Participants: Stephen Bohr
Series Code: ASTPP
Program Code: ASTPP000013
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00:15 Well hello, everybody.
00:18 It's good to see you here again at Anchor School of Theology. 00:24 You are pioneers. 00:26 Because this is our first class. 00:29 That's amazing. 00:30 So someday you'll be able to say, "We were at the 00:33 first Anchor class." 00:35 Now today we are going to begin our study 00:38 at principle number seven. 00:41 You should be on page 19 of your syllabus. 00:45 And I'm going to read the principle, and then we are 00:48 going to take a look at this principle 00:52 which is very, very important in the study of Bible prophecy. 00:56 The principle reads like this: what was literal and local 01:02 in the Old Testament with literal Israel 01:06 is spiritual and global in the age of the Holy Spirit 01:11 with spiritual Israel. 01:13 Do you understand that principle? 01:16 It is a vital principle. 01:17 And if you read Louis Were's book, 01:20 The Certainty of the Third Angel's Message, 01:22 this principle comes forth time and again, 01:26 time and again. 01:27 Because it's a very important principle in the study 01:30 of Bible prophecy. 01:32 The first thing that we want to take a look at 01:35 is the fact that the reason why the Jewish nation 01:41 of Christ's day rejected Jesus is because they had 01:47 a rigid literalism. 01:50 And this hid the identity of the Messiah. 01:55 There are several indications in the gospels that show 01:59 that they literalized everything and they missed the deep 02:04 spiritual significance of the literal things 02:08 of their religion. 02:10 They saw only the literal, but they did not see the 02:12 spiritual meaning behind that which was literal. 02:17 In Matthew chapter 23, if you go with me there, 02:20 Matthew chapter 23 and verses 23 to 28, 02:26 we find Jesus expressing this idea that the Jews had 02:34 of emphasizing the external. 02:38 Beginning with verse 23, Jesus is speaking here to the 02:41 scribes and Pharisees, He says, "Woe to you, 02:45 scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites. 02:48 For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin, 02:52 and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: 02:55 justice and mercy and faith. 02:59 These you ought to have done, without leaving 03:02 the others undone." 03:04 In other words, you need to externally tithe. 03:08 But it has to be with the correct spiritual motivation. 03:12 Verse 24, "Blind guides, who strain out a gnat 03:17 and swallow a camel. 03:20 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites. 03:23 For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, 03:28 but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. 03:33 Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, 03:39 that the outside of them may be clean also. 03:44 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites. 03:47 For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear 03:51 beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones 03:57 and all uncleanness. 03:58 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, 04:04 but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness." 04:10 Did they have an outside inside problem? 04:13 They most certainly did. 04:15 The outside was emphasized. 04:18 But the inside did not square with the outside. 04:21 In other words, they had outward forms and ceremonies, 04:25 but they did not understand the inner meaning 04:29 of these ceremonies and these observances. 04:33 There are several examples that we find in the gospels of this. 04:38 You have the case of Nicodemus. 04:40 Remember Nicodemus? 04:42 This great Jewish member of the Sanhedrin. 04:47 Jesus said, "You must be born again." 04:51 And what did Nicodemus think? 04:54 He says to Jesus, "How can I get into my mother's womb again 04:59 and be born again?" 05:01 He literalized what Jesus was saying. 05:04 Jesus was speaking about spiritual birth. 05:07 He was not speaking about literal birth. 05:10 But Nicodemus took the words of Jesus literally. 05:16 Jesus also said, "Destroy this temple, and in three days 05:20 I will raise it up." 05:22 How did they understand that declaration of Jesus? 05:25 They said, "Listen, this temple has been built for years. 05:32 And You say that You can destroy it 05:34 and You can raise it up in three days?" 05:37 But Jesus was not speaking about the literal temple. 05:40 He was speaking about what? 05:42 He was speaking about the temple of His body. 05:45 He was giving a deeply spiritual significance to the temple. 05:51 We also have evidences in the gospels that the Jews 05:54 were expecting literal Elijah to come. 05:58 And that's the reason why John the Baptist, 06:00 when he was asked if he was Elijah, 06:03 he said, "No, I am not Elijah." 06:05 Jesus said that he was Elijah. 06:08 Of course, he was not Elijah literally. 06:11 He came in the spirit and power of Elijah. 06:14 In other words, John the Baptist was a spiritual Elijah. 06:18 He was not a literal Elijah. 06:20 But the Jews were expecting literal Elijah to come. 06:25 And Jesus explained, "No, this is one who comes 06:28 in the spirit and power of Elijah." 06:33 But they believed that Elijah was going to come in person. 06:36 They missed the deep spiritual significance. 06:40 Jesus once said that we have to eat His flesh 06:43 and drink His blood. 06:45 That's in John chapter 6. 06:47 Well, the Jews immediately said, "This Man is guilty 06:51 of recommending cannibalism. 06:54 We cannot eat someone's flesh and drink someone's blood. 06:58 That is blasphemy." 06:59 But Jesus explained later on, He says, 07:02 "The flesh doesn't profit anything. 07:05 The words that I speak, they are spirit and they are life." 07:10 His flesh represented the Word. 07:12 But they understood what Jesus was saying literally. 07:17 The Jews believed that Jesus, that the Messiah was 07:20 going to occupy a literal throne in Jerusalem 07:24 and He was going to be like David. 07:26 He was going to sit on the throne, He was going to 07:28 destroy all of the literal enemies of Israel, 07:31 and He was going to put literal Israel at the apex of the world. 07:36 But what they didn't realize is that Jesus came 07:38 at His first coming to be a spiritual King. 07:41 A spiritual King of a spiritual kingdom. 07:44 And you find all of the text in here in your syllabus 07:47 that illustrate this point. 07:49 They expected the Messiah to rule literally 07:51 in literal Jerusalem from a literal throne. 07:55 But Jesus came to be a spiritual King 07:57 and to establish His spiritual kingdom. 08:00 Well, the Jews believed that literal circumcision 08:05 guaranteed salvation. 08:08 In fact, if you were circumcised, 08:10 you were a member of the inner circle. 08:13 But if you read several text in the New Testament, 08:15 like Romans 2 verses 28 and 29, the apostle Paul says, 08:19 "Hey, literal circumcision in itself means nothing." 08:24 He says that is simply an outward observance 08:27 that shows that God wants to circumcise 08:30 your heart spiritually. 08:32 He wants you to be converted. 08:34 But they understood circumcision only as a literal right. 08:38 They did not understand it as a deeply spiritual observance 08:43 that God had given them. 08:45 And then you have the issue of the literal phylacteries. 08:49 You say, "What are those phylactery things?" 08:52 Well, Matthew 23 verse 5 speaks about these phylacteries. 08:56 And Ellen White, in Desire Of Ages, 612 and 613, 09:00 explains how the Jews used their phylacteries. 09:02 Basically, they were small little boxes where they would 09:07 put a little parchment inside the box with a Scripture. 09:11 And then they would stick these little boxes with the Scripture 09:14 on their forehead and on their right hand. 09:17 Because in Deuteronomy it says that you're suppose to 09:20 take God's words and you're suppose to put them 09:22 on your forehead and on your right hand. 09:25 What they didn't realize is that the phylacteries 09:29 had a very deeply spiritual significance. 09:33 It was no good to paste these Scriptures 09:36 on your forehead and on your hand. 09:38 The spiritual meaning was that these Scriptures 09:42 should be in your mind inside, and that they should affect 09:46 your behavior, which is represented by your right hand. 09:50 In other words, they totally missed the spiritual 09:54 significance of their religion. 09:57 And therefore when Jesus came, 10:00 they were not ready to receive Him. 10:03 Every institution of Judaism pointed forward to some 10:09 spiritual function of Jesus. 10:12 But the Jews could only see the literal lamb, 10:15 the literal water, literal altars, literal incense, 10:20 literal garments, literal veils. 10:24 Their entire religion was superficial and external. 10:30 And when Jesus attempted to show the deep spiritual 10:34 significance of their religion, they rejected Him. 10:39 Now this is something very interesting. 10:41 Roman Catholicism is a refined system of Judaism, 10:46 where mere forms take the place of spiritual realities. 10:51 One finds in the Roman Catholic churches 10:54 holy water, literal altars, literal priests, 10:58 literal vestments, literal candles, literal incense, 11:02 literal images, a literal interpretation of prophecy, 11:06 literal thrones, a literal sword, and they believe 11:10 that they partake of the literal body and blood of Jesus Christ. 11:16 In other words, Roman Catholicism is a 11:20 continuation of Judaism as if Jesus had not come. 11:26 That's amazing. 11:28 A Christian system that really in practice rejects Christ 11:33 and exalts forms of religion, external forms of religion. 11:40 Regarding the rigid literalism of the Jewish leaders 11:44 and the disciples of Jesus, Ellen White explained, 11:48 Desire Of Age, page 391, "They cared not for the 11:54 mysterious spiritual kingdom of which He spoke." 11:59 What kind of kingdom did Jesus speak about? 12:02 Spiritual kingdom. 12:04 In Desire Of Ages, page 670, Ellen White explains about 12:09 His disciples, the disciples of Jesus, 12:12 "The disciples did not understand 12:15 the spiritual nature of Christ's kingdom, 12:19 those He had so often explained it to them." 12:25 So basically, folks, this principle tells us that 12:28 what was literal has a spiritual significance today. 12:34 Now let's pursue this by examining several examples 12:38 from Scripture on how the literal actually points 12:43 to the spiritual. 12:45 It's not that we reject the literal. 12:47 The literal is the foundation, it's the basis for the 12:50 spiritual interpretation. 12:52 If you didn't have the literal, you wouldn't be able 12:54 to have a spiritual application of what is literal. 12:57 So the literal is important, but the meaning of the literal 13:01 in its spiritual sense, is what is very important. 13:05 Now you received the material on, The Robe. 13:10 And you can read that, if you haven't, at your leisure. 13:14 But what I want us to notice is what the Bible means 13:18 by garments. 13:20 This is a good illustration of this principle 13:23 of the literal representing the spiritual. 13:28 Now, in the garden of Eden, were Adam and Eve covered 13:33 with a literal robe? 13:35 Yes they were. 13:37 Their robe was composed of literal light. 13:42 Correct? 13:43 They were literally covered with light. 13:45 That was their robe. 13:48 What did that robe represent spiritually? 13:51 The spirit of prophecy, if you read the material, 13:53 the spirit of prophecy says it represented their righteousness. 13:57 They were obedient and righteous and holy. 14:01 In other words, their literal robe was light; 14:05 the spiritual meaning was righteousness. 14:09 Now, what happened when Adam and Eve sinned? 14:14 What did they lose first? 14:17 They lost their righteousness first. 14:20 They first lost their spiritual robe. 14:23 And what happened when they lost their spiritual robe? 14:27 They lost their what? 14:29 They lost their literal robe. 14:31 Are you understanding the point? 14:33 So the literal and the spiritual need to be understood together. 14:38 But if you miss the spiritual, you're missing the lesson 14:41 that God is trying to teach. 14:43 So when Adam and Eve sinned, they had spiritual nakedness. 14:49 And therefore, they became literally naked. 14:54 Are you following me or not? 14:56 Spiritual nakedness, losing the spiritual robe, 15:01 led to physical nakedness. 15:06 Now, here comes an interesting point. 15:11 How did Jesus hang on the cross? 15:15 He hung naked on the cross, folks. 15:17 That has deep spiritual significance. 15:21 Why did Jesus hang naked, physically naked on the cross? 15:24 Because He was bearing our spiritual nakedness. 15:29 He was bearing our transgression of the law. 15:33 Who should have hung on that cross naked? 15:36 We should have hung on that cross naked. 15:38 Because we have sinned, we lost our spiritual robe. 15:42 And therefore, we should have hung there literally naked. 15:47 But Jesus, on the cross, took our nakedness 15:51 physically as well as spiritually, 15:54 because He took our sins upon Himself. 15:58 Now what happens when I accept Jesus Christ 16:00 as my Savior and Lord? 16:04 What does He do? 16:06 You know the text. 16:07 He covers me with His robe of righteousness. 16:13 Is that a literal robe or a spiritual robe? 16:16 I don't see anyone here garbed with a robe of light. 16:20 It is a spiritual robe. 16:22 He gives us the spiritual robe of righteousness. 16:25 And when will He give us the literal robe of light? 16:30 He will give us the literal robe of light 16:32 when Jesus comes in power and glory at the second coming. 16:36 And then what existed in the beginning will exist again. 16:41 You see how the spiritual and the literal 16:44 dovetail with one another? 16:46 But if you only emphasize the literal, 16:48 you miss the whole point of what God is trying to teach. 16:53 Now let's continue this list here, because we have 16:56 several examples of this principle; 16:58 that what is literal really is symbolic 17:02 of what is spiritual. 17:04 Let's take, for example, a new creation. 17:10 Do we believe that someday soon Jesus is going to 17:14 come to this earth, then we're going to go to heaven 17:17 for a thousand years, then He's going to bring us back 17:20 to this earth, and He's going to make a new creation? 17:23 Absolutely. 17:24 But you know what's interesting? 17:26 Right now you can be a new creation. 17:31 The new creation can be now. 17:33 Not literally, but spiritually. 17:36 Read 2 Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 17. 17:41 2 Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 17. 17:46 It says there in a very well known verse, 5:17, 17:51 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is..." What? 17:56 "...a new creation; old things have passed away; 18:00 behold, all things have become new." 18:04 So spiritually, we can be a new creation. 18:08 But we know that literally it's going to happen when? 18:12 It's going to happen in the future as there was 18:15 a new creation at the very beginning with Adam and Eve 18:18 in the garden of Eden. 18:20 Let me ask you, when Jesus comes, is He going to 18:23 give us everlasting life? 18:26 But you know you can have everlasting life now? 18:29 You say, "But wait a minute." 18:31 Do you know a lot of people who had everlasting life that died? 18:36 So if they had everlasting life, how could they die? 18:40 Well, what they have is the guarantee of everlasting life. 18:43 Spiritually they have everlasting life. 18:45 Jesus said, "Though he may die, yet shall he live." 18:48 Now let's notice that in 1 John 5. 18:51 You can have eternal life right now. 18:54 If you have Jesus. 18:56 But we will actually receive it literally when Jesus comes. 19:00 Are you understanding the principle? 19:01 1 John chapter 5 and verses 11 and 12. 19:06 It says there in a very well known passage, 19:11 "And this is the testimony: 19:13 that God has given us eternal life..." 19:15 That God has what? 19:17 Has given us eternal life. 19:19 "...and this life is in His Son. 19:22 He who has the Son will have life..." 19:26 Ah, thank you very much. 19:27 "...has life; he who does not have the Son of God 19:31 does not have life." 19:33 Can you have eternal life now? Yes. 19:36 But notice what the apostle Paul says in Romans 6 verse 22. 19:40 Romans chapter 6 and verse 22, the apostle Paul says something 19:45 a little bit different. 19:46 It's not contradictory. 19:47 We can have, spiritually we can have eternal life now. 19:51 And later we will actually receive eternal life physically. 19:56 It says there in Romans 6 verse 22, 19:58 "But now having been set free from sin, and having become 20:02 slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, 20:06 and at the end, everlasting life." 20:10 So when do we have everlasting life, now or later? 20:13 Now and later. 20:15 We can have the guarantee spiritually now, 20:18 if we are in Christ. 20:19 But we will actually literally receive it 20:22 only when Jesus comes. 20:24 Are you following me? 20:25 Now how about the manna? 20:27 Can we eat manna now? 20:31 We can? 20:33 I want to know where that bakery is. 20:37 Can we eat manna? 20:38 Of course we can. 20:40 Who is the manna? 20:41 Jesus. 20:43 And how do we eat the manna? 20:46 We eat the manna by partaking of the Word of God. 20:49 So we can eat manna now. 20:51 But let me ask you, are we going to eat literal 20:54 manna in the future? 20:56 Ah, absolutely. 20:58 Revelation chapter 2 and verse 17 tells us that. 21:00 I'm not going to read it. 21:02 You can read it at your leisure. 21:03 But it says that God's people are going to eat the manna 21:06 in the kingdom come. 21:08 The spiritual will join with the literal. 21:12 See, when Jesus comes things will become literal again. 21:17 So at the beginning you have manna, which is literal. 21:21 Today it represents a spiritual reality. 21:23 And in the future it will be literal. 21:25 In fact, we're going to notice that when Jesus comes 21:28 to take us with Him, the literal and the spiritual 21:31 will meet again. 21:34 See, now we have the spiritual. 21:36 But then when Jesus comes, the spiritual and the literal 21:39 will meet once again. 21:41 Like the garments in the garden of Eden. 21:44 Let me ask you, can we eat from the tree of life even now? 21:48 You better believe we can. 21:50 You say, "Now wait a minute." 21:52 Well let's read, eight Testimonies, page 288. 21:55 I love this statement from Ellen White. 21:58 She says there, once again, eight Testimonies, 288, 22:03 "After the entrance of sin, the heavenly Husbandman 22:08 transplanted the tree of life to the Paradise above..." 22:15 So the tree of life that was in Eden is in heaven, 22:17 the literal tree of life, right? 22:19 "...but its branches hang over the wall to the lower world." 22:25 This is beautiful. 22:27 "Through the redemption purchased by the 22:29 blood of Christ, we may still eat of its life-giving fruit." 22:37 When we get to heaven, and on the new earth, 22:39 will we be able to literally eat from the tree of life? 22:42 Yes, what is spiritual now will then be what? 22:46 Will then be literal. 22:49 Are you understanding the principle? 22:51 Now in the Old Testament, you had a literal temple. 22:56 Right? 22:58 With literal stones. 22:59 I'm talking about the temple that was built by Solomon. 23:01 Literal stones, literal foundations, 23:03 literal chief cornerstone. 23:05 You had everything literal in it. 23:08 What is the temple today? 23:11 The temple today is not a literal temple. 23:13 It is a spiritual temple. 23:16 So those who say that the literal temple is going to 23:19 be rebuilt in the Middle East, they're saying 23:21 that the literal takes place before Jesus comes. 23:25 No, no, no, no. 23:26 We will enter the literal temple in the future. 23:31 But that temple that was literal in the Old Testament, 23:34 today is what? 23:35 Spiritual. 23:36 Let's go to Ephesians chapter 2. 23:39 Ephesians chapter 2 and verses 20 to 22. 23:42 And I hope you read all of these text that I have in parentheses. 23:46 Because I'm only reading sample verses. 23:49 Ephesians chapter 2 and verses 20 to 22. 23:53 There, the apostle Paul tells us what is represented 23:57 by the temple. 23:58 And this is what he says. 24:01 And let's begin at verse 19. 24:02 "Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers 24:05 and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints 24:08 and members of the household of God, having been built 24:12 on the foundation of the apostles and prophets..." 24:15 What are the foundations of this temple? 24:17 They're people, right? 24:20 "...Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone..." 24:23 A person is the chief cornerstone. 24:26 And then we are built up on the foundation. 24:28 It says, "...in whom the whole building, being fitted 24:32 together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord..." 24:36 And then it says in verse 22 that the Shekinah 24:39 that dwells in the temple, which is the church, 24:42 is the Holy Spirit. 24:43 Can you see the Holy Spirit? 24:45 Is the Shekinah visible? No. 24:48 Was the Shekinah visible in the Old Testament? 24:50 Will the Shekinah be visible in the future? 24:53 Yes. 24:55 And those who literalize the prophecies today, 24:58 futurists, and they speak about prophecy being 25:01 fulfilled in a literal temple with a literal antichrist 25:05 sitting there, and building up a literal image, 25:07 they are simply violating this principle 25:10 that says that the temple is spiritual now, 25:13 and we will only have the literal temple 25:15 when Jesus comes. 25:16 And that temple will not be a rebuilt temple in Jerusalem. 25:20 It will be the temple in the New Jerusalem. 25:24 Now let's notice that Jerusalem is also spiritual. 25:30 Was there a literal Jerusalem in the Old Testament? 25:34 There certainly was. 25:35 Is there a literal Jerusalem in heaven? 25:40 But what is Jerusalem now? 25:42 Jerusalem today is a symbol of God's people. 25:46 And where are God's people? 25:49 All over the world. 25:50 So Jerusalem is worldwide. 25:53 This is a vital principle. 25:55 Because what is being taught by futurism is that, you know, 25:59 Jerusalem, the temple is going to be rebuilt, 26:01 and then the enemies are going to come to attack 26:04 literal Jerusalem. 26:06 But when you understand that Jerusalem today 26:09 is spiritual and Jerusalem is worldwide... 26:14 Are you following me or not? 26:16 ...then what is the attack against Jerusalem? 26:20 It's not in the Middle East. 26:22 It's an attack against God's true people all over the world. 26:27 Because Jesus said that where two or three are gathered 26:31 together in His name, there is the Shekinah. 26:35 The temple is spiritual, and Jerusalem is spiritual. 26:39 And by the way, you can read in Hebrews 12:22-24, 26:43 it says that those believers in Christ have come to Jerusalem. 26:47 Not will come, have come to Jerusalem. 26:50 Because we are citizens of Jerusalem. 26:53 You see, our citizenship is in heaven. 26:56 So even though we live here, our citizenship is there. 27:01 So it is as if we are there. 27:03 We are spiritually there. 27:06 Let me ask you, can we drink from the river of life today? 27:11 Absolutely. 27:13 Volume seven of the Testimonies, page 152, 27:18 Ellen White says, "The editors of our periodicals, 27:22 the teachers in our schools, the presidents of our conferences, 27:27 all need to drink of the pure streams of the river 27:31 of the water of life." 27:34 How interesting. 27:35 Are we going to literally drink from the river of life 27:37 in the future? 27:38 Yeah, it's going to be literal H2O. 27:41 And it's actually going to taste like water. 27:44 We don't have any idea. 27:46 We talk about sweet water. Come on. 27:47 We don't know what water tastes like until we 27:49 drink from that river that flows from the throne of God. 27:53 As the hymn says. 27:55 And so can we drink the water from the river 27:58 of life even today? 28:00 Yes we can, spiritually. 28:03 Will we drink literally in the future? 28:06 Absolutely. 28:07 Did Adam and Eve drink from the river of life 28:09 in the garden of Eden literally? 28:11 They most certainly did. 28:13 Now here comes another point. 28:18 Jesus died literally. 28:23 He was buried literally. 28:26 And He resurrected literally. 28:29 Now do you know what happens when I am baptized? 28:36 What happens when I'm baptized? 28:39 I die, I am buried, and I resurrect. 28:46 How do I die, and am I buried, and do I resurrect? 28:50 Spiritually. 28:53 And folks, as Adventists, I don't think that we have 28:55 understood really the full meaning of what baptism is. 29:00 You see, we believe that baptism is our death to sin, 29:04 and it's our burial, and it's our resurrection. 29:07 To a certain point that's true, but it's much deeper than that. 29:11 Let me explain how it happens. 29:14 The only type of baptism that is acceptable to God 29:18 is baptism by immersion. 29:20 And the number one reason is because the Bible says that. 29:23 But the significance, the spiritual significance, 29:26 of baptism can only be true if you have baptism by immersion. 29:32 Let me explain the reason why. 29:33 You've all seen baptisms. 29:35 The candidate is in the baptistery, 29:37 the pastor is facing the congregation, 29:40 the pastor raises his hand and says, "I baptize you 29:43 in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 29:46 Amen." 29:48 What does the person do immediately before 29:52 he or she is put under the water? 29:54 They stop breathing. 29:57 They better do it. 29:59 They stop breathing. 30:02 What do they do while they're under the water? 30:05 They don't breathe. 30:08 What is the first thing they do when they come out of the water? 30:12 They breathe again. 30:13 What do you have in baptism? 30:16 You have. 30:17 You are repeating the experience of Christ. 30:20 Because Christ on the cross breathed His last. 30:23 He was buried, and then He breathed again 30:26 when He resurrected. 30:27 Do you know what happens at baptism? 30:29 At baptism when a person is baptized, they are included 30:33 in what Christ did. 30:35 The death of Christ counts as his death or her death. 30:39 The burial of Christ counts as his death or her death. 30:42 And the resurrection of Christ counts as 30:44 his death or her death. 30:47 In other words, we are included in the death, burial, 30:50 and resurrection of Christ. 30:53 God looks at us in Him. 30:56 Isn't that wonderful? 30:58 In other words, I'm not dying my own little vicarious death. 31:02 My death doesn't have any value. It's His death. 31:04 I'm being included in His death, according to Romans 6. 31:08 And God looks at me dead, buried, and resurrected 31:12 in Jesus Christ. 31:13 Wow. 31:15 Now is there also a literal application to this? 31:18 What if I should die before Jesus comes? 31:23 I breathe my last. 31:25 I was buried. 31:27 And Jesus is going to resurrect me. 31:30 So what is spiritual now, if I should die, 31:34 in the future is literal. 31:37 Are you following me? 31:39 Now, let's notice a few other things here. 31:43 Can we be spiritually resurrected? 31:46 We certainly can. 31:48 Go with me to John chapter 5. 31:50 John chapter 5 and verse 24, John chapter 5 and verse 24. 31:56 Here, Jesus had something very interesting to say. 31:59 It says there, "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears 32:05 My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, 32:10 and shall not come into judgment, but has passed 32:12 from death into life." 32:15 Whoever has accepted Jesus has passed from what? 32:19 Has passed from death to life. 32:22 But I want you to notice in the same chapter 32:25 verses 28 and 29, Jesus recognizes that people 32:28 are still going to die physically. 32:31 It says there, "Do not marvel at this, for the hour is coming 32:35 in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice 32:38 and come forth; those who have done good, 32:41 to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, 32:44 to the resurrection of damnation." 32:46 So, is it possible to be spiritually alive now, 32:53 and if we die, to be literally alive later? 32:57 Absolutely. 32:58 Spiritual resurrection now when we are in Christ. 33:02 Literal resurrection later. 33:04 How about spiritual birth? 33:08 Can we be born spiritually now? 33:11 Of course we can be born spiritually. 33:14 You remember the conversation of Jesus with Nicodemus. 33:17 He says, "You have to be born again." 33:20 Nicodemus, you know, the literalizer, a good member of 33:23 the Sanhedrin, says to Jesus, "Now, wait a minute. 33:26 How can I get into my mother's womb again and be born again?" 33:29 Jesus says, "No, you don't understand. 33:30 You have to be born of the water and of the Spirit." 33:33 In other words, you have to be spiritually born. 33:36 And then if you die, you will be literally born 33:39 when you come forth from the grave, 33:40 when you come forth from the tomb. 33:42 Let me ask you, can we be spiritually seated 33:45 with Christ in heavenly places? 33:48 This is the amazing thing. 33:49 Can we enter the Sanctuary now? 33:53 Really? 33:55 So what kind of, what kind of... 33:56 Do you have to go to NASA to be able to do that? 34:02 You know, how can we... 34:04 How is it possible that we can be seated with Christ right now, 34:08 and that we can enter the Sanctuary right now? 34:11 Well, let's read it in Ephesians chapter 1 and verse 3. 34:15 Ephesians chapter 1 and verse 3. 34:19 Here, the apostle Paul doesn't say that we will sit. 34:22 He says we are seated with Christ. 34:25 It says there in the book of Ephesians chapter 1 and verse... 34:32 What did I say? 34:34 ...verse 3 the following. 34:38 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 34:42 who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing 34:46 in the heavenly places..." How? 34:48 "...in Christ." 34:50 Notice chapter 2 and verse 6. 34:52 Chapter 2 and verse 6. 34:56 After speaking about our spiritual resurrection, it says, 34:58 "...and raised us up together, and made us sit together 35:03 in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus..." 35:05 If we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior, 35:08 we are seated with Him in heaven even though 35:12 we are on earth. 35:14 Isn't that good news? 35:16 That's wonderful news. 35:17 But, you know, we will be seated literally in the future. 35:21 Notice Revelation chapter 3 and verse 21. 35:24 Revelation chapter 3 and verse 21. 35:28 We find there that this sitting with Jesus 35:32 has a future dimension, literal dimension. 35:35 It says there in Revelation 3 verse 21, 35:38 "To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me 35:42 on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down 35:46 with My Father on His throne." 35:48 Is there a time in the future when we will be able to 35:50 literally sit with Jesus on His throne? 35:53 Absolutely. 35:54 But we can be seated there now in Him. 35:58 Because He is our Representative. 35:59 He is our Advocate. 36:01 We are in Him. 36:02 If we were baptized, we are in Him. 36:05 His death, burial, and resurrection is ours. 36:09 He is our Representative, He is our Intercessor. 36:12 And so we are seated with Him now. 36:16 Now, is Jesus with us on this earth now? 36:23 What did Jesus say? 36:24 "And lo, I am with you always, even until the 36:28 close of probation." 36:30 No. 36:31 He says, "I am with you always, even until the end of the age." 36:34 Or the end of the world. 36:36 But where is Jesus physically? 36:39 Jesus is physically in heaven, but He is spiritually here. 36:45 That's why His temple on earth is spiritual. 36:48 That's why Jerusalem is spiritual. 36:51 That's why all of these symbols are spiritual. 36:54 Because now we live in the spiritual dispensation. 36:57 But the spiritual things, when Jesus comes, 37:00 will become literal. 37:01 Are you understanding the principle? 37:03 When you apply this to prophecy, it becomes an 37:06 eye opening experience. 37:08 Suddenly, prophecy becomes deeply spiritual 37:11 and deeply meaningful. 37:13 Now can we approach the throne of God boldly by faith? 37:19 We can certainly approach the throne of God boldly. 37:22 It says in Hebrews chapter 4 and verses 14 through 16 37:26 that we can come boldly to the throne of grace. 37:28 You say, "How can we do that?" 37:30 Now do you know what's interesting? 37:31 As you look at the Sanctuary, the Sanctuary was a tent. 37:37 Israel could watch what happened in the court, 37:42 because it only had a fence around it. 37:46 But they could not watch what was happening in the building. 37:50 How did they know then what the priest was doing 37:53 in the Holy Place and what the high priest was doing 37:56 in the Most Holy Place? 37:59 Even in the Old Testament, they had to follow the work 38:03 of the priest and of the high priest by faith. 38:07 That's why God gave them a description of the Sanctuary. 38:10 The reason why He gave them a description of the Sanctuary 38:13 was so that even though they had never been in there 38:16 to see it with their physical eyes, they could follow 38:19 what the priest was doing in the Sanctuary 38:22 because of what was written in the Scriptures. 38:24 So even in the Old Testament, the people could not 38:27 literally go in and see what the priest was doing. 38:30 They had to follow the priest by faith. 38:32 How can we enter the heavenly Sanctuary? 38:35 We enter the heavenly Sanctuary in the same way. 38:38 It's hidden from our eyes. 38:40 You see, the life of Jesus, and the death of Jesus, 38:42 and the resurrection of Jesus all happened on earth. 38:45 In other words, in the heavenly Sanctuary there's no court, 38:47 because the court represents Christ's earthly work. 38:52 And so we can't see what is happening in the 38:54 heavenly Sanctuary right now, but we can follow it by faith. 38:58 In other words, spiritually our mind can be there 39:03 with what Jesus is doing. 39:04 And then someday we will literally be able 39:08 to enter the temple, according to Revelation chapter 7. 39:12 It says God's people will serve Him in His temple day and night. 39:18 Can we taste the powers of the world to come even now? 39:23 Absolutely. 39:24 Notice Hebrews chapter 6 and verse 4. 39:28 Hebrews chapter 6 and verse 4. 39:31 We can taste the powers of the world to come even now 39:34 in the world that we live in. 39:37 Hebrews chapter 6 and verse 4 39:39 makes this interesting statement. 39:41 And actually, let's begin reading with verse 1. 39:44 It says, "Therefore, leaving the discussion of the 39:46 elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, 39:50 not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works 39:53 and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, 39:57 of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, 39:59 and of eternal judgment. 40:01 And this we will do if God permits." 40:03 In other words, we need to go beyond the basics. 40:05 Beyond the ABC's, is what he's saying. 40:07 Verse 4, "For it is impossible for those who were 40:10 once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, 40:13 and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit..." 40:16 So let me ask you, is it possible to taste the 40:20 heavenly gift even now? 40:21 Yes. 40:23 "For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, 40:25 and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers 40:28 of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God 40:32 and the powers of the age to come..." 40:35 We can even taste the powers of the age to come, 40:38 according to Scripture. 40:39 Now we're all acquainted with that text in 40:42 2 Corinthians chapter 2 and verses 9 and 10. 40:46 We usually apply this to, you know, to when Jesus comes 40:51 and we go to heaven; there are things that 40:53 eye has not seen, nor ear heard that Jesus has prepared for us 40:57 when we go to heaven. 40:58 But within its context, it's talking about 41:00 things that we can see even here. 41:04 See, we can see the things that God is preparing 41:06 for us even here. 41:07 Let's notice that in 2 Corinthians chapter 2 41:11 and verses 9 and 10. 41:13 2 Corinthians 2 verses 9 and 10. 41:18 This is a very well known passage. 41:20 It says, "For this end..." 41:23 Uh, let's see. 41:25 Is this the right reference? 41:27 It's 1 Corinthians. I'm sorry. 41:29 1 Corinthians chapter 2 verses 9 and 10. 41:32 Okay, now we're on track. 41:35 It says there, "But as it is written, 'Eye has not seen, 41:40 nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man 41:45 the things which God has prepared for those 41:47 who love Him.'" 41:50 Now can we see those things now? 41:54 Yes. 41:57 Let's read the next verse. 42:00 "But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. 42:05 For the Spirit searches all things, yes, 42:07 the deep things of God." 42:09 So can we see those things even now? 42:11 We can see those things now through the Holy Spirit, 42:14 and through the Word of God. 42:20 Now we will literally see heaven when Jesus comes. 42:24 But we can spiritually see it now. 42:28 Is the kingdom of Jesus with us even now? 42:32 You can read Mark 1 verse 15. 42:34 Jesus says, "The kingdom of God has come to you." 42:38 And in fact, He said in Luke 17:20-21, 42:41 "The kingdom of God is within you." 42:43 You see, the kingdom of God has to be within us 42:46 before we can be in the literal kingdom of God. 42:49 Because we have to be converted first. 42:51 But then in the future, there is a kingdom of glory. 42:54 And we will literally enter the kingdom of glory, according to 42:58 Luke 22 and verse 30. 43:01 So the things that are in heaven are literal, 43:05 but have spiritual reflections on earth. 43:09 The bottom line is that in the future, the spiritual 43:13 and the literal will what? 43:16 Will meet. 43:18 Jesus is spiritually with us now. 43:21 According to Scripture. 43:23 But someday we shall see His face. 43:26 "Face to face with Christ, my Savior," as is says 43:29 in the well known hymn. 43:31 So what we experience spiritually now 43:34 will be experienced literally later in the kingdom. 43:40 Now let's notice the next paragraph, because 43:42 the next paragraph has some very important information 43:46 in the study of Bible prophecy. 43:49 Christ is in the literal heavenly Sanctuary 43:55 in the literal New Jerusalem, literally and personally. 44:03 And you have some references there. 44:05 Hebrews 8:1-2 and Hebrews 9:11-12. 44:09 Is the heavenly Sanctuary literal? 44:12 Is there a real Sanctuary up there? 44:14 You know, we have scholars in our midst that say 44:16 that there's no real Sanctuary in heaven? 44:19 Ellen White begs to differ. 44:20 She makes it very clear that there is a literal 44:22 Sanctuary in heaven. 44:24 A real one. 44:26 You say, "Well, why do you need a Sanctuary? 44:28 Jesus is the Sanctuary." 44:30 Well, because you have the literal and the 44:31 spiritual together. 44:35 So Jesus is the meaning of the Sanctuary. 44:37 He is there. 44:38 But the literal Sanctuary is there along with Him. 44:41 Because in heaven, the literal and the spiritual meet. 44:44 Are you understanding the principle? 44:46 Now let me ask you what's more real. 44:50 What is more real, the substance or the shadow? 44:58 What's more... Okay, I'm outside. 45:02 I'm standing in the sun. 45:05 And my body is projecting a shadow. 45:08 What is more real, the shadow or me? 45:13 I am. 45:14 I would hope so. 45:16 Because I'm not a shadow. 45:17 Let me ask you, can you walk through my shadow? 45:20 Can you walk through me? 45:22 So what is more concrete, the shadow or me? 45:26 I am more concrete. 45:28 You cannot have a shadow without a reality 45:31 that projects the shadow. 45:35 And the heavenly Sanctuary is the reality. 45:39 And what we have on earth; the church, and the foundations, 45:46 and the cornerstone, are what? 45:48 Are the shadow. 45:50 Now you know what happens when the sun is directly overhead? 45:54 The shadow disappears. 45:56 So when Jesus comes, the shadow will meet the reality. 46:02 And they will be together in the kingdom. 46:05 And so Christ is in the literal heavenly Sanctuary 46:08 in the literal New Jerusalem, literally and personally. 46:12 We have a High Priest up there. 46:14 But He is also present in the earthly temple. 46:19 And what is the earthly temple? 46:20 The church. 46:22 And He is present here spiritually and what? 46:25 And universally. 46:29 So on earth the temple is worldwide. 46:34 On earth Jerusalem is worldwide. 46:37 So the final battle is going to be what? 46:40 Worldwide. 46:42 And you know, it's interesting somebody like Dave Hunt, 46:45 who has a lot of good points in his books... 46:47 He's a futurist, dyed in the wool futurist. 46:50 But he has some points that might lead me to think that 46:54 someday he might see the light. 46:57 I hope so. 46:59 But he says, you know, Babylon, in his book, 47:03 Global Peace, he says Babylon is a global apostate 47:09 religious system at the end of time. 47:12 But he says Jerusalem is a literal city in the Middle East. 47:18 It's a contradiction. 47:20 Because Babylon is the enemy of Israel. 47:24 And if Babylon is global, then God's people 47:30 must also be global. 47:33 You can't say Babylon is symbolic, but Israel is literal. 47:39 Because you're being inconsistent in the principles 47:42 of interpretation that you apply. 47:45 Now we continue here. 47:47 The Holy Land today is where Jesus is. 47:53 Are you agreed? 47:55 And Jesus is in the earthly temple, 47:59 universally and spiritually. 48:02 Thus the temple on earth is worldwide, while the temple, 48:06 heavenly temple, is local in the New Jerusalem. 48:10 Jesus is in two places at the same time. 48:15 He is present in heaven, because He went there 48:18 to prepare a place for us. 48:20 And He is also present where? 48:23 He is also present on earth. 48:24 And you know what Roman Catholicism does? 48:26 They reverse this. 48:30 And this is the worst blasphemy of all. 48:32 Let me explain the reason why. 48:35 Where is the visible representative 48:37 of the church today? 48:39 Not according to Catholicism, but according to the Bible. 48:43 The visible representative of God's church is in heaven. 48:49 Where is the invisible representative? 48:52 On earth. 48:54 Christ through the Holy Spirit. 48:56 The Roman Catholic Church reverses it. 48:59 And they say the visible representative is where? 49:03 On earth. 49:05 And the invisible one is where? 49:07 In heaven. 49:09 So basically, what they're committing is blasphemy. 49:12 Because there is only one individual who is the 49:15 representative of the church, visible and invisible. 49:18 And that is Jesus Christ. 49:21 Now let's go to the next paragraph. 49:24 We can also be in two places at the same time. 49:30 Is that true? 49:33 Before finishing this paragraph, let me express the principle. 49:40 Jesus is in heaven physically and personally, 49:47 but on earth He is in a book. 49:51 Written. 49:53 Because this is totally about Jesus. 49:55 So in heaven He's there personally, 49:57 but on earth He's in a book. 50:00 We are personally on earth, but in heaven we are in a book. 50:10 Right? 50:11 Do you know that God in heaven has an exact transcript 50:13 of what we are? 50:15 Nothing missing. 50:17 Our thoughts, our feelings, our emotions, our works, 50:20 our intentions, our motivations. 50:23 You know, everything; our words. Everything is there. 50:27 There's another Steve Bohr in heaven 50:29 in written form. 50:32 And God has a purpose in that. 50:35 You see, if I should die someday, 50:36 what happens to all of my memories? 50:38 What happens to my brain? 50:40 It disintegrates. 50:41 But God keeps a backup. 50:45 And I like to think that maybe it's an electronic backup. 50:50 See, in biblical times they use books, 50:52 because that's what they knew. 50:53 You know, if John spoke about computers, 50:56 what's that? 50:58 Ellen White used photography. 50:59 She said we're being photographed in heaven. 51:02 Because photography existed in her day. 51:04 Today, I'm sure that God would say we are being 51:07 computerized in heaven. 51:11 And by the way, God has a whole record of the 51:12 whole history of the human race. 51:15 And we will see it during the thousand years. 51:18 In fact, after the thousand years the wicked and 51:20 the devil and his angels will see. 51:21 Ellen White says, in panoramic view the whole history 51:24 of the world will be shown with each life in its fullness. 51:31 It's amazing. 51:33 What kind of tech... 51:34 How many gigabits are you talking about here? 51:38 You know, we brag; we say, "Oh, man has done so much." 51:41 Man has done nothing. 51:44 We only reflect a little droplet of what God has. 51:52 And so Jesus is in heaven personally, 51:57 but on earth He's in a book. 52:00 We are on earth personally, 52:03 but in heaven we are written in books. 52:08 Now, let's go back here. 52:10 We can also be in two places at the same time. 52:13 We are here on earth personally and literally. 52:18 But we can enter the heavenly Sanctuary spiritually by faith. 52:23 Colossians 2:12-13 informs us that we have already, 52:30 right now, been translated into Christ's kingdom. 52:35 Let's read that. 52:38 Colossians chapter 2 verses 12 and 13. 52:42 We've already been translated, folks. 52:45 Spiritually, we've been translated to heaven. 52:50 Colossians chapter 2 and verses 12 and 13. 52:56 It says there, "...buried with Him in baptism, 52:58 in which you were also raised with Him through faith 53:01 in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. 53:04 And you, being dead in your trespasses 53:06 and the uncircumcision of your flesh, 53:08 He has made us alive together with Him, 53:11 having forgiven all trespasses, 53:14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements 53:16 that was against us, which was contrary to us. 53:19 He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross." 53:24 Now I want you to notice particularly what verse 13 says. 53:27 It says, "And you, being dead in your trespasses 53:29 and the uncircumcision of your flesh, 53:31 He has made..." What? 53:33 "... alive together with Him..." 53:36 So are we alive together with Jesus Christ even today? 53:40 Absolutely. 53:42 Even now, as we noticed in Ephesians 1 verse 3 53:46 and Ephesians 2 verses 5 and 6, 53:49 we are even now seated with Christ in heavenly places. 53:55 But we also, according to Revelation 3 verse 21, 53:58 we will be seated with Christ literally in heavenly places 54:03 when Jesus comes. 54:06 Does this have importance when it comes 54:10 to the study of Bible prophecy? 54:13 Are we to expect the fulfillment of Bible prophecy 54:16 in the Middle East in a rebuilt Jewish temple 54:20 in literal Jerusalem with literal sacrifices being offered 54:26 with literal enemies coming, the Chinese and the Russians 54:29 and the Arabs, coming against the Jews? 54:32 It totally distracts you from the true fulfillment 54:37 of Bible prophecy and from the global systems that 54:41 will be involved in persecuting God's people in the end time, 54:44 and the deep spiritual issues that will be involved. 54:49 See, it's not about literal oil. 54:52 It's not about the blood that you have. 54:55 It's not about your last name. 54:58 It's not about your ethnicity. 55:02 The final battle is a spiritual battle. 55:05 It's very real, but it's spiritual. 55:08 And it deals with spiritual issues. 55:10 It does not deal with material issues such as oil 55:14 and, you know, whether you're a Jew or you're not a Jew, 55:17 or where you live, or what nationality you have. 55:19 All of those are distractions. 55:23 Bible prophecy will be fulfilled globally 55:27 with a global people of God who keep the commandments of God 55:31 and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. 55:34 On the other side will be those who perhaps professed the 55:38 name of Christ, but really are not spiritually with Him. 55:42 And they will despise the commandments of God, 55:45 particularly the holy Sabbath. 55:48 And they will practice false worship. 55:49 They will worship the image of the beast. 55:52 And of course, the image of the beast represents the 55:54 union of church and state. 55:55 It's a reflection of what the papacy is. 55:59 The papacy, by its very nature, is a union of church and state. 56:03 That is its nature. 56:05 In fact, the word, "papacy," is not talking about 56:08 the Roman Catholic Church as a church. 56:10 It's talking about the Roman Catholic Church 56:12 as an amalgamation of church and state. 56:16 That's what, "papacy," means. 56:18 So in 1798, the Catholic church didn't disappear. 56:21 What disappeared was the papacy, because the union of the state 56:25 with the church was severed. 56:27 And so there was no longer any papacy, 56:29 although there was still the Roman Catholic Church. 56:31 Are you following with me? 56:33 And so, folks, the issues at the end of time 56:36 are deeply spiritual issues. 56:37 And the Bible tells us who the dangerous powers are. 56:41 But those who are looking to the Middle East, 56:43 to a literal place, are going to be deceived. 56:47 Because they're going to be looking to where 56:50 the conflict isn't instead of looking at Rome 56:53 and looking at the United States, which is pointed out 56:57 in Bible prophecy. 56:58 They will be looking to the Middle East, 57:00 to a literal antichrist, a literal image, 57:03 a literal tattoo in the forehead. 57:05 And meanwhile, things will be fulfilled spiritually. 57:08 And they will not see that things are being fulfilled 57:11 because they have violated this very important principle 57:14 of literal, spiritual, and literal. 57:19 Is this clear? 57:20 This is one of the most important principles 57:23 that we need to understand in order to comprehend 57:26 Bible prophecy. 57:27 In our next session together, we are going to take a look 57:31 at the story of the flood. 57:34 Which I hope that you filled out the spaces, 57:37 because it will go a lot better if you filled out the spaces. 57:40 We'll see that it is a typological story 57:42 that illustrates what we've been talking about. |
Revised 2015-03-11