Participants:
Series Code: ARSS
Program Code: ARSS190007S
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00:16 Well, here we are again this afternoon after lunch.
00:22 A very difficult time. 00:24 It's a tendency to practice lay activities. 00:30 But we'll go forward and hopefully we'll be able to 00:33 stay awake and alert. 00:35 We are going to begin our study this afternoon 00:38 on page 81 of your syllabus. 00:40 Let me just mention to those who are watching the live stream, 00:44 and those who are watching on our SumTV channels, 00:48 that you are able to get a copy. 00:50 If you want a hard copy of the syllabus, you can contact us 00:54 here at Secrets Unsealed. 00:56 If you don't want to purchase the syllabus, you can actually 01:00 go to our website and find the syllabus there. 01:04 You'll be able to read it and download it for free. 01:09 We put all of our syllabus' online so that people can 01:12 download them for free. 01:13 It didn't use to be that way. 01:15 The reason why we do it is because there are many people 01:18 in many countries of the world that have no way of 01:22 acquiring the syllabus'. 01:24 And there's many people even in North America who do not 01:27 have the means to get the material. 01:30 And we feel that the material is extremely important, 01:33 and therefore we make it accessible to everyone for free. 01:38 And people say, "Well, don't you lose sales?" 01:40 Yes, we do lose sales, but the ministry is not about sales. 01:44 The ministry is about sharing the message. 01:46 And the Lord provides, because many people step to the plate 01:49 and they actually contribute to the functioning 01:53 of Secrets Unsealed. 01:54 So, we're not sorry that we make these available. 01:58 And I would also like to mention that basically, we put 02:01 all of our presentations on Youtube as well 02:04 so that people can watch them on Youtube. 02:06 Anyway, with that short commercial, we will have 02:09 a word of prayer, and then we'll get into our study. 02:11 Father in heaven, we thank You for the privilege of 02:13 being here this afternoon. 02:15 Thank You for the good lunch that we've been able to enjoy. 02:18 We thank You, Father, for Your Word. 02:20 We ask that as we study it, it will not return unto You void, 02:24 but that it will cause an impact in our minds and hearts, 02:27 and make us more like Jesus. 02:29 We thank You for hearing and answering our prayer, 02:31 for we ask it in the precious name of Your Son, Jesus. 02:35 Amen. 02:37 We begin on page 81 of our syllabus. 02:39 And the question that we are going to answer is this: 02:43 The elders, human or angelic? 02:47 You say, "Well, we already saw that they're angels." 02:51 However, there are still, some things that 02:54 we need to take a look at. 02:55 Particularly, Revelation 5:9-10. 02:59 So let's begin by a process of elimination. 03:03 Process of elimination simply means, let's try and determine 03:06 who the 24 elders are not. 03:10 Because if we can discover who they are not, 03:12 we might be able to discover who they are. 03:15 So we're going to look at several possibilities. 03:19 And we're going to cross off the ones that are not possible. 03:25 First of all, the 24 elders are no seraphim or cherubim. 03:33 You say, "How do we know that?" 03:34 Well, let's read Revelation 4:4, 10. 03:40 It says there... 03:45 Those are the cherubim and seraphim, right? 04:02 Are the 24 elders the same as the living creatures? 04:06 Are they cherubim and seraphim? 04:07 No, because in these verses they are distinguished. 04:11 It mentions the living creatures and it mentions the 24 elders. 04:15 They are not the same thing. 04:17 So the 24 elders are not cherubim or seraphim. 04:21 Now, are the 24 elders part of the vast angelic hosts? 04:26 No. 04:27 You say, "How do we know that they are not part 04:29 of the vast angelic hosts?" 04:32 Well, let's read Revelation 5:11-12, 04:36 which is on the next page, page 82. 05:03 So, are the 24 elders part of the angelic hosts? 05:08 No. 05:09 Because you have three groups mentioned here. 05:11 You have the many angels, the living creatures and the elders. 05:15 The elders are not the angelic hosts. 05:19 Now the next question is, are the 24 elders part of 05:22 the unnumbered mixed multitude which is mention in 05:26 Revelation 7; from every nation, kindred, tongue, and people? 05:31 Well, the answer is that the elders are not part 05:34 of that group from every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. 05:37 You say, "How do we know that the elders are not part of 05:40 that group of the redeemed?" 05:43 Well, Revelation 7:13-14 tells us... 05:52 Saying to John, that is. 06:03 The elder is asking a question about what? 06:06 About the great multitude from every nation, kindred, 06:09 tongue, and people. 06:10 So is the elder a part of the group that he's 06:12 asking the question about? 06:14 Absolutely not. 06:16 So the elders are not part of the vast multitude. 06:20 Now let's read this note which is very important. 06:23 Revelation 5:9-10 seem to indicate that the elders 06:28 sing the song of their redemption "from every kindred, 06:32 and tongue, and people, and nation." 06:35 However, Revelation 7:13 distinguishes one of the elders 06:41 from the great multitude that was redeemed from 06:44 "all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues." 06:48 Are you with me? 06:51 This clearly proves that the translation of Revelation 5:9-10 06:57 in the King James Version is incorrect 07:01 when it says that the elders, 07:05 along with the four living creatures, they sing, 07:07 "You have redeemed us from every nation, tongue, and people. 07:12 And you have made us kings and priests. 07:15 And we shall reign upon the earth." 07:18 Obviously, when you read Revelation 7:13-14, 07:23 you see that the elders do not belong to that great multitude 07:27 from every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. 07:31 Now the next point is, perhaps the 24 elders 07:34 are part of the 144,000 under different circumstances. 07:39 Well, let's read Revelation 14:3. 07:43 The 144,000, by the way, are those who are going to be 07:45 alive when Jesus comes. 07:47 They are the living. 07:48 Those who remain and are alive, according to the apostle Paul. 07:52 It says in Revelation 14:3... 08:06 So the question is, are the elders part of the 08:10 group of 144,000? 08:11 No. 08:13 Because verse 3 speaks of the living creatures, 08:15 the elders, and the 144,000. 08:19 So they are not members of those who will be alive 08:22 when Jesus comes. 08:24 What about those who resurrected in the special resurrection 08:28 when Christ resurrected? 08:29 Could they be members of that group? 08:32 No, absolutely not. 08:34 Why not? 08:36 For the simple reason that the elders were already there 08:40 before Jesus ascended to heaven with the firstfruits. 08:44 And we'll come to that point a little bit later. 08:46 But there's another special resurrection as well. 08:49 You're aware that there's going to be special resurrection 08:52 immediately before Jesus arrives at His second coming, right? 08:56 Those who pierced Jesus and the worst enemies of the faith, 09:00 as well as those who died in the faith of the 09:03 third angel's message, will resurrect. 09:05 And then they will see the entire second coming of Jesus 09:09 from beginning to end. 09:10 The rest of the dead who died before 1844, 09:14 they will resurrect when Jesus is above the earth. 09:17 So those who resurrect in the special resurrection 09:20 and those individuals who are alive, which are the 144,000, 09:24 they will see the second coming of Christ from beginning to end. 09:28 The rest of those who died before, they will resurrect 09:33 in the general resurrection once Jesus is above the earth. 09:37 Jesus isn't going to touch the earth, but He will be 09:39 above the earth. 09:41 So can the elders be members of that group 09:44 that will resurrect in that special resurrection 09:47 right before the second coming of Christ? 09:49 Absolutely not. 09:50 Let's read Daniel 12:1. 09:55 "At that time Michael shall stand up, 09:57 the great prince who stands watch over the sons of 10:00 your people; and there shall be a time of trouble 10:02 such as never was since there was a nation, 10:04 even to that time. 10:06 And at that time your people shall be delivered, 10:08 everyone who is found written in the book. 10:11 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth..." 10:14 Not everyone. 10:15 "...many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth 10:17 shall awake; some to everlasting life, 10:21 some to shame and everlasting contempt." 10:24 That's the special resurrection. 10:26 Can the elders be part of that group that resurrections 10:30 in the special resurrection? 10:31 No, because they were already in heaven when Jesus, 10:33 when Jesus... 10:35 They went with Jesus to heaven when Jesus ascended. 10:38 So they can't be part of that special resurrection 10:42 shortly before the second coming of Christ, 10:44 before He arrives. 10:46 Can the 24 elders actually be part of those who will resurrect 10:51 in the general resurrection when Jesus comes? 10:55 The resurrection of all of the righteous who lived before 1844, 10:59 before the third angel's message was proclaimed. 11:01 No, they can't be. 11:03 What's the reason why they can't be? 11:05 Well, for the same reason that the elders were already 11:10 in heaven when Jesus ascended to heaven. 11:13 So they can't be the ones that are going to resurrect 11:15 when Jesus comes the second time. 11:17 And of course, you can read there 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 11:22 where the dead in Christ will resurrect when Jesus comes. 11:24 They can't be the elders that were in heaven 11:29 before Jesus arrived at the moment of His ascension. 11:32 I already mentioned at the bottom of page 83 11:35 that they are not part of those who resurrect in the special 11:39 resurrection when Jesus came forth from the tomb 11:42 on resurrection morning. 11:44 So let's review what we've noticed. 11:47 Are they part of the cherubim and seraphim? 11:50 No. 11:51 Are they part of the vast angelic hosts? 11:54 No. 11:56 Are they part of the great multitude from every nation, 11:59 kindred, tongue, and people? 12:00 No. 12:01 Are they part of the 144,000, 12:05 those who will be alive when Jesus comes? 12:07 No. 12:08 Are they part of that special resurrection 12:10 right before the second coming before Jesus arrives? 12:13 No. 12:15 Will they be part of the general resurrection 12:18 of the righteous who died before 1844? 12:21 No. 12:22 Are they part of the firstfruits that Jesus took to heaven? 12:26 No. 12:28 So what is the conclusion that we must reach? 12:31 We've disqualified every being that we know of, except one. 12:37 They are not members of the regular angelic hosts 12:41 or of the human family. 12:44 Therefore, they must be some other order of being. 12:49 And what are they? 12:51 They are the representatives of the worlds that never sinned 12:56 in the universe. 12:58 But now let's deal with the problem. 13:01 A problem in translation. 13:04 How then do we explain Revelation 5:8-10 13:09 where the 24 elders... 13:10 And by the way, the problem is only in the King James 13:13 and the New King James Version. 13:15 Not any other version, 13:17 in any of the other more contemporary versions. 13:22 So what do we do to explain Revelation 5:8-10 13:26 where the 24 elders appear to be singing the song 13:30 of their redemption from "every kindred, and tongue, 13:33 and people, and nation?" 13:36 Why do these verses seem to say that the 24 elders 13:39 will reign upon the earth? 13:42 Let us consider the passage as it appears in the King James. 13:45 So we're going to read it first in the King James, 13:47 then we're going to try to resolve the issue. 13:50 Verse 8 of chapter 5 reads as follows 13:53 from the King James Version. 13:55 "And when he had taken the book... 14:14 By the way, both the living beings and the elders 14:16 are singing this, right? 14:20 What do the living creatures represent? 14:24 The cherubim and seraphim, right? 14:28 So did the cherubim and seraphim, 14:30 were they redeemed from the earth? 14:33 See, we begin to detect a little problem here? 14:36 Because both the living creatures and the elders 14:39 are singing this song. 14:41 So it says... 14:55 Are the cherubim and seraphim redeemed? 14:57 No, but they're singing the song. 15:15 Do you see where the problem is? 15:17 It gives the impression that the elders who are singing the song, 15:21 besides the four living creatures, incidentally, 15:23 are actually human beings that were redeemed. 15:28 Human beings that are going to reign upon the earth. 15:30 Is this possible in the light of what we've studied? 15:33 No, it's not possible in the light of what we've studied. 15:37 So we go to the paragraph on page 84. 15:40 Does not this passage explicitly state that God 15:43 redeemed the elders from the earth, 15:46 that He made them kings and priests, 15:48 and that they would rule upon the earth? 15:51 How could they then be strong angels or the highest of angels 15:56 that represent other worlds in the heavenly council? 16:01 Now before I answer this question, I'm going to tread 16:05 softly, I would like to share a word about 16:09 the King James Version. 16:11 I personally believe that the King James Version 16:14 is a very good version of the Bible, 16:17 a very good translation. 16:19 I believe that the manuscript trail, the Textus Receptus, 16:23 is a good manuscript trail. 16:26 The one that is used to translate 16:28 the King James Version. 16:29 However, neither the manuscript trail, 16:34 nor the translation are perfect. 16:37 The King James Version is a reverent version 16:41 written in beautiful Victorian English. 16:44 But the translation is not infallible. 16:49 It is not perfect. 16:50 I can give you an example. 16:53 Daniel says that the little horn took away the "daily sacrifice," 17:00 it says in the King James Version. 17:02 Ellen White says the word, "sacrifice," 17:04 does not belong to the text. 17:06 So immediately, we see that there are some issues. 17:09 Now I'm not saying that there are major issues, 17:11 that the King James Version is not a good version 17:13 of the Bible, a good translation. 17:15 It is a good translation. 17:16 Sometimes it's difficult to read because the syntax is not the 17:21 syntax that we use today, and many of the words are not 17:25 words that we use today. 17:27 And that's why many people prefer 17:29 more contemporary versions. 17:31 Now having said this, having said this about 17:34 the King James Version, 17:38 some people who are well intended revere this version 17:44 so much that they practically give the impression 17:46 that God verbally dictated the translation of the King James. 17:52 You know, they say, "If it was good enough for Christ, 17:54 it's good enough for me." 17:57 However, the King James translation is 17:59 by no means perfect. 18:01 Let me give you an example 18:04 from the much maligned New International Version. 18:07 Now I'm not really pushing for the New International Version, 18:13 don't get me wrong. 18:14 There are many passages in the NIV that have been taken out. 18:19 There are certain words that are mistranslated. 18:21 There's slanted translations in certain verses. 18:24 That doesn't mean that the entire NIV is no good. 18:28 When we study the Bible, we have to look at many different 18:30 versions of the Bible to see if we can determine 18:32 the meaning of a text. 18:35 Let me give you one example from the Bible 18:37 of where the NIV is better than the King James Version. 18:42 That doesn't mean that the NIV is better in all respects 18:46 than the King James Version. 18:47 You're understanding what I'm saying, right? 18:49 By the way, did you know that Ellen White says 18:51 that it is likely that there are many things that the editors 18:59 added to Bible texts to try and make them clearer, 19:03 in Selected Messages, volume 1? 19:06 And she's talking about the King James Version there. 19:10 So we need to look at the manuscript trail. 19:12 We need to look at all of the evidence. 19:14 Now what I want to mention is that the NIV is much better 19:19 in those text that speak about the state of the dead. 19:24 The example I want to give you is from Acts 2:25-27. 19:29 Acts 2:25-27 19:31 We're not digressing right now. 19:33 I just want to show you that sometimes the more 19:36 contemporary versions are more precise 19:39 in certain cases than what we find in the King James Version. 19:43 Acts 2:25-27, here Peter on the Day of Pentecost 19:49 is quoting a passage from Psalm 16. 19:53 "For David speaketh concerning him..." 19:56 David wrote about Jesus, in other words. 19:58 "I foresaw the Lord always before my face, 20:01 for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved. 20:06 Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad..." 20:11 This is the King James Version. 20:12 "...moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: 20:16 because thou wilt not leave my should in hell, 20:20 neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption." 20:24 You see where we have the problem here? 20:27 You know, people who use the King James, they'll say, 20:29 "When Jesus died, He went to hell. 20:31 His soul went to hell. 20:33 Not Him, His soul went to hell." 20:36 So when you read this in the King James, 20:38 immediately you have to explain, "Well, the soul is the person. 20:42 And you know, hell really represents the grave. 20:45 Which, by the way, the equivalent of the word, 20:47 "hades," which is used 12 times in the New Testament, 20:50 in the Old Testament it's, "Sheol." 20:52 "Sheol," is used over 50 times in the Old Testament. 20:55 And almost every single time it can be translated, the grave. 20:59 It doesn't mean, hell. It means, the grave. 21:02 And so, the King James, says, "...you will not leave my 21:04 soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One 21:07 to see corruption." 21:08 Now notice how the New International Version 21:11 translates this verse, or these verses. 21:14 "I saw the Lord always before me. 21:16 Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. 21:19 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; 21:22 my body also will live in hope, because you will not 21:26 leave me to the grave, nor will you let your 21:32 Holy One see decay." 21:35 Is that a better translation? 21:37 Very clearly, it's a better translation. 21:40 So what is the soul in the NIV? 21:43 Me. 21:44 Haven't we always said as Adventists that the soul 21:46 is the total person? 21:48 So the NIV is a good Seventh-day Adventist version, 21:52 in this verse. 21:53 Because it says, "you will not abandon me," 21:56 not to hell, but to where? 21:58 "...to the grave, nor will you allow your Holy One see decay." 22:05 So having said this, the reason why I'm bringing this to view 22:09 is because, just because the King James Version 22:14 gives us the impression that the elders are singing the song of 22:20 their redemption doesn't necessarily mean 22:22 that the King James translation is the correct translation. 22:26 I want to read now from several modern versions. 22:30 Versions that have been written within 22:32 the 20th and 21st century. 22:36 I'm going to read all of them so that you can see 22:38 how the overwhelming evidence is that the elders are not 22:44 the redeemed, the elders are singing about the redeemed. 22:48 First of all, from the NIV. 22:51 "And they sang a new song, 'You are worthy to take the 22:55 scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, 22:58 and with your blood you purchased men for God 23:04 from every tribe and language and people and nation. 23:07 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests 23:10 to serve our God, and they will reign upon the earth.'" 23:15 Here, the elder is not including himself in this multitude. 23:20 He is singing about the multitude. 23:23 Notice Revelation 5:9-10 in the New American Standard Bible, 23:26 which is a very much appreciated Bible 23:29 in the Christian world today. 23:31 "And they sang a new song saying, 23:33 'Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; 23:36 for You were slain, and purchased for God 23:39 with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue 23:42 and people and nation. 23:44 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; 23:48 and they will reign upon the earth.'" 23:51 Once again, the elders are singing about the redeemed. 23:56 Notice the Revised Standard Version. 23:59 "...and they sang a new song, saying, 'Worthy art thou 24:03 to take the scroll and to open its seals, for thou wast slain 24:07 and by thy blood didst ransom men for God from every tribe 24:12 and tongue and people and nation, and has made them 24:15 a kingdom and priests to our God, 24:18 and they shall reign upon earth.'" 24:21 The New English Bible. 24:23 "...and they were singing a new song: 24:24 'Thou art worthy to take the scroll and to break its seals, 24:28 for thou wast slain and by thy blood didst purchase for God 24:33 men of every tribe and language and people and nation; 24:36 thou hast made them a royal house, to serve our God 24:40 as priests; and they shall reign upon the earth.'" 24:44 The Weymouth Bible, which is more of a dynamic translation, 24:49 reads like this: 24:51 "And now they sing a new song, saying, 'Worthy art Thou 24:54 to take the book and break its seals; because Thou hast been 24:57 slain, and hast purchased for God with Thine own blood 25:01 men out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, 25:06 and hast formed them into a kingdom to be priests 25:09 to our God, and they shall reign over the earth.'" 25:13 The Phillips translation. 25:15 "They sang a new song and these are the words they sang: 25:18 'Worthy are thou to take the book and break its seals, 25:21 for thou hast been slain and by thy blood hast purchased 25:26 for God men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. 25:30 Thou hast made them a kingdom of priests for our God, 25:34 and they shall reign as kings upon the earth.'" 25:38 The Jerusalem Bible, which is a Roman Catholic Bible. 25:41 "They sang a new hymn: 'You are worthy to take the scroll 25:44 and break the seals of it, because you were sacrificed, 25:47 and with your blood you bought men for God of every race, 25:51 language, people, and nation and made them a line of kings 25:55 and priests to serve our God and to rule the world.'" 25:59 The New American Bible, also a Catholic translation. 26:03 "This is the new hymn they sang: 26:05 'Worthy are you to receive the scroll and break open its seals, 26:08 for you were slain. 26:10 With your blood you purchased for God men of every race 26:13 and tongue, and every people and nation, 26:15 you made of them a kingdom, and priests to serve our God, 26:19 and they shall reign upon the earth.'" 26:22 And then finally, the Jewish New Testament. 26:24 Revelation 5:9-10 26:26 "...and they sang a new song, 'You are worthy to take the 26:29 scroll and break its seals; because you were slaughtered; 26:34 at the cost of your blood you ransomed for God persons 26:37 from every tribe, language, people, and nation. 26:40 You made them into a kingdom for God to rule, 26:43 cohanim,'" that's priests, "to serve him; 26:47 and they will rule over the earth." 26:52 Overwhelmingly the testimony of the translations is 26:57 that the elders are not singing the song of their redemption, 27:01 they are singing about the redeemed. 27:03 Are you with me or not? 27:05 Now why is it that the elders cannot be human? 27:10 Four reasons. 27:11 First, because the elders were already there 27:17 before Jesus ascended to heaven. 27:20 Unless you had a huge group of people that went to heaven; 27:24 we know that Moses went and Elijah went, 27:26 and Enoch went; that's three, 27:29 but 24 elders, I mean, you don't have any groups that 27:34 went to heaven before Jesus ascended. 27:37 So they cannot be human. They were already there. 27:41 Second, both the four living creatures and the 24 elders 27:46 sang the song of redemption. 27:49 And the four living creatures are cherubim and seraphim. 27:53 They were not redeemed from among men. 27:55 And they are not going to rule over the earth. 27:57 Are you following me or not? 27:59 Now having said that, Ellen White does say 28:03 that the angels will sing the song of redemption 28:06 although they never had the experience. 28:09 And so I included this quotation here from, 28:12 Bible Commentary, volume 7, page 922. 28:15 "Holy angels will sing in the song of the redeemed. 28:20 Though they cannot sing from experimental knowledge, 28:24 'He hath washed us in His own blood and redeemed us unto God,' 28:28 yet they understand the great peril from which the people 28:31 of God have been saved. 28:32 Were they not sent to lift up for them a standard 28:36 against the enemy? 28:37 They can fully sympathize with the glowing ecstasy 28:40 of those who have overcome by the blood of the Lamb 28:43 and the word of their testimony." 28:46 The third reason why they are not human is because 28:50 very clearly the elder... 28:53 And this is a very important point. 28:55 ...the elder is distinguished from those who are redeemed 29:00 from every nation, tribe, tongue, and people. 29:03 Are you understanding this point? 29:05 Notice what we find here in Revelation 7:13-17. 29:11 This is about the great multitude 29:12 from every nation, tongue, and people, 29:14 the ones that supposedly are singing, 29:16 "you redeemed us from the earth." 29:18 Notice, "And one of the elders..." 29:24 This is the great multitude from every nation. 29:56 Notice all of the things that I put in bracket here. 29:59 Not "we," not "our," not "are we," not "us." 30:03 Verse 16, "They..." Not, "We..." 30:10 "...them..." Not, "us." 30:16 "...them..." Not, "us," not the elders. 30:26 Is that clear? 30:29 The elder is actually speaking about the group of the redeemed. 30:33 The elder is not one of the members of the group 30:37 of the redeemed. 30:39 Finally, as we've already noticed, Ellen White clearly 30:44 indicates that the 24 elders are strong angels 30:48 or the highest of angels. 30:50 So very clearly, Ellen White did not understand 30:53 that the 24 elders are human beings that were redeemed 30:59 and that are going to reign upon the earth. 31:01 Is this clear? 31:04 Yes? 31:05 Okay, good. 31:07 Now let's talk about the elders in the rest of the 31:09 book of Revelation. 31:11 The elders in the rest of the book. 31:14 And basically, the next couple of pages 31:17 you find in the chart on page 91. 31:22 The chart on page 91. 31:24 So I'm just going to go to the chart. 31:26 And the 24 elders are mentioned in these chapters 31:31 that we have here. 31:33 Let's notice the column under Revelation 4. 31:37 Revelation chapter 4. 31:39 Is the Father present in Revelation 4? 31:42 Yes. 31:43 Are the 24 elders present? 31:46 Yes. 31:47 Are the four living creatures present? 31:49 Yes. 31:51 Are the seven Spirits who are before the throne 31:53 present in chapter 4? 31:54 Yes. 31:56 But in chapter 5 you have an addition, don't you? 32:00 Do you still have the Father? Yes. 32:02 Do you still have the elders? Absolutely. 32:05 Do you have the four living creatures? Yes. 32:07 The seven Spirits are sent where? 32:10 They're sent to the earth. 32:11 But who is added now to the picture? 32:15 The Lamb and the angelic host. 32:20 But now let's notice Revelation 7 32:23 where you have a description of the redeemed already 32:26 victorious with the Lord. 32:29 In other words, it's after the second coming. 32:31 They're celebrating the feast of tabernacles in heaven. 32:34 They have palm branches in their hands, 32:36 which were used, according to Leviticus 23:40, 32:40 at the feast of tabernacles. 32:42 And you'll notice, and we don't have time to look at 32:45 all of the verses, but you have the chart there, 32:47 the Father is mentioned in Revelation 7:10, 32:50 in chapter 7. 32:52 The 24 elders are mentioned in chapter 7:11. 32:56 The four living creatures are mentioned also in chapter 7:11. 33:00 The Holy Spirit is not mentioned because why? 33:05 His work is finished. 33:07 The Lamb is mentioned in verses 10 and 17. 33:11 The angelic host is mentioned in chapter 7:11. 33:15 But now there's an added group. 33:19 What is the added group? 33:21 A great multitude which no one could number. 33:25 Why wasn't the great multitude that no one could number 33:28 there present in chapter 4 and chapter 5? 33:33 Because they were not there yet. 33:36 Because the great multitude are the redeemed 33:38 from every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. 33:40 Are you with me or not? 33:42 And then when you go to chapter 19... 33:45 By the way, you'll notice on the previous page 33:49 that the 24 elders are also mentioned in 33:51 Revelation 11:15-16. 33:55 And the great multitude are not present there because 33:59 the seventh trumpet is the close of probation, 34:02 and the great multitude is not yet there 34:05 physically at the close of probation. 34:08 Revelation 19, you also have the same group. 34:10 Because the bride has prepared herself, 34:12 and the bride is now victorious. 34:15 God is present, chapter 19, the 24 elders are present, 34:19 the four living creatures are present, 34:20 the Holy Spirit is not mentioned because His work is finished, 34:23 the Lamb is mentioned, the angelic host is mentioned, 34:26 and once again the great multitude. 34:28 Because in Revelation 19 the great multitude 34:31 is already there. 34:33 They have already been rescued from the earth. 34:36 So does this help clarify who the great multitude is 34:40 and when they are going to be in heaven? 34:42 Absolutely. 34:45 Now, you can read page 92. 34:49 It's just an explanation of the chart, 34:51 but I've already given you the explanation. 34:53 What I want to do is I want to go to page 93 now. 34:57 Page 93. 35:00 The parable of the lost sheep describes the final celebration 35:06 that we find in Revelation 5:12-13. 35:11 Let's read the parable. 35:14 This parable is found in Luke 15:4-7. 35:18 And I've added explanations in brackets. 35:28 What would the hundred sheep represent? 35:32 All of the worlds of the universe. 35:34 By the way, there's not a hundred. 35:36 It's a round number that's placed in the parable. 35:39 It's like the ten virgins; there's not only going to be 35:42 five wise saved people that are alive at the end. 35:47 Okay? So numbers are given in the parables 35:49 to fill in the details so that people can 35:52 conceive of the story. 35:54 They're added details to the story. 35:56 And so, the hundred sheep represent the 35:58 worlds that never sinned. 36:00 "...if he loses one of them..." Which one did He lose? 36:03 Planet earth, this sinful world. 36:06 "...does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness.." 36:11 In other words, safe and sound. 36:13 "...and go after..." 36:15 What would that represent, go after the one that was lost? 36:18 That's Jesus coming down to this earth; 36:20 the Good Shepherd. 36:22 "...the one which is lost until he finds it? 36:25 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders..." 36:29 What? Oh, rejoicing. 36:32 You know, sometimes we focus so much on Him rescuing 36:35 the sheep that we forget the celebration. 36:39 Notice what happens now. 36:40 He takes it back with rejoicing. 36:43 He lays it on His shoulders. 36:44 And verse 6, "And when he comes home..." 36:49 What would home be? 36:50 What is the Shepherd's home 36:52 that He left to rescue the sheep? 36:54 Heaven. 36:56 And so it says, "And when he comes home, 36:59 he calls together his friends and neighbors..." 37:00 Who would the friends and neighbors represent? 37:04 The angels and the representatives of the worlds. 37:08 "...saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, 37:11 for I have found my sheep which was lost.'" 37:26 Now the parables sometimes have a limited dimension 37:28 and they have a broader dimension. 37:30 The limited dimension is, you know, when somebody from the 37:34 church goes astray, you know, the pastor of the church should 37:37 go or a member of the church should go 37:39 and rescue that person and bring that person back to the fold. 37:41 And the church should have a party over their coming back. 37:45 That is a limited application. 37:47 But the parables of Jesus, as we saw in last year's Anchor 37:51 where we studied the parables, we noticed that the parables 37:54 many times have a broader application. 37:57 Like the story of the good Samaritan, for example. 38:00 You know, we usually say, "We're supposed to be good Samaritans." 38:03 Yes, that's true. 38:04 Jesus said, "You go and do likewise." 38:07 Like the good Samaritan. 38:08 But in the story, the good Samaritan 38:10 really represents Christ. 38:12 You see, the man who fell into the hand of thieves, 38:16 his garments were taken away and he was beaten up. 38:20 Let me ask you, is the human race beaten up 38:22 and devoid of the garment of Christ's righteousness? 38:27 Absolutely. 38:28 Who were the thieves that actually did that to 38:31 this man in the parable? 38:33 Who is the thief of all thieves? 38:35 Satan. He doesn't come but to what? 38:37 But to steal, according to John 10. 38:40 So this man represents the sad condition 38:44 of the people in the world whom Satan has beat up. 38:47 He's taken away their righteousness. 38:50 And so what happens now? 38:51 There comes a priest walking by there. 38:54 Actually, there's a Levite that comes first, and he passes by. 38:57 Then there's a priest that passes by and passes him up. 39:01 Here comes a Samaritan. 39:04 And the Samaritan has compassion on him. 39:07 And he binds his wounds with wine and oil. 39:15 What does the wine represent? 39:18 The blood of Christ. What does oil represent? 39:20 What are the healing agents that Jesus uses to heal 39:25 people who have been beat up by Satan 39:27 and taken away their righteousness? 39:30 The Holy Spirit and the blood of Christ. 39:34 The story doesn't end then. 39:36 He takes this man to the inn. 39:39 The inn represents the church. 39:41 Because the guy, you know, the wine and the oil has been used 39:45 to heal him, but he's not totally healed yet. 39:49 So he says to the inn keeper, which would be the pastor, 39:53 he says, "Take care of him," and gives him two denarii. 39:56 He gives him resources. 39:57 Has Jesus given resources to the church 40:00 to take care of those who are in need, who are unsaved? 40:03 Absolutely. 40:04 And then he says, he says, "Take care of him. 40:07 And if you spend any more than what I've given you, 40:10 when I come again I will repay you." 40:14 There's a second coming of the Samaritan. 40:17 We studied this parable last year, 40:19 for those of you who were here. 40:21 The parables are amazing. 40:23 There's much more there than perhaps we've seen before. 40:27 The parables have an end time dimension. 40:29 That was the name of Anchor last year; 40:31 The End Time Dimension of the Parables. 40:33 But anyway, notice Ellen White's explanation 40:37 of this parable, the broader explanation, 40:39 at the bottom of the page. 40:41 "By the lost sheep, Christ represents not only the 40:46 individual sinner, but the one world that has apostatized 40:51 and has been ruined by sin. 40:54 This world is but an atom in the vast dominions over which 41:00 God presides, yet this little fallen world, 41:05 the one lost sheep, is more precious in His sight 41:09 than are the ninety-nine that went not astray from the fold. 41:14 Christ, the loved Commander in the heavenly courts, 41:18 stooped from His high estate, laid aside the glory that He had 41:24 with the Father, in order to save the one lost world. 41:29 For this, He left the sinless worlds on high, the ninety-nine 41:35 that loved Him, and came to this earth to be 41:38 'wounded for our transgressions 41:40 and 'bruised for our iniquities.' 41:43 God gave Himself in His Son..." 41:45 Now know what the reason is. 41:47 "...that He might have the joy of receiving back 41:51 the sheep that was lost." 41:55 In other words, Jesus rescues the world. 41:58 He not only rescues individuals in that world. 42:04 So, let's talk about the second coming of Jesus 42:08 for a few moments. 42:10 Just before the second coming of Christ, 42:13 the Father, the cherubim and seraphim, 42:18 the representatives of the worlds that never sinned, 42:22 and the Holy Spirit will gather in the heavenly room 42:27 for the arrival of Jesus with all the redeemed from all ages. 42:34 Same thing as Revelation chapter 4. 42:37 Jesus will leave heaven accompanied by all the 42:41 holy angels on route to planet earth to receive 42:47 His people from all ages. 42:50 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17 42:54 The sampling of the first fruits that Jesus presented 42:58 before His Father upon His ascension will now translate 43:03 into the abundant harvest of all the redeemed from all ages. 43:09 When Jesus nears the city with His people, 43:11 the angels will sing the hymn of Psalm 24 once again. 43:17 "Open up, ye gates, and the King of glory will come in." 43:22 Jesus will then enter through the gates with His people 43:25 in the midst of an explosion of praise. 43:28 The Father will be present at the gates of the city 43:31 to welcome His children home. 43:35 Now you say, "But Pastor Bohr, I've heard that when Jesus 43:38 comes, He's coming with the Father also. 43:41 And heaven is going to be totally empty, because heaven 43:43 is going to be silent for about half an hour." 43:48 We're going to talk about the seventh seal. 43:51 That's not what it's referring to; 43:52 that everybody left heaven and is on their way to the earth, 43:54 including the Father. 43:55 The Father is not coming at the second coming. 43:58 In Acts 3:20 it says He shall send forth Jesus 44:03 at the second coming. 44:05 Notice this clear statement from Ellen White. 44:08 This is found in, Review and Herald, 44:10 September 21, 1886. 44:12 It couldn't be clearer. 44:13 See, we develop these traditions in the church 44:16 that we pass along without reflection, 44:18 without doing research, without thinking. 44:20 We say, "Oh yeah, all of heaven is going to come. 44:22 The Father is going to come to." 44:23 No, the Father doesn't come. 44:26 He's going to be in the city, just like when Jesus 44:28 ascended to heaven, to give the welcome to Jesus 44:30 when He ascended. 44:32 The same is going to be with the redeemed. 44:33 Notice this statement. 44:35 "The sacrifice of our Savior has made ample provision 44:39 for every repenting, believing soul. 44:42 We are saved because God loves the purchase 44:45 of the blood of Christ; and not only will He pardon 44:48 the repentant sinner, not only will He permit 44:52 him to enter heaven, but He, the Father of mercies, 44:56 will wait at the very gates of heaven to welcome us, 45:01 to give us an abundant entrance to the mansions of the blest." 45:06 So is the Father coming? 45:09 He's going to be where? 45:11 At the gates to welcome His people home. 45:15 "Welcome home, children." 45:17 You remember the song? 45:21 "Oh what love, what wondrous love the Father has shown 45:25 in the gift of His beloved Son for this fallen race. 45:29 And this Sacrifice is a channel for the overflow 45:31 of His infinite love, that all who believe on Jesus Christ 45:36 may, like the prodigal son, receive full and free 45:41 restoration to the favor of heaven." 45:45 Won't that be a marvelous moment? 45:48 Wow! 45:49 Jesus ascending to heaven with all of the angel hosts. 45:53 He will come with all of His holy angels, the Bible says, 45:56 to receive the rest of the dead who died in Christ. 46:01 And those who are alive and remain, the 144,000, 46:04 caught into the cloud. 46:07 Then to ascend to the holy city, as Psalm 24 is sung, 46:12 "Open up, ye gates; the King of glory will come in." 46:15 And then the gates of the city will open wide, 46:18 and Jesus and the redeemed will come in. 46:21 And the Father will be there saying, "Welcome home, children. 46:26 Welcome back." 46:28 Don't miss it for anything in the world. 46:32 Now we have about 11 minutes left. 46:35 So we want to go to the next lesson because the next lesson 46:38 is kind of long. 46:40 So we want to make sure that we are able to cover 46:42 this entire lesson number seven, 46:45 Future History and Functions of the Twenty-four Elders. 46:51 Now first of all, I want to make reference 46:53 to a chapter of the Bible, 46:54 actually several chapters of the Bible, in the book of Isaiah. 46:58 Isaiah 24 through 27. 47:01 This is called, the little apocalypse of the Old Testament. 47:04 The little book of Revelation of the Old Testament. 47:07 Because it contains many common elements with 47:10 the last book of the Bible. 47:12 And basically, Isaiah 24:1-4 describes the cataclysmic 47:20 second coming of Jesus Christ. 47:22 So let's read those verses, and you'll see it's describing 47:25 the second coming of Jesus. 47:27 You know, the mighty earthquake, when islands disappear, 47:31 mountain chains disappear, and the sun is darkened, 47:35 the stars don't give their light, 47:37 the moon doesn't give its light. 47:39 There is this catastrophe that happens to planet earth. 47:42 Isaiah 24:1 says, "Behold, the Lord makes the earth empty..." 47:48 Does that sound familiar? 47:50 Jeremiah said, "I beheld the earth, 47:52 and it was without form and void." 47:54 The word, "void," means, "empty," by the way. 47:56 In Spanish, the translation is, "disordanada e vacía." 48:02 Isn't that beautiful in Spanish? 48:54 What a vivid description of what is going to happen to this earth 48:57 when Jesus comes. 48:58 Frederick Moriarty, a Roman Catholic writer... 49:02 I wouldn't quote Roman Catholic writers very frequently 49:05 but this was a good description of what is being said here 49:10 in the book of Isaiah. 49:12 He comments on these verses in the following way. 49:15 "God's word had once established order in the world, 49:20 Genesis 1; the picture is that of a return to primeval chaos." 49:28 Just like Jeremiah says in Jeremiah chapter 4, 49:31 "I beheld the earth, and lo, it was without form and void. 49:36 And I looked at the heavens, and there was no light." 49:41 Now the culmination of the second coming 49:44 is described later in the chapter. 49:46 In Isaiah 24:18-20 we find a further vivid description 49:52 of what's going to occur when Jesus comes. 49:56 It says there... 50:09 This reminds us of Revelation chapter 6 50:11 where people are hiding in the caves or running 50:13 because they want to be hidden from the face of the One 50:15 who is sitting on the throne. 50:18 So once again... 50:54 What a vivid description of the coming of Christ 50:56 with what's going to happen with the world 50:58 at the moment of the seventh plague. 51:01 These verses bring to mind Revelation 6:15-17 51:06 where people are hiding in caves 51:08 and they're begging for the rocks to fall on them 51:10 to hide them from the face of the One 51:13 who is sitting on the throne? 51:14 It also reminds us of the seventh plague. 51:17 The same phenomena take place, 51:19 according to Revelation 16:17-21. 51:25 So when this cataclysm comes, when this catastrophe comes 51:29 at the second coming, the question is, 51:32 is there anyone left? 51:37 Isaiah 24:6 tells us... 51:56 So when this destruction comes, 51:58 is there going to be anyone left? 52:01 Yes or no? 52:03 Yes. 52:04 It says, when this calamity comes... 52:06 Verse 6 comes after the verses that we read 52:08 about what's going to happen when Jesus comes. 52:10 It says, "...few men are left." 52:15 So the big question is, who are the ones that are left? 52:18 Let me ask you, are any of the wicked people going to be left 52:20 alive when Jesus comes? 52:22 So who must be the ones, the few men that are left? 52:26 It must be the righteous. 52:29 Now let's read the note. This is very important. 52:31 You know, this has to do with Matthew 24:40-41 52:36 where Jesus says one will be taken 52:39 and the other one will be left. 52:41 The traditional view is that the one that is taken 52:43 Jesus takes to heaven, and the one that is left 52:46 is the one that's left behind. 52:47 The wicked dead. 52:50 But I've written a little book. 52:51 And let's read the note. 52:53 It says a little bit more about it. 52:54 It is a common assumption among Adventist interpreters 52:58 that the few men who are left at the second coming 53:01 are the wicked who die and remain on earth 53:04 during the millennium. 53:05 However, an analysis of the terminology and context 53:10 indicates that those who are left represents the righteous 53:14 who remain alive when Jesus comes. 53:18 Whereas, those who are taken are overtaken by destruction. 53:23 So if you want a full analysis of this, I wrote a little book 53:28 called, Taken or Left. 53:29 I don't know if anybody has read that little book, Taken or Left. 53:33 A few of you have read it. 53:35 Basically, I take the context, I take the terminology, 53:39 I take the broader context. 53:42 And I have no doubts whatsoever, after having studied these 53:46 verses very carefully that those who are left are the 53:49 ones who remain alive. 53:50 Those who are taken are overtaken or destroyed. 53:53 Now the passage that I mentioned, one will be taken 53:58 and one will be left, comes right after Jesus says, 54:01 "As it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be at the 54:04 coming of the Son of Man." 54:07 So what context must we look at to see who is left? 54:11 Because immediately before taken and left 54:14 is the story of the flood. 54:16 So where must we look to find out who are the left ones? 54:20 You would have to go back to Genesis. 54:22 Now when the flood came, who was left? 54:25 Well, let's read Genesis 7:22-23. 54:37 This is the New King James. 54:46 Now other versions translate, like for example, 54:49 the English Standard Version, and there are others as well, 54:52 notice the translation, "Only Noah was left, 54:58 and those who were with him in the ark." 55:02 Even where there's a devastating flood, you ask the question, 55:06 "Wow, that flood swept everyone away. 55:08 Was anyone left?" 55:10 Right? 55:11 We use the word, "left." 55:13 The word, "left," is a remnant word. 55:15 Those who are left after a great destruction 55:18 or a great calamity. 55:20 That's the way the word is used in the Old Testament 55:23 and in the New Testament. 55:25 And so, the English Standard Version translates, 55:28 "Only Noah was left..." 55:30 By the way, did you notice that in Isaiah 24:6 it says, 55:34 "few men are left"? 55:37 Few are left. 55:39 Notice 1 Peter 3:20. 55:44 Speaking about the flood in Noah's day. 55:46 "...in which a few, that is, eight persons, 55:50 were brought safely through water." 55:54 So who are the few that remained alive in the flood? 55:58 Those who remained alive. 56:01 Who are the ones that were taken away by the flood? 56:04 It was the wicked. 56:06 So basically, Isaiah 24, 25, 26, and 27, 56:13 these chapters are really describing the cataclysmic 56:17 second coming of Jesus Christ. 56:19 The earth will be laid waste. 56:22 It will be emptied, it will be plundered. 56:25 All of the wicked will be destroyed, 56:29 and they will remain dead. 56:30 We're going to see this in our next class. 56:31 They will remain dead during the thousand years. 56:35 The righteous will not live here because this planet 56:39 will be non-inhabitable, so the righteous will go to heaven 56:43 for a thousand years. 56:45 And this earth will remain without form and void, 56:50 and the heavens will have no light. 56:51 You say, why will the heavens have no light? 56:54 Well, it's very simple. 56:56 Because Matthew 24 tells us that the powers of the heavens 57:01 shall be shaken. 57:04 Let me ask, what is the power in heaven that rules the day? 57:08 The sun. 57:09 What is the power that rules the night? 57:11 The moon. 57:12 And in, Early Writings, page 41, Ellen White says that at the 57:15 voice of God, imagine how powerful that voice is, 57:19 the sun, moon, and stars will be moved out of their places. 57:24 She says they will not disappear, 57:26 but they will be moved who knows where in the universe. 57:29 So when He makes the new heavens and the new earth 57:31 He just has to retrieve them and put them where they 57:34 will benefit the earth. 57:35 And so, in Isaiah 24 we have a 57:38 description of the second coming. 57:40 Now in our next class, we are going to go to verses 21 to 23 57:46 of Isaiah 24. 57:48 This is where things are going to get very, very interesting. 57:51 Because at the end of chapter 24, we are going to 57:55 meet the elders again. 57:57 But this will be the elders when the New Jerusalem 58:00 descends from heaven. 58:02 So don't miss the next exciting episode. |
Revised 2022-07-05