Participants:
Series Code: ARSS
Program Code: ARSS190011S
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00:16 Welcome back.
00:18 I hope everybody had a good lunch today. 00:22 I know that there are different choices 00:25 when I asked Mediterranean, 00:28 Mexican, gringo. 00:34 Lots of choices around here. 00:37 Anyway, we are going to study beginning on page 179, 00:42 The Third Seal. 00:44 And my goal this afternoon is to finish 00:46 the third and fourth seals. 00:49 And tomorrow we will dedicate probably the first two sessions 00:52 in the morning to the fifth seal, 00:55 and the two sessions in the afternoon 00:56 to seal number six. 00:59 Then after that, we still have the interlude 01:01 the sealing of 144,000 in Chapter 7, 01:05 and then we still have the seventh seal, 01:08 plus all of the presentations at the end. 01:11 The five that deal with the Sabbath, 01:14 Sunday seal of God, Mark of the Beast issue. 01:17 So let's have a word of prayer and we'll begin. 01:21 Father in heaven, thank You for the good rest 01:23 that we've been able to enjoy. 01:25 Now, as we gather once again, 01:27 we ask for the guidance of Your Spirit. 01:30 We ask that You will help us to understand 01:32 how history has flowed 01:34 and what things are moving towards 01:37 so that we can be prepared for the great events 01:39 that will soon explode upon the world scene. 01:43 Thank you, Lord, for the promise 01:44 of Your presence and we claim that promise, 01:47 in the name of Jesus. 01:48 Amen. 01:51 All right, page 179. 01:54 The third seal represents the period 01:57 when Constantine favored the Christian church 02:02 and as a result, persecution ceased, 02:05 and the world entered the church. 02:09 Let's read the verses that deal with this seal, 02:12 with the third seal. 02:14 Revelation 6:5-6, we have several symbols here. 02:19 "When he opened the third seal, 02:21 I heard the third living creature say, 02:24 'Come and see.' 02:26 So I looked, and behold, a black horse, 02:30 and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. 02:35 And I heard a voice in the midst 02:36 of the four living creatures saying, 02:39 'A quart of wheat for a Darius, 02:42 and three quarts of barley for a denarius, 02:46 and do not harm the oil and the wine.'" 02:51 So we have several symbols in this third seal. 02:54 We have, first of all, a horse whose color is black. 02:58 We have a rider on the horse 03:02 who has scales in his hand, 03:05 and this rider of the horse is weighing wheat 03:10 and barley. 03:11 And we're going to talk about what the wheat 03:13 and the barley represent. 03:16 And then also we find the command not to hurt 03:20 the oil or the wine. 03:22 Now on the next page, 03:24 let's take a look at the historical context 03:26 of what we've studied so far and where we are at now. 03:29 The white horse describes the victories 03:33 of the early church according to what we'd studied. 03:36 The red horse describes the imperial persecutions 03:41 by the Roman emperors in the early centuries 03:44 of the history of the Christian church. 03:46 The black horse, 03:48 which is the third seal represents the infiltration 03:52 of the church by the world. 03:56 Now Satan in the course of history has used two methods 03:59 to try and defeat God's people. 04:02 The first method is by trying to kill them by persecution, 04:08 and we find this method from the very beginning 04:10 of human history. 04:12 Cain killed Abel. 04:15 And, of course, it wasn't Cain by himself. 04:18 Because 1 John 3:12, 04:20 says that Cain was of the wicked one. 04:24 In other words, Cain killed Abel 04:25 because Satan was in charge 04:30 behind the scenes, 04:32 and he influenced Cain to kill Abel. 04:34 So the first method that Satan uses from the very beginning 04:37 is to try and kill those who are faithful. 04:41 When that doesn't work, Satan changes his methodology. 04:45 He says if you can't fight them 04:48 join them because after Cain killed Abel, 04:51 God brought forth another seed, Seth. 04:53 So the devil says, well, 04:55 you know, I can't continue like this, 04:56 you know, I kill one seed and God brings another seed, 04:59 so I have to use a different method. 05:01 So what he did at the time of the flood 05:03 was that he mingled the sons of God, 05:06 which is the righteous with the daughters of men. 05:09 And he was much more successful because the world 05:12 that undoubtedly had millions of inhabitants, 05:15 only eight people were left on earth 05:20 that were faithful to God. 05:22 If God had not sent the flood, 05:24 the righteousness would have been totally uprooted 05:30 from the earth. 05:31 So Satan uses two methods, persecution, and infiltration. 05:36 In the second seal, we have persecution. 05:39 In the third seal, we have infiltration. 05:43 Now in the next section, 05:45 we're going to find that the third seal, 05:47 the black horse is parallel 05:50 to the third church period, the church of Pergamum. 05:56 So Ephesus would be equivalent to the first seal, 06:00 that is the Apostolic Church. 06:02 Smyrna would be equivalent to the red horse, 06:05 the second seal, 06:07 and that's the persecuted church. 06:09 And then Pergamum, the third church 06:11 would be the compromising church, 06:13 symbolized by the black horse of 06:16 Revelation Chapter 6. 06:19 Now, let's read the note at the bottom here, 06:22 because it's very important. 06:25 Satan's throne was in Pergamum. 06:27 That's what Revelation 2:13 says. 06:31 The third seal is the transition period 06:36 between the conversion of the Emperor Constantine 06:40 and the rise of the papacy to supremacy. 06:43 So in other words, it's the hinge 06:46 between the persecuted church 06:49 and the rise of the papacy in the year 538. 06:53 Thus, Pergamum is the connecting link 06:57 between the pagan Roman Empire and papal Rome. 07:03 During this period, the restrainer was removed. 07:07 Who is the restrainer that restrains the man of sin 07:10 from openly manifesting himself? 07:13 It is the Roman Empire. 07:15 As long as the empire is there, 07:16 the papacy cannot rise to dominion, 07:19 because there's already somebody who is ruling. 07:21 And so during this period, the restrainer was removed. 07:26 And I have here that we should study 07:28 Romans 13:1-5, 07:31 so that the papacy could fully manifest itself. 07:35 Now, it's helpful for us to realize 07:38 that the third church has a person 07:41 that is mentioned in that church. 07:44 And this person is an Old Testament figure. 07:47 And that figure is Balaam. 07:50 Now, we would have to go back to the Old Testament 07:53 to study this story to Numbers 22-24. 07:57 I'll just give you a very brief summary 08:00 of what happened in that time. 08:04 In the Old Testament story, 08:06 this is at the top of page 181. 08:11 In the Old Testament story, 08:12 Balaam did his utmost to curse Israel from outside, 08:17 but he could not 08:19 because there was no iniquity in Israel. 08:22 They had a proper and strong relationship 08:24 with the Lord and God protected the church. 08:27 Satan could not conquer the church from outside, 08:31 or Israel from the outside, 08:33 so he infiltrated it with idolatry and fornication. 08:38 Idolatrous pagan customs came into the church 08:41 as it did into Israel, through the influence of Balak 08:45 and Balaam who was doing the work for Balak, 08:49 so idolatrous pagan accustoms 08:52 came into the church at this time, 08:54 and the church committed spiritual fornication 08:57 by linking up with the state. 08:59 That's what the Bible calls fornication, 09:00 spiritually speaking, and fell also into idolatry 09:05 or idol worship. 09:07 These two sins were the very ones 09:10 that Israel practiced on the borders of Canaan, 09:13 and the church of the fourth century embraced 09:16 when persecution ceased. 09:18 Now I'm going to read you a passage 09:20 that's not in the syllabus. 09:21 This is found in Patriarchs and Prophets, page 451, 09:25 about the Old Testament story. 09:27 So you see that 09:28 because Satan was not able to eliminate Israel by, 09:32 you know, actually battling against them 09:34 and destroying them physically. 09:36 He said, "Well, you know, let's just infiltrate them 09:38 with fornication and idolatry." 09:40 Patriarchs and Prophets, page 451, 09:43 speaking about Balaam, "He immediately returned 09:45 to the land of Moab, 09:46 and latest plans before the king, 09:49 that is before Balak. 09:51 The Moabites themselves were convinced that so long 09:54 as Israel remained true to God, he would be their shield. 09:58 The plan proposed by Balaam was to separate them from God 10:03 by enticing them into idolatry. 10:06 If they could be led to engage in licentious worship of Baal 10:10 and Ashtoreth, their omnipotent Protector 10:13 would become their enemy, 10:15 and they would soon fall prey to the fierce, 10:18 warlike nations around them. 10:20 This plan was readily accepted by the king, 10:23 and Balaam himself remained to assist in carrying it 10:27 into effect. 10:28 Balaam witnessed the success 10:31 of his diabolical scheme." 10:35 So the third church has the doctrine of Balaam 10:38 because that's the period of Constantine. 10:40 It's a period of the black horse 10:42 when darkness comes into the church. 10:44 Now, in Great Controversy, page 42. 10:47 This one is not in the syllabus as well. 10:49 Ellen White is obviously drawing on the story of Balaam 10:52 to describe the period 10:53 when compromise came into the church. 10:56 This is how it reads, 10:58 "Because he was not able to destroy 10:59 the church by persecution, 11:01 Satan therefore laid his plans to war more successfully 11:06 against the government of God, 11:09 by planting his banner in the Christian church." 11:13 Now, listen carefully, 11:15 "If the followers of Christ could be deceived, 11:18 and led to displease God, then their strength, 11:22 fortitude, and firmness would fail, 11:25 and they would fall an easy prey." 11:29 Do you see the parallel? 11:30 Third church, doctrine of Balaam. 11:33 Balaam could not curse Israel from outside. 11:36 So he infiltrates Israel 11:37 so that God takes away His protection. 11:39 And as a result, the church falls. 11:43 Now let's talk about this horse whose color is black. 11:47 By the way, Jesus does not ride all these horses. 11:51 The devil is riding these horses, 11:54 the red horse, the black horse, and the yellow horse 11:57 because Jesus does not persecute the church. 11:59 And, you know, 12:01 Jesus does not bring darkness into the church. 12:03 Jesus doesn't bring death into the church. 12:05 Jesus is the rider of the first horse. 12:08 Now notice the color black. 12:10 This is very interesting. 12:13 We just noticed 12:14 that when the church is persecuted, 12:15 the title of the chapter is... 12:19 What was the title of the chapter? 12:21 Persecution in the early centuries. 12:24 Now notice what the next chapter is, 12:27 an era of spiritual darkness. 12:31 And we're gonna see in a few moments, 12:33 that in the Bible, 12:34 darkness is used synonymously with black. 12:40 Are you following me? 12:42 So Ellen White is following the seals. 12:45 She first in Acts of the Apostles, 12:47 she speaks about the conquests of the church. 12:50 Then she goes to the persecution 12:52 in the early centuries, that's the second seal, 12:54 the red horse, persecution, 12:56 then an era of spiritual darkness, 12:59 which is the black horse. 13:01 She's commenting on the seals, 13:03 even though she doesn't quote the verses. 13:06 So you would never know unless you really look beyond 13:11 the references themselves. 13:14 Ellen White underline 13:15 that the darkness grew ever deeper 13:18 because the papacy undertook a war against the Bible. 13:23 Now, Jesus is the incarnated Word of God, right? 13:27 He's the Word of God in person in other words. 13:30 And where the Word is, there is what? 13:33 Light and life. 13:36 The Bible identifies light with what color? 13:40 We've noticed this. 13:41 Light is identified with white, we already noticed that. 13:45 And here you have the verses, 13:47 the written Word of God is also what? 13:51 Light, so Jesus is light, and the written Word is light. 13:55 During the period of the white horse, 13:58 God's people proclaim the Word of God, 14:01 which is light to the world. 14:03 That's an era of white or light. 14:06 God's Word is the original light 14:09 and when it shines on God's people, 14:11 they reflect the light to others. 14:14 Where the Word of God is absent, 14:16 there is what? 14:18 There is darkness or blackness. 14:22 So what begins to be replaced in the times of Constantine? 14:27 What is the Word of God replaced in the times 14:31 of Constantine? 14:32 Human traditions. 14:35 And what is the greatest of those human traditions 14:37 that's going to be the final controversy? 14:39 Sunday worship came in during that period. 14:43 So they started forsaking the Word of God, 14:46 which is light, which is white, and what is the result? 14:50 Darkness or black, are you with me or not? 14:52 Now let's notice several texts, 14:54 where you find darkness and black, synonymous. 14:58 Isaiah 50:3, God says, 15:02 "I clothe the heavens with," what? 15:05 "With blackness, 15:07 and I make sackcloth their covering." 15:10 By the way, sackcloth was black. 15:13 Notice Jude 12:13. 15:17 Speaking about those who are beyond the point 15:20 of no return. 15:21 These are spots in your love feasts, 15:25 while they feast with you without fear, 15:28 serving only themselves. 15:30 They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds. 15:34 Lake autumn trees without fruit, 15:37 twice dead, pulled up by the roots, 15:40 raging waves of the sea forming up their own shame, 15:44 wandering stars, for whom is reserved the what? 15:48 The blackness of darkness. 15:52 So the black horse is a period of what? 15:56 It's a period of darkness. 15:58 Why is it a period of darkness? 16:00 Because there is no light. 16:02 And what is the light? 16:04 The Word of God. Are you with me or not? 16:07 Notice Proverbs 7:9, 16:10 "In the twilight, in the evening, 16:13 in the black and dark night." 16:16 Once again, black and dark are related to one another. 16:20 Jeremiah 4:28, 16:22 "For this shall the earth mourn, 16:24 and the heavens above be," what? 16:27 "Be black, because I have spoken 16:29 I have purposed and will not relent, 16:32 nor will I turn back from it." 16:35 The way of the righteous is what? 16:37 Light, but the way of the wicked is darkness. 16:41 Notice Proverbs 4:18-19, 16:44 "But the path of the just is as the shining light 16:47 that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. 16:50 The way of the wicked is as," what? 16:53 "Darkness: they know not at what they stumble." 16:57 Notice this interesting comment, powerful comment. 17:00 Actually, there's several here 17:02 where Ellen White, also in harmony with the Bible 17:05 relates the idea of darkness and the color black. 17:09 God desires His people to be what? 17:13 Light, the white horse. 17:18 God desires to see His people to be light-bearers 17:21 to a world lying in the midnight darkness, 17:25 but if they refuse to go forward in the light, 17:27 which he causes to shine on their pathway, 17:30 the light will finally become to them what? 17:33 Darkness, and now notice, 17:35 and instead of being light-bearers to the world, 17:38 they themselves will be lost in the what? 17:41 In the blackness that surrounds them. 17:43 Do you see once again the idea of darkness 17:46 and blackness together? 17:47 Because where there is darkness there is no light 17:50 and the Word of God is light. 17:51 So at this time, the Word of God 17:53 has been supplanted by what? 17:55 By human traditions. 17:57 Here's another statement from Ellen White, 17:59 Great Controversy, page 20. 18:01 The hour of hope and pardon was fast passing. 18:04 This is for the Jewish theocracy. 18:06 The cup of God's long-deferred wrath was almost full. 18:11 The cloud that had been gathering through the ages 18:14 of apostasy and rebellion, 18:18 now black with woe was about to burst upon a guilty people. 18:22 So what does black represent? 18:24 Apostasy and rebellion, according to this. 18:29 In the Spalding and Magan Collection, page 153. 18:32 Once again the idea of black and darkness are related. 18:37 He calls upon his servants to receive from the Holy Spirit 18:40 his sanctifying power, 18:42 that the light may shine forth in clear distinct rays, 18:46 amid the constantly increasing moral darkness, 18:50 which is becoming what? 18:52 As black as sackcloth, 18:54 of hair all over our world. 18:59 Creatures of the night roam and thrive in darkness, 19:03 bats, rats, roaches, 19:06 germs are in the realm of darkness. 19:10 The black horse stands in contrast to the white horse. 19:13 During the period of the white horse, 19:14 God's people radiated the light of God's Word. 19:18 The black horse represents darkness that came in 19:21 from a rejection of God's Word. 19:24 Where God's Word is not there is darkness or blackness. 19:28 Black represents sin, apostasy, error, 19:32 heresy, and human traditions. 19:34 So far, so good? 19:36 Now, there's another thing 19:37 that is mentioned here in this particular seal, 19:41 not only darkness or blackness 19:44 but also bread is mentioned. 19:49 More specifically, wheat and barley. 19:53 By the way, those were the two grains 19:55 that were used to bake bread in Israel. 19:58 So when you talk about wheat and barley, 20:00 you're talking about making bread 20:02 with the wheat and with the barley. 20:04 The barley was the harvest 20:07 at the time of Passover early in the spring 20:10 and the wheat harvest was at the time of Pentecost 20:12 about 50 days later, 20:14 you had the harvest of the wheat. 20:17 They were the grains that were used to make bread. 20:22 Now let's continue here with this in mind. 20:24 Another symbol for God's Word is bread. 20:28 Man shall not live by bread alone, 20:31 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. 20:35 During the third seal, 20:36 there was not only a scarcity of light, 20:40 in other words, darkness, but also a scarcity of what? 20:45 Of bread. 20:46 We're going to notice that in a few moments, 20:48 two ways of saying the same thing. 20:51 This is the reason 20:52 why wheat and barley during this period 20:54 were extremely expensive. 20:57 When human traditions suppress the Word of God, 21:01 the result is darkness or blackness. 21:04 And the result of the darkness is famine, pestilence, 21:08 which exists in the period of the fourth horse. 21:11 In short, both light and bread symbolize the Word of God. 21:17 Where there is no light and no bread, there is death. 21:21 Amos 8:11-12, 21:22 which we're going to read later predicts a time 21:24 when there will be famine in the land. 21:28 Not famine for bread, but famine for what? 21:32 For the Word of God. 21:34 Let me ask you, was the Word of God scarce? 21:37 Did it become scarce during the times of Constantine 21:41 and intensify as time went on? 21:44 Absolutely. 21:45 Let's notice on page 184. 21:49 Revelation 21:51 6:6, "And I heard a voice in the midst 21:53 of the four living creature saying, 21:55 'A quart of wheat for a denarius, 21:58 and three quarts of barley for a denarius, 22:02 and do not harm the oil and the wine." 22:07 Now, what we're going to notice is very, very important. 22:11 The purpose of scales in the third seal 22:15 is to weigh grain, right? Because 22:17 it's grain that's mentioned. 22:19 Elsewhere in Scripture, 22:21 the scale or balance can represent what? 22:25 Can represent judgment. 22:27 But remember that symbols are what? 22:30 Flexible, they don't always mean the same thing. 22:34 So every time that you find the word scale 22:37 in the Bible doesn't mean judgment. 22:39 Here it means that the grains are being weighed 22:43 and they're very scarce, 22:44 because the Word of God is becoming scarce. 22:48 So the purpose of the scales in the third seal 22:50 was to weigh grain. 22:52 Elsewhere in Scripture, the scale or balance 22:54 can represent judgment, but not in the third seal. 22:59 Barley, the early spring harvest and wheat, 23:02 the late spring harvest were staple crops 23:06 that Israel used to make bread. 23:08 These grains were very scarce 23:11 during the period of the third horse, 23:12 during the dark period. 23:14 The famine during the period of the third horse 23:16 will intensify and bring about even worse famine and death 23:21 during the period of the fourth horse, 23:23 because the fourth horse is a pale horse. 23:26 It's the horse of death. 23:28 And when there is famine, there is pestilence, 23:31 and where there is famine and pestilence, 23:33 there is death. 23:36 Now, the next paragraph, Revelation 6:6 23:40 describes scarcity of bread 23:44 because the wheat and the barley 23:45 were extremely expensive. 23:48 A denarius was the daily wage of a common laborer. 23:52 Thus, a laborer was only making enough to purchase 23:57 one quart of wheat and three quarts of barley. 24:01 Wow, that would lead to starvation, wouldn't it? 24:04 Especially if he has a family. 24:06 According to the Roman historian Cicero, 24:09 who lived around that same time, 24:11 the price mentioned by John 24:14 would have been 8 to 16 times higher than normal. 24:19 So it was very expensive to make bread, 24:21 there was a scarcity of bread. 24:24 During the third seal, 24:25 there was famine for bread in the land. 24:28 Barley was a staple used to feed the very poor and animals. 24:33 It is no coincidence that the fourth horse is pale 24:37 because the result of famine is what? 24:40 Death. 24:41 J. A. Seiss, 24:43 who wrote a commentary on Revelation, 24:45 he's not a Seventh-day Adventist. 24:47 It's a very, very interesting commentary, 24:49 lots of good insights. 24:51 Of course, lots of things that Adventists 24:53 would not agree with, but it's a good commentary 24:56 that has many insights, wrote this. 24:59 In ordinary times, a denarius would buy 25:03 twenty-four choenixes of barley, 25:06 but here a denarius will buy only three, 25:10 the scanty allowance for a day's subsistence 25:13 for a slave. 25:15 The arrival of things at such a pass, 25:18 accordingly argues a severity of hard times, 25:22 distress, and want, 25:24 almost beyond the power of imagination to depict. 25:28 So the Word of God is becoming scarce. 25:31 Darkness, blackness is coming into the church, 25:34 because the church is no longer sharing the light, 25:37 darkness is entering the church. 25:39 The Word of God is scarce, very expensive. 25:43 Notice Amos 8:11-12. 25:46 Once again, 25:47 bread is related to abundance or famine. 25:53 It says there, "'Behold, the days are coming,' 25:54 says the Lord God.'" 25:56 And Ellen White applies these verses, incidentally, 25:59 to after the close of probation 26:01 when people are going to seek the Word of God, 26:03 and they're not going to find it. 26:05 "'Behold the days are coming,' says the Lord God, 26:07 'That I will send a famine on the land, 26:10 not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, 26:14 but of hearing," what? 26:16 "The words of the Lord. 26:19 They shall wander from sea to sea, 26:21 and from north to east, they shall run to and fro, 26:26 seeking the word of the Lord, 26:28 and shall not find it." 26:31 So where there is a scarcity of bread, famine ensues, 26:37 and when the famine intensifies, 26:40 the result is death. 26:42 You have a living example of that in Venezuela right now. 26:48 Now, what about the oil and the wine? 26:51 The wine or libation was a symbol 26:55 of the blood of Jesus 26:56 and the oil is a symbol of what? 26:59 Of the Holy Spirit. 27:01 Ellen White makes the following important statement. 27:05 In order to secure a man to himself, 27:08 and ensure his eternal salvation, 27:11 Christ left the royal courts of heaven 27:13 and came to this earth, 27:14 endured the agonies of sin and shame in man stead, 27:18 and died to make him free, 27:21 in view of the infinite price paid for man's redemption. 27:25 How dare any professing the name of Christ 27:29 treat with indifference, one of his little ones? 27:35 How carefully should brethren 27:36 and sisters in the church guard every word and action, 27:40 less they hurt the oil and the wine? 27:45 How patiently, kindly and affectionately 27:48 should they deal with a purchase 27:51 of the blood of Christ? 27:53 To hurt God's people is to despise what? 27:58 To despise the blood of Christ and to offend whom? 28:03 And to offend the Holy Spirit 28:04 who might be working upon that human heart. 28:08 Luke 10:34, 28:11 speaks about the parable of the Good Samaritan. 28:13 What were the healing agencies 28:16 in the story of the Good Samaritan? 28:19 Oil, and why? 28:21 Did the Good Samaritan treat this individual properly 28:26 the way he should using these remedies? 28:29 Did the priest do it? 28:31 No, the priest didn't do it. 28:32 Did the Levite do it? 28:34 No, no, they mistreated. 28:36 Who were they really mistreating? 28:38 They were mistreating Christ, 28:40 and there were mistreating the Holy Spirit. 28:42 So it says there, so he went to him 28:45 and bandaged his wounds pouring on oil and wine 28:48 which are the healing agencies, 28:50 and he set him on his own animal 28:52 brought him to an end and took care of him. 28:55 Now notice on the next page, all of the verses that say 28:57 that whoever touches one of Christ's children 29:00 actually is touching the Lord. 29:02 Zechariah 2:8, 29:05 "Whoever pokes the eye of one of God's people 29:07 is poking God's eye." 29:09 I'm now, I'm paraphrasing. 29:12 "For thus says the Lord of hosts, 29:14 He sent me after glory to the nations 29:17 which plunder you, for he who touches you, 29:22 touches the apple of his eye." 29:25 In other words, to touch one of the children of Jesus 29:29 is to touch whom? 29:31 Is to touch Jesus. 29:32 You know, Matthew 25:40, 29:35 and the king will answer to them. 29:38 This is the parable of the sheep and the goats. 29:42 "Assuredly I say to you, 29:44 inasmuch as you did it unto one of the least 29:48 of these my brethren, you did it to whom? 29:52 You did it unto me." 29:54 Mark 9:41, 29:56 "For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in my name, 29:59 Jesus says, because you belong to Christ. 30:03 Assuredly, I say to you, 30:06 he will by no means lose his reward." 30:09 And, of course, you all know about Saul of Tarsus. 30:12 He was on his way to Damascus. 30:14 I've been to the place where supposedly this occurred. 30:17 It was in May of 2001, just a few months 30:22 before the twin towers came down. 30:24 So now you can't go over there because it's a war zone. 30:27 But we went to Damascus, 30:30 I preached, I didn't preach in Syria, 30:32 because it's forbidden for foreign pastors 30:35 to preach in Syria. 30:36 I preached in Lebanon, and also in Jordan. 30:38 I went with Sarkus Kanablian from the Fresno Central Church. 30:41 And it reminded me when I was there, 30:44 of this particular episode, where 30:46 Saul is on the way to persecute the Christians, 30:49 and suddenly a voice comes from heaven, 30:51 knocks him to the ground, says "Saul, Saul, 30:53 why do you persecute Me?" 30:55 And he's probably wondering, I'm not going up. 30:59 I'm going to Damascus. 31:02 "Who are you that I'm persecuting?" 31:05 And what was the answer? 31:07 "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting." 31:11 So to persecute a follower of Jesus is to persecute Christ. 31:16 It's to hurt the wine, 31:19 the blood that Jesus gave for the salvation of souls. 31:24 And also, it hurts the Holy Spirit 31:25 who is working upon human hearts 31:27 to woo them and bring them to Christ. 31:31 Now let's read 31:32 what Ellen White has to say about the third seal. 31:36 As noted before Ellen White 31:38 described this period in the chapter 31:40 The Great Controversy titled an era of spiritual darkness. 31:45 In several statements in the chapter, 31:47 she refers to the darkness that came into the church 31:50 after Constantine's conversion in quotation marks 31:55 to Christianity. 31:57 Let's read some of those statements. 31:59 The accession of the Roman church to power 32:03 marked the beginning of the Dark Ages. 32:07 As her power increased, what happened? 32:11 The darkness deepened. 32:14 Great Controversy, page 57, 32:15 the darkness seemed to grow denser. 32:20 Great Controversy, page 60, 32:23 but the noon of the papacy was what? 32:25 The midnight of the world. 32:28 The Holy Scriptures, why were they in darkness? 32:32 Notice, the Holy Scriptures which are light, by the way, 32:36 were almost unknown, not only to the people, 32:39 but to the priests. 32:42 In Great Controversy, page 79, 32:44 the world has passed its midnight. 32:46 This is talking about John Wycliffe, 32:49 who is the morning star of the Reformation. 32:53 The hours of darkness were wearing away 32:58 and in many lands appeared tokens of the coming dawn. 33:03 Now, it's significant that Ellen White dedicates 33:06 three pages on the issue of the change 33:09 of the Sabbath during this era of spiritual darkness 33:13 because Sunday worship entered the church during 33:16 the period of whom? 33:18 During the period of Constantine. 33:21 1 John 2:8-11 33:23 explains that those who are in darkness, 33:27 they hate their brother. 33:29 So the result of darkness is what? 33:32 Persecution. 33:34 Those who are in darkness hate their brother. 33:36 Let me ask you, 33:37 when the darkness enters the church, 33:39 did the nominal church begin persecuting 33:41 those that didn't agree with the church? 33:43 Absolutely. 33:45 So those that are in darkness hate their brother 33:48 and want to kill them. 33:50 The darkness of a third horse leads 33:52 those who are in darkness 33:54 to want to kill those who are in the light. 33:56 The darkness and famine of the third seal 33:59 leads to death and the grave in the fourth, 34:02 which we're going to talk about later. 34:04 Now Ellen White has several statements 34:06 where she describes 34:09 what happened during this period, 34:10 very perceptive what she writes. 34:14 The spirit of what? 34:16 Compromise and conformity 34:21 with a world that is was restrained 34:24 for a time by the fierce persecutions, 34:26 which horse would that be? 34:28 The red horse, right before, 34:31 was restrained for a time by the fierce persecutions, 34:34 which the church endured under paganism. 34:36 But as persecution ceased, 34:39 what horse would that be? 34:42 That would be the black horse, right? 34:44 The persecution is the third horse, 34:47 but when it ceases, that is the black horse, 34:52 and Christianity entered the courts 34:54 and palaces of kings. 34:56 She laid aside the humble simplicity of Christ 34:58 and His apostles for the pomp 35:00 and pride of pagan priests and rulers. 35:03 Listen carefully now, 35:05 and in place of the requirements of God. 35:08 Where are the required requirements of God revealed? 35:12 In the Bible, 35:14 she substituted human theories and traditions. 35:19 And then she refers to Constantine. 35:21 The nominal conversion of Constantine 35:24 in the early part of the fourth century, 35:25 that's a period of the black horse 35:28 caused great rejoicing, 35:30 and the world cloaked with a form of righteousness 35:35 walked into the church. 35:38 Now the work of corruption rapidly progressed, 35:41 paganism, while appearing to be vanquished. 35:45 What would vanquish mean? 35:47 Defeated, overcome, right? 35:50 So in reference to the first horse, 35:56 the church went out conquering and they conquered, overcome. 35:58 But now darkness comes into the church and it says 36:01 paganism while appearing to be vanquished 36:04 became the conqueror. 36:07 Her spirit controls the church, her doctrine, ceremonies, 36:11 and superstitions were incorporated 36:14 into the faith and worship 36:16 of the professed followers of Christ. 36:21 So did Satan change his strategy 36:23 under the third seal? 36:24 Yeah, it says persecution. 36:27 By the way, did persecution, decimate the church? 36:31 Did the persecution against the church, 36:33 did it make the church smaller? 36:34 Are you kidding? 36:36 The church became larger and larger, 36:37 more and more people joined the church, 36:39 because they said, hey, 36:40 if people are willing to die for this, 36:43 then it must be worth living for. 36:47 These people really believe this. 36:49 If they were willing to die for it, well, 36:50 there's something in this, let's check it out. 36:56 Ellen White wrote in Great Controversy, page 42. 36:59 Satan therefore laid his plans to war more successfully 37:02 against the government of God 37:04 by planting his banner in the Christian church. 37:07 If the followers of Christ could be deceived 37:09 and led to displease God, then their strength, fortitude, 37:13 and firmness would fail, 37:15 and they would fall an easy prey. 37:18 Did they fall easy prey? 37:20 Yes, they most certainly did. 37:22 Listen to this statement, 37:24 the great adversary now endeavor to gain by artifice, 37:29 that's under the third seal the black horse, 37:31 what he had failed to secure by what? 37:34 Force, that's the second horse. 37:37 Persecution ceased. 37:39 In other words, the persecution under the red horse ceases, 37:42 and in its stead were substituted 37:44 the dangerous allurements of temporal prosperity 37:47 and worldly honor, which is which seal? 37:51 The seal of darkness. 37:52 Idolaters were led to receive a part of the Christian faith, 37:56 while they rejected other essential truths. 37:58 They professed to accept Jesus as the Son of God 38:01 and to believe in His death and resurrection. 38:04 But they had no conviction of sin and felt 38:06 no need of repentance or a change of heart. 38:09 With some concessions Now listen carefully 38:11 to the terminology, 38:13 with some concessions on their part they proposed 38:16 that Christians should make concessions 38:18 that all might unite. 38:21 Oh, this was an ecumenical age, 38:23 that all may unite on the platform 38:26 of belief in Christ. 38:28 Let's set aside the doctrines 38:29 and just come together on what we had in common. 38:33 Nothing new under the sun. 38:37 In the book, Christ Triumphant, 38:38 but this is not in your syllabus, 38:40 you might want to write it down, 38:41 Christ Triumphant page 319. 38:44 Ellen White describes the period of the persecution 38:47 of the church. 38:48 In vain were Satan's efforts to destroy the church by violence. 38:52 The Great Controversy in which the disciples of Jesus 38:55 yielded up their lives did not cease 38:57 when those faithful standard-bearers 38:59 fell at their post. 39:00 By defeat, they conquered. 39:03 God's workmen were slain, 39:05 but his work went steadily forward. 39:07 The gospel continued to spread 39:09 and the number of its adherents to increase. 39:12 Said a Christian expostulating with the heathen rulers 39:16 who were urging forward the persecution. 39:19 He said, you may torment, afflict, and vex us. 39:24 Your wickedness puts our weakness to the test, 39:27 but your cruelty is of no avail. 39:30 It is but a stronger invitation to bring others 39:33 to our persuasion. 39:35 The more we are mowed down, 39:37 the more we spring up again. 39:39 The blood of the Christians is seed. 39:43 Tertullian, one of the Church Fathers said that. 39:45 So Satan says, hey, the more I persecute, 39:47 the more they grow. 39:49 I got to go to plan B, 39:51 because the whole empire is becoming Christian. 39:53 Paganism is being defeated. 39:56 Here's another statement. This 39:57 is also on page 188, Great Controversy, page 43. 40:02 Others were in favor of yielding 40:05 or modifying some features of their faith 40:08 and uniting with those who had accepted 40:11 a part of Christianity. 40:13 Does that sound familiar? 40:16 Urging that this might be the means of their full conversion. 40:20 That was a time of deep anguish 40:23 to the faithful followers of Christ. 40:26 Under a cloak of pretended Christianity, 40:29 Satan was insinuating himself into the church, 40:33 to corrupt their faith, 40:34 and to turn their minds from what? 40:37 From the word of truth which leads to darkness. 40:43 Great Controversy, page 45. 40:46 But there is no union between the Prince of light 40:49 and the prince of darkness. 40:50 The Lord says no union between white and black. 40:55 And there can be no union between their followers. 40:58 When Christians consented to unite 41:03 with those who were but half converted from paganism, 41:07 they entered upon a path 41:09 which led further and further from what? 41:13 Further and further from the truth. 41:16 Now, I want to read you 41:17 some statements that are not in the syllabus. 41:19 I can actually copy this off if you want me to. 41:23 These are from authors that are not Seventh-day Adventists. 41:27 They're not Seventh-day Adventists. 41:28 I'm going to read three of them. 41:30 One is Dave Hunt, Global Peace, pages 106 and 107. 41:35 Let me tell you something about Dave Hunt. 41:37 Dave Hunt was an evangelical, he died a few years ago, 41:41 an evangelical writer 41:43 who believe that the harlot of Revelation 17 is the papacy, 41:47 but he believed that the little horn 41:49 is a future Antichrist, 41:50 he believed in the rapture of the church, et cetera. 41:53 But he believed that the seven churches 41:55 represent seven periods just like we do. 41:58 And he describes the third period 42:00 of the Christian church in the following way. 42:04 Global Peace, 106 and 107. 42:06 So you see that it's not only Ellen White 42:08 that has seen this in the times of Constantine, 42:10 there are other Christian writers 42:12 that also have seen that 42:13 happen in the course of Christian history. 42:16 He's speaking about Constantine, 42:18 and he wrote a brilliant military commander. 42:21 Constantine also understood 42:24 that there could be no political stability 42:27 without religious unity. 42:30 Yet to accomplish that feat would require a union 42:35 between paganism and Christianity. 42:38 How could it be accomplished, he asks? 42:42 The empire needed an ecumenical religion 42:45 that would appeal to every single citizen 42:48 in a multicultural society. 42:52 So what became the way 42:57 in which everybody could come into the church, 42:59 not what the Word of God says, culture. 43:04 Wow, that doesn't sound familiar today. 43:06 That culture dictates what the church should do. 43:09 You know, if LGBT is accepted in the world, you say, 43:12 you know, the church needs to accommodate to that. 43:15 You know, if the world says gay marriage. 43:17 Well, you know, if the world says that, 43:19 that women in the church should occupy 43:21 the same leadership positions as men, 43:25 we need to just go along with culture, 43:27 we need to follow. 43:30 He's writing here about this period of the Christian church. 43:33 The empire needed an ecumenical religion 43:36 that would appeal to every citizen 43:38 in a multicultural society. 43:42 Giving Christianity official status was not enough 43:45 to bring internal peace to the empire. 43:48 Christianity had to undergo a transformation 43:52 so that pagans could convert 43:54 without giving up their old beliefs and rituals. 43:58 Constantine himself exemplified this expediency. 44:03 Isn't that a telling statement? 44:07 This next statement is from Henry Cardinal Newman, 44:11 a Roman Catholic Cardinal. 44:13 Catholic Church doesn't hide the idea 44:15 that many of the things that are in the Catholic Church 44:18 actually come from paganism. 44:20 They don't try to hide it. 44:21 They say, you know, wherever we go, 44:24 we just baptize the heathen customs 44:28 and let people continue practicing 44:30 their heathen customs 44:31 as long as they become members of the Roman Catholic Church. 44:35 They don't try to hide that. 44:37 Notice what Henry Cardinal Newman had to say. 44:41 We are told in various ways by Eusebius. 44:45 You know who Eusebius was? 44:47 He was a historian of the Christian church 44:49 that lived in the times of Constantine. 44:51 He was actually Constantine's historian. 44:54 We are told in various ways by Eusebius, 44:57 that Constantine, in order to recommend 45:00 the new religion to the heathen, 45:03 transferred into it the outward ornaments 45:07 to which they had been accustomed in their own. 45:12 In other words, he says, well, you know, 45:13 if they worship the sun, 45:15 let's just say that they're worshiping 45:17 the SON instead of SUN. 45:21 And you know, instead of saying 45:23 that they're supposed to keep Sunday because they're honoring 45:26 the sun god, let's just say 45:28 that they're honoring Jesus' resurrection. 45:35 He continues writing, it is not necessary to go 45:37 into a subject, 45:39 which the diligence of Protestant writers 45:42 has made familiar to most of us. 45:45 The use of temples and these dedicated to particular saints. 45:50 Let me see if I have the rest of this statement. 45:55 Okay, here it is. 45:57 The use of temples and these dedicated 45:59 to particular saints, 46:01 and ornamented on occasions with branches of trees, 46:06 incense, lamps and candles, 46:09 votive offerings on recovery from illness, holy water, 46:13 asylums, holy days and seasons, 46:17 use of calendars, processions, blessings on the fields, 46:21 sacerdotal vestments, the tonsure, 46:25 the ring in marriage, turning to east, 46:28 images at the later date, 46:30 perhaps the ecclesiastical chant are all of pagan origin, 46:35 and sanctified by their adoption 46:38 into the church. 46:41 That happened during the period of Constantine. 46:44 And what was the result? Darkness. 46:48 What was the result? A scarcity of what? 46:50 A scarcity of bread, 46:52 which will lead to famine and to death 46:55 under the fourth horse. 46:57 I want to read now from Philip Schaff. 47:01 Great church historian. 47:02 You can still get his Encyclopedia 47:06 of the History of the Christian Church. 47:09 This is in volume three, page 93. 47:13 But the elevation of Christianity, 47:15 this is interesting that he would say 47:16 the elevation of Christianity. 47:19 Do you know what the word Pergamum means? 47:22 The word Pergamum means elevation. 47:27 See from the valley of persecution 47:29 under the second church Smyrna, 47:32 the church is now 47:33 at the heights of prosperity. 47:38 So he states, but the elevation of Christianity, 47:41 as the religion of the state 47:44 presents also an opposite aspect to our contemplation. 47:48 It involved great risk of degeneracy to the church. 47:54 The Roman state, with its laws, institutions, 47:58 and usages was still deeply rooted in heathenism, 48:04 and could not be transformed by a magical stroke. 48:08 The Christianizing of the state 48:11 amounted therefore in great measure 48:13 to the paganizing and secularizing of the church. 48:18 Once again, the Christianizing of the state led 48:23 to the paganizing and secularizing of the church. 48:27 The world overcame the church 48:29 as much as the church overcame the world. 48:32 And the temporal gain of Christianity 48:34 was in many respects, canceled by spiritual loss. 48:40 The mass of the Roman Empire was baptized only with water, 48:44 not with the spirit of the gospel, 48:47 and it smuggled heathen manners 48:49 and practices into the sanctuary 48:51 under a new name. 48:54 The very combination of the cross 48:56 with the military enzyme by Constantine 49:00 was the most doubtful omen portending an unhappy mixture 49:06 of the temporal and the spiritual powers. 49:11 Interesting, isn't it? 49:13 So are you catching a glimpse here 49:15 of what's involved with the black horse? 49:18 See, we're following the course of history. 49:20 This is historicism. 49:23 Historicism is simple, not complicated, 49:26 it's the best way to interpret. 49:28 You know, the evangelical churches, 49:30 they say, well, you know, you have the rapture, 49:32 and then you have all of these disasters 49:34 in the seals. 49:36 You're gonna have the Antichrist riding 49:38 on the white horse, and, you know, 49:39 you're going to have all kinds of bloodshed with the sword, 49:43 and you know, you're going to have famine, 49:44 and they usually consider it literal famine, 49:47 and then you're going to have death in the grave. 49:49 And then you're going to have the martyrs crying out 49:51 because they've been killed, 49:52 all after the rapture of the church. 49:56 And preterists, they say all of this was fulfilled way back 49:59 then during the period of the Caesars. 50:03 So none of this, they say applies to us today, 50:05 because preterists say it all happened in the past, 50:08 futurists say, it all is going to happen in the future. 50:11 So it has no significance and no meaning for us. 50:15 But when you use historicism as the method, 50:19 it's beautiful, 50:21 because we can see the trajectory, 50:24 we can see that God has given the entire history, 50:27 from the times of apostolic times, 50:30 through the period persecutions of the Roman Empire, 50:34 to darkness entering the church, 50:38 and a scarcity of bread, 50:40 leading to death and the grave through persecution 50:43 by the papacy and also by a lack of the Word of God, 50:47 which leads them to the martyrs to cry out 50:49 until when O Lord, 50:51 do You not judge and avenge our blood 50:54 on those who are shedding our blood in the earth. 50:56 And then the martyrs, which is the group of martyrs 50:59 that died during the Roman Empire, 51:01 and during the period of the papacy, 51:03 they're told, 51:05 no sweat, rest a little while, 51:09 you got your white robe, don't worry about it. 51:12 You're okay, you're saved, 51:14 you died for the sake of the gospel, 51:16 just rest a little while, 51:18 until in the future the papacy 51:19 resurrects from its deadly wound and persecutes again, 51:23 and then you have all the rest of the martyrs. 51:26 And then both groups will be rewarded. 51:29 Are you with me or not? 51:31 And then you have the signs, 51:35 you have the great earthquake. 51:37 And you have the sun darkened of the moon 51:40 that looks like blood and the falling of the stars, 51:43 which are announcing that the judgment 51:45 is about to begin, 51:47 then it's going to set things straight. 51:50 The cases of the martyrs are going to be looked 51:52 at in the heavenly books. 51:54 That's Daniel 7. 51:56 And the cases that were decided wrongly on earth 51:59 are now going to be rectified in the heavenly sanctuary. 52:04 Are you with me? 52:05 And then you have after that, 52:08 during the period of the sixth seal, 52:09 you have those signs. 52:11 And then between the signs 52:13 and the last part of the sixth seal, 52:16 you have the interlude, 52:17 the sealing of 144,000 right before the last part 52:21 of the sixth seal. 52:25 You have a sealing of the faithful 52:28 to enter the time of trouble, 52:30 to be protected in the time of trouble. 52:32 And then they go through the time of trouble. 52:36 And you come all the way to page 641 52:39 of Great Controversy. 52:41 And Jesus is descending from heaven. 52:44 He's already begun a second coming 52:46 when He's part of the way down. 52:49 Oh, all of God's people who are on the earth, 52:52 they still feel unworthy, 52:54 they say, who shall be able to stand? 52:59 And there's an awful period of silence in heaven. 53:04 Are you with me? 53:07 And after that long period of silence, 53:11 the voices heard saying, 53:14 my grace is sufficient for you. 53:18 And Ellen White says that their faces light up 53:23 and the burden is removed. 53:25 And then Jesus descends from heaven. 53:28 He comes the rest of the way is above the earth. 53:31 And He says, "Arise, arise you who sleep in the dust 53:34 of the earth." 53:36 And the dead in Christ rise first 53:38 in glorified form, 53:39 the 144,000 have been glorified before that, 53:42 those of the special resurrection are there. 53:45 Then all of God's faithful followers are caught up 53:49 in the cloud to meet the Lord in the air. 53:52 And then they're taken to heaven for 1000 years. 53:56 We're just following the order 53:57 of the Book of Revelation, folks. 54:00 Taken to heaven for 1000 years 54:03 and there will be a millennial judgment to reveal 54:07 to God's people and for God's people 54:12 to pronounce sentence on the wicked 54:15 that stayed behind based on what is found 54:18 written in the books. 54:20 And then, after the millennial judgment, 54:23 Jesus returns with all the saints, 54:27 holy city descends after Jesus' feet 54:31 fall upon the Mount of Olives. 54:33 Everything opens into a great plain 54:35 for the New Jerusalem to rest there. 54:37 According to Zechariah 14:4-5, the holy city descends, 54:41 Jesus and the saints enter the holy city, 54:44 the gates are closed, the wicked resurrect. 54:49 Satan goes among them 54:50 saying they're less in there than we are. 54:53 We can conquer them, we can overcome them. 54:56 And everybody gets ready for battle. 54:59 Isn't this an exciting story? 55:00 That's better than Hollywood. 55:03 You know why it's better? Because it's the truth, 55:05 it's not imaginary, it's going to happen. 55:08 Many times I've wondered whether it would be nice 55:11 for some studio to do a movie on this. 55:15 A movie based on what the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy say, 55:18 not just imaginary stuff 55:20 because they add a lot of stuff that that isn't in the story. 55:23 And so then 55:27 all of the wicked resurrect. 55:30 They prepare for battle 55:32 when they're about ready to attack. 55:34 The panoramic view shows all of them while they were lost. 55:38 And after they see the cases of their lives, 55:41 they say God is right or wrong. 55:46 Just and true are your ways, O God, and they kneel. 55:51 Satan kneels, his angels kneel before the majesty of God. 55:56 For the first time, since sin came into the world, 56:00 the whole universe is agreed that God is right 56:05 sin and Satan are wrong. 56:07 And only at that moment can sin, 56:10 and Satan and sinners be destroyed, 56:13 without any questions remaining. 56:15 And fire descends from heaven and fire destroys the wicked, 56:20 destroys Satan and his angels. 56:22 And after they burn out, 56:25 God is going to make a New Heavens 56:27 and a New Earth like existed at the beginning 56:31 where righteousness dwells, 56:34 and thus the great controversy is ended. 56:40 And the whole universe will see that God is love. 56:42 Do you know how the Great Conflict series begins? 56:46 God is love. Do you know how it ends? 56:49 God is love. 56:51 So the whole universe will see that God was right, 56:53 God is justice, but God is also love. 56:56 Isn't that an exciting story? 56:58 We need to make sure that we're inside the city, 57:00 not outside. 57:01 Don't let anything in this world 57:03 keep you from being inside. 57:05 You know, we think that we're going 57:07 to live forever in this world 57:08 and we have all these nice things. 57:10 Folks, that's only to get us from point A to point B. 57:13 That's only to survive until we get there. 57:16 The food that we eat, and the house that we live in, 57:18 the car that we drive, 57:20 that's only a temporary thing that kind of bail us over 57:23 until we get there. 57:25 But our focus needs to be on heaven. 57:28 You know, as the song says, Turn your eyes upon Jesus, 57:32 look full in His wonderful face. 57:34 And the things of earth will grow strangely dim 57:38 in the light of His glory and grace. 57:41 Some people say as I was mentioning before, 57:44 that you're so earthly-minded, you're no heavenly good. 57:49 And when I say 57:50 is that we're so earthly-minded sometimes, 57:54 so we're so heavenly-minded sometimes 57:56 that we're no earthly good either. 57:58 So we have to have a balance. 58:00 We have to be focused on this life, 58:02 doing the work of God, 58:04 but our focus on eternal life in heaven with Jesus. |
Revised 2022-01-06