.
12:29 Although He is high priest and mediator in the sanctuary above,
12:36 yet He is represented as walking up and down in the
12:38 midst of His churches on earth."
12:41 You see the principle?
12:43 Jesus is walking in heaven among the literal candlesticks.
12:47 On earth, He walks among the spiritual candlesticks;
12:51 the church in different periods of history.
12:55 She continues saying, "With untiring wakefulness
12:58 and unremitting vigilance, He watches to see
13:03 whether the light of any of His sentinels
13:05 is burning dim or going out.
13:08 If the candlesticks were left to mere human care,
13:12 the flickering flame would languish and die;
13:15 but He is the watchman in the Lord's house,
13:18 and true warden of the temple courts.
13:21 His continued care and sustaining grace
13:26 are the source of life and light."
13:29 Isn't that a beautiful description of what the
13:31 function of Jesus is in the midst of the spiritual
13:35 candlesticks on earth and also as He walks among the
13:38 literal candlesticks in the heavenly Sanctuary?
13:42 So Ellen White wrote about seven candlesticks
13:45 as proof that Jesus is in the Holy Place.
13:49 But she also speaks of the candlesticks
13:52 to prove that Jesus is with His church on earth.
13:55 Is Ellen White speaking out of both sides of her mouth?
13:59 No.
14:00 Not any more than Jesus who said that He was going
14:03 to heaven, to the literal temple, but also promised
14:06 that He would be with His church, the spiritual temple,
14:10 until the end of the world.
14:11 Jesus is literally in heaven, but spiritually on earth
14:15 through the Holy Spirit.
14:16 You understand the principle?
14:18 This is a very important principle in the study
14:20 of Bible prophecy.
14:22 The literal things are in heaven,
14:24 and the spiritual things are on earth.
14:26 In heaven, there's a literal tree of life, literal water,
14:29 there's literal manna, there's...
14:32 Literal.
14:33 The city has literal walls.
14:35 Do you know what the wall is spiritually these days on earth?
14:39 The spiritual wall represents the law of God.
14:42 And a breach has been made in the wall.
14:46 What is the breach in the wall?
14:48 The Sabbath commandment has been removed.
14:51 And so we have to be repairers of the breach.
14:55 In other words, the wall on earth has to reflect
14:57 the wall in heaven.
15:00 And so once again, what is literal in heaven,
15:03 the literal Ten Commandments, represents the wall on earth,
15:08 spiritually speaking.
15:10 Now we move to the next section, which is the seals.
15:12 We've spoken about Jesus among the candlesticks
15:15 in Revelation 1 through 3 with regards to the churches.
15:18 Now we need to move on to the seals.
15:21 And of course, Jesus, during the period of the seals,
15:25 is at the table of the showbread.
15:28 Now what does bread represent?
15:31 You know this.
15:32 Bread represents the Word of God.
15:34 "Man shall not live by bread alone,
15:37 but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God."
15:40 "The words that I speak, they are spirit
15:43 and they are life," Jesus said.
15:46 And so, the bread represents the Word of God.
15:51 Now the bread is called, the bread of the Presence.
15:53 It was always on the table.
15:56 In other words, it was continually there.
15:59 There was never a time when the table did not have
16:02 the twelve loaves of bread; representing the fact
16:05 that God provides for all of Israel's needs.
16:09 Twelve loaves of bread representing the twelve tribes,
16:12 the twelve apostles, and everybody that descends
16:15 from them or comes into the church as a result
16:18 of their work.
16:19 Now during the period of papal dominion,
16:22 the Word of God was scarce.
16:25 But it never totally disappeared because Jesus made sure
16:30 that there was bread on the table.
16:33 The table of showbread represents the throne of God
16:37 in the Holy Place for the following reasons...
16:40 Some people think that the throne of God was always
16:43 only in the Most Holy Place.
16:45 Not so.
16:46 God has a throne in the Holy Place too.
16:49 If you don't believe that, you know, just read Revelation 3:21
16:54 where Jesus says, "He who overcomes, I will grant to
16:56 sit with Me on My throne, as I overcame and sat
16:59 with My Father on His throne."
17:02 And then you go to Daniel chapter 7.
17:04 And you find in Daniel chapter 7 that the Father moves.
17:09 And then the chariot that took the Father to where He went,
17:13 it comes back and it picks up Jesus, the Son of Man.
17:17 And then the chariot moves Jesus to where the Father was.
17:21 And of course, where were they moved to?
17:25 They were moved to the Most Holy Place because that's
17:27 where the judgment is going to take place.
17:29 It says, the judgment sat and the books were opened.
17:32 So let me ask you, do you have to be a rocket scientist
17:34 to figure out that if they went into the Most Holy Place
17:37 for the judgment, before that they must have been in the Holy?
17:43 Did God have a throne in the Holy Place?
17:45 Absolutely.
17:47 That's where God the Father and His Son Jesus were until 1844.
17:51 And then in 1844, the Father moved into the Most Holy first,
17:56 and then Jesus moved into the Most Holy Place afterwards
17:59 to begin the work of judgment.
18:00 Daniel 7 makes that absolutely clear.
18:04 Are you with me?
18:05 Now, how do we know that the table of the showbread
18:10 represents the throne of God?
18:13 Well, I have several reasons here that I'm going to read.
18:17 Number one, the throne of God is in the sides of the north.
18:22 Where was the table of showbread in the Sanctuary
18:24 in the Holy Place?
18:26 It was on the north side.
18:29 The Hebrew expression, "lechem panim,"
18:32 is better translated, the bread of the Presence.
18:36 We call it, the showbread.
18:37 But a better translation is, the bread of the Presence.
18:41 The word, "panim," means, person, face, or presence.
18:47 So in other words, the name of the bread itself
18:51 reflects the fact that in the bread you have reflected
18:55 the face or the countenance or persons involved.
18:59 In other words, the bread represents persons.
19:02 And of course, through the persons it also represents
19:06 the Word of God, the written Word of God.
19:09 Now the table of showbread was the only item of furniture,
19:13 that was surrounded by two crowns.
19:16 Interesting.
19:17 Exodus 37:10-12, you can read that.
19:20 The altar of incense and the ark of the covenant
19:23 had only one crown.
19:26 Now why would the table of showbread have two crowns?
19:29 Why would it have two stacks of bread?
19:32 Because you're dealing with two people.
19:35 You're dealing with two individuals.
19:37 There were two stacks of bread on the table.
19:40 This reflects the fact that when Jesus ascended to His Father,
19:43 He sat with His Father on His throne.
19:46 See, there are two on the throne.
19:47 And both of them provide for the material needs of their people.
19:54 The next point is that during the third seal,
19:56 this is a very important point, during the third seal
20:00 there is a scarcity, or a famine, for what?
20:07 There is a famine for Sanctuary bread,
20:10 which leads to the death under the fourth seal.
20:13 So why would the seals talk about a scarcity of bread?
20:17 In other words, grain is extremely expensive
20:20 during the period of the third seal,
20:22 and it brings death in the fourth seal.
20:24 It's because there's a scarcity of what?
20:27 There's a scarcity of showbread.
20:29 It's not totally gone, but it's very expensive.
20:33 During the Dark Ages, was the Word of God pretty expensive
20:35 and hard to find?
20:37 Oh yes it was.
20:39 Ellen White, furthermore, makes it very clear
20:43 that the Father and the Son were both seated on a throne
20:47 in the Holy Place until 1844.
20:51 The only piece of furniture in the Holy Place
20:53 that can be interpreted as the throne is the
20:56 table of the showbread, for the reasons that I mentioned.
20:59 So during the period of the seals, Jesus is where?
21:03 Jesus is at the table of the showbread.
21:07 And what is He doing with the bread?
21:08 He's making sure that there is always a supply of fresh bread
21:13 for His church.
21:14 Now, were there times during the seals when
21:17 bread was quite scarce?
21:18 Oh yes, very scarce. Very expensive.
21:22 And yet, it never totally disappeared.
21:25 Jesus always sustained His church.
21:28 He, for example, used the Waldenses
21:32 who copied little pieces of Scripture on parchment.
21:36 And they were, you know, they traveled
21:40 and they were sales people.
21:41 And they would give these little parchments of Scripture
21:44 to their clients.
21:45 In other words, the Word of God was preserved.
21:48 There was always bread, even though it was quite expensive
21:51 and scarce.
21:53 And then during the series of the trumpets
21:56 Jesus moves to the altar of incense.
21:58 That's the introductory Sanctuary scene.
22:02 Now, at the altar of incense, Jesus receives
22:05 the prayer of His saints.
22:07 We've already studied that.
22:09 Let me ask you, during the period of papal dominion,
22:15 did the papacy take over the function of Jesus
22:18 at the altar of incense?
22:22 Who were people taught to pray to?
22:25 Mary.
22:27 To pray to the saints.
22:29 And the ministration of Jesus was cast to the ground.
22:34 So are you seeing that all of this also relates
22:36 to the Dark Ages?
22:38 During the Dark Ages the light flickered,
22:41 but it did not go totally out.
22:43 The bread was very expensive,
22:45 but it did not totally disappear.
22:48 Jesus interceded at the altar of incense on earth.
22:52 This was blurred by the papacy.
22:54 Because they said, "Oh no, the priest has to intercede for you.
22:57 Mary has to intercede for you.
22:59 The saints have to intercede for you."
23:01 But the intercession of Jesus never totally disappeared.
23:05 He was still there to intercede for His people.
23:10 To a great degree, the people lost sight of Jesus
23:13 as the intercessor.
23:14 Incidentally, this is the taking away of the daily.
23:18 The daily means the continual function
23:22 of Jesus in the Holy Place.
23:23 And do you know something interesting?
23:25 The word, "daily," or, "tamid," in the Hebrew,
23:30 is used for the table of showbread,
23:33 it is used for the lamps, and it is used also
23:37 for the altar of incense.
23:39 In other words, the altar of incense is called,
23:42 the tamid incense.
23:44 The bread is called, the tamid bread.
23:47 And the candlestick is called, the tamid candlestick.
23:51 So the papacy messed with all three of these.
23:55 Instead of the Word of God, it substituted tradition.
23:59 Instead of being the light, it brought darkness.
24:01 And instead of point at Jesus as the intercessor,
24:04 it established human intercessors.
24:07 That's what it means, they took away the daily.
24:09 They took away the ministration.
24:11 The word, "daily," means, the continual
24:13 ministration of Christ.
24:14 In fact, the Spanish version says,
24:16 instead of saying, "daily," it says, "continuo."
24:20 The continual ministration of Christ in the Sanctuary
24:23 was taken and placed on the earth instead of pointing people
24:27 to the ministration of Christ in heaven.
24:31 And then Jesus moves into the Most Holy Place.
24:33 Following along here in our document.
24:35 Revelation 11:19 to 14:20.
24:39 And the Most Holy Place opens in 11:19 for the
24:43 beginning of the judgment.
24:44 The ark of the covenant is seen.
24:47 And the ark of the covenant contained what?
24:50 The law of God.
24:51 Where did the Day of Atonement transpire?
24:54 In the Most Holy Place.
24:56 So you know this is taking place in the Most Holy Place.
24:59 Now isn't it interesting that when the temple opens in heaven,
25:03 when the Most Holy Place opens, is there suppose to be
25:06 an announcement on earth that the temple in heaven has begun
25:11 the service of the Day of Atonement? Of course.
25:13 Where's that announcement found where the book of Revelation
25:17 says that the judgment has begun?
25:20 The first angel's message.
25:21 Was that proclaimed by the Millerites leading up to 1844?
25:25 Yes, besides Daniel 8:14, the other most famous text
25:29 that the Millerites quoted was Revelation 14 verse 7.
25:34 "Fear God and give glory to Him,
25:36 for the hour of His judgment is come."
25:39 So in other words,
25:42 speaks about the opening of the temple in heaven,
25:44 of the Most Holy Place, and the first angel
25:47 proclaims on earth, "Hey, the judgment has begun
25:50 in the heavenly Sanctuary."
25:52 So in Revelation 11:19, you have the heavenly event;
25:56 the opening of the Sanctuary.
25:58 And on earth, in Revelation 14:6-7,
26:00 you have the earthly announcement
26:02 of the heavenly event.
26:04 And then you move on.
26:05 Revelation 15 verses 5 through 8.
26:09 This is what we mentioned in our previous study.
26:12 And that is, that the ministration
26:14 in the Sanctuary ceases.
26:17 The door to the Most Holy Place opens.
26:19 Yes, it opens.
26:21 But it doesn't open to let people in.
26:24 It opens to let the plague angels out.
26:27 And no one can enter the temple anymore until
26:30 the seven last plagues have been poured out,
26:32 because intercession has ceased.
26:36 When the Day of Atonement was over,
26:38 was intercession over for Israel?
26:41 It most certainly was.
26:42 During this period, God's people will have to live
26:45 in the sight of a holy God without a mediator.
26:49 The temple is opened so that the angels can come out,
26:52 not so people can go in.
26:54 The parallel with Noah's day is impressive.
26:58 Preaching with the power of the Holy Spirit,
27:00 the closing of the door, the time of trouble and testing,
27:04 destruction, Satan bound on desolate planet,
27:08 and the world cleansed from sin and sinners;
27:10 all of those are parallels from the days of Noah
27:13 that point forward to the time when probation closes,
27:17 when the door closes.
27:19 And then next, in Revelation 16 verse 1 through 18:24,
27:25 we have plagues.
27:28 Who pours out the plagues?
27:31 The angels.
27:32 See, in Revelation 15 the temple closes.
27:35 It's filled with smoke.
27:36 No one can enter.
27:37 In other words, you don't have an intercessor anymore.
27:40 And then beginning in chapter 16 through the end of chapter 18,
27:44 the plagues are poured out.
27:46 Because this is the time of tribulation.
27:48 This is the time of trouble.
27:51 And as I mentioned this morning, the plagues
27:53 come from the Most Holy Place.
27:55 Because the angels come out of the Most Holy Place.
27:58 They come out of the temple, out of the naos.
28:00 In other words, they come out of the Most Holy Place
28:02 of the Sanctuary to pour out the plagues.
28:06 And as in the Old Testament, the plagues came from
28:09 the ark of the covenant because the Philistines
28:11 were trampling on God's law.
28:13 They were the uncircumcised Philistines.
28:15 In the same way, the sinful world will receive
28:20 the retribution for their sins, and it will come from
28:22 the Most Holy Place directly from the ark of the covenant.
28:27 And then in chapter 19 verses 1 through 10,
28:30 you have God's people victorious in heaven.
28:33 God's people are there after the plagues.
28:36 They're singing, they're praising the Lord.
28:38 The people are clothed in white garments
28:40 because they have been cleansed on the Day of Atonement.
28:43 So in Revelation 19, you have the victory celebration
28:46 after God's people have come forth victorious.
28:50 And then you have in Revelation chapter 20:1-3
28:54 the scapegoat ceremony.
28:55 Let me ask you, is Revelation following the exact order
28:58 of the Hebrew Sanctuary?
29:01 I mean, how can you understand Revelation without understanding
29:03 the Sanctuary?
29:04 It follows the identical sequence of the Sanctuary.
29:08 So in Revelation 20:1-3, you have the scapegoat ceremony.
29:12 Satan is bound by a mighty angel in a desolate
29:17 and uninhabited earth.
29:19 For how long?
29:20 For one thousand years.
29:23 And what will God's people be doing during
29:26 those thousand years?
29:27 God's people will be in heaven.
29:32 And what will they be doing in heaven?
29:35 In heaven, they will be opening the books
29:39 to see the records of those who were left behind.
29:43 Satan, his angels, as well as the wicked.
29:47 Now are you aware that the judgment has three phases,
29:51 the judgment has three different stages?
29:55 There is a pre-advent investigative stage.
29:58 And that is for those who profess the name of Christ.
30:02 Then you have the millennial stage,
30:05 which is a stage that takes place with God's people
30:09 in heaven examining the records of those who were left behind;
30:13 the reason why they were left behind.
30:14 God wants to reveal to the universe why these people
30:17 were not brought to heaven.
30:19 And then amazingly, after the thousand years,
30:22 those same books are opened all over again.
30:26 You find that in Revelation chapter 20.
30:27 We'll take a look at that when we study the literary structure
30:31 of Revelation 12 through 22 later on.
30:34 But in Revelation chapter 20, particularly verses 11 and 12,
30:39 you find that those books that were looked at during
30:42 the thousand years will be opened and they will be
30:45 shown to Satan, his angels, and the wicked
30:48 after the thousand years.
30:51 So when God finishes His three stages of judgment;
30:54 the pre-advent judgment, the millennial judgment,
30:57 and the post millennial judgment,
30:58 the whole universe will be on the same page.
31:02 You see, the pre-advent judgment, the purpose is
31:05 to reveal to the heavenly intelligences that Jesus
31:08 has the right to take a certain group of people
31:10 with Him to heaven.
31:12 That's why He deals only with the righteous
31:14 before the second coming.
31:17 He doesn't have to judge the wicked, because
31:19 they're going to be left behind.
31:20 But He has to reveal before His second coming
31:24 who is worthy of being taken there.
31:27 That's why it's only the righteous
31:28 before the second coming.
31:30 Because at the second coming, He's going to reward them.
31:32 But before He rewards them, He has to reveal
31:36 what their reward is.
31:38 During the millennium, who is going to be convinced that
31:41 God acted correctly in every single case of those
31:44 who were left behind?
31:46 Not only the intelligences of the universe, but God's people.
31:50 Because there's going to be some people there that we
31:52 thought we could take it to the bank
31:53 that they would be there, and they're not going to be there.
31:56 And there are other people that are there that we
31:58 would have never believed would make it.
32:00 And so God is going to open up the books,
32:02 He's going to say, "Here, folks, let Me show you why
32:06 those people who are here are here.
32:09 And let me show you why those who are down there
32:13 who were left behind are not here."
32:16 And when we examine the records, we're going to find that God
32:19 did everything absolutely just right.
32:24 Don't think that when we're examining the records,
32:26 you know, we're going to say, "Uh-ho, Lord, You missed one.
32:30 You've got to bring him up here."
32:31 No, no, no, no.
32:33 God, in the pre-advent judgment, reveals who
32:36 He is going to take with Him.
32:37 When probation closes, His kingdom is made up.
32:40 Because His kingdom is made up of people.
32:44 We think of the kingdom in terms of geographical territory.
32:47 No. The kingdom is His people.
32:50 And so He has to reveal who His people are
32:53 before the second coming, because He's going to come
32:55 to take them with Him.
32:56 He's going to take His kingdom with Him to heaven.
32:59 And then during the millennium, you know, He's going to show
33:02 His people, and the inhabitants of the worlds, and the angels,
33:06 and everybody in heaven, He's going to show that
33:08 He was right in leaving all those people behind.
33:12 Who still remains to be convinced?
33:16 The wicked.
33:18 The wicked need to be convinced why they were left behind.
33:21 And the devil and his angels need to admit
33:25 that God acted right.
33:27 So what is God going to do?
33:28 After the thousand years, He's going to open the books again.
33:31 The same books that we examined during the millennium.
33:34 And Ellen White says that in panoramic view
33:38 God is going to re-enact the entire history of the world.
33:43 Beginning with Adam in the Garden of Eden, she says,
33:47 and ending at the very end of time.
33:49 We're going to see exactly the way it happened.
33:52 Now that is really something, when you really think about it.
33:56 You know, how God retrieves the entire history of the world.
34:00 Every single little detail.
34:03 I mean, that's the type of technology
34:04 that we don't understand.
34:07 I mean, God has a record of everything.
34:09 And the wicked are going to see it,
34:12 and the devil and his angels are going to see it.
34:15 And God's people are going to see it.
34:17 It's going to be seen above the city.
34:20 And every person is going to see a record of their lives,
34:23 and the opportunities that they received,
34:25 and how they rejected the opportunities of salvation.
34:30 And the climax of the great controversy is,
34:32 after everybody has seen their case...
34:35 Up till this point Satan has rallied all of the wicked
34:38 because he wants the wicked to attack the holy city.
34:41 And in fact, Ellen White says that powerful weapons
34:45 of warfare are created.
34:47 She also strongly hints that there's going to be
34:51 military training.
34:53 Because when they're ready to attack the city,
34:55 she says that they march across the surface of the earth
34:58 with military precision.
35:01 They're not going to storm the city,
35:04 they are going to be organized militarily.
35:07 And she says that the number of the troops is greater
35:11 than all of the military personnel that has served
35:14 in every war in the history of planet earth.
35:18 And that's why Revelation says,
35:19 they will be like the sand of the sea.
35:22 And they will advance toward the city,
35:23 they will surround the city.
35:25 God will show them that they had the opportunity
35:28 to be saved, and they rejected the opportunity.
35:31 And then their rage will shift.
35:37 See, the same thing that happened in the days of Esther.
35:41 The same thing that happened to Daniel
35:44 when he was thrown in the lion's den;
35:46 the enemies were thrown in.
35:48 The same thing that happened during the French Revolution.
35:51 Those who supported the papacy turned against her.
35:55 The same thing that happened with the Jewish nation.
35:59 The Romans that they asked to crucify Christ
36:03 then turned against them.
36:06 The same thing will happen as the multitudes
36:09 turning against their ministers during the sixth plague;
36:12 the drying up of the waters.
36:14 But this time it's going to happen with
36:16 the devil and his angels.
36:18 You know, usually we have this myth that the city is going to,
36:20 that the wicked are going to be destroyed
36:22 when they're attacking the city.
36:23 The wicked never attack the city.
36:27 The wicked, and the devil and his angels,
36:29 they are totally prepared to attack the city,
36:31 and then they see that panoramic view above the city.
36:34 And they realize that they're lost because of the ole devil
36:38 and because of their own choices.
36:40 And she says that at that point...
36:42 And this is found in Ezekiel chapter 28 verses 1 through 10.
36:45 That's the biblical foundation.
36:46 She says that they now turn towards the devil, they say,
36:50 "You are a liar.
36:53 And you are to blame."
36:56 Of course, they're to blame because they made the choices.
36:59 But they're going to blame the devil, they're going to say,
37:00 "You are to blame. God isn't to blame.
37:02 God acted right."
37:05 Every knee will bow.
37:07 And every tongue will confess that God acted right.
37:11 The devil himself will have to kneel and admit that
37:14 God is love and that God is perfectly just.
37:19 And then the wicked will avalanche themselves
37:21 against the devil and his angels.
37:24 And fire will descend from heaven and then will consume
37:27 the devil, his angels, and the wicked.
37:30 Does God convince the devil, and his angels, and the wicked
37:33 that He acted right?
37:35 Listen, only when all the universe agrees that God
37:39 was right is God able to destroy sin and sinners
37:44 without any loose ends.
37:47 When sin is eradicated from the universe,
37:50 there will be no loose ends.
37:53 The whole universe, loyal and disloyal,
37:57 will openly and audibly confess that God is love, God is just,
38:04 and that they're lost because of their own choices.
38:09 You know, there's no church in the world that has this view
38:11 except the Adventist church.
38:13 And do you know why?
38:15 Because people don't understand the Sanctuary.
38:18 You ask Christians, you say, "Why did Jesus
38:19 come to this world?"
38:21 They say, "Oh, so that He could save me."
38:24 Yeah, that too.
38:26 That too.
38:27 But the primary reason for Jesus coming to this world
38:30 was not to save us.
38:35 And you say, "What do you mean?
38:36 His primary reason wasn't to save us?"
38:38 No, His primary reason was that in saving us,
38:42 He would vindicate the character of God before the universe.
38:45 In other words, there's a greater purpose.
38:47 The security of the universe is at stake.
38:51 Not only the salvation of people on this earth.
38:53 But the security, the eternal security,
38:56 of the universe depends on everybody seeing the issues
39:00 and everybody seeing that God acted correctly
39:03 in every single case.
39:05 I can respect a God like that.
39:11 And then we have the consummation here.
39:14 The tabernacle of God will then be with men.
39:18 And He will dwell with them.
39:21 Revelation 21 and 22 presents God's people
39:24 in the New Jerusalem in the earth made new.
39:29 So Revelation, folks, presents in their proper chronological
39:34 order the functions of the ministration of Jesus
39:37 in the Sanctuary.
39:39 And if we include the camp, of course, there's five.
39:42 But it presents Jesus as the Lamb, as the High Priest
39:46 or Intercessor, as the Judge, and as the King.
39:51 And of course, it must be remembered, however,
39:53 that, The Desire Of Ages, pages 19 to 697,
39:57 portrays the work of Jesus in the Sanctuary camp.
40:00 On pages 698 to 828, we have His work in the court.
40:05 And then on pages 829 to 836, you have the ascension of Jesus
40:09 to the Holy Place.
40:10 So that's how you need to look at the book, Desire Of Ages.
40:14 It is important to link John 14:1-3,
40:19 and also actually all of chapter 14 through 17,
40:23 with the book of Revelation.
40:25 In Revelation, and also the book of Hebrews,
40:28 the emphasis falls upon the heavenly work which
40:32 Jesus performs in order to prepare a place for His people.
40:36 In John 14 through 17, the emphasis falls upon the
40:40 work that the Holy Spirit performs in the spiritual
40:43 earthly temple, while Hebrews and Revelation focus on
40:46 Christ's heavenly work in the literal heavenly temple.
40:49 While Jesus prepares the place for us, we should prepare
40:54 to enter the place.
40:56 So in short, do we need to study the Sanctuary
41:02 in order to understand what Revelation is talking about?
41:05 Absolutely.
41:06 There's no way that you can understand Revelation.
41:09 And that's the reason why you have futurism and preterism.
41:13 They are oblivious to the Sanctuary service.
41:16 And so they're looking, you know, they don't conceive of
41:19 the idea that, "Well, Jesus now is in a literal
41:22 heavenly Sanctuary.
41:24 And on earth, the Sanctuary is His church,
41:27 the spiritual Sanctuary is His church."
41:29 No, they don't see that relationship.
41:32 And so they say, "Oh, you know, the Sanctuary,
41:34 the temple, that's going to be rebuilt.
41:35 That's the third temple that's going to be
41:37 rebuilt in the Middle East."
41:39 And they totally lose the spiritual significance
41:42 of the Sanctuary for God's people on earth.
41:45 Because they don't understand the Sanctuary.
41:48 And as I mentioned in a previous lecture,
41:50 the Sanctuary is not a doctrine of the Adventist church.
41:54 It is the world view of the Adventist church.
41:57 It is that which explains and interrelates all of
42:03 the doctrines of the church.
42:06 You see, the Sabbath is a doctrine.
42:10 And it's portrayed in the Sanctuary.
42:12 Health reform is a doctrine.
42:14 It's portrayed in the Sanctuary.
42:17 The state of the dead is a doctrine.
42:19 It's portrayed in the Sanctuary.
42:21 The judgment is a doctrine.
42:23 It's portrayed in the Sanctuary.
42:25 All of our doctrines are portrayed in the Sanctuary.
42:28 But the collection of all of the doctrines
42:31 make the Sanctuary service.
42:33 The Sanctuary service is the world view
42:36 of the Adventist church.
42:38 That's why Ellen White says that the Sanctuary is
42:40 the foundation of our faith.
42:41 The proper understanding, or the correct understanding,
42:44 of the ministration of Christ in the heavenly Sanctuary
42:47 is the foundation of our faith.
42:50 Does the foundation only hold up one little part of a building?
42:54 No, the foundation holds up the entire building.
42:58 In other words, the Sanctuary holds up the entire structure
43:02 of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
43:04 And that's the reason why the devil has hated
43:06 the Sanctuary doctrine.
43:08 And those great theologians that have left the Adventist church,
43:11 one of the first things that they question
43:14 is the Sanctuary doctrine.
43:15 Particularly the ministration of Christ in the Most Holy Place
43:19 of the heavenly Sanctuary.
43:21 That is the object of attack constantly by those
43:25 so called great scholars that have left
43:27 the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
43:30 They have gone from the Most Holy Place
43:32 back to the Holy Place.
43:35 And they're kneeling there at the altar in the Holy Place.
43:39 And of course, Ellen White says that there the devil,
43:43 Satan, has taken the place that was left vacant.
43:46 Not in the heavenly Sanctuary, because he can't go up there,
43:49 but in the earthly reflection of the Sanctuary.
43:52 He's there.
43:53 And the Christian world, they're oblivious to Jesus
43:55 being in the Most Holy Place.
43:57 No, they don't understand the Sabbath,
43:58 they don't understand the law,
43:59 they don't understand health reform,
44:01 they don't understand the state of the dead.
44:02 They don't understand any of these doctrines that are
44:05 centered in the Most Holy Place because they're all caught up
44:07 in the court and in the Holy Place.
44:10 And that's why they think that they're serving the Lord.
44:14 And many of them do service the Lord to the
44:16 best of their knowledge.
44:17 And if they're sincere, they will accept
44:19 the fullness of truth.
44:21 So, that's all we're going to say about the importance
44:25 of the Sanctuary in the study of Bible prophecy.
44:29 Now I want to invite you to turn in your materials
44:33 to the one that it titled, Daniel's Little Sealed Book.
44:40 This is going to be an exciting study.
44:45 Are you excited about this?
44:48 Praise the Lord. Amen.
44:50 Now you're going to really get excited.
44:52 Daniel's Little Sealed Book.
44:56 Now in the materials that you received,
45:00 there is a packet that has this chart on the front.
45:07 I want you to take that out.
45:11 And on the fourth page of the packet, you have this
45:18 little chart.
45:22 The Structure of Daniel 1 through 7.
45:25 The Structure of Daniel 1 through 7.
45:28 Do you have it?
45:32 I see that you're searching for it.
45:33 That's good.
45:35 Seek, and ye shall find.
45:40 Alright.
45:45 Yeah, it's in that packet, Michelle.
45:48 It's in that packet.
45:50 The fourth page.
45:51 You count one, two, three, four, and you're there.
46:01 Now this chart, this chart illustrates the structure
46:08 of the first book in the book of Daniel.
46:12 Because Daniel is composed of two books in one book.
46:16 Daniel 1 through 7 is the first book within the book.
46:22 And I want you to notice how Daniel 1 through 7
46:26 is structured.
46:29 And by the way, there should have been a line drawn
46:32 right down the middle here.
46:34 Because this is suppose to be a candelabrum.
46:38 This is suppose to be a candlestick.
46:41 Okay?
46:44 Daniel chapter 1 would be the top light.
46:47 It's the introduction to the book.
46:49 Okay, so you should have up here, and it is, chapter 1,
46:54 but it doesn't have a circle.
46:55 It should have a circle right up here.
46:58 Now let me ask you, are Daniel 2 and Daniel 7
47:03 on the same branch of the candlestick?
47:06 Yes they are.
47:07 Why?
47:09 Are they parallel chapters?
47:11 Of course they are.
47:12 Daniel 2 has four metals and Daniel 7 has four beasts.
47:18 Do they deal with the same theme, Daniel 2 and Daniel 7?
47:22 Absolutely.
47:23 So they're on the same branch of the candlestick.
47:26 Daniel 2 and Daniel 7.
47:29 Now Daniel 3 and Daniel 6 are on the next branch
47:33 of the candlestick.
47:34 Are those two chapters related?
47:37 Of course they are.
47:38 What does Daniel 3 describe?
47:40 It describes the three young men that were thrown
47:43 into the fiery furnace.
47:45 What does Daniel 6 describe?
47:48 Daniel thrown into the lion's den.
47:51 Do they have a same central theme?
47:54 Absolutely.
47:55 Daniel 4 and 5 are on the same branch of the candlestick,
48:00 and they are related in their theme.
48:03 In Daniel chapter 4, you have the fall of the king of Babylon
48:08 for his pride and arrogance.
48:10 In Daniel 5, you have the fall of the kingdom of Babylon
48:15 for its pride and arrogance.
48:18 And so both of those chapters are related.
48:21 So what you have here in Daniel 1 through 7
48:24 is, you have a book that is complete in itself.
48:29 And you can use the illustration of the candlestick.
48:32 Daniel 1 being the introduction to the entire book,
48:36 and then Daniel 2 and 7 related, Daniel 3 and 6 related,
48:41 and Daniel 4 and 5 related on the same branch.
48:44 So the first seven chapters of Daniel are
48:47 a complete book in itself.
48:50 But Daniel 8 through 12 is another book.
48:56 Now let's take a look at the first book here in our handout.
49:01 And you're going to where the title is, The First Book.
49:06 Daniel 7 gives us a sequence of historical powers
49:12 that rule in the earth.
49:13 The lion represents Babylon.
49:17 The bear; the Medes and Persians.
49:20 The leopard; Greece.
49:23 The dragon beast; Rome.
49:25 The ten horns; Rome divided.
49:29 The little horn; papal Rome.
49:33 And then after papal Rome; 1260 years,
49:37 times, time, and the dividing of time,
49:39 then you have a judgment scene.
49:41 In other words, after the fall of the papacy
49:44 you have the judgment in 1844.
49:48 And then, at the end of Daniel 7 you have the consequence
49:52 of the judgment.
49:53 And that is, that Christ takes over the kingdoms of the world.
49:59 Now where does Jesus receive the kingdom?
50:01 When He takes it over or in the judgment when
50:05 He already has determined who are the subjects of His kingdom?
50:10 Folks, His kingdom is made up at the end of the
50:14 investigative judgment.
50:16 Because it's already been revealed who are His.
50:20 But then Jesus, after the time of trouble, comes
50:23 and He empirically takes His people to the kingdom,
50:26 physically takes His people to the kingdom.
50:28 But the kingdom is made up when the judgment comes to an end.
50:32 It is revealed who are subjects of His kingdom.
50:35 That is what Jesus went in to do.
50:38 He went into the Father to get the kingdom.
50:40 It doesn't mean that He went into the Father
50:42 to get a geographical territory.
50:44 Because this geographical territory is His anyway.
50:48 He went in there to determine who are the subjects
50:51 of His kingdom, who belongs to His kingdom.
50:53 And for that, He has to do a work of separation.
50:57 Because in the church there are wheat and tares.
51:02 In the church there are wise and foolish virgins.
51:05 In the church there are good and bad fish.
51:09 In the church there are people who have true godliness
51:12 and there are people who have only the form of godliness.
51:16 In the church there are people who truly have the name of
51:18 Jesus, whereas there are others who say, "Lord, Lord,"
51:24 but they don't have a proper relationship with Jesus.
51:27 And so in the church, the church is a mixed bag,
51:30 so to speak.
51:32 In the church you have faithful and unfaithful.
51:34 Now how is it going to be determined who is faithful
51:37 and who isn't?
51:39 There has to be what?
51:41 A judgment.
51:42 The purpose of the judgment is simply to test the sincerity
51:48 of the repentance and the confession of people who
51:52 claim the name of Jesus Christ.
51:55 Let me ask you, can forgiveness be revoked?
51:59 Once a person is forgiven, can forgiveness be revoked?
52:04 Yes it can.
52:06 You say, "Is that biblical that once a person is forgiven,
52:09 the forgiveness can be revoked?"
52:11 Absolutely.
52:13 Do you remember the story of the two debtors?
52:16 Hmmm.
52:17 Interesting story.
52:19 A parable of Jesus.
52:21 There's this debtor that had a huge debt.
52:24 And this individual, you know, his master, he probably
52:27 embezzled what belonged to his master.
52:29 His master calls him.
52:30 That's the judgment, by the way.
52:32 And the master says, "Hey, I want you to
52:33 render me an account."
52:35 And he examines the accounts, he says, "You're an embezzler.
52:38 I'm going to throw you in prison,
52:39 and all your family with you."
52:41 And this man, you know, he says to his master,
52:45 "Oh please, please, give me time.
52:48 Give me time and I'll pay."
52:50 And the master says, "Be real."
52:52 He owed ten thousand talents.
52:54 He wouldn't have been able to pay in several lifetimes.
52:57 It was too big of a debt.
52:59 And so the master says, "You'll never be able to
53:02 pay me for this."
53:03 But he says, "I'll do something better.
53:05 Debt forgiven.
53:06 Because you cried out to me and you pled with me
53:10 for forgiveness."
53:12 Oh, this individual is so overjoyed.
53:14 Was he forgiven, yes or no?
53:16 Of course he was forgiven.
53:18 The story says that his debt was forgiven.
53:21 And so this individual, he's jumping for joy.
53:24 He's really happy.
53:25 He wasn't really sorry that he embezzled the money.
53:27 He was sorry he was going to jail.
53:30 But you would never know that unless there was a judgment.
53:33 Unless his works were examined.
53:36 And so this individual goes out into the street
53:39 and he finds someone that owns him a hundred denarii.
53:43 It was a considerable sum, about 100 days of work.
53:46 Because the common minimum wage was one denarius a day.
53:51 So, you know, he could have paid this debt in installments.
53:56 And yet, this individual who had been forgiven this huge debt
53:59 that he couldn't pay, he goes out and he tells this person,
54:04 "Pay me what you owe me."
54:06 And this person says the same thing.
54:07 He cries to him for mercy.
54:09 He says, "Please, please, give me time and I'll pay you."
54:13 And the Bible says that he grabbed him by the neck
54:15 and he started strangling him and saying,
54:17 "You give me my money right now. I want it right now."
54:22 Was this guy really repentant?
54:24 Listen, if he had understood the great debt that he had
54:29 been forgiven, he would have forgiven the little debt.
54:32 His works showed that his repentance was not genuine.
54:37 And so word comes to the king, to his master,
54:42 that this has happened.
54:44 And so he calls this individual.
54:45 He says, "Hey, come here.
54:47 Didn't I forgive your large debt?"
54:50 "Oh yes, thank you. Thank you, master."
54:52 "What is this I hear that I forgave you such a big debt
54:56 that you couldn't pay and you were not willing to let that
55:00 forgiveness flow through you to someone who could pay?"
55:05 And he was silent.
55:07 And what did the master do?
55:10 The master threw him into prison until he paid all of his debt.
55:15 Was his forgiveness revoked?
55:18 Yes, because it was discovered that his repentance
55:21 and his confession were crocodile tears.
55:25 It was not genuine.
55:26 The purpose of the judgment is to determine
55:29 if your repentance was true or not.
55:32 And the only way that it can be shown is by the way
55:36 that you live.
55:41 By works.
55:44 We're not saved by works, but we are judged by works.
55:48 Because the works show if our faith is real.
55:52 Faith without works is dead.
55:55 You know some people say,
55:56 "Okay, I'm saved by grace through faith."
55:58 And my answer is, "Yes, and you're judged by works."
56:02 Is there a contradiction there, that you're saved by grace
56:04 through faith, but you're judged by works?
56:06 Absolutely not.
56:08 Because your works show if your faith was real or not.
56:12 If you say, "Oh, I'm so sorry for sinning.
56:15 Lord, I'm so sorry I beat up my wife,"
56:17 and then you're beating her up an hour from now,
56:21 there's something wrong with your repentance.
56:25 You see, repentance is shown by a changed life.
56:28 And the changed life reveals in a tangible way
56:32 whether your repentance is genuine.
56:34 That's why when the books are opened,
56:35 the works are going to be looked at.
56:39 And then Jesus is going to show who is really His
56:43 and who is a hypocrite.
56:45 Jesus, many times, spoke about the hypocrites
56:48 who will be thrown where there is wailing
56:50 and gnashing of teeth.
56:53 So, folks, the first half of the book of Daniel,
56:58 the first seven chapters, are dealing with a central theme.
57:06 And Daniel 8 through 12, as we're going to see,
57:10 deals with a separate theme.
57:13 They're related, but it is a separate theme.
57:16 Now, we only have a few seconds left,
57:21 so what we'll do is we'll bring this to a close now.
57:25 And then in our next session, we are going to take a look
57:28 at the second book that we find in Daniel chapters 8 through 12.
57:34 There are five reasons why Daniel 8 through 12
57:38 is a second book in Daniel.
57:40 And we're going to take a look at that.


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Revised 2015-07-14