Participants: Kameron DeVasher
Series Code: AOT
Program Code: AOT000069
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00:21 Good morning and happy Sabbath!
00:24 Happy Sabbath. 00:26 We welcome you to the Thompsonville SDA Church 00:30 which is housed in the 3ABN Worship Center 00:34 on the campus of Three Angels Broadcasting Network 00:37 in Thompsonville/West Frankfort, Illinois. 00:42 And you have to give us a little slack on this schizophrenia 00:47 because the church is here in Thompsonville 00:50 but just about 150 paces to the southwest 00:54 is the Production Center which is in West Frankfort. 00:57 So you have to allow us a bit of schizophrenia because 01:00 depending on where you are in a given point of time 01:02 you may be in one of two towns. 01:04 But we welcome you to this fourth of five presentations 01:10 that really have been a blessing. 01:12 And it occurs to me... and I don't know if it is because 01:14 of our own sinful nature 01:17 or the poverty of the English language 01:22 but many times when you're trying to give God the glory 01:28 due Him it tends to come out sounding like praise to men 01:34 when it is not intended to be. 01:36 As it has seemed good to us and to the Holy Spirit 01:39 to ask our speaker to come God has been pleased 01:42 to give us powerful, timely messages 01:46 through him. Now of course, any time anything of note or 01:52 of importance happens in a worship service 01:54 the preacher... the person, the human being... 01:57 is not to receive the glory. 01:59 We know that that comes from God. 02:02 If blessings are to be shared, they come from God. 02:04 If lives are to be changed, they come from God. 02:07 If destinies are to be rearranged, 02:09 it comes from God. 02:10 Yet God uses human beings - frail human beings - 02:14 to preach His Word. And if you were here on last night 02:17 then you know that the Spirit of God can move in a marked 02:20 and mighty way in a worship service. 02:22 And so for the past several nights - the past three nights - 02:26 we have been blessed to hear the Word of God 02:28 as preached by Pastor Kameron DeVasher. 02:31 He pastors, and I want to get this right, the Muskegon 02:33 and Fremont churches in the Michigan Conference 02:37 in the state of Michigan. He is the husband of one wife, 02:40 Emilie; the father of one son, Henry; 02:42 and a preacher of righteousness. 02:45 And we have been truly, truly blessed by him. 02:48 And God has fed our souls. And I expect 02:50 nothing less than that to happen today. 02:52 Now you might be saying: "Well you're putting pressure 02:55 on the preacher. " Well I am not 02:57 because Kameron understands and knows that it's not about 03:00 him, it's all about Jesus. 03:02 And so as we have heard this word The Greater Controversy 03:06 we have been so very, very blessed by God. 03:08 And so I welcome you again to our worship service: 03:11 our audience here and those around the world who are part 03:15 of this blessing. The sermon today is entitled 03:19 Every Knee Shall Bow. And to that we can all say "Amen" 03:23 and "Praise the Lord. " 03:24 And so we will hear the Word of God as preached by 03:28 our pastor, our friend Kameron DeVasher this day. 03:30 His wife is here. They have a... I think 03:34 Henry is 10 months old and so she has been with him 03:37 in the room during the week. But she did come today 03:39 and Kameron's sister is here. Don't know quite where they are 03:42 seated, but we do welcome you to our fellowship this day. 03:47 And we were just talking with his wife back stage. 03:50 It's good that he can travel with her together. 03:52 Our music will come from our pastor, John Lomacang. 03:56 But before we hear from him and then our speaker 03:58 let's bow our heads in a word of prayer. 04:02 Gracious, holy, and heavenly Father, 04:04 again we thank you for this opportunity 04:07 to sit before You on this holy Sabbath Day. 04:10 We thank you for the church 04:12 and for the ability to come to church 04:16 and for the promise that when we come to this house 04:19 You will be here to meet us. 04:21 Indeed, You will be the honored guest. 04:23 And so we praise you and thank you 04:26 for Your presence here today. 04:27 We ask, Lord, only that You would give us Your Spirit. 04:31 That You would teach us those things that You would have us 04:35 to know. And then by that same Spirit 04:39 enable us to put them in practice 04:43 so that our lives, our walk with Christ, may be sweeter 04:47 and closer. We ask a special blessing 04:51 upon the preacher of the day and an equal blessing 04:56 upon those of us who will hear what he has to say. 04:59 May the Spirit of God speak to us, not only in this house 05:03 but around the world... those who look; those who listen. 05:08 Lord, may they be blessed. 05:11 We love You; we praise You; 05:14 and we thank you for every good and perfect gift. 05:18 In Jesus' name, Amen and Amen. 05:24 Our music is coming as I said from Pastor John Lomacang. 05:26 He will be singing "I Give You Jesus. " 05:28 And then after he shall have sung 05:31 the next voice will be Pastor Kameron DeVasher 05:34 who will preach "Every Knee Shall Bow. " 06:04 If the ship of your life 06:08 is tossing on the sea of strife, 06:12 you need someone. 06:19 If you feel so all alone 06:23 and your house is not a home, 06:27 you need someone. 06:35 If you feel life isn't fair 06:39 and there's no one left to share all 06:43 those lonely days and nights 06:47 when things just don't turn out right 06:51 and you want someone to share 06:55 and someone to just be there, 07:00 you need someone. 07:07 So I give you Jesus, 07:13 He's the peace 07:15 that passes all understanding. 07:22 I give you Jesus, 07:28 He's the perfect love 07:30 that casteth out all fear. 07:38 I give you Jesus, 07:43 He's the water that you'll drink 07:46 and never thirst again. 07:52 I give you Jesus, 07:58 my friend, 08:01 I give you Jesus. 08:10 If the pressures all around 08:14 keep your spirits to the ground, 08:18 you need someone. 08:24 And if your body is in pain 08:28 and your health you can't regain, 08:32 you need someone. 08:39 If the times that you have tried 08:43 with all the strength you have inside 08:46 and it seems that you have failed, 08:51 remember on the cross He's nailed 08:54 all that bitterness and grief 08:58 to give you peace and sweet relief, 09:02 He is the someone that you need. 09:08 So I give you Jesus, 09:14 He's the peace that passes all 09:18 understanding. 09:23 Yes, I give you Jesus, 09:29 He's that perfect love 09:31 that casteth out all 09:35 fear. 09:39 I give you Jesus, 09:43 He's the water that you'll drink 09:47 and never thirst again. 09:53 I give you Jesus, 09:58 my friend, 10:00 yes, I give you Jesus. 10:04 He's everyone and everything you need. 10:09 I give you Jesus, 10:14 my friend, 10:17 yes, I give you 10:21 Jesus. 10:37 Amen! 10:41 Happy Sabbath, everyone! 10:43 Happy Sabbath. 10:44 That was a blessing in song. Amen? 10:46 Amen. And it's a high Sabbath because 10:49 it is Sabbath... and every Sabbath is a high Sabbath. 10:51 What a wonderful thing the Lord has given us: 10:54 a day of rest where we can come together and fellowship 10:56 not only with each other but come into the very presence 10:59 of God in His house on His Sabbath Day. 11:02 What a blessing! What a blessing. 11:04 As was mentioned, this is our fourth message 11:07 in a series of five entitled The Greater Controversy. 11:11 Let me briefly review with you and catch you up to speed 11:13 with where we have come so far. 11:15 In our first message entitled Beyond Ptolemy 11:19 we opened our series by establishing the basic premise 11:23 that there is more at stake in God's plan of redemption 11:28 than merely the saving of lost sinners. 11:30 In fact, there's an onlooking unfallen universe 11:34 who have experienced the rebellion of Lucifer first hand 11:38 and have been witnessing the development of his principles 11:42 and intents of his heart right here on the earth 11:45 ever since. In our second message 11:49 entitled The Last Link of Sympathy 11:52 we examined the universal ramifications 11:55 of Christ's death on the cross. 11:57 It was here that the violence that had been within Lucifer 12:01 was finally and fully unleashed on the sinless Son of God. 12:05 And when the onlooking, unfallen heavenly universe 12:09 witnessed that act, that event, they for the very first time 12:14 in unmistakable tones saw the very character 12:18 that Christ had seen from the very beginning 12:20 finally manifest and revealed. 12:23 They saw that indeed Satan was a murderer 12:26 from the beginning. 12:29 Mrs. White describes that saying "It was then that the last 12:33 link of sympathy between Satan and the heavenly world 12:37 was broken. " It is not as though God 12:40 forced him out of heaven any further, but they... 12:43 the heavenly beings themselves forced him out of 12:47 their sympathies. They were no longer listening 12:49 to his arguments. The last link of sympathy was broken. 12:52 And then last evening's message entitled 12:55 The Great Object of Life we discovered that the reason 12:58 Satan's existence even after Christ's death on the cross 13:01 must still be continued was that man as well as angels 13:07 must see the contrast between the Prince of light 13:10 and the prince of darkness. 13:11 He must choose whom he will serve. 13:14 And this morning in a message entitled Every Knee Shall Bow 13:19 we will see how God intends to finally bring 13:22 this greater controversy to a close. 13:25 But before we begin any study of the Word of God 13:28 we must begin with a word of prayer. 13:30 Please you bow your heads with me. 13:33 Most gracious heavenly Father, Lord we thank you for this 13:36 Sabbath Day and we thank you for the rest that it provides. 13:40 And now Lord as we turn to a study of Your Word 13:43 which Your Spirit has inspired 13:45 we ask for that same Spirit to be manifest in this room, 13:49 in this place, this very time, right here today. 13:53 Lord, teach us Your way. 13:56 Soften our hearts to accept it and sharpen our minds 13:59 to see it so that we may be redeemed in the end 14:02 and reconciled to the rest of the heavenly universe 14:05 through the power of the blood of Jesus. 14:07 We pray in Jesus' name, Amen. 14:09 Please turn with me in your Bibles to Revelation chapter 12. 14:13 Revelation chapter 12. We've been there several times 14:16 throughout this series and I'm sure we'll be there again. 14:19 But for right now, Revelation chapter 12. 14:20 And as you find that chapter let me give you a very 14:23 technical illustration. 14:26 Have any of you ever played with a Slinky? 14:29 You know when I use the word Slinky a picture comes to your 14:32 mind. You know the little wire coil metal toy? 14:36 And what is by far the most exciting thing you can do 14:40 with a Slinky? What's the one cool thing 14:42 that a Slinky does besides just being stretchy? 14:44 What do you do with it? Put it down stairs! That's right. 14:47 You stand at the top of this long staircase 14:50 and you just kind of set it right on the edge 14:53 and then you give it a little push. 14:55 Flick. And the momentum that falls onto that second step 14:59 it just keeps it going to the third step and the fourth step. 15:00 And it will walk itself step by step 15:02 right down to the very bottom. 15:04 You don't have to stop and like push it each time, 15:06 push it each time. Once the process is begun 15:08 it just goes all the way through 15:10 till it's finished at the bottom. 15:12 Everyone has that picture in their mind right now... 15:14 a Slinky down the stairs. 15:16 Now that's going to be important because 15:17 looking over the progression of the events that we've studied 15:20 thus far it's obvious that Satan was not cast out of heaven 15:24 and immediately locked in the grave for eternity. 15:29 His fall from heaven - if you will - like "lightning" 15:33 was not from the very heights of glory to the depths of 15:37 the grave in one fell swoop. 15:39 There were steps along the way. 15:44 In fact, there are four distinct stages, 15:48 phases, or steps to the casting out of the devil. 15:51 God did not as soon as the rebellion began 15:54 wipe him out of existence. In fact, 15:56 He let the process go on and in fact continues the process 15:59 even now. And the illustration being like a Slinky 16:03 down the stairs... step by step till Satan's ultimate demise. 16:09 Here in Revelation chapter 12 starting with verse 7 16:12 we can see three of those four steps 16:15 clearly articulated, chronologically sequenced 16:19 starting with verse 7 Revelation chapter 12. 16:23 "And war broke out in heaven. 16:26 Michael and His angels fought with the dragon 16:29 and the dragon and his angels fought 16:31 but they did not prevail nor was a place found for them 16:35 in heaven any longer. 16:36 So the great dragon was cast out. " 16:40 And in our illustration think of Christ flicking the top of that 16:44 Slinky... not all the way down to the bottom but 16:46 just getting the process in motion. 16:50 "So the great dragon was cast out: 16:53 that serpent of old called the devil and Satan 16:56 who deceives the whole world. 16:59 He was cast to the earth 17:01 and his angels were cast out with him. " 17:04 That is the first step in the sequence of casting out 17:08 the devil. But now we go to verse 10. 17:10 We find the second step: 17:13 "Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven: 17:15 'Now salvation and strength and the kingdom of our God 17:19 and the power of His Christ have come 17:21 for the accuser of our brethren who accused them before our God 17:25 day and night has been cast down. " 17:28 Now if you were to just quickly scan those two 17:30 you would they're referring to the exact same thing. 17:33 But as we have seen in our study there's a good 4,000 year gap 17:37 between verses 7 through 9 and verse 10. 17:39 The first one was Satan's original casting out 17:43 by God the Father out of the courts of heaven. 17:46 But the second casting out in verse 10 17:50 was the casting out of the sympathies... 17:55 from the sympathies of the heavenly beings 17:58 when they saw Christ crucified on earth. 18:00 Now there is where salvation comes; now the power of the 18:03 Christ is revealed 18:05 and for a second time Lucifer is cast from heaven. 18:11 Then we go to verse 11... we see step 3. 18:15 "And... " So in addition to that, 18:18 in the light of that... "And they overcame him 18:21 by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony. 18:26 And they did not love their lives to the death. " 18:30 This is where we find stage 3. 18:32 This is the great object of our lives. 18:35 Right now the heavenly universe has witnessed Satan's 18:38 rebellion in heaven. They've witnessed Christ's death 18:40 on the cross. And in their minds it is absolutely fine 18:44 if Satan is eliminated, destroyed, forever ended. 18:47 But God's plan of redemption, praise the Lord, is not 18:51 just a plan of destruction. It's a plan of salvation. 18:53 And it would not be complete if all that was accomplished 18:57 was the ending of Satan. 18:58 He has a greater controversy in mind. He wants to actually 19:01 take some of those sympathetic fallen beings 19:04 and redeem them... reconcile them with heaven 19:06 and bring them back to the courts of glory. 19:09 And apparently, according to this text 19:12 they overcome him by the blood of the Lamb 19:16 and the word of their testimony. 19:18 That's step 3: when God's people on earth 19:21 will do what God's people in heaven have done 19:24 and cast Satan out of their hearts and their sympathies 19:27 and choose them this day whom they will serve. 19:30 That's step 3. 19:32 But this morning we're going to deal with that fourth and final 19:37 step. So go with me to the book of Luke. 19:41 Go with me to the book of Luke chapter 10. 19:46 The book of Luke chapter 10 gives a very interesting story. 19:50 Jesus here in the midst of His earthy ministry 19:54 sends out 70 19:59 to do a certain work. Look at verse 1. 20:02 Luke chapter 10 and verse 1. 20:04 "After these things the Lord appointed 70 others also 20:09 and sent them two by two before His face. " 20:12 OK. So they are precursors to His ministry. 20:15 They're sent out ahead of time. 20:17 "Sent them two by two before His face into every city 20:21 and place where He Himself was about to go. " 20:23 So they were going ahead of time to do the pre-work 20:26 before Christ's evangelistic crusade, if you will. 20:29 Right? They're to soften the ground and they're supposed to 20:31 lay the groundwork for the coming King. 20:33 They're sent out. And the rest of Luke chapter 10 20:36 talks about His specific instructions to them. 20:39 And sure enough. They go back... they go out. 20:42 And we pick up their return in verse 17. 20:47 "Then the 70 returned with... " What's the word? 20:50 "joy... " Their mission has been successful. 20:52 They're on fire for Jesus. They're elated. 20:54 They're thrilled. They return with joy. 20:58 "saying 'Lord... ' " And it's almost like it's 21:03 a surprise to them. "Lord, even the demons 21:06 are subject to us... " How? 21:09 "in Your name. " 21:11 They're like: "Can you believe it? " 21:14 "Even the demons listen to us. They have to obey us 21:17 because we're coming in the name of Jesus. " 21:20 And they're so thrilled. They're ecstatic; 21:22 they're excited. And look at Jesus' response to this. 21:27 "And He said to them: 'I saw Satan 21:31 fall like lightning from heaven. ' " 21:37 Now that's kind of an odd thing to say. 21:39 Like: "Lord, even the demons are subject to us 21:42 in Your name. " And He just... it's as though He doesn't... 21:44 He's in a different place, right? He's... 21:47 "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. " 21:54 And He says that in the context of demons being subject 21:57 to them in His name. 22:00 Now I'm going to ask a weird question, 22:03 and I think asking weird questions gets you at least 22:05 some interesting answers if not good answers. But 22:10 how did Jesus know stuff? 22:15 Right? For instance, when He said: "I saw Satan 22:18 fall like lightning... " it's like "I remember back before 22:21 I was born... " 22:23 "In the courts of heaven... It's still there because... " 22:27 No, no, no. Jesus doesn't have that recollection from back 22:31 there. He's fully human. He's laid aside 22:34 His divinity, right? 22:36 So how does He know? 22:38 And He says He saw it. 22:40 How did He see it? 22:44 Well let's take a look at this. Go to the book of John 22:46 chapter 5. 22:49 John chapter 5. How does Jesus do or know anything? 22:53 For instance, how did Jesus do His miracles? 22:55 Through God's help, right? Through God the Father 22:58 empowering Him. In fact, look at Jesus' own testimony 23:00 about how this works. The working relationship 23:02 between the Father and the Son. John chapter 5 23:06 starting with verse 18. 23:09 What must have been a typical day in the life of Jesus. 23:12 "Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him 23:16 because He not only broke the Sabbath but also said 23:19 that God was His Father, making Himself equal to God. " 23:22 And by the way, just a little parenthetical insertion here. 23:25 Whenever young people or something talk about how 23:27 "I don't go to church because people look down on me 23:30 Or they look at the way I dress or they look... " 23:32 OK. That even might be legitimate. 23:35 But they tried to kill Jesus 23:37 and He still kept coming to church. Amen? Amen! 23:39 It's like "I'm not coming to church for the people. 23:41 I'm coming to church for the person of Jesus Christ. " 23:44 Does that make sense? Close parentheses. 23:47 So Jesus deals with this. Verse 18: "Therefore the Jews 23:51 thought all the more to kill Him because He not only broke the 23:54 Sabbath but also said that God was His Father. " 23:57 And in their minds, what does this mean? 23:59 That made Him equal with God. 24:02 Now of course they claimed to be the children of Abraham 24:05 and thus - in some fashion - the children of God. 24:09 But they recognized that He was making a claim 24:12 far greater than just a generic- sense child of God. 24:16 He said: "I am THE SON OF GOD" and they said: 24:19 "THAT is blasphemy! " 24:21 But notice what Jesus replies then. 24:23 Verse 19: "Then Jesus answered and said to them: 24:25 'Most assuredly I say to you 24:27 the Son can do... " How much? "nothing of Himself 24:32 but what He sees the Father do 24:35 for whatever He does the Son also does in like manner. " 24:42 So Christ says: "I don't do anything of My own accord. 24:44 This is just Me living in a reliance state 24:47 on the Father. And whatever He shows me, 24:49 whatever I see from Him, that's what I do. " 24:51 Does that make sense? All right, go on to verse 19. 24:53 I'm sorry... verse 20: 24:58 "For the Father loves the Son and shows Him 25:02 all things that He Himself does. 25:05 And He will show Him greater works than these 25:07 that you may marvel. " 25:09 So Christ says: "No, no, no. Of course I... I do these things 25:12 but it's not in My power. I'm empowered by God 25:15 and the only way I know things and know what to do 25:17 or know what... is because He shows it to Me. 25:21 I of Myself can do nothing. " 25:23 So let's take that back to Luke chapter 10 when He says: 25:26 "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. " 25:29 He's not just paneling through His own memories. 25:32 He's being shown something. 25:35 Does that make sense? 25:36 Commenting on this statement "I saw Satan fall like lightning 25:40 from heaven" we find this exposition in Desire of Ages 25:43 page 490 where Mrs. White explains: 25:46 "The scenes of the past and the future 25:51 were presented to the mind of Christ. " 25:54 OK? Were presented to the mind of Jesus. 25:57 And notice: "the scenes of the past and the future. " 26:02 Talking about the fall of Satan. 26:06 And wouldn't you know it? She outlines four steps. 26:10 Step #1... the statement continues: 26:14 "He beheld Lucifer... " Again, this is in His mind's eye 26:17 that is being shown from the Father. 26:18 "He beheld Lucifer as he was first cast out 26:22 from the heavenly places. " 26:24 Step #1. 26:26 Goes on. #2: "He looked forward 26:29 to the scenes of His own agony 26:33 when before all the worlds the character of the deceiver 26:37 should be unveiled. 26:40 He heard the cry, 'It is finished! ' 26:42 announcing that the redemption of the lost race was forever 26:46 made certain, that heaven was made eternally secure 26:48 against the accusations, the deceptions, the pretensions, 26:51 that Satan would instigate. " 26:53 That's step 2 which happened at the cross... 26:56 which for Jesus at this moment in time is still future. 26:59 So He looked forward to that. 27:00 But there's more than just that. 27:04 Now, interestingly enough, 27:07 pay careful attention... Step 1: he's cast out of heaven. 27:09 Step 2: he's cast out of the sympathies of heavenly beings 27:12 at the cross. And now He's shown even more. 27:15 And she goes even past step 3 all the way down to step 4 27:19 that we're going to be focusing on today. 27:20 The next word: "Beyond the cross of Calvary, 27:24 with its agony and shame, 27:26 Jesus looked forward to the great final day 27:29 when the prince of the power of the air will meet his 27:33 destruction in the earth so long marred by his rebellion. 27:36 Jesus beheld the work of evil forever ended, 27:40 and the peace of God filling heaven and earth. " Amen! 27:43 So He looked beyond the cross 27:45 all the way down to the very end 27:48 and saw that it was all going to work out OK. Amen! 27:52 So there's step 1, step 2, and step 4. 27:55 And then we have an interestingly-veiled reference 27:58 to step 3 that we focused on last night. 28:00 "Henceforth... " So from the cross forward. 28:03 "Henceforth Christ's followers were to look upon Satan 28:07 as a conquered foe. 28:09 Upon the cross, Jesus was to gain the victory for them; " 28:13 And notice this now: 28:14 "that victory He desired them to accept as their own. " 28:19 Amen. 28:20 OK? Step 1: cast physically out of heaven. 28:23 Step 2: cast out of the sympathies of heavenly beings 28:25 at the cross. Step 3: those who were 28:28 at one time loyal to Satan can have a change of heart, 28:31 change of character, and be brought back into the image 28:33 of God. And step 4: final elimination of sin and Satan 28:37 altogether. Right there... 28:40 But here's what I want to focus on today. 28:42 Now that we understand step 1, 2, 3, and 4 28:45 in their sequence. Between steps 3 and 4, 28:50 between the victory of the repentant through the power 28:53 of Christ to overcome, to develop that Christ-like 28:57 character, and the ultimate destruction of Satan 28:59 there's a very, very long gap of time... 29:05 at least a thousand years 29:07 between the overcoming of the saints 29:10 and the destruction of Satan. 29:16 Now that's not exactly news to most everyone here I'm guessing. 29:22 Many are likely aware that after the second coming 29:25 because of course stage 3 culminates with the time of 29:28 trouble. And those who are righteous will be righteous 29:30 still and those who are wicked wicked still. 29:32 And Christ comes, the close of probation, seven last plagues, 29:34 Christ shows up. 29:36 Takes the righteous home with Him. The wicked are dead. 29:44 But there's going to be this thousand year period of time 29:47 after that event when the righteous will be in heaven, 29:52 the wicked will be in their graves, 29:55 and Satan still isn't dead. 30:02 I mean, I've grown up with this framework in my mind 30:07 but honestly, it has always bugged me a little bit 30:12 and led me to ask what I consider to be some pretty 30:15 important questions. 30:16 But chief among them, simply this: 30:19 "Why not just kill Satan right there and then 30:21 at the second coming? " 30:24 I mean, let's think this one through. 30:26 Once the close of probation has occurred; 30:29 once the seven last plagues have fallen 30:32 and Christ breaks through the eastern sky; 30:35 why not just have Satan die right then and there 30:37 and join the rest of the wicked and be dead? 30:41 I mean, every other unrepentant sinner is dead at this point. 30:44 So why not just let Satan and his angels join them 30:47 and call it a day? Be done! 30:48 Wrap the great controversy. And often times we think... 30:51 We look at the second coming and we think 30:53 that that's the end of the great controversy. 30:55 But it's nowhere near ended then. 30:58 Why at this point, even when all the decisions are made, 31:03 is Satan's existence continued? 31:08 What possible good? What possible merit 31:12 is there in prolonging the life of the author of sin 31:15 after everyone has made their choice? 31:19 And why will those wicked? Let's get even deeper. 31:22 Let's probe the character of God. What does this say about 31:24 our God? And why will those wicked who are at this point 31:29 dead - asleep as we understand the state of the dead to be 31:33 truth, right? - Why are they allowed to - 31:37 or let's just be honest - why are they required to 31:40 awaken from that slumber? Live again only to die again? 31:47 These are some challenges that scripture puts out there. 31:53 Is God just being cruel? 31:55 Or is there a reason why this millennium experience 31:59 is good or is at least necessary in God's plan? 32:03 What is the necessity, the spiritual significance of 32:07 the millennium? Because I know in my mind I've always 32:08 kind of... Yes, Jesus will come again and then the thousand 32:11 years will come and you know there'll be a judgment, 32:13 a review of the judgment, and then they'll raise the dead 32:15 and then they'll execute them and then... 32:17 It's just kind of like a string of bluup, pop... 32:20 and then Satan's wiped out. 32:23 And I guess it makes sense because it's far off in the 32:25 future and it doesn't... But this strikes at the very 32:28 heart of who is God. 32:29 Why is this process going forward in this manner? 32:33 We're going to study the spiritual significance 32:36 of the millennium now as we look at stage 4. 32:40 The most of our time we're going to be spending now 32:42 in the book of Revelation chapter 20. 32:45 Revelation chapter 20. 32:49 We're going to do a Bible study. 32:51 And again, that's not an apology just a statement of fact. 32:54 Get ready. 32:56 Starting with verse 1... Revelation chapter 20. 33:03 Scripture reads... and this, of course, is after 33:08 Revelation 19 where there's a description of the second coming 33:10 and the destruction of the wicked and the laying bare 33:12 of the earth. Then it says in chapter 20 verse 1: 33:15 "Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven 33:17 having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain 33:21 in his hand. " Verse 2: "He laid hold of the dragon, 33:25 that serpent of old who is the devil and Satan, 33:29 and... " And we wish it would say: 33:32 "and killed him on the spot. " 33:34 But it doesn't. 33:36 "and bound him for a thousand years. 33:41 And he cast him into the bottom- less pit and shut him up... " - 33:43 which I do like that part - 33:46 "and set a seal on him 33:49 so that he should deceive the nations no more... " 33:52 And it'd be great if it stopped right there, but look at 33:54 what it says: "till the thousand years were finished. " 33:57 The implication is: "We're going to let him go and then he's 34:00 going to deceive more people. " 34:02 What sense does this make? 34:06 "But after these things he... " and notice the language 34:09 "MUST be released for a little while. " 34:13 Not he just will be released or should be... HE MUST. 34:16 In God's plan, this is a necessity. 34:20 But why? 34:22 Well first of all, let's notice what we've just read. 34:24 The description of who is chained down is identical 34:28 to that as Revelation chapter 12 where we saw our first 34:30 three steps. The serpent of old called the devil and Satan. 34:34 So this is obviously building on that same Revelation 12. 34:38 It's that same character. 34:39 Now this is an expanded look at step 4. 34:43 Revelation 12 gives us 1, 2, and 3. 34:45 And here in Revelation 20 we get a magnifying lens. 34:48 We get to zoom in on the necessity of step 4. 34:51 This is the same serpent of old: the devil and Satan. 34:55 And the chain of circumstance, of course, with which he is 34:58 bound is just the simple fact that there is no one left 35:00 alive to tempt. He's all alone. 35:03 In fact, you can look this up in the writings of Mrs. White. 35:06 She talks about how he is stuck here and he can't even go 35:09 and - she uses the word - "annoy" the other planets. Amen! 35:12 Can't pester them. Can't bug them, hassle them. 35:14 He's just stuck here. 35:16 Which has to be a nice relief for them up there... 35:18 'cause you remember they stopped listening at the cross. 35:21 But that didn't mean he stopped talking. 35:23 But here, the whole thing... It literally means 35:26 they shut him up. Praise God! Amen. 35:29 But they didn't kill him; they just left him there 35:33 chained by circumstances. 35:37 The redeemed from the earth both rejoice in their salvation 35:39 'cause right there they're taken up. 35:41 They have met the dead who have risen in the Lord 35:43 in the air and they will be with them forevermore. 35:45 And of course that's going to be a day of rejoicing! 35:50 But at the same time 35:53 what are they going to do for the next thousand years? 35:55 And is that all going to be rejoicing? 36:00 They have to review the justice of God dealing with Satan 36:03 and those who chose to follow him. 36:05 The great controversy is not done at the second coming. Amen. 36:11 I believe we get a picture of this in Psalm 149. 36:15 Psalm 149 I believe helps illustrate 36:21 this dual joy and at the same time responsibility 36:26 for judgment that the saints will experience 36:29 during the millennium. Psalm 149. 36:31 It's only nine verses long, but follow the sequence here 36:34 and see if this doesn't sound like the event we have just 36:36 described where the redeemed go to join the Lord in the air 36:39 and have that great fellowship. But the controversy's not ended. 36:42 They must look at this unfolding drama yet some more. 36:48 Psalm 149 starting with verse 1. 36:50 "Praise the Lord. Sing to the Lord a new song 36:53 and His praise in the assembly of His saints. 36:56 Let Israel rejoice in their Maker. 36:58 Let the children of Zion be joyful in their King. 37:01 Let them praise His name with the dance. 37:04 Let them sing praises to Him with the timbrel and harp. 37:06 For the Lord takes pleasure in His people. 37:09 He will beautify the humble with salvation. 37:12 Let the saints be joyful in glory. 37:15 Let them sing aloud on their beds. 37:17 Let their high praises of God be in their mouth... " 37:20 And that sounds great. But look at what it says next: 37:22 "and a two-edged sword in their hands... " 37:26 Why? Verse 7: 37:28 "to execute vengeance on the nations 37:31 and punishment on the people. 37:34 To bind their kings with chains 37:38 and their nobles with fetters of iron 37:41 to execute on them the written judgment. " 37:46 Notice it's not even their judgment. 37:47 They're just reviewing the judgment that's already been 37:49 written. 37:51 "This honor have all the saints. Praise the Lord. " 37:58 But do you see the dichotomy of joy and solemn responsibility 38:02 that these saints will experience during and after 38:05 the second coming? 38:06 The controversy's not ended then. In fact, 38:08 they have a responsibility during the millennium. 38:10 Go to I Corinthians chapter 4. 38:13 Verses 1-5. Paul repeatedly comes back to this... 38:16 especially in the letter to the Corinthians. 38:21 Chapter 4, verses 1 through 5. 38:24 And follow his logic. I Corinthians 4 starting with 38:26 verse 1: "Let a man so consider us 38:32 as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries 38:34 of God. " And remember we saw last night that Paul is 38:37 keenly aware that he is a spectacle - both to men 38:40 and to angels. And he says: "Let them consider us; 38:43 I know I'm being watched. " "Moreover... " verse 2... 38:47 "it is required in stewards that one be found faithful. 38:52 But with me it is a very small thing if I should be judged 38:55 by you or by a human court. 38:57 In fact, I don't even judge myself! 39:00 For I know... " And this is Paul's humility... 39:03 "for I know of nothing against myself. 39:06 Yet I am not justified by this. " 39:09 He's like: "I search my heart and I think I'm doing well 39:11 with God and I don't care if I go before a human tribunal. " 39:14 "But he who judges me is the Lord. " 39:17 He says there's a greater judgment than the court 39:19 of public opinion, OK? 39:21 "But therefore... " verse 5... 39:23 So the application in the Christian's life that he's 39:25 writing from Corinth he says here in verse 5: 39:28 "Therefore judge nothing... " 39:31 Now we've often heard: "Judge not lest ye be judged. " 39:33 And we think: "Oh, we're not supposed to judge at all. " 39:36 But that's not what Paul is saying here. 39:38 Watch what he says: "Therefore judge nothing 39:41 before... " What? "the time; " 39:43 "until... " What's that event? "the Lord comes 39:47 who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness 39:51 and reveal the counsels of the heart. 39:54 Then each one's praise will come from God. " 39:56 You see what he's saying there? From a human perspective 40:00 we can't judge because we don't see as God sees. 40:02 He sees the truth. He sees the motives; the intents; 40:05 the secret thoughts of the heart. 40:07 So until that day comes, you can't sit in judgment 40:11 on other people because you don't see the whole story. 40:14 I praise God that there will be people in the kingdom 40:17 who I'm like... "Seriously? Hey, but great! " Amen! 40:21 But that's what we're going to get to see as that millennium 40:24 unfolds is what God has been seeing all along. 40:26 He's going to show us the intents and thoughts 40:28 of the heart. And Paul says "Then you can judge. 40:31 But until then, stand back... reserve judgment. " Amen. 40:35 Go two chapters over... chapter 6. 40:37 He comes back to this again: verses 1 through 3. 40:41 "Dare any of you, having a matter against another, 40:45 go to law before the unrighteous and not before the saints? " 40:49 He's like: "If you guys are quarreling between each other 40:51 and you go to a secular court, why is that a good thing? " 40:55 Verse 2: "Do you not know... " And again, we saw last night 40:59 Paul uses that phrase. "Don't you get it? " 41:00 "Don't you see? This is common sense 41:02 in the Christian faith. You should understand this. " 41:04 "Do you not know that the saints will... " Do what? 41:07 "Will judge the world. And if the world will be judged by you 41:12 are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? " 41:15 He's like: "You should... You guys... you should start 41:18 to develop a judicious mind now because the Lord is 41:21 going to be using you to judge the world. " 41:24 In fact he goes on: "Not only the world... " 41:26 Verse 3: "Do you not know that we shall judge angels? " 41:31 How much more things that pertain to this life? " 41:35 We will judge angels; we're going to be judging the world 41:39 and reviewing that written counsel of God 41:43 that searches the intents of the heart. 41:45 That's what's going on during the millennium. 41:48 So don't have this idea that when Jesus comes 41:50 everything's done and it's all better. No, no, no, no, no. 41:52 There's still a solemn, serious work to be done; 41:55 Christ wants something else to occur. 41:57 Now let's go back to Revelation 20 and verse 7. 42:00 20 and verse 7. 42:07 No, no, no... let's just... We're not even done yet. 42:09 Let's go to still verse 4. 42:11 This description of what we've just studied in scripture. 42:14 Verse 4, Revelation 20. 42:15 "And I saw thrones, and they that sat on them 42:19 and judgment was committed to them. " 42:22 Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded 42:25 for their witness to Jesus and for the Word of God 42:27 who had not worshiped the beast or his image 42:29 and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their 42:32 hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ 42:34 for a thousand years. But the rest of the dead 42:38 did not live again until the thousand years were finished. " 42:44 OK, so this thousand-year period of time where the saints are 42:47 judging the world, he says: "This is the 1st resurrection. " 42:52 "Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. 42:56 Over such the second death has no power. 43:00 But they shall be priests of God and of Christ 43:02 and shall reign with Him a thousand years. " 43:06 That's what's happening during the millennium 43:09 on heaven's end of the spectrum. 43:13 But now let's continue to verse 7: 43:15 "Now, when the thousand years have expired 43:20 Satan will be released from his prison 43:23 and will go out to deceive the nations which are 43:27 in the four corners of the earth. " 43:29 And notice the implication: now they're alive. 43:31 The rest of the dead have now come to life, and he's going out 43:34 "to deceive Gog and Magog; to gather them... " 43:38 For what purpose? "for battle, whose number... " - 43:42 and this is one of the saddest verses of scripture - 43:45 "whose number is as the sands of the sea. " 43:50 So what do they do? Verse 9: 43:53 "They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded 43:56 the camp of the saints and the beloved city. " 43:58 Do you get the picture? The city's there. 44:02 The camp of the saints is right there on earth. 44:03 And they marshal this grand army together, 44:07 and they come after and surround the city of God. 44:11 And we see the end of that battle. 44:15 "And fire came down from God out of heaven 44:19 and devoured them. " 44:21 Of course we know it's an unsuccessful surge. 44:25 "The devil who deceived them was cast into the lake of fire 44:28 and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. 44:30 And they will tormented day and night forever and ever. " 44:34 And as we understand the Biblical concept of forever 44:36 it means until it is all accomplished, OK. 44:39 Tilll that baleful work has been completed. 44:42 It will not be extinguished until the work is done. 44:46 Now... 44:51 we're going to come back to those 44:52 couple verses, but I want to 44:53 read to you now. And all the extra-Biblical references 44:57 that follow are found in the last chapter 44:59 of The Great Controversy, OK? 45:01 Let me implore you. I beseech you; I beg of you: 45:04 the days are getting longer. You've got plenty of Sabbath 45:07 afternoon. Go read that last chapter 45:10 of The Great Controversy. 45:13 "Now... " commenting on this experience of gathering the army 45:17 together... "Now Satan prepares for a last mighty struggle 45:21 for the supremacy. While deprived of his power 45:25 and cut off from his work of deception 45:27 the prince of evil was miserable and dejected. 45:30 But as the wicked dead are raised and he sees the vast 45:33 multitude on his side, his hopes revive 45:38 and he determines not to yield the great controversy. " 45:42 So that stubbornness in his heart... 45:44 He sees an audience listening to him. He's like 45:47 maybe, just maybe, I've got one last shot. 45:52 "His hopes revive... He will marshal all the armies of the 45:55 lost under his banner and through them endeavor 45:58 to execute his plan. " 46:00 Little parenthetical insert: 46:02 Notice that God wants to answer Satan's charges 46:05 and fight the devil through His church? 46:07 Satan wants the same thing too. 46:10 He's going to use his followers to battle Christ. 46:14 To execute his plan. 46:16 "The wicked are Satan's captives. In rejecting Christ 46:20 they have accepted the rule of the rebel leader. 46:22 They are ready to receive his suggestions and to do 46:26 his bidding. " She then continues: 46:29 "At last the order to advance is given and the countless host 46:32 moves on - an army such as was never summoned 46:35 by earthly conquerors, such as the combined forces of all 46:38 ages since war began on earth could never equal. 46:41 Satan, the mightiest of warriors, leads the van, 46:44 and his angels unite their forces for this final struggle. 46:47 Kings and warriors are in his train, and the multitudes follow 46:50 in vast companies, each under its appointed leader. 46:53 With military precision, the serried ranks advance 46:56 over the earth's broken and uneven surface 46:58 to the City of God. By command of Jesus, 47:01 the gates of the New Jerusalem are closed, and the armies 47:03 of Satan surround the city and make ready for the onset. " 47:10 In the midst of this description of this massive army 47:14 surging against the City of God 47:16 something right there at the very end might have just 47:19 slid right past. 47:25 Notice what this says: "By command of Jesus, 47:28 the gates of the New Jerusalem are closed. " 47:33 What does that imply about the gates during that whole amassing 47:38 of the armies on earth? They've been open. 47:44 Christ has brought the New Jerusalem down. 47:46 He doesn't put up a fence or a barrier to keep anyone out. 47:50 In fact, the gates are wide open. 47:53 Now this is sanctified imagination. 47:56 You will not find this in scripture; you will not 47:57 find this in the Spirit of Prophecy. 47:58 So if it's wrong, that's my fault. 48:00 But a friend of mine has put this idea in my mind 48:04 and I like it... so I'm going to share it with you. 48:05 You can almost picture God... 48:07 Of course, everyone at the close of probation has made their 48:10 choice. Their character is set. No one's going to return. 48:13 But it's not because God's keeping them out! 48:16 It's because they won't come in! 48:18 He's almost sitting like Noah on the edge of the ark 48:21 as the storm clouds are approaching. 48:23 You know, and He says: "If anyone's out there 48:27 and still wants to come in, 48:29 please know that it would make my joy complete 48:35 for you to accept My invitation. " 48:39 The doors are wide open; access is full and free... 48:42 yet no one wants to come in. 48:47 This is a huge, significant point in my mind. 48:52 Earlier in the chapter if you were to read it full... 48:54 through she said... She describes the character 48:56 of those who have been resurrected, these wicked dead 48:58 now alive: "As the wicked went into their graves 49:02 so they come forth with the same enmity to Christ 49:04 and the same spirit of rebellion. " 49:05 And notice carefully: "A second probation 49:08 were it given them... " And I'm not saying that it was, 49:11 but were it even given them... 49:12 "would be occupied as was the first: in evading 49:15 the requirements of God and inciting rebellion 49:18 against Him. " Even if God were to let them in now, 49:21 they wouldn't want to go. 49:26 Hmmm. And again, the onlooking universe it watching. 49:34 We go to Revelation chapter 20 verse 12. 49:41 "And I saw the dead, small and great, 49:44 standing before God and books were opened. 49:46 And another book was opened which was the Book of Life 49:48 and the dead were judged according to their works, 49:50 by the things which were written in the books. 49:52 The sea gave up the dead who were in it 49:54 and death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them, 49:56 and they were judged each one according to his works. 50:00 Then death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. 50:03 This is the second death. 50:04 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life 50:07 was cast into the lake of fire. " 50:08 So notice what we've just read there. 50:10 This judgment should actually be inserted chronologically 50:13 in the midst of verse 9. Go back to verse 9. 50:16 Says here: "They went up on the breadth of the earth 50:19 and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city" 50:21 and then it jumps to "and fire came down. " 50:23 Well that's just jumping to the end of the story. 50:25 What happens between those two sentences is 50:27 described at the end of Revelation 20: 50:28 what's called The Great White Throne Judgment. 50:32 Before the Lord executes judgment 50:34 He sets up a tribunal. And this is crucially important: 50:38 so that even the wicked can see why 50:42 the justice must come. 50:46 Think about what we're saying here. 50:50 "As soon as the books of record are opened... " 50:52 Mrs. White continues... 50:54 "the eye of Jesus... " He's already been lifted up 50:56 above the crowd now. So you get this picture 50:58 as you read through that last chapter that the surge 51:00 is coming; the armies are advancing. They're surrounding 51:02 the City of God and there's about to have a battle 51:04 break forth, but Jesus rises above the whole thing 51:07 and all is silenced. 51:09 The picture that we have is like Jesus when He walked into the 51:13 temple to cleanse it. 51:17 He had a whip, of course, in His hand. 51:18 But He didn't have to whip anyone. His look just arrested 51:21 their attention. Everything halts. 51:23 It's as if the silence is painful. 51:26 And everyone in the universe is focused on Christ. 51:29 Watch this now: 51:31 "As soon as the books of record are opened and the eye of Jesus 51:33 looks upon the wicked, they are conscious of every sin 51:36 which they've ever committed. 51:37 Above the throne is revealed the cross... " 51:40 So basically He's going to play a panoramic view 51:45 and He puts the cross as the center, the fulcrum, 51:47 of the plan of salvation. 51:49 By the way, the great controversy's not against the 51:51 cross. It highlights the cross. It makes the cross central. 51:54 Says here: "Above the throne is revealed the cross; 51:57 and like a panoramic view appear the scenes of Adam's temptation 52:01 and fall, and the successive steps in the great plan 52:06 of redemption. " 52:08 So the series we've just gone through, Christ will take 52:11 the entire universe through and show definitively 52:14 from beginning to end what the consequences of every person's 52:17 choices were. 52:19 "It is now evident to all that the wages of sin is not 52:23 noble independence and eternal life, but slavery, ruin, 52:27 and death. The wicked see what they have forfeited 52:32 by their life of rebellion. 52:34 The far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory 52:36 was despised when offered them 52:38 but how desirable it now appears. " 52:42 'All this' cries the lost soul 'I might have had 52:45 but I chose to put these things far from me. 52:49 Oh, strange infatuation! 52:54 I have exchanged peace, happiness, and honor 52:56 for wretchedness, infamy, and despair. ' " 52:59 I have this underlined in my notes: 53:02 "All see that their exclusion from heaven is just. 53:07 By their lives they have declared 53:11 'We will not have this Man Jesus to reign over us. ' " 53:14 See what they're saying? 53:16 Even with all the enticements, enhancements of heaven, 53:20 all the beauty and glory, they look at that and say: 53:23 "As much as I would like all the benefits of heaven, 53:25 I would rather not exist than have to live under His rule. " 53:32 They want to get in, but in the life they lived here 53:36 they didn't develop a character that would fit in. 53:39 Do you see the difference? 53:42 God doesn't want to just get people into heaven. 53:44 He wants to fit them for heaven. 53:48 This is the greater controversy. 53:50 "As if entranced, the wicked have looked upon the coronation 53:54 of the Son of God. They see in His hands the tablets 53:56 of the divine law, the statutes which they have despised 53:58 and transgressed. They witness the outburst of wonder, rapture, 54:01 and adoration from the saved; 54:03 and as... " Now notice this... "and as the wave of melody 54:07 sweeps over the multitude without the city... " 54:10 So the praise starts within the city but it overflows 54:12 even to the wicked. 54:15 "all with one voice exclaim, 'Great and marvelous 54:19 are Thy works, Lord God Almighty: just and true 54:21 are Thy ways, Thou King of saints' 54:23 and falling prostrate, they worship the Prince of life. " 54:30 Hmmm. At this point 54:33 almost the entire universe has acknowledged 54:35 the supremacy of Christ and the government of God. 54:37 The unfallen worlds and sinless angels 54:40 have chosen whom they will serve. 54:41 Those fallen ones who through the grace of Christ 54:44 have been restored into the image of God have chosen 54:46 whom they will serve. Now even the wicked 54:49 though not choosing to serve God 54:52 by the sheer weight of evidence - 54:54 not out of love, not out of repentance, but by the sheer 54:57 evidence amounted by their own life and character - 54:59 are forced to acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord. 55:03 Now there's only one being left. 55:09 Final two statements. 55:13 "The aim of the great rebel has ever been to justify himself 55:16 and to prove the divine government responsible 55:18 for the rebellion. To this end he has bent all the power 55:23 of his giant intellect. But the time has now come 55:26 when the rebellion is to be finally defeated 55:28 and the history and character of Satan disclosed. 55:31 In his last great effort to dethrone Christ, 55:34 destroy His people, and take possession of the great 55:36 City of God, the archdeceiver has been fully unmasked. 55:40 Those who have united with him... " Even the wicked... 55:44 "see the total failure of his cause. 55:47 Christ's followers and the loyal angels behold the full extent 55:50 of his machinations against the government of God. 55:54 He is the object of universal abhorrence. " 55:57 Everyone in the universe is off of his side 56:00 and he's the only one left. 56:03 But the promise is not that "most knees shall bow. " 56:07 "Every knee shall bow. " 56:10 "Satan sees that his voluntary rebellion has unfitted him 56:14 for heaven. He has trained his powers to war against God; 56:19 the purity, peace, and harmony of heaven would be to him 56:22 supreme torture. " 56:24 For him to go to heaven would be the equivalent of going to hell. 56:30 "His accusations against the mercy and justice of God 56:33 are now silenced. The reproach which he has endeavored to cast 56:36 upon Jehovah rests wholly upon himself. 56:38 And now Satan bows down and confesses the justice 56:41 of his sentence. " Amen. 56:43 "Every question of truth and error in the longstanding 56:45 controversy has now been made plain. 56:47 The results of rebellion, the fruits of setting aside 56:50 the divine statutes, have been laid open to the view of all 56:52 created intelligences. The working out of Satan's rule 56:55 in contrast with the government of God has been presented 56:57 to the whole universe. Satan's own works have condemned him. 57:01 God's wisdom, His justice, and His goodness 57:04 stand fully vindicated. " Amen! 57:07 The reason Satan was not destroyed at the second coming 57:09 is because there was a promise in Philippians chapter 2. 57:12 "That at the name of Jesus EVERY knee shall bow 57:16 and EVERY tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord 57:19 to the glory of God the Father. " 57:22 We serve a God of due process 57:25 who doesn't want to leave a stone unturned 57:27 but wants every question answered and every created 57:30 intelligence to choose whom they will serve. |
Revised 2014-12-17