Battles of Faith

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Three Angels Broadcasting Network

Program transcript

Participants: Ivor Myers, Atonte Myers

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Series Code: BOF

Program Code: BOF000021


00:15 Welcome to Battles of Faith!
00:16 We are your host Ivor and Atonte Myers.
00:19 Today we are going to continue our discussion on
00:22 how to study the Bible.
00:24 You know I was thinking, many times people just say,
00:27 oh yeah I've read the Bible, or I read the Bible.
00:29 But the Bible doesn't tell us to read,
00:31 it says to study the Bible.
00:34 2 Timothy 2:15 says,
00:45 To study the Bible you need to have foundational principles
00:49 to help you guide your way through so you don't make up
00:53 something that is not in the Bible.
00:54 So it is really important, and we are going through some
00:56 more principles today.
00:58 So again we are very excited about this program because
01:01 once again it's going to help you to be able to properly
01:03 divide the word of truth.
01:05 Amen, you know the Bible is a, well the God of the Bible
01:09 is a creative God.
01:11 You look around at this world and you see that
01:15 God is an artist.
01:16 When it comes to His word it's the same thing.
01:19 God is a creative God and He has so many beautiful principles
01:25 in His word that this book, once it opens up to you, it is far
01:31 from a dull book.
01:33 There are so many beautiful lessons in there, so many
01:36 ways in which the lessons are brought out.
01:38 We are going to be looking at some of those principles
01:40 today and we are going to be looking at three principles
01:43 in particular.
01:44 We are going to be looking at Bible names.
01:45 We are going to be looking at Bible numbers and we are also
01:48 going to look at a principle, I like to call,
01:50 the second man principle.
01:52 so we are going to see, first of all, dealing with Bible names.
01:57 The Bible when it uses names, first of all a name in the
02:06 Jewish context was very important because
02:08 names were attached to meanings and people were not just named
02:13 spuriously, they took time to consider the character
02:16 of the child.
02:18 Then they would name the child.
02:19 When they taste like eight days I think we read in history.
02:22 They take eight days or a week to see what the child acted like
02:25 and then they name the child. Ivor: right!
02:27 There are some names in the Bible, some names given to
02:31 people and you wonder why did their parents named them that?
02:34 But we do not have the answer for that.
02:36 But we do know that Bible names carry significance when
02:40 attempting to understand stories.
02:43 They that's a much more to the story and we are going
02:46 to begin by looking at the highest name of all, Jesus.
02:50 Matthew 1:21, the Bible says that His name was
02:55 to be called Jesus because He would save His people
02:58 from their sins. Atonte: right!
03:01 The name Jesus means, Savior.
03:04 In particular Savior from sin.
03:06 So as we understand that name, we say okay,
03:10 that is why he was to be called Jesus.
03:12 It wasn't just a nice sounding name, it was because it carried
03:15 a meaning to it, He shall save His people from their sins.
03:19 If you look at verse 23 of the same chapter, it says that
03:23 His name was also to be called Emanuel.
03:26 It means God with us. Ivor: God with us.
03:28 That very name reveals who Jesus Christ was.
03:32 God with us, God manifested in the flesh.
03:36 So we see these names and we say okay, I'm understanding
03:39 these names reveal to us the important truth of who Jesus is.
03:42 God with us, and what His work was to be,
03:45 saving us from our sins.
03:48 I just thought a beautiful thought, when you said God
03:52 with us, it's like God couldn't be with us any other way
03:56 because we are sinful man.
03:57 He had to create a body for Himself, to fill that body
04:01 to dwell and be with us.
04:03 It is a very loving thing to do, because He cared
04:07 about us so much. Ivor: that's right!
04:08 For God so loved the world that He gave His Son.
04:11 In other words in giving His Son He was giving Himself.
04:14 Just that name Emanuel, is a gift of love to us.
04:20 So we see the importance of understanding Bible names.
04:23 I want to look at a couple more names here.
04:25 The name Israel for example.
04:27 Israel, which was the name that was given to Jacob after he
04:34 wrestled with God.
04:36 The name Israel means, overcomer with God, one who has wrestled
04:41 with God and overcome.
04:43 So we see in that context understanding the name Israel
04:48 in the New Testament, where God describes His church
04:53 as Israel, we understand that Israel composes those who
04:59 have wrestled with God and overcome.
05:01 Those who have overcome the world.
05:04 They are made of both Jews and Gentiles, because remember
05:08 Jacob was not born Israel.
05:11 He was considered the first Israelite, but yet he
05:15 wasn't born Israel, he was born Jacob.
05:17 the word Jacob means deceiver, or Surplanter.
05:22 So he wrestled with God and he overcame, God changed his name.
05:26 That's right, that is the story with each and everyone of us.
05:29 We are all like a Jacob, as it were, and God calls us to
05:34 wrestle with Him and in overcoming He changes our names.
05:38 Symbolically speaking to Israel, we become part of the Israel
05:43 of God, it doesn't matter where I was born, who I was born at
05:47 all that matters is that I have wrestled with God and now
05:52 He has changed my name, or my character.
05:54 Atonte, that is right, He is not a respecter of person's.
05:56 Ivor: that's right!
05:57 We can look at the name Barabbas and that is an interesting name.
06:01 Barabbas, reading the story of Jesus' crucifixion
06:06 there is a particular part in this episode where there is
06:14 brought out a criminal and the Jews are called to ask who would
06:20 you rather have, Jesus or Barabbas?
06:24 And they chose Barabbas. Ivor: they chose Barabbas.
06:27 If you think about this, the name Barabbas, bar means son of
06:32 an Abba, means father.
06:34 So here you have two people standing before the Jews.
06:38 The Son of the Father, and the son of the father.
06:42 They are called to make a choice make a decision about which
06:46 "son of the father" they will follow.
06:49 You see, I think about this in the context of last day events.
06:54 When the antichrist comes.
06:57 His impersonation of Jesus Christ, or rather the Devils
07:01 impersonation of Jesus Christ will be so powerful that many
07:05 will be deceived into thinking then he is the Son of the Father
07:10 You see in that story to understand the name Barabbas
07:13 opens up great meaning to the story, it is not just some guy
07:18 they called out, you want Jesus or Barabbas?
07:20 We understand they were making a choice between the Son of the
07:23 Father and the son of the father.
07:25 In the last days the counterfeit will be so close to the genuine,
07:30 that unless we are studying our Bibles,
07:33 unless we are guided by the Spirit of God,
07:37 we will be deceived by the counterfeit bar-aba,
07:41 the son of the father.
07:42 Atonte: I think the most important thing is being guided
07:45 by the Spirit, because the Jewish people at that time knew
07:47 when Jesus, a Savior, was supposed to come.
07:50 It wasn't that they didn't know the word, they knew someone
07:54 was supposed to come, but because the Spirit...
07:58 they weren't accepting what the Spirit was trying to tell
08:01 them, hey this is the Savior.
08:03 They rejected Him and the same thing for us.
08:06 We can know that there is an antichrist that is going to come
08:09 and there will be a situation, but if we don't have the Spirit
08:12 of God with us, we will make the wrong decision as well.
08:14 We don't want to do that. Ivor: exactly!
08:16 Again this is why, and I have said it repeatedly,
08:19 the enemy of souls does not wants us to be familiar
08:22 with the Word of God.
08:24 With the prophecies of God, because of a misunderstanding
08:28 of the prophecies of God, that when Jesus came the first time
08:31 they could not recognize Him as the Savior.
08:34 I want to take a look at a couple more names than we are
08:39 going to move into Bible numbers.
08:40 Again I am just showing you that as you read a story
08:43 it would be good to understand, try to get an understanding
08:47 of what the name is.
08:48 You can do that through a concordance or some other means
08:51 Understand what the name means.
08:53 Nine times out of 10, and that name is going to add
08:57 significance to the story.
08:59 Well having a concordance is the beginning to allowing your
09:03 Bible study to go deeper. Ivor: that is right.
09:05 Because it gives you original meanings of a word.
09:08 Sometimes we see a word in the Bible and we take it that it
09:11 means, or understand what it means in English.
09:12 In the Hebrew or the Greek it could mean something else.
09:15 It could have a deeper significance.
09:18 Let's look at the name, Judah.
09:21 The name Judah actually means praise.
09:24 That is significant when you bring that over, it is a Hebrew
09:28 name, and when you bring it over into the Greek,
09:30 the word is translated Judas.
09:33 so the word Judas, means praise.
09:35 When you think about this Atonte Judas, while pretending to
09:41 do what? Praise Jesus Christ, actually betrayed Him.
09:46 Now that's not to say that we don't want to praise God.
09:51 We want you to simply see the significance where Jesus says
09:55 that a close friend has betrayed Me, one who professed to be
10:00 my brother, companion has betrayed Me.
10:03 We see the significance of Judas not living up to his namesake.
10:07 Which was to praise, in particular, to praise God.
10:12 So Bible names again reveal to us this understanding or opens
10:17 up to us little gems that add a little piece to the story.
10:22 I'm going to give you two more examples.
10:23 In the book of Revelation there are seven churches that are
10:27 described, and the seven churches have seven names.
10:31 I just want to talk about two names.
10:32 One of the church's names is name Pergamos.
10:36 The word Pergamos is symbolic or actually means exultation
10:41 and marriage, Perga and gamos.
10:44 When you bring the word together exultation through marriage.
10:49 This church represents the third this is the third church rather
10:53 in the line of seven and it represents the period of time
10:57 where the Church of God was exalted through marriage
11:02 but not to Jesus Christ, rather to the state.
11:05 In other words, it represented a period of time in which
11:09 the church instead of reaching it's hand out in marriage
11:13 to Christ, began to take the hand of the state.
11:16 Roman in particular, government and was exalted to a high place.
11:21 This is a period of time where the church eventually begins
11:26 to persecute, because she now had the power of the state
11:30 by her side.
11:31 Before she was the persecuted, in fact the church before her
11:36 the name of the church is Smyrna
11:38 Representing those who are persecuted.
11:40 Smyr and mur, or Smyrna being synonymous, Mur was an ointment
11:46 used, or an herb used to embalm the dead.
11:49 It represented suffering.
11:50 You had the Church suffering and then you had its stage
11:53 of exultation and then you find that the church in turn began
11:58 persecute as it once had been persecuted.
12:01 There is another church, the last church called Laodicea.
12:04 the word Laodicea means the people of the judgment.
12:08 So we can understand that this Laodicean Church will represent
12:12 a judgment people.
12:14 Again just simply understand the names.
12:16 That's the last church on earth before Jesus Christ comes.
12:19 The last church right before Jesus comes.
12:21 Understanding these names help us to get a larger picture of
12:25 what the whole story may be talking about.
12:28 So that his Bible names and I want to encourage you to
12:31 really begin to look into these names.
12:33 In fact, there is one more thing I'd like to share.
12:37 It was the author of the Heidelberg catechism
12:40 that is credited as being the first one to find this
12:45 incredible prophecy in the genealogy recorded in
12:51 Genesis Chapter 5.
12:52 Atonte: this is awesome.
12:54 If you look in Genesis chapter 5 you will see a list of names
12:57 and Atonte I'm going to ask if you would just
12:59 read those names.
13:00 There is the first man on earth obviously that was Adam.
13:04 And then Seth, Enos, Cainan, Mahalaleel, Jared, Enoch
13:09 Methuselah, Lamech, and Noah.
13:11 These are the descendents of Adam, laid out in order.
13:17 As you look at the meanings of these names, and in some
13:24 concordances these names will actually vary.
13:25 These definitions were actually gathered from Lexicons and
13:30 other places but the general meaning of these names are
13:35 given so that they actually reveal the plan of salvation
13:39 in these names.
13:41 I'm going to ask Atonte to read it again, but this time she is
13:45 going to read the name and then what it means.
13:49 Adam means the man. Seth, placed or appointed.
13:53 Enos, wretched fallen man. Cainan, lamenting.
13:58 Mahalaleel, the blessed God. Jared, shall descend
14:02 or come down. Enoch, teaching, dedicated,
14:06 disciplined, obedient unto death Methuselah his death shall bring
14:11 Lamech, power, Noah, rest and comfort.
14:15 Now I am going to ask you to just read that again
14:18 in the sentence without the names.
14:19 Atonte: Man placed or appointed wretched fallen man lamenting
14:24 the blessed God shall descend or come down, teaching
14:28 dedicated, disciplined, obedient unto death.
14:32 His death shall bring power, rest and comfort.
14:35 That is beautiful, the Gospel message just tied in.
14:39 Just as we begin to study the word of God
14:41 and as the Lord to open up our eyes so that we can see
14:44 that which is under the surface that we find so many beautiful
14:47 Gems and this is an example of one of those gems.
14:52 God wants this book to be your entertainment.
14:56 Not that there is not other fun things to do, but He wants
15:00 us to really enjoy reading and studying His word.
15:03 That is why He has put gems like this.
15:04 I look at the bottom part of the names where it says,
15:08 His death shall bring power, rest and comfort.
15:11 That is what we want. We need power to overcome sin.
15:15 We need rest and comfort as we may go through hard times
15:18 and trials on this earth, but what a promise, what a blessing
15:22 what an awesome God we serve.
15:24 To encode this into His word.
15:26 Now we are going to go quickly over to Bible numbers.
15:30 We are not going to have time to really get into this, but we're
15:35 going to skim through it and get into the second man principle.
15:39 Bible numbers are often significant, not all numbers
15:43 but some numbers, as you read through the Bible, you will see
15:46 that they are mentioned time and time again.
15:48 They are mentioned in relation to the very same thing.
15:51 You begin to realize that these numbers have significance.
15:54 When you bring these meanings all the way over to the book
15:58 of Revelation, you now begin to understand, the number four
16:02 is symbolic, or the number seven is symbolic of A, B, C or D,
16:06 whatever that might be.
16:07 We want to take a look at some of these numbers.
16:09 We are going to start with the number three.
16:11 The number three is symbolic of a dividing line, as it were,
16:17 between life and death.
16:19 When you look at the number three you will find over and
16:23 over again in the Scripture, that three surrounds
16:28 life and death, as you know Jesus was resurrected
16:34 on the third day.
16:35 If you go back to the old Testament, you think of Jonah,
16:40 being in the belly of the whale for three days.
16:43 You think about the Butler and the Baker who both had dreams
16:49 each having to do with three days.
16:51 One died, the other had a dream didn't understand what the
16:56 dream meant, but basically in the end, after three days they
17:01 were told that one would die and one would live.
17:05 You look at the number three continually throughout the
17:09 Scriptures and you will find its manifestations.
17:11 Deena, who was raped made a covenant with the man that
17:16 raped her and some of the sons of Israel said you get
17:20 circumcised and that will be the covenant that we
17:22 will live in peace.
17:24 The Bible says that after the third day, two of these sons
17:27 went upon the whole city when the men were sore
17:29 and slew them all.
17:31 You find that number three is symbolic of life and death.
17:36 As you look through the Scripture you begin to see
17:39 that yes, this number is consistent everywhere
17:43 we look at it.
17:44 I'm just throwing out a few of them, but you go all the way
17:46 through the Scripture looking at that number 3, and you will
17:49 see this division between life and death.
17:51 There is the number four. The number four is symbolic
17:56 of world wideness.
17:58 You think about the four directions, North, South, East
18:02 and West, represents world wide.
18:05 You think about, in Revelation Chapter 7, there are four
18:10 Angels seen standing on the four corners of the Earth.
18:14 They are holding back the four winds of the earth.
18:17 One angel says, do not let the winds go till we have sealed
18:22 the servants of our God in their foreheads.
18:25 this lets us know that the sealing is not a sealing that
18:31 happens in one local place.
18:33 It is a worldwide sealing that takes place.
18:37 So there is the number four.
18:39 You've got the number seven, which represents a complete
18:42 cycle, you have the seven days of the week.
18:43 It represents a complete cycle of time so that when we get
18:46 to the book of Revelation and we see seven churches, seven seals,
18:49 seven plagues, we know that these represents seven,
18:52 or rather a cycle of time.
18:55 we have to figure out when the time begins and when it ends.
18:58 These numbers of seven represent a complete, or something
19:02 happening over a complete cycle of time.
19:05 We can go on with the number eight representing newness
19:09 of life, baptism.
19:11 There were eight who made it through the flood.
19:14 Noah's flood, eight on the ark.
19:16 representing baptism or newness of life.
19:19 There is the number 12, which represents service.
19:21 There were 12 disciples called to serve Jesus.
19:23 There were 12 tribes called to go into the wilderness
19:26 and serve God.
19:28 In the New Testament, or in the book of Revelation, you have the
19:31 144,000 who serve God day and night in the temple.
19:35 Twelve times twelve representing the people who are called
19:40 to serve God.
19:42 So we can go through these numbers and we see these
19:45 numbers are significant in the Bible and helped
19:47 enrich our study.
19:49 Now we are going to look at the second man principle.
19:51 This happens to be my favorite.
19:54 In the Bible, I believe it is 1 Corinthians 15:45- 47
20:21 The Bible lays out this principle here that Jesus Christ
20:25 is the second man.
20:27 Now what does that mean?
20:29 That means, and please listen carefully, that means that
20:32 Jesus Christ is the second, Atonte.
20:35 He is the second Ivor, and He is the second Bill out there.
20:40 The second Bob, who ever you are, He is the second you
20:44 in this context, when you decide to die to self and are
20:49 born-again, as Paul said, I am crucified with Christ,
20:53 nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ that liveth in me.
20:58 Christ becomes the second person His mind is given to us.
21:02 That does not mean we are Jesus, simply means that Jesus is
21:06 in us living out His life in and through you as He becomes
21:10 the second man.
21:11 We find this principle all throughout the Old Testament.
21:15 Christ, not only was He the second Man for you and I,
21:20 He was the second man for many of the Old Testament prophets
21:24 and saints.
21:25 You think about Adam.
21:26 So where Adam failed, the first time, Jesus came
21:30 and was triumphant.
21:32 Adam's first temptation dealt with appetite.
21:34 Jesus comes, and as the second Adam, He overcomes where the
21:40 first Adam failed.
21:41 Atonte: in the wilderness Win Satan tempted Him.
21:42 Interestingly enough, Adam, in order to get his wife,
21:46 Adam was put to sleep and a rib was taken from his side.
21:51 In like manner, Jesus Christ has a bride, and that bride
21:55 is the Church.
21:56 Jesus Christ was put to sleep, a Roman soldier came
22:00 pierced His side, and the Bible says, came forth out there
22:05 blood and water.
22:06 It is from this blood and water, symbolically speaking, that the
22:10 bride of Christ came forth. The Church of Christ came forth.
22:14 The New Testament church, so we see that Christ is
22:17 the second Adam.
22:19 Christ was also the second Abel.
22:22 Remember Abel was killed by his own brother.
22:25 So Jesus, when He came, He was put to death by His own brethren
22:31 He's the second Enoch who walked with God.
22:35 The Bible describes Enoch as walking with God.
22:37 Christ was not translated as was Enoch, in other words
22:41 Christ died, Enoch did not die, but he is the second Enoch
22:44 in the sense that he walked with God.
22:47 He's the second Joseph, Or a 2nd Abraham, the Bible says Abraham
22:53 was called out, or were sent out to a strange land.
22:56 So Christ left his heavenly home and was sent to a strange land.
23:02 This planet that was full of sin and corruption.
23:06 Abraham was a Pilgrim, Christ was a Pilgrim.
23:10 He's a second Noah, how do you think he's the second Noah?
23:15 I don't know.
23:17 I put you on the spot, Christ is the second Noah in that he
23:21 as Noah built an ark, his mission was to save people from
23:26 the old world, to the new.
23:27 So Christ, in heaven right now, is ministering on our behalf
23:31 inviting us up into heaven because there is another flood
23:34 coming, but it is not a flood of water, it is a flood of fire.
23:39 You see He is the second Noah.
23:42 Christ is the second Isaac, Isaac when his father took him
23:47 to be sacrificed, he did not wrestle, he willingly laid
23:52 himself down, Christ willingly laid His life down on our behalf
23:58 He's a second Joseph who was sold into slavery
24:00 by his brothers, betrayed by his brothers and went down into
24:04 Egypt, his Brothers ended up having to come back to him after
24:08 they betrayed him to be saved, as it were, from the drought.
24:14 So Christ betrayed by humanity that has gone into heaven and we
24:18 must come to Him in time of drought and say Lord sorry for
24:23 what we did, please spare us.
24:25 I think about Christ being the second Sampson.
24:29 this is one of my favorites Atonte.
24:30 let me say that Christ was the second Moses.
24:34 He was in danger when he was born.
24:36 As Pharaoh tried to kill Moses and all the children at age two
24:42 so there was a decree that went out with Christ for the
24:45 same thing under the age of two.
24:46 Moses went out into the wilderness 40 years to prepare
24:52 to lead God's people.
24:53 So Christ, before He began His Ministry, 40 days in the
24:57 wilderness to lead His people, Moses lead his people
25:01 across the Red Sea.
25:03 He opened up that Red Sea and let His people through.
25:05 Jesus Christ will open up the sky and lead His people from
25:09 this earth over to the other side.
25:11 So He is the second Moses, He is the second Sampson.
25:15 Sampson was betrayed by the woman he loved.
25:19 So Christ was betrayed by the woman, the church that He loved.
25:25 The Bible says that Sampson had his eyes put out.
25:27 Jesus Christ was blindfolded as they beat him and
25:30 made sport of Him.
25:32 The Bible says that Sampson, let me say that Jesus Christ
25:35 is not the second Samson in failure, Jesus Christ overcame
25:38 where Sampson failed.
25:40 you see Sampson was brought between two pillars in the
25:46 temple of Dagon and the Bible says that when he died he
25:52 put his hands on those pillars, or before he died, he put his
25:55 hands on those pillars and the Bible says, it actually says in
25:58 verse 30 in chapter 16 of judges it says he bowed his head
26:02 and pushed, and when he pushed there was a great earthquake
26:06 as it were, not an earthquake, the building fell and those that
26:10 he killed in his death were more than those whom he had
26:14 slain in his life.
26:15 The same thing with Jesus when He was on the cross and bowed
26:20 His head and gave up His life. Alanzo: gave up His life.
26:25 Then there was a great earthquake and Jesus slew
26:29 more in His death, when I say slew I mean bringing about
26:34 a death of the first man. The carnal man
26:37 He has caused more people to die to self in His death then He did
26:42 when He was alive.
26:44 There was an earthquake in the temple of the Dragon.
26:49 In the citadel of the Dragon as it were.
26:52 It was a spiritual earthquake, the dragon and his foundation
26:57 were shaken at the death of Christ.
26:59 This is why we ought to take the word of God and see how
27:04 exciting it is, we began to see these principles unfolding
27:06 We should say man, Hollywood doesn't have anything
27:09 on this. Atonte: Hollywood couldn't touch it.
27:11 They can't create it because the Holy Spirit inspired this.
27:15 It is more exciting, has more drama, the best ending of a
27:19 story than any Hollywood movie could ever, ever dream up.
27:22 Hollywood tries to imitate the great controversy and imitate
27:25 the things of the word of God let me tell you, as we begin
27:29 to study the Word of God and make it our intense study,
27:33 we will begin to see that this word, this Bible is just
27:37 magnificent, the principles that are found there, the things
27:41 that God is trying to share with us in so many different
27:45 ways will just pull us in, we will not want to put this book
27:49 down because of how exciting it is.
27:51 It's our prayer that you will make the decision to take time,
27:55 to spend time in God's word because there is so much there.
27:59 Well we are all out of time, until next time God bless.


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Revised 2014-12-17