Participants: James Rafferty
Series Code: AOT
Program Code: AOT000114
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00:12 Welcome to Anchors Of Truth live from the 3ABN Worship Center.
00:23 Good morning friends, and welcome to the 00:25 3ABN Worship Center right here located in 00:28 Thompsonville/ West Frankfort, Illinois. 00:31 Thank you for taking the time to join us this 00:33 beautiful Sabbath morning. 00:34 It's cold outside, but the Lord is warming our 00:37 hearts on the inside. 00:38 Can the church say amen to that? 00:40 God has blessed us from night to night with 00:42 Pastor James Rafferty, focusing on the timely 00:45 all important messages of Revelation chapter 13. 00:48 So don't change the channel. 00:50 Maybe you want to hit the record button, 00:52 invite your family and friends to sit down 00:54 and understand the time in which we live. 00:58 These are challenging times for anyone who names 01:01 the name of Christ. 01:03 It's not just to inform you about the prophecies of 01:05 Revelation chapter 13, but what we should do 01:08 in light of theses prophecies. 01:10 And most importantly, the relationship that 01:12 we should have with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. 01:16 Now normally I would open with prayer, but this morning 01:18 I've given that opportunity to Pastor James Rafferty. 01:21 But as I sing this song this morning, I have up my mind, 01:25 I stand with the Hebrews in the fiery furnace, 01:28 I stand with Daniel in the lion's den, 01:30 with all the faithful, when fame and fortune 01:33 and all the things that the world has to offer us 01:36 comes to our table. 01:38 The song writer said it best, "I'll worship only 01:42 at the feet of Jesus." 01:56 I went to visit the shrines of plenty, 02:07 but found its storerooms all filled with dust. 02:19 Then I bowed at alters of gold and silver; 02:31 but as I knelt there they turned to rust. 02:41 So I'll worship only 02:47 at the feet of Jesus; 02:53 His cup alone, my holy grail. 03:05 There'll be no other 03:12 gods before Him; 03:17 Just Jesus only will never fail. 03:30 The call of fortune made me its pilgrim 03:40 to journey to things promised us. 03:52 But as I climbed, all the promises faded; 04:04 and wind blew lonely all through the night. 04:15 So I'll worship only 04:21 at the feet of Jesus; 04:27 His cup alone is my holy grail. 04:39 There'll be no other 04:45 gods before Him; 04:50 Just Jesus only will never fail. 05:04 Just desert dust and empty shadows; 05:14 all promises now turned to lies. 05:26 For the gods of earth failed and betrayed me; 05:38 For You alone are the truth and life. 05:48 So I'll worship only 05:55 at the feet of Jesus; 06:01 His cup alone is my holy grail. 06:12 And there'll be no other 06:18 gods before Him; 06:24 Just Jesus only will never fail. 06:35 Just Jesus only 06:42 will never fail. 07:00 Amen, John. Thank you. 07:02 Again, you are blessed to have preachers that can sing and 07:07 singers that can preach. 07:09 I can't do both of those things. 07:12 God is good. 07:14 By His grace we can at least get the preaching part done. 07:17 As long as we stay in the Word. 07:19 How are you this morning? 07:21 Just want to wish you a blessed day. 07:24 Which is what it is, isn't it? 07:26 We are in the prophecies of the Bible, Daniel and Revelation. 07:31 That's where we've been all week. 07:32 And we're just going to continue there. 07:34 We're going to open our Bibles to Revelation 13. 07:36 And as we do that, we're just going to pause 07:39 for a moment or two and ask the Holy Spirit 07:41 to be here to lead and guide our hearts and our minds. 07:44 Father in heaven, just thank You this morning again 07:46 for the opportunity to open Your Word, 07:48 to ask for the presence of Your Holy Spirit. 07:51 You have directed us to Him as the anointing that teaches us 07:56 so that we don't need to rely on any man to teach us 07:58 and guide us, but we can go directly to your word. 08:01 And that's what we want to do today and every day. 08:05 Father, this opportunity we give to You. 08:08 That's why we're here. 08:09 It's a time of fellowship, of worship, of study, prayer. 08:15 And we just want to praise You for this opportunity, 08:17 for this day in time that You have covenanted to be with us, 08:21 that You've set aside to bless us and fellowship with us. 08:26 Answer our needs, meet our hearts desires, 08:30 direct us, guide us, protect us, keep us, 08:34 prepare us through Your Word. 08:35 We pray in Jesus' name, amen. 08:40 Okay, we are in Revelation. 08:41 I want to share with you a little story or an illustration. 08:44 This goes back to 1847. 08:50 Over 165 years ago. 08:52 There were a group of people, not more than a hundred people, 08:56 that had survived a bitter disappointment. 08:59 There had been thousands of people involved in a movement 09:01 that led to a proclamation of the return of Jesus Christ 09:06 in October of 1844. 09:09 And just a few years after this disappointment 09:12 there were just, well, 50 to 100 people 09:16 that had held onto the truths that had motivated and 09:20 spurred this movement. 09:22 And that group of people was scattered. 09:26 A scattered little flock. 09:29 And there was a book that was put together 09:31 by a couple of pioneers. 09:34 Well, three to be exact. 09:35 There was a man by the name of James White, 09:38 another man by the name of Joseph Bates, 09:40 and then there was a young lady by the name of Ellen White. 09:45 She was about 18, James White was about 25, 09:49 and Joseph Bates, well, he was a real old guy like about my age. 09:53 I'm 51. 09:55 And they put this book together and they wrote it 09:58 to the little flock that was scattered abroad. 10:01 Anyone know what the name of that book was? 10:05 A Word to the Little Flock. 10:08 A Word to the Little Flock. 10:10 I really encourage you to find that book and read it. 10:13 You can find it in a couple of different places. 10:14 I was listening to it this morning, because I was 10:17 able to do that, and it reminded me a lot of our past. 10:22 And in this book, there was a lot of clarification about 10:27 certain interpretations of prophecy. 10:29 Primarily, James White was dealing with Revelation 13 10:36 and Daniel 11. 10:38 And his point was this; it is clear when you read 10:43 Revelation chapter 13 and Daniel 11, specifically the 10:48 last verses, and especially verse 45, that probation 10:54 has not closed yet. 10:56 Michael has not stood up yet. 10:59 The seven last plagues have not been poured out yet. 11:02 The time of trouble has not begun yet. 11:04 The resurrection has not taken place yet. 11:08 He was encouraging the little flock. 11:11 Yes, we were disappointed. 11:13 And yes, we misunderstood some of the detail of, you know, 11:16 what 1844 was all about. 11:19 But there are prophecies yet to be fulfilled. 11:23 Now the reason why I bring that up is because 11:26 I think it will help us this morning as we make a 11:29 connection in this presentation about coming economic control 11:34 between Revelation 13 and Daniel 11. 11:39 There are a number of connections. 11:40 I've been doing this study and outline that is developing about 11:44 a dozen or so connections between those two sections 11:46 of Scripture, specifically Daniel 11:40-12:3 11:49 and Revelation 13:1-18. 11:54 But this morning we want to look at one specific connection. 11:57 And that is the connection that predicts economic control. 12:02 We're going to look at this from two perspectives. 12:04 And I'm going to take you back to a statement from James White 12:06 in A Word To The Little Flock as we close, but right now 12:11 we're going to skip ahead to Revelation 13 verses 16 and 17. 12:16 Just look at these verses with me. 12:19 It's in a sense a bold prediction. 12:22 And we are a people of bold predictions, but those 12:25 bold predictions are based, I hope, on the sure word 12:29 of prophecy. 12:30 We have nothing to fear in making bold predictions 12:34 if they are founded on the sure word of prophecy. 12:37 And so, here's what the Word of God says 12:39 in Revelation 13:15 and 16. 12:43 "And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, 12:47 that the image of the beast should both speak and cause 12:51 as many as would not worship the image of the beast 12:54 should be killed. 12:56 And he caused all, both small and great, rich and poor, 13:00 free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand 13:04 or in their foreheads. 13:05 That no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, 13:11 or the name of the beast, or the number of his name." 13:15 Now we've identified in previous presentations 13:19 that a beast in Bible prophecy represents a kingdom 13:22 or a power, an earthly kingdom or a power. 13:24 So this is talking about an earthly kingdom or power... 13:28 Specifically we've also identified that this power in 13:31 Revelation chapter 13 includes the United States of America. 13:36 ...an earthly kingdom or a power that has the might, 13:40 the strength, the influence, the economic backbone, 13:43 to actually cause the entire world to, well, 13:50 to face economic boycott. 13:52 You might say, "Wow, that's a pretty bold statement." 13:55 We make it based on a lot of information that we've 13:58 already looked at, but I would like to suggest 14:00 a few things that would help us to understand 14:03 how this is even possible. 14:04 Because the statement, first of all, is made on the Word of God. 14:08 I remember, again, when I first accepted the Adventist message 14:12 in 1984 and that the biggest power in the world back then 14:15 was not the United States. 14:16 It was the U.S.S.R. 14:19 And the idea that the United States was going to be 14:22 prominent, preeminent, in enforcing upon the world 14:26 economic boycott, that all the other nations would follow 14:29 their lead, well that just seemed like a stretch to me. 14:33 Difficult to accept. 14:35 But I did by faith. Only by faith. 14:37 You know, faith is the substance of things hoped for, 14:39 the evidence of things not seen. 14:40 Or the evidence of things hoped for, the substance of things... 14:42 Anyway, Hebrews 11 verse 1. 14:44 The idea was, was that most of the evidence that I had 14:48 seen already in the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation 14:52 had bolstered, had developed, had strengthened my faith 14:55 to believe that, well even though I didn't see 14:57 this happening in the world, it was going to happen. 15:00 Because God was clearly indicating from all the evidence 15:02 that it would happen. 15:04 And that's where faith steps in and draws a line between 15:09 what we can see and feel, and what God says. 15:13 There's a lot of things that I see and feel in my life 15:16 that make it feel like it's impossible for God's word 15:20 to be fulfilled in me, for me. 15:23 I feel unworthy. 15:25 I feel like a sinner. 15:26 I see myself failing Jesus. 15:28 I see myself falling short of the glory of God. 15:31 I feel like I'm never going to make it. 15:34 But what does God's word say? 15:35 "I'm the author and I'm the finisher. 15:38 I'm going to finish what I began." 15:40 I am going to overcome by the grace of Jesus Christ. 15:45 His grace is sufficient for me. 15:46 These are the promises of God. 15:48 So I have to rest my case on those promises 15:51 no matter how ugly I look when I look in the mirror 15:53 in the morning or in the evening or any time during the day. 15:57 I'm not talking about physical appearance. 15:59 Though that might apply also as I get older. 16:02 I'm talking about the ugliness, the horror, 16:06 of the selfishness that I see over and over again in my life. 16:09 And it's the same with Bible prophecy. 16:11 Bible prophecy cannot be separated 16:13 from personal Christian experience. 16:15 They are connected like a hand and glove. 16:17 Even more so. 16:18 Like veins in our hands carrying the lifeblood of faith 16:23 to our heart, to our brain, to everywhere. 16:25 And so as I look at the world today, I say, "Okay, difficult. 16:28 1984, really difficult. Today? Maybe more so." 16:31 We think about, for example, economic boycotts that have 16:34 taken place against nations like Iran and North Korea 16:39 and Cuba. 16:41 We think about the economic influence that has taken place 16:44 in countries that are Muslim, like Pakistan where the 16:48 day that businesses are closed in this Islamic state is Sunday 16:52 and not Friday, for economic reasons. 16:55 As we look at this evidence, and the point here 16:58 in using these examples is not to make judgments 17:01 for or against those actions and the nations that follow 17:05 our lead in those actions. 17:08 It's just to point them out as a matter of fact. 17:10 They are examples that help us to see that this 17:13 prophecy in Revelation can be fulfilled. 17:16 That we have already principles in place that are leading us 17:20 in this direction, for good or bad reasons, 17:22 whatever you want to say. 17:24 And that down the stream of time, the general trajectory, 17:31 the general consummation of events today are 17:36 leading us to a place where these words 17:39 will be completely fulfilled. 17:42 Because people, whether they're secular or not, 17:45 panic when Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21, 17:52 when the wars and rumors of wars terrify them. 17:56 When commotions and fearful signs in the heavens 17:59 and earthquakes and natural disasters overwhelm them. 18:01 Think about 9/11. 18:03 Just before 9/11 took place in this country one of the 18:06 biggest issues that was being debated in the public sphere 18:11 was prayer in public. 18:13 Prayer at football games and high schools, nativity scenes. 18:17 I mean, there was just this debate, this conflict, 18:20 that was taking place. 18:21 9/11 hit, and the President of the United States 18:23 got on the TV and he prayed. 18:27 On national television he prayed. 18:29 The debate was over. 18:31 The conflict was done, it was settled. 18:32 There was a crisis before us. 18:35 And that crisis filled the churches, filled the pews, 18:41 and united all of us under a religious umbrella, of sorts. 18:48 Now multiply that crisis, according to Matthew 24:8, 18:52 and of course Mark 13 and Luke 21, where Jesus says 18:55 these signs of natural disasters and wars 18:58 and terror and commotions in the heavens, 19:01 these signs are going to increase. 19:03 They're going to be like birth pangs, they're going to 19:04 increase with intensity and frequency, 19:06 until finally all the nations are going to unite together. 19:09 They're going to have to unite together. 19:10 They're going to have to do it to somehow remedy, 19:14 to somehow solve, to somehow bring hope 19:18 to the world who have forsaken the only hope. 19:21 And that is the hope we have in Jesus. 19:23 So this first Scripture in Revelation chapter 13 19:29 indicates that there's going to be some economic control. 19:34 And it doesn't matter in this time if you are rich or poor. 19:39 It doesn't matter in this time if you are strong or weak, 19:42 if you are bond or free. 19:45 It doesn't matter. 19:46 The control is going to be of such a nature 19:48 that it's going to take a hold of everyone. 19:51 Everyone is going to have to conform 19:52 to this economic control. 19:55 I would say everyone will conform. 19:56 Because it's going to be more of a situation where it's like, 19:59 "You know, we really need to do this." 20:00 I mean, who's going to oppose those things that have been 20:03 implemented as a result of 9/11? 20:06 Certainly I'm not. 20:07 I'm not going to go to the airport and say, 20:09 "Well I'm sorry, but I want to put my liquids in my bag 20:11 and I want to take them through. 20:13 And I want to have my little pocket knife in there, 20:15 and there's no way you're going to take that away from me." 20:17 I'm not going to be able to do that. 20:18 This is for the good of the whole nation. 20:20 This is for the good of the world. 20:22 Think about the pressure that's going to come down 20:24 on you, on us, in that time when worship, 20:29 which is repeated here seven or eight times in 20:31 Revelation 13 and 14, becomes the central focus of the issue 20:35 about which this economic boycott centers. 20:39 Think about where our faith is going to be then 20:43 when we are tested to stand for Jesus by saying 20:49 a prayer for our food in public. 20:51 You ever been in that kind of situation? 20:53 I travel a lot and sometimes I'm in an airport, 20:55 sometimes I'm traveling in a place where, you know, 20:57 there's no one around me that I know. 20:59 It's easy when I travel with my wife, because if I'm 21:00 with my wife I can grab her hand and we can pray together. 21:02 I've got her, she's got me. 21:04 But when I'm by myself, I'm just sitting down there 21:06 and there's all these people around me 21:08 and I'm getting ready to eat, it's like, okay. 21:14 Okay, I'm the only one that feels that way? 21:15 There's a couple of people nodding their heads. 21:17 It can be challenging for us. 21:20 Because we are insecure and we wonder how 21:23 people think toward us. 21:25 And we want to be accepted by our peers 21:28 and by the rest of the world. 21:29 We don't want to be hated by anyone. 21:31 We love Jesus. 21:32 After all, we want to be considered good people. 21:37 It's at those times when it's nice to remember that 21:40 we are selfish to the core and that Jesus alone is good. 21:44 None other. 21:45 And that He Himself is our righteousness, 21:51 so that we can put our full trust in Him. 21:53 And therefore refuse to deny Him in any way, shape, or form 21:58 in any circumstances or situations. 22:00 Because He is our everything. 22:02 To deny Him is to deny anything and everything 22:05 that matters in life. 22:07 The other verse we want to look at this morning is found 22:09 in Daniel chapter 11. 22:12 Daniel chapter 11, one of my favorite chapters, 22:15 Daniel 11 verse 43. 22:18 Now, I'm going to read this verse, then I'm going to 22:21 give you a little bit of background to this particular 22:25 section of Scripture, prophetic Scripture. 22:27 Because it is challenging and difficult. 22:28 Daniel 11:43 says, "But he," speaking of this 22:33 king of the north. 22:34 That's the context, the flow of the prophecy. 22:36 "But he shall have power over the treasures 22:40 of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt. 22:46 And the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall follow 22:49 at his steps," or follow after him. 22:51 Now, if you combine these two sections, these prophetic 22:54 sections of Scripture together, what you have is this: 22:58 There is a power in the end of time, 23:00 and I would say an alliance of powers, 23:02 that is going to have control of the gold, the silver, 23:04 and the precious things so that no man can buy or sell. 23:08 That's the basic message God is giving. 23:10 That's why I believe these two chapters 23:12 actually connect together. 23:15 Now again, there's a little bit of controversy over this. 23:18 This second Scripture in Daniel can be a little bit more 23:21 difficult to understand. 23:22 And partly because Daniel verses 40 through 45 23:27 are somewhat controversial. 23:28 In our history there have been varying interpretations. 23:30 We began with a solid understanding 23:33 with James White and Uriah Smith. 23:34 And then there was some variation that took place 23:37 and Uriah Smith kind of went in a different direction 23:38 with Turkey, etcetera. 23:40 And then James White kind of contended against that. 23:43 It was kind of laid to rest with the two views. 23:45 We kind of settled in and just got onto other things. 23:49 Down through time, and even to today, there's been 23:52 an awakened interest in Daniel 11. 23:53 I'm hoping to do a whole series on Daniel 11 23:55 when I can get everything together. 23:57 But there are a lot of people who are wondering about this. 23:59 And I think it's time for us to wonder. 24:02 I really do, I think it's time for us to understand. 24:04 Because there are some details in Daniel 11 that 24:07 you won't find anywhere else in the Bible. 24:10 Nowhere else. 24:11 Powerful details that I believe will help us to understand 24:14 where we are in prophetic history. 24:17 James White argued, and I think very effectively and correctly, 24:22 that Daniel 11 follows the sequence of Daniel 2, 24:27 Daniel 7, Daniel 8. 24:30 Daniel 11 was just following that sequence of what we call, 24:33 repeat and enlarge. 24:35 It was covering the same history of Babylon, 24:38 Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome; 24:39 Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome; 24:41 Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome; Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome; 24:43 down to the second coming of Jesus. 24:46 Now, I don't want to argue with anyone who might have a 24:51 difference of opinion or hold a certain interpretation 24:54 about this, but I would like to suggest this morning as we 24:57 study this important theme of coming economic control 25:01 that we take a look again at the connection between 25:05 Daniel 11 and Revelation 13. 25:09 Just because we need a little bit of insight, we do, 25:12 to understand how and when this economic control 25:14 is going to take place. 25:16 We see some principles that have been in place for a while, 25:20 but what's going to actually usher it in? 25:22 Are there some other aspects that surround this that can 25:25 help us to be prepared and to be established 25:29 in this prophetic truth? 25:32 Well, one of the things I'd like to suggest. 25:35 Now what I'm going to do this morning is I'm going to suggest 25:37 that there are two possibilities that would help us 25:42 correctly interpret Daniel chapter 11:40-45 and 12:1-3. 25:49 This first one is this; if James White was correct, 25:53 if Daniel chapter 11 follows the same sequence 25:56 as Daniel 2, 7, and 8; Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome; 26:00 Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome; 26:01 Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome; Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome; 26:03 second coming, second coming, second coming, second coming; 26:06 it would be nice, it would be helpful, because this last 26:10 section is challenging, if we could find another prophetic 26:14 section of Scripture that followed the same sequence; 26:18 Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome; 26:20 but went a little bit further and gave us more details 26:23 about what takes place after 1798 and the deadly wound 26:27 is inflicted, and before Jesus comes. 26:30 So that's one suggestion. 26:31 I'm suggesting, just think about this, that you think about 26:35 the possibility of another section of Scripture, 26:38 prophetic Scripture, that follows the sequence; 26:41 Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome; 26:44 but takes us a little bit further giving us more 26:47 detail about the end of time just before Jesus comes. 26:50 Because if we would find that section of Scripture, 26:53 if there is such a one, it would help us to understand 26:57 these verses in Daniel 11:40-45. 27:00 Because 40 says, "at the time of the end," that's 1798, 27:03 and then all the way through down to 45 and 12:1. 27:07 That's when Michael stands up and probation closes. 27:09 So think about that, and then let me give you 27:11 possibility number 2. 27:14 I believe that we could begin with Daniel 12 and verse 1. 27:20 Now we know what Daniel 12 and verse 1 is talking about. 27:22 Daniel 12 and verse 1, let's just take a look. 27:25 If we could start with Daniel 12 verse 1 and go backwards. 27:28 In other words, here's a point in history; 27:31 we know what's happening here. 27:32 Now before that happens, what happens? 27:34 And before that happens, what happens? 27:35 Before that happens, what happens? 27:37 Let's try it, Daniel 12 verse 1. 27:39 "And at that time shall Michael stand up, that great prince 27:45 which stands for the children of thy people. 27:48 And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was 27:51 since there was a nation even to that same time. 27:54 And at that time thy people shall be delivered, 27:57 every one that shall be found written in the book." 28:00 What is this time talking about? 28:04 This is indicating the time when probation closes. 28:09 Michael standing up is the close of probation 28:13 for the entire world. 28:16 This is the same time that is spoken of 28:20 in Revelation chapter 15 and 16 when the smoke fills the temple 28:26 and no man can go in. 28:27 Mediation is ceased, the seven last plagues are poured out, 28:30 there's no more mercy. 28:31 It's the time that is spoken of, well referred to in Revelation 7 28:36 when the four winds are let loose. 28:37 Now in Revelation 7 they're being held back 28:40 until something takes place. 28:41 And we're going to look at that verse in a minute. 28:43 But they're let loose. 28:45 This is a time of trouble that never has been 28:48 or never will be again. 28:50 Now God's people and the world have experienced 28:52 some times of trouble. 28:53 For example, Noah and his family experienced a 28:56 pretty intense time of trouble. 28:59 I mean, the entire population of the earth was wiped out, 29:02 according to the inspired record, 29:04 and only eight people survive. 29:06 That was a time of trouble. 29:09 In the Dark Ages, God's people experienced 29:13 a time of trouble. 29:15 Matthew 24 describes it as a time of tribulation. 29:18 Not to be confused with this time of trouble. 29:21 They're different. How so? 29:23 Well in the time of tribulation, the Dark Ages, 29:27 it is estimated that 50 to 100 million Christians, 29:32 that is faithful followers of Jesus Christ, 29:35 lost their lives. 29:37 But notice what it says in Daniel 12 verse 1. 29:41 "At that time thy people shall be..." 29:45 What's the word? 29:46 "...delivered." 29:48 Everyone that's written in the book is going to be delivered. 29:51 So there's not going to be any 50 to 100 million people, 29:53 followers of Jesus, losing their life in the time of trouble. 29:57 In fact, I would suggest from this verse and this verse alone, 29:59 not one true follower of Jesus will lose their life 30:04 in the time of trouble after probation closes 30:07 when Michael stands up. 30:08 No one that is a true follower of Christ dies. 30:13 Zero. Praise God. 30:15 So there is a difference here. 30:16 In fact, when Jesus talked about the time of tribulation, 30:18 Matthew 24, He says, "This time of tribulation 30:21 is such as never been, nor never will be." 30:25 So it is different from the time of trouble. 30:26 The time of tribulation, the Dark Ages, 30:28 the 50 to 100 million people, those were Christians. 30:30 In Noah's days, there weren't Christians that died. 30:33 The antediluvians were those who didn't 30:34 get into the ark and weren't Christians. 30:35 So never has been, never will be. 30:37 Time of trouble, Daniel 12:1? 30:39 No Christians lose their lives. 30:41 So that tribulation is different. 30:44 Don't get it confused. 30:45 Sometimes we get a little bit concerned about 30:47 the time of trouble and we think, "Oh man, 30:50 that's going to be hard. 30:51 I don't know what I'm going to do." 30:54 "A thousand shall fall at thy side, ten-thousand at thy 30:56 right hand; but it will not come nye thee. 30:58 Only with thine eye shall thy see and behold the 31:00 reward of the wicked," Psalm 91 says. 31:02 "He'll give His angels charge over thee." 31:04 I'm not going to say it's going to be easy peasy lemon squeezy. 31:07 We're going to be in earnest prayer. 31:08 We are going to be shut in with God. 31:13 We're going to be, as it were, learning what it means 31:18 to walk by faith and not by sight. 31:20 Wrapping out entire beings around that green cord of faith 31:24 so we can swing over the chasm to the other side. 31:27 But God will deliver His people. 31:30 Now, we are going to know that because we're going to know 31:34 before that that God has delivered us. 31:36 Time and time again He's delivered us from ourselves 31:39 and from our selfishness and from our unrighteousness 31:41 and from all of the things that we wrestle with and the 31:44 reality of who we are. 31:45 He's delivered us over and over again. 31:47 And that deliverance, that daily, weekly, monthly, yearly 31:51 deliverance is what has strengthened us 31:54 and encouraged us and allowed us to take a hold by faith 32:00 of His continued deliverance. 32:03 Some years ago I started working out at a gym. 32:05 Ty encouraged me; we were both quite underweight for our size. 32:10 Both of us for years had this problem. 32:13 I know that a lot of you don't have this problem, but we did. 32:17 We weighed about 140, 145 at best. 32:20 I'm 5'11", 140 to 145, sometimes down to 135. 32:23 I would take my shirt off at home and I would tease my wife; 32:27 I would suck my stomach in and show her my ribcage. 32:30 She would, "Oh, I don't want to see that." 32:33 Finally, Ty came to me and said, "James, I've gained 10 pounds." 32:36 I was like, "Ten pounds? That's unbelievable. 32:38 How did you do that?" 32:39 He said, "Well it took me a year. 32:43 But I did it by lifting weights." 32:44 I said, "Oh, lifting weights. 32:49 I don't know if I want to get into lifting weights. 32:51 That's so, you know..." 32:55 But he said, "No, it works. You've got to do it. 32:57 You've got to do it, if you want to gain weight 32:59 you've got to do it." 33:00 So I said, "Okay." 33:01 Went over to his house the next day and started lifting weights. 33:03 And of course, he had been in it for a year 33:06 and I was just starting. 33:07 It took me three months to gain five pounds 33:10 lifting weights every day, every day. 33:13 And I remember we went to a gym together, we were at Andrews. 33:15 And he went in, knew the guys there. 33:19 He had been there for a week before I had. 33:20 And he was over there with a 45 pound bar and he had these 33:23 45 pound weights on there, you know. 33:25 So he had about 130 pounds and he was just... 33:30 And I snuck over in the corner and I grabbed that 45 pound bar 33:33 and I was like... 33:36 I means, I was weak as water. 33:40 But I continued, I just kept pursuing it. 33:42 And I was, pretty soon I put some two and a halves 33:44 on there, and then I put some fives on there, 33:46 and then I put some tens on there, you know. 33:49 And I just got stronger and stronger. 33:51 And while it's still difficult for me to push that bar up, 33:54 because there's more weight on it, 33:56 I am pushing more weight. 33:59 I could say that it's probably as difficult for me to push 34:02 the bar up with the 45's as it was for me to 34:04 push the bar up without anything on it back then. 34:07 And that's the way our faith works. 34:09 It starts in little spurts. 34:12 We just push the bar up as best we can. 34:16 And we get stronger and stronger and stronger. 34:19 And when we get to the time of trouble, it's not like, 34:21 "Oh man, we're overwhelmed. 34:22 Man, I can't...45 pounds...100? How am I going to..." 34:25 No, because our faith has been strengthening, strengthening, 34:29 by exercise, by exercise, by exercise. 34:31 And the problem is, many of us don't want to exercise faith. 34:35 We just want it all to be set out for us and we want 34:37 God to just provide all these things. 34:38 And we just want to sit back and just say, 34:39 "Yep, just take me to the kingdom." 34:44 And little trials come along and we go, "Wah, what was that? 34:48 How could those people be so unchristian as not to 34:50 recognize me and not to say 'hi' to me, and not to smile at me, 34:53 and not to provide for me, and not take care of me, 34:54 and not to think well of me, and not to..., not to..., 34:56 not to..., not to... me, me, me, me, me." 34:59 And we don't realize that God, in His mercy, sent Joseph 35:04 to Egypt. 35:05 Not just mercy for his brothers, but mercy for him. 35:09 And he's continued to do that with the Nebuchadnezzar's, 35:13 and the Daniel's and the Moses', and the Peter's and James' 35:20 and John's, and the you's and the me's. 35:23 And will continue to do that. 35:26 But He will deliver us. 35:29 He promises to deliver us. 35:31 Now going backwards from that time; because we know 35:33 the context of it, verse 2, is the resurrection, 35:36 second coming of Jesus. 35:37 "Many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth will awake. 35:39 Some to everlasting life, others to shame 35:41 and everlasting contempt." 35:42 We understand that to be that special resurrection. 35:44 So going back from there, we have verse 45. 35:46 "And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace 35:49 between the seas and the glorious holy mountain. 35:52 And he shall come to his end, and none shall help him." 35:56 I'm not going to elaborate on that verse. 35:58 It's probably one of the most difficult and controversial. 36:03 But I am going to finish with a thought on it before we're done. 36:07 I hope I can get back to this thought 36:08 if we don't run out of time. 36:09 I'm going to go back now to verse 44, verse 44. 36:12 Now remember, we've come to the time of the end, 36:15 the time of trouble, the close of probation, 36:17 the resurrection, the second coming of Jesus. 36:18 We're trying to figure out the events that lead up to that 36:23 and if Daniel 11:40-45 applies to us today. 36:28 We go back now to verse 44. 36:30 I skipped 45, we're at 44. 36:31 "But tidings out of the east and out of the north 36:34 shall trouble him; therefore he will go forth with great fury 36:38 to destroy and utterly make away many." 36:46 This verse is talking about us. 36:48 I don't know if you realize that. 36:50 This verse is talking about you and me. 36:55 Tidings; what are tidings in the Bible? 36:58 The angel in Matthew said, "I bring you great tidings." 37:01 Luke, "I bring you good tidings of great joy." 37:03 What are the tidings? 37:05 The gospel, the proclamation of the gospel, 37:07 the everlasting gospel. 37:08 "Tidings out of the east and out of the north." 37:10 I want you to just look at this verse with me. 37:12 If you're not familiar with it, I think you will be, 37:15 but you for sure will be by the time we get done. 37:17 It's in Revelation chapter 7. 37:20 People will say, "Well okay, what are the tidings 37:23 out of east and out of the north. 37:24 What does that represent?" 37:25 Well let's just go and look at the twin prophetic 37:28 book of Daniel, and that's Revelation. 37:31 Because Revelation kind of picks up where Daniel leaves off. 37:34 It gives us more insight and more understanding. 37:36 Revelation chapter 7, John is talking about 37:41 the closing up of the seals. 37:43 He gets to the sixth seal, the second coming of Jesus Christ. 37:46 And he says, "Now after these things..." 37:48 Because the question was asked, "Who's going to 37:49 be able to stand when Jesus comes?" 37:50 He says, "After these things I saw four angels 37:53 standing on the four corners of the earth, and they were 37:54 holding the four winds of the earth..." 37:56 Seven last plagues, time of trouble; 37:58 it's all the same thing. 38:00 They're holding the four winds of the earth, 38:02 "that the wind should not blow on the earth 38:04 or on the sea or on any tree. 38:05 And I saw another angel..." 38:07 Remember, the question is being asked, 38:09 "Who's going to be able to stand when Jesus comes?" 38:11 "I saw another angel ascending from the..." 38:14 Where? 38:16 The east. 38:19 What is so special about this angel? 38:21 Well, this angel has the seal of the living God. 38:27 "And he cried with a..." 38:28 What kind of voice? Loud voice. 38:30 Just want to make sure you're awake this morning. 38:31 I think you all are. A loud voice. 38:33 Hal, you awake out there? Yeah, you're awake, okay. 38:35 "...a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was given 38:38 to hurt the earth and the sea, saying, 'Hurt not the earth, 38:40 neither the sea, nor the trees till we have sealed 38:42 the servants of God in their foreheads.'" 38:44 This is the sealing angel. 38:46 "I heard tidings," Daniel 11 verse 44, "out of the east." 38:51 And it troubled this power that's going to set up his 38:53 tabernacle between the seas and the glorious holy mountain. 38:55 The one that's going to come to his end and none will help him. 38:57 The one that's going to have control over the gold and silver 38:59 and precious things so no man can buy or sell. 39:01 The one that enters into the countries and overthrows 39:03 and passes over and enters the Glorious Land. 39:05 He's going to be troubled by these tidings. 39:07 He's going to have control over the world. 39:09 Everyone's going to acquiesce. 39:10 But then there are these tidings out of the east 39:12 that trouble him. 39:14 The east represents the seal of God, 39:17 the sealing message. 39:20 And of course, we understand what that points to. 39:22 It points to people who keep a certain day. 39:27 Not because they believe that keeping that day is saving them. 39:33 The Jews tried that, it didn't work. 39:36 They kept the day and executed the Savior. 39:39 But they keep that day because they believe 39:42 that Jesus Christ is their Savior. 39:45 That He has saved them from their sins. 39:49 That He has saved them from something that they found it 39:51 impossible to be saved from in and of themselves. 39:55 They found it impossible to overcome in and of themselves. 39:58 And then they have the Savior that prevailed in their behalf. 40:01 And that caused them to fall deeply in love with Him 40:05 so that they could not be separated from Him. 40:08 And in that context, they experienced the words of Christ 40:13 in John 14, "If you love Me, keep My commandments." 40:17 And so they do. 40:19 Just as a matter of fact. 40:20 Just because that's what love does. 40:24 Not to be saved. 40:27 And not to do it because they're not going to be saved. 40:29 It's simply an act of love. 40:33 That's what it is. 40:34 And so they do it. 40:35 They're sealed, they're settled, they can't be moved from this. 40:38 Not the whole world, not at the hatred of the world, 40:41 the hatred of the nations. 40:42 Not economic boycott, not losing everything and anything that 40:45 they might hold dear on this earth. 40:47 Nothing can stop them from worshiping their Creator. 40:52 Because their love motivates... 40:54 His love for them motivates them. 40:56 They're in love with Jesus. 40:58 So these are the tidings. I mean, this really... 41:00 You think of Nebuchadnezzar. 41:02 Remember when those three worthies wouldn't bow? 41:04 Remember how upset he was? 41:05 Aargh. 41:06 Well that Babylonian king is being duplicated right here. 41:10 The principle is the same. 41:11 He's upset. 41:12 He goes forth to destroy and utterly make away many. 41:14 There's a death decree that's going to go forth, 41:16 just like it did with Nebuchadnezzar against 41:18 those three young men who wouldn't bow. 41:21 There's going to be fiery fire that we're going to face, 41:24 that we're going to experience. 41:25 But Jesus, the Son of Man, is going to be 41:27 with us in the furnace. 41:29 Praise God. 41:30 And so tidings out of the east. 41:33 These are the seventh day-ers. 41:36 And out of the north. 41:37 Now this is an interesting phrase, "out of the north." 41:40 I want you to look here at another verse. 41:42 It's a powerful one, it's in Isaiah 41 verse 25. 41:45 It's speaking about the... 41:48 I'm going to give it away here, 41:49 but I'll just tell you right out. 41:50 It's speaking about the second coming of Jesus Christ. 41:55 Isaiah 41 verse 25. 41:59 The second coming of Jesus Christ, when He comes 42:01 to dash the nations, when He comes to deliver His people, 42:04 when He comes to destroy those that destroy the earth. 42:06 Prophetic language here, "I have raised up one from the north, 42:10 he shall come from the rising of the sun..." 42:13 Which is, what direction does the sun rise? 42:16 From the east. 42:17 He's coming from the north and from the east. 42:19 "He shall call upon my name: and he shall come upon the 42:21 princes as upon morter, and as the potter treads the clay." 42:25 This is a prophetic description of Jesus. 42:28 He comes from the north, because Jesus is the 42:31 true King of the north where Satan wanted to sit on the 42:33 sides of the north and receive the worship. 42:35 And He comes from the east. 42:38 That little cloud about the size of a man's hand 42:41 grows and grows and grows. 42:42 So tidings out of the east and out of the north; 42:47 the good news is a proclamation that's being made in the 42:51 context of this economic boycott and control. 42:53 A proclamation that's being made of the second coming of Jesus 42:58 and the Sabbath as the seal of God. 43:01 And the people that make this proclamation 43:03 happen to have a name that is God given. 43:05 And the name that they have that God gave them is, 43:10 Seventh-day Adventists. 43:13 Seventh-day Adventists. Can you imagine that? 43:16 I mean, look at the verse in Daniel 11 43:18 and it will just completely amaze your brain. 43:25 But the tidings from the Seventh-day Adventists, 43:29 the tidings out of the east, Sabbath, and the north, 43:31 second coming, trouble him. 43:34 You're going to be a troubler of the people just like 43:35 Elijah was a troubler of the people. 43:37 Are you ready for that? 43:39 Elijah was and wasn't. 43:41 He stood firmly for God in a time of national apostasy. 43:45 He called on God, he prayed to God. 43:48 Even seven times. 43:50 And he ran before Ahab's chariot. 43:52 He got to Jezreel and he was frightened by a woman. 43:57 And he ran. 43:58 And ran and ran and ran. 44:00 And finally he got to a place and God said, 44:01 in that little cave, "Elijah, what are you doing here? 44:08 I sent you X, Y, and Z, but I didn't send you here. 44:12 Not to sea, not to cave. 44:13 I didn't send you here." 44:15 And you know what Elijah said. 44:17 Not once but twice. 44:19 He said, like Adam said about Eve, and Eve said about 44:22 the serpent, he said, "It was their fault. 44:23 They're in apostasy and they're, you know, worshiping Baal. 44:27 And they're, and they're, and they're; it was their fault." 44:28 Paul says he was interceding against Israel. 44:31 He was excusing himself. 44:33 And so God replaced him. 44:34 God replaced Elijah. He did. 44:38 When we point the finger at others, when we blame others 44:41 who are not what they should be or ought to be, 44:43 when we blame them for our lack of duty, 44:47 for our lack of commitment, when we blame others 44:52 around us for vacating a position God has called us to, 44:58 God is going to replace us. 45:00 Just like He did with Elijah. 45:02 But you know what? 45:04 God wasn't through with Elijah. 45:05 And Elijah humbled himself. 45:06 Unlike Saul and unlike others, Judas, he humbled himself. 45:09 And he did what God called him to do. 45:12 And God took him to heaven. 45:14 There's always hope for the worst of us. 45:17 I'm thankful for that, because I know I haven't always 45:20 done what God wanted me to do. 45:21 I haven't always stood where God wanted me to stand. 45:22 I haven't always been faithful like 45:24 God wanted me to be faithful. 45:26 I know that I need to redeem the time. 45:28 What about you? 45:30 And I know that God is gracious, God is merciful. 45:33 And God will use us still. 45:37 But be careful. 45:39 Be faithful with God. 45:43 So here it is. 45:44 We know that the context of Daniel 11 45:50 leading up to the close of probation is going to be 45:54 the proclamation of the everlasting gospel. 45:58 Revelation 14, Revelation 18, Matthew 24:15. 46:02 We know that these verses at least have application 46:07 to Revelation 13. 46:08 That there's a connection that's taking place here. 46:11 Because of course, Revelation 13 follows Revelation 14 46:14 and the proclamation of the three angel's message. 46:16 And that's exactly what we see here in Daniel 11:44. 46:20 What about Daniel 11:43, we looked at that. 46:21 He's going to have power and control over the treasures of 46:24 gold and silver and all the precious things of Egypt, 46:26 so that no man is going to be able to buy or sell. 46:28 What about verse 42, "He will stretch forth his hand 46:30 upon the countries; and the land of Egypt shall not escape." 46:35 Now you can take these verses literally; many have. 46:38 But I think that they're speaking spiritually. 46:39 I think that these verses are speaking of entities and powers 46:45 in the world in the time in which we live 46:48 just before probation closes. 46:50 Egypt, I think, is identified in Revelation chapter 11. 46:56 Look there with me in Revelation chapter 11. 46:58 It talks here about God's servants, God's witnesses, 47:04 being persecuted, being killed. 47:07 And it says here in Revelation chapter 11, 47:11 and I'm just looking here at verses 7 and 8, 47:15 "And when they shall have finished their testimony, 47:18 the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit 47:20 shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, 47:22 and shall kill them," that is, God's witnesses. 47:24 His words; the Old and New Testament. 47:27 "And their bodies shall lie in the street of the great city 47:30 which spiritually is called Sodom and..." 47:32 What? "...Egypt." 47:34 This chapter is speaking of the rise of atheism, 47:39 which took place in France during the French Revolution 47:43 in 1798 and onward. 47:45 And the war that was made upon the Word of God, 47:47 the Old and New Testament, and how the Word of God 47:49 was slain, it laid dead in the streets for those 47:53 three and a half years; three and a half days, prophetic days. 47:55 And then again it was resurrected. 47:57 And in the context of this prophecy, this power of atheism 48:01 is described as Egypt, spiritual Egypt. 48:05 Why? Well, because Exodus 5:2, Pharaoh responding to God's call 48:08 to let His people go, says, "Who is the Lord 48:11 that I should obey His voice and let His people go? 48:14 I don't know the Lord. 48:15 Neither will I let His people go." 48:17 So this, I believe, is the power that is spoken about 48:23 in Daniel 11. 48:25 He is going to have control. 48:28 He's going to stretch forth his hand upon the countries. 48:30 Egypt will not escape. 48:32 Communism will not escape. 48:35 It will not escape. 48:37 Basically it's in line with what Revelation 13 is telling us. 48:41 There's going to be a one world unity, a one world order. 48:44 There's going to be enforcement of worship. 48:46 It's going to be religious worship. 48:48 And Communism will not escape that. 48:50 And today, of course, we see that already. 48:52 The U.S.S.R. has fallen, basically already. 48:54 Right? 1989 and onward. 48:56 Amazing. 48:57 I mean, it happened just over night, it was like a whirlwind. 48:59 It's gone. 49:00 But we also have another Communist power 49:02 in the world today, and that is China. 49:05 It's not going to escape. 49:06 That's what the prophecy says, it's not going to escape. 49:07 It's a little more detailed than Revelation 13. 49:10 Revelation 13 says everyone. 49:12 But Daniel 11 says Egypt. 49:15 Daniel 11 says Ethiopia. 49:17 Daniel 11 says, which to me is like, you know, 49:20 a representation of the African nations. 49:22 Daniel 11 says Libya; the Middle East. 49:24 Daniel 11 talks about the Glorious Land. 49:26 We can get into that. 49:27 I don't have time to cover it all in detail, 49:28 so I won't tell you what I think about that. 49:30 But the idea is this; Daniel 11 is telling us 49:34 every single continent and nation in the world 49:36 is going to follow along. 49:38 He's going to establish his tabernacle, his royalty, 49:42 his kingdom, his power, his authority, between the seas; 49:46 peoples, nations, multitudes, and tongues, 49:48 Revelation 17:15, and the glorious holy mountain. 49:52 The glorious holy mountain; Mount Zion. 49:53 That's where the 144,000 stand with the Lamb in Revelation 14. 49:59 They stand on Mount Zion. 50:01 According to Hebrews chapter 12, 50:02 that's where our names are written. 50:04 That's the church of the firstborn. 50:05 No, Hebrews chapter 11. No, it's 12. 50:07 Hebrews 12, that's the church of the firstborn. 50:11 And there's only one power that wants to accomplish this. 50:16 And that is the power of the dragon. 50:18 He wants to plant himself between the seas 50:20 and the glorious holy mountain. 50:21 He wants the worship that belongs to God. 50:23 He wants all the nations to worship him. 50:25 He wants to put himself between God and man. 50:29 Between the nations of the earth and the King of the universe. 50:34 And he's going to do this through a false 50:35 system of worship. 50:36 Because he's going to deceive the people. 50:39 He's not going to do it outright. 50:41 He's going to come as an angel of light, 50:43 an angel of righteousness. 50:45 So here, I think, in the context, without going into 50:49 a lot of detail, we have this beautiful powerful truth. 50:52 Now, there's one thing I want to focus on before we close, 50:56 and that is verse 41. 50:57 I'm not going to spend a lot of time detailing this, 51:00 but I want us to look at one thing in particular 51:02 that I think is very powerful. 51:04 In verse 41 it says, "He will enter into the glorious land, 51:07 and many countries shall be overthrown. 51:10 But these shall..." 51:11 What's the next word? "...escape." 51:13 Now do you know that word, "escape," 51:15 that's a very interesting word. 51:16 That is the same word that is used in Daniel 12 verse 1 51:19 when it says they shall be delivered. 51:22 Same word; "escape," "delivered," same word. 51:24 In other words, there are going to be people in Daniel 12:1 51:28 who are delivered; God's people. 51:29 There are going to be people in Daniel 11 verse 41 who escape. 51:33 Now these people are identified as Edom, Moab, 51:37 and the chief of the children of Ammon. 51:40 I'd like to suggest again that these are spiritual 51:43 representations of people. 51:46 And the implication here is, if you look at the history of 51:49 the Old Testament, is that these people, signified by 51:53 Edom, Moab, and Ammon, are people who are 51:55 presently, or at least in the Old Testament times, 51:58 were enemies of God's people. 52:00 They were opposed to God's people, they were enemies. 52:02 They weren't with God's people, weren't part of God's people. 52:04 In other words, what God is saying here is the same thing 52:06 He's saying in Revelation 14, "Come out of her, My people." 52:10 The same thing He's saying in Revelation 18, 52:12 "Come out of her, My people." 52:13 "I have people out there that aren't in here. 52:15 They're not part of this." 52:16 That's why we're here, that's why 3ABN exists. 52:21 It's really quite out there. I heard one amen. 52:23 That's why 3ABN exists. Amen. 52:25 We exist to reach the world with the undiluted message 52:32 of the everlasting gospel, the three angel's messages. 52:36 To reach God's people that are out there everywhere. 52:40 The Bill's and Tom's and Jane's that are to hear His voice. 52:46 Now I just want to direct you to an explanation of this prophecy 52:51 in the book of Isaiah chapter 11. 52:52 It's a beautiful chapter. 52:54 We're going to almost close with this. 52:56 Isaiah chapter 11. 52:58 The first half of Isaiah 11 is talking about Jesus. 53:00 The sevenfold Spirit is upon Him, He's coming. 53:02 It's His first advent, His first incarnation to this earth. 53:07 The first half of the chapter. 53:10 Isaiah 11 verses 1 all the way through verse 10. 53:16 Verse 10 is a transition, verse 10 transitions us. 53:18 "In that day there shall be a root of Jesse, 53:21 which shall stand for an ensign of the people." 53:25 If you will, a flag, a... 53:31 What is that? 53:33 Banner, standard. Right? Okay. 53:35 And going on, "To it shall the Gentiles seek. 53:41 And his rest shall be glorious." 53:42 That's what 3ABN is suppose... An ensign, a banner, a standard. 53:45 Lift up the standard so the people can see it. 53:48 And then it goes on, and here it is. 53:49 Here is what I believe is end time prophetic declaration, 53:53 Isaiah 11 beginning with verse 11, that will help us 53:55 to understand what God is going to do in the context 53:57 of Daniel 11:40-45, Revelation 14, Revelation 18. 54:02 "And it shall come to pass in that day," this day, 54:06 "that the Lord shall set his hand the second time 54:08 to recover the remnant of his people..." 54:12 So it's talking about remnants. 54:13 It's talking about God's remnant people, God's remnant church. 54:15 Where is He going to recover them from? 54:17 "...which shall be left from Assyria, and from Egypt, 54:19 and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, 54:23 and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. 54:25 And he will set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble 54:28 the outcasts of Israel..." the backsliders. 54:30 The ones who have left the church. 54:32 He's going to assemble them, the outcasts of Israel. 54:34 And of course others who have been cast out 54:36 for various reasons. 54:38 "...and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the 54:40 four corners of the earth." 54:42 Remember, the four angels standing on the four corners 54:44 of the earth holding the winds until the 54:45 servants of God are sealed. 54:46 "And the envy of Ephraim shall depart, 54:49 and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off." 54:51 I love this, "Ephraim shall not envy Judah, 54:54 and Judah shall not vex Ephraim." 54:58 I could talk a little bit here about Hope Channel and 3ABN, 55:00 but I won't. 55:01 The principles are clear. 55:04 I believe we can see them. 55:06 But it applies to us on every level of ministry. 55:08 No more envy, no more contention. 55:11 No more, "I'm of Cephas, I'm of Paul, I'm of Apollos." 55:13 "But they shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines..." 55:16 The Philistines; those are the people that are out, you know... 55:18 That's CNN, that's Fox news. These are the guys... 55:21 Because we're going to lose money, 55:22 we're going to lose economic... 55:23 But these guys are going to broadcast us in those days. 55:27 We're going to be the center of focus of the world. 55:29 We're going to fly on the shoulders of the Philistines 55:31 "toward the west." 55:32 So where are we coming from? The east. 55:34 "They shall spoil them of the east together. 55:36 They shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab; 55:41 and the chief of the children of Ammon shall obey them." 55:46 These are going to escape out of his hands. 55:48 Why? Because we're going to be preaching this message, 55:50 these glad tidings that trouble him. 55:54 "And the Lord shall utterly destroy the tongue 55:56 of the Egyptian sea; and with his mighty wind he shall 55:58 shake his hand over the river, and smite it 56:01 in the seven streams, and make men go over dryshod. 56:04 And there shall be a highway for the remnant of his people, 56:07 which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to 56:10 Israel in the day that they came up out of the land of Egypt." 56:14 Praise God for what He's going to do. 56:15 In closing, James White, in his little book, 56:23 A Word to the Little Flock, going back to 1847. 56:26 "Michael," he said, "is to stand up at that time when the 56:29 last power in chapter 11 comes to his end, 56:33 and none shall help him. 56:34 This power is the last that treads down 56:37 the true church of God. 56:39 And as the true church is still trodden down, and cast out 56:42 by all Christendom, it follows that the last oppressive power 56:46 has not 'come to his end,' and Michael has not stood up. 56:48 This last power that treads down the saints is brought to view 56:53 in Revelation 13:11-18. 56:56 And his number is 666." 57:00 Our pioneers were led by God. 57:02 God filled them with His Spirit and gave them truth. 57:07 And we need to recover that truth, 57:08 set it in its present day setting, and proclaim it 57:11 to the world through the power of the Holy Spirit. 57:14 Let's pray together. 57:16 Father, thank You this morning for Your Word, 57:18 for the prophetic declaration of Your Word, 57:21 of Daniel and Revelation. 57:22 And for helping us to recognize the message 57:25 of the everlasting gospel and all that is taking place. 57:29 Father, that is where we want our focus to be. |
Revised 2014-12-17