Participants:
Series Code: ARSS
Program Code: ARSS190001S
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00:16 Well, good morning, everyone.
00:18 Good morning. 00:20 Welcome to Anchor 2019. 00:23 This year, as advertised, 00:25 we are going to study the seven seals. 00:29 We're going to study from Revelation Chapter 4 00:32 through Revelation 8:1. 00:37 It's going to be an exciting study. 00:39 We're going to try and cover as much material as we can. 00:43 Somebody was asking, 00:44 "How can you have 24 sessions just on the seals?" 00:49 The answer is that 00:50 there's a lot of material on the seals 00:53 when you study them verse by verse, 00:55 and carefully. 00:57 Now, we are live streaming. 00:59 So we also want to welcome those individuals 01:02 who are watching on our television stations, 01:05 SUMTV and SUMTV Latino. 01:08 And we also want to thank those who are watching online. 01:12 We want to welcome you to Anchor this year. 01:16 I just want to announce that the syllabus 01:18 at this point is not available 01:20 for those who are watching our television channels 01:24 and online. 01:26 It will be available as soon as the class is finished, 01:30 not only for purchase but also for free. 01:33 If you go to our website, 01:34 and do a search, you'll find the syllabus. 01:37 You'll be able to read it online. 01:41 You will also be able to download it if you wish. 01:44 So it will be available as soon as the class is finished. 01:49 What we want to do in our class today, 01:51 after we have a word of prayer 01:54 is go through the handout that you received 01:56 at the very beginning that you have at your settings. 02:00 And so let's have a word of prayer. 02:01 And then we're going to go through that 02:03 introductory material that will help us 02:05 understand the seals all the better. 02:08 So let's bow our heads for prayer. 02:11 Father in heaven, we thank You for the privilege 02:13 of being here today. 02:15 We realize that 02:16 we're living in very momentous times, 02:19 times when prophecy is being fulfilled 02:22 everywhere we look. 02:24 And the seals have a special message for this day. 02:28 We ask that as we begin this series of classes 02:31 that you will be with us 02:32 through the ministry of your Holy Spirit. 02:34 I ask, Lord, that You will open our minds 02:36 that we might understand, 02:38 that You will open our hearts that we might receive, 02:42 and that You will empower us 02:44 to live in harmony with Your will 02:46 as history winds down to an end. 02:50 We thank You, Father, 02:51 for the promise of Your presence. 02:53 And we ask that You will be with us, 02:56 we claim that promise in the precious name of Jesus. 03:00 Amen. 03:03 First of all, let's review the table of contents 03:07 in your syllabus. 03:09 This is a massive syllabus, 03:11 you know, this is the second edition 03:13 of the syllabus on the seals. 03:15 The first one had a little less than 200 pages, 03:18 this one has 400, almost 450 pages. 03:22 So a lot of material has been added. 03:24 And I just want to go through the syllabus. 03:26 So we're all aware of what it contains 03:29 and how much we're going to be able to cover in the class. 03:33 First of all, Chapters 1 through 8, 03:37 basically deal with the introductory vision 03:42 to the seals. 03:44 Now I have covered this material before. 03:47 I did a series on the 24 elders. 03:50 However, probably there's some people here 03:53 who have never seen that series. 03:55 And, so I'm going to cover that material again, 03:58 because it's crucially important 04:00 for understanding the seals. 04:02 So we can't just assume, well, 04:04 let's just skip Chapters 4 and 5, 04:06 and go directly to Chapter 6. 04:09 So we are going to review that material on the 24 elders 04:13 and the introductory vision of Revelation 4 and 5. 04:17 So the first eight chapters 04:18 deal with the introductory vision 04:22 of Revelation Chapter 4 and Revelation Chapter 5. 04:26 There's also two addendums to this section. 04:30 In other words, additional studies that are added 04:32 that are related to the chapters 04:35 that we have there. 04:37 The first addendum is concerning 04:41 what happened on the day of Pentecost 04:44 because we're going to notice that in Revelation 4:5, 04:47 really what you have is a description of Christ 04:49 arriving in heaven 04:51 to begin His intercessory ministry 04:53 on the day of Pentecost. 04:54 And so that addendum, the Lord is our rock helps us 04:58 understand a little bit better 05:01 what happened when Jesus arrived in heaven. 05:04 The second addendum is called chain reaction. 05:08 And that one has to do with the persecutions 05:12 that started right after the day of Pentecost 05:16 and continued through the period 05:18 of the Roman Empire. 05:20 And that's going to help us understand a little bit more, 05:24 particularly the second seal of Revelation Chapter 6. 05:30 So, you have then the first eight chapters 05:33 with the two addendums deal with introductory matters, 05:35 the introductory vision of Revelation 4 and 5. 05:39 Then Chapters 9 through 14, 05:41 you have a study of the first six seals. 05:46 And the majority of our time 05:49 we are going to spend studying the six seals. 05:53 Then our Chapter 15 deals 05:55 with the Revelation 7 interlude. 05:57 In other words, there's an interlude 05:59 between the first six seals and the seventh seal. 06:05 And, of course, Chapter 7 deals with the sealing 06:08 of the 144,000. 06:09 Then the question is, 06:11 why is there that interruption or interlude 06:15 between seal number six and seal number seven. 06:18 There's a large section there 06:20 that deals with the Revelation Chapter 7 interlude. 06:25 And then there's an entire chapter, 06:27 Chapter 16, that deals with the seventh seal. 06:32 The seventh seal is only one verse. 06:35 There is silence in heaven 06:38 for the space of about half an hour. 06:41 And, you know, I used to think that that referred to, 06:46 perhaps the Second Coming of Jesus 06:48 is going to take seven days, 06:49 or we're going to take seven days 06:51 traveling back to heaven. 06:53 But I think that there's a better explanation to that, 06:56 and we'll deal with the seventh seal in Chapter 16. 07:01 And then Chapter 17 to 22 07:04 are chapters that deal with a seal of God 07:06 and the mark of the beast. 07:08 Basically, we're probably not going to be able to cover 07:12 all of those chapters. 07:13 There are different ways of looking 07:15 at the Sabbath Sunday issue at the end of time. 07:19 If we have time, at the end of the class, 07:22 we will cover some of those, 07:23 but I'm not sure if we're going to have time 07:26 to go through that. 07:27 So you'll notice, for example, 07:29 in the syllabus beginning on page 331. 07:33 What is God's eschatological seal? 07:36 And basically that chapter 07:38 deals with an objection that is presented 07:42 to the Sabbath as the seal of God. 07:44 You know, people say, well, but the Bible says 07:47 that the seal is the Holy Spirit. 07:49 The Apostle Paul says the seal is the Holy Spirit. 07:51 So how come Adventists say that the seal is the Sabbath? 07:54 That chapter answers that particular question 07:57 that people ask. 07:59 The next chapter, the papacy, 08:01 the Jesuits on the Sabbath is a real eye-opening chapter, 08:05 because it deals with the papal strategy today. 08:09 And, of course, the pope is a Jesuit, 08:11 to eventually enforce Sunday as a day of worship. 08:15 There's been a change in the talking points 08:18 of the Roman Catholic papacy 08:19 and you can read that in that chapter. 08:22 Then you have lessons from a forbidden tree. 08:25 And basically, that deals with the test of Adam and Eve 08:29 in the Garden over a tree 08:31 compared to the final test regarding the Sabbath. 08:35 There's a remarkable striking parallel between the two. 08:39 The next one is a short one, the idle Sabbath. 08:42 Ellen White constantly called Sunday, 08:44 the idle Sabbath. 08:46 Why would she call it the idle Sabbath? 08:49 Well, in that chapter, I think there's an explanation 08:52 to that particular question. 08:53 The Seal of the Living God. 08:56 That's a chapter that actually deals 08:58 with all of the reasons in the Bible, 09:00 why we believe 09:01 that the Sabbath in the end time 09:03 is the seal of God. 09:06 It does it from several different perspectives. 09:08 And then finally, I decided to add 09:11 the newsletter article that I wrote, 09:13 which wasn't the last one, but the one before last, 09:17 reflections on a Sabbath debate. 09:21 Some of you or maybe most of you received the newsletter, 09:25 and you probably read that article, 09:27 but I consider it a very important article. 09:30 And so I included it at the end of the syllabus. 09:34 So basically, this is the content 09:37 of the course that we're going to have here during this week. 09:42 Now, in your handout, you'll notice 09:44 that there are three main schools of thought 09:47 concerning the seals. 09:50 We're on the page of the handout now, 09:52 the loose pages 09:54 that you had at the table when you came in. 09:58 Basically there's three schools of thought 10:00 when it comes to the seals. 10:02 The first school of thought is the preterist school. 10:06 And basically, that idea 10:09 is that the seven seals are describing events 10:13 that took place in the history of the... 10:17 the early history of the Roman Empire, 10:20 and the Jewish nation. 10:22 In other words, all of the seals 10:24 were fulfilled 17-1800 years ago, 10:30 which has very interesting implications, 10:34 because if the seven seals were fulfilled, 10:37 already, all of them 10:39 during the period of the Roman Empire, 10:41 and during the period of the Jewish nation, 10:45 then we're dealing simply with history. 10:50 And they really have no present relevance. 10:53 So it's very serious, 10:55 the school of thought that you embrace 10:57 when you study passages in the Book of Revelation. 11:01 The second view is the futurist view. 11:05 And basically what futurist believe 11:07 is when in Revelation 4:1, 11:10 a voice tells John, come up here. 11:14 They say that is the rapture of the church. 11:17 And then they say that 11:19 after the rapture of the church, 11:20 then the seven seals will transpire in order. 11:24 In other words, the seven seals, 11:25 all of them are future 11:27 after the rapture of the church. 11:30 Now, if that is true, then the seven seals 11:33 have no relevance for us today. 11:36 Because they are going to be fulfilled 11:38 after we're gone to heaven. 11:41 So what the devil has done through the preterist 11:43 and through the futurist school is try to convince people 11:48 that these things have no relevance for us. 11:51 The preterist say, 11:52 all fulfilled in the past, its history. 11:55 Okay, it might be academically interest, 11:58 interesting to study it, to know, 12:00 you know what transpired in history, 12:01 but it has no present relevance. 12:03 And for those who believe that the seals are future 12:06 after the rapture of the church, 12:08 then the seals have no relevance for us, 12:11 because supposedly we're going to be gone 12:14 when the seven seals occur. 12:16 Are you understanding the point? 12:18 So if that's the case, 12:19 why even bother to have this class? 12:22 But the seals according to the third school, 12:25 the historicist school, 12:28 have very much relevance today. 12:31 Let's just notice the little writing 12:34 under the historicist school. 12:37 The historicist school teaches that the introductory vision, 12:42 that is Revelation 4 and 5, 12:44 describe the arrival of Jesus 12:48 to His Father at the ascension. 12:51 This is very important, the chronology. 12:54 In other words, the vision of Revelation 4 and 5, 12:57 in Revelation Chapter 4, 12:58 the Father sitting on His throne. 13:00 There are the 24 elders, the four living creatures, 13:03 the seven lamps of fire, 13:04 which represent the Holy Spirit, 13:06 and Jesus isn't there yet, the angels, 13:08 the angelic hosts aren't there. 13:10 And then in Chapter 5, Jesus arrives. 13:13 He is the lamb as though it had been slain, 13:16 and He presents His wounds to His Father. 13:18 His Father accepts His sacrifice 13:19 and He begins His intercessory ministry. 13:23 So for the historicist school, 13:25 the seals begin with the ascension of Christ. 13:28 That's the introductory vision. 13:30 And then the seven seals are the events 13:32 that transpire from the point 13:36 that Jesus begins His intercessory ministry 13:39 until the Second Coming of Christ. 13:42 In other words, the seals describe the events 13:44 that take place between Christ's inauguration 13:47 and the consummation when Jesus comes. 13:50 So you can follow in the seals 13:52 the sequence of historical events. 13:54 It's kind of like the seven churches, 13:56 kind of like the seven trumpets, 13:58 kind of like Daniel 2 that begins in the days 14:02 when Daniel wrote, 14:03 and concludes at the Second Coming of Christ. 14:06 So basically, that seals have much relevance 14:09 because we can follow the historical trajectory. 14:12 And, you know, I believe that now 14:14 we are living in the second part 14:16 of the sixth seal. 14:17 And soon the events of the sixth seal 14:20 are going to come to conclusion. 14:22 Jesus is going to come and then the seventh seal 14:24 is going to take place, 14:25 so we can follow the flow of history. 14:28 And we can know that everything has been fulfilled the way 14:30 God has said that it's going to be fulfilled, 14:32 and we know exactly where we are, 14:34 and what still needs to be fulfilled. 14:37 Are you follow me or not? 14:38 That's the beauty of the historicist method 14:41 of interpreting Bible prophecy. 14:46 Now, let's notice at the bottom of the page of the handout, 14:50 the historicist principles that we are going to apply. 14:53 First of all, we allow the Bible 14:57 to interpret the symbols of the seals 15:02 because the Bible does not explain the seven seals. 15:06 There's no explanation to this, 15:08 to the symbols of the seven seals 15:10 in Revelation 4 through 8:1. 15:14 You know, you won't find we're in Revelation Chapter 7, 15:17 you have the seal. 15:18 It doesn't say the seal is the Sabbath. 15:21 It doesn't tell you what the trees are. 15:23 It doesn't tell you what the sea is. 15:27 It doesn't explain the symbols. 15:29 So how do you understand the symbols of the seals? 15:32 You apply the historicist principle 15:34 that the Bible is its own interpreter. 15:36 You go to other texts in the Bible 15:38 that use the same symbol to understand 15:40 what the symbol means. 15:42 So if you find, for example, in Revelation Chapter 7, 15:46 it says that the wind doesn't blow on any tree. 15:50 You know, you're not looking for a place 15:52 where there's lots of trees. 15:54 No, trees symbolize God's people. 15:59 There are multiple verses that compare, 16:01 he will be like a tree planted next to waters, 16:04 it says in Psalm 1. 16:06 So you know what that trees there represents God's people. 16:10 Sea, well, you know what sea represents? 16:12 It represents multitudes, nations, tongues, and peoples. 16:15 But you have to go to other places in Scripture 16:18 that give you the meaning of the symbol. 16:21 The Bible is its own interpreter. 16:24 And that's the principle 16:25 that we're going to apply to the seals. 16:27 We're going to allow other texts of the Bible 16:29 to explain the meaning of each symbol. 16:32 Another point is that we need to carefully 16:34 consider the order of events, 16:38 or the literary structure, 16:40 realizing that the literary structure 16:43 of Revelation is tricky. 16:45 Maybe I shouldn't have used that word. 16:48 But, you know, if you think that you're going to, 16:51 you're going to read Revelation 1:1 16:54 through Revelation Chapter 22, 16:57 the last verse, and say, 16:58 I'm going to find an exact chronology 17:00 of all of the events that are going to take place 17:03 from Revelation 1 through the end of time, 17:05 you're going to be so confused, 17:07 you don't know what planet you're on. 17:09 Because the Book of Revelation is like Daniel, 17:12 it works in cycles. 17:14 It goes to flashbacks. 17:15 It goes forwards, it goes backwards, 17:17 that repeats, it has cycles, 17:20 and the key is to be able to determine 17:23 where a cycle ends and where a new cycle begins. 17:27 And so we're going to see that in the seals, 17:30 and that's a very, very important point. 17:32 So the historicist principle means 17:34 that we are going to take 17:36 a look at the literary structure 17:38 of the seals as well. 17:42 Let's go to the next page. 17:44 It is vitally important 17:46 to realize that the introductory verses 17:50 contain the beginning and ending point 17:52 of the entire series. 17:54 I'm going to dedicate a few minutes to this 17:56 because this is crucially important. 18:00 When the series begins, you have an introductory verse, 18:05 or sometimes two or three verses 18:08 that give you the beginning and ending point 18:10 of the entire series. 18:13 Let me give you an example. 18:14 Go to Revelation 3:21. 18:16 We'll pick up on this a little bit later. 18:19 But let's just do it now briefly. 18:23 Revelation 3:21. 18:25 This is the conclusion to the seven churches. 18:30 And it's also the introduction to the seven seals. 18:34 It gives you two points of time, 18:37 with several events in between. 18:40 Notice it says, Here Jesus is speaking, 18:43 "To him who overcomes, 18:47 I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, 18:52 as I also overcame 18:54 and sat with My Father on His throne." 18:58 Now, are there two points of time here? 19:00 Jesus overcame and He what? 19:04 And He sat with His Father on His throne. 19:06 Then he says, "If you overcome, 19:10 you will also sit with the Father," where? 19:15 "With Jesus on His throne." 19:17 So you have Jesus overcoming sitting on the throne. 19:21 If we overcome, we will sit on the throne. 19:24 So what we're going to notice is that seven seals 19:27 are simply describing the period 19:29 between when Jesus sat with His Father on His throne, 19:32 and when we will sit with Jesus on His throne. 19:36 In other words, the seven seals 19:38 describe the overcoming of God's people 19:40 throughout the course of Christian history, 19:42 culminating with sitting with Jesus on His throne. 19:45 Are you with me or not? 19:46 So this one verse 19:48 gives you the starting point for the seals. 19:50 That's when Jesus sat with His Father on his throne. 19:52 It gives you the ending point, 19:55 when after the seals God's people are victorious, 19:58 and they sit with Jesus on the throne. 20:01 So, introductory verses are extremely important. 20:05 Let's notice another introductory passage, 20:08 Revelation Chapter 8. 20:10 Revelation Chapter 8. 20:11 This is the introduction to the trumpets. 20:15 The introduction to the trumpets, 20:17 Revelation 8:2-5. 20:21 Now, our study next year, Lord willing, 20:24 if we're still here, 20:26 and you know, a final events have not reached us, 20:32 we will have our class on the trumpets. 20:35 Now, that is a very controversial part 20:39 of Revelation. 20:41 There are multiple interpretations 20:42 in the Adventist Church. 20:44 I don't know the reason why, because I've studied them, 20:48 and they seem to be pretty, pretty clear. 20:50 But we're going to study the trumpets. 20:52 And there are people in the Adventist Church 20:53 who say that all of the trumpets are future. 20:57 Others see the trumpets as having a dual application. 21:01 In other words, they were fulfilled, 21:03 and they're going to be fulfilled again in the future. 21:07 And the reason why many say 21:09 that the trumpets come 21:12 after our future, 21:16 is because of what we're going to notice now. 21:18 Revelation 8, 21:19 and let's begin at verse 2. 21:25 "And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, 21:27 and to them were given seven trumpets. 21:30 Then another angel, having a golden censer, 21:32 came and stood at the altar. 21:34 He was given much incense, that he should offer it 21:36 with the prayers of all the saints 21:38 upon the golden altar 21:39 which was before the throne. 21:41 And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, 21:44 ascended before God from the angel's hand." 21:48 Let me ask you, up to this point, 21:50 is the door of probation open? 21:55 How do we know that? 21:58 Well, because the prayers of the saints are ascending, 22:01 and Jesus is receiving the prayers of the saints, 22:04 and is mingling the prayers 22:06 with the incense of His marriage. 22:09 So we know that up to the point of verse 4, 22:15 Jesus is interceding. 22:17 That is the beginning point. 22:19 When did Jesus begin His intercessions? 22:23 When He ascended to heaven, 22:25 at the beginning of the Christian dispensation, 22:28 but then the scene changes. 22:31 It says in verse 5, 22:32 "Then the angel took the censer, 22:35 filled it with fire from the altar, 22:38 and threw it to the earth. 22:41 And there were noises, thunderings, 22:43 lightnings and an earthquake." 22:46 So what does the throwing down of the censer represent? 22:51 If the censer means presenting the prayers 22:53 of the saints before the Father, 22:55 what would the throwing down of the censer represent? 22:59 It would represent that the fact 23:01 that intercession has ceased. 23:05 So, and what happens in between 23:07 when Jesus begins His intercessions, 23:11 and when intercession ends? 23:13 The seven trumpets are in between. 23:16 Are you with me or not? 23:18 So this introductory vision gives you the starting point, 23:21 and it gives you the ending point 23:23 of the trumpets. 23:25 Now the same thing, 23:27 and this becomes a little bit more complex, 23:29 but let's take the time to do it. 23:30 Let's go to Revelation Chapter 11. 23:33 Revelation Chapter 11. 23:35 This is the conclusion of the seven trumpets, 23:39 the conclusion of the seven trumpets. 23:42 And this is where you're going to see 23:43 that we really need to be careful about 23:45 studying the sequence or the order of events. 23:49 It says there in Revelation Chapter 11, 23:51 and let's begin at verse 15. 23:54 Revelation 11:15, 23:57 "Then the seventh angel sounded: 24:00 And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, 24:02 'The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms 24:05 of our Lord and of His Christ, 24:07 and He shall reign forever and ever!' 24:09 And the twenty-four elders 24:11 who sat before God on their thrones 24:13 fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying..." 24:15 Now notice what the hymn, 24:17 the theme of the hymn is saying, 24:20 "We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, 24:22 The One who is and who was and who is to come." 24:26 Now notice this. 24:27 "Because You have taken Your great power and reigned." 24:32 So what is the seventh trumpet? 24:35 The seventh trumpet is when Jesus takes over what? 24:38 Takes over the kingdom. 24:40 He begins to reign. 24:42 When does Jesus begin to reign? 24:48 Well, He actually begins to reign 24:51 when probation closes, 24:52 because His kingdom is complete. 24:55 The investigative judgment has revealed 24:57 who are subjects of His kingdom? 24:58 His kingdom are His subjects. 25:01 So when the investigative judgment ends, 25:03 His kingdom is made up. 25:05 However, Jesus does not take over the reigns of the kingdom 25:09 until the Second Coming. 25:11 But legally, the verdict is already there 25:13 when probation closes, 25:15 because His kingdom, 25:16 the group of His followers has been made up 25:18 by the investigative judgment. 25:20 Then they go through a time of trouble 25:22 where it appears that Satan is in control. 25:24 Because Ellen White says that, 25:26 you know, after the close of probation, 25:29 Satan will have full control over the final impenitent. 25:33 So it would appear that Satan is in control, 25:35 even though Jesus has legally taken over the kingdom. 25:38 Now Satan is struggling to keep his kingdom. 25:41 But then after the tribulation, 25:42 Jesus empirically and personally 25:44 takes the kingdom. 25:46 Are you with me or not? 25:47 So the seventh trumpet deals with the close of probation 25:50 and with Jesus taking over His kingdom. 25:54 So in verse 17, the seventh trumpet ends. 25:59 But now in... 26:01 Here's the tricky part in verse 18. 26:03 If you read verse 18, after verse 17, 26:09 you're going to be all messed up. 26:11 Because verse, what verse 18 26:13 does is it gives you the structure 26:15 of the rest of the book. 26:19 In other words, 26:21 is giving you the introduction to the main sections 26:25 of the last half of the Book of Revelation. 26:28 You say, "How is that?" 26:30 Well, let's notice those events. 26:34 And you'll see this at just below the middle of the page, 26:39 where you have those bullet points. 26:42 It says in Revelation 11:18, 26:44 "The nations were angry, 26:49 and Your wrath has come, 26:53 and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, 26:57 and that You should reward Your servants 26:58 the prophets and the saints, 27:00 and those who fear Your name, 27:02 small and great, and should destroy those 27:04 who destroy the earth." 27:07 Now, you've several events mentioned in this verse. 27:11 You've, first of all, the nations were what? 27:14 The nations were angry. 27:16 Now when it says the nations were angry, 27:19 who are they angry at? 27:22 See, this doesn't mean that they're just mad at each other. 27:26 It means that they're angry at whom? 27:29 They're angry at God, 27:30 and they're angry at God's people. 27:31 The nations were angry. 27:34 And then it says, "Your wrath has come." 27:36 Let me ask you, what is God's wrath? 27:39 Where is God's wrath poured out? 27:42 In the seven last plagues, 27:43 is that before or after the close of probation? 27:46 That's after the close of probation. 27:49 And then it says and the time of the dead, 27:51 that they should be judged. 27:53 Now you say, "Now, wait a minute. 27:55 Doesn't the judgment take place before the seven last plagues 27:58 are poured out? 28:01 Yes, but maybe this judgment is not talking about 28:05 the pre-advent investigative judgment. 28:07 Maybe this is talking about the millennial judgment. 28:12 And you're gonna see that that's just the case. 28:15 So it says, once again, the nations were angry. 28:21 That's happening now during probationary time, 28:23 angry at God's people. 28:25 Your wrath has come, 28:26 that's God's response to the anger of the nations, 28:29 and the time of the dead, 28:31 that they should be judged. 28:33 And notice, and that you should reward your servants, 28:36 the prophets and the saints, 28:38 and those who fear your name small and great, 28:40 and to destroy those who destroy the earth. 28:45 So you have this section here, you have five events. 28:49 The nations were angry, which is happening now. 28:53 And it's going to intensify, 28:55 to the point where you have a Sunday law, 28:57 a death decree. 28:59 Your wrath has come, 29:01 that's God's response to the anger of the nations 29:03 against His people. 29:05 The time to judge the dead, 29:09 the time to reward God's servants, 29:12 and the time to destroy those who destroy the earth. 29:16 Now you'll notice on the left hand side, 29:17 the sections in the last half of Revelation 29:20 that are being dealt with. 29:22 Revelation Chapter 12 through 14 29:24 describes the anger of the nations. 29:27 In other words, 29:29 that's an amplification of that phrase, 29:31 the nations were angry. 29:33 Is that the emphasis of Revelation Chapter 12? 29:37 Yes, the dragon wants to kill the man child. 29:41 The dragon persecutes the woman for 1260 years. 29:44 Then the dragon was angry at the remnant of her seed 29:48 who keep the commandments of God. 29:49 The central theme is the anger of the nations 29:51 against Christ and His people. 29:53 Revelation 13, you have the beast that receives it, 29:58 receives power and throne and authority from the dragon. 30:02 The dragon is the Roman Empire. 30:05 The same empire that wanted to kill Jesus, 30:07 and then the beast that receives the power 30:09 and the throne persecutes God's people 30:12 for 1260 years. 30:14 And then a beast rises from the earth 30:17 that gives a decree that you can't buy or sell. 30:21 And whoever doesn't receive the mark of the beast 30:22 is going to be killed. 30:23 Is that the anger of the nations? 30:25 Oh, yeah, absolutely. 30:27 And then after the three... 30:29 When the three angels' messages are proclaimed, 30:31 then you have the wicked gathered around Jerusalem, 30:34 they're in the winepress, 30:35 they want to destroy those who are within the city, 30:38 because they've accepted the messages of three angels. 30:40 So the central theme of Revelation 12, 13, and 14 30:43 is the anger of the nations against God's people. 30:46 And it's summarized in that one phrase 30:49 that introduces the second half of the book. 30:51 Are you following me? 30:53 Then your wrath has come, where would that be described? 30:56 Well, that would be in the next section 30:57 in the last half of Revelation. 30:59 You read Revelation 15, 31:01 it speaks about the close of probation. 31:03 It says there that the temple is filled with smoke, 31:06 that heavenly temple 31:08 which refers to the Most Holy Place. 31:09 No one can enter the temple until the seven last plagues 31:13 have been poured out. 31:14 So that's at close of probation. 31:16 And the seven last plagues are God's wrath. 31:19 Are you following me or not? 31:22 So Revelation 15 through 19 describes 31:24 the close of probation and the seven last plagues. 31:27 All of that section deals with the seven last plagues. 31:31 Now you say what about the time to judge the dead? 31:35 Well, if we're following in chronological order, 31:37 which dead is this talking about judging? 31:42 It's not talking about the investigative judgment 31:44 of God's people before the Second Coming, because... 31:47 Because the plagues, 31:49 once the plagues are poured out, 31:51 probation has closed. 31:54 Are you with me or not? 31:55 So it must refer to another investigation, 31:58 another, other dead people who are being judged. 32:00 Who would those be? 32:02 Those wicked people who remained on earth 32:06 and are being judged during the millennium? 32:08 Is there a millennial judgment? 32:10 Revelation Chapter 20 says that judgment was committed 32:14 to those who were beheaded 32:18 because they did not worship the beast, 32:20 his image or received the mark. 32:22 So the time to judge the dead is not the righteous dead. 32:26 It's the time to judge the wicked dead, 32:28 who have been left here at the Second Coming. 32:32 Are you with me? 32:34 And then is that the same time that God rewards His people? 32:38 When He begins to judge the wicked, 32:41 does He also reward His people? 32:43 Yes, He does. 32:45 The same time at the Second Coming. 32:47 You know, Jesus takes His people to heaven, 32:49 He rewards them with heaven, 32:51 and the judgment of the wicked begins. 32:53 And then what is the last section 32:55 of the Book of Revelation? 32:57 Well, you'll notice in Revelation 20:14-15, 33:02 "The wicked are destroyed." 33:04 In other words, those who destroyed the earth 33:08 are they themselves destroyed 33:11 after they are judged. 33:14 So Revelation 11:18 33:17 is actually a summary 33:20 of the second half of the Book of Revelation, 33:22 the main events. 33:23 Now you say, are you on target? 33:26 Well, let's read this statement from Ellen White. 33:30 She knew this all the time. 33:33 You know, she, I don't think Ellen White, 33:35 you know, sat down to study the literary structure 33:39 of the trumpets. 33:41 But she did receive divine revelation. 33:43 She always presented everything exactly the way it is, 33:47 with no PhD, with no, no super, 33:53 you know, studied what all the scholars said, 33:55 "No, no, Ellen White gets everything right, 34:00 because she was inspired by God." 34:01 She put everything in the right order. 34:04 Notice this statement from Early Writings, page 36. 34:08 "Then I saw that Jesus would not leave the Most Holy Place 34:13 until every case was decided 34:15 either for salvation or destruction, 34:18 and that the wrath of God could not come 34:22 until Jesus had finished His work 34:24 in the Most Holy Place, 34:25 laid off His priestly attire and clothed Himself 34:29 with the garments of vengeance." 34:30 So when is it that the wrath of God is going to come 34:34 before the close of probation 34:36 or after the close of probation? 34:38 After Jesus ceases His intercessions. 34:41 "Then Jesus will step out 34:44 from between the Father and man, 34:46 God will keep silence no longer, 34:48 but pour out His wrath 34:51 on those who have rejected His truth." 34:54 Now listen to this. 34:55 "I saw that the anger of the nations, 34:58 the wrath of God, 35:00 and the time to judge the dead were separate and distinct, 35:05 one following the other." 35:09 So are the events in Revelation 11:19 35:11 in chronological order? 35:14 Yes or no? 35:15 According to Ellen White, 35:17 are they in chronological order? 35:18 Absolutely. 35:19 They're in chronological order. 35:21 Now, the question is, when it says, 35:24 when Ellen White says here, 35:26 I saw that the anger of the nations, 35:28 the wrath of God, 35:30 and the time to judge the dead were separate and distinct. 35:33 So is the time to judge the dead 35:35 after the close of probation, 35:37 according to this statement? 35:39 Yes. 35:41 Because He says there's an order. 35:43 The nations angry, first of all, 35:45 then the wrath of God 35:47 which is the seven last plagues, 35:48 then the time to judge the dead. 35:51 So can this be the investigative judgment 35:54 of the righteous? 35:56 It cannot be the investigative judgment 35:57 of the righteous. 35:59 It's that simple. 36:00 So we know from the testimony of Ellen White, 36:03 that the anger of the nations represents 36:05 the anger of the wicked against God's people, 36:08 God's wrath being poured out is the seven last plagues. 36:11 And the judgment of the dead is not the judgment 36:15 of the righteous dead. 36:17 It is the judgment of what? 36:19 The judgment of the wicked dead. 36:22 And then she ends the statement by saying, 36:25 once again, let's begin, 36:26 "I saw the anger of the nations, 36:28 the wrath of God, 36:29 and the time to judge the dead were separate and distinct, 36:32 one following the other. 36:34 Also that Michael had not stood up, 36:36 and that the time of trouble 36:38 such as never was had not yet commenced." 36:40 Now notice that chronological detail. 36:43 The nations are now getting angry. 36:46 So was that part still during probationary time? 36:50 The anger of the nation still during probationary time? 36:52 Yes. 36:54 Is the wrath of God after probationary time? 36:57 Is the judgment of the dead 36:58 after God pours out the seven last plagues? 37:02 Fantastic, Ellen White had it right. 37:07 And so we end the statement, 37:08 "The nations are now getting angry, 37:10 but when our High Priest 37:12 has finished his work in the Sanctuary, 37:14 he will stand up, 37:16 put on the garments of vengeance, 37:18 and then the seven last plagues 37:21 will be poured out." 37:26 And then I want you to notice how important this issue 37:29 of where new series begin and when, 37:32 where series end. 37:35 Unless, listen, we can interpret symbols 37:37 till we're blue in the face. 37:39 But if we don't know how Revelation is organized, 37:44 how the events, 37:45 what the sequence of the events is, 37:49 when one series ends, and the next series begins, 37:52 when there's a flashback, when it takes you forward. 37:57 We're not going to even know where we're at. 38:02 So even, maybe I shouldn't say even more important, 38:06 but just as important 38:08 as being able to interpret individual symbols, 38:11 what they're mean, 38:12 what they mean and put them together. 38:14 It's crucially important to know 38:15 how the Book of Revelation was organized, 38:19 the sequence of events, how the book is organized. 38:22 And so let's go now to Revelation 11:19, 38:26 see if you want to read this in chronological order, 38:31 it won't make any sense. 38:33 Revelation 11:19. 38:35 After we find the summary of the rest of the book, 38:38 it says, "Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, 38:43 and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. 38:47 And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, 38:49 an earthquake, and great hail." 38:53 Do you see what the problem is here? 38:56 If you take Revelation 11:19, 39:01 as taking place after Revelation 11:18, 39:06 you're going to be in serious trouble. 39:10 is the introductory verse 39:14 to the rest of the book. 39:17 Verse 18 gives you all of the summary 39:20 of all of the events. 39:22 gives you the starting point for the last half. 39:25 And that is the beginning of the investigative judgment 39:29 in 1844. 39:32 Every single time that Ellen White quotes 39:34 Revelation 11:19, 39:36 she applies it to what happened in 1844. 39:40 So can you read 39:42 in chronological sequence with the verse 39:44 that comes before? 39:46 No, you'll be all goofed up. 39:49 But when you realize that Revelation 11:19 39:52 is the introduction 39:56 to the last half of the book 39:58 that its focused is going to be the Most Holy Place 40:01 of the heavenly sanctuary, then it makes sense. 40:04 And incidentally, this verse 40:05 not only gives us the starting point, 40:08 the temple of God opened in heaven, 40:09 the ark of His covenant seen in His temple, 40:12 but it also gives us the ending point. 40:15 And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, 40:17 an earthquake and great hail. 40:18 That's exactly what happens at the seventh plague. 40:23 Are you with me? 40:26 So once again, you have the introduction. 40:30 The point is the... 40:32 That Revelation Chapter 12 40:34 and following is going to focus primarily 40:37 on what happens after 1844, 40:39 the investigative judgment in heaven. 40:42 And when that concludes at the seventh plague, 40:45 which we're not going to read now, 40:46 that's where you have lightnings, noises, 40:48 thunderings, an earthquake and great hail. 40:51 So how important then is it to understand 40:56 that Revelation is not written in chronological order? 40:59 You know, there's a reason 41:00 why the Christian world is so goofed up, 41:04 because they're using the wrong method. 41:07 They're trying to open the door with the wrong key. 41:10 Only historicism will help people 41:14 unlock the secrets of the Book of Revelation. 41:17 There's no other method that will do it. 41:19 Futurism is broke. 41:23 Preterism is broke. 41:25 Only historicism makes the Book of Revelation 41:30 relevant and understandable. 41:33 Now, the last point that I want to deal with 41:35 in this introductory aspect 41:38 is that sometimes we are very inconsistent 41:43 in our way of interpreting prophecies 41:46 of the Book of Revelation. 41:48 And for a moment, 41:49 I'm going to mention something about the seven trumpets. 41:55 We are going to study 41:56 as I mentioned before next year, 41:58 Lord willing at Anchor, 42:00 the seven trumpets which cover Revelation, 42:04 basically Revelation Chapter 8 42:06 through Revelation Chapter, 42:08 the end of Chapter 11, of the Book of Revelation. 42:11 And, you know, there are many different views 42:15 of the trumpets. 42:16 Some say that the trumpets are totally future. 42:19 Some say that the trumpets are in the past. 42:22 Some say that there's a dual application 42:25 to the trumpets, you know, 42:26 they were fulfilled in the past, 42:28 and they're going to be fulfilled in the future. 42:30 But the reason why people have all of these different views 42:35 is because they're very inconsistent 42:37 in the methods that they use. 42:40 Let's just go through some of those things. 42:43 We're at the bottom of page two, 42:45 the inconsistency of method. 42:49 Now, the prophetic series all begin with what? 42:54 When you have a prophetic sequence, 42:57 they will always begin in the day 43:00 in which the prophet wrote, correct? 43:06 Where does Daniel 2 begin? 43:09 Babylon. 43:10 Did Daniel live in Babylon? 43:12 Yes. Okay. 43:14 Daniel 7? 43:16 Is it beginning with Babylon? 43:18 Yes, Daniel 8 begins with Medo-Persia. 43:22 Did Daniel lived during the period of Medo-Persia? 43:24 Yes. 43:26 Daniel 11 begins with what? 43:28 Medo-Persia. 43:30 Was Daniel alive? 43:31 Yes. 43:33 So where does the prophetic chain begin? 43:35 It begins in the time when the prophet wrote. 43:40 How about Revelation Chapter 12? 43:42 The dragon that tries to kill the man child? 43:45 Is that in the time of John? 43:47 Yes, absolutely. 43:48 Revelation 13, the dragon gives his throne, 43:51 his power and authority to the beast. 43:53 The dragon is the Roman Empire. 43:55 So you're starting at the Roman Empire again. 43:58 And then you have united... You have the seven churches. 44:02 Where does the seven churches begin? 44:04 They begin in the apostolic times. 44:07 Where do the seals begin? 44:08 The white horse, apostolic times. 44:12 So here's the problem. 44:14 Why does Uriah Smith begin the trumpets 44:20 in the fourth century 44:23 with the barbarian invasions? 44:27 Are you seeing the inconsistency? 44:30 All of the prophetic chains begin in the days 44:34 when the prophet lived. 44:36 But they say the trumpets, that's the exception. 44:39 Even though the trumpets begin not in the first century, 44:43 they begin in the fourth century 44:45 with the barbarian invasions. 44:47 We begin to detect a problem. 44:52 Furthermore, is there any evidence 44:54 that chain prophecies have a dual application? 44:59 Do the seven churches have a dual application 45:03 to the past and the future? 45:05 No. 45:07 Does Daniel 7 have a dual application? 45:10 Can you say that Daniel 7 45:12 is fulfilled twice once in the past 45:14 and then it's fulfilled in the future again? 45:17 How about Revelation 13? 45:19 Does that have a dual fulfillment? 45:22 No. 45:23 So why do we... Why would we say that 45:25 the seven trumpets have a dual fulfillment, 45:29 if none of the other chain prophecies 45:31 have a dual fulfillment? 45:33 Daniel Chapter 2 has one fulfillment 45:36 and you use the historicist method. 45:38 It helps you know exactly 45:39 where you are at any given moment 45:41 in the study of the prophecy. 45:43 So you can follow the trajectory. 45:44 It begins with the head of gold, 45:47 breast and arms of silver, belly of bronze, 45:50 legs of iron, feet of iron and clay, 45:53 the stone that hits the image, 45:55 the mountain, the everlasting kingdom. 45:57 You've been unable to follow the flow of the prophecy 46:00 from beginning to end. 46:02 So does Daniel 2 have two fulfillments? 46:05 No, it's got one. 46:07 Does Daniel 7 have two fulfillments? 46:08 The lion represents Babylon, 46:10 but then something else in the future? 46:12 No. 46:13 The bear can represent something in the past, 46:15 something in the future? 46:16 No. 46:18 Chain prophecies, you have the lion, Babylon, 46:21 the bear, Medo-Persia, the leopard, Greece, 46:23 the dragon beast, Rome, 46:25 the 10 horns, the divisions of Rome, 46:27 the little horn, the papacy, and so on. 46:31 So why would you say that the trumpets 46:34 have a dual fulfillment, 46:36 if in chain prophecies 46:38 you have basically one historicist fulfillment? 46:44 Furthermore, in the interpretation 46:47 that is given of the trumpets, 46:48 why would John dedicate four trumpets 46:51 to the barbarian invasions? 46:54 I mean, the barbarian invasions were important, 46:57 but four trumpets to the barbarian invasions. 47:01 And by the way, specific names are given 47:05 to individuals that fulfill the trumpets, 47:09 Muhammad, Odoacer, Attila the Hun, 47:14 you know, fulfill, they... 47:16 Nowhere in any of the other chain prophecies 47:19 do you have individual names fulfilling, 47:21 they are movements, 47:23 they are kingdoms that fulfill Bible prophecy. 47:28 Furthermore, in the trumpets, 47:32 you find that the inconsistency 47:34 of applying the symbols in the trumpets. 47:38 You know, different, a different method 47:41 is applied to interpreting the symbols of the trumpets, 47:46 then what is used to interpret the symbols 47:48 in other passages of Bible prophecy. 47:51 You know, you read, for example, 47:53 some books on the seven trumpets, 47:56 some Adventist books on the seven trumpets. 47:58 And what they'll do is sometimes 48:00 they'll interpret the symbols literally, 48:01 and sometimes they'll interpret them 48:03 as symbolic. 48:05 There appears to be really no method, 48:08 no hermeneutical method to interpret the symbols. 48:12 As Adventists, we've understood that the symbols 48:14 before the Second Coming, the symbols 48:16 represent something that is not literal, 48:19 but it's symbolic. 48:21 But in many of the expositions of the trumpets, 48:24 you have a literalizing of symbols, 48:28 which really should be understood 48:31 in a symbolic sense. 48:34 One final point that we have on this 48:37 is that in the series on the trumpets, 48:41 many see the Muslims fulfilling. 48:47 Yes, particularly the fifth and sixth trumpets. 48:51 Now, the big question is, 48:54 where do you find the Muslims in any of the prophetic change? 49:00 Are the Muslims in Daniel 2? 49:03 No. 49:05 Are the Muslims in Daniel 7? 49:07 No. 49:09 Are the Muslims in Daniel 8 and 9? 49:12 No. 49:13 Are the Muslims in Daniel 11? 49:18 No. 49:20 Are the Muslims in the seven churches? 49:24 Are the Muslims in the seven seals? 49:27 Are the Muslims in Revelation 12? 49:31 Are they in Revelation 13? 49:34 They appear nowhere in any of the prophetic chains. 49:39 So why would there be a great emphasis 49:44 in the trumpet series on the role of the Muslims? 49:49 These are questions that we need to ask ourselves 49:51 when we study the trumpets. 49:54 And we're going to look at it in detail 49:58 in our next Anchor class. 50:00 So basically, these are some of the things 50:03 that we have to take into account 50:05 when we are studying not only the seals, 50:09 but other passages of Scripture as well. 50:12 So let me ask you, 50:14 was what we looked at so far clear? 50:17 Were you able to follow and understand 50:19 what we've dealt with? 50:21 So we are going to apply these principles 50:24 to the study of the seals, 50:27 all of these historicist principles 50:30 that we find come from Scripture itself. 50:34 Now what we want to do is we want to go to page three. 50:39 And we are going to begin 50:43 our study of the seals, 50:47 particularly the introductory vision, 50:49 but before we go to the introductory vision, 50:52 we need to take a look at events that happened 50:56 while Christ was still on earth. 50:59 As the introductory vision simply points 51:02 to His ascension to heaven and His inauguration 51:05 as the interceding High Priest. 51:07 We need to look at some events that transpired 51:10 while Jesus was on this earth. 51:13 So first of all, what we want to notice 51:16 is that Jesus is the creator. 51:19 And because He is the creator, 51:21 He is responsible for our existence. 51:25 Is that a true statement? 51:28 He's not responsible for our sin. 51:31 He's responsible for our existence, 51:33 because He created us. 51:35 Notice John 1:1-3, "In the beginning was the Word, 51:40 and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 51:44 He was in the beginning with God. 51:46 All things were made through Him." 51:49 That is Jesus, the Word. 51:51 "And without Him nothing was made that was made." 51:56 So who was the creator of all things? 51:58 Jesus. 52:00 So did Jesus create all of us? 52:04 No, you came from your mother, folks? 52:09 And where did your mother come from? 52:12 From her mother. 52:14 And where did her mother come from? 52:16 Well, from her mother. 52:18 So if you go back all the way to the beginning, 52:20 where do you end the chain? 52:22 With Adam and Eve. 52:24 So when Jesus created Adam and Eve, 52:26 He created all of us, because we all come from them. 52:29 So He's responsible for the existence 52:32 of every person here on planet earth. 52:37 Now, at the beginning, when Jesus created this world, 52:40 He placed Adam as the original ruler 52:45 over this realm. 52:47 Adam was the king, in other words, 52:50 of this realm of this world. 52:53 Psalm 8:3-5 tells us this. 52:57 One evening, 52:59 the psalmist was contemplating the heavens, 53:04 and he wrote these words. 53:05 "When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, 53:09 the moon and the stars, which You have ordained. 53:13 What is man that You are mindful of him, 53:17 and the son of man that You visit him? 53:20 You have made him a little lower than the angels, 53:24 and You have crowned him." 53:26 This speaking about the creation of Adam. 53:28 "You have crowned him with glory and honor." 53:31 Who wears crowns? 53:33 Kings. 53:35 Now, every king has a realm of dominion. 53:38 So Adam was created to be king, king of what? 53:42 Notice verse 6, 53:45 "You have made him to have dominion 53:48 over the works of Your hands, 53:50 You have put all things under his feet." 53:53 That means that He's the ruler. 53:55 "All sheep and oxen, even the beasts of the field, 53:59 the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea 54:02 that pass through the paths of the seas." 54:06 So God chose Adam as the king. 54:10 And his territory was everything relating 54:13 to planet earth. 54:15 However, there was a condition for him 54:19 to remain ruler over this realm. 54:22 And that was to offer God sinless perfection. 54:29 And Adam did not offer what God required. 54:34 And therefore, the Bible tells us 54:37 that Satan usurped the throne that belonged to Adam, 54:43 and the territory over which he ruled. 54:46 And we find this in Luke 4:5-7, 54:51 this is on the Mount of Temptation. 54:53 It says, "Then the devil, 54:55 taking him up on a high mountain, 54:59 showed Him all the kingdoms of the world 55:01 in a moment of time. 55:04 And the devil said to him..." 55:05 By this time, there were many kingdoms, 55:07 there was still the planet earth. 55:10 And the devil said to Him, 'All this authority," 55:13 that's the position, right? 55:15 "All the authority, I will give you, 55:19 and their glory, 55:21 for this has been delivered to me," 55:22 who delivered it to him? 55:24 Adam, "for this has been delivered to me, 55:27 and I give it to whomever I wish. 55:31 Therefore, if you will worship me, 55:33 all will be Yours.'" 55:36 So who took over the throne of this world? 55:39 Satan, and this became his realm of dominion, 55:44 his territory. 55:45 Of course, he usurped it. 55:47 It was not rightfully his. 55:48 He stole it from Adam. 55:51 In Romans 6:16, which is not in your syllabus, 55:54 it says, "Do you not know that 55:56 to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, 55:58 you are slaves of whom you obey." 56:02 And Adam chose to obey Satan, 56:05 and therefore he became a slave of Satan. 56:09 And, of course, all of his descendants sinned, 56:14 because all have sinned 56:15 and come short of the glory of God. 56:16 So all of Adam's descendants 56:19 became slaves as well. 56:24 Now, 56:27 man or mankind therefore needed 56:31 some way to be saved. 56:34 See, Jesus now says, 56:35 I'm responsible for their existence. 56:39 They've sinned, they're lost, they're going to die, 56:42 they're going to suffer second death. 56:44 I need to implement a plan 56:47 so that they can recover what was lost. 56:51 Now, we're going to notice in our next study together, 56:54 that the redeemer of the lost possession, 56:59 and the emancipator from slavery 57:02 had to be a next of kin. 57:06 In other words, had to be a close relative, 57:09 in order to redeem someone 57:11 who had sold himself into slavery, 57:13 or someone who had sold their patrimony or their, 57:17 the land over which they governed. 57:21 Only a next of kin could recover 57:26 by making a payment what had been lost. 57:30 But we're gonna find that the problem is 57:32 that within the human race, 57:35 there was no one who had not sold himself into slavery. 57:39 And there was no one who had not relinquished 57:42 their possession. 57:44 Because the Bible says that all are sinners, 57:47 and come short of the glory of God. 57:49 So within the human race, there was no one 57:51 who could recover the last, lost possession. 57:55 But we shall see that someone did show up. |
Revised 2021-10-21