Participants:
Series Code: RST
Program Code: RST000017S
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00:14 Good morning, everyone.
00:16 Morning, morning. 00:17 Hope you had a good night's rest. 00:20 And you did your homework. 00:22 How many of you did your homework? 00:25 Well, good, a good percentage of you, 00:28 hallelujah. 00:30 The rest of you need some improvement. 00:34 But that's okay. That's okay. 00:36 We'll keep on working on it. 00:39 We're going to have a word of prayer. 00:40 And then we will begin on page 237, with this chart, 00:45 on page 237. 00:47 But let's have a word of prayer first. 00:50 Our Father and our God, 00:52 thank You for the good night's rest 00:54 that You have given us. 00:56 Thank You for giving us the privilege 00:59 of seeing the light of a new day. 01:01 We thank You 01:03 that we're able to gather together 01:04 as brothers and sisters in the Lord, 01:08 to open Your Word freely 01:10 and to discover Your will for us. 01:13 We ask that You will be with us today as we study, 01:17 particularly Revelation Chapter 10. 01:19 Help us to understand what has occurred 01:23 and what will soon occur in this world. 01:26 Thank you, Father, for the privilege 01:28 of coming to You in prayer, 01:30 we know that You have heard our prayer 01:32 because we ask it in the powerful 01:35 and uncomparable name of Jesus, 01:39 our attorney in the heavenly court. 01:43 In Jesus' name we pray, amen. 01:45 Amen. 01:47 All right. 01:48 I'm going to go through this chart. 01:49 It's going to take us a little while 01:51 because this gives us a bird's eye view 01:54 of what we are going to study 01:57 in the two sessions this morning, 01:59 and probably the first session this afternoon. 02:03 So you'll notice here in this chart on page 237, 02:08 that at the bottom of the page we have the events, 02:13 a description of the events, you see that there? 02:15 Yes. Yes. 02:17 Then the solid line, 02:19 the bold line has the dates for those events. 02:24 And then above that you have the time period, 02:28 the prophetic time periods. 02:30 Is this clear? 02:32 Then, you know, at the very bottom, 02:34 you have Revelation 10:1-11:1 02:38 from 1798 to 1844. 02:42 And above you have the 2,300 days or years 02:46 that begin in 457 through 1844. 02:50 Do you see that? 02:52 Now, let's work our way from left to right. 02:56 The little Book of Daniel 02:59 which or what is the little book 03:00 according to what we studied yesterday? 03:04 All of Daniel, right? 03:05 No, Daniel 8 through 12. 03:08 What is the central theme of that book? 03:11 The investigative judgment 03:13 and the 2,300 days, the time period. 03:16 So this book is sealed around the year 535 BC. 03:21 That's Daniel Chapter 12. 03:24 That's approximate date for Daniel 12. 03:28 Then when do the 70 weeks begin? 03:31 In 457 BC. 03:35 And that marks the beginning of what prophecy? 03:38 See at the very top, the 2,300 days, 03:40 it's parallel there to the 70 weeks begin. 03:44 Then you move further to the right 03:47 and you arrive at 34 AD. 03:49 What happens on that date? 03:51 The 70 weeks. 03:53 See the 70 weeks there the two arrows. 03:56 The 70 weeks end in the year 34 AD. 04:01 Then you move forward and you have the year 538. 04:06 What event marks the year 538? 04:10 It is the beginning 04:12 of the period of papal supremacy, right? 04:16 And what trumpet is that by the way? 04:19 That's the fourth trumpet. 04:20 Yes. 04:22 And then you have how many years 04:23 from 538 to 1798? 04:27 See that, 1,260 years. 04:30 Is that the period that the Gentiles trampled 04:33 upon the holy city? 04:35 Is it the period 04:36 when the little horn persecuted the saints 04:38 of the Most High? 04:39 Is it the time when the dragon went after the woman? 04:42 Yes. 04:44 And so, this is the period of the fourth trumpet, right? 04:49 The period of the fourth trumpet. 04:51 And then you move forward a little bit more 04:53 and we're going to find that Revelation 10 04:55 describes seven thunders. 04:58 I want you to catch the structure now 05:01 of what we're going to discuss. 05:02 That way, you'll be able to fit the events where they go. 05:06 The seven thunders utter their message 05:09 between 1842 and 1844. 05:12 We're going to notice that, 05:14 so just keep that in the corner of your mind. 05:16 By the way, in 1798, which trumpet begins? 05:22 You notice above the date 1798, the sixth trumpet. 05:26 So the seven thunders occur 05:28 during the period of the sixth trumpet. 05:31 The angels' oath in 1844, 05:35 the time will be no longer 05:37 is during the period of the sixth trumpet. 05:40 And the command to prophesy again 05:44 also occurs in 1844. 05:47 And the measuring of the temple begins in 1844. 05:52 Are you with me or not? 05:55 Are we still in the period of the six trumpet then? 05:58 Yes. 05:59 When does the sixth trumpet end? 06:04 It is when the seventh trumpet 06:06 is about to sound. 06:11 And the mystery of God is finished. 06:15 Are you with me? 06:16 I'm going slow 06:18 because once you understand the structure, 06:20 everything, the nitty-gritty will make a lot more sense. 06:23 So the mystery of God, 06:25 do you notice that the question mark there 06:27 is a little bit before the line of the seventh trumpet? 06:33 Because really, the mystery of God is finished 06:38 right before the seventh trumpet sounds. 06:41 And then, of course, 06:43 between when the mystery of God finishes, 06:45 when the trumpet is, 06:46 seventh trumpet is about to sound, 06:48 and when the seventh trumpet finally sounds, 06:51 which is when Jesus comes to take over the kingdom, 06:53 what do you have 06:54 between those two points of time? 06:56 The time of trouble. 06:58 So is this clear in your mind? 07:00 Now let's go then 07:04 to page through 238, 07:08 and unpack what we just looked at 07:12 in the chart. 07:15 There's no passage in Scripture 07:18 that describes more accurately 07:21 the origin, identity, message, mission, 07:27 and destiny of the Seventh-day Adventist Church 07:30 than the prophecy of Revelation Chapter 10. 07:34 The three main philosophical questions 07:36 are relevant 07:38 when we speak about the origin of our beloved church. 07:42 Where do we come from? 07:45 Why are we here? 07:47 And what is our destiny? 07:49 Those are the three great philosophical questions. 07:53 If we do not know our roots, 07:56 we will not realize the immense privilege 07:58 of belonging to the remnant church, 08:02 to God's Seventh-day Adventist Church. 08:05 And the awesome responsibility that we have 08:08 of proclaiming the message of this church 08:11 and fulfilling the mission that God has given 08:13 to the Seventh-day Adventist Church. 08:15 We will feel no particular pride 08:18 in belonging to the Seventh-day Adventist Church. 08:23 Our church is not just any church. 08:26 It is the remnant church. 08:29 And I don't say that arrogantly, 08:31 it's simply the truth. 08:34 These days, some of the intelligentsia, 08:38 the highly educated, that is, 08:40 of our church are embarrassed about the origin of our church. 08:45 They have concluded that the pioneers 08:47 were a group of uneducated individuals 08:50 who had no higher education degrees, 08:53 and therefore were highly deficient 08:56 in their theology. 08:59 As the leaders of the Jewish Sanhedrin 09:02 perceived Peter and John, 09:04 they perceive that the pioneers were uneducated and untrained. 09:09 By the way, the words in Greek are agrammatos, 09:12 which means that you don't know a lot of grammar. 09:16 And untrained is the word idiotes 09:19 from where we get the word idiot. 09:21 So that's how they considered Peter and John. 09:25 Some liberal publications, 09:27 whose names I will not mention, 09:29 but they are in the manual 09:31 would just as soon erase from our history, 09:34 the sanctuary, 1844, and the great disappointment. 09:40 They would like the Seventh-day Adventist Church 09:42 to be just like all of the other churches, 09:45 perhaps with a little sprinkling 09:47 of distinctive doctrine such as keeping the Sabbath. 09:51 This is a great tragedy. 09:53 Because if we do not know the prophecies 09:55 that have made us the people that we are, 09:58 we will simply conclude 10:00 that our church is one among many, 10:03 and it is not. 10:06 In this study of Revelation 10, 10:09 we will allow the Bible to explain itself 10:12 as we have done to this point 10:14 by comparing one text with another. 10:18 The Holy Spirit supervise 10:20 the composition of the scriptures, 10:23 and place them in them 10:25 everything we need to understand the scriptures. 10:29 In other words, the scriptures explain themselves 10:32 by comparing one text with another. 10:35 We will find that the Holy Spirit placed 10:38 in many different books of the Bible, 10:42 all the necessary elements 10:44 to explain the prophecy of Revelation Chapter 10. 10:48 One point I would like to underline 10:50 as we begin this study, 10:53 we will see that in Revelation 10, 10:56 God describes the origins of the great Advent movement 11:01 in the minutest detail. 11:04 And as we move along, 11:05 I will use the Spirit of Prophecy 11:08 to support many details of our interpretation. 11:13 On a certain occasion, 11:15 I was lecturing on this chapter. 11:17 It was actually in North Carolina 11:19 some years ago. 11:21 And someone came to me 11:22 with the utmost sincerity and asked, 11:25 "If we wish to give this study of Revelation 10 11:30 to one who is not a member 11:32 of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, 11:34 could we do it simply from the Bible 11:37 without using the Spirit of Prophecy at all? 11:42 The implication of the question was 11:45 that a non-Adventist would never accept 11:48 the authority of the Spirit of Prophecy, 11:50 and therefore we should use the Bible alone 11:53 in explaining Revelation Chapter 10. 11:57 In my answer, I made two important points. 12:00 First, we should never give a non-Adventist 12:04 a study on Revelation 10, 12:06 until the very end of a series of Bible studies 12:09 in preparation for baptism. 12:12 After the candidate has fully studied 12:15 all the doctrines of the church, 12:17 including the sanctuary, 12:19 the 70 weeks, the 2,300 day prophecy, 12:22 and the role of the Spirit of Prophecy, 12:25 then we can unlock the meaning of Revelation Chapter 10. 12:29 Second, 12:31 and this is probably the most important of all. 12:34 It is not fair to insist 12:37 that we must present this study from the Bible alone. 12:42 You say, "Well, why not?" 12:43 Well, let's notice. 12:46 How can we explain the little horn 12:48 and the beast prophecies of Daniel 7 and Revelation 13 12:52 to Roman Catholics by using the Bible alone? 12:57 The simple answer is that we can't. 13:00 Daniel and John give us many characteristics 13:04 of the little horn or the beast. 13:06 They wrote that the little horn blasphemed God. 13:10 They blasphemed His tabernacle in heaven. 13:13 They persecuted the saints of the Most High, 13:17 thought that it could change, the beast, 13:19 the little horn could change God's law, 13:22 and ruled for 1,260 years. 13:25 How can we prove these characteristics 13:28 apply to the papacy 13:30 without going outside the Bible to history? 13:34 Are you understanding my point? 13:37 The answer is that we cannot. 13:39 The Bible gives us the characteristics, 13:42 and then we must find their fulfillment in history 13:45 outside the biblical canon. 13:48 Is that legitimate? 13:49 Absolutely. 13:51 We could say the same 13:52 about the earth beast of Revelation 13:11-18. 13:57 All the characteristics of this beast 13:59 indicate that it represents the United States of America. 14:03 However, nowhere in the Bible 14:05 can you find the name United States. 14:09 Once again, the Bible provides the characteristics 14:12 and then we must find in history 14:15 the power to which the characteristics apply. 14:19 We can say the same 14:21 about the prophecy of Revelation 10. 14:23 In this chapter, we find the characteristics 14:26 that point to the rise of the remnant church. 14:29 But we must find the fulfillment 14:31 of these characteristics where? 14:34 In history. 14:35 Would it not be absurd to say 14:37 that we must look for the fulfillment 14:39 of Bible prophecies in history, 14:41 except for Revelation 10? 14:44 We must underline 14:46 that the writings and this is an important point, 14:48 the writings of Ellen White and the pioneers 14:51 are of particular authority 14:53 when it comes to the fulfillment 14:54 of Revelation Chapter 10. 14:56 Why? 14:57 Because they personally participated 15:00 in its fulfillment. 15:01 They were eyewitnesses. 15:04 Ellen White did not write simply as a historian 15:07 looking back at what happened. 15:10 She was there, 15:11 and actually participated in the events 15:15 that that chapter describes. 15:17 One of the great deficiencies, 15:19 I believe in Seventh-day Adventist evangelism today 15:22 is that we are not teaching our baptismal candidates 15:26 our denominational history. 15:28 And therefore they are not aware 15:30 of the rich historical heritage 15:34 of the church that they are joining. 15:36 Would you agree with that? 15:38 Most people don't have the foggiest idea 15:40 about the origins of this church 15:42 or why this church exists. 15:43 It's just a collection of doctrines 15:45 that they're supposed to accept. 15:47 Now, let's go to the next section. 15:50 Traditionally, 15:52 Seventh-day Adventists interpreters 15:54 have correctly seen in the trumpets, 15:56 a chronological sequence of events in Christian history. 16:01 The events of Revelation 10, 16:03 clearly transpire at the time of the end, 16:07 because they are occurring during the period of the what? 16:11 Of course, 16:13 so must it be sometime after the French Revolution, 16:16 after 1798? 16:18 Of course. 16:20 Must it be also before the close of probation? 16:23 Yeah, because the close of probation comes 16:24 when the seventh trumpet is about to sound. 16:27 So it must occur sometime after 1798 16:31 and before the close of probation. 16:34 Now, let's read the passage. 16:36 And I'm going to emphasize 16:38 certain things about Revelation 10. 16:40 I'm going to read all of Revelation 10 now, 16:42 so that we have the sequence of events in our minds, 16:46 because Revelation 10 16:47 is written in chronological order, 16:49 with the exception of verse 7. 16:52 Verse 7 is not in chronological order, 16:54 we'll deal with that. 16:56 But the chapter itself is, 16:58 the events are one after another 17:00 in chronological order. 17:01 So let's begin in verse 1. 17:05 "I saw still another mighty angel 17:09 coming down from heaven, 17:11 clothed with a cloud. 17:15 And a rainbow was on his head, his face was like the sun, 17:21 and his feet like pillars of fire. 17:25 He had a little book open," 17:29 actually, the Greek says, having been opened. 17:32 So at some point, if it having been opened, 17:34 at some time it must have been closed. 17:41 Is this a commentary in Daniel 12:4? 17:44 Absolutely. 17:46 "So he had a little book open in his hand. 17:49 And he set his right foot on the sea 17:51 and his left foot on the land, 17:54 and cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roars. 17:58 When he cried out, 18:00 seven thunders uttered their voices. 18:02 Now when the seven thunders uttered their voices, 18:06 I was about to write," John says, 18:08 "but I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, 18:12 'Seal up the things 18:14 which the seven thunders uttered, 18:16 and do not write them.'" 18:19 Interesting. 18:21 God reveals to John the thunders. 18:24 We're going to notice that John understood 18:26 what the thunders uttered. 18:27 And God says, seal them, so they can't be understood. 18:30 That's kind of weird, isn't it? 18:32 Well, we'll see what that means. 18:33 Verse 5, 18:35 "Then the angel whom I saw standing on the sea 18:39 and on the land 18:41 raised up his hand to heaven 18:43 and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, 18:46 who created heaven and the things that are in it, 18:49 the earth and the things that are in it, 18:52 and the sea and the things that are in it, " 18:55 clear reference to the fourth commandment, 18:57 right? 18:59 "That there should," 19:00 and I'm reading from New King James, 19:02 "that there should be delay no longer." 19:04 Bad translation. 19:06 The King James says time would be no longer. 19:09 We're going to see that that is the proper translation. 19:13 Then we notice verse 19:15 that that time would be no longer. 19:17 Verse 7, 19:18 "But in the days of the sounding 19:21 of the seventh angel, when he is," what? 19:24 Now when the seventh trumpet sounds? 19:26 "When it is about to sound, 19:28 the mystery of God would be finished." 19:30 When is the mystery of God finished, 19:31 when the seventh trumpet sounds or when it's about to sound? 19:34 When it's about to sound. 19:36 "And He declared this to his servants" what? 19:40 The prophets. 19:41 Then the voice which I heard from heaven spoke to me again." 19:47 That is telling him about the seven thunders. 19:50 "And said, 19:51 'Go, take the little book which is open in the hand 19:54 of the angel who stands on the sea and on the earth.' 19:58 So I went to the angel and said to him, 20:00 'Give me the little book.' 20:02 And he said to me, 'Take and eat it, 20:05 and it will make your stomach bitter, 20:09 but it will be as sweet as honey 20:10 in your mouth.'" 20:12 That's the kind of a strange order, isn't it? 20:14 First it says it will be bitter in your stomach, 20:16 a bit sweet in your mouth, 20:17 that that kind of reverses the normal way, right? 20:19 We eat it and it's sweet. 20:21 And then it's bitter in the stomach. 20:22 Why do we have this reversed? 20:24 We're going to look at that. 20:26 Verse 10. 20:27 "Then I took the little book 20:28 out of the angel's hand and ate it, 20:31 and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth, " 20:33 now we get the proper order, 20:35 it was as sweet as honey in my mouth. 20:38 "But when I had eaten it, my stomach became bitter." 20:42 And he said to me, notice after the experience, 20:45 the bittersweet experience, the angel says to him what? 20:49 You must prophesy again. 20:52 By the way, you can't do something again 20:54 unless you did it once before. 20:57 So is the message going to come out of the little book again? 21:00 Yes. 21:01 "You must prophesy again about many peoples, " 21:04 probably a better translation is "to many peoples, nations, 21:08 tongues, and kings." 21:11 And then Revelation 11:1, it belongs with Revelation 10. 21:17 Is that the same angel that is speaking? 21:19 Yes. 21:21 "Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod. 21:24 And the angel," is it the same angel? 21:27 "The angel stood, saying, 21:29 'Rise and measure the temple of God, 21:33 the altar, and those who worship there.'" 21:38 Now, let's look at the elements. 21:40 I'm going to go through this passage again, 21:43 showing you 21:44 the chronological order of events 21:46 at the bottom of the page, 21:48 summary of the little book episode, 21:50 it might appear 21:51 that I'm repeating the same thing. 21:53 But repetition is the master of learning. 21:58 My wife tells me that I repeat too much. 22:01 And what I tell my wife is, 22:03 how do you suppose that parents learn to talk? 22:08 By repetition. 22:09 Now, let's go then to the bottom of page 241. 22:13 First, the angel what? 22:16 By the way, he descends down, 22:18 but you need to eliminate the word down there. 22:21 It's redundant. 22:22 The angel descended from heaven to earth. 22:26 Then what happens? 22:28 The angel's physical characteristics 22:31 are described, right? 22:33 What are his physical characteristics? 22:36 Well, it says 22:37 that he is surrounded by a cloud, 22:40 a rainbow over his head, his face is like the sun, 22:42 and his feet are like pillars of fire. 22:44 So the appearance of the angel is described. 22:49 Then as the angel descends from heaven, 22:52 he has in his right hand an open book. 22:55 Actually, it's a scroll, but it's called the book. 22:59 Does this mean that he had already opened it 23:01 before he descended to the earth? 23:04 Of course. 23:05 So He opens the book, 23:07 and then he comes down from heaven with the book. 23:10 By the way, did you notice 23:12 that it doesn't say that this angel 23:13 fell from heaven? 23:16 Falling is apostasy. 23:18 This one comes from heaven. 23:20 We noticed in a previous trumpet 23:22 that there's a star that falls from heaven. 23:26 Then notice, 23:27 what does the angel do when he arrived at the earth 23:30 with the open book? 23:31 He plants one foot on dry land and the other foot on the sea. 23:36 That's verse 2. 23:38 And then what happens after he plants his feet? 23:42 The angel then spoke a message like what? 23:45 Like the roar of a lion that echoed like what? 23:50 Like seven thunders. 23:53 John understood the message of the thunders. 23:57 Did he understand the message of the thunders? 23:59 Yeah, because he says I was about to write. 24:03 How can he write if he didn't understand? 24:06 So it says, John understood the message of the thunders. 24:09 But the angel instructed him to what? 24:12 To seal the message that the thunders uttered, 24:15 and not to write it down. 24:18 Then what does the angel do? 24:20 Do you see the chronological order? 24:21 Then what does the angel do? 24:23 The angel then raises his right hand to heaven. 24:27 By the way, in Daniel Chapter 12, 24:29 you'll find that the angel raised 24:30 both hands to heaven. 24:32 But here the angel raises only one, why? 24:35 Because in Daniel, 24:37 the angel still did not have the book. 24:40 Here the angel has the book in one hand, 24:42 so he can only raise one hand. 24:45 So the angel raises his right hand to heaven. 24:49 He has the book in his left hand, 24:51 and swore an oath, 24:52 in the name of the eternal Creator God, 24:55 that time would be no longer. 24:58 The angel, then what, 25:00 is this a sequence of chronological events? 25:03 Yes. 25:04 Then the angel gave the book to John, 25:06 with instructions to eat it, 25:08 and told him it would be bitter in his stomach 25:12 and sweet as honey in his mouth. 25:15 What did John then do? 25:17 John ate the book. 25:19 And it was sweet in his mouth. 25:22 The next point is that 25:24 in the aftermath of eating the book, 25:26 he got indigestion. 25:28 In other words, it was bitter in his stomach. 25:32 Then the same angel instructed John to what? 25:36 To prophesy again, from the little book, 25:39 to many peoples, nations, tongues and kings. 25:43 Then the same angel commanded John to do what? 25:47 To measure the temple, the altar, 25:50 and those who worship therein. 25:53 And then this is the one verse that is out of order. 25:58 This is a parenthetical statement 26:00 in verse 7, 26:02 we're going to see that. 26:03 Then what happens? 26:05 The mystery of God what? 26:07 Ends right before the seventh trumpet 26:10 is going to sound, 26:13 the mystery of God ends. 26:15 And then what is the last point? 26:18 Then the seventh trumpet blows, 26:21 and all the kingdoms of the world 26:23 become the kingdoms of Jesus. 26:26 Is this clear? 26:29 See we dedicated some time to going through this, 26:31 we have to have the sequence clear. 26:34 Listen, this was fulfilled to a tee, 26:37 with the Millerite movement. 26:39 It is simply amazing, 26:41 as we studied the early history 26:43 of actually not the Seventh-day Adventist Church yet, 26:46 but many of the pioneers became members 26:49 of the Seventh-day Adventist Church later. 26:51 Now, let's notice who this messenger is. 26:55 This messenger is really Jesus Christ. 26:59 You say, how do we know that? 27:01 Because of several reasons. 27:02 First, John did not see merely an angel. 27:05 He saw what? 27:07 A mighty angel. By the way, angel means what? 27:10 Means messenger. 27:11 So this is a messenger. 27:14 What did the angel's face shine like? 27:17 Like the sun. 27:20 In Revelation 1:16, the same book, 27:23 we are told that the face of Jesus 27:25 in the heavenly sanctuary shone as the sun. 27:30 He was surrounded by a what? 27:32 By a cloud. 27:34 Who is surrounded by clouds in Scripture? 27:37 Jesus, He comes with clouds. 27:41 He rides on a cloud to the Most Holy Place. 27:46 In other words, 27:48 the angel is surrounded by clouds. 27:51 What are His legs like? 27:53 Like pillars of fire. 27:54 Read Revelation 1:15. 27:56 It says that Jesus, 27:58 Jesus' legs and feet are like pillars of fire. 28:02 Now, when the angel spoke, what did His voice sound like? 28:06 Like the roar of a lion. 28:09 Who is the lion? 28:11 Jesus is the lion of the tribe of Judah. 28:14 The angel had a rainbow over His head, 28:17 representing what? 28:19 The union of Christ's mercy and justice. 28:23 Notice this statement in Education 115, 28:26 "As the bow in the cloud 28:27 results from the union of sunshine and shower, 28:30 so the bow above God's throne 28:32 represents the union of His mercy and His justice. 28:35 To the sinful but repentant soul God says, 28:38 'Live thou, I have found a ransom.'" 28:40 So let me ask you, 28:41 is the door of probation open during the sixth trumpet? 28:45 Yeah, because it's justice mingled with what? 28:48 With mercy. 28:50 You know, if our probation had closed, 28:52 then you would only have what? 28:54 Justice with no mercy. 28:56 And so the door of probation is open. 28:58 Now Ellen White tells us who this angel was, 29:01 who this messenger was. 29:03 The mighty angel who instructed John 29:06 was no less a personage than Jesus Christ. 29:10 In another statement, 29:12 Bible Commentary, volume seven, pages 953 and 54. 29:15 She wrote, 29:17 "The instruction to be communicated to John 29:19 was so important that Christ came from heaven, 29:23 to give it to his servant, 29:24 telling him to send it to the churches." 29:29 Now, let's talk about the identity 29:32 of the little book. 29:33 Does Revelation 10 revolve around the little book? 29:36 Yeah, revolves around the little book. 29:39 Now, there's only one book in the Bible, folks, 29:42 that was sealed 29:43 and later opened in the time of the end. 29:47 Is the little book opened 29:49 during the period of the sixth trumpet? 29:51 Yes. 29:52 Is that towards the end? 29:54 Would that be in the time of the end? 29:55 Of course, it would be. 29:57 Now, Daniel shut up the book and sealed it around the year, 30:01 it will be between 535 and 538. 30:06 Now, notice 30:07 Daniel 11, 12:4. 30:15 "But you Daniel, shut up the words, 30:18 and seal the book." 30:20 What is the book again? 30:23 Daniel 8-12, particularly what element? 30:26 Many things could be understood of Daniel 8-12. 30:28 What couldn't be understood? 30:30 The timing 30:32 when the investigative judgment would begin where? 30:34 In heaven. 30:36 So he's told Daniel, shut up the words 30:38 and seal the book forever. 30:43 No, it says, until when? 30:47 So does that mean that the book was going to be unsealed 30:50 at the time of the end? 30:52 Yes, absolutely. 30:54 Many, and I put eyes there, by the way, the expression, 30:59 run to and fro is also used in the Psalms 31:02 to describe the eyes of God that roam to and fro. 31:07 So that's why I put that that there. 31:10 Many shall run to and fro with what purpose? 31:16 To gain knowledge, knowledge of what? 31:19 Of what's in the book, because it's been unsealed. 31:21 So many shall run to and fro, 31:25 and knowledge and in brackets 31:27 you have of the book shall increase. 31:32 Where is the book opened in the Bible? 31:37 Revelation 10. 31:39 Notice Revelation 10:1, 31:41 "I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, 31:45 clothed with a cloud. 31:48 And a rainbow was on his head, his face was like the sun, 31:52 and his feet like pillars of fire." 31:55 He had a little book open in his hand. 31:59 Now the tense of the verb open, 32:02 indicates that the angel unsealed 32:05 and opened the little book, 32:08 just before he descended from heaven. 32:11 The verb open, 32:12 literally reads in the Greek, the book, 32:15 the one having been opened. 32:19 Literally the Greek verb, that this, 32:22 the verb that describes the opening of the book 32:25 is a passive perfect tense participle 32:28 for all the English buffs in our midst. 32:32 What does that mean? What is a perfect tense? 32:35 A perfect tense is an action that began in the past 32:37 and endures in the present. 32:40 For example, I say, I have been here all week. 32:46 The action started when the week started, 32:51 but I'm still here. 32:53 So that's a perfect tense. 32:55 So the angel opened the book and when he arrives, 32:58 the book is what? 32:59 The book is open, but it was open at some point. 33:03 The perfect tense describes an event 33:05 that began in the past, 33:07 and endures or continues in the present. 33:10 This means that the angel opened the book in heaven when? 33:14 At the time of the end, 33:16 and then descended from heaven with the open book. 33:19 In other words, the little book remained closed 33:22 and sealed until the time of the end, 33:26 at which time the seal was what? 33:28 Was removed, 33:30 and the book was open so that it could be understood 33:35 and proclaimed. 33:37 So if a book is sealed, can anyone understand it? 33:40 No. 33:41 But if the book is open, 33:42 can people read it and study it, understand it? 33:44 Absolutely. 33:46 Now, as we studied previously, 33:49 the little book consisted of Daniel 8:1 33:53 through Daniel 12:4, 33:55 particularly the portion that has to do with what? 33:59 The 2,300 days 34:00 and the beginning 34:02 of the heavenly investigative judgment. 34:04 That's the central theme. 34:06 The opening of the little book took place when the Millerites 34:09 and others preached what? 34:12 The first angel's message beginning in 1798, 34:15 because they preached what? 34:17 The hour of His judgment has come. 34:21 Now, we have three scenarios 34:24 that describe what happened in 1844. 34:27 First, Daniel 8:14 give us the timing 34:30 for the beginning of the judgment. 34:32 It's at the end of the what? 34:34 2,300 days. 34:36 Daniel 7 describes the heavenly event. 34:39 Remember, the Father moves into the Most Holy Place. 34:43 He sits, the books are open," 34:45 then Jesus comes on a cloud 34:47 to where the Father is 34:49 to receive the kingdom from the Father. 34:51 Is that a description of what happens in 1844? 34:54 Yes. 34:55 So Daniel 8:14 gives us the date. 34:58 Daniel Chapter 7 provides the what? 35:01 A description of the heavenly event. 35:03 And Revelation 10 and 14: 6 and 7, 35:06 gives us the what? 35:07 The earthly announcement of the event. 35:11 Are you understanding the relationship 35:12 between these three passages? 35:14 So you have the timing, 35:16 you have the description of the heavenly event, 35:20 and you have the earthly announcement 35:22 of the event in the first angel's message, 35:24 as well as in Revelation 10, 35:27 which is the chapter that we're studying. 35:30 Now, let's read these statements 35:34 that we find on pages 244 and 245, 35:39 where Ellen White describes the moment 35:42 when the book was opened. 35:45 "It was the lion of the tribe of Judah who," what? 35:48 "Who unsealed the book, 35:51 and gave to John the revelation of what should be" when? 35:55 "In these last days. 35:57 Daniel stood in his lot to bear his testimony." 36:00 How did Daniel stand in his lot and bear his testimony 36:03 in Revelation 10? 36:06 Through his book, not in person, 36:08 he was dead in 1844, folks. 36:10 It's through his book. 36:12 So once again, "Daniel stood 36:14 in his lot to bear his testimony, 36:16 which was sealed until the time of the end." 36:18 Now when is the book unsealed? 36:20 When the first angel's message 36:22 should be proclaimed to our world. 36:24 So when is the seal removed from the book? 36:27 When they begin to preach what? 36:29 The hour of His judgment has come. 36:31 Did Miller preach that? 36:32 Did Wolff, Bengal, and all these others, children, 36:36 proclaim the hour of His judgment has come 36:38 starting in 1798? 36:40 Absolutely. 36:41 Let's continue. 36:43 "These matters are of infinite importance 36:45 in these last days. 36:47 But while many shall be purified, 36:49 and made white and tried, the wicked shall do wickedly, 36:52 and none of the wicked shall understand. 36:55 How true this is," Ellen White states, 36:58 "sin is the transgression of the law of God. 37:01 And those in the denominational churches, 37:04 who will not accept the light in regard to the law of God 37:07 will not understand the proclamation of the first, 37:11 second and third angels' messages. 37:14 So what happens to those who reject the law of God? 37:17 They can't understand the three angels' messages. 37:20 Why not? 37:22 Well, because what the first angel's message 37:24 proclaims the Sabbath, worship the Creator. 37:30 What does the third angel's message say? 37:32 Don't receive the mark of the beast, 37:33 don't keep Sunday? 37:35 What does the second angel's message say? 37:37 Get out of Babylon. 37:40 So if they reject the law of God, 37:43 can they understand everything that we find in Revelation 10? 37:47 It's impossible. 37:49 She continues, 37:51 "The book of Daniel is unsealed 37:53 in the revelation to John and carries us forward, " 37:58 what does the Book of Daniel do? 38:01 It's unsealed in the revelation to John 38:04 and carries us forward to where? 38:07 "To the last scenes of this earth's history." 38:11 Are we talking here about the sixth trumpet? 38:13 The last scenes after the sixth trumpet, 38:16 there is only one, the seventh, 38:19 and that is when Jesus takes over the kingdom. 38:21 Notice this rather long statement 38:24 from Great Controversy, page 356. 38:27 The message of salvation has been preached in all ages, 38:30 correct? 38:32 The gospel has been preached in all ages, 38:33 even in the Old Testament. 38:35 But this message says Ellen White, 38:38 and the context is the first angel's message 38:41 concerning the judgment hour. 38:42 By the way, what are we judged by? 38:45 The law. 38:47 So what happens if you reject the law? 38:50 See, are you understanding 38:51 why the Christian world cannot understand this? 38:54 It's because they reject the law. 38:56 She continues. 38:57 "The message of salvation has been preached in all ages, 38:59 but this message is a part of the gospel, 39:03 which could be proclaimed only in the last days. 39:07 Why? 39:08 For only then would it be true 39:10 that the hour of judgment had come. 39:13 Could the Apostle Paul so say, 39:14 the hour of His judgment has come? 39:16 No, because they hadn't come. 39:19 So it can only be proclaimed 39:20 when the judgment was about to begin. 39:23 Continue saying here. 39:25 "The prophecies present a succession of events." 39:29 For example, a chain prophecy of Daniel 7, 39:31 Babylon, Medo-Persia, 39:33 Greece, pagan Rome, the ten horns, 39:35 the little horn for 1260 years, 39:38 then the beginning of the judgment 39:41 and the everlasting kingdom. 39:42 That's what she's talking about. 39:44 The prophecies present a succession of events 39:47 leading down to what? 39:49 To the opening of the judgment. 39:50 Does Daniel 7 lead you down to the opening of the judgment? 39:54 It does. 39:55 She continues. 39:58 "But that part of his prophecy, which related to," what? 40:04 "To the last days." 40:05 Daniel was bitten to close up and seal till time of the end. 40:09 What is the one element that was sealed 40:11 in the prophecy of Daniel 7 40:12 that no one could understand until the time of the end? 40:18 Remember, we meant 40:19 remember high politics that we read from? 40:22 He said, the judgment is Jesus coming to heaven to judge 40:24 from heaven to earth to judge the world? 40:26 Did he understand that? 40:28 Did anyone understand before October 23 40:33 when Hiram Edson had that insight, 40:35 going through the field? 40:37 Did anybody before October 23, 1844, 40:41 understand there was going to be 40:42 a heavenly judgment 40:44 before Jesus took over the kingdom? 40:46 No. 40:48 That is what it was sealed. 40:51 She continues, 40:53 but that part of his prophecy which related to the last days, 40:56 Daniel was bitten to close up 40:58 and seal to the time of the end. 41:01 Not till we reach this time, what time? 41:06 The time of the end, right? 41:08 Could a message concerning the judgment 41:10 be proclaimed 41:11 based on the fulfillment of these prophecies? 41:14 But at the time that he answers the prophet 41:17 many shall run to and fro, 41:19 and knowledge shall be increased? 41:20 According to Ellen White, 41:22 what is the increase of knowledge? 41:24 Understanding what was sealed until the time of the end, 41:28 folks? 41:29 Notice this statement, 41:31 volume seven of a blog Bible Commentary, 41:33 page 971. 41:35 "The unsealing of the little book, 41:39 was the message in relation to," what? 41:42 "To time." 41:43 What was that that was sealed? 41:45 That time element relating to 1844 41:50 and particularly Daniel 8:14. 41:55 Now, let's notice, 41:56 when did the angel open the book? 42:00 Well, according to Revelation 10, 42:03 the angel removed the seal from the book 42:05 so that people could study and proclaim it 42:09 at the end time. 42:10 Just before the seventh angel blows his trumpet, 42:13 and the mystery of God is finished. 42:16 Concerning the message of judgment, 42:18 that the first angel proclaimed, 42:20 Ellen White wrote this. 42:22 When does the time of the end begin? 42:24 The book is sealed until the time of the end? 42:26 When does the time of the end begin? 42:28 1798. 42:30 Notice this statement from Ellen White. 42:33 No such message, 42:36 the hour of His judgment has come. 42:38 No such message has ever been given 42:40 in past ages. 42:42 Paul, as we have seen, did not preach it. 42:45 He pointed his brethren 42:47 into the then far distant future 42:49 for the coming of the Lord. 42:51 The reformers did not proclaim it. 42:53 Did the reformers proclaimed the first angels' message? 42:56 No. 42:58 Martin Luther placed the judgment 43:00 about 300 years in the future from His day. 43:04 Now notice this detail. 43:06 "But since 1798," since when? 43:13 The Book of Daniel has been what? 43:16 Unsealed. 43:17 So when was the little book unsealed? 43:21 At the time of the end. 43:22 When does the time of the end begin? 43:24 1798. 43:27 So once again, going back, she says, 43:30 "But since 1798, 43:33 the Book of Daniel has been unsealed." 43:35 And when she says the Book of Daniel, 43:36 we know that the particular aspect 43:39 of Daniel 43:41 is that portion or part that she referred to, 43:44 so I've to read everything that she says. 43:47 The Book of Daniel has been unsealed and now what, 43:51 what kind of knowledge has increased? 43:52 Scientific knowledge, right? 43:55 No. 43:57 Knowledge of the prophecies has increased. 44:00 Is that true from 1798 forward? 44:03 Isn't it much more powerful to tell the story 44:06 about how starting in 1798, 44:09 there was this great revival, 44:10 the great second advent movement, 44:12 proclaiming that the hour of God's judgment had come 44:15 and go through all of the history? 44:16 Isn't that much more powerful than talking about, 44:19 you know, railroads and airplanes and automobiles? 44:26 We need to be honest 44:28 with what Scripture is telling us, 44:32 you know, and not extend beyond 44:34 what Scripture is really telling us. 44:36 So the Book of Daniel has been unsealed, 44:38 knowledge of the prophecies has what? 44:42 Increased 44:43 and many have proclaimed the solemn message of what? 44:47 Of the judgment hour. 44:50 It is a historical fact that after 1798, 44:54 there was an awakened interest 44:56 in the study of the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation. 45:00 Preachers everywhere, including children, 45:04 preached that the hour of God's judgment had come. 45:08 Among the notables were Lacunza, 45:10 Wolff, Bengal, Galsen, Miller, 45:14 Litch, Fitch, and we could increase the list. 45:17 All of them proclaimed 45:19 that the hour of God's judgment 45:21 was about to arrive. 45:23 Is this clear? 45:25 Now let's go to the global extension 45:27 of the message. 45:28 The angel presents a message from the book that is what? 45:33 Global in extension to every nation, 45:37 kindred, tongue and people. 45:38 Is that true also the first angel's message 45:41 does it go to every nation, kindred tongue and people? 45:43 Yes. 45:45 The global reach of the message 45:46 is expressed in symbolic language 45:49 at the beginning of the chapter. 45:51 So at the beginning of chapter, 45:53 the globalness of the message 45:56 is expressed by the angel symbolically what? 46:00 Placing one foot on the sea and one foot on the land. 46:04 That's a symbolic way of expressing that it's global, 46:08 land and sea. 46:09 But at the end of Revelation 10, 46:12 literal language is used, 46:13 because the message is to go to every nation, 46:16 tongue and kings. 46:18 Notice Ellen White's comment in Selected Messages, 46:21 volume two, page 107 and 108. 46:24 "The message of Revelation 14 46:26 proclaiming that the hour of God's judgment is come, 46:29 is given in the time of the end. 46:32 And the angel of Revelation 10 is represented 46:34 as having one foot on the sea, 46:36 and one foot on the land, showing, " 46:39 now notice what this symbolism means, 46:41 "showing that the message will be carried," where? 46:45 "To distant lands, the ocean will be crossed, 46:49 and the islands of the sea 46:51 will hear the proclamation of the last message 46:54 of warning to our world." 46:57 So what is represented 46:59 by the two feet on sea and land? 47:01 That the message will go what? 47:04 Globally to the whole world. 47:06 Is that true of the first angel's message, 47:08 the hour of His judgment has come? 47:09 Yeah, it's the everlasting gospel 47:11 that goes to every nation, kindred, tongue and people. 47:14 Is Revelation 10 related to Daniel Chapter 8? 47:18 Yes. 47:20 Now, here's an important point, 47:22 you know, you have these offshoots 47:24 that have one point that is all their gospel. 47:27 Are they ever going to finish the work? 47:30 No. 47:33 A little group down, 47:34 down in Dinuba 47:37 is never going to finish the work. 47:39 If a message is to go globally, what do you need? 47:43 You need a global church to proclaim it. 47:46 Right? 47:48 You need a remnant church that is worldwide. 47:50 Do you know why God established 47:51 the Seventh-day Adventist Church? 47:53 To plant every Adventist everywhere in the world. 47:57 So that when crunch times comes, 47:59 God will have witnesses everywhere in the world. 48:02 In other words, the organization is functional. 48:06 It is not an end in itself. 48:07 The purpose is to make it possible 48:10 for this Adventist message to go to the entire world. 48:14 So that when the shaking comes, 48:17 God will have witnesses everywhere in the world. 48:22 Now let's go to the bottom of page 246. 48:24 "The angel's position with one foot on the sea, 48:26 the other on the land, signifies," what? 48:30 "The wide extent 48:32 of the proclamation of the message. 48:35 It will cross the broad waters 48:37 and be proclaimed in other countries, 48:39 even to," where? 48:41 "To all the world." 48:42 Is the Seventh-day Adventist Church 48:43 basically working in all the world? 48:45 Yes. 48:47 Can you say that of any other church 48:48 that is preaching the truth? 48:50 Absolutely not. 48:51 Listen, folks, this is God's remnant church. 48:54 Okay. 48:56 Does it have mistakes? 48:58 Yes. 48:59 Has it gone off its mission and message? 49:04 Yes, but it is still God's church. 49:07 And God is going to take care of making things right. 49:11 In fact, the shaking is going to do it. 49:14 And the shaking, you know, there are several things 49:15 that are going to cause the shaking. 49:18 One is heresy. 49:21 The second is worldliness. 49:24 But the third is persecution. 49:26 That's where the great shaking would come. 49:27 That's where you're going to see who is who, 49:31 because in times of prosperity, the church fills up. 49:35 In times of adversity, 49:37 those who are not faithful are shaken out. 49:41 Now the expression top of page 247, 49:44 the expression sea and land 49:46 could also mean that the message 49:47 will be proclaimed to the nations 49:49 of the old world, 49:51 the beast from the sea, right? 49:53 Europe, and in the new world, America, 49:58 the beast from the earth. 50:00 Now here comes another important point. 50:02 The act of planting the feet 50:05 indicates that the angel is claiming global ownership 50:08 of the world. 50:10 When the seventh trumpet sounds 50:11 that claim will become an empirical reality, 50:15 when the kingdoms of the world 50:16 become the kingdoms of God and of the Lamb. 50:20 You say, where do you get this idea? 50:21 From Deuteronomy 11:24, God told Israel, 50:26 every place on which the soul 50:28 of your foot treads shall be yours. 50:31 So when the angel puts one foot on the sea, 50:35 and the other on land, he says, "This is mine." 50:41 So it says, 50:42 "From the wilderness in Lebanon, 50:44 from the river, from the river, 50:46 the river Euphrates, 50:48 even to the western sea shall be your territory." 50:52 So wherever they planted their feet, 50:54 that was theirs. 50:57 Are you catching the picture? 50:59 Now let's go to the seven thunders. 51:02 This is interesting. 51:04 Are the seven thunders taking place 51:06 after the little book is opened 51:08 and the judgment hour begins to be proclaimed? 51:10 Yes. 51:12 Now notice what we find here in John 12:28-29. 51:17 The sound of seven thunders 51:20 imparted unintelligible message from God to John. 51:25 That is to say, the thunders were not simply noise. 51:30 You know, we hear thunder, it's just noise, boom, boom. 51:36 The thunders were not simply noise, 51:38 they contained a message from God. 51:41 In fact, the thunders were the echoes of God's voice. 51:46 Now, there's another text in Scripture 51:48 that helps us understand 51:50 how the thunder can carry unintelligible message. 51:54 Just before Jesus' passion, 51:58 He pleaded with His Father to glorify His name. 52:02 And notice the story 52:04 as it develops in John 12:27-29. 52:10 "Now My soul is troubled, Jesus says, 52:13 and what shall I say? 52:15 'Father, save Me from this hour'? 52:17 But for this purpose I came to this hour. 52:19 Father, glorify Your name.' 52:22 Then a voice came from heaven, saying, 52:25 'I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.'" 52:29 Was that an intelligible message? 52:31 Could it be understood by everybody? 52:36 Not by everybody, verse 29. 52:39 "Therefore the people who stood by and heard it 52:41 said that it has thundered." 52:46 Was that an intelligible message? 52:49 But people heard it as if it was what? 52:51 Thunder. 52:53 "Others said," what? 52:54 "An angel has spoken to Him." 52:57 Does this help us understand the seven thunders? 53:00 Most certainly. 53:02 Now, we must focus on several facts 53:04 as we study the meaning of the seven thunders. 53:08 We need to focus on several facts. 53:10 First, the angel 53:13 whose voice sounded like seven thunders 53:16 gave a message to John 53:18 and John understood the message, correct? 53:21 Did John understand the message? 53:23 Yes, he did understand the message. 53:26 But then the angel commanded John to do what? 53:30 To seal the message 53:32 so the readers could not understand it. 53:36 John understood, but the readers could not. 53:40 Finally, the seven thunders bear a relationship 53:43 with events that transpired between 1798 and 1844. 53:49 Because they imparted their message after what? 53:53 After the book was opened, 53:55 and the angel descended from heaven in 1798. 53:59 And before the angel swore his oath 54:01 that time would be no longer in 1844. 54:05 Are you understanding the point? 54:07 So, do the seven thunders uttered their voice 54:10 after the book, 54:11 the angel descends with the book open? 54:14 What date was that? 54:16 1798. 54:18 Does this, the seven thunders uttered their message 54:24 right before the angel swears that time will be no longer? 54:28 Yes. 54:29 So it must be some event that occurred between when? 54:32 1798 and October 22, 1844. 54:37 Are you catching the point? 54:39 Now, let's continue here. 54:43 Ellen White wrote about the timing 54:44 for the fulfillment of the seven thunders. 54:46 This is an important statement. 54:48 The special light given to John 54:51 which was expressed in the seven thunders 54:55 was a delineation of events. 54:59 What were the seven thunders, a delineation of what? 55:03 Events which would transpire under the first and what? 55:08 Second angel's messages. 55:12 So, I want you to, I want you to process this. 55:17 So the thunders uttered something that happened 55:21 was a delineation of events 55:23 that transpired under the proclamation 55:26 of the first and second angels' messages. 55:28 Do you know when the second angel's message 55:30 began to be proclaimed? 55:31 1842-1844, 55:34 that was the call for the people 55:36 in the apostate churches to come out 55:38 and join the Millerite movement. 55:40 So let's continue. 55:44 It was not best for the people to know these things. 55:48 What things? 55:50 The events, right? 55:53 Now, wait a minute. 55:56 It was not best for the people to know these events. 56:00 That's why the thunders were sealed. 56:01 So let's continue. 56:03 "It was not best for the people to know these things," why? 56:07 "For their faith must necessarily be" what? 56:11 "Tested." 56:12 So why were the seven thunders sealed? 56:16 So that people could not understand 56:18 and their faith would be what? 56:21 Tested. 56:22 Don't forget this. This is important. 56:24 Three facts in this statement. 56:26 The seven thunders described a delineation of events 56:30 that would occur between 1842 and 1844, 56:33 just before the mighty angel swore his oath, 56:36 because the second angel's message 56:37 began in 1842. 56:40 And Ellen White has said that the events were events 56:43 of the first and second angel's message. 56:45 Second, the people who live during this period 56:49 were not supposed to know these events beforehand. 56:53 And third, 56:54 the reason they were not supposed to know 56:57 is that their faith needed to be what? 57:00 Their faith needed to be tested. 57:05 Their faith in what or of what? 57:08 That's the big question. 57:10 Now, our time has come to an end for this session. 57:15 So in our next session, we are going to take a look, 57:20 a closer look at the thunders, 57:23 and we're going to see what the delineation of events 57:27 was between 1842 and 1844. 57:31 We're going to see why the people did not, 57:35 could not know these things. 57:36 God did not want them to know these things, 57:38 even though He revealed them to John. 57:41 And in what sense their faith needed to be tested? 57:48 We have clear light on all of these issues 57:52 that I've just mentioned. 57:54 So we'll see you in the next session. |
Revised 2020-10-26