Participants:
Series Code: ARSS
Program Code: ARSS190022S
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00:16 Well, good morning and Happy Sabbath.
00:18 Happy Sabbath. 00:20 It's a real pleasure to be here on the true Lord's Day, 00:25 the Holy Sabbath, the seventh day of the week. 00:29 In our last study together, we were dealing a little bit 00:31 with the Sabbath as the Seal of God. 00:35 Basically in this class, we've studied the seven seals 00:39 and in the last presentation last evening, 00:43 as well as the presentations today, 00:45 we are going to take a look at the Seal of God 00:50 and the Mark of the Beast, 00:51 which is spoken of in the interlude to the seals. 00:56 So basically, we're amplifying the interlude 00:58 where you have the sealing, the four winds, et cetera. 01:02 Today in our study, we are going to begin 01:04 on page 373 of your syllabi. 01:08 I got it right that time, didn't I? 01:12 And what we're going to do, 01:14 we're not going to be able to finish this lesson 01:16 in one session. 01:18 So what we're going to do is do the first part, 01:21 and then we're going to finish this lesson 01:23 and also the following lesson, 01:26 which is basically three pages and a little bit. 01:29 So we're going to study lessons from the forbidden tree 01:33 and the idle Sabbath in both sessions this morning. 01:36 Then this afternoon, 01:38 we're going to deal with the last chapter 01:39 that we find in the syllabus. 01:41 So let's begin at the top of page 373. 01:46 In this study we will look at the subject of the Seal of God 01:51 and the Mark of the Beast 01:53 from a different perspective than usual. 01:57 As we examine the creation story, 02:00 we noticed that Adam and Eve 02:02 did not actually see God create anything. 02:08 Obviously, Adam did not see God create anything 02:12 during the first six days 02:13 and Adam did not see his own creation. 02:16 And when God created Eve, He put Adam to sleep. 02:21 So they did not see God create absolutely anything, 02:26 therefore they had no absolute rational, 02:31 empirical, scientific, or historical proof 02:37 that God was telling them the truth 02:40 when He told them that He was their Creator. 02:43 Belief in Jesus as the Creator 02:46 was a matter of faith in His Word. 02:51 Belief in Jesus, in other words, 02:53 was not based on proof, 02:55 but we'll see that it was based on evidence. 02:59 However, God does not expect us to have blind faith. 03:05 In matters of belief, 03:06 there is no such thing as blind faith 03:10 because faith is always sustained 03:13 by evidence. 03:15 So you'll notice that there was no absolute proof 03:18 or demonstration 03:20 that God was the Creator. 03:23 Adam and Eve did not see God create anything. 03:27 There was no demonstration that Jesus was the Creator. 03:31 And yet did Adam and Eve have evidence 03:35 that God was their Creator? 03:37 Absolutely. 03:39 Eve existed in a beautiful world. 03:44 God gave her a wonderful husband. 03:47 Jesus talked with Adam and Eve face-to-face. 03:51 They had fullness of happiness and joy. 03:55 In other words, Adam and Eve, 03:57 and particularly Eve at this point 03:59 because we are going to talk about the temptation 04:03 that Eve faced. 04:05 She had plenty of evidence 04:08 that God was her Creator. 04:12 In other words, her faith was not based on blind faith. 04:17 It was based on evidence. 04:20 Ellen White has correctly stated the following, 04:23 "God never asks us to believe 04:26 without giving sufficient evidence 04:29 upon which to base our faith. 04:31 His existence, His character, 04:34 the truthfulness of His Word 04:36 are all established by testimony 04:39 that appeals to our reason." 04:42 And this testimony is what? 04:44 Abundant. 04:46 "Yet, God has never removed the possibility of doubt. 04:50 Our faith must rest upon evidence, 04:53 not demonstration. 04:56 Those who wish to doubt will have opportunity 05:00 while those who really desire to know the truth 05:02 will find plenty of evidence 05:04 on which to rest their faith." 05:07 In another statement that we find in Testimonies 05:10 for the Church, volume five, page 69, 05:12 we find these words, 05:14 "If you refuse to believe, 05:17 until every shadow of uncertainty 05:20 and every possibility of doubt is removed 05:24 you will never believe, 05:26 the doubt that the man's perfect knowledge 05:29 will never yield to faith. 05:31 Faith rests on evidence not word, 05:36 not demonstration because if God demonstrated 05:40 to Adam and Eve that He was the Creator, 05:42 they would not need to have faith 05:44 because they saw it." 05:46 That's why the Apostle Paul in Romans 8:24 says, 05:51 "Why would we believe in something 05:54 or have faith in something that hasn't taken place yet, 05:57 if we actually have already seen it?" 06:00 Now, let's notice the next section, 06:02 we're going to deal with a question and answer 06:05 sequence here in this lesson. 06:07 According to the Bible, who was the active agent 06:11 in the creation of the world? 06:13 We could read several verses, 06:15 but we want to read one passage, 06:17 particularly John 1:1-3. 06:22 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, 06:27 and the Word was God. 06:30 He was in the beginning with God. 06:33 All things were made through Him, 06:37 and without Him 06:38 nothing was made that was made." 06:42 So if Jesus created all things, 06:45 He also created what? 06:47 He also created the Sabbath. 06:49 This is why He later explained in Mark 2:27, 06:53 that the Son of Man is Lord of what? 06:56 The Son of Man is the Lord of the Sabbath 06:58 because He created all things the first six days 07:02 and on the seventh day 07:03 He created holy time, 07:06 so there's no doubt. 07:07 The Bible tells us that Jesus was the Creator. 07:11 And we have plenty of evidence to base our faith on, 07:15 but we weren't there seen it, 07:17 so we have no absolute demonstration 07:21 to prove that God was the Creator. 07:24 We have evidence that we can rest our faith on. 07:29 Now, what positive command 07:31 did Jesus give Adam and Eve when He created, 07:35 I put Adam here but it's Adam and Eve, 07:37 Eve through Adam, 07:39 when He created him or them? 07:42 Genesis 2:15-16 tells us, 07:45 "Then the Lord God took the man 07:48 and put him in the Garden of Eden 07:50 to tend and keep it. 07:52 And the Lord God commanded the man..." 07:55 Of course, first Adam and then through Adam 07:57 the command reaches Eve. 07:59 "And the Lord God commanded the man saying, 08:02 'Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat." 08:08 So first of all, we have a positive command. 08:11 Before God tells them what they can't do, 08:13 God tells them what they can do. 08:15 God tells him, "You can eat 08:18 from all of the trees of the garden. 08:20 All of the trees 08:22 are for your personal enjoyment." 08:24 But then we have a negative command. 08:29 Genesis 2:17, we find these words, 08:33 "But of the tree of the knowledge 08:36 of good and evil, 08:37 you shall not eat, 08:40 for in the day that you eat of it, 08:42 you shall surely die." 08:47 So you'll notice that in the first command 08:50 that God gives to Adam and Eve, 08:52 He tells them, "You can eat 08:54 of all of the trees of the garden, 08:55 they are for your personal use and consumption 08:58 but there's one tree that I forbid you to eat from." 09:03 Now, we're going to see 09:05 as we go along why this is important. 09:09 Now, the question is 09:10 what was the location of the tree 09:12 from which they were forbidden to eat? 09:15 Well, Genesis 2:2-3, 09:18 and I'm reading from the NIV because it's clear. 09:21 We find where the tree was located, 09:24 the tree that tested Adam and Eve's faith 09:27 that God was their Creator 09:29 and He was the true God. 09:32 "The woman said to the serpent, 09:34 'We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 09:38 but God did say, 09:40 'You must not eat from the tree that is," where? 09:45 "In the middle of the garden and you must not touch it, 09:50 or you will die.'" 09:53 So where was the tree that tested 09:55 the faith of Adam and Eve 09:57 that God was a true God, 09:58 and He was the Creator? 10:00 It was in the middle of the garden. 10:04 The tree that tested the loyalty of Adam and Eve 10:06 was located in the very middle. 10:09 The tree was the external way 10:13 in which God could test Adam and Eve 10:16 and their internal commitment to Him. 10:19 So do we have an external test in the Garden of Eden 10:22 like we were studying in our last subject together? 10:25 Yes. 10:26 The evidence that they actually trusted God 10:30 was not eating from a tree. 10:32 But their trust was really what? 10:35 Their trust was inside 10:37 and they showed it by respecting God's tree. 10:41 Now, who chose the tree 10:43 from which Adam and Eve were not to eat? 10:46 Well, Genesis 2:17 tell us that God was the one 10:50 who chose the tree and pointed out the tree. 10:53 "But of the tree of the knowledge 10:54 of good and evil you shall not eat. 10:57 For in the day that you eat of it, 10:59 you shall surely die." 11:02 By the way, when it says, "You shall surely die." 11:04 In the Hebrew it says, "You will die by death." 11:07 I don't think there's any other way of dying. 11:09 What God is saying, 11:11 "You're going to really die, truly die. 11:14 You can take it to the bank that you're going to die." 11:17 Now, let's read the note. 11:19 God did not give Adam and Eve the option of choosing the tree 11:24 from which they could not eat. 11:26 God chose the specific tree, 11:29 pointed it out and expected Adam and Eve 11:33 to abstain from eating its fruit. 11:37 Now what was the appearance of the tree like? 11:41 Genesis 2:15-17 11:44 tells us about this tree. 11:47 Is there any evidence in the text 11:50 that the tree of the knowledge of good and evil 11:52 was any different than any other trees 11:54 in the garden? 11:56 No. 11:58 Let's read the note. 11:59 There is no evidence that the tree of the knowledge 12:01 of good and evil 12:03 was any different 12:04 from the other trees of the garden. 12:06 It was not taller or brighter, 12:10 neither did it have a different type of fruit 12:12 than the other trees. 12:14 What made it different was not its external appearance, 12:18 but the fact that God had set it apart. 12:21 God identified the tree by location, 12:24 not by appearance. 12:27 Notice this interesting statement 12:29 from Ellen White, 12:31 the book Confrontation, page 12. 12:34 "Adam and Eve were permitted to partake of every tree 12:38 in the garden saved one. 12:41 There was a single prohibition. 12:44 The forbidden tree was as attractive and lovely 12:49 as any of the trees in the garden. 12:52 It was called the tree of knowledge 12:54 because in partaking of that tree of which God had said, 12:57 "Thou shalt not eat of it," 12:59 they would have the knowledge of sin 13:01 and experience in disobedience." 13:03 So Ellen White tells us that this tree 13:06 was as attractive and lovely 13:08 as any of the other trees in the garden. 13:10 In other words, it wasn't taller. 13:12 It didn't have a halo of light around it. 13:16 It didn't have a bigger and juicer fruit. 13:18 It looked just like the other trees of the garden. 13:22 Now, to whom did all the trees of the garden belong? 13:26 All the trees of the garden belong to God, right? 13:29 Even the ones that Adam and Eve could partake of and use 13:32 for their own personal consumption. 13:34 Notice Psalm 24:1-2, this is where we find 13:37 that all of the trees were the property of God 13:40 as well as everything else 13:41 that God made that Jesus made. 13:44 "The earth is the Lord's and all its fullness." 13:48 That means everything in it. 13:50 "The world and those who dwell therein." 13:54 And now we have the reason, 13:55 "For he has founded it upon the seas, 13:59 and established it upon the waters." 14:03 So to whom did all of the trees belong, 14:06 the trees that they could partake of, 14:08 and the tree that they could not partake of? 14:10 All of them belong to God. 14:12 Now, you're probably wondering why we're going through this 14:14 if you haven't heard this presentation before. 14:17 There's an intention and a purpose 14:18 why we're going through this, 14:20 and you'll see it as we go along. 14:22 Let's read the notes. 14:24 "All the trees of the garden were God's property 14:27 because He had created them. 14:30 However, the tree of knowledge was in a special category. 14:34 It belonged to God what? 14:36 Exclusively in a special sense. 14:40 Even though the other trees of the garden 14:42 also belong to God, 14:44 He permitted man to use them for his own personal pleasure. 14:50 However, this particular tree was not for man's use. 14:54 It was off limits." 14:58 Now how much of the tree belongs to God? 15:02 Could man eat just a little piece 15:04 of the fruit? 15:06 What would the answer be to that? 15:08 Not even a little piece of the skin 15:11 of the fruit of the tree. 15:13 The tree in its entirety belong to God 15:17 and man could not partake of 15:19 any itsy bitsy piece of it. 15:24 Now, let's go to the subtitle, Rejecting God as Creator. 15:29 What did Satan tell Eve that she and her husband 15:33 would become if they ate from the tree? 15:37 Genesis 3:4-5, 15:40 "Then the serpent said to the woman, 15:43 'You will not surely die. 15:45 For God knows that in the day you eat of it 15:49 your eyes will be opened, 15:51 and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." 15:56 So what did Satan tell Eve that she could be 15:59 if she actually ate from the tree 16:01 and partook of the tree that belonged only to God? 16:05 Eve, you will be like God. 16:10 Satan was giving her an alternative explanation 16:13 to her existence. 16:15 And here we have the sequence. 16:17 Eve strayed from her husband side. 16:21 Eve asked herself why God forbade 16:23 eating from this one tree. 16:25 You can read this in Patriarchs and Prophets. 16:27 When she comes to the tree, she says, 16:28 "I wonder why God told us 16:30 that we couldn't eat from this particular tree. 16:32 It's not taller. 16:33 It doesn't have a halo of light around it. 16:35 The fruit looks pretty much 16:36 like the fruit of the other trees. 16:38 I wonder what this tree 16:40 has that would lead God to forbid us from eating it." 16:44 Perhaps she asked herself, 16:47 "Is it really true that Jesus was the One 16:50 who created us as He told us? 16:52 After all, did we actually see Him 16:55 create anything?" 16:57 She asked herself 16:59 if there might be an alternative explanation 17:01 of their existence. 17:03 So Satan now takes advantage 17:05 because Satan can read body language. 17:07 If you read Patriarchs and Prophets, 17:09 Ellen White explains that as she saw this tree, 17:12 she asked herself, 17:14 "Why God would tell them not to eat from the tree?" 17:18 And Satan is able to read body language 17:22 and furthermore, 17:23 Ellen White explains that Eve, 17:26 when she came to the foot of the tree, 17:29 she actually expressed her thoughts audibly. 17:33 She was talking to herself, but she didn't even realize it. 17:37 And so Satan now he says, 17:39 "I know what she's thinking about, 17:40 why God told them not to eat from this tree." 17:44 So Satan now is going to use four methods 17:46 to deceive Eve. 17:48 First, he is going to perform a counterfeit miracle. 17:53 And these methods 17:54 he's going to use all over again 17:55 at the end of time. 17:57 What was the counterfeit miracle? 17:58 How many of you have ever seen a talking snake? 18:03 Wouldn't it be a miracle for a snake to talk to you? 18:06 You better believe it, 18:08 but the snake wasn't talking, it was the devil. 18:10 But he made it appear like the serpent was speaking, 18:12 so he performed a counterfeit miracle. 18:15 He also distorted the Word of God. 18:19 So God has told you that 18:20 you can't eat of any tree of the garden, 18:22 and Eve has to correct him. 18:24 She said, "No, no, no, that's not what God said. 18:25 God said that we can eat from every tree 18:28 except this one." 18:30 In the third place, 18:31 Satan led Eve to follow the testimony of her senses. 18:37 It says in Genesis 3:6 18:40 that he saw that the fruit of the tree was good 18:44 and she was listening 18:46 that it was going to make her wise. 18:48 She touched the fruit and she did die 18:51 and so all of her senses are involved. 18:53 She's following the testimony of her senses. 18:56 And the last method of Satan was the most deceptive of all, 19:00 and that was to tempt Eve to follow her unaided reason 19:05 instead of following the Word of God. 19:08 In other words, Satan now offers Eve 19:11 an alternative explanation of why God told them 19:15 not to eat from the tree. 19:17 He's going to tell Eve, 19:19 "It's not because you're going to die 19:21 if you eat from the tree. 19:23 God knows that if you eat from this tree, 19:26 you are going to be just like Him." 19:28 What he's hinting at, 19:30 is that God at some point in the past ate from the tree, 19:34 and that made Him God. 19:36 And after that, He intimidated everybody by saying, 19:40 "If you eat from this tree, you're going to die." 19:42 But it's really because God didn't want any rivals. 19:46 Are you understanding what's happening here? 19:48 So what is the devil leading Eve to do? 19:51 To question God's story about her existence. 19:56 Now, let's read the note. 19:59 "Eve's only safety was to have," what? 20:02 "Settled faith and trust in the Word of God." 20:06 Period, God said it, 20:09 I believe it and that settles it for me. 20:13 She was not to pay any attention to the miracle. 20:15 She was not to pay attention to the word of the serpent. 20:21 She was not to pay attention 20:23 to her senses or to the logical, 20:26 seemingly logical explanation that the serpent 20:29 or Satan was offering her. 20:31 The purpose of the tree was to test 20:34 Adam and Eve's faith in the Lord, 20:37 to see if they were willing to recognize Him 20:40 as their Creator and the only true God. 20:43 That was the test. 20:45 In his temptation, Satan was not telling Eve 20:48 that she and Adam would be little gods, 20:51 if they ate from the tree. 20:53 He was actually insinuating that at some time in the past, 20:57 God had eaten from the tree and had become God. 21:01 And he assured Eve that if she ate from the tree, 21:04 she would be God as well. 21:07 The Hebrew word for gods in Genesis 3:5, 21:11 and that's the way that it's translated 21:13 in the King James Version, is Elohim. 21:16 It's a same identical word that appears in Genesis 1:1 21:20 where it says, "In the beginning God 21:22 created the heavens and the earth." 21:24 Satan unabashedly attacked God as the Creator 21:28 and His only right to be God. 21:32 He was not telling Eve that she would be a little god, 21:35 but rather that she would be 21:36 on a level of equality with God. 21:39 Satan knew that the only way he could get Adam and Eve 21:43 to dishonor their Creator was by getting them to partake 21:47 of the one tree 21:48 that God had reserved for Himself. 21:51 Are you catching the picture? 21:53 So it's an attack on the Creator. 21:55 It's an attack on the true God. 21:57 If Satan can lead Eve to partake of the one tree 22:01 that God reserved for Himself, 22:03 that would be actually slapping the Creator in the face 22:06 and her wanting to make herself God. 22:10 Now, let's go to the next section. 22:12 Satan deceived Eve. 22:15 What excuse did Eve give to God 22:18 for eating from the tree of knowledge? 22:20 Genesis 3:13, 22:23 "And the Lord God said to the woman, 22:26 'What is this that you have done?' 22:28 The woman said, 22:30 'The serpent deceived me, and I ate.'" 22:35 I like the way the King James says it, 22:39 "The serpent beguiled me..." 22:41 That's an old English word. 22:43 We don't use it very much, 22:44 but it sounds a lot more sinister, I think. 22:47 "The serpent beguiled me." 22:49 It means that the serpent deceived me. 22:52 Now, what do we need to do in order to deceive someone? 22:58 We have to offer a counterfeit. 23:00 And there are three aspects to a counterfeit. 23:04 First, in order for a counterfeit 23:07 to be deceptive, 23:08 the counterfeit must be as close as possible 23:11 to the what? 23:13 To the genuine. 23:14 You have fool's gold. 23:17 Well, you have to make it look as close as possible 23:19 to real gold, right? 23:21 Secondly, the counterfeit comes 23:26 after the genuine in time. 23:28 That was a counterfeit... 23:29 The purpose of the counterfeit is to counterfeit 23:32 that which is already genuine. 23:34 And three, the only way to detect the counterfeit 23:38 is to what? 23:40 To compare with the genuine. 23:41 So in order to detect the counterfeit, 23:43 do you have to know what the genuine is? 23:46 Absolutely. 23:47 I want you to keep those three ideas in mind 23:49 because they're very important. 23:51 First of all, 23:52 in order for a counterfeit to be deceptive, 23:55 it must appear as close as possible to the genuine. 23:58 Secondly, it comes 24:00 after the genuine in time and three, 24:03 in order to detect it, 24:05 you must clearly know what the genuine is. 24:09 Now, what was the penalty for eating from the tree? 24:13 God told them explicitly. 24:16 Notice Genesis 2:17, 24:20 "But of the tree of the knowledge 24:21 of good and evil, 24:22 you shall not eat, 24:24 for in the day that you eat of it, 24:26 you shall surely die." 24:29 So the sentence for partaking of God's tree 24:34 that He had reserved for Himself was death. 24:38 So we've studied 24:40 the original temptation in heaven. 24:41 There was this external tree 24:43 that tested the internal commitment 24:46 of Adam and Eve to God. 24:48 Now, why have we gone through this? 24:50 Because there's a striking parallel 24:54 with the final test. 24:56 Only the final test is not going to be over a tree, 24:59 the final test is going to be over a day. 25:02 Now, let's notice the parallel. 25:05 What positive command 25:08 did God give in the Fourth Commandment? 25:11 Exodus 20:8-9, 25:13 "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. 25:16 Six days you shall labor and do all your work." 25:22 So let's read the note. 25:24 "God specified 25:25 that all the trees of the garden 25:26 were for man's personal use. 25:29 Similarly, He has specified 25:31 that the first six days of the week 25:34 are for our own personal use as well." 25:38 Now what negative command 25:40 did God give in the Fourth Commandment? 25:43 After giving the positive command saying 25:44 all six days are for your own personal use, 25:48 yet in the Fourth Commandment, 25:49 God gives a negative command. 25:51 Exodus 20:10, 25:53 "But the seventh day is the Sabbath 25:57 of the Lord your God. 25:59 In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, 26:02 nor your daughter, nor your male servant, 26:04 nor your female servant, 26:06 nor your cattle, 26:07 nor your stranger who is within your gates." 26:11 Six days are for your personal use. 26:14 The other day, the seventh day is off limits. 26:18 It belongs to me. 26:21 As God reserved one tree exclusively for Himself, 26:25 the Fourth Commandment underlines the fact 26:27 that God has reserved the seventh day 26:29 of the week for Himself. 26:31 The Bible tells us 26:32 that the Sabbath was God's rest day 26:35 before it became a rest day for man. 26:38 This is why God calls the Sabbath, My holy day. 26:43 And that's the reason 26:44 why it is called the Sabbath of the Lord your God 26:49 because it belongs exclusively to Him. 26:52 It is off limits to man, 26:54 just like the tree of the knowledge 26:56 of good and evil was off limits to man. 27:04 Where do you think the Fourth Commandment 27:07 is located in the law of God? 27:10 It's in the very center of the law of God. 27:13 The tree of knowledge 27:14 that tested the faith of Adam and Eve 27:16 was located in the middle of the garden. 27:19 Likewise, the Sabbath commandment 27:21 is in the very center of God's law. 27:24 And now we're going to cover something very interesting. 27:27 And I didn't place the illustrations 27:31 in the syllabus, 27:32 but what I'll do is I'll make sure I get copies 27:35 of those so that you have them. 27:38 But anyway, likewise, let's go back here 27:43 to the beginning of the note. 27:44 The tree of knowledge the test of the faith of Adam and Eve 27:46 was located in the middle of the garden. 27:48 Likewise, the Sabbath commandment 27:50 is in the very center of God's law. 27:53 Archaeological discoveries at Ugarit, 27:56 which is in, what is Syria, 28:01 unmistakably revealed that ancient law codes 28:05 had the seal in the middle of the tablet. 28:08 The seal always contain three elements. 28:12 Number one, the name of the lawgiver. 28:15 Number two, the official function 28:18 or office of the lawgiver. 28:20 And number three, 28:21 the jurisdictional territory 28:24 over which the official governs. 28:26 Even in ancient seals in the middle of a tablet, 28:30 you have these three elements to make the seal authentic. 28:34 Of all of the Ten Commandments, 28:36 only the Fourth contains these three elements. 28:39 His name is the Lord your God. 28:42 His title or office is Creator. 28:46 His jurisdictional territory 28:48 in the Fourth Commandment is heaven, 28:49 earth, the seas and the fountains of waters. 28:53 Now, according to God Himself, what is His covenant? 28:58 Deuteronomy 4:13, 29:01 "So He declared to you His covenant, 29:04 which He commanded you to perform, 29:06 the Ten Commandments, 29:08 and he wrote them on two tablets of stone." 29:10 So the Ten Commandments are God's what? 29:13 They are God's covenant. 29:16 And how many sides of the tablets 29:18 did God write the Ten Commandments? 29:21 You know, some people are surprised about this, 29:23 but they're written on both sides of the tablets. 29:26 Notice Exodus 32:15-16, 29:29 "And Moses turned and went down from the mountain, 29:32 and the two tablets of the testimony 29:34 were in his hand. 29:35 The tablets were written on what?" 29:38 We're going to see 29:39 there's an archeological reason for this. 29:41 God gave the law in the time when there were covenants 29:45 such as the Ten Commandments in the surrounding nations. 29:49 The tablets were written on both sides, 29:52 on the one side and on the other, 29:54 they were written. 29:56 Now the tablets were the work of God 29:58 and the writing was the writing of God engraved on the tablets. 30:04 Now, the note is very significant. 30:06 Clay tablets have been on earth 30:09 in the city of Ugarit 30:13 and this land of Canaan that's actually Syria, 30:16 just north of the land of Canaan. 30:18 These tablets contain covenants 30:21 between greater and lesser kings. 30:25 The tablets contain writing on both sides. 30:28 And the interesting thing is the same material 30:31 that's written on the front side 30:32 is written again on the backside 30:34 of these tablets. 30:35 You say, "Well, why would they write the same information 30:38 on the front of the clay tablets 30:40 as on the back of the clay tablets?" 30:42 You're going to see that in the minute, 30:43 in a moment. 30:45 So the tablets contain writing on both sides, 30:49 and in the middle of one side 30:51 is the authentic seal of the lawgiver 30:54 and you can find this huge seal 30:56 that is impressed in the middle of the clay tablet 30:59 when the clay is soft. 31:01 So what happens when they impress the seal 31:04 in the middle of the tablet on one side? 31:06 It obliterates much of the writing. 31:10 And so they would write the same thing 31:11 on the backside 31:13 so that you could read the entire covenant 31:15 because the seal was on the front side. 31:17 I have bunches of pictures of this one. 31:19 At one time I was presenting a series of meetings 31:24 at Andrews University Seminary 31:26 during their week of prayer 31:28 and during the day 31:29 I went to this library to do research. 31:33 And, you know, I like to just go 31:35 from bookcase to bookcase, 31:38 looking at the different books to see 31:40 what I find being interesting 31:42 and I noticed these great big green books. 31:44 And the title of them is, Ugarit or Ugaritica. 31:48 And so, I don't know why I was curious about 31:51 taking one of those down there huge volumes, 31:53 and there were several of them. 31:55 So I decided I would take one off the shelf, 31:57 and I went to the table there 31:59 and I started leafing through them. 32:01 And then suddenly I saw these tablets, 32:05 many different tablets that were unearthed in Ugarit. 32:10 And these tablets were written on both sides 32:14 and in the center of the tablet always 32:17 was the dynastic seal of the king 32:19 that is making the covenant. 32:21 And on one side the seal is impressed on the clay 32:24 it obliterates the writing on the front side, 32:27 so they write the same information 32:28 on the backside, 32:30 very significant, 32:31 and the seal was in the center of the tablet. 32:35 I'm going to give you... 32:36 I'll take some photocopies 32:38 that you'll be able to take with you. 32:40 Let's continue here. 32:41 The seal of authenticity 32:43 in the middle of the tablet contains the name, 32:47 the title and jurisdictional territory 32:51 of the lawgiving king. 32:54 One is reminded of the Ten Commandments. 32:57 They are a covenant between God and His people 33:00 and the tablets were written on both sides. 33:03 One would therefore expect God's seal 33:05 to be in the very center 33:06 of the Ten Commandments and it is, 33:09 The Fourth Commandment is the only one 33:12 that identifies the name of the lawgiver, 33:14 his function or office 33:17 and his jurisdictional territory. 33:21 So we ask the question, according to God Himself, 33:26 what is His covenant? 33:28 The Ten Commandments. 33:29 Where would we expect to find God seal 33:33 in the Ten Commandments? 33:34 In the middle of the tablet. 33:36 Where was the tree in the Garden of Eden 33:38 that tested Adam and Eve? 33:40 In the middle of the garden, as we noticed. 33:43 Now, who chose the seventh day Sabbath 33:46 as the specific day of rest? 33:49 Exodus 16:29, "See! 33:52 For the Lord has given you the Sabbath." 33:54 Who did? 33:56 "The Lord has given you the Sabbath, 33:58 therefore He gives you on the sixth day bread 34:00 for two days. 34:01 Let every man remain in his place, 34:03 let no man go out of his place on the seventh day." 34:08 God chose the tree 34:10 from which Adam and Eve were not to eat. 34:14 In like manner, God established the seventh day at creation 34:17 as His day of rest. 34:19 God has not given man the option of choosing 34:23 on which day he will abstain from work. 34:25 The Fourth Commandment does not say, 34:27 "Remember to keep one day in seven, 34:30 or remember to keep every seventh day 34:32 or remember to rest or take time to rest." 34:36 God said, "The seventh day is the Sabbath 34:40 of the Lord your God." 34:41 God did not give man the option. 34:43 God chose the day. 34:45 Who chose the tree? 34:47 God chose the tree. 34:49 Now, here we come to a very important point. 34:54 How many days belong to God? 34:56 All days belong to God because He made them, 35:01 but the Sabbath belongs to God how? 35:05 In a special way. 35:07 It is God's exclusive property. 35:11 It is holy, 35:12 and we are not to use it for ourselves. 35:15 And you'll always meet people that will say, 35:17 "I believe that all days are God's." 35:20 Now, how are you going to answer that, 35:22 all days are God's? 35:23 It's true. 35:24 Yes, I agree with you, but not all days are holy. 35:29 That's the answer that we have to give. 35:30 All days are God's but not all days are holy. 35:33 All trees were God's, 35:35 but one tree was exclusively His 35:37 that He reserved for Himself. 35:40 Let's continue here. 35:41 The same principle applies to the Sabbath 35:43 as applies to the tithe. 35:47 Some people affirm, 35:48 "I believe that all days are God's days." 35:51 And they are right, 35:52 but this does not mean that all days are holy. 35:55 How much of our money belongs to God? 35:57 All our money belongs to God because God says, 36:01 "Mine is the silver and Mine is the gold," 36:03 Haggai 2:8. 36:05 However, this does not mean that all our money is what? 36:08 Holy. 36:10 God did not say that all days are holy. 36:13 There is only one day that God identified as holy, 36:16 the Sabbath. 36:18 And then we have the stories that I mentioned yesterday, 36:20 the story of Nadab and Abihu, 36:23 and the story of Belshazzar. 36:25 They illustrate two serious sins against God. 36:31 The story of Nadab and Abihu, God said, 36:35 "When you mingle incense with fire, 36:39 I want you to take the fire from the altar of sacrifice 36:42 because that's the fire that I rain from heaven. 36:44 That's holy fire." 36:46 But Nadab and Abihu, under the influence of wine... 36:50 Is Babylon going to be under the influence of wine 36:52 at the end of time? 36:53 Absolutely, wine is involved, but it's spiritual wine. 36:56 It's false doctrine. 36:58 Under the influence of wine, 37:00 they took common ordinary fire 37:03 and they offered it to God as if it were holy. 37:08 And what did God say? 37:09 "God said no problem, fire is fire." 37:13 No. 37:14 Let me ask you, do you think 37:15 the chemical properties of the fire 37:17 that they took was the same as the fire 37:20 from the altar? 37:21 Sure. 37:22 Do you think that if they put their fingers 37:24 in both fires their finger would be burned? 37:26 Of course. 37:28 Did the fire look the same? 37:30 Sure. 37:31 What distinguished the fire 37:32 that they were supposed to take? 37:34 The fact that God had said it was holy. 37:37 It has nothing to do with appearance. 37:40 What happened with them 37:41 as a result of taking something that was common 37:43 and presenting it as if it was holy? 37:46 The Bible says fire came out from the Most Holy Place 37:50 and consumed them in the sanctuary. 37:52 Then we have the story of Belshazzar, 37:55 also under the influence of wine. 37:59 And he's by the way, the last king of Babylon 38:01 and in Revelation we have Babylon the great. 38:04 And he was drinking wine and so he says, 38:07 "Let's bring the holy vessels 38:10 and make a common use of them and put wine in them." 38:14 So he's doing the opposite. 38:15 He's taking something that's holy 38:17 and he's treating it as if it was common. 38:21 What happened with Belshazzar? 38:23 That very night he was slain 38:26 and the kingdom was taken from him. 38:31 If God allows people to take a common day, 38:37 like Sunday, which is a working day, 38:40 and to present it to Him as if it were holy, 38:43 that would be the same as the sin of Nadab and Abihu. 38:47 And if God allows people to take a holy day 38:50 like the Sabbath, 38:51 and treat it like it's common, 38:52 that would be like the sin of Belshazzar. 38:55 God is going to have to apologize 38:57 to those people from the Old Testament. 38:59 But you might say, 39:01 "Well, back then God was all justice 39:04 and now He's all mercy." 39:06 God's character doesn't change. 39:09 When God says the seventh day is a Sabbath. 39:11 He means the seventh day. 39:14 He doesn't mean the first day. 39:15 First day is a secular day. 39:17 Six days are for you, the seventh day God says, 39:20 "It's mine." 39:22 Just like in the garden, God said, 39:23 "All of the trees are for your personal consumption, 39:26 but this one tree is off limits to you." 39:30 Notice this statement 39:32 that we find in Spiritual Gifts, 39:33 volume 4A, pages 14 and 15. 39:36 When God says, "Keep the seventh day," 39:40 He does not mean the sixth nor the first 39:44 but the very day He has specified. 39:46 Is that true of the tree in the garden also? 39:48 Yes. 39:50 If men substitute a common day for the sacred, 39:54 and say that will do just as well, 39:57 they insult the maker of the heavens and the earth. 40:01 Did Eve insult the maker of heaven and earth 40:03 by eating from God's tree? 40:06 You're catching the parallels here. 40:09 So once again, if men substitute a common day 40:11 for the sacred and say that will do just as well, 40:14 they insult the maker of the heavens and the earth, 40:17 who made the Sabbath to commemorate 40:20 His resting upon the seventh day 40:22 after creating the world in six days. 40:25 It is dangerous business in the service of God 40:28 to deviate from His institutions. 40:31 Those who have to do with God, who is infinite, 40:35 who explicitly directs in regard to His own worship 40:38 should follow the exact course 40:41 He has prescribed and not feel at liberty 40:44 to deviate in the smallest respect 40:48 because they think it will answer 40:50 just as well. 40:51 God will teach all His creatures 40:54 that He means just what He says. 40:58 That's a powerful statement, isn't it? 41:01 Now let's talk about the Sabbath and astronomy. 41:05 Thought question, 41:06 is there any astronomical reason 41:09 for a seven-day week? 41:12 No astronomical reason. 41:14 Let's read the note. 41:16 There is an astronomical reason or explanation for the year. 41:20 It takes our planet 365, actually 365 and a quarter days 41:24 to make one complete turn around the sun. 41:27 There is an astronomical explanation 41:30 for the month. 41:31 It is the interval between one new moon 41:33 and the other. 41:34 There is an astronomical explanation for the day. 41:38 It is the amount of time 41:39 that it takes our planet to make one complete turn 41:42 around its axis. 41:43 However, there is no astronomical explanation 41:46 for a seven-day week. 41:48 The only reason we have a seven-day week 41:51 is that God made it so at creation. 41:55 Notice Signs of the Times, March 20, 1879, 41:59 the first week in which God performed the work 42:02 of creation in six days 42:04 and rested on the seventh day was just like every other week. 42:09 The great God in His days of creation, 42:12 and day of rest measured off the first cycle 42:15 as a sample for successive weeks 42:18 till the close of time. 42:21 The weekly cycle of seven literal days, 42:23 six for labor, and the seventh for rest, 42:26 which has been preserved 42:28 and brought down through Bible history 42:30 originated in the great facts 42:34 of the first seven days. 42:37 Let me ask you, 42:40 do all the days of the week look alike? 42:44 Yes or no? 42:45 Yes. 42:46 Does the sun rise and set on the Sabbath 42:48 as well as the other days? 42:50 Yeah. 42:51 Do each of them have 24 hours? 42:54 Do we go to bed and get up on every day? 42:58 Sure. 43:00 So the Sabbath, by its external appearance, 43:03 looks like every other day. 43:05 Just like that tree looked like every other tree. 43:09 What made the tree distinct? 43:12 Not its appearance, 43:14 but the fact that God had set it apart. 43:17 What makes the Sabbath unique? 43:21 It's like every other day, 43:23 except for the fact that God set it apart 43:26 as His day of rest. 43:30 Now, what great fact 43:32 does the Bible Sabbath memorialize? 43:37 Exodus 20:11, let me ask you, 43:39 if Adam and Eve respected the tree, 43:41 would that show that they believe 43:43 that God was the only true God and the Creator? 43:46 If they respected the tree, the external tree, 43:48 they would be showing that they had faith in God. 43:51 Their external act of obedience showed their faith. 43:55 Is that true also with regard to the Sabbath? 43:59 Note Exodus 20:11, "For in six days, 44:02 the Lord made the heaven and the earth, 44:04 the sea and all that in them is 44:07 and rested on the seventh day. 44:09 Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and," what? 44:12 "And sanctified it or made it holy." 44:16 The Sabbath is a memorial of the Creator. 44:19 And by observing it, 44:22 we are recognizing the fact that He alone is God 44:26 and that we are His what? 44:28 That we are His creatures. 44:30 If we remember the tree of knowledge in the garden 44:32 also tested man's willingness to accept God's sovereignty 44:36 as the only true Creator God. 44:40 When we keep the Sabbath, 44:41 whom are we recognizing as the only true God? 44:45 Well, notice Ezekiel 20:20, "Hallow my Sabbaths, 44:51 and they will be a sign between Me and you, 44:55 that you may know," what? 44:57 "That I am the Lord your God." 45:01 As abstaining from the tree of knowledge 45:04 was an external sign of loyalty 45:07 so abstaining from our own secular affairs 45:11 on Sabbath is an external sign of loyalty to the true God. 45:17 How many hours of the Sabbath belong to God? 45:22 Can we use just a little itsy bitsy piece of skin? 45:27 Leviticus 23:32, 45:30 "It shall be to you a Sabbath of solemn rest, 45:34 and you shall afflict your souls." 45:37 This is talking about the Day of Atonement, 45:38 but the principle is 45:40 when the Sabbath begins and ends. 45:42 It says, "On the ninth day of the month at evening, 45:46 from evening to evening, 45:48 you shall celebrate your Sabbath." 45:51 Now, when is the evening? 45:53 Mark 1:32 tells us when the evening is. 45:57 "At evening, when the sun had set, 46:00 they brought him all who were sick, 46:03 and those who were demon possessed." 46:06 How much of the time of the Sabbath belongs to God, 46:10 23 hours, 59 minutes and 59 seconds? 46:14 No, from sundown to sundown, 46:18 the Sabbath belongs to God, 46:20 just like the entire tree and all the fruit 46:24 belong exclusively to God. 46:27 Some people might say, "Well, all that fruit went to waste." 46:31 No, because in the Garden of Eden, 46:33 probably the fruit on that tree didn't actually fall. 46:38 But anyway, we don't know that for sure. 46:40 Let's read the note. 46:41 "We must keep the Sabbath from evening to evening, 46:44 that is from sundown to sundown. 46:47 The evening and morning marked each day of creation. 46:50 The entire 24-hour period belongs to God. 46:54 Not one little itsy bitsy second 46:57 can be used for our own secular affairs. 47:00 The Commandment forbids going out 47:01 to eat in a restaurant, playing ball." 47:05 I've enumerated some things here 47:07 sleeping all afternoon... 47:11 Watching certain kinds of television. 47:14 Not all, you know, you can watch 3ABN 47:16 and of course SUM TV, 47:19 shopping at the mall, et cetera. 47:21 Those are all secular activities. 47:24 If we love Jesus, it will be our great pleasure 47:27 to leave aside our common endeavors 47:30 to concentrate only on Him on the Sabbath. 47:34 It will be a delight 47:36 and we will not desire to do anything else 47:39 other than enhance our relationship with Him 47:41 because strong relationships are based on spending time. 47:46 We will not do as Israel was doing in the days of Hosea 47:49 when they were longing for the Sabbath to be over 47:52 so that they could carry on their own secular business. 47:55 You can read that in Amos 8:5. 47:58 Ellen White well remarks 48:00 and I'm going to read three or four statements now 48:02 from her writings. 48:03 "A partial observance of the Sabbath 48:06 is not accepted by the Lord 48:08 and as a worse effect upon the minds of sinners 48:12 then if you made no profession of being a Sabbath keeper. 48:15 They perceive that your life contradicts your belief 48:18 and lose faith in Christianity. 48:21 The Lord means what He says." 48:25 That's Four Testimonies, 248. 48:27 On page 249, she wrote, 48:29 "It is as ruthless a violation of the law 48:32 to occasionally use the Sabbath for secular business 48:36 as to entirely reject it, 48:38 for it is making the Lord's Commandment 48:40 a matter of convenience." 48:43 On page 250, we find this statement, 48:46 "Many excuse themselves for violating the Sabbath 48:49 by referring to your example." 48:51 She's writing to a certain individual. 48:53 "They argue that it's so good a man 48:55 who believes the seventh day as the Sabbath 48:57 can engage in worldly employments 49:01 on that day 49:02 when circumstances seem to require it." 49:04 We were talking about this yesterday, right? 49:07 "Surely, they can do the same without condemnation. 49:11 Many souls will face you in the judgment," 49:13 she's writing to a specific individual, 49:15 "making your influence an excuse 49:18 for their disobedience of God's law. 49:21 Although this will be no apology for their sin, 49:24 yet it will tell fearfully against you." 49:28 Then she also wrote about 49:30 guarding the edges of the Sabbath. 49:31 Six Testimonies, 356, 49:34 "We should jealously guard the edges of the Sabbath. 49:38 Remember that every moment is consecrated." 49:41 How much? 49:43 Every moment is consecrated holy time. 49:45 "Whenever it is possible, employers 49:48 should give their workers the hours from Friday noon 49:51 until the beginning of the Sabbath." 49:53 We do that at Secrets Unsealed. 49:56 We give everybody off at noon 49:58 and we don't work on Friday afternoon 50:01 because it's preparation day. 50:03 "Give them time for preparation 50:05 that they may welcome the Lord's Day 50:08 with quietness of mind by such a course 50:11 you will suffer no loss 50:14 even in temporal things." 50:18 Powerful statements, aren't they? 50:20 That's a promise. 50:22 Does Satan hate the Sabbath? 50:23 Yes. 50:26 Why would he hate the Sabbath? 50:28 Well, let's go to Isaiah 14:14. 50:31 This is when he is in heaven. 50:34 What great aspirations did Lucifer have in heaven 50:37 that led to his downfall? 50:39 He said what? 50:41 "I will ascend 50:42 above the heights of the clouds, 50:45 I will be like the Most High." 50:47 What did Satan want to be? 50:49 He wanted to be God. 50:52 So couldn't he keep the Sabbath and still claimed to be God? 50:55 No, because the Sabbath points out the true God. 50:59 So if Satan kept the Sabbath, then Satan will be saying 51:03 that the Lord is the true God. 51:06 So Satan had to adopt what? 51:09 His own day 51:11 so that he could claim to be God. 51:13 Notice, let's read the note. 51:15 "There can be no doubt that Satan hates the Sabbath 51:19 because it reveals what? 51:21 The absolute distinction between the Creator 51:24 and the creature. 51:26 At the beginning, 51:27 Lucifer later called Satan wanted to be God, 51:31 which is a preposterous idea for a mere creature. 51:34 Satan's hatred for the Sabbath stems 51:37 from the fact that it identifies 51:39 the true Creator, 51:41 whose position he wanted to usurp. 51:44 We can discern Satan's hatred for the Sabbath 51:46 by the way he led Israel to persistently violated 51:49 in the Old Testament, 51:50 by the way in which the religious leaders 51:52 of Christ they distorted its meaning, 51:55 and by the way Christians distain 51:57 and attack it today." 52:00 All you have to do to see 52:01 how much Satan hates the Sabbath 52:03 is look at the history of the Sabbath, 52:05 and how Satan has led people either to distort the Sabbath 52:10 or to idolize the Sabbath. 52:13 Now, let's talk about 52:14 the genuine and the counterfeit. 52:17 Which genuine day of worship 52:19 did God create at the beginning? 52:22 Well, let's read a text that we already know. 52:26 We've read many, many times 52:28 so we can probably repeat from memory. 52:30 "Then God blessed the seventh day 52:32 and sanctified it, 52:34 because in it He rested from all His work 52:38 which God had created and made." 52:41 Now do you suppose that if God has the Sabbath 52:45 as His sign as a true God, 52:48 and as the Creator, 52:50 if Satan wants to occupy the position of God, 52:54 can he keep the same day? 52:56 No, because the Sabbath points to the true God. 52:58 So must the devil adopt another day, 53:01 which is his creation to exalt him as God? 53:05 Absolutely. Let's read the note. 53:07 "Satan has a counterfeit for each one of God's truths. 53:12 It is important to remember 53:14 that the counterfeit in most cases..." 53:16 Not always because Satan sometimes preempts, 53:19 when he knows what's going to happen, 53:20 he preempts it. 53:21 For example, did Satan know that 53:24 there's going to be a great revival 53:25 right around the corner among God's people? 53:28 Yeah, Ellen White says that before that happens, 53:30 Satan is going to introduce a counterfeit, 53:33 but the counterfeit always has reference to the genuine. 53:36 But generally, the counterfeit comes 53:39 after the genuine to counterfeit the genuine. 53:43 So now notice, it is important to remember 53:46 that the counterfeit in most cases comes 53:48 after the genuine in time. 53:50 And the counterfeit deceives because it is so what? 53:54 So similar to the genuine. 53:57 Is Sunday a day? 53:59 Does it have 24 hours? 54:02 Do you get up and go to sleep on that day? 54:04 Does the sun rise and set on that day? 54:07 Yeah. 54:08 Do people purport that keeping that day honors God? 54:12 Yeah, perfect counterfeit. 54:16 God's genuine day of worship at the very beginning 54:19 was the seventh day Sabbath. 54:21 Would we then expect a counterfeit day of worship 54:25 later on in history? 54:27 Would it be a day that purportedly honors God? 54:31 Yes, to both questions. 54:34 However, in order to be deceptive, 54:36 it would have to be a day that supposedly honors God. 54:40 Which day of worship 54:43 has the Christian world embraced 54:46 that seemingly honors God but really does not? 54:51 The answer is unmistakable, Sunday. 54:56 Thought question, 54:57 this is our last point in this first session. 55:00 Is the Sabbath really better than any other day? 55:04 What is the true issue involved in keeping the exact day 55:09 that God has specified? 55:12 Let's read the note. 55:15 "The Sabbath is not better than any other day per se. 55:19 The central issue 55:20 in the Sabbath Sunday controversy 55:23 is not whether one day is better than the other. 55:27 The central issue is whose authority do we obey? 55:32 By keeping the Sabbath 55:34 we are recognizing the authority 55:37 of the one who established it. 55:40 On the other hand, by keeping Sunday 55:42 we are recognizing many people perhaps inadvertently, 55:48 we are recognizing the authority of the power 55:52 that made it a day of worship." 55:55 And what power is that, 55:57 that made Sunday the day of worship? 56:00 The Roman Catholic papacy, the little horn or the beast. 56:05 Daniel 7:25, speaking about this little horn 56:09 that spoke blasphemies against the Most High 56:12 and that persecuted the saints of the Most High 56:15 and ruled for time, 56:17 times and the dividing of time. 56:19 We're also told that this little horn 56:22 thought that it could change God's law. 56:26 Which day does the papacy say that we're supposed to keep? 56:30 We're supposed to keep Sunday. 56:32 But when we keep Sunday, 56:34 we are honoring the power that claims 56:36 to have changed the day. 56:38 Let me ask you, what would the papacy have to be 56:40 in order to change God's law? 56:42 It would have to be God 56:44 because only God can change His law. 56:46 That's why 2 Thessalonians Chapter 2 says 56:49 that the man of sin, 56:51 which is another way of describing the little horn, 56:54 or the beast, or the harlot. 56:56 The man of sin sits in the temple of God, 57:00 claiming to be what? 57:02 Claiming to be God. 57:04 Only God could change His law and of course, 57:07 God isn't going to change His law. 57:09 So and the papacy says, 57:10 "We changed the Sabbath to Sunday." 57:13 It is claiming to exercise the power 57:16 and prerogative of God. 57:18 It is usurping the position of God. 57:21 And who is behind it all? 57:23 The one who said, 57:25 "I will be like the Most High." 57:29 So, folks, the issue of Sabbath and Sunday 57:32 is an issue of authority. 57:35 If Adam and Eve respected God's tree, 57:38 they would be respecting His authority. 57:41 Human beings at the end of time, 57:42 who respect God's day are respecting God's authority. 57:47 We cannot substitute anything in place 57:49 of what God has said that we should do. 57:53 We need to strictly obey what He has told us to do. 57:58 And we'll always come out well 58:00 if we do what God instructs us and commands us to do. |
Revised 2022-01-13