Participants:
Series Code: ARSS
Program Code: ARSS190023S
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00:16 So we left off at page 389.
00:19 At the top of the page, 00:21 we were talking about 00:22 the genuine and the counterfeit. 00:24 Let me just give you an illustration of this 00:28 so that we can understand 00:29 how the genuine and the counterfeit 00:30 relate to each other. 00:33 I had the privilege of teaching theology in Colombia 00:37 for six years in a university there. 00:39 One day, I went downtown to a department store 00:43 to purchase some things. 00:45 And when I went to the cash register, 00:48 the cashier took the 10,000 peso bill that I gave her. 00:52 And she wrinkled it in her hand, 00:55 and she lifted it up to look at it in the light. 00:59 And she had a backlight there, she put it under there. 01:04 And she immediately pointed to a policeman that was there 01:08 and asked the policeman to come over 01:09 because it was a counterfeit bill. 01:12 And so, you know, down there, 01:14 you're guilty until proven innocent. 01:17 And here, it's innocent until proven guilty, 01:20 supposedly. 01:22 But anyway, that policeman came, 01:24 another policeman joined him, 01:25 and they took me to a back room. 01:27 And they started interrogating me, 01:30 asking me where I have the equipment 01:33 to counterfeit bills. 01:34 And I told him, Hey, I'm not a counterfeiter, 01:36 I said, I don't look at every bill that I pay with. 01:39 And it was getting kind of serious. 01:41 And one of the policemen then asked me, 01:43 he says, "Who are you? 01:45 Where do you work?" 01:47 I said, "Well, you know, I am a teacher of theology 01:51 at Instituto Colombo Venezolano, 01:54 the name of the university. 01:56 And immediately the expression on the face 01:58 of that policeman changed to the better. 02:03 He says, "Oh, you teach at the school. 02:05 That's a good school. 02:06 People, they're good." 02:08 And I said, "Oh, praise the Lord that He likes." 02:11 But he likes our school, you know. 02:13 And so then he says, 02:15 there's no one who would be a counterfeit from that school. 02:18 So he says, I'm going to show you 02:20 how to distinguish 02:21 a counterfeit bill from a genuine one. 02:23 So I went to the cash register, 02:25 he got the counterfeit 10,000 peso bill, 02:27 and then he took a genuine 10,000 peso bill. 02:31 And first of all, he took the genuine bill, 02:33 and he put it in the light. 02:35 He said, "Do you see a brown line 02:36 running through the bill?" 02:38 And I looked and said, "Yeah, yeah." 02:40 Says, "Do you see the face 02:41 that is visible only in the light, 02:43 the face of the hero of the country?" 02:47 And I looked, and I said, "Yeah, it's nice and clear, 02:50 the face is nice and clear." 02:52 Then he took the bill, and he wrinkled it, 02:55 and it was made kind of a paper 02:56 that would kind of open like a flower after he wrinkled it. 02:59 Then he put it under the black light. 03:02 And the two and the two circles 03:05 that were on the bill shown in neon colors. 03:09 So he says that proves that that's a genuine bill. 03:12 Now he says, "I'm going to show you 03:13 what the counterfeit is like, 03:14 it looked pretty much like the genuine. 03:16 He took the counterfeit bill. 03:19 And he put it in the light. 03:20 He says, "Do you see any brown line?" 03:23 I said, "No, there's no brown line." 03:25 He said, "Do you see the circle? 03:27 The face is kind of blurry." 03:29 "Yeah, it is blurry." 03:32 And so then he took the bill and he wrinkled it. 03:36 And it stayed wrinkled. 03:38 He said, "See, it's made of a different kind of paper." 03:41 And he put it under the black light. 03:44 And there was no neon shine. 03:47 So he says now you know how to distinguish 03:50 a genuine 10,000 peso bill from a counterfeit one. 03:55 Let me ask you, 03:56 how can we detect a counterfeit? 03:59 By knowing the genuine. 04:03 So what is God's genuine day of worship? 04:06 The Sabbath. 04:08 So are we able to detect what the counterfeit would be? 04:12 Well, there's only one other day of worship 04:14 that Christians claim to keep and what day is that? 04:18 The Sunday and you know, 04:20 after that when I paid with a 10,000 peso bill, 04:24 and the cashier would return a large bill to me, 04:27 I would take it, I will look at it, you know. 04:29 And one day, the lady at the cash register says, 04:33 "Well, don't you trust me?" 04:34 I said, "Yes, I trust you as much as you trust me." 04:37 In other words, 04:39 she had a right to look in the light 04:40 so I have a right to look in the light as well. 04:43 I was very captivated by your illustration 04:45 about the Cordy. 04:47 You know, I was going to tell a story about that. 04:49 And I think I'll just go ahead and tell it. 04:51 My wife and I met in Medellin, Colombia 04:55 when I was going to school, 04:57 and at that time, the school was very segregated, 05:01 not in terms of race, but in terms of gender. 05:04 The girls had one side of campus 05:06 and the boys had the other side of the campus, 05:08 like in, you know, countries outside the US, 05:11 very conservative. 05:12 When we came to church, the boys were on one side, 05:15 and the girls were on the other side. 05:17 And there was one side of campus 05:18 that belonged to the boys and one side of the campus 05:20 that belong to the girls, 05:22 and woe to the boy that crossed the line, 05:23 or the girl that crossed the line. 05:26 But for those who officialized their relationship, 05:30 in other words, they were going steady. 05:33 And with the permission, 05:34 of course, of the parents of both, 05:36 there was a special privilege, it was known as the curtain, 05:41 la cortina in Spanish, 05:43 because you could go to the home 05:45 of a faculty member. 05:46 And for a couple of hours, 05:47 you could spend two hours with your boyfriend 05:50 or your girlfriend there behind the curtain, 05:54 you know, but, of course, I'm sure 05:56 that they were checking now and then. 05:58 But, you know, you could spend two whole hours 06:02 every couple of weeks, 06:03 where at other times, 06:06 you know, you couldn't cross the line. 06:09 And we had the privilege not only participating 06:13 in that curtain practice, 06:16 but we also, I taught there, 06:18 so we had students come to our house. 06:20 So we saw both sides of the fence. 06:24 Now, I can assure you something very clearly, 06:27 and that is that we were always on time. 06:32 In fact, we were not always on time, 06:34 we always got there early. 06:36 We guarded the edges in other words. 06:42 And during the time that we were together, 06:45 you know, I wasn't thinking about, man, 06:47 I could be playing soccer right now, 06:49 I could be playing softball or baseball, 06:52 I could be doing something else. 06:53 No, the focus was on one another. 06:58 You know, sometimes I would take a gift. 07:02 Like we bring gifts to church on the Lord Sabbath. 07:06 And when the period was coming to an end, 07:09 we'd say, "Oh, good." 07:11 Are we glad that this is, oh, no, not just kidding? 07:13 Said "Oh, too bad time is up." 07:17 And we would kind of stand there at the door, 07:20 you know, with the faculty there 07:21 and kind of talking to see 07:22 we could steal a few extra moments. 07:25 There was no looking at the church bulletin to see 07:27 what hour is sundown, 07:29 so we could get about our business. 07:33 While I was teaching there was one student, 07:37 a couple that would come to our house. 07:39 And the girl one day, it was the date 07:43 when they were supposed to meet. 07:46 She came and she was crying. 07:47 I mean, she had tears rolling down her face. 07:51 I said, "What's wrong?" 07:52 She says, "Pastor, today was the day 07:55 that my boyfriend and I 07:56 were supposed to meet together here for our date. 08:02 And he preferred to go play soccer. 08:06 What should I do?" 08:08 I said, "Get rid of him. 08:11 Because if he does that now, 08:13 it's gonna be a lot worse if you get married." 08:17 So let me ask you, 08:18 do you suppose that I consider it a huge sacrifice? 08:22 You know, every two weeks, oh, 08:23 I gotta go to this appointment with my girlfriend. 08:26 What a bummer. 08:28 Oh, I just wish that the time 08:30 or the time would just come to an end. 08:32 This is torture. 08:34 No. 08:36 We enjoyed the time together. 08:38 Why? 08:40 Because there was love. 08:41 And so it is with the Sabbath. 08:44 You know, we want to start the Sabbath early to see 08:47 if we can steal a few extra moments. 08:50 And at the end, we don't want the Sabbath to end. 08:53 And our conversation has to do not with other things 08:56 that we would rather do. 08:57 Our conversation has to do 08:58 with our relationship with Christ. 09:01 So the Sabbath is about our relationship with Christ. 09:04 That's what it's about. 09:06 It's not about rules and regulations. 09:08 The reason why we suspend all of our things 09:11 is so that we can concentrate 09:13 on our love relationship with Jesus Christ. 09:17 Now, let's go to the bottom of page 389. 09:22 The penalty. 09:24 What was the penalty for violating the Sabbath? 09:28 Well, Exodus 31:15, says, 09:30 "Work shall be done for six days, 09:33 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of rest, 09:36 holy to the Lord. 09:38 Whoever does any work on the Sabbath, 09:40 he shall surely be put to death." 09:46 Wow. 09:48 Is that true of Adam and Eve if they ate from the tree? 09:52 Let's go to the note. 09:54 At the beginning Satan seem to say to Eve, 09:58 "Do you really think 09:59 that God would pronounce the death penalty 10:01 just for eating a piece of fruit?" 10:04 Come on, be real. 10:06 If God threatened to kill Moses for not circumcising his son, 10:10 how serious would He consider breaking the Sabbath? 10:14 Would God be any less particular 10:17 if people considered the observance 10:19 of the Sabbath optional? 10:21 Some people argue that 10:22 because we do not execute those who break the Sabbath today, 10:26 the Sabbath is no longer binding upon Christians. 10:30 However, this logic ignores that the fact that adulterers 10:33 in the Old Testament suffered execution as well. 10:36 Is adultery all right today 10:39 because we do not execute people for it? 10:41 The fact is, that knowingly trampling upon the Sabbath 10:45 does not presently lead to death. 10:48 But willfully trampling upon it 10:51 will eventually lead to second death 10:54 at the end of time. 10:56 Now, you're probably wondering, 10:58 you know, where did Pastor Bohr get this idea of comparing 11:01 of what happened with Adam and Eve and the tree 11:04 then being able to eat 11:05 from all the trees except for one, 11:07 and that we're able to use all four days for ourselves, 11:10 except for what, all seven, or six days for ourselves, 11:13 except for one? 11:14 Where did I come up with this idea? 11:16 Well, it's in the Spirit of Prophecy. 11:19 Notice this next statement, Our High Calling, 343, 11:23 "As the tree of knowledge 11:26 was placed in the midst of the Garden of Eden." 11:31 And this, you can find this genie 11:33 is another evidence from the Spirit of Prophecy. 11:36 As the tree of knowledge was placed 11:38 in the midst of the Garden of Eden, 11:40 so the Sabbath command is placed in the midst 11:43 of the Decalogue. 11:46 In regard to the fruit of the tree of knowledge, 11:48 the restriction was made, 'You shall not eat of it, 11:52 lest you die.' 11:53 Of the Sabbath, God said, 11:55 'Ye shall not defile it, but keep it holy. 11:58 Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. 12:00 As the tree of knowledge was to test Adam's obedience, 12:04 so the fourth commandment is the test 12:07 that God has given to prove the loyalty of His people.'" 12:12 So there you have a parallel, 12:14 Ellen White draws the parallel between the two. 12:20 Now some people say the Sabbath is for the Jews. 12:24 Well, that's not totally, not totally false. 12:30 Is the Sabbath for us? 12:32 Are we Jews? 12:36 We're spiritual Jews. 12:38 So if we're spiritual Jews, is the Sabbath for us? 12:41 Yes. 12:42 Galatians 3:29 says, "And if you are Christ's, 12:46 then you are Abraham's seed, 12:48 and heirs according to the promise." 12:51 So if we're spiritual Israel, 12:53 we will keep the Sabbath that God gave to Israel. 12:57 Now, let's talk about the final test. 13:00 What were the two issues in the story of Daniel 3? 13:06 And you have a hint 13:08 that is subtle as a freight train. 13:11 Notice the number of times the word worship 13:15 appears in this chapter. 13:17 Is God's law also involved in this story? 13:22 And which of the two tables of the law 13:24 do you think was especially at stake? 13:30 Let's dwell on it for a moment. 13:33 What is the issue in Daniel 3? 13:35 Worship. 13:37 By the way, the Book of Revelation 13:39 draws on the story of Daniel 3. 13:42 Because in Daniel 3 you have Nebuchadnezzar, 13:47 who for a while lived as a beast. 13:50 He raises up an image, 13:52 commands everyone to worship the image. 13:56 And if they don't, they are going to be killed. 13:58 Does that sound familiar? 14:00 And the kingdom is Babylon. 14:03 In Revelation, do we also have an end time Babylon? 14:07 Yes. 14:08 Is the beast going to raise up an image? 14:11 Yes. 14:12 Is the beast going to command everyone to worship the image? 14:16 Yes, and whoever does not worship 14:18 the image will be killed. 14:20 Only in Revelation we're dealing with symbols, 14:22 in the story of Daniel we're dealing with the literal, 14:26 literal Babylon, spiritual Babylon, 14:28 literal image, spiritual image. 14:31 Literal Nebuchadnezzar behaved as a beast for a while, 14:34 spiritual beast, or symbolic beast. 14:39 So basically, Daniel Chapter 3 is about worship. 14:43 Will you worship the true God or will you worship the image 14:47 that Nebuchadnezzar has raised up? 14:49 Now does it also have to do 14:51 with keeping God's commandments? 14:53 Of course, 14:55 which commandments particularly? 14:57 The first four. 14:59 You shall have no other gods before Me. 15:03 Don't bow before idols. 15:06 Right? 15:08 The fourth commandment, respect the Creator, 15:11 there's only one true Creator, and the Sabbath is His sign. 15:15 So in other words, the issue is worship. 15:18 And the issue is also 15:21 the observance of God's commandments. 15:25 Now, what will be the great issue 15:27 in the final conflict on earth? 15:30 Revelation 13:15, 15:33 "He was granted power to give breath 15:35 to the image of the beast, 15:37 that the image of the beast should both speak and cause 15:39 as many as would not," what? 15:42 "Worship the image of the beast to be," what? 15:46 "To be killed." 15:49 So what is the issue in the end time conflict? 15:52 Worship. 15:54 Are the commandments also involved? 15:57 Notice Revelation 14:12, 16:00 "Here is the patience of the saints, 16:02 here are they that," what? 16:05 "Keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus." 16:08 Is Satan going to be enraged against God's people 16:11 who keep the commandments, 16:13 just like Nebuchadnezzar was enraged, 16:15 that these young men would not disobey 16:16 the commandments of God, 16:18 and would not practice false worship? 16:20 Absolutely. 16:21 Revelation 12:17, 16:23 "And the dragon was enraged with the woman, 16:26 and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, 16:30 who keep the commandments of God, 16:33 and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." 16:38 Now, the seal of God is received only where? 16:43 The seal of God is received only in the forehead, 16:47 or on the forehead. 16:49 Which means that if it's on the forehead 16:52 or in the forehead, it means 16:54 that you serve God out of conviction. 16:59 In the Bible, the hand represents what? 17:04 Work. 17:05 Represents work 17:08 according to the Book of Ecclesiastes. 17:10 At the end of time, 17:12 there's going to be two kinds of people 17:14 that receive the mark of the beast, 17:16 but only one kind of person that receives a seal of God. 17:20 Notice Revelation 13:16, 17:23 speaking about those who are lost, 17:25 "He causes all, both small and great, 17:27 rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark 17:30 on their right hand or on their foreheads." 17:36 So the wicked, 17:38 they're willing to receive the mark on the forehead 17:40 or where? 17:42 On the right hand. 17:45 Now what was placed upon the foreheads 17:47 and hands of Israel in the Old Testament? 17:50 Deuteronomy 6:6-8, "And these words 17:53 which I command you today shall be in your heart. 17:56 You shall teach them diligently to your children, 17:58 and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, 18:01 when you walk by the way, 18:03 when you lie down, when you rise up. 18:05 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, 18:08 and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 18:11 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house 18:14 and on your gates." 18:15 What does it mean to have 18:16 the Ten Commandments written on our forehead? 18:21 That's where your frontal lobe is. 18:23 It means that we serve God with all of our mind. 18:27 We serve Him by conviction, if you please. 18:32 Does that also affect what we do? 18:35 Our actions. 18:37 See, the hand has to do 18:39 with the actions that we perform. 18:41 Yes, it also affects our actions. 18:44 Now what did, where did God promised 18:46 to write His law? 18:48 Hebrew 8:10, 18:50 "For this is the covenant 18:52 that I will make with the house of Israel 18:53 after those days, says the Lord: 18:56 I will put my laws in their," what? 18:59 "In their mind and write them on their hearts, 19:03 and I will be their God, 19:05 and they shall be My people." 19:10 What will God's people receive 19:12 in contrast to the mark of the beast? 19:15 The seal of God, 19:16 and where will the seal of God be placed? 19:19 On the forehead. 19:20 And what is it that is written in the mind or on the forehead? 19:24 God's what? 19:26 God's law. 19:28 So we find that the seal of God 19:30 is related to His law specifically. 19:34 Which commandment does the first angel's message 19:36 draw our attention to? 19:38 We're not going to read the verses Revelation 14:6-7. 19:42 It draws our attention to the what? 19:45 To the Creator. 19:48 Is the first angel's message a message to the whole world, 19:51 every nation, kindred, tongue and people? 19:53 Absolutely. 19:54 The whole world is invited, 19:56 not only invited but commanded to worship the Creator. 20:01 What does the third message warn people not to do? 20:06 It warns people not to worship the beast or receive his mark. 20:10 They are opposites in other words. 20:13 The seal of God is the exact opposite 20:17 of the mark of the beast. 20:20 Now, does the Sabbath commandment 20:22 have anything to do with worship 20:24 and with creation? 20:26 Absolutely. 20:27 Isaiah 66:22-23, 20:31 "For as the new heavens and the new earth 20:33 which I will make shall remain before me, 20:35 says the Lord, 20:37 so shall your seed and your name remain. 20:40 And it shall come to pass 20:41 that from one new moon to another, 20:43 that is from one month to another, 20:45 and from one Sabbath to another," all the Jews. 20:51 That's not what it says, "All flesh shall," what? 20:57 "Come to worship before Me, saith the Lord." 21:02 Why do we worship God? 21:04 Because He's the Creator? 21:06 What is the sign of the Creator? 21:08 The Sabbath. 21:10 Most of the world at the end is going to worship whom? 21:14 The beast, because he claims to occupy the position of who? 21:18 Of God. 21:20 Does he also have a sign? 21:21 Sunday. 21:23 It's that simple. 21:26 And you say, you mean to say 21:27 God is going to test people over a day? 21:28 Well, he tested Adam and Eve over a tree. 21:33 So what's the issue? 21:35 God uses external things to test His people. 21:39 Did He test Israel when He told them 21:40 not to take anything from Jericho? 21:44 Did He test Ananias and Sapphira with money 21:46 that they had in their pockets? 21:48 Yes. 21:50 Because when we are faithful in the external, 21:53 it's a sign that we internally are loyal to the Lord. 21:58 And that's what we were studying 21:59 in our last presentation last evening, 22:02 is the fact that Sabbath observance, 22:05 external Sabbath observance is a sign 22:08 of an internal experience 22:10 that the Holy Spirit is placed in our hearts. 22:13 So if we have the Holy Spirit, and we love the Lord, 22:16 it will be a pleasure to observe His holy Sabbath. 22:20 Let's read now some statements on pages 394 and 395, 22:26 on the importance of this issue. 22:29 And now we're going to talk about 22:30 our church Seventh-day Adventist. 22:31 There's a tendency these days to want to change the names 22:35 of some of our churches, 22:37 Adventist community church, Adventist fellowship, 22:43 and some even take away the word Adventist. 22:47 Did Ellen White foresee this, 22:49 and does she have something to say about it? 22:52 Evangelism 233, 22:55 instead of the people of God becoming less and less 22:58 definitely distinguished from those 23:00 who do not keep the seventh day Sabbath, 23:03 there to make the observance of the Sabbath so prominent 23:08 that the world cannot fail to recognize them 23:11 as Seventh-day Adventists. 23:15 Volume 2 of Selected Messages, 385. 23:18 There is to be no compromise 23:22 with those who are worshiping an idol Sabbath. 23:25 We'll come to that in a few moments again. 23:28 We are not to spend our time in controversy 23:30 with those who know the truth 23:32 and upon whom the light of truth has been shining, 23:35 when they turn away their ear from the truth 23:38 to turn to fables. 23:39 That's why I don't think that we should debate with people 23:41 who don't want to accept and obey the Sabbath. 23:45 It's a waste of time. 23:47 And all it does is give fodder to others 23:51 to take sides and to be critical. 23:55 I was told that men will employ every policy. 23:59 Wow, this is amazing. 24:02 I was told that men will employ 24:03 every policy to make less prominent 24:07 the difference between the faith 24:08 of Seventh-day Adventist 24:10 and those who observe the first day of the week. 24:13 Is that happening? 24:14 As I speak, you better believe it. 24:17 The whole world will be involved in this controversy. 24:22 And the time is short. 24:24 This is no time to hold down our colors. 24:30 Second Messages, volume 2, page 385 24:32 we find this remarkable statement. 24:34 A company was presented before me 24:37 under the name of Seventh-day Adventist. 24:39 These are Adventists, folks, Seventh-day Adventists, 24:42 who were advising that the banner or sign 24:45 which makes us a distinctive people 24:48 should not be held out so strikingly. 24:51 For they claimed it was not the best policy 24:55 in securing success to our institutions. 24:59 The distinctive banner is to be born 25:02 through the world to the close of probation. 25:05 In describing the remnant people of God John says, 25:08 here is the patience of the saints, 25:09 here are they that keep the commandments of God 25:11 and the faith of Jesus. 25:13 This is the law in the gospel. 25:16 The world and the churches are uniting in harmony 25:18 in transgressing the law of God, 25:20 in tearing down, tearing away God's memorial, 25:24 and in exalting a Sabbath that bears the signature 25:27 of the man of sin. 25:29 However, the Sabbath of the Lord thy God 25:32 is to be a sign to show the difference 25:36 between the obedient and the disobedient. 25:38 I saw some reaching out their hands, 25:41 to remove the banner and to obscure its significance 25:45 that's within the church. 25:49 One final statement, 25:51 volume 2 of Selected Messages, page 386. 25:55 Our people have been regarded as too insignificant 25:58 to be worthy of notice, 26:01 but a change will come. 26:03 The movements are now being made. 26:06 The Christian world is now making movements 26:09 that will necessarily bring 26:11 the commandment keeping people to notice. 26:15 There is a daily suppression of God's truth 26:17 for the theories and false doctrines 26:19 of human origin. 26:21 There are plans and movements been set on foot 26:25 to enslave the consciences 26:27 of those who would be loyal to God. 26:30 The law making powers will be against God's people. 26:34 Every soul will be tested. 26:37 All that we would, 26:38 as a people be wise for ourselves, 26:41 and by precept an example, 26:43 impart that wisdom to our children. 26:46 Every position of our faith will be searched into. 26:50 And if we are not thorough Bible students, 26:55 established, strengthened, settled, 26:59 the wisdom of the world's great men 27:02 will be too much for us. 27:08 Now is the time 27:10 that we need to be intensely studying the Bible, 27:15 and discovering all of the reasons 27:17 for our faith because someday, 27:19 Ellen White explains that we will have to appear 27:21 before rulers, governors, 27:25 presidents to give a reason for our faith. 27:29 And so we must know our faith well. 27:33 We must be able to argue why our positions are correct 27:37 and true and biblical. 27:39 Or else as Ellen White says here, 27:41 the wisdoms of the world's great men 27:46 will be too much for us. 27:48 We will not be able to persuade them. 27:51 And by the way, 27:52 you know, the Seventh-day Adventist Church 27:55 publishes the journal Liberty. 27:59 Some people say, "Why do we publish Liberty? 28:01 Or why do we even fight for religious liberty? 28:03 Let the end come." 28:05 You know, let's not try to stop it. 28:08 Let's not try to slow it down. 28:11 Why do we have Liberty magazine? 28:12 Why do we emphasize religious liberty? 28:15 Because we believe 28:16 that many of the individuals that are in government, 28:20 eventually will come over to the Lord side, 28:23 because we share the message of religious liberty with them. 28:27 So it's a method of reaching the thinkers out there. 28:31 So they will see the issues, 28:33 and they'll come over to the right side. 28:34 And by the way, we might be thankful someday 28:37 that some of these individuals read the articles 28:39 in Liberty magazine, 28:41 because they will favor us 28:43 when we come before kings and rulers. 28:45 So it is a blessing 28:47 to have the Seventh-day Adventist Church 28:50 struggle for religious liberty 28:52 and take up religious liberty issues. 28:55 Okay, let's go to page 397. 28:57 We have just a little less than half an hour 29:00 to deal with the idol Sabbath. 29:02 Ellen White repeatedly referred to Sunday as the idol Sabbath. 29:08 It's a very interesting way of referring 29:10 to the counterfeit day of worship. 29:12 Now let's read the verses that we have here 29:14 at the beginning of this chapter. 29:16 First of all, Deuteronomy Chapter 7, 29:19 Deuteronomy Chapter 7, 29:21 and we'll read verses 25 through 27. 29:25 Deuteronomy 7:25-27. 29:29 God is telling Israel what they need to do 29:33 when they enter the Promised Land. 29:37 Actually, it's only verses 25 and 26. 29:39 "You shall burn the carved images 29:42 of their gods with fire, 29:45 you shall not covet the silver or gold that is on them, 29:49 nor take it for yourselves, 29:52 lest you be snared by it, for it is..." 29:56 Now we will come to a keyword 29:57 that we're going to come to in a few moments. 29:59 It is what? 30:01 "An abomination to the Lord your God. 30:04 Nor shall you bring 30:06 an abomination into your house." 30:07 that's speaking about idols, 30:09 "lest you be doomed to destruction like it. 30:12 You shall utterly detest it, and utterly abhor it, 30:17 for it is an accursed thing." 30:19 What a way to describe idols. 30:22 Notice also 1 Kings Chapter 15, 30:26 Chapter 11, excuse me, verses 5 through 7. 30:29 1 Kings 30:31 11:5-7. 30:36 Once again we find the idea 30:38 that idols are an abomination to the Lord. 30:42 Here we find the following words 11:5-7, 30:46 it's talking about Solomon. 30:49 "For Solomon went after Ashtoreth, 30:52 the goddess of the Sidonians, 30:55 and after Milcom the abomination 30:59 of the Ammonites. 31:00 Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, 31:03 and did not fully follow the Lord, 31:05 as did his father David. 31:08 Then Solomon built a high place 31:10 for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, 31:14 on the hill that is east of Jerusalem, 31:17 and for Molech the abomination of the people of Ammon." 31:23 So what is idolatry called? 31:26 It is called an abomination. 31:30 Now, why is that important? 31:32 We need to go to Ezekiel Chapter 8 31:35 to understand the reason why. 31:37 Ezekiel Chapter 8. 31:40 Ezekiel is that big book, 31:42 right before the Book of Daniel. 31:45 So let's go to Ezekiel Chapter 8, 31:48 which is known as the abominations chapter. 31:52 Because in this chapter God shows 31:55 Ezekiel an abomination that's being committed 31:58 among those who profess to be God's people. 32:00 This is not the Philistines, or the Egyptians, 32:02 or the Babylonians, 32:03 or the Assyrians that are doing this. 32:05 These are God's professed people, 32:07 and the leaders of God's people, 32:09 the ones that are practicing these things. 32:12 It's called the abominations chapter 32:14 because God shows Ezekiel an abomination 32:16 that God's professed people are committing, 32:19 and Ezekiel thinks, wow, that's pretty bad. 32:23 And God says, "You haven't seen anything yet. 32:26 I'm going to show you a worse abomination than this." 32:30 And so then God shows Ezekiel another abomination. 32:34 And Ezekiel thinks this is terrible. 32:36 And God says, "You haven't seen anything yet. 32:38 I'll show you a greater abomination 32:40 than this." 32:42 The final and greatest abomination 32:46 on the list is found in Ezekiel 32:48 8:16-17. 32:54 Ezekiel 8:16-17. 33:00 And actually, we'll read 33:01 all the way through verse 18. 33:06 Notice it says in verse 16. 33:11 "So He brought me into the inner court 33:14 of the Lord's house." 33:15 So this talking about something that's happening where? 33:19 In the temple, that's right. 33:21 "And there, at the door of the temple of the Lord, 33:25 between the porch and the altar, 33:28 were about twenty-five men 33:31 with their backs toward the temple of the Lord." 33:36 How was Israel supposed to pray? 33:40 Toward the temple. 33:42 Where was the door to the sanctuary? 33:45 It was on the east side, 33:46 which means that if you're worshiping 33:48 towards the sanctuary, 33:50 what is to your back? 33:52 The sun is to your back. 33:54 God did that purposely 33:55 because all of the ancient nations worship 33:57 with their faces to the east. 33:59 But God said, "No, 34:01 you're going to worship with your face to the west, 34:03 so that the sun is at your back." 34:07 So it says here, 34:08 "Then their faces toward the east, 34:11 and they were worshiping the sun toward the east." 34:16 And God's own temple 34:18 taught religious leaders. 34:22 Verse 17, "And he said to me, 34:25 'Have you seen this, O son of man? 34:29 Is it a trivial thing to the house of Judah 34:31 to commit the...'" 34:33 What was this called? 34:35 "The abominations which they commit here. 34:38 For they have filled the land with violence, 34:41 then they have returned to provoke Me to anger. 34:43 Indeed they put the branch to their nose." 34:48 And now God is going to say what the result is going to be. 34:53 "Therefore I also will act in fury. 34:57 My eye will not spare nor will have I pity, 35:01 and though they cry in My ears with a loud voice, 35:04 I will not hear them." 35:08 Wow. 35:10 Was everybody in the city committing these abominations? 35:16 Was every person in the city committing these abominations? 35:21 No, not everybody was. 35:24 So God is saying, because of these abominations, 35:26 the greatest of which is worshiping the sun, 35:30 I am going to punish Israel, I'm not going to have pity, 35:34 they can cry out and I'm not going to hear. 35:37 But in the city, there are some people 35:41 that are not participating in the abominations, 35:44 a small remnant. 35:46 So is it necessary to separate them 35:49 from those who are committing the abominations 35:51 so that when destruction comes, 35:53 they survive? 35:55 Absolutely. 35:57 Chapter 9, 35:59 "Then He called out in my hearing 36:00 with a loud voice, 36:02 saying, 'Let those who have charge over the city draw near, 36:05 each with a deadly weapon in his hand.' 36:09 And suddenly six men 36:12 came from the direction of the upper gate, 36:14 which faces north, 36:16 each with his battle-ax in his hand. 36:19 One man among them was clothed with linen," 36:22 this is Jesus by the way, 36:23 "and had a writer's inkhorn at his side. 36:27 They went in and stood beside the bronze altar." 36:32 This is in the court of the sanctuary. 36:36 "Now the glory of the God of Israel 36:38 had gone up from the cherub, 36:40 where it had been, to the threshold of the temple. 36:43 And He called to the man clothed with linen, 36:47 who had the writer's inkhorn at his side." 36:50 Now there's gonna be a cry. 36:52 "And the Lord said to him, 36:54 'Go through the midst of the city," which city? 36:58 Jerusalem. 37:01 Is that the capital of God's people? 37:04 Yes, this happened among God's people. 37:07 Go through the midst of the city, 37:09 through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark," where? 37:14 "On the forehead? 37:17 Is this similar to Revelation? 37:20 Very similar to Revelation? 37:21 Is this a sign of protection? 37:25 Yes, it is. 37:27 Is a time of trouble coming to Jerusalem here? 37:29 Oh, yeah. 37:31 Is destruction coming? 37:33 Is everybody going to be destroyed? 37:35 No, our group is going to be what? 37:38 Sealed. 37:39 So it continues saying here. 37:42 "Go through the midst of the city, 37:46 through the midst of Jerusalem, 37:47 and put a mark on the foreheads of men 37:52 who sigh and cry over all the abominations 37:56 that are done within." 37:58 Does that mean that they would sigh and cry 38:00 about the abomination of worshiping the sun? 38:03 The greatest of all abominations, 38:06 because it is at the very top of the list? 38:09 Absolutely. 38:10 So what happens after the sealing takes place? 38:13 After the sealing is done, what happens? 38:16 Verse 5, "To the others, He said in my hearing, 38:21 'Go after him through the city, and kill, 38:25 do not let your eye spare, nor have any pity. 38:30 Utterly slay old and young men, 38:34 maidens and little children and women, 38:38 but do not come near anyone on whom is the mark." 38:43 And where do they begin the work of destruction? 38:46 "And begin at My sanctuary. 38:50 So they began with the elders 38:54 who were before the temple." 38:59 So not everybody was practicing the abominations, 39:02 not everyone was worshiping the sun. 39:05 There was a faithful group that were sighing and crying 39:07 because of the idolatry that was taking place, 39:10 and primarily the issue of worshiping the sun. 39:15 And so then, after the sealing takes place, 39:20 Nebuchadnezzar comes to Jerusalem, 39:23 in the year 586. 39:25 And he does exactly 39:26 what it says in verse 6. 39:32 Those in the city who are apostate are destroyed. 39:37 But those who had the sign on their foreheads were spared. 39:43 Now, did the destruction of Jerusalem 39:45 have anything to do 39:47 with keeping the Sabbath or not? 39:51 Go with me to Jeremiah Chapter 17. 39:55 Jeremiah Chapter 17. 40:00 Let's notice something very interesting here 40:03 why Jerusalem was destroyed? 40:06 Well, it's because they were worshiping the sun, 40:08 but it was more serious than that. 40:11 Notice Chapter 17, 40:14 and we will begin reading at verse 24. 40:18 Did the desecration of the Sabbath 40:21 have anything to do 40:22 with the destruction of Jerusalem? 40:24 Absolutely. 40:25 Now, if they were worshiping the sun, 40:27 were they keeping the Sabbath? 40:29 Of course not. 40:30 Notice verse 24. 40:33 Actually verse, yeah, verse 24. 40:36 "And it shall be, 40:37 if you heed Me carefully, says the Lord, 40:40 to bring no burden through the gates of this city 40:43 on the Sabbath day, 40:45 but hallow the Sabbath day," that is sanctify it, 40:48 "to do no work on it, 40:50 then shall enter the gates of this city kings and princes 40:54 sitting on the throne of David, 40:55 riding in chariots and on horses, 40:58 they and their princes, 40:59 accompanied by the men of Judah 41:01 and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, 41:03 and this city shall," what? 41:05 "Remain forever." 41:08 But you have the other side of the coin. 41:11 Notice verse 26. 41:14 "And they shall come from the cities of Judah 41:16 and from the places around Jerusalem, 41:18 from the land of Benjamin, from the lowland, 41:21 from the mountains, from the South, 41:24 bringing burnt offerings and sacrifices, 41:26 grain offerings and incense, 41:28 bringing sacrifices of praise to the house of the Lord." 41:31 That's what's going to happen if the Sabbath is kept, 41:33 the city is going to remain forever. 41:35 But now verse 27 tells us 41:36 what's going to happen if we break the Sabbath. 41:39 "But if you will not heed Me to hallow the Sabbath day, 41:42 such as not carrying a burden 41:43 when entering the gates of Jerusalem 41:45 on the Sabbath day, 41:46 then I will kindle a fire in its gates, 41:49 and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, 41:52 and it shall not be quenched." 41:56 Did Sabbath observance have anything to do 41:58 with the destruction of Jerusalem? 42:00 Absolutely. 42:02 And you'll notice here that Jeremiah lived immediately 42:06 before the Babylonian captivity, 42:10 interestingly enough. 42:12 Now in the light of what we've noticed, 42:14 let's go to the statements from Ellen White 42:19 that we find on page 397. 42:21 We set the stage now, 42:23 by studying the passage in Ezekiel, 42:25 we've noticed they were worshiping the sun. 42:27 And they were, 42:28 they were trampling upon the Sabbath. 42:30 Is it just possible at the end of time, 42:32 that's the type of idolatry 42:34 that's going to be committed by the Christian world? 42:38 Listen to the terminology that Ellen White used. 42:42 The Sabbath question is one 42:45 that will demand great care and wisdom 42:48 in its presentation. 42:50 Much of the grace and power of God will be needed 42:53 to cast down the idol than has been erected 42:57 in the shape of a false Sabbath. 43:02 So what is Sunday? 43:05 An idol and what does, what shape does it have? 43:09 Well, has the shape of the Sabbath, 43:10 but it's a false Sabbath. 43:13 Notice the next statement. 43:15 Review and Herald, March 8, 1898, 43:18 Satan has taken the world captive. 43:21 He has introduced what kind of Sabbath? 43:24 An idol Sabbath. 43:26 Is it just as much idolatry 43:29 and an abomination to keep Sunday 43:31 as it is to worship the sun? 43:36 You say, "Well, it's not the same." 43:38 We'll come back to that at the end. 43:41 He has introduced an idol Sabbath, 43:44 apparently giving to it great importance. 43:46 Is that true? 43:48 He's given it great importance. 43:49 Oh, yeah. 43:50 He has stolen the homage of the Christian world 43:53 away from the Sabbath of the Lord 43:55 for this idol Sabbath. 43:57 And now notice the comparison. 43:59 The world bows down to a tradition, 44:02 a man made commandment, 44:05 as Nebuchadnezzar set up his golden image 44:07 on the plain of Dura, 44:09 and so exalted himself. 44:10 So Satan exalts himself in this false Sabbath, 44:15 for which he has stolen the library of heaven. 44:20 Interesting that she compares it 44:21 with the image that Nebuchadnezzar raised up, 44:24 which by the way, 44:26 that image was in honor of the sun god Marduk. 44:29 What was the image made of? 44:30 Gold. 44:32 Do you know what the ancients called gold? 44:33 The dew of the sun 44:35 because they felt that gold had dripped down 44:38 from the sun at one point. 44:41 By the way, they also worshiped gods of silver. 44:44 Silver was the moon goddess because the moon is silver. 44:48 So idols of gold and silver represented the fact 44:52 that they worshiped the sun, 44:54 and they worshiped the moon. 44:56 Notice the next statement like Cain, 45:00 men are today violating a plain thus saith the Lord. 45:05 So she's compared it with Nebuchadnezzar. 45:09 Now she's going to compare with Cain. 45:11 God has sanctified and blessed the seventh day, 45:15 requiring all men to keep it sacred 45:18 as his memorial of creation. 45:21 But inspired by the arch deceiver, 45:25 man is set up a rival rest day, 45:28 which God regards as He did the offering of Cain. 45:31 Why? 45:33 Because Cain offered God what he wanted to offer, 45:35 not what God commanded. 45:37 The Christian world offers God the day 45:39 that they want to offer, 45:41 not the day that God has commanded. 45:44 She continues, like Cain, 45:47 those who worship this idol are offended 45:50 because God's chosen people 45:52 will not reject the day specified 45:54 in his law as holy 45:57 to keep a rest day of man's creation. 46:00 They try to force their fellow men 46:03 to worship this idol. 46:05 Thus did Nebuchadnezzar 46:07 when he set up a golden image in the plains of Dura. 46:10 And in his pride and self-exaltation 46:12 sought to compel all to bow down to it. 46:16 Is the Christian world gonna compel God's people 46:19 to bow down and keep Sunday as the day of rest, 46:22 man made? 46:24 Yes. 46:26 As Cain set aside God's holy command 46:28 and offered a sacrifice of His own choice, 46:31 so men have set aside God's holy Sabbath, 46:33 and they've exalted one of their own creation. 46:37 Is Sunday a day of worship created by man? 46:41 Yes, it is. 46:43 And Cain was filled with bitterness against Abel, 46:46 as he was filled with bitterness against Abel. 46:49 So they are filled with bitterness against those 46:52 who by keeping God Sabbath 46:54 cast reflections upon the worship of a day, 46:57 which bears no divine sanction or appointment. 47:01 Thus, it has been, 47:03 thus it will be till the end of time. 47:06 Sin is Satan's attribute, 47:09 and it is always lead against good. 47:12 The spirit of Cain is manifested 47:14 in all false religions. 47:16 Satan's work is to condemn and destroy, 47:20 to take away man's liberty and destroy his life. 47:23 Transgression always leads men to act as Satan's agents 47:27 to carry out his purposes against God and righteousness. 47:32 And then she's going to compare the sin of the Christian world 47:36 to Nadab and Abihu, lo, surprise, surprise. 47:40 We've already talked about that. 47:42 Notice this, Review and Herald, December 20, 1898. 47:48 But this day, 47:49 so universally exalted 47:51 that Sunday is a spurious Sabbath, 47:55 a common working day. 47:57 It is accepted in the place of the day 48:00 that the Lord has blessed and sanctified. 48:03 But the sheer result of this course, 48:05 may be seen in the punishment 48:07 which fell upon Nadab and Abihu, 48:10 the sons of Aaron. 48:13 Is it the same principle, 48:15 offering God the secular as if it was holy? 48:20 And in the case of Nebuchadnezzar, 48:23 leading people to worship a man made idol 48:27 representing the sun god. 48:30 Here's another statement Letter 90, 1897. 48:34 The Protestant world have set up an idol Sabbath 48:39 in the place where God's Sabbath should be. 48:42 And they are treading in the footsteps of the papacy, 48:45 whether they want to recognize it or not. 48:50 The Faith I Live By, page 286, 48:52 "Sunday keeping is not yet the mark of the beast, 48:56 and will not be until the decree goes forth, 49:00 causing men to worship this idol Sabbath." 49:04 Has that command come yet to worship the idol Sabbath? 49:08 No, not yet. 49:10 So no one yet has the mark of the beast. 49:15 By the way, no one has the seal of God either, 49:17 the end time eschatological seal of God 49:20 because they're given at the same time. 49:24 Signs of the Times, May 26, 1898. 49:27 Those who live during the last days 49:29 of this earth's history 49:32 will know what it means to be persecuted 49:34 for the truth's sake. 49:36 In the courts injustice will prevail. 49:40 The judges will refuse to listen 49:42 to the reasons of those 49:43 who are loyal to the commandments of God 49:45 because they know the arguments in favor 49:48 of the fourth commandment are unanswerable. 49:51 They will say, "We have a law, 49:53 and by our law he ought to die." 49:56 God's law is nothing to them. 49:58 "Our law" with them is supreme. 50:01 Those who respect this human law will be favored, 50:05 but those who will not bow to the idol Sabbath 50:10 have no favors shown to them. 50:13 In other words, the time will come 50:15 when we will not be able to depend 50:17 upon the First Amendment to the Constitution. 50:22 No such thing as free speech anymore. 50:27 Because a judges 50:29 and magistrates will refuse to listen to the arguments 50:32 because they know that the arguments 50:33 are too powerful. 50:35 Here's another one, 50:36 Review and Herald April 15, 1890. 50:39 Not a move has been made in exalting the idle Sabbath 50:43 in bringing around Sunday observance through legislation, 50:47 but Satan has been behind it, and has been the chief worker. 50:52 But the conscience should not be compelled 50:54 even for the observance of the genuine Sabbath, 50:57 for God will accept only willing service. 51:00 Would it be wrong for the government to enact 51:04 a Sabbath keeping law? 51:06 Seventh day Sabbath keeping law? 51:08 Yes, because the state has no jurisdiction 51:12 over the Sabbath. 51:13 The Sabbath is God's day, it belongs to him, 51:15 doesn't belong to Caesar. 51:18 19 Manuscript Releases, page 244. 51:24 Among professed Christians there are idolaters, 51:28 men and women who are not sealed by God. 51:32 Many have subverted the Christian faith 51:35 into idolatry, 51:37 giving to a man-made institution 51:39 the glory and honor 51:41 that God requires for His Sabbath day, 51:44 and compelling others to worship this idol. 51:48 Notice the number of times that Ellen White refers 51:50 to Sunday as the idol. 51:52 Such ones will surely be visited 51:55 with God's retributive judgments, 51:58 which are to be poured out without mixture of mercy. 52:01 This is seven last plagues, by the way, 52:03 upon the unrepentant 52:05 despisers of God's law. 52:10 Let's read this one more. 52:11 And then I'm going to show you that observing Sunday 52:15 as the day of worship is the same 52:17 as worshiping the sun in principle. 52:19 Notice this statement, 52:21 the Spalding Magan collection, page 22. 52:24 In preaching the truth, 52:26 it is not always best to present 52:29 those strong points of truth that will arouse prejudice, 52:33 especially where such strong feelings exist 52:37 as are felt in the Southern States. 52:40 Those are the red states as we call them today. 52:45 The Sabbath must be taught in a decided manner, 52:48 but be cautious how you deal with the idol, 52:53 Sunday. 52:55 A word to the wise is sufficient. 52:59 Now someone might object. 53:02 It's not the same to worship the sun, 53:06 as it is to worship on Sunday, 53:10 is it? 53:13 A closer look will indicate that in principle, 53:16 worshiping the sun and worshiping on Sunday 53:20 is based on the same principle. 53:23 So let's do it in question and answer format. 53:27 Who created the sun? 53:30 God. 53:31 Did He created for worship? 53:34 No. 53:36 So if we make the sun an object of worship, 53:41 what do we call that? 53:44 We call that idolatry. 53:46 Because anything that we make for worship 53:48 that God has not created for worship is idolatry. 53:53 Now let's ask three follow up questions. 53:57 Who created Sunday? 54:00 The first day of the week? 54:02 Did God create the first day of the week? 54:05 Yes. 54:06 Did He create the day of the sun for worship? 54:11 No, that's a secular workday, isn't it? 54:15 So did He create it for worship? 54:17 No. 54:19 So what happens if human beings 54:21 make it a day of worship? 54:25 It's idolatry. 54:27 Because anything that man makes for worship 54:31 in place of what God has established for worship 54:34 is idolatry. 54:37 It does not really matter whether we worship God 54:39 through a manmade idolatrous object 54:42 such as the sun, 54:44 or we worship a manmade idolatrous day, 54:48 because that also was made by man. 54:51 So we can understand why Ellen White explained 54:55 that Sunday is the idol Sabbath, 55:00 because it has been erected by man 55:03 as a day of worship, not by God. 55:08 So, as we've studied these lessons, 55:12 we studied last evening about the relationship 55:15 between the internal seal and the external seal. 55:19 We did a comparison also, in our first study together, 55:23 between the tree in the Garden of Eden 55:28 and the observance of the Sabbath 55:32 at the end of time. 55:34 We've now talked about the idol Sabbath, 55:38 the Sabbath that has been created by man for worship. 55:42 Everything that we've been doing is actually amplifying 55:47 the issue of the seal of God that is spoken of 55:50 in the interlude of Revelation Chapter 7. 55:55 The Revelation Chapter 7 speaks about the seal of God 55:59 that is given to the very end time generation, 56:03 it's given on their foreheads to protect them 56:06 in the time of trouble. 56:08 And the issue of controversy is going to be what? 56:11 The day of worship. 56:14 Now, in our next lesson, together, 56:18 in our last session this afternoon, 56:20 we are going to study about the Seal of the Living God. 56:25 This is another lesson 56:26 where we're going to take a look 56:28 at different avenues that we can pursue to prove 56:33 that the Sabbath is the seal of God, 56:36 and to also prove that the mark of the beast 56:40 has to do with keeping a counterfeit day 56:44 of worship. 56:46 As we examined two verses in closing, 56:49 we examined Revelation 14:9-11. 56:54 There it says, "Whoever worships the beast, 56:57 his image, or receives his mark 57:00 will receive the wrath of God." 57:03 Immediately after the third angel's message, 57:07 we find that verse that distinguishes Adventist 57:11 from all other denominations. 57:14 And what does that verse say? 57:16 In contrast to those who worship the beast, 57:18 his image and received the mark, 57:20 here are they who what? 57:24 Who had the patience of the saints. 57:28 They do what else? 57:30 They keep the commandments of God in contrast to those 57:33 who worshiped the beast, 57:34 his image and his mark in the third angel's message, 57:36 they keep the commandments of God 57:39 and the faith of Jesus. 57:44 So that is what we're going to unpack a little bit more 57:47 in our last session together. |
Revised 2021-11-11