House Calls

Prophecy - Biblical Rules And Methodology Interpretation, Pt 1

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

Program transcript

Participants: John Stanton & C. A. Murray (Host)

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Series Code: HCL

Program Code: HCL110009


00:01 Hello friends, grab a Bible and a friend and sit back
00:03 as we explore God's word together
00:05 on this edition of House Calls.
00:22 It's great to have you here with us again
00:24 for another edition of House Calls.
00:26 We're excited that you've joined us today
00:28 and we invite you into our study,
00:30 our living room to open God's word together
00:32 as we learn from Him and we pray
00:35 that each time we come together, that is exactly what we do.
00:38 And my name is Pastor John Stanton.
00:40 With me in the studio today is Pastor C.A Murray,
00:43 Pastor Murray, great to have you here again with me.
00:45 This is not a privilege that is often offered to me
00:47 but every time we get to study the word together
00:48 I'm blessed and good to be with you.
00:50 Yeah. Thank you very much.
00:51 And we appreciate again you joining us
00:54 and as we begin today
00:55 we're gonna get into our questions.
00:57 But we wanna start with a word of prayer.
00:58 So I would like to invite you Pastor
01:00 if you would share with us. Glad to do so.
01:02 Father God, we do thank you
01:03 and praise you for the power of your word.
01:06 We thank you for that when we study the word
01:08 we're drawn closer to you that we understand
01:11 and know your will for our lives.
01:13 And till before we open your word,
01:15 before we go to your word
01:16 we ask for your presence and power
01:18 that you're Spirit might surround us,
01:20 that it may quicken our minds and our thinking
01:23 so that those things that we say
01:25 will be pretty hardworking of your will through us
01:28 and to us for those who sit and listen and hear and watch.
01:33 Bless this program Father as we lift the name of Jesus
01:36 and we thank you in His dear name. Amen.
01:40 Well, we wanna make sure that
01:42 we get to a very important part of the program,
01:45 a big part because you're involved
01:47 and that is our questions today.
01:49 And so before we get into each of those questions
01:54 what I wanna do is give you our
01:56 options here for sending us them
01:57 either by snail mail which you're good at.
01:59 I got a question right here.
02:00 In fact we'll read that from, who is it,
02:04 Verna, this morning.
02:05 Thank you for writing in Verna.
02:07 But we also have email and so we want to give you
02:09 our email address, which is
02:11 housecalls@3abn.org housecalls@3abn.org
02:17 If you send those questions to us
02:18 we'll do our best to cover them on the program.
02:21 So thank you very much for you participation.
02:24 And Pastor Murray, why don't we
02:25 go ahead and jump in here with our questions.
02:27 Do you got one today to start of with?
02:29 Got one from Sesa a viewer from South Africa,
02:35 he wants to know dear Pastors,
02:37 is Allah the true God our creator or whose God is He.
02:42 We believe in a creation account
02:44 from Genesis 1, John 1:1 through 5.
02:48 In my opinion in studying this
02:52 I believe Allah is the true God.
02:54 I think the roots of Islam and the roots of Christianity
02:56 go back to a common ancestor.
02:59 They've followed sort of divergent theological alliance,
03:04 but when you scrape off of the theology
03:07 a lot of it is man imposed.
03:09 When you go back to the common ancestor,
03:11 we both revere Abraham,
03:14 both faiths revere Christ in a difference sense.
03:17 Of course we think Him as God they think Him as great prophet,
03:21 but I believe Allah and God are one and the same.
03:25 The names are different.
03:26 Of course with the different names comes a different theology
03:29 But I believe Allah is a true God,
03:31 listened to a very good Sermon sometime ago
03:34 by respected Adventist preacher who was saying that
03:37 there are some people in the Christian faith
03:39 who try to demonize the Muslim faith.
03:43 He was saying that is not fair and I agree.
03:46 And we talked about this.
03:48 I don't think that the extreme elements of a faith
03:50 should define the discussion. Right.
03:53 We should look a little closer.
03:55 So I believe Allah and God are one of the same.
03:57 I'm reading now, working my way through the Quran
04:01 which is quite a bit of work,
04:03 because it's a thick book, yeah, yeah.
04:05 and it doesn't particularly follow
04:06 a storyline like the Bible does.
04:08 So you got to really work at it.
04:10 When I get free time I had it on the plane the other day.
04:13 And a fellow looking at me got little nervous said
04:14 why you're reading a Quran on the plane.
04:16 You know, so I don't think I'll take
04:19 my Quran on the plane any more.
04:21 But I wanted to know more about the faith,
04:24 more about the religion.
04:25 And the religion I see Allah and God are one and the same.
04:30 The names are different and of course faith
04:31 with different names comes a different theology.
04:34 Christ says, No man cometh to the Father but by me.
04:39 And that is a very exclusive term if you wanna get to God.
04:43 If you wanna get to Jehovah God you go through Jesus Christ.
04:47 Islam has a different corridor.
04:49 But the person I'm trying to get is the same.
04:52 The theologies certainly are different.
04:54 Yeah. Yeah.
04:55 You know, when I think to I like what you said there
04:57 about not looking at the stream elements of any faith
05:01 and letting that define the faith as a whole.
05:03 Yes. I mean if we do that
05:04 with Christianity what would be, you know,
05:06 what would be the result.
05:07 If we go back into our history,
05:09 you don't have to go back too far
05:10 to find the crusades and some of the other things
05:13 where we in the name of God killed and wiped out many.
05:16 Yes, yes. You go not too far
05:18 in our history to find certain elements of our faith
05:20 that persecuted their own kind,
05:23 up towards a 40, 50 million murders
05:26 at the hands of Christianity. Yes.
05:29 So you know, we have to be careful not to do that.
05:31 Here at the same time I agree that,
05:34 you know boy, that Allah is God.
05:38 It ties to the same, the same ancestors we have there.
05:41 Yet there's a lot that comes with these names.
05:44 When you say Allah you don't think Christianity
05:46 you think of you know, Muslim or Islam.
05:49 When you hear Christ as Savior, that's Christianity.
05:52 Yes. And so these faiths
05:54 are very different and I don't think
05:56 we're suggesting that pick one.
05:59 You know, no not at all.
06:01 we defend the Christian faith
06:02 because it is significantly different.
06:06 In fact out of all religions I've found
06:09 and maybe you correct me if I am wrong,
06:11 but Christianity is the only religion
06:14 where by we cannot save ourselves.
06:16 There is no works we can do. There is nothing we can do.
06:19 Christ has saved us and He gives us that gift
06:22 of salvation free in response to our faith in Him.
06:26 And I think that's where you see the devil inserting himself
06:28 into some of the faith bases of the world
06:33 that there is this attitude of works or penance or something
06:39 you have to do to add to your own Salvation.
06:42 Christianity is very pure in that.
06:44 The complete work is done by Jesus Christ.
06:46 Yeah. You accept that by faith
06:48 and so it stands alone in that, in that, in that wise.
06:53 And that's why I said that with names
06:56 comes a theological package.
06:58 So when you say the name Allah
07:00 there is a theology that goes with that.
07:02 If you say any name,
07:04 Buddha, Confucianism, Jainism, Taoism
07:09 anyone of the main religions with that name
07:12 although God is God,
07:13 With a name comes a theological package.
07:15 As with Christianity when we say Jehovah God
07:18 we think Father, Son, Holy Ghost,
07:20 as theology that comes ahead.
07:21 There is a way to get to God.
07:23 There is a will that God has for us.
07:26 So the name may be the same or the person behind the name
07:29 but it is the theology that divides.
07:32 And that's where of course we change.
07:35 Yeah, yeah. Well, I appreciate that.
07:36 That's very good because that question comes up quite a bit.
07:39 Heard that several times
07:40 so that's why we wanted to cover it here.
07:42 There is a question here from Verna.
07:44 Again thank you Verna for sending in your question.
07:47 She is asking here a question about Revelation Chapter 15.
07:52 And so let me turn to Revelation 15
07:54 here to see if I can help with her question.
07:58 She writes here that in the Bible in Revelation 15:2
08:04 it says that I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire
08:09 and them that had gotten the victory over the beast,
08:12 over his image, and over his mark,
08:14 and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass,
08:17 having the harps of God.
08:19 Then it says in verse 5 and after that
08:23 and she emphasizes after that, I looked, and, behold,
08:27 the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven
08:30 was opened and then it goes from there.
08:33 And she is saying here it doesn't seem
08:34 to at least eluding it doesn't seem to go
08:36 from one place to a truth after that
08:40 like it's a sequence of events here.
08:42 And I think she is exactly right.
08:44 And the Bible isn't trying to say from here
08:46 next what we find is in heaven
08:49 or we're back on earth so to speak in this case.
08:53 What John is saying is after this I saw.
08:55 Yes. In other words
08:56 after I saw that I saw this and so that's,
08:59 that's what we're finding here in this passage.
09:01 Just for a quick think here its kind of need of.
09:04 I enjoy this passage that you brought up,
09:06 I've studied that many times.
09:08 And you find in verse 2,
09:10 we're talking about sea of glass mingle with fire.
09:13 A sea in prophecy is a symbol is multitudes of people,
09:18 You know, when you're talking about a sea or waters.
09:22 That's what it is talking about.
09:23 And specifically it mentions here that within that sea
09:26 we find those who have victory over the beast,
09:29 over the image and over his mark,
09:31 referring to those specifically the end of time that
09:33 we see victory standing probably symbolically
09:36 with those of all through out all time
09:39 who are counted among the redeemed.
09:41 But notice here specifically in verse 3 and 4
09:45 the song that was sung it was the song of the lamb
09:49 or is the song of the lamb that will be sung
09:51 by this group of people who had victory over the beast,
09:56 over his image and over his mark.
09:58 And notice the language here in verse 3.
10:01 Great and marvelous are your works,
10:03 Lord God Almighty;
10:05 just and true are your ways, oh King of saints.
10:07 And then notice the Three Angels messages here.
10:11 Who shall not fear you, O Lord, and glorify your name?
10:16 You are in glorified.
10:17 For you alone are holy for all nations
10:19 shall come and worship before you,
10:22 for your judgments have been manifested.
10:25 All involved in the First Angels message.
10:28 All the elements. Yes.
10:29 And it's almost like the law Christ
10:31 has given by God's people to proclaim the everlasting Gospel.
10:35 Then those who receive the victory,
10:37 get the victory over the beast and over his image
10:40 and over his mark respond the echo,
10:42 of the call of the First Angels message.
10:46 And so in fact they're saying we heard the message,
10:49 we got the picture and we're with you.
10:51 And that's how they gain the victory.
10:53 And so after that scene then we find the scene shifts back
10:57 to a progression then from Chapter 14 on.
11:02 It's almost like this is a mini-interlude of sorts.
11:04 Then it progresses on after these things,
11:06 now let's continue with our study,
11:08 we find that the tabernacle, the temple of the tabernacle
11:12 of the testimony in heaven was opened and then came forth
11:16 from that the Seven Angels having the seven plagues.
11:20 And then the plagues are poured out.
11:21 So that's where we find in the progression in 15
11:25 and then it goes on into 16 with the seven last plagues as well.
11:29 That's about as best as I could, I could do on that.
11:32 I mean it's not a huge theological issue
11:34 but we do have to sometimes understand what John is saying
11:39 and then what God is saying happens in sequence.
11:42 Yes. Yeah.
11:44 Yeah. Well done.
11:45 All right. Do you have another question?
11:47 One more Dear John and John.
11:50 In this case John and C.A. Yeah.
11:52 I always thought God wrote the Ten Commandments.
11:55 Now I'm hearing that it was Jesus, the word.
11:58 I know they are three in one but please explain
12:02 was it the Father or the Son? Interesting question.
12:07 And I think I wanna look at this way.
12:10 When we talk about God,
12:15 Genesis 1:1, in the beginning
12:16 God created the Heaven and the Earth.
12:19 My Hebrew, a little rusty, Berashith Bara Elohim.
12:25 The term God does not designate an individual.
12:30 It is not a personal name for God, the Father.
12:33 Right. God is more of a title,
12:36 in office like Pastor or Elder. Right.
12:40 So and of course in Genesis 1:1, Elohim is a plural term.
12:46 The "im" is a plural ending.
12:47 So when we talk about God we can be talking
12:52 about either of the three or all three.
12:55 Because God is not a name for a person
12:58 it's a title it's an office.
12:59 The more personal names are Jehovah or Adonai
13:04 or names that come like that.
13:06 So when you say God or when you see the word God
13:10 it's really talking about the office or the title of God.
13:15 A text you show me that
13:16 I just looked up a little bit ago,
13:19 Exodus Chapter 3 verse 14.
13:21 Jesus Christ or rather Moses
13:24 and God at the, in verse 14 here,
13:31 And God said to Moses I Am Who I Am?
13:34 Or I'm, that I am, depending on what version you have.
13:36 He said, Thus you shall say to the children of Israel,
13:40 the 'I Am' has sent you.
13:41 Now if you go over the Luke 4,
13:44 Christ is standing up in the temple
13:46 and he is standing up
13:47 he is reading from the Book of Isaiah.
13:49 First four, beginning about verse 16
13:52 when He puts the book down
13:53 he says this day is fulfilled in your ears.
13:56 And of course immediately the Jews wanted to kill him
13:59 because they realized that He was saying I'm God.
14:02 I was I was the one that met Moses at that burning bush.
14:04 Precisely that's yeah. I'm the deliver.
14:06 That's what He is saying, that this is me.
14:09 So, Christ takes this claim on himself and the Jews realized
14:14 that he was taking that claim because they want to kill him.
14:16 For making that statement they want to take him out right then.
14:20 So, we see then that during this dispensation Christ
14:24 was part of this whole thing.
14:28 It was Christ that met Moses on the mountain.
14:30 It was Christ in the pillar of cloud by day
14:32 and the pillar of fire by night.
14:33 These were all done by Christ.
14:37 Once...man sinned, Christ sort of stepped in
14:43 and begin to takeover as far as
14:45 communication and work with God.
14:46 So we see by harmonizing this Exodus and Luke and Isaiah
14:51 and any number of other text that we're dealing with Christ,
14:55 and God does not designate God the Father, God the Son,
14:59 It is a title as supposed on office
15:01 a supposed to a person or name.
15:03 You know, it makes sense to,
15:04 would be that way because if you look at
15:07 even our theology the Redeemer is the creator.
15:10 Yes. Christ we find is the one
15:12 that created this world that brought
15:15 Adam and then Eve into existence.
15:17 That formed the world and everything in it.
15:20 And so it makes sense that as that world fell He would be the,
15:25 He would come to the forefront
15:26 to be its Redeemer its savior its deliverer.
15:29 So for Him to meet Moses and say I'm gonna deliver my people.
15:32 It's just like what He would do having lost His creation,
15:37 He then as the Redeemer or first of all
15:39 as the deliverer here of Israel would step in
15:43 and then lead them out of the land of Egypt.
15:45 Yes. And of course you know,
15:47 he led them to the wilderness and He comes all the way
15:50 to the point where they're down here at His first advent
15:54 where He becomes the Babe in the Manger
15:56 and it's just unfathomable for us
15:58 really to understand or comprehend this.
15:59 But He comes as a little baby and then of course
16:04 through the teaching that He has found in his word
16:08 through studying He grows up to realize and understand
16:10 His mission is the creator. I'm the, "I am."
16:16 When He makes that statement of course you're right,
16:18 I mean they knew exactly what he was saying
16:21 and sought to kill Him for it. And eventually did.
16:24 We get a little more justification for this
16:28 and I'm haven't told have my verse today.
16:30 In the Book of Colossians, you know,
16:33 Paul runs Church of Colosse and around verse 15, 16
16:37 he really sort of makes his left turn and goes into it.
16:40 He is the image of the invisible God,
16:42 firstborn over all creation.
16:43 For by Him all things are created and all things exist
16:46 Invisible, visible, thrones, demonic principalities, powers
16:50 all things are created through Him and for Him.
16:52 He is before all things and in all things
16:55 and in Him all things consist.
16:57 He is the head of the body of the Church who is the beginning,
17:00 the firstborn from the dead soul.
17:01 We have this idea that Christ is sort of step
17:05 He steps forward.
17:06 He was responsible for creation, He is going to preserve it,
17:09 He is going to redeem it,
17:11 He is the principle actor in this dispensation
17:16 if I can use that term in this age.
17:19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell
17:24 So we see this stepping forward of Christ,
17:27 you know, during this time.
17:29 Creative, now giving a self to redeem it,
17:33 sent by the Father to do that and so this contact this "I am"
17:37 from Genesis through to Exodus through
17:40 to the New Testament its all Jesus.
17:42 You know, there is a saying, maybe it's too simplify
17:46 but I've used this analogy when it comes to Jesus as our creator
17:50 Because we struggle this, you know,
17:51 how do this creation works? With Jesus step forward,
17:54 you know, were His hands involved,
17:56 how is the Holy Spirit involved because clearly the Bible
17:58 says the Holy Spirit was involved in moving
18:01 upon the Earth to create it. Yeah.
18:03 And so I've kind of I guess living in Springfield,
18:07 Illinois for a while.
18:08 There is a Frank Lloyd Wright House there.
18:10 And I got to think about Frank Lloyd Wright.
18:11 You know, he is a, you know,
18:13 one of our famous architects in America.
18:15 Over years he has done many building
18:17 and he is revered for his work.
18:20 When you think of Frank Lloyd Wright
18:23 he doesn't takes on a project
18:25 unless he is commissioned to do that, right?
18:27 So I would call that the person commissioning, God the Father.
18:32 But then Frank Lloyd Wright gets together
18:33 and he is the architect. He creates it.
18:35 He forms it and it's in his mind.
18:37 He is gonna move forward now to
18:39 to make this thing become a reality.
18:42 But then as it begins to be built,
18:44 he is not actually swinging the hammer.
18:46 He is not building it, although we say
18:48 Frank Lloyd Wright built this house.
18:50 There are people that come forward to make it happen.
18:53 Jesus is that Frank Lloyd Wright and the builder
18:56 those building it are the Holy Spirit's work.
18:59 So in a way you've got kind of all three.
19:01 And in any construction project that happens you got commission,
19:04 architect and builders.
19:06 And you kind of see that with God and through our scripture
19:09 we find the Holy Spirit moving and things come to being.
19:11 But then you've Jesus speaking the words
19:14 and then the Holy Spirit makes it happen.
19:17 God is three in one because they work always together.
19:20 And even when it comes to the redemption
19:22 of His people God is working together,
19:25 the three in one making it happen.
19:27 Yeah, yeah. And it's that way though that.
19:29 You know, I like it,
19:30 Any analogy any parable that we use
19:33 is going to be some what flawed.
19:35 Because its humanity trying to explain the actions of divinity.
19:39 But I like that because it does simplify
19:41 kind of mix it kind of linear,
19:43 three working together to accomplish this goal.
19:46 Yeah, yeah. Well I've one more question
19:48 here before we get into our topic today
19:51 and I think it's a fairly, fairly quick one.
19:53 It comes from Carla.
19:57 And she writes if a pastor who calls himself a prophet
20:01 told me that God has a message for me.
20:03 should I believe him?
20:05 Are prophecies real in these times?
20:09 Very interesting question.
20:10 In fact for Carla and anyone who has had this question
20:15 in their minds who have heard this from a pastor
20:17 or someone who refers to themselves as a prophet,
20:19 I like to refer you to a program that we did not
20:21 too long ago on the biblical test of a prophet.
20:25 Yeah, because there are things in the Bible
20:28 that says a prophet there is a standard of test
20:30 that the prophet must meet.
20:32 And it's not just one test there are 12 that we gave there.
20:35 That he must meet a hundred percent
20:37 or she must meet a hundred percent to be referred
20:39 to as a prophet or prophetess.
20:41 So don't allow someone just to kind of,
20:44 I also see this as manipulation a bit too.
20:46 And I'm not trying to prejudge this person but to just say
20:49 I'm a prophet you got to hear me and follow me,
20:51 that to me is manipulative.
20:55 Because I don't even really find in scripture where a prophet
20:59 speaks of himself or testifies of himself
21:01 as having a message from God.
21:02 He always comes with credentials.
21:05 You know, he or she is known as a prophet or prophetess.
21:09 They're trusted. They already have
21:11 proven themselves and it's a hundred percent accurate.
21:14 And then they come forward to maybe
21:15 give a message to God's people or to a person.
21:17 You know, something that paused my mind John.
21:19 There are times when people are given a word
21:24 from the Lord for someone.
21:25 I'm impressed to say this to you, you know.
21:28 And you maybe dipping into the prophetic office
21:32 where you're not a prophet for say.
21:34 You know, you have a message for someone,
21:37 you know, I see something going on in your life
21:39 I'm trying to encourage you.
21:40 And the Lord says hey tell John you know,
21:43 he is feeling little bad today.
21:44 You know what a year from now,
21:46 this is going to behind you and you're gonna be fine.
21:49 Right. You know,
21:50 that doesn't make me a prophet.
21:52 I had a word from the Lord
21:53 to sort of encourage you along the way.
21:55 But I don't say I'm a prophet or have the prophetic office.
21:59 And I think that program really is one to refer to.
22:01 There are number of things, a number of tests
22:04 that need to go through and the person who claims that
22:06 office must pass all of them 100 percent at the time
22:09 as we establish in that particular program.
22:12 So we need to be very careful
22:13 who we take prophetic counsel from
22:17 because there are false Christ a plenty and people
22:20 who make claims but their life in the long run will show
22:23 if God is really speaking for them or through them.
22:26 That's right.
22:27 You know the last part of a question here
22:28 is are prophecy real in these times?
22:31 And that's part of actually what
22:32 we're covering in our topic today.
22:35 And just before we transition to that topic
22:38 I just like to give up or put up our email address
22:41 for House Calls one more time.
22:43 We wanna encourage you to continue to send in your letters
22:46 your questions to us to housecalls@3abn.org,
22:51 that's housecalls@3abn.org.
22:53 We do our best to read them and answer them for you.
22:57 Thank you so much for participating in the program.
23:02 The title of the study today is prophecy,
23:06 biblical rules and methodology of interpretation.
23:09 And we gonna take a couple programs to cover
23:11 this because it's a bit of material here.
23:14 There are some things that kind of coming out of the woodworks
23:17 that woodwork that people are talking about today.
23:19 But I like to touch on not just even within the Church
23:23 the Seventh-day Adventist Church itself.
23:24 But in general with regard to understanding prophecy
23:29 and reading the scriptures
23:31 and applying prophecy correctly, how do we do that,
23:34 what are some rules that we need to be very,
23:36 that our biblical rules very much that we need to honor
23:39 and respect and follow to be able to make sure
23:41 that we rightly divide the word of truth.
23:44 And so just we gonna share some things with you here
23:48 in the next couple of programs on these things.
23:50 And first of all I do want to start with a text.
23:53 And because some maybe asking Pastor Murray
23:57 why are they going into prophecy?
23:58 I mean what's gonna happen is gonna happen, right?
24:01 And we know when it happens.
24:04 Well let me share this word with you here
24:06 from Revelation Chapter 1 verse 3.
24:09 After of course the... or the step by step process
24:15 to which the Revelation is delivered to John
24:19 by Christ himself in verses 1 and 2.
24:22 We read in verse 3.
24:24 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words
24:28 of this prophecy, and keep those things
24:31 which are written in it for the time is near.
24:36 So there is a blessing for those who first of all
24:39 who read and there is a blessing for those who also hear
24:43 or listen to those words.
24:45 And so we want to say, let me start of with this,
24:48 I, Pastor I was in before I became a pastor
24:52 I was in the corporate world for 15 years almost.
24:55 And I sat down with the gentleman
24:57 who was in a Bible study with me at that place.
25:00 We had a Bible study during lunch and he was a member
25:02 of another denomination in another faith.
25:05 And we got to talking and he said you know,
25:09 Seventh-day Adventist they study prophecy a lot, don't they?
25:12 I said yeah.
25:14 We enjoy that topic and we think that biblically
25:18 we can find the Bible, the Bibles true explanation.
25:22 Not only the prophecy in symbols but the explanation of that
25:26 and it's a big part of our ministry its our message.
25:30 And he said you know what?
25:32 I just believe its gonna happen,
25:33 its gonna happen it doesn't matter.
25:34 When Jesus comes, He is gonna come doesn't matter.
25:37 And I shared that text with him.
25:38 I said so what do you say about that.
25:40 I mean if there is a blessing here do we just kind of ignore
25:42 the blessing and say whatever is gonna happen is gonna happen.
25:45 It doesn't seem like the Lord is really saying that.
25:48 And there are some other things that we talked about
25:50 there and he really didn't have any answer,
25:51 he talked around a little bit.
25:53 But I think it was really more of an effort
25:55 to kind of reflect or deflect any real discussion
26:00 of a need to read and to study
26:03 and to follow the prophetic books and writings.
26:08 You know, probably I've taken a stab here
26:11 but I think upwards of a quarter
26:13 to a third of all of scripture is prophetic,
26:16 is a book of prophecy it comes
26:18 from the prophets and their own testimony,
26:20 whether they're Major Prophets, Minor Prophets whatever
26:23 they may be is prophecy.
26:24 So if you gonna say lets throw our prophecy
26:26 you gonna throw it all an awful lot of scripture.
26:29 And I don't think any of us want to do that.
26:31 But with a fact that prophecy is important to read
26:35 and to understand especially I believe in the days
26:38 that we're living wouldn't it be just like the enemy
26:41 to center his attack on or focus his attack on,
26:46 rather the fact that we don't really
26:48 or his assertion that we don't really
26:49 need to study prophecy. Yeah.
26:51 Then we really don't need to know what's you know,
26:54 whether or not we're living in the last days
26:56 and what will happen in these last days.
26:58 You know, I turned very closely
27:00 to 1st Thessalonians Chapter 4 verse 13.
27:06 Paul saying to the Church of Thessalonians,
27:08 I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren,
27:10 concerning those who are asleep.
27:11 Well just as Paul doesn't wants to be ignorant
27:15 about that particular topic.
27:18 God does not want his people to be ignorant.
27:20 There is nothing to be gained by being, by being ignorant.
27:23 God wants you people to know and there is a blessing
27:27 in knowing and there are some things
27:28 that we'll not know now
27:30 and some things we may never know.
27:31 But that which is to be known should be known.
27:35 And God's people are strengthened by knowing.
27:39 And the Bible says I'll tell you these things before hand
27:42 so that when they do happen you'll know, that I'm God.
27:47 So, there is a blessing in knowing what's coming.
27:50 You know, I'll tell a quick story.
27:51 When we were kids we used to watch this horror,
27:54 these B horror movies my sister and I on Saturday nights.
27:57 And she was not in the Church and I was and you know,
28:03 that Lord would be destroyed by giant ants
28:05 or some monster would come along and she would be horrified.
28:08 Do you think that's gonna happen?
28:09 And I was in Sabbath school I said,
28:11 nah it's not gonna happen
28:12 because I know it's not gonna happen you know.
28:15 So I said we're not to be scared
28:16 because it's not gonna end that way.
28:18 It's going to end with Christ coming.
28:19 I didn't know a lot but I knew it was going to end
28:21 with the Second Coming of the Lord
28:23 and things are going to be right, you know,
28:24 rather taking to heaven with Him.
28:27 So I would sit back and say I'm not scared
28:29 because it can't end like that.
28:31 Giant ants are not going to eat up the world.
28:32 You know, a 50 foot woman
28:33 is not going to stomp the world to death.
28:35 Because I know how it's going to end and that's not it.
28:37 It's that kind of thing. That's right.
28:38 So there is a comfort there is a blessing in knowing
28:40 what's gonna happen so that you can be prepared
28:43 for what is going to happen.
28:44 Particularly since there is an adversary
28:46 who wants to deceive so you'll not be caught up
28:49 in those deceptions because you know the truth.
28:52 I think it was probably the predominant reason
28:53 why Jesus is saying or He gives us these things before hand.
28:57 He is a deceiver is out there.
28:58 He has been a liar from the beginning,
29:00 He'll always lie and He is seeking to deceive.
29:03 In fact one verse comes to mind really very quickly
29:05 if you're thinking about prophecy if you look
29:07 at Revelation Chapter 13
29:13 verses 13 and 14 it says,
29:16 he and we're not go into who this he is
29:19 but the point is what he does.
29:22 He performs great signs, so that he even
29:24 makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men
29:27 He deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs
29:30 which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast,
29:33 telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image
29:35 to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived.
29:38 Then of course it talks about then those who followed Him
29:40 and worship Him receive the mark of the beast.
29:44 So just in that, in that short scene there we see that
29:48 His whole motive for bringing the world...
29:53 down is deception. It's deception. Correct.
29:56 And he has always worked that, we can deceive Eve.
29:59 He tried his best to our history to deceive
30:01 Gods people in various ways.
30:04 He is doing it again in these last days.
30:05 And if you don't know the truth how you know
30:07 when deception comes? You'll not know.
30:10 Very much so. And so you know,
30:12 one of the things I like to do to start off here
30:14 and we have a little outline that we're gonna go through.
30:16 But I would like to go first to Daniel
30:21 and specifically couple of verses Daniel 8 verse 26
30:26 and then of course Daniel 12 verses 4 through 9.
30:30 And Daniel and Revelation are book ends of prophecy
30:35 of last day prophecies.
30:37 From my quick database check here in my mind.
30:42 I don't recall any other prophetic book
30:45 that really tells itself so much as being
30:47 a Latter day prophecy as the Book of Daniel.
30:50 Correct. You know at the end of Daniel
30:52 we read this here in a minute but the book is seal.
30:54 What is in it is sealed until the time of the end.
30:57 And so first of all, do you have Daniel 8:26 for us.
31:02 I've got Daniel 8:26.
31:03 You could you read that for us, that will be great thanks.
31:05 Let's see. And the vision of the evenings
31:09 and the mornings which was told is true:
31:12 Therefore seal up the vision,
31:15 for it refers to many days in the future.
31:19 And that of course ties back to the 2300 days,
31:23 we know that prophecy a day and prophecy a day
31:27 it was a year so its 2300 years.
31:29 So there will be a time period of 2300 years
31:32 from its beginning to end where prophecy
31:34 or these prophecies would not be known.
31:36 They would be sealed up
31:37 and people would not understand them.
31:40 Then now if you get to Daniel Chapter 12
31:45 and begin with verse 4 there and read
31:48 a little bit about how this...
31:52 Well, let's start with just Daniel 12:4 lets read that.
32:00 Daniel 12 and verse 4.
32:04 But you, Daniel, shut up the words,
32:06 and seal the book until the time of the end;
32:09 many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.
32:13 All right, you know, sometimes these verses read
32:16 and we talk about how knowledge increases in the world
32:18 but really contextually seal up the vision,
32:23 people will not know it but at the time
32:26 of the end people will know it.
32:28 Yes. Knowledge will increase.
32:30 Now that was people understanding a prophecy will,
32:33 will be known. It will be more widespread
32:35 that message that prophetic message will go out.
32:38 And in fact if you read on you'll find
32:40 in that same chapter, chapter 12.
32:43 There is a reference there to a man verse 5,
32:47 clothed in linen standing on a riverbank.
32:53 And then verse 6, He was above the waters of the river
32:57 and the questions asked how long shall the fulfillment
32:59 of these wonders be. So you know,
33:01 how far do we have to stretch to begin
33:02 to then understand these things.
33:04 And the answer comes from the man in linen
33:07 who was above the waters of the river when he held up
33:10 through his right hand and his left hand to have a,
33:13 and swore by Him.
33:15 That is a capital H in the translation
33:18 I've in King James Version.
33:19 Who lives for ever that it shall be for a time,
33:22 times, and an half; and when power of the Holy people
33:26 has been completely scatter
33:27 all these things shall be finished.
33:29 Yeah. Then now as I, and I said,
33:31 I made the comment here,
33:33 Daniel is a book in with Revelation.
33:35 So you go to Revelation Chapter 10
33:38 and you'll find the same vision or the same,
33:41 it brings us back to the same picture
33:44 where it says in Revelation 10 verse 5,
33:46 an angel whom I saw standing on the sea
33:49 and on the land raised up his hand to heaven
33:51 and swore by Him who lives forever and ever
33:53 who created heaven and the things that are in it,
33:56 The earth and the things that are in it,
33:57 and the sea and the things that are in it.
33:59 But there should be delay, no longer.
34:02 Interesting. There is this delay where the book is sealed,
34:05 the people will not understand
34:07 and then no long will there be a delay.
34:09 Yes, yes.
34:10 But in the days of sounding, verse 7.
34:12 Days of the sounding of the seventh angel,
34:14 when he is about to sound,
34:15 the mystery of God would be finished,
34:18 as He declared to His servants the prophets.
34:20 Now we tie that back to Daniel 12,
34:24 it says that sea love the vision because it won't become clear
34:28 until it's finished at the end.
34:30 Here it says that when this happens the mystery of God
34:33 will be finished as he declared to His servants the prophets.
34:38 So there was come a time and there really even more
34:41 come a time that becomes more evident
34:43 that prophets will speak again. Yes.
34:46 Prophecy is themselves will speak again
34:49 and a message will go forth to the inhabitants
34:51 of the earth that is no longer sealed
34:54 but open for understanding and that people will be
34:57 able to know the time in which way they live
35:00 and the things that are about to take place.
35:03 You know, its interesting too that though many times
35:05 as you really said this knowledge shall be
35:08 increased is applied to the secular world.
35:11 But a lot of these innovations,
35:15 this increase of knowledge has enabled us
35:18 to get more access to the Bible and to the work.
35:22 Surely printing and those kinds of things
35:25 and of course now you got the internet.
35:27 You can get the Bible, you can attack the Bible.
35:30 Dialogue with people on, can talk to people on,
35:32 like before we couldn't do that.
35:34 Now we get on a phone, we get on computers,
35:36 we can share information.
35:38 So a lot of this new knowledge has enabled us
35:41 really to delve into the word, to share what we have,
35:45 this program you know,
35:47 is a part of an increase in knowledge
35:49 so that we're sitting here talking and people are consuming
35:53 what we're saying around the world,
35:55 some agreeing, some disagreeing,
35:57 some being sent to the word for themselves to study
36:00 and to check and to pray about things.
36:02 So this is an attempt by God to get access to the word,
36:08 through out the world. Yeah.
36:12 In a prior program I know we read this first
36:14 but it comes from Amos, God does nothing unless
36:18 He first reveals His secrets unto his servants the prophets.
36:22 And we read here about that,
36:24 you know, His servants the prophets.
36:25 Same reference here in Revelation 10:7
36:27 that would be declaring the message,
36:31 the prophetic message in the last days.
36:34 And we can say it's the last days
36:35 because Daniel says that the things
36:36 become evident in the Latter days.
36:38 It's about the Latter days.
36:39 And so we've come to a time
36:43 and maybe I should not just ahead.
36:45 Have we come to a time
36:48 where we're in the Latter days after this 2300 year
36:51 which is you know day equals your period
36:54 where the word is being understood,
36:57 the prophetic message is being understood better.
36:59 It's being preached and people have an opportunity
37:02 either to read and to hear or like my dear brother
37:07 who I sat across in the cafeteria
37:09 with who says it doesn't matter.
37:11 And if that time is in fact today which I believe,
37:13 we believe is then its time that all of us,
37:17 that all of you are there also open the word
37:20 and being to study and see if whether these things
37:23 that are being said are actually true.
37:26 And so we want to give you some ammunition
37:30 so to speak to help guide
37:31 you in these couple next two programs to guide
37:34 you in your search to find out whether or not these prophecies
37:38 that are being talked about.
37:40 And there are prophecies that are coming from voices
37:42 around the world, that you heading right
37:44 voice gonna go, yeah.
37:45 What you doing in the context of the idea
37:48 that there is an enemy who is trying to muddle the waters.
37:52 Who is trying to confuse
37:54 and distract and dissuade and discourage.
37:58 So there are lot of people attacking prophecy.
38:02 Some for any number of reasons
38:04 but certainly Satan has an agenda also.
38:06 And he doesn't what this word to get out
38:08 and so there are false teacher and false doctrines
38:11 and the Bible says beware of those kinds of things
38:14 because you may run the risk of being deceived.
38:17 If you don't study the word of God
38:19 and the prophetic landscape
38:21 as we're beginning to look at today.
38:22 You know the other thing too
38:24 is I thought about some of the recent events
38:25 that have happened here with predicting things
38:28 then you know, come to pass, yes
38:30 In some ways I think the devil is happy every time a prophecy
38:34 that some one gives doesn't happen.
38:36 Oh I agree. Because now we deceived,
38:39 even mislead certain people.
38:41 He allows others to say well
38:43 look prophecy doesn't do any good.
38:45 And you kind of throw the baby out with the bath water
38:46 because I think we're well I'm not even look at prophecy
38:49 then because look how many times these people say
38:51 this and that and it doesn't happen.
38:53 And if you got offense setter
38:54 that will sort of push them off on the wrong side.
38:57 Well someone who was saying well those people
39:00 don't really know they are talking about.
39:01 Since the Father's fell asleep the word is gone on like it,
39:04 you know there's gonna be no changes
39:06 God predicted nothing happened.
39:07 this God predicts nothing happened
39:09 So why shall I listen to any of them
39:11 because the one's that are speaking the loudest
39:13 aren't saying something that is true.
39:15 And let me encourage those who are listening or viewing today,
39:19 the reason that they don't come to pass
39:21 is because they do not follow biblical rules of interpreting
39:25 and understanding prophecy. Yes.
39:27 They obliterate the way in which the Bible says
39:30 you should unfold these prophecies
39:32 or understand these prophecies. Yeah.
39:34 One of the things it's so clear,
39:35 I mean just you wonder why they miss it.
39:38 Jesus said no one knows the day or hour of my return.
39:43 Yet some recent prophecies have said or prophets
39:46 have said we know the day that He will return.
39:49 Now John what's important about that,
39:50 there are certain statements that are over arching statements
39:53 that are not mitigated they're not shaved off
39:58 or colored by any other statement
39:59 they stand, there I say naked.
40:01 I'm the way the truth and the life,
40:03 no one comes as the Father but by Me.
40:06 It's nothing you can do with that statement,
40:08 it is what it is. Right.
40:10 No man, no woman knows the day nor the hour.
40:14 There are no mitigating statements to go
40:16 along side that, that's a flat naked statement
40:19 that's you can do nothing to allow it, it stands alone.
40:22 Nobody knows you don't know I don't know.
40:25 So, someone says I got the day, I got the hour,
40:28 they're in direct contradiction to a statement by Jesus. Yeah
40:33 No body knows. Yeah. Yeah.
40:35 And what do we do according to the biblical test
40:37 of a prophet like that. We don't listen.
40:39 We got to reject it. We got to reject it.
40:41 Do reject the fact that prophecy exists and it's important,
40:44 reject the messenger because they're not following the Bible
40:47 and what it says about how to understand that.
40:49 Now, let's, let's give a little bit of a,
40:52 kind of a background,
40:53 kind of a foundation here, history lesson.
40:58 For many years after the early church was persecuted
41:04 and even at during persecution the Gospel grew.
41:08 It gained victory and was spread through out the world
41:11 and then we found in and even in John,
41:13 seven letters to the church is the beginning of Revelation.
41:16 That in end of itself shows that God's
41:17 people were being scattered everywhere
41:19 so that the Gospel might grow and spread.
41:23 And as that was happening
41:24 the devil saw it and he realized,
41:26 well killing Him doesn't do any good.
41:29 So, I might as well join Him. Yes.
41:31 And so we find that through out history
41:34 also as the church begins to grow
41:36 there was not only the church of God
41:39 but a counterfeit movement of church so to speak.
41:43 And so you've them kind of running
41:44 simultaneously along side each other
41:46 where truth was being preached, error was being preached.
41:50 And as they continue to travel down the time line
41:53 as we get closer and closer to our day,
41:55 we get to a point where prophecies
41:58 of the Latter days get closer and closer.
42:01 And so the devil knows okay, God's gonna speak here again.
42:04 See, the devil knows the Bible. Oh, yeah.
42:06 Better than we do. Yes, yes.
42:07 He knows what's gonna happen
42:09 so he tries to preempt a lot of these things.
42:11 So as that time comes about
42:13 as the time of the end approaches,
42:15 he knows God's gonna send a prophetic message out.
42:18 So, what does he do?
42:19 He sends false prophecy messages out. That's right.
42:22 False prophets out, unto the world
42:24 to kind of muddy the waters a little bit.
42:27 And what we found in as the message of truth
42:31 went forward that God saw fit to,
42:34 to bring the church back to a pure and a...
42:39 what do you say, just a pure truth,
42:41 following the Bible this is where Sola scriptura
42:44 came out which was kind of the mantra
42:46 of the Protestant movement. Yes.
42:49 The Bible and the Bible alone it wasn't Rome
42:51 that dictated the truths of God's verdict
42:53 was man looking at scripture,
42:55 the Holy-Spirit leading him to understand these things,
42:58 and so that began to go forward and through
43:01 the Protestant Reformation came many
43:03 of the truths that we've today. Yes.
43:06 Praise God for the Protestant Reformation.
43:10 But the devil kicked in the gear again
43:12 and he saw with the Protestant Reformation
43:15 these truths going out and coming back to the forefront.
43:17 He said I've got to establish
43:19 some kind of a Counter Reformation.
43:21 And it's known, there is very well known a Counter Reformation
43:25 that occurred that was initiated by the Church of Rome. Yes.
43:28 That was very, very prevalent in response to the truths
43:33 write out by the true Protestant Reformation. Yes.
43:36 And in many respects today we find protestant churches
43:39 going back into, they're no longer protesting
43:44 I guess you would say that doctrine's of Rome. Yeah.
43:47 They're kind of, just kind of both coming together
43:49 in this ecumenical movement that,
43:51 you know we just let's focus on what we agree with.
43:53 The Seven-day Adventist Church
43:55 does not agree with that approach.
43:56 So, we're not ecumenical in nature
43:58 with other face or the denominations
44:00 but yet we join or can unite
44:02 with them in the Gospel of Jesus. Oh, yes.
44:04 But according to His truth alone.
44:07 Now, I bring all that up
44:08 because as part of the Counter Reformation
44:12 there was also a specific plan to undo something
44:16 that the reformation did that God did through
44:18 the reformation was to bring out an understanding of prophecy.
44:23 And he did that through the study of God's word,
44:27 the study of prophecy and to see how God
44:30 in fact interpreted through his angles,
44:33 the prophetic messages given to His
44:35 prophets and specifically Daniel.
44:37 So, so what you have you here is Daniel
44:40 who receives the vision from God
44:42 and the angles coming to help him
44:44 give the interpretation of that vision
44:46 and what He does is He walks Daniel through a timeline
44:49 or at least give him a time element
44:51 that is written in history. Yes.
44:54 That carries on down through to the end of time
44:56 referred to as the Latter days.
44:58 And so you have in the Protestant Reformation
45:01 this on going study or beginning study of,
45:04 of the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation.
45:07 And an understanding being developed
45:09 because they understood where it began. Yes.
45:11 And where it was taking them.
45:14 So, Historicism is a frame work but it also a tool
45:19 that you can use as sort of unpackaged prophecy.
45:21 It is a something that allows you to look at it
45:25 in a sequential biblical way so that it makes sense. Yes.
45:28 It's a tool basically something that's in your hands
45:31 that will allow you to, to unravel something that can
45:35 be daunting and it can be tough. Yeah.
45:37 And make sense of it.
45:38 Yeah, and with that methodology
45:40 and you mentioned Historicism there.
45:42 That is the,the reformers understanding,
45:45 biblical understanding, how our prophecy went through. Correct.
45:48 From beginning to end along the timeline, unbroken. Yes.
45:51 And that allow them as they studied the prophecies
45:54 to pluginto advance along that
45:56 timeline with relative accuracy.
45:59 They're not perfect no we don't know exactly everything
46:02 but we generally know the time from beginning to end.
46:05 And that was there was safety in that.
46:08 But what happened as a result of or,
46:11 or in response to the reformation
46:12 was known as the Counter Reformation. Yes.
46:15 And in the Counter Reformation,
46:18 Rome sought to undo some of the,
46:20 many of the truths that were coming up
46:22 to the forefront again in the Reformation.
46:25 But also what many don't realize
46:27 is that they attacked the very foundation of
46:29 the understanding of the prophecy as well.
46:32 So, they sort to understand his Historicism,
46:34 a timeline from beginning to end unbroken,
46:39 with another couple of possibilities.
46:41 And they're two of them
46:42 but I liked to mention here just now.
46:44 First of all I mentioned Historicism
46:45 which is the Protestant Reformations
46:47 understanding of prophecy, their methodology
46:52 and then now you get to the, the other two
46:54 which are our part of the Counter Reformation.
46:55 The first being Preterism, and Preterism
46:59 is the interpretation of prophecy
47:02 that has its fulfillment back
47:04 in the period of the early church.
47:06 And for the most part right around the events of 70 A.D.
47:11 And the sacking of Jerusalem by Titus and his armies in Rome,
47:15 and they saw that, that event along with the persecution
47:19 of the early believers of the church,
47:22 of the early church, really constituted a large
47:25 or most part of the, the things that
47:28 we see in the Book of Revelation. Yes
47:30 And so it's a titled or labeled Preterism
47:34 because it's pre, it happened.
47:36 Already it's happened in the past
47:38 we don't have to worry about it.
47:40 And the other one then in opposition of that
47:43 was Futurism also came out about the same time.
47:46 First of all I mentioned that Preterism
47:48 was first champion by Luis De Alcazar. Yes.
47:52 Of course through the Church of Rome who was,
47:55 he was a Jesuit as well.
47:57 Who figured out this way of understanding prophecy,
48:01 he didn't really take route I mentioned that
48:03 you know probably you would find even today
48:06 less than one or two percent really, our Preterits.. Yes.
48:09 It really didn't take a lot of ...
48:12 it didn't really hit the road running
48:14 very quickly but Futurism did. Yes.
48:17 And Futurism at the same time was brought or the theory
48:21 it was the first champion by a man named Francisco Ribera
48:26 during also the Counter Reformation movement.
48:29 And it wasn't response in direct response to the reformers
48:33 and their historicist approach.
48:36 Now unlike Preterism, Futurism did take route.
48:41 I mean it did began to receive a following
48:44 and we find that as it did over a few centuries
48:50 it grew slowly but finally
48:52 when we get to the 19th century the 1800s. Yes.
48:55 The likes of John Darby and some others really brought
48:58 this back to the forefront and so when you hear certain,
49:06 what you say teachings of quote and quote
49:08 "scripture that come forward such
49:09 as the Rapture theory or 7 years which three and half years
49:14 of tribulation with seven years of,
49:16 of a tribulation period all these things are connected
49:19 in with the Futurism view of the prophecies
49:22 of Daniel and Revelation.
49:24 I think you brought a very good point
49:25 that these were in reaction to.
49:27 As we say Counter Reformation really a push back
49:29 against the movement the reform movement which was really
49:35 a reaffirmation of the original primitive Gospel. Yes.
49:39 You know it had, it had got lost and it got stolen,
49:41 it was strayed it was destroyed,
49:44 it was hidden use almost any term you want for centuries
49:47 and centuries and then it was rediscovered
49:50 by men and women who really sought God.
49:54 And as the reformation gain momentum
49:58 there was this push back against the reformation
50:01 against the historicist model and any number of other things
50:06 that the reformation began to unearth again.
50:09 And so these later to Preterism,
50:11 Futurism were part of that push back
50:13 that Counter Reformation that fighting against the...
50:17 rediscover the reemergence
50:19 of the primitive and pure Gospel.
50:20 So really and as you mention that
50:23 what we're saying and what you're saying
50:25 I think is that if you accept the Protestant Reformation
50:30 is being a movement led by God.
50:32 There really is only one approach to searching for truth.
50:37 First of all Sola scriptura, the Bible and the Bible only.
50:41 The second would be some of those choose them that
50:44 came out of their Protestant Reformation.
50:47 Just a name a few of them baptism by immersion,
50:49 they've been sprinkling for so many years
50:51 well baptismal to immerse that came to the forefront
50:54 of course Baptist help to champion that you find
50:57 a whole denomination that kind of came out of that.
51:00 And you have other things righteousness by faith.
51:02 Martin Luther and he was a significant
51:05 reformer in that respect of course we have the
51:09 Lutheran Church today that sees Martin Luther as its pioneer.
51:14 And so that's why these denominations
51:16 come from with to a great degree the kind of reformation
51:19 has begun to undo some of what they believed
51:23 during the reformation period, that reformers believe
51:26 in reformation period, were so important.
51:28 John, this is vital because the church came out
51:33 of the concept of the trend and said many, many things.
51:35 But one of the things they said that was, was
51:38 really damaging was that
51:40 tradition is equal to scripture.
51:43 Which says to me if you and I can,
51:44 can develop a practice and we do that long enough
51:48 then it's equal to, to the scripture. Yeah.
51:52 So if I'm doing something and it's been done
51:56 a hundred or two hundred years as well that's, that's,
51:58 that's enough that makes it equal to the Bible.
52:00 Then it also said the church
52:02 has the right to interpret the Bible.
52:04 When I say interpret to change it to,
52:07 to say what it means to even though it says
52:09 A we say it means B. Right.
52:12 And the church takes upon itself that, that role.
52:14 Well, once you begin to go down to that role
52:17 you're in, you're in a real trouble. Right.
52:19 So, the founding Fathers of the reformation
52:23 said from now on it's Sola scriptura,
52:26 no interpretation, no amalgamation,
52:31 no massaging it's the pure Gospel.
52:34 If the Bible says A let's go with A,
52:37 let's not say A means B or sometimes A sometimes B.
52:40 If it says A let's, let's say A and if it's B let's say B.
52:45 Solo scriptura and, and let's look
52:48 at the pattern from Genesis straight through
52:51 and let's find the historical element
52:53 and follow that and take that as a rule for our lives.
52:56 That's very good. You know, one other things
52:58 I didn't intent on going here
52:59 but let's turn to Matthew Chapter 23
53:01 there is something I like to kind of bring up
53:03 to kind of conclude our program.
53:05 The first part of this topic here today Jesus stood over,
53:11 overlooking Jerusalem and He was on
53:16 from what I remember on the Mount of Olives
53:20 and He was looking down over Jerusalem
53:23 and He says some words that seem...
53:27 probably were not understood by those who were with Him
53:30 but I think definitely recorded for our benefit.
53:34 It says in verse 37 of Matthew 23
53:36 Oh, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets
53:39 and stones those who are sent to her,
53:42 how often I wanted to gather your children together,
53:46 as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings,
53:48 but you were not willing.
53:50 See, your house is left to you desolate.
53:54 Now these words obviously are very sobering but the issue
54:01 I want to connect or the, the part I want to take
54:04 from this is that in throughout history
54:08 God has send prophets to his people.
54:10 Yes. He has sent messages,
54:12 to his people to help guide them.
54:14 And in many respects those prophets were persecuted
54:18 and in many cases they were killed for their message.
54:21 But that message still was sent by God
54:23 and it was His desire that he would gather
54:25 his people together to carefree them,
54:27 to protect them, to nurture them,
54:29 to keep them in the... the truce of God's word
54:35 that allowed them to understand only
54:36 who he was but get them safely to the end.
54:40 And as he sent these messengers, as he send these prophets
54:43 they repeatedly stoned them, they killed them.
54:45 And what we found when Rome got together to oppose
54:49 to the kind of reformation these truce
54:52 that were coming forward through God's word.
54:54 What we found again was persecution,
54:57 the same repeated thing happened again
54:59 that when God send messengers in to bring
55:02 about the reformation that the devil
55:04 went attacking through even the church.
55:08 The Church of Rome in this incidence
55:10 to persecute and in many cases kill.
55:13 I think history records upwards of forty,
55:15 fifty million murders who struck to Solo scriptura
55:19 and wouldn't bend to the traditions of the church.
55:22 Yeah, there has never been sadly anyone
55:24 who came with a pure unadulterated message from God
55:28 that has received universal acceptance and praise,
55:33 including Christ himself. Yeah.
55:35 Once you plunge the line straight
55:37 you gonna make enemies in this world
55:39 and sadly many of times in the Church.
55:42 And so one other things that the prophetic
55:44 landscape shows us is this,
55:46 this line that we can say when you,
55:51 when you stand up for the Lord you're gonna take
55:54 your lumps because Christ took his lumps
55:56 and the servant is not greater than the master.
55:58 So it's gonna happen but you can stand strong
56:00 because the same God that delivered the saints
56:03 and prophets of all even though some gave their lives,
56:06 as we said yesterday their record is sealed in heaven
56:09 will deliver us and keep us in his last days. Yeah, Yeah.
56:12 You know as I, as I think about the events
56:15 in what people went through their in the past
56:18 Revelation talks about it, it will happen again.
56:20 Yes, that there is a persecution
56:21 that is coming at the end of time.
56:23 You know, I don't think there is any safety in numbers per se.
56:26 You know, some one might be looking around
56:30 and think well if the most of the people
56:33 believe this then I'm gonna side with them.
56:36 You know, it happen in Christ Day
56:38 the majority crucified Christ. Yeah.
56:41 It happened at a time during the first Counter Reformation
56:45 during the inquisitions all those things
56:47 that the majority was persecuting the minority.
56:50 It will happen again the majority
56:52 will persecute the minority but we want to make sure
56:54 that what you're standing on is the word of God. Amen.
56:58 This is what's important and as we transition
57:00 to our next program we're gonna cover part II of this series
57:03 which takes a look, a deeper look in Historicism.
57:05 And why historicist's model is the model accepted
57:08 by the reformers and continues to be the model for today,
57:12 for understanding prophecy.
57:15 And so we wanna encourage
57:16 you to make sure that you come back.
57:17 We pray that today
57:18 you've been blessed by our program.
57:20 You learned some new things certainly we learned every time
57:23 we come before you and study the word
57:26 asking the Holy Spirit to bless us.
57:27 So, continue to study, continue to stay in God's word
57:30 and put your trust in Him because we know
57:32 when you do you can't go wrong. God bless you.


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Revised 2014-12-17