Participants:
Series Code: HHJ
Program Code: HHJ000010S
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00:01 Music...
00:14 Well, good to see all of you again 00:17 here at the virtual Secrets Unsealed Summit. 00:20 I wish we could be there in person 00:23 enjoying the beauty of Yosemite National Park 00:27 but unfortunately, we're not able to do 00:31 our live programming this year. 00:34 I still hope that you're tuning in 00:37 and you're listening to the different presentations 00:40 here at our Summit 00:42 and I pray that all of them are a great blessing to you. 00:46 Before we begin, we want to have a word of prayer 00:49 and then the title of our Study is: 00:52 Like a Bride Adorned for her Husband 00:55 so, let's pray. 00:57 "Father in heaven, we come before Your awesome throne 01:00 in the powerful name of Jesus 01:02 to thank you now for the privilege of opening Your Word 01:06 and studying some very important things about the judgment. 01:10 We ask that Your Holy Spirit will be with us 01:13 to guide our thoughts. 01:15 Help us understand these complex issues 01:19 relating to Your Word 01:20 and we thank you, Father, for the promise of Your presence 01:23 and we claim that promise 01:24 in the precious name of Jesus, amen. " 01:28 Pause. 01:30 In order to understand what we're going to study today, 01:33 we need to comprehend eastern wedding customs 01:37 in Biblical times 01:39 and so, I'm going to go through 01:41 the main parts of an eastern wedding 01:45 in the times of the Bible 01:47 so that we can understand what we're going to study today 01:50 and it's going to be more of a class than a sermon. 01:54 First of all, you have the betrothal 01:57 or what we call: The Engagement. 01:59 The engagement between the groom and the bride 02:03 took place at the home of the bride's father. 02:07 That's where the engagement took place 02:10 and there, at the home of the bride's father, 02:13 you have the groom paying the dowry to the father of the bride 02:21 and then, after the betrothal, the groom went back once again 02:28 to his father's house to prepare a home 02:33 where he and the bride... when they got married... 02:36 would live 02:38 and at the same time, 02:40 the bride would remain in her father's house 02:43 and she would prepare for the wedding. 02:46 In the interim, the groom would send out invitations 02:52 to all of the guests to the wedding 02:55 and only those who had an invitation 02:57 actually had a right to come and be in the wedding chamber. 03:02 Now, sometimes the groom would send out a special garment 03:07 that the invitee had to wear 03:11 in order to be welcome in the wedding chamber. 03:14 Finally, when the groom was ready 03:19 and the bride was ready, 03:21 then, the wedding would take place 03:25 and the wedding took place in the house of the groom's father 03:32 and so, the wedding itself took place 03:35 in the home of the groom's father. 03:38 The wedding usually was quite short... 03:41 it was just basically a few minutes 03:44 and then, of course, the most important event... 03:47 the community event 03:49 was the reception that took place 03:52 after the wedding itself. 03:54 So, these were the wedding customs in Biblical times... 03:58 the customs of an eastern wedding. 04:01 Once again, the betrothal in the home of the bride's father, 04:07 the paying of the dowry by the groom 04:11 to the bride's father. 04:13 Then you have the bride going to stay in her father's house 04:19 to prepare for the wedding 04:21 and the groom going back to his father's house 04:24 to prepare a home for the bride. 04:26 The sending out of invitations... 04:29 sometimes, a special garment was sent out 04:32 that the invitees had to wear 04:34 in order to have a right to be in the wedding chamber 04:37 and then you have the wedding itself, 04:40 a very short ceremony followed by the reception 04:44 in the home of the groom's father. 04:48 Now, let's take a look at a parable of Jesus 04:52 where you find many of these characteristics 04:56 that I just mentioned regarding an eastern wedding. 04:59 I'm not going to read the entire parable of the ten virgins 05:04 that we find in Matthew chapter 25 and verses 1 to 13. 05:08 Probably most of those, if not all 05:11 have read this parable many, many times. 05:14 So, I'm only going to go through the main details 05:17 of the parable 05:19 and I'm going to make the application 05:22 of each of those details to the judgment per se. 05:27 First of all, you have the bridesmaids... 05:31 they have lamps 05:32 and they're lighting the way to the wedding chamber. 05:36 This represents the preaching of the gospel 05:40 to invite everyone who accepts the invitation 05:44 to come and be present in the wedding chamber 05:47 for the wedding. 05:48 Now, all of the bridesmaids claimed to be believers. 05:54 All of them had lamps... 05:56 all of them had oil in their lamps 05:58 but, of course, the wise virgins had extra oil in their flasks. 06:04 Five of the virgins, therefore, were wise 06:09 and five of them were counterfeit 06:13 but there was a delay in the groom coming for the wedding. 06:17 This represents the delay, from my perspective, 06:21 in the coming of Jesus to the wedding chamber in heaven 06:26 to bring the gospel work in this world to a close 06:30 and then, of course, you have the midnight cry. 06:34 The midnight cry is the final invitation to the wedding. 06:38 To those who are alive, it represents the final loud cry 06:43 that will be given in the world 06:45 inviting people to receive Christ 06:48 to overcome sin... and to enter the wedding chamber. 06:52 So, then you notice that when the midnight cry comes to an end 06:59 everybody has made their decision... 07:02 the door of the wedding chamber is shut 07:05 and the wedding takes place. 07:08 The wedding represents the union of Jesus 07:13 with all of His faithful believers from all ages. 07:18 In other words, the wedding is between Christ 07:21 and the totality of His followers. 07:25 I want you to notice also that the invitees to the wedding 07:30 are the individuals that belong to the totality 07:35 of Christ's bride. 07:36 We'll come back to that a little bit later. 07:39 Now, the foolish coming back to the wedding chamber 07:44 and knocking on the door, represents those 07:48 who have not come to Jesus before the close of probation 07:53 and they find themselves in the time of trouble 07:54 without having entered the wedding chamber with Jesus. 07:58 They cry out, "Let us in... " 08:00 and Jesus says, "I don't know you... " 08:03 and then, of course, we have the casting out 08:07 of those individuals 08:09 who rejected the call to the wedding. 08:12 At the end of the parable, we find Jesus 08:16 telling His followers to watch 08:18 for you do not know the hour 08:20 in which the son of man is coming. 08:23 Now the coming there is not describing 08:25 the second coming of Christ, 08:27 the coming is describing the coming of Jesus to His Father 08:32 to receive the kingdom. 08:33 Now, let's take a look at another parable of Jesus 08:37 that teaches some of the same basic truths 08:41 that we find in the parable of the ten virgins. 08:44 I'm referring to the parable in Matthew 22 08:48 and verses 1 through 14. 08:50 It's the individual who entered the wedding chamber 08:54 without the garment that had been provided 08:58 by the groom and the groom's father. 09:00 I'm not going to read the entire parable 09:03 because it takes far too long, we are limited in time 09:07 so, I'm just going to mention from Great Controversy page 428 09:14 what this parable applies to. 09:17 Ellen White wrote, 09:18 "In the parable of Matthew 22 09:21 the same figure of the marriage is introduced... " 09:24 that is the same figure as the parable of the ten virgins... 09:27 "and the Investigative Judgment is clearly represented 09:32 as taking place before the marriage. " 09:36 So, the Investigative Judgment... 09:39 the investigation of the guests 09:41 to see if they have the wedding garment 09:44 takes place before the wedding itself. 09:46 So, let me just summarize what we find in this parable 09:50 in Matthew chapter 22. 09:51 First of all, there's an invitation to the Jewish nation 09:55 to accept the Messiah and come to the wedding. 09:58 The invitation is rejected 10:01 so, then... animals are sacrificed 10:04 which represents the death of Christ. 10:07 After the death of Christ, 10:09 another invitation is sent to the same group of people... 10:12 to the Jewish nation 10:14 and they reject the second invitation as well. 10:18 So, then we find in the parable 10:20 that the king destroys the city of those who rejected 10:24 the second invitation 10:26 and now, the invitation to the wedding goes 10:30 beyond the literal Jewish nation to the Gentiles 10:35 and ultimately to the entire world during the Christian era. 10:40 When the gospel is preached, 10:44 multitudes of people accept the gospel 10:47 and they are placed in the wedding chamber, 10:51 in other words, when they accept the gospel of Jesus Christ, 10:53 they are portrayed as being in the wedding chamber 10:58 but then it's necessary to do an investigation to see 11:02 who... that accepted the invitation to the wedding 11:07 actually is a true believer 11:09 and who is a counterfeit believer 11:13 and so, we find in the parable of Matthew chapter 22 11:17 the following words, 11:18 "So, those servants went out into the highways 11:21 and gathered together all whom they found, 11:25 both bad and good. 11:27 And the wedding hall was filled with guests. " 11:30 See, this is the preaching of the gospel to the world. 11:33 The wedding chamber is filled with guests 11:36 but not everyone who has accepted the gospel invitation 11:40 is a true believer 11:42 and so, it's necessary to distinguish those 11:45 who are genuine believers 11:47 from those who are counterfeit believers 11:49 and the way to distinguish is to see 11:52 who has the wedding garment that was provided 11:55 by the groom and by his father. 11:58 Notice once again, Matthew 22 and verses 11 and 12. 12:03 Here's the investigation, 12:05 "But when the king came in to see... " 12:08 I mentioned in the previous lecture 12:12 that the word "see" there 12:13 is not the common word for "seeing" 12:15 it is the Greek word, "theaomai" 12:18 which means to examine... to scrutinize 12:21 or to investigate. 12:24 So, it says the king came in to investigate the guests, 12:28 "And he saw a man there 12:31 who did not have on a wedding garment. " 12:32 Now, notice, he's in the wedding chamber... 12:34 he got in there... he accepted the gospel invitation 12:39 but we're told here that he did not have on a wedding garment. 12:42 In other words, he claimed to accept Jesus 12:46 but he was a counterfeit believer 12:48 and so it says in verse 12, "So he said to him, 12:52 'Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?' 12:57 And he was speechless. " 13:00 So, the groom's father sent out an invitation to the wedding 13:04 with a special garment for each guest. 13:07 Once in the wedding chamber, the father examines 13:11 the garments of the guests 13:13 to determine if each guest has on the wedding garment 13:18 which represents the righteousness of Christ. 13:22 Ellen White described the meaning of this parable 13:26 in Great Controversy page 482 in the following words, 13:31 "Those who in the judgment are 'accounted worthy' 13:34 will have a part in the resurrection of the just. 13:39 Jesus said, 'They which shall be accounted worthy 13:43 to obtain that world, 13:45 and the resurrection from the dead... 13:47 are equal unto the angels; 13:49 and are children of God, 13:50 being the children of the resurrection. '" 13:53 She's quoting Luke 20:35 and 36. 13:57 "And again He declares that 'they that have done good' 14:01 shall come forth 'unto the resurrection of life. '" 14:05 She's quoting John 5 and verse 29. 14:07 And then comes this important part of this statement, 14:11 "The righteous dead will not be raised 14:15 until after the judgment at which they are accounted worthy 14:19 of the resurrection of life. 14:21 Hence they will not be present in person at the tribunal 14:26 when their records are examined 14:28 and their cases decided. " 14:30 And this is what we studied in the two previous Presentations 14:34 that I made here at the Summit 14:36 and that is that people do not appear 14:38 before the judgment seat of Christ 14:41 before the second coming in person. 14:43 They appear through the record of their lives... 14:47 through their DVD, if you please, 14:49 which is examined in the heavenly judgment chamber 14:54 to see if they truly received Jesus Christ 14:57 or whether they did not 14:59 and so, when all cases are decided 15:01 both of the dead and of the living, 15:04 then the door of probation closes 15:07 and Jesus marries His bride or takes over the kingdom... 15:13 two different ways of saying the same thing. 15:15 Jesus now... His kingdom is complete 15:18 because He's revealed who is a member of His kingdom 15:21 and His bride is complete 15:23 because everyone who claimed Jesus 15:26 and were true believers are now in Him 15:29 and so, then, the door of probation closes... 15:34 all cases decided... 15:35 and then, the wicked are cast out into outer darkness 15:41 where there is wailing and gnashing of teeth 15:44 but God's people are taken to heaven 15:47 to celebrate the wedding banquet. 15:51 Now, we also need to examine Daniel chapter 7 15:55 verses 9 and 10 and verses 13 and 14 15:58 and I'm going to read these verses 16:02 because they're very, very important 16:04 in the context of what we're studying. 16:06 Daniel chapter 7 verse 9 says, 16:10 "I watched till thrones were put in place, 16:13 and the Ancient of Days was seated... " 16:17 who's the Ancient of Days? 16:18 The Ancient of Days is God the Father. 16:21 So, where is this taking place? 16:23 In heaven... 16:24 because we're told the Ancient of Days was seated, 16:27 we pray, "Our Father, which art in heaven. " 16:29 So, it says, "I watched till thrones were put in place, 16:32 and the Ancient of Days was seated; 16:34 His garment was white as snow, 16:37 and the hair of His head was like pure wool. 16:39 His throne was a fiery flame, 16:41 its wheels a burning fire; 16:43 a fiery stream issued and came forth from before Him. 16:47 A thousand thousands ministered to Him; 16:49 ten thousand times then thousand stood before Him. " 16:52 Who are these? 16:53 The ten thousand times ten thousand? 16:55 The angels... 16:56 Where do the angels live? 16:58 They live in heaven. 16:59 So, now I continue reading, 17:01 notice what it says at the last part of verse 10. 17:05 "The court was seated, and the books were opened. " 17:10 So, where does the judgment take place? 17:12 In heaven. 17:14 Where are the books opened? In heaven. 17:16 Where does the Court sit? 17:17 In heaven. 17:19 Now, notice verses 13 and 14 of Daniel chapter 7. 17:25 See, the Father is moved... 17:27 He sits... the books are opened... 17:30 and now, the Son of Man who is Jesus 17:33 is going to come to where the Father went 17:35 and what is Jesus going to come there for? 17:38 Notice verse 13, 17:40 Daniel wrote, I was watching in the night visions, 17:44 and behold, One like the Son of Man 17:47 coming with the clouds of heaven!" 17:49 The Millerites said, "This is the second coming. " 17:52 It's not the second coming... 17:54 because he comes with the clouds of heaven... not to the earth, 17:57 He comes with the clouds of heaven to the Father 18:00 and the clouds, of course, are the angels. 18:02 So, it says, "I was watching in the night visions, 18:05 and behold, One like the Son of Man, 18:07 coming with the clouds of heaven! 18:09 He came to the Ancient of Days... 18:11 this is happening in heaven, 18:13 and they brought Him near before Him. " 18:16 Who is "they" that brought Him? 18:17 They have to be the clouds... 18:19 the angels that we spoke about in verses 9 and 10. 18:22 Now, why does Jesus go there to where the Father went? 18:25 Verse 14, "Then to Him... " that is to Jesus... 18:29 "was given... " who would give this to Jesus? 18:32 The angels? No... 18:34 Who is the only one that can give something to Jesus? 18:37 It would have to be the Ancient of Days 18:39 and so, it says, 18:40 "Then to Him was given dominion and glory 18:44 and a kingdom 18:46 that all peoples, nations and languages should serve Him. 18:50 His dominion is an everlasting dominion, 18:53 which shall not pass away, 18:55 and His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed. " 18:59 So, Jesus goes to the Father to receive the kingdom. 19:03 What is the kingdom? 19:04 The kingdom is composed of all of his true followers. 19:08 How is it determined who was a true follower 19:11 in the Investigative Judgment of the dead 19:14 followed by the Investigative Judgment of the living? 19:17 It's the same as in the parable of Matthew chapter 22. 19:20 The distinction between those who are in the wedding chamber 19:24 who have the wedding garment 19:26 and those who do not have the wedding garment. 19:28 Now, let's notice another interesting parable of Jesus. 19:32 It's found in Luke chapter 12 and verses 35 to 37, 19:37 Luke 12:35 to 37. 19:40 Here Jesus is speaking to His disciples. 19:44 Now, notice what it says, 19:46 "Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning; 19:51 and you yourselves be like men... " 19:54 now, listen carefully... 19:56 "who wait for their master, 19:58 when he will return from the wedding... " 20:01 now, wait a minute... 20:03 so, if the Master who is Jesus 20:07 is going to return from the wedding 20:09 to pick up His faithful disciples, 20:12 that must mean that his faithful disciples 20:14 were not in heaven when the decisions were made. 20:18 So, once again, "Let your waist be girded 20:22 and your lamps burning: 20:23 and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, 20:26 when he will return from the wedding, 20:27 then when he comes and knocks 20:30 they may open to him immediately. 20:32 Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes" 20:38 see, where is He coming from? 20:39 From heaven to earth... 20:41 when He comes to where His disciples are watching... 20:44 "when He comes, will find watching. " 20:46 And now notice the reception portion. 20:49 "Assuredly, I say to you 20:51 that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, 20:56 and will come and serve them. " 20:58 That is the wedding reception. 21:00 and so, you have... the wedding takes place in heaven 21:03 Jesus returns from the wedding... 21:06 He picks up His disciples 21:08 and He takes them to the Reception in heaven 21:12 and He serves them. 21:13 Another parable which illustrates this same idea, 21:17 is Luke 19 and verses 11 and 12, 21:20 Luke 19:11 and 12, 21:23 it's known as the parable of the pounds. 21:26 it says there, "Now as they heard these things, 21:31 He spoke another parable, 21:33 because He was near Jerusalem 21:35 and because they thought the kingdom of God 21:38 would appear immediately. " 21:39 So, notice, "They thought the kingdom of God 21:42 was going to be established right there where Jesus was. 21:46 It continues, 21:47 "Therefore He said: 21:49 'A certain nobleman... ' this is Jesus, 21:53 "went into a far country... " heaven... 21:56 "to receive for himself a... " what? 21:59 "a" what did Jesus go to heaven for? 22:02 To receive... what? a kingdom... 22:03 where does He receive the kingdom? 22:05 When He comes to the earth and takes it over? 22:08 No... He goes to heaven to receive the kingdom 22:10 and then it says, "and to return. " 22:12 The Bible is absolutely clear that there is going to be a 22:16 pre-Advent Investigative Judgment, Folks, 22:19 so, it says, once again... now as they hear these things, 22:23 He spoke another parable because He was near Jerusalem 22:26 and because they thought the Kingdom of God 22:28 would appear immediately. 22:30 "Therefore He said, a certain nobleman went to a far country 22:33 to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. " 22:37 The Lamb's bride is the New Jerusalem 22:40 according to the book of Revelation 22:42 but it's not the New Jerusalem as a city of gold and silver 22:48 and precious stones... no... 22:50 it's the city with the people in it. 22:53 In other words, the kingdom is the city 22:55 with all of the people who belong to the king... 22:59 of Jesus within the city. 23:01 Now, let's notice Revelation chapter 21 and verse 2 23:05 where we find that the New Jerusalem is spoken of 23:08 as the bride of the Lamb. 23:10 It says there, "Then I, John, saw the holy city, 23:14 New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, 23:18 prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. " 23:22 So, some people say, 23:24 "See the bride is the New Jerusalem" 23:26 yes, it's the New Jerusalem but not an empty city... 23:29 it's the city with all of the redeemed from all ages 23:33 which is the bride of Jesus. 23:35 It's the city with the people in other words. 23:37 Notice what Ellen White wrote in Early Writings page 280, 23:42 page 280. 23:43 She's speaking about when probation closes. 23:47 "Every case has been decided for life or death. " 23:51 The judgment did that... you remember... 23:54 "While Jesus had been ministering in the sanctuary, 23:58 the judgment had been going on for the righteous dead, 24:02 and then for the righteous living. 24:05 "Christ had received His kingdom... " 24:08 that's the same thing as saying Jesus married His bride. 24:11 "Christ had received His kingdom, 24:14 having made atonement for His people 24:16 and blotted out their sins. " 24:18 Now, what is the kingdom? 24:19 She continues... 24:21 "The subjects of the kingdom were made up. " 24:23 So, the kingdom is composed 24:25 of the totality of the subjects of the kingdom. 24:29 The bride is composed of the totality of the saved 24:33 who are within the City of Jerusalem. 24:36 She continues... notice... 24:38 "The subjects of the kingdom were made up. " 24:40 And now she uses the other metaphor. 24:43 "The marriage of the Lamb was consummated. " 24:47 So, taking over the kingdom and the marriage 24:50 are one and the same thing. 24:51 She continues, "And the kingdom, 24:54 and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, 24:57 was given to Jesus and the heirs of salvation, 25:00 and Jesus was to reign as King of kings 25:03 and Lord of lords. " 25:04 You see, when the Bible speaks of Jerusalem, 25:08 it's not talking about a city... empty... 25:11 Jesus does not marry a city... 25:13 He marries the city with all of His followers in it. 25:17 Those who had been shown to be worthy to be there 25:22 in the Investigative Judgment. 25:23 Let me give you some examples 25:25 from the Bible where Jerusalem is spoken of 25:30 as the population of the city. 25:33 Notice Luke 19 verses 41 to 44, 25:36 Luke 19:41 to 44, 25:38 here Jesus is descending from the east side... 25:43 from the Mount of Olives, He's descending to the city 25:45 to enter the city through the golden gate 25:49 and notice what He had to say. 25:50 "Now as He drew near, 25:52 He saw the city and wept over it. " 25:55 Was He really weeping for bricks and mortar? 25:58 Of course not... 25:59 "saying, 'If you had known, even you, 26:03 especially in this your day, 26:04 the things that make for your peace! 26:06 But now they are hidden from your eyes... '" 26:09 hidden from the eyes of Jerusalem... 26:11 what is this talking about? 26:13 It's the people, Folks... 26:15 it continues, Jesus says, 26:17 "For days will come upon you 26:19 when your enemies will build an embankment around you, 26:23 surround you and close you in on every side, 26:26 and level you, and your children within you, 26:30 to the ground; 26:31 and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, 26:34 because you... " Jerusalem... 26:36 "you did not know the time of your visitation. " 26:39 Well, a city is not conscious... 26:41 it's the people in the city that did not know 26:45 the time of their visitation. 26:46 Notice also, Matthew 23 and verse 38. 26:51 Here Jesus said, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 26:55 the one who kills the prophets... " 26:57 did the brick and mortar kill the prophets? 26:59 Of course not... it was the people in the city. 27:02 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 27:04 the one who kills the prophets 27:06 and stones those who are sent to her! 27:08 How often I wanted to gather your children together, 27:11 as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, 27:14 but you were not willing!" 27:16 Jerusalem was not willing. 27:17 See, the city is the city with the people in it... 27:20 that's Christ's kingdom, 27:22 it's the city with the people. 27:24 In 2nd Corinthians chapter 11 verse 2, 27:27 the Apostle Paul stated 27:28 that he had engaged the church of Christ 27:31 as a pure bride to Him. 27:34 Ephesians 5:25 to 27 tells us that Jesus Christ 27:38 died for the church to cleanse her and purify her 27:43 that He might marry her. 27:45 Now, let's talk a little bit about the wedding reception, 27:49 we've already talked about the wedding, 27:51 now, let's talk about the reception. 27:53 Revelation chapter 19 and verse 9, 27:55 Then he said to me, "Write: 27:58 'Blessed are those who are called 28:01 to the marriage supper of the Lamb!'" 28:04 And he said to me, 28:06 "These are the true sayings of God. " 28:09 So, I want you to notice here that it says, 28:14 "Blessed are those who are called 28:16 to the marriage supper of the Lamb. " 28:19 Or those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb. 28:22 An angel pronounced a blessing upon the invited guests 28:27 to the wedding supper of the Lamb. 28:29 Now, listen carefully, this is a very important nuance. 28:32 The bride... the church as a whole... was ready, 28:37 clothed in white linen... bright and pure... 28:42 which represents their righteous deeds. 28:45 The marriage and the marriage supper 28:48 are two related but separate events. 28:52 Now as you have the wedding in heaven 28:55 before Jesus returns for His people... 28:58 takes them to heaven 28:59 and then, God's people in heaven 29:02 will enjoy the wedding reception. 29:05 Now, let's take a look at the composite picture 29:09 of what we've studied. 29:10 Those who preach the gospel 29:12 are inviting the guests to the wedding. 29:16 Those preachers are inviting the guests to the wedding. 29:19 Those who accept the invitation 29:23 become part of the bride of Christ 29:26 corporately 29:27 but they are the guests individually... 29:31 very important nuance. 29:32 In 1844, Jesus came to the Father to begin the process 29:38 that would eventually make it possible 29:41 for Him to receive His kingdom 29:43 or to marry His bride... 29:46 the church as a whole... 29:48 the faithful of all ages as a whole. 29:51 Since 1844, the king has been examining the garments... 29:57 that is the character of each person individually 30:01 who accept the gospel invitation to the wedding 30:05 to determine if they have the right to attend the wedding. 30:10 The judgment began with those who first lived upon the earth 30:15 and ends with those who are alive 30:18 before the close of probation 30:19 and will go through the time of trouble. 30:22 These persons... listen carefully now... 30:25 are... as individuals are the invited guests to the wedding, 30:31 however, the people as a whole... 30:34 the faithful church in its entirety 30:37 is the bride of Christ. 30:41 Ellen White wrote in Christ's Object Lessons, page 307, 30:45 "The parable of the wedding garment 30:47 opens before us a lesson of the highest consequence. 30:51 By the marriage... " listen carefully... 30:54 "By the marriage is represented 30:56 the union of humanity with divinity... " 30:59 in other words, all of humanity with divinity... 31:01 all of those who are saved... with divinity. 31:04 The wedding garment represents the character 31:07 which all must possess 31:09 who shall be accounted fit guests for the wedding. 31:13 So, the wedding is with humanity... all of the saved 31:17 but the guests are the individuals 31:21 that were found written in the book. 31:24 Not everyone who has claimed Jesus as Savior 31:28 has been true and faithful to the Lord Jesus. 31:32 Those who are found without a wedding garment in the judgment 31:37 will be removed from the Book of Life. 31:40 When the last case has been examined, 31:43 Christ's kingdom is complete... 31:45 His bride is complete for Him to get married. 31:49 So, when the judgment is over, 31:51 the bride... that is the church in its entirety, 31:54 has made herself ready 31:57 and Jesus will marry her... 32:00 which is the same thing as taking over the kingdom. 32:03 When every person... and I repeat this point 32:07 because it's... 32:08 the Adventist church is the only church that understands 32:11 this concept. 32:12 You see, the reason why the Christian world 32:14 doesn't understand this is because 32:16 they believe that when a person dies, 32:18 if they were good... their soul goes off to heaven 32:21 and if they were evil, their soul goes to hell. 32:24 So, the judgment takes place when you die, in other words. 32:27 So, why would you have an investigation of every case 32:30 in a heavenly judgment chamber 32:33 to determine who is worthy of life 32:35 and who is not worthy of life 32:36 if everything is determined at death 32:39 and the church also believes... 32:41 the church, in general, believes 32:43 that the judgment is when Jesus comes the second time. 32:46 He takes His people to heaven 32:47 and, you know, He condemns the unrighteous to die... 32:51 they say, "That's the judgment... " 32:52 no, no, no... but there's a decision that is made 32:54 before the execution of the judgment. 32:56 We need to understand this. 32:58 When every person has either accepted or rejected 33:02 the invitation to the wedding, 33:04 the door will close 33:06 and Jesus will receive the kingdom or marry His kingdom. 33:10 Any guests who arrive late 33:13 as in the parable of the ten virgins, 33:15 and are not prepared will be found unworthy 33:19 and many of them, 33:20 according to Ellen White in the chapter: In the Time of Trouble, 33:23 will knock on the door and say, "Let us in... " 33:25 but it will be too late... 33:27 Jesus will say, "I do not know you. " 33:29 So, after the door is closed, the Bible tells us 33:34 that there will be time of trouble 33:36 such as the world has never seen 33:37 and Jesus, at the critical moment when it appears, 33:41 that the bride that He has married in heaven, 33:44 is about to be annihilated He will come 33:47 and He will rescue His bride from the time of trouble 33:51 and then, He will gather His kingdom... or His bride 33:54 and take them to the Father's house in heaven. 33:58 When the faithful arrive in heaven, 34:00 they will sit at the table 34:02 and Jesus Himself will serve them 34:05 the marriage supper of the Lamb. 34:08 Ellen White wrote in the book, The Adventist Home, page 503, 34:13 the following words, 34:14 "To the mind of Jesus 34:16 the gladness of the wedding festivities 34:19 pointed forward to the rejoicing of that day 34:23 when He shall bring home His bride 34:27 to the Father's house... " 34:28 so the bride wasn't in the Father's house 34:31 when it was determined who was a member of the bride. 34:34 She continues, "To the mind of Jesus 34:37 the gladness of the wedding festivities 34:39 pointed forward to the rejoicing of that day 34:42 when He shall bring home His bride 34:44 to the Father's house, 34:46 and the redeemed with the Redeemer 34:48 shall sit down to the marriage supper of the Lamb... Jesus. " 34:52 The whole bride will be there 34:54 but as individuals, they are guests to the wedding. 34:58 Ellen White also wrote in the book, 35:00 "Counsels to the Church" page 36, 35:03 "Soon we heard His lovely voice again... " 35:07 that is the voice of Jesus... 35:09 "saying, 'Come, My people, 35:11 you have come out of great tribulation... '" 35:14 this is the time of trouble... 35:16 "and done My will; 35:17 suffered for Me; 35:19 come in to supper, 35:21 for I will gird Myself, and serve you. " 35:24 Then Ellen White wrote, "We shouted, 'Alleluia! glory!' 35:29 and entered into the city. 35:31 And I saw a table of pure silver; 35:34 it was many miles in length, 35:36 yet our eyes could extend over it. 35:39 I saw the fruit of the tree of life, 35:42 the manna, almonds, figs, pomegranates, grapes... " 35:48 these are all California products, Folks, 35:51 why would Ellen White mention California products 35:54 such as almonds, figs, pomegranates and grapes? 35:57 Of course, the fruit from the Tree of Life and the Manna... 36:00 those are not fruits of anywhere on earth right now, 36:03 they're in heaven 36:05 but the other things she mentions, 36:07 almonds, figs, pomegranates and grapes 36:08 are California products... 36:10 well, Ellen White retired 36:11 in the Napa Valley in California in St. Helena 36:16 and so, you would expect her to speak in terms 36:18 of the fruits that she knew at that time. 36:21 However, the good news is, 36:23 for those of you who like papayas and love mangoes 36:27 and other kinds of fruit, 36:29 she ends the statement by saying, 36:31 "I saw the fruit of the Tree of life, the manna, 36:33 almonds, figs, pomegranates, grapes, 36:36 and many other kinds of fruit. " 36:38 Praise the Lord for that 36:39 and Emmanuel, I see you nodding... 36:41 yes, we're going to have tropical fruits down there... 36:43 up there as well. 36:45 Now, we need to solve the problem. 36:47 The Bible makes it clear 36:50 that the wedding takes place in heaven 36:52 before Jesus returns for the second time. 36:55 I hope that's clear, 36:56 however, listen carefully now, 36:59 many modern versions, for example, the NIV 37:04 and the English Standard Version 37:06 leave the erroneous impression 37:08 that Jesus will come to earth to gather His people 37:13 to Himself... after the marriage supper has ended. 37:18 So, in other words, modern versions give the impression 37:21 that Jesus is going to come to pick up His people 37:24 after the marriage supper has taken place in heaven. 37:28 These translations are confusing because other texts 37:31 clearly affirm that Jesus will sit literally with His people 37:37 at the table in His kingdom 37:40 and He will come and He will serve them 37:43 such as Matthew 8 verses 11 and 12. 37:45 So, the question is, when is the marriage supper? 37:50 Does it take place before Jesus comes for His own 37:55 or does it take place after He takes them to heaven? 37:59 Let us just compare the New King James Version 38:03 of Luke 12:35-37 38:06 with the New International Version translation. 38:09 I read from the New King James Version. 38:12 Here Jesus is speaking, 38:14 "Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning; 38:18 and you yourselves be like men who wait for the master, 38:22 when he will return from the wedding... " 38:24 not the wedding supper... 38:27 from the wedding... 38:28 "that when he comes and knocks 38:30 they may open to him immediately. 38:31 Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, 38:35 will find watching. 38:36 Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself 38:39 and have them sit down to eat, 38:41 and will come and serve them. " 38:43 But now notice the New International Version. 38:46 "Be dressed ready for service 38:48 and keep your lamps burning, 38:51 like men waiting for their master to return 38:54 from a wedding banquet, 38:56 so that when he comes and knocks 38:58 they can immediately open the door for him. 39:00 It will be good for those servants 39:02 whose master finds them watching when he comes. 39:05 I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, 39:08 will have them recline at the table 39:10 and will come and wait on them. " 39:12 Well, why would he come and wait on them 39:14 for the wedding banquet 39:15 if the wedding banquet took place before Jesus returns? 39:18 It doesn't make much sense. 39:21 So, we notice that the NIV 39:23 and many other contemporary versions 39:26 tells us that Jesus returns to the earth 39:29 from the heavenly wedding banquet 39:32 to gather His waiting people. 39:33 In other words, the wedding banquet takes place 39:37 before Jesus comes to take His people to heaven. 39:40 However, the New King James Version 39:43 tells us that Jesus returns from the wedding... 39:46 not the banquet... 39:48 to gather His people to take them to heaven 39:50 to celebrate the banquet. 39:53 So, the question is, 39:54 which translation makes more sense 39:56 and fits best with all of the Biblical evidence? 40:00 I think you can reach a conclusion 40:03 even if I didn't share with you what I'm going to share now 40:06 because of the parables that we've already noticed. 40:08 In Greek, the words used for marriage 40:12 which are: Gamos and Gameo... 40:14 include both the wedding and the feast. 40:18 So, in Greek the words Gamos and Gameo 40:22 include both the wedding and the wedding feast. 40:24 In our times, we make a distinction between the wedding 40:29 and the wedding reception. 40:31 However, in Biblical times, 40:34 as I mentioned before, 40:35 the covenant vow took very little time 40:38 while the feast could last for hours... days... 40:43 or even months in some cases. 40:45 Thus, the wedding was simply a brief ceremony 40:49 with a celebration that was a big feast afterwards. 40:54 The Greek language did not have a word 40:57 that distinguishes the wedding from the feast 41:02 such as we do today. 41:03 We speak of the wedding and the reception. 41:05 The Bible did not have two different words 41:08 to distinguish between those two 41:10 because in the Biblical times, 41:13 they perceived that the wedding and the feast 41:15 were part of the same event. 41:18 However, here's an important point, 41:21 although the Greeks did not have a word 41:23 for the vow as distinguished from the feast, 41:27 they did have a word for the feast alone 41:30 when that is what they wanted to emphasize. 41:34 That word appears in Revelation 19 verse 9... 41:36 the verse that we read a few moments ago, 41:39 where the saints are invited to the wedding feast. 41:42 Therefore, the process is as follows, 41:46 Jesus will marry His kingdom, that is His bride... 41:51 His church of all ages... 41:54 who have been pronounced worthy to be in heaven 41:57 because their case has been investigated 42:00 and they have been found with the wedding garment. 42:03 Secondly, Jesus will return from the wedding in heaven 42:07 to take His people... his waiting people on earth 42:10 to the heavenly feast or reception. 42:13 So, once again, I want to underline a very important point 42:17 because some people say, "Well, Pastor Bohr, 42:19 the Bible says that Jesus marries the New Jerusalem, 42:22 I want to emphasize, Folks, again, 42:24 that it's the New Jerusalem full of people. 42:27 The New Jerusalem is the capital of the kingdom 42:30 because all of the kingdom is found there... 42:32 all of Christ's followers. 42:34 The totality of believers is the bride. 42:37 The guests are the individuals that belong to the bride. 42:41 Now, let me just read a passage from Ellen White 42:46 it's long... Great Controversy, 426 and 427, 42:50 but very, very meaningful 42:52 where she puts all of this together. 42:54 This is what she wrote. 42:56 "I saw angels hurrying to and fro in heaven. 43:00 An angel with a writer's inkhorn by his side 43:03 returned from the earth 43:04 and reported to Jesus that his work was done 43:07 and the saints were numbered and sealed. " 43:10 Every case decided in other words... 43:13 "Then I saw Jesus, 43:14 who had been ministering before the ark 43:16 containing the Ten Commandments, 43:18 throw down the censer. " 43:19 That means probation is closing. 43:21 "He raised His hands, 43:22 and with a loud voice said, 'It is done. ' 43:25 Then all the angelic host laid off their crowns 43:28 as Jesus made the solemn declaration... " 43:31 see... all cases decided... 43:33 "He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: 43:35 he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: 43:38 and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: 43:40 and he that is holy, let him be holy still. " 43:43 Now, she's going to explain, 43:45 "The marriage represents 43:47 the reception by Christ of His kingdom. " 43:49 So, notice... absolutely clear... 43:52 the wedding and the reception of the kingdom 43:54 are the same thing. 43:56 "The marriage represents 43:57 the reception by Christ of His kingdom... 43:59 the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, 44:03 which is the capital and representative of the kingdom, 44:06 is called 'the bride, the Lamb's wife. ' 44:09 Said the angel to John: 'Come hither, 44:12 I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife. ' 44:15 'He carried me away in the spirit,' says the prophet, 44:18 'and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, 44:20 descending out of heaven from God. '" 44:23 She's quoting Revelation 21 verses 9 and 10. 44:26 "Clearly, then, the bride represents the Holy City... " 44:30 as we've already seen, it's the Holy City... 44:32 yes... but with everybody inside 44:33 "and the virgins that go out to meet the bridegroom 44:37 are a symbol of the church. 44:38 In Revelation the people of God are said to be 44:42 guests at the marriage supper. Revelation 19 verse 9. 44:47 If guests, they cannot be represented also as the bride. 44:51 Christ, as stated by the prophet Daniel, 44:54 will receive from the Ancient of Days in heaven, 44:58 'dominion, and glory, and a kingdom;' 45:00 He will receive the New Jerusalem, 45:03 the capital of His kingdom, 45:05 'prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. ' 45:08 Having received the kingdom, 45:10 He will come in His glory, 45:13 as King of kings and Lord of lords, 45:15 for the redemption of His people, 45:17 who are to 'sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob,' 45:20 at His table in the kingdom, 45:23 to partake of the marriage supper of the Lamb. 45:27 The proclamation, 'Behold, the Bridegroom cometh,' 45:30 in the summer of 1844, 45:32 led thousands to expect the immediate advent... 45:36 the immediate advent of the Lord. 45:38 At the appointed time the Bridegroom came, 45:41 not to the earth, as the people expected, 45:44 but to the Ancient of Days in heaven, 45:47 to the marriage, the reception of His kingdom. " 45:49 See, there it is again... 45:51 the marriage... the reception of His kingdom. 45:53 "They that were ready went in with Him to the marriage: 45:58 and the door was shut. " 45:59 "They were not to be present in person at the marriage; 46:03 for it takes place in heaven, 46:05 while they are upon the earth. 46:07 The followers of Christ are to wait for their Lord, 46:11 when He will return from the wedding. " 46:14 "However, they are to understand His work, 46:16 and to follow Him by faith as He goes in before God. 46:20 It is in this sense that they are said to go in 46:24 to the marriage. " 46:25 Now, let me read you one more statement 46:28 in Desire of Ages page 151. 46:31 "In both the Old and the New Testament, 46:34 the marriage relation is employed 46:36 to represent the tender and sacred union 46:39 that exists between Christ and His people. 46:42 To the mind of Jesus 46:44 the gladness of the wedding festivities 46:47 pointed forward to the rejoicing of that day 46:50 when He shall bring home His bride... " 46:54 notice... 46:55 "when he shall bring home His bride... " 46:58 so, the bride is the New Jerusalem in Revelation 47:01 but here it says... 47:02 He's going to bring home His bride... 47:04 which are all of His followers... 47:05 all the members of His kingdom. 47:07 So, once again, to the mind of Jesus... 47:09 the gladness of the wedding festivities 47:11 pointed forward to the rejoicing of that day 47:14 when He shall bring home His bride. 47:16 That is... the kingdom in its entirety 47:19 to the Father's house 47:20 "and the redeemed with the Redeemer 47:23 shall sit down to the marriage supper of the Lamb. 47:26 He says, 'As the bridegroom rejoices over his bride 47:30 so shall thy God rejoice over thee. ' 47:33 'Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; 47:35 but thou shalt be called My Delight; 47:37 for the Lord delighteth in thee. ' 47:40 'He will rejoice over thee with joy; 47:42 He will rest in His love, 47:46 He will joy over thee with singing. '" 47:48 She's quoting several verses. 47:50 "When the vision of heavenly things 47:52 was granted to John the apostle, he wrote: 47:54 'I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, 47:58 and as the voice of many waters 48:00 and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, 48:03 Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. 48:06 Let us be glad and rejoice, 48:08 and give honor to Him; 48:09 for the marriage of the Lamb is come, 48:12 and His wife hath made herself ready. ' 48:15 'Blessed are they 48:17 which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. '" 48:21 So, I hope you're understanding this, you know, 48:25 many people are confused by all of these different details 48:29 but they're very, very important. 48:31 You see, Folks, the main point is 48:33 that when the wedding chamber closes... when the door closes, 48:39 all cases are decided for life or death. 48:41 So, we need to make sure 48:44 that our relationship with Jesus Christ is genuine now 48:46 because when probation closes, 48:49 there's no opportunity for changing sides. 48:52 Now, let me give you another Biblical example 48:55 that will help us understand 48:57 the parables that we've taken a look at 49:00 and Daniel chapter 7. 49:01 Let's go to Matthew chapter 4 verses 18 to 20, 49:06 Matthew chapter 4 verses 18 through 20. 49:10 This is the call of Peter and his brother Andrew 49:16 to be fishers of men. 49:18 It says there, 49:20 "And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, 49:22 saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, 49:26 and Andrew his brother, 49:29 casting a net into the sea; 49:33 for they were fishermen. 49:34 Then He said to them... " Jesus says to them, 49:38 "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. " 49:42 They immediately left their nets and followed Him. 49:46 So, you notice several things in these verses, 49:50 first of all, they were casting the net... 49:53 the net was being cast into the sea... 49:56 obviously they were going to catch fish. 49:58 They were fishermen 50:00 and they were supposed to go fish men. 50:04 Now, let's go to Matthew chapter 13 50:08 and verses 47 through 50. 50:10 This is a parable of Jesus 50:13 where He's picking up on some of the details that we find 50:16 in Matthew chapter 4 verses 18 through 20. 50:20 Here Jesus gives this parable 50:23 known as the parable of the dragnet. 50:25 I read Matthew 13 and beginning with verse 47. 50:30 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet 50:35 that was cast into the sea 50:39 and gathered some of every kind, 50:42 which, when it was full... " 50:45 in other words, when the net was full... 50:48 "they drew it to shore. 50:50 and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, 50:54 but threw the bad away. " 50:56 Interesting... 50:58 and so, in verse 49, we have the application of the parable. 51:02 "So it will be at the end of the age. 51:05 The angels will come forth, 51:08 separate the wicked from among the just, 51:11 and cast them into the furnace of fire. 51:15 There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. " 51:18 Now, let's go through the symbols that we find 51:22 in this particular parable. 51:25 First of all, we have a sea. 51:28 What does the sea represent? 51:30 The sea represents all of humanity. 51:35 It represents the human race, 51:37 men... women... children... infants... 51:41 the sea are the inhabitants of the entire world. 51:46 You know, sometimes we speak about a sea of humanity. 51:50 Well, the sea represents the totality of the human race 51:55 from the beginning of history till the end 51:57 and then you have fish. 52:00 What do the fish represent? 52:02 The fish represent 52:04 the individuals that live in the world. 52:08 Now, this is an important detail. 52:09 You say, "Now, wait a minute, how can you say 52:13 that the sea represents the totality of human beings 52:18 and the fish represent individuals?" 52:20 Well, it's the same principle of what we've been studying. 52:24 You see, the totality of Christ's kingdom 52:27 is the bride... 52:29 the totality of believers is His kingdom 52:32 but the individuals are the guests to the wedding. 52:36 It's the same principle. 52:37 I hope you're understanding what I'm saying. 52:39 So, you have the fish... 52:41 the fish are the individuals that live in the sea of humanity 52:47 and then, of course, you have the fishermen. 52:50 You know, I had that snicker when I went to my computer 52:54 to prepare this sermon 52:56 and as I examined the spell check, 52:59 I noticed that, you know, 53:01 the word "Fishermen" was actually underlined 53:06 saying that it was a mistake in term. 53:08 So, I said, "Now, wait a minute, 53:10 it can't be mistaken, 53:12 I know the words 'fishermen' exists... " 53:14 so, I went to spell check 53:17 and it said that I was supposed to use "anglers" 53:21 instead of "fishermen" 53:23 because "fishermen" applies only to men. 53:27 It's amazing the world that we live in right now... 53:30 this politically-correct world 53:34 where you cannot even say, "fishermen" 53:36 because apparently it excludes women 53:39 but that's just a side light... 53:40 So, the fishermen represent those who proclaim the gospel... 53:45 those who are going to gather the fish... in other words. 53:50 Now, what does the "net" represent? 53:52 The net that the fishermen use? 53:55 The net represents the gospel as it is contained 54:00 in the holy Scriptures. 54:01 In other words, the net is the gospel. 54:04 So, what do the fishermen do? 54:06 The fishermen... they cast out the net 54:09 into the sea of humanity 54:10 because they want to catch individual fish. 54:13 So, the net represents the preaching of the gospel. 54:17 That is... the casting of the net 54:20 represents the preaching of the gospel. 54:22 What does the boat represent? 54:25 Well, the boat will represent the church. 54:28 You see, when fishermen go out 54:32 and they gather in the net... fish... 54:34 let me ask you this. 54:36 Does the net only gather good fish 54:39 that are going to be taken to the marketplace? 54:41 No, the net gathers good and bad fish. 54:45 You know, I know this for a fact, 54:47 when I a... a child... 54:48 my parents would take a vacation every year... 54:50 at that time, it was a pristine island in Venezuela, 54:54 the Island of Margarita 54:55 and one of our favorite endeavors 54:57 was to go to this place... this beach... 55:01 and watch the fishermen come in 55:02 at about 4 o'clock in the morning 55:04 and when they brought their nets in, 55:07 they had all kinds of different... 55:09 different kinds of marine animals in their boat. 55:13 They had little sharks... 55:14 they had starfish... 55:17 they had, you know, catfish... 55:20 they had all different kinds marine animals 55:24 and then, what they would do... 55:25 they would take all these things to the shore 55:27 and they would have baskets 55:29 and they would place all of the fish 55:31 that were going to go to the marketplace 55:32 into one basket 55:34 and all of the other marine animals 55:36 that they could not sell... 55:37 they placed in another basket to discard. 55:40 So, this is the picture of... of what we're seeing here 55:44 in Matthew chapter 13 55:47 so, the boat represents the Church. 55:50 But you notice that in the... 55:53 in the boat you have good and bad fish. 55:55 So, what's necessary? 55:57 Well, you have to take the boat to the shore, 56:00 and then you have to separate the good fish from the bad fish 56:04 and, of course, that represents what? 56:08 That represents the Investigative Judgment. 56:11 The Investigative Judgment is where Jesus now... 56:16 He examines the cases of every... 56:18 of all of the fish, so to speak, 56:20 that have accepted the gospel and have come into the boat 56:23 but when Jesus does the examination, 56:27 He's going to find that there are some individuals 56:30 who are true believers. 56:32 You see, the church has wheat and tares... 56:34 the church has wise and foolish virgins... 56:37 the church has good and bad fish... 56:39 the church has people who have only the form of godliness. 56:42 The church has people who perform miracles... 56:45 cast out demons and prophesy 56:47 and Jesus is going to say, "I never knew you... " 56:50 even though they profess Jesus Christ. 56:51 Satan even transforms himself into an angel of light 56:56 and Paul says that his Ministers also transform themselves 57:00 into angels of light. 57:01 and so... a division of the righteous from the unrighteous 57:06 is necessary before the righteous are taken 57:11 into Christ's kingdom... into heaven 57:14 and the wicked, of course, are discarded or cast out. 57:18 So, all of these parables of Jesus make it clear, Folks, 57:23 that there's an examination that takes place 57:25 before the second coming of Christ. 57:26 This is what Revelation 14 verse 7 means. 57:30 You have the preaching of the gospel... the everlasting gospel 57:33 to every nation, kindred, tongue and people 57:35 saying with a loud voice, 57:37 "Fear God... give glory to Him... 57:39 for the hour of His judgment has come. " 57:43 We are now living in the awesome time of the judgment. 57:46 May God help us. 57:48 In our next lecture, we're going to study this more carefully. 57:51 May God help us to prepare a character 57:55 that will be able to dwell with Jesus throughout eternity. |
Revised 2021-03-09