Participants: Stephen Bohr
Series Code: ASTPP
Program Code: ASTPP000018
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00:15 Well, Anchor is really going well, isn't it.
00:19 We're on a roll here, praise the Lord. 00:22 Glad to have all of you from different parts of the world, 00:25 from different states in the United States. 00:27 It's been a real blessing for me to get acquainted 00:29 with many of you. 00:31 And I know that on Sabbath we'll be able to get 00:33 much better acquainted, because it's more of a relaxed day. 00:38 Now we've been studying in our last session 00:40 about true Israel. 00:42 There are two Israel's; there is a genuine Israel 00:45 and there's a counterfeit Israel. 00:47 The counterfeit Israel is only ethnic Israel. 00:50 The genuine Israel is composed of those who have accepted 00:54 Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. 00:57 Now, how many folds does God have? 01:01 We studied that God has only one fold. 01:03 And how many shepherds? 01:05 One Shepherd. 01:06 And that Shepherd is Jesus Christ. 01:09 How many Israel's does God have? 01:13 He has only one true Israel. 01:16 Now we also want to notice that God has only one body, 01:20 Christ has only one body, composed of Jews and Gentiles. 01:24 Not two mutually separable peoples. 01:27 Let's go to Ephesians chapter 2 and verses 13 through 18. 01:31 Ephesians chapter 2 and verses 13 through 18. 01:36 And here, we're going to find that Jesus Christ has one body. 01:42 Not many bodies, one body. 01:45 It says there, "But now in Christ Jesus 01:50 you who once were far off..." 01:53 Who are those who were once far off? 01:55 The Gentiles. 01:57 "...you who were once far off have been brought near 02:01 by the blood of Christ. 02:03 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one..." 02:08 Who are the, "both?" 02:10 Jew and Gentile. 02:12 He has made both one. 02:14 "...and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 02:17 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of 02:20 commandments contained in ordinances, so as to 02:23 create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, 02:28 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body 02:32 through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. 02:37 And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off," 02:40 that is the Gentiles, "and those who were near. 02:43 For through Him we both have access 02:47 by one Spirit to the Father." 02:51 So how many bodies does Jesus have? 02:53 Jesus has one body. 02:55 And it's composed of what? 02:57 Jews and Gentiles. 02:58 Are they both Jews, spiritually speaking? 03:01 They're both Jews. 03:03 They're one people. 03:05 They're God's true Israel, because they have embraced 03:08 Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. 03:11 Now notice also on this same point, that Jesus has only 03:15 one body, let's read 03:18 1 Corinthians chapter 12 and verse 13. 03:20 1 Corinthians chapter 12 and verse 13. 03:23 Once again, the same idea. 03:25 "For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body; 03:32 whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, 03:35 and all have been made to drink into one Spirit." 03:39 Do you notice the oneness here? 03:41 God has only one people, he doesn't have two 03:43 mutually separable peoples; 03:44 one outside of Christ and one in Christ. 03:47 Ephesians chapter 3 and verse 6. 03:50 "...that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the..." What? 03:55 "...of the same body, and partakers of His promise 03:59 in Christ through the gospel." 04:02 And then Colossians 1 verse 18 and verse 24, 04:05 speaking about Jesus, it says, "He is the head of the body..." 04:09 And what is the body? 04:11 "... the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn 04:14 from the dead, that in all things He may have 04:17 the preeminence." 04:18 "I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh 04:23 what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, 04:25 for the sake of His body, which is the church." 04:30 So how many bodies does Jesus have? 04:33 He has one body, folks. 04:35 He doesn't have a Jewish body and a Gentile body. 04:38 He has united Jew and Gentile in one body in Himself. 04:44 Furthermore, there's only one city. 04:48 There's not an earthly city for the literal Jews 04:50 and a heavenly city for the church. 04:53 There's one city for both. 04:55 How do you know that? 04:57 Revelation chapter 21 and verse 2. 05:00 We noticed this in a previous lecture. 05:02 "Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, 05:06 coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a 05:10 bride adorned for her husband." 05:12 So you have the New Jerusalem. 05:14 And I want you to notice that the New Jerusalem 05:16 has two characteristics that I want to underline 05:20 regarding what we're talking about now. 05:22 Revelation 21 and verse 12. 05:24 This is the New Jerusalem, we just read it. 05:28 It says there, "Also she had a great and high wall 05:30 with twelve gates, and twelve angels at the gates, 05:34 and names written on them, which are the names of the 05:37 twelve tribes of the children of Israel." 05:40 Is Israel represented in the holy city? 05:44 Yes it is. 05:46 The gates have the names of the twelve sons of Jacob, 05:49 the twelve tribes. 05:51 What about God's people from New Testament times? 05:56 Are they also represented in the city? 05:58 Absolutely. 05:59 Notice Revelation chapter 21 and verse 14. 06:03 It says, "Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, 06:06 and on them were the names of the 06:08 twelve apostles of the Lamb." 06:11 So you have there New Testament and Old Testament Israel. 06:16 And it is the city of the Lamb. 06:20 It's not a Jewish city, it is the city of the Lamb. 06:23 Now notice Hebrews 11 verses 9 and 10, 06:26 and then we'll read verses 13 through 16. 06:29 Even the Old Testament saints, listen carefully, 06:32 even the Old Testament saints like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob 06:35 looked forward to the heavenly New Jerusalem. 06:39 They knew that the earthly Jerusalem was only a small 06:43 scale type of a far greater heavenly reality. 06:47 And they knew that the earthly Sanctuary 06:49 was an earthly scale model of the greater 06:52 and real Sanctuary in heaven. 06:54 Let's notice what Hebrews 11 says. 06:58 "By faith," this is speaking of Abraham, 07:00 "he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, 07:04 dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, 07:08 the heirs with him of the same promise." 07:11 Now what city did Abraham wait for? 07:15 Listen to this, "For he waited for the city which has 07:19 foundations, whose builder and maker is God." 07:23 Did Abraham look forward to the earthly city of Jerusalem? 07:27 And this is Old Testament, folks. 07:29 He's looking towards the heavenly city of Jerusalem. 07:32 Verse 13... 07:33 It gives a list of some of the heroes of faith, 07:37 and then it says, "These all died in faith, 07:39 not having received the promises, but having 07:41 seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them, 07:46 and confessed that they were strangers 07:48 and pilgrims on the earth. 07:50 For those who say such things declare plainly 07:53 that they seek a homeland." 07:54 Did they consider Canaan a homeland? 07:58 No. 07:59 They were seeking a homeland. 08:02 What was that homeland? 08:03 Let's continue reading. 08:04 "And truly, if they had called to mind that country 08:07 from which they had come out, they would have had 08:10 opportunity to return. 08:11 But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. 08:16 Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, 08:20 for He has prepared a city for them." 08:26 Did the Old Testament saints look forward to 08:28 the heavenly city? 08:30 So what was the literal Jerusalem on earth? 08:33 A little scale model. 08:35 A little sample. 08:37 A literal sample of the heavenly city. 08:40 Conclusion, the city is composed of all the redeemed 08:44 from all ages, because the names of the twelve tribes 08:47 are on the gates and the names of the twelve apostles 08:50 are on the foundations. 08:52 God does not have two separate plans for two 08:54 mutually exclusive peoples. 08:56 He has one city for all of His people. 09:00 We also noticed that God has only one woman. 09:04 Christ has only one wife. 09:06 If He has two mutually separable peoples, 09:10 then Jesus would be a bigamist. 09:13 He has only one bride; His faithful people from all ages. 09:18 Notice Revelation chapter 12 verses 1 and 2, 09:21 and then verses 5 and 6. 09:24 Verses 1 and 2 are describing the Old Testament church. 09:27 Verses 5 and 6 are describing the New Testament church. 09:30 It says, "Now a great sign appeared in heaven; a woman..." 09:34 Representing the church, right? 09:36 "...a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under 09:38 her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars. 09:42 Then being with child, she cried out in labor 09:44 and in pain to give birth." 09:46 "She bore a male Child," we're in verse 5, 09:48 "She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations 09:51 with a rod of iron. 09:52 And her Child was caught up to God and His throne." 09:57 So what does this woman represent that we just 10:00 read about from whom the Child is born? 10:02 It represents the church. Which church? 10:06 It's the Old Testament church. 10:08 Because Jesus was born from the Old Testament church, right? 10:12 But let me ask you, do you have the same woman 10:14 representing the New Testament church? 10:16 Absolutely. 10:17 Because it says in verse 6, "The woman fled into the wilderness," 10:22 the same woman, "where she has a place prepared by God, 10:25 that they should feed her there 10:26 one thousand two hundred and sixty days." 10:31 And so how many women does God have? 10:33 He has one woman, composed of Old Testament saints 10:39 and New Testament saints. 10:41 Composed of people who lived in the Old Testament period 10:44 and who live in the New Testament period. 10:47 And Ellen White, we've read this statement before 10:50 in, Acts of the Apostles, page 19, says, 10:53 "As in the Old Testament the twelve patriarchs 10:56 stood as representatives of Israel, so the twelve apostles 11:00 stand as representatives of the gospel church." 11:05 So God has only one woman representing His true people 11:09 from all ages. 11:11 In Romans 11, we have one tree that represents 11:16 all of God's people. 11:18 Now, let's notice this in the handout that you have. 11:23 The kingdom of Christ is illustrated 11:25 by only one olive tree that bears good fruit. 11:29 In Romans 11, the olive tree has several different 11:32 types of branches, but they all belong to the same tree. 11:36 There are natural branches. 11:38 Who are those? 11:40 The Jews, the literal Jews. 11:42 There are natural branches that are retained in the tree. 11:46 Why are they retained in the tree? 11:49 Because they accepted Jesus Christ as Savior. 11:52 There are natural branches that are cut off. 11:54 Who are those? 11:56 Those who rejected Jesus as the Messiah. 11:59 There are natural branches that are grafted in 12:01 once again into the tree. 12:03 What does that represent? 12:05 It represents the literal Jews who rejected Jesus, 12:07 and then what? 12:09 Accepted Him. 12:10 That's like Saul of Tarsus, for example. 12:12 There are wild olive branches that are grafted into the tree. 12:17 Who are those wild olive branches? 12:19 They are the Gentiles who are grafted into God's church. 12:25 There are also wild olive branches that can 12:28 potentially be cut off from the tree. 12:30 Who are those? 12:32 Gentiles who abandoned their relationship with Jesus. 12:35 And finally, there are those branches that are 12:40 grafted in once again to the tree, wild olive branches 12:44 that are grafted in. 12:45 That represents Gentiles who, perhaps, forsook Christ, 12:48 and then they come back again. 12:50 So how many trees do we have? 12:51 We have one tree composed of people of all types. 12:56 We don't have two different trees; 12:57 one for the Jews and one for the Gentiles. 13:01 The key is in verses 20 and 23 where we are told that to be 13:06 part of the tree means to believe in Jesus. 13:10 To be cut off from the tree means to reject Jesus. 13:13 The root and the trunk of the tree symbolize Jesus. 13:16 If we are connected to the trunk and the root, 13:19 we will bear fruit. 13:22 This is a rather long passage, let's just go ahead and read it 13:26 so that you can catch the picture. 13:28 Beginning in verse 17, the apostle Paul says, 13:31 "And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, 13:34 being a wild olive tree," he's writing to the Gentiles, 13:36 "were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker 13:40 of the root and fatness of the olive tree, 13:43 do not boast against the branches. 13:46 But if you do boast, remember that you do not 13:48 support the root, but the root supports you. 13:51 You will say then, 'Branches were broken off 13:53 that I might be grafted in.' 13:55 Well said. 13:56 Because of unbelief they were broken off..." 13:58 Are you seeing the reason why they were broken off? 14:00 Unbelief. 14:02 "...and you stand by faith. 14:04 Do not be haughty, but fear. 14:06 For if God did not spare the natural branches, 14:08 He may not spare you either. 14:10 Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: 14:13 on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, 14:17 if you continue in His goodness. 14:20 Otherwise you also will be cut off. 14:22 And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, 14:25 will be grafted in..." 14:26 Are you catching the picture? 14:28 "...for God is able to graft them in again. 14:31 For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is 14:34 wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature..." 14:38 Because this is a Jewish tree. 14:40 So when the wild branches are grafted into the Jewish tree, 14:44 they become Jewish branches. 14:45 Are you with me or not? 14:47 Verse 24, "For if you were cut out of the olive tree 14:50 which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature 14:53 into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, 14:57 who are natural branches, be grafted into 14:59 their own olive tree? 15:01 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be 15:03 ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be 15:05 wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part 15:09 has happened to Israel until the fullness of 15:12 the Gentiles has come in. 15:13 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written, 15:16 'The Deliverer will come out of Zion, and He will turn away 15:19 ungodliness from Jacob. 15:22 For this is My covenant with them, 15:24 when I take away their sins.'" 15:30 We are currently experiencing technical difficulty 15:32 with our video and sound. 15:45 Please stand by. 16:00 Please stand by. 16:06 We are continuing to experience technical difficulties. 16:16 Please stand by. 16:30 Please stand by. 16:35 ...and He will serve us. 16:37 And He will serve Jews and Gentiles at the same table. 16:41 Notice what we find here in Matthew chapter 8 16:43 verses 11 and 12. 16:45 Matthew chapter 8 verses 11 and 12. 16:48 Incidentally, this comes immediately after Jesus 16:50 has healed the servant of the Roman centurion. 16:55 He was a Gentile, right? 16:57 So Jesus has just healed the servant of this Roman centurion, 17:02 this Gentile centurion, and then Jesus speaks these words. 17:06 "And I say to you that many will come from east and west..." 17:11 Who are those who come from east and west? 17:13 The Gentiles. 17:14 "...and sit down..." 17:17 And incidentally, if you read the parallel passage 17:19 in Luke 22 verse 30, it says, "and will sit down at My table." 17:25 Jesus is speaking, "They will sit down at My table." 17:28 "...with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 17:33 But the sons of the kingdom..." 17:35 Who are the sons of the kingdom? 17:38 The literal Jewish nation who did not accept Christ. 17:40 "But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out 17:43 into outer darkness. 17:45 There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." 17:48 Wow. 17:50 So how many tables does God have, does Christ have? 17:53 He's got one table. 17:54 Is it only going to be Jews at that table? 17:56 Well Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are going to be 17:58 at that table, but there are going to be people 18:00 who come from the east and the west. 18:02 And the parallel passage in Luke says that they will 18:05 come from the south and the north as well. 18:07 They'll come from the four directions of the compass. 18:11 When Jesus comes, it says in Matthew chapter 24 18:14 that He will send forth His angels and they shall pick up 18:17 His people from the four corners of the earth. 18:21 They're not all going to be Jews that will be picked up. 18:24 It will be all of God's people all over the world 18:27 that will be picked up. 18:30 There is only one spiritual temple. 18:33 Notice Ephesians chapter 2 verses 19 through 22. 18:36 This myth that God has two mutually separable peoples 18:40 and that these prophecies are going to be fulfilled literally 18:43 with the literal Jews when the church is in heaven, 18:46 it is a tremendous counterfeit. 18:49 It is a Christless interpretation 18:52 of Bible prophecy. 18:53 And we need to tell the world that prophecy is fulfilled 18:56 only in Christ Jesus. 18:59 It is not fulfilled in the Jewish nation. 19:02 Unless they believe in Jesus Christ. 19:05 One spiritual temple, Ephesians 2:19-22. 19:09 The apostle Paul says, and he's writing to Gentiles, 19:13 "Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, 19:17 but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the 19:22 household of God, having been built on the foundation 19:27 of the apostles and prophets..." 19:29 You have Old and New Testament there? 19:32 Prophets, Old Testament; apostles, New Testament. 19:36 But who is the chief cornerstone? 19:38 It says, "...the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself 19:42 being the chief cornerstone..." 19:44 Who is the chief cornerstone of the spiritual temple 19:47 of the church? 19:49 Jesus. 19:51 Are the foundations of the church based on the 19:53 Old and the New Testament, the apostles and the prophets? 19:56 Absolutely. 19:57 But He has only one temple, one church. 20:01 And so it says in verse 21, "...in whom the whole building, 20:04 being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 20:08 in whom you also are being built together for a 20:12 dwelling place of God in the Spirit." 20:15 Folks, this has profound implications. 20:18 The temple in which the antichrist sits 20:21 is not the literal Jerusalem temple, but rather the 20:24 spiritual temple; the church. 20:28 How many songs will God's people sing? 20:32 Well the Jews will sing the song of Moses, 20:35 and we will sing the song of the Lamb. 20:38 Right? 20:39 No, only one song. 20:42 Notice what we find in Revelation chapter 15 20:45 verses 3 and 4. 20:46 Revelation chapter 15 verses 3 and 4. 20:50 It says, "They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, 20:55 and the song of the Lamb, saying, 'Great and marvelous 21:00 are Your works, Lord God Almighty. 21:02 Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints. 21:05 Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? 21:08 For You alone are holy. 21:10 For all nations shall come and worship before You, 21:13 for Your judgments have been manifested.'" 21:17 What is this song that is going to be sung by the redeemed? 21:21 The song of Moses, that's the Old Testament, 21:26 and the Lamb, the New Testament. 21:29 And so God's people are going to sing one song. 21:32 It's not that the Jews are going to sing one song 21:35 and those who have been converted to Christ 21:37 are going to sing another song. 21:38 No, they both sing the same song. 21:42 Furthermore, we only have one Father. 21:49 The redeemed have only one Father; 21:51 the Father of Jesus Christ. 21:54 Those who receive Jesus as Savior and Lord 21:56 become brothers and sisters of Jesus. 21:58 And because they are brothers and sisters of Jesus, 22:01 they are also sons and daughters of God. 22:05 Notice Galatians chapter 3 and verse 26 on this point. 22:09 "For you are all sons of God..." 22:12 How do we become sons of God? 22:14 "...through faith in Christ Jesus." 22:17 Can we call ourselves sons of God directly by our 22:20 relationship with God the Father? 22:23 No, we have to come through Jesus. 22:26 We have to become His brothers and His sisters. 22:29 John 1 verses 12 and 13, John 1 verses 12 and 13. 22:34 It tells us that we become brothers and sisters of Jesus 22:38 as a result of being sons and daughters of God. 22:41 Notice these verses, "But as many as received Him..." 22:45 As received whom? 22:47 As received Jesus. 22:49 "...to them He gave the right to become the children of God..." 22:52 So who are the children of God? 22:54 Those who received Jesus. 22:57 So it says, "But as many as received Him, 23:01 to them He gave the right to become children of God, 23:03 to those who believe in His name; who were born, 23:08 not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, 23:11 nor of the will of man..." 23:13 But they were born of whom? 23:15 They were born of God. 23:18 So John 14 verse 6 says, Jesus is speaking, 23:22 "I am the way, the truth, and the life. 23:25 No one comes to the Father but by Me." 23:33 Incidentally, there's also only one high priest 23:36 with one breastplate. 23:40 You see all the oneness that we have here? 23:44 See, Aaron the high priest in Israel had a breastplate 23:46 with twelve stones. 23:49 The same twelve stars on the crown of the woman. 23:53 But Jesus also has the twelve stones. 23:55 But for Jesus, the twelve stones represent both Old Testament 23:59 Israel and New Testament Israel. 24:02 He doesn't have two breastplates. 24:05 He has one breastplate. 24:06 He has all of His people from all dispensations 24:09 very close to His heart. 24:13 So what are the conclusions that we can reach? 24:16 Preachers today, non-Adventist preachers, believe just as 24:21 Saul of Tarsus did before his conversion. 24:26 You say, "What?" 24:28 Absolutely. 24:29 They jump from the Old Testament to the end times 24:33 and totally bypass Jesus. 24:36 They say that God chose literal Israel unconditionally 24:39 and irrevocably, and that all the promises that God made 24:44 to literal Israel must be fulfilled with literal Israel 24:48 and literal Jerusalem in the literal temple 24:50 with re-established literal sacrifices with a literal 24:54 personal antichrist sitting in the literal temple 24:57 for a literal three and a half years. 24:59 Literal enemies will come from the literal north 25:01 and the literal east wielding literal weapons to wage 25:04 literal war against literal Jerusalem. 25:07 And all of this outside of Christ. 25:13 This is not a Christ-centered interpretation of prophecy. 25:16 This is false prophecy. 25:19 Do you think, folks, that if Protestants understood this, 25:23 that people like Tony Palmer would want to have 25:26 any relationship with the Roman Catholic Church? 25:29 Are you kidding? 25:30 The reason why Protestants want to join Catholics today 25:34 is because they've lost the prophetic scenario. 25:38 They've lost the true interpretation of prophecy. 25:40 They have lost historicism. 25:43 They have lost the method that would show them 25:45 that the papacy is the power that sits in the temple of God, 25:49 that the papacy changed the Sabbath to Sunday. 25:52 They didn't really change it, but they attempted 25:54 to change the Sabbath to Sunday. 25:56 They would see that this is the power 25:58 that sits in the temple of God, and they would understand 26:01 that the nation that is going to help the papacy 26:04 recover its power, that is going to make an image of the papacy 26:08 in the sense of joining church and state, 26:10 is none less than the United States of America. 26:13 But instead of looking at prophecy from the perspective 26:16 that we are studying here, they focus their eyes on the Muslims. 26:22 They say the enemy are the Muslims. 26:25 Radical Islam, they say, that is the enemy. 26:28 And we even have some Adventists who are saying that. 26:33 There's no place in the spirit of prophecy 26:35 where Ellen White attributes any role to Islam in the last days. 26:39 Clearly, the Bible and the spirit of prophecy tell us 26:42 that the enemies will be the political powers of the world, 26:45 the civil powers of the world, that are influenced by 26:49 the papacy and apostate Protestantism 26:51 to persecute God's people. 26:53 It will be a spiritual war over worship, 26:55 the law, and the Sabbath. 26:58 And this prophetic scenario hides everything 27:04 so that people can't see it. 27:06 So who's going to tell the world about it? 27:11 Do you understand now the purpose of the loud cry? 27:15 The loud cry is to proclaim this that we're 27:18 studying in this class. 27:20 Calling people out of Babylon and telling people 27:22 Babylon is fallen, it's full of demons. 27:25 Who wants to stay in a system that is full of demons? 27:30 And I know I'm being explicit and direct. 27:33 But it's the truth. 27:36 And I say it not to be unkind, but because only the 27:40 truth will make us free. 27:42 Only the truth will lead us to come out, 27:45 to walk with Jesus, 27:47 and to know what the true issues are in 27:49 the interpretation of Bible prophecy. 27:53 Let me read you a couple of statements here 27:56 from the spirit of prophecy on Jerusalem. 28:02 You know, there's people in the world that say, 28:04 "I would like to travel to the Holy Land." 28:09 Now, don't misunderstand me. 28:12 I believe that there's a place to take trips to the Holy Land. 28:16 I'll be explicit. 28:17 And you say, "Well you're speaking contrary 28:19 to Ellen G. White then." 28:21 I don't think so. 28:23 Because what Ellen White is describing, 28:24 and I'm going to read it in a moment, 28:25 is people who think that they can be closer to Jesus 28:28 by going to Israel. 28:31 Because there's like some influence that is still there. 28:38 And so if I go, Christ somehow is going to ooze into me. 28:44 And I'm going to have a deeper spiritual experience. 28:46 If you're going for that reason, 28:48 you're contradicting the spirit of prophecy. 28:50 But if you're going for educational purposes, 28:54 I don't think there's anything wrong with 28:56 going to the Holy Land. 28:57 Are you understanding what I'm saying? 28:59 Now let me read these two statements from Ellen White 29:02 which are very interesting. 29:03 Whereas everybody today is talking about going to the 29:05 Holy Land in Israel, still the Holy Land... 29:07 I watch these programs on television, they say, you know, 29:10 "We're taking these tours to the Holy Land, 29:12 and you'll feel closer to Jesus in the Holy Land." 29:15 Well let's see what Ellen White had to say about this. 29:18 Review and Herald, February 25, 1896. 29:20 This is page 24 of your syllabus. 29:22 Page 24 of your syllabus, there are two statements there. 29:29 I'll just wait a moment until you're able to 29:31 retrieve that page, because these are powerful statements. 29:37 Review and Herald, February 25, 1896, 29:39 Ellen White states, "Do not seek to go back to the land 29:43 where Christ's feet trod ages ago. 29:47 Christ says, 'He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, 29:53 but shall have the light of life.' 29:56 We can know far more of Christ by following him step by step 30:00 in the work of redemption, seeking the lost and the 30:04 perishing, than by journeying to old Jerusalem. 30:08 Christ has taken his people into his church. 30:13 He has swept away every ceremony of the ancient type." 30:19 You have some people say, "Well you still have to 30:21 celebrate the feasts." 30:24 Here, it says that He swept away ever ceremony. 30:26 Not only the sacrifices, every ceremony. 30:30 "He has given no liberty to restore these rites, 30:34 or to substitute anything that will recall 30:37 the old literal sacrifices. 30:39 The Lord requires of his people spiritual sacrifices alone. 30:44 Everything pertaining to his worship is placed under the 30:47 superintendence of his Holy Spirit. 30:49 Jesus said that the Father would not send the Holy Spirit 30:52 in his name to teach his disciples all things..." 30:57 Excuse me, "Jesus said that the Father would send 30:59 the Holy Spirit in his name to teach his disciples all things, 31:03 and to bring all things unto their remembrance 31:06 that he had said unto them." 31:09 And now notice what she says. 31:11 "The curse rests upon Jerusalem." 31:16 Wow. 31:17 The what? 31:18 "The curse rests upon Jerusalem. 31:21 The Lord has obliterated those things which men would 31:25 worship in and about Jerusalem..." 31:26 See, it's talking about worshipping these things. 31:31 "...yet many hold in reverence literal objects in Palestine, 31:37 while they neglect to behold Jesus as their advocate 31:41 in the heaven of heavens." 31:45 Is that clear? 31:47 You will not be closer to Jesus by going to Israel. 31:52 In fact, Ellen White says that the land is under a curse. 31:54 I went to Israel many, many years ago. 31:57 And I was blessed. 32:00 Because it helps you visualize the places that are 32:03 mentioned in Scripture. 32:04 It makes them really comes alive. 32:06 But I didn't go there and think when I was crossing 32:08 the Sea of Galilee, I didn't say, "Well, you know, maybe 32:11 the presence of Jesus is still here." 32:15 And I didn't go because I thought I was going to 32:17 have a closer walk with the Lord by being in Israel. 32:21 Because Jesus said, "Your house is left unto you desolate." 32:24 That is a desolate land. 32:27 Now notice the second statement. 32:30 This second statement is longer. 32:31 It comes from, Review and Herald, June 9, 1896. 32:36 Same year. 32:38 She says, "How many there are who feel that it would 32:40 be a good thing to tread the soil of old Jerusalem," 32:46 now notice, "and that their faith would be greatly 32:49 strengthened by visiting the scenes of the 32:53 Saviour's life and death. 32:55 But old Jerusalem will never be a sacred place until it is 33:00 cleansed by the refining fire from heaven. 33:04 The darkest blot of guilt rests upon the city that 33:07 refused the light of Christ. 33:09 Do we want to walk in the footsteps of Jesus? 33:13 We need not seek out the paths in Nazareth, 33:17 Bethany, and Jerusalem. 33:19 We shall find the footprints of Jesus by the sick-bed, 33:24 by the side of suffering humanity, in the hovels 33:28 of the poverty-stricken and distressed. 33:31 We may walk in these footsteps, comforting the suffering, 33:35 speaking words of hope and comfort to the despondent. 33:38 Doing as Jesus did when he was upon earth, 33:41 we shall walk in his blessed steps. 33:44 Jesus said, 'If any man will come after me, 33:47 let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, 33:51 and follow me.' 33:53 When the sin-cursed earth is purified from every 33:56 stain of sin; when the Mount of Olives is rent asunder, 34:00 and becomes an immense plain; when the holy city of God 34:04 descends upon it; the land that is now called the Holy Land 34:08 will indeed become holy." 34:11 I love that. 34:14 "But God's cause and work will not be advanced by 34:16 making pilgrimages to Jerusalem. 34:19 The curse of God is upon Jerusalem for the rejection 34:22 and crucifixion of his only begotten Son. 34:25 But God will cleanse away the vile blot. 34:28 The prophet says, 'I saw a new heaven and a new earth; 34:31 for the first heaven and the first earth are passed away; 34:34 and the sea is no more. 34:36 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, 34:38 coming down out of heaven from God, 34:40 made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. 34:43 And I heard a great voice out of the throne saying, 34:45 "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he shall 34:49 dwell with them, and they shall be his peoples, 34:52 and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. 34:55 And he shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; 34:57 and death shall be no more; neither shall there be 35:00 mourning, nor crying, nor pain, any more: 35:03 the first things are passed away. 35:05 And he that sitteth on the throne said, 35:08 'Behold, I make all things new.'"'" 35:14 What makes a place holy? 35:17 The presence of God. 35:19 The presence of Christ. 35:21 So where is Christ present? 35:26 Where is Christ present today? 35:29 Is He present here? 35:32 He's not present here? 35:34 Is He present here? 35:36 Is He present in your heart? 35:39 Will He be present at prayer meeting? 35:42 Is He present in every church where Jesus is worshipped? 35:46 Sure. 35:48 Absolutely. 35:50 So let me ask you, where is the holy land? 35:55 The holy land is where Jesus is. 35:57 And Jesus is where two or three are gathered in His name. 36:02 So you don't have to go to Israel, to the Holy Land, 36:05 to see the fulfillment of prophecy. 36:07 Prophecy is fulfilled all over the world 36:09 where there are people who confess Jesus Christ 36:12 as Savior and Lord. 36:15 It's simple. 36:16 It's not complicated. 36:18 And it is Christ-centered. 36:20 Now we have about 21 minutes left, 36:23 so let's go to our addendum. 36:27 The addendum. 36:30 The Significance of the Stoning of Stephen. 36:33 And we'll have to finish this in our session tomorrow morning, 36:37 our first session tomorrow morning. 36:39 So I hope that we'll arrive here bright and early. 36:42 What time? 36:45 No, 8:30. 36:47 Because we want to start at nine. 36:50 So let's arrive early tomorrow so that we can finish this 36:54 material on the stoning of Stephen. 36:56 And then we're going to go to our next principle. 36:59 We're going to leave behind the principle of 37:02 Israel in prophecy. 37:04 You know, I debated on whether to do Ishmael and Isaac 37:07 or the other material that you are going to fill in the blanks. 37:10 I might still change my mind, but we're a little bit behind. 37:14 We'll see, but we will finish this document on the 37:17 stoning of Stephen, Lord willing, tomorrow morning. 37:19 Now let's begin at the top. 37:21 Did probation for the Jewish nation end in 31 AD 37:25 when Jesus was crucified? 37:27 That's the question that we want to ask. 37:30 When did the door of probation close for the corporate 37:34 Jewish nation? 37:36 Adventists have always taught that it was with the 37:39 stoning of Stephen in 34 AD. 37:43 But why do we choose 34 AD as the ending point 37:48 of the 70 week prophecy? 37:50 Didn't Jesus say that probation closed when He left the 37:54 temple for the last time in the middle of the last week? 37:57 Didn't He say, "Your house is left unto you desolate." 38:00 It would seem so. 38:02 However, several things must be taken into consideration. 38:07 First, in the prophecy of Daniel 9, God promised 38:12 Israel 70 full weeks of probation. 38:16 Did He not? 38:17 Absolutely. 38:19 So would 31 AD be 70 full weeks of probation? 38:23 No. 38:24 If their probation ended in the year 31 AD, 38:28 then they did not get the full 70 weeks as God had promised. 38:33 More than once during His ministry, Jesus stated 38:37 that He was only sent to the lost sheep 38:40 of the house of Israel. 38:42 That is, His mission was limited to the Jewish nation, 38:46 because they had been allotted 70 weeks of probation. 38:49 Are you understanding that point? 38:51 Jesus was not being exclusive. 38:53 Jesus was simply saying, "The 70 weeks we gave 38:56 to the Jewish nation. 38:57 Therefore, I'm sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." 39:01 At first sight, Christ's statement about the 39:05 lost sheep appears to be a rather calloused statement. 39:09 But upon closer scrutiny, we can understand what Jesus meant. 39:14 His central mission involved only the Jews at this point 39:18 because probationary time had not ended for the Jewish nation. 39:23 Because the 70 weeks had not come to their conclusion. 39:28 Though the Jews cried out at His trial, 39:30 "We have no king but Caesar," 39:33 and, "His blood be upon us and our children," 39:36 and, "Release unto us Barabbas," 39:39 probation did not close for the corporate Jewish nation 39:43 at that time. 39:45 After the ascension, Peter explained that Jesus 39:48 sat down at the right hand of God in order to give 39:52 repentance unto Israel. 39:55 So did probation close when Jesus was crucified? 39:58 No, because Peter says that Jesus was seated 40:00 at the right hand of God to give repentance to Israel. 40:03 How could He give repentance to Israel if the door of 40:06 probation for them had closed? 40:09 Significantly in the first seven chapters of the books of Acts, 40:13 the gospel was preached only to the Jews. 40:19 It was not until chapter 10, after the stoning of Stephen, 40:25 that the gospel was preached to the Gentiles. 40:28 This indicates that the door of mercy was still open 40:31 to the Jewish nation even after the ascension of Jesus. 40:35 Are you understanding that point? 40:37 Now in Matthew 23 and verses 32 to 38, 40:41 we find further evidence that probation did not close 40:44 for the Jewish nation when Jesus was crucified. 40:48 In these verses, Jesus reached the climax of His indictment 40:52 against the Jewish leaders. 40:54 In verses 34 to 36, which we read a while ago, 40:58 Jesus stated... 41:00 And this is just a few days before His death, 41:02 two or three days before His death. 41:04 "Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes. 41:12 Some of them you will kill and crucify..." 41:15 So is Jesus saying He's going to send messengers 41:18 to Israel still after His crucifixion? 41:20 Yes. 41:21 "Some of them you will kill and crucify, 41:24 and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues 41:27 and persecute from city to city..." 41:30 And then only after that, we find, "...that on you 41:35 may come all the righteous blood that has been shed on the earth, 41:38 from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, 41:42 the son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between 41:45 the temple and the altar. 41:46 Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come 41:49 upon this generation." 41:51 So what is Jesus saying? 41:52 He's saying, "I'm going to send you..." What? 41:56 "I'm going to send you prophets, I'm going to send you wise men, 42:00 I'm going to send you scribes. 42:01 And I'll tell you what you're going to do to them. 42:04 You are going to kill and crucify some, 42:06 you're going to scourge others, 42:08 and you're going to persecute others from city to city." 42:10 And only then does Jesus say, "When you do that, 42:13 then all of the blood will come upon this generation." 42:17 Are you following me or not? 42:19 So was the door of probation still open 42:21 even after the crucifixion? 42:23 Yes it was. 42:24 Now don't miss the point of this passage. 42:28 Even though these words were spoken by Jesus 42:31 three days before His crucifixion, He still 42:34 promised to send, the verbs are in the future tense, 42:38 Israel prophets, wise men, and scribes. 42:41 And who were these prophets, wise men, ad scribes? 42:45 We can glean some clues from what Jesus said 42:49 would be done to them. 42:51 According to Jesus, some would be what? 42:55 Killed. Others would be? 42:57 Scourged in the synagogues. 42:59 And still others would be persecuted from city to city. 43:03 Acts 5:40-41 informs us that Peter and John were scourged 43:09 in the synagogue. 43:10 Saul of Tarsus was guilty of killing many, 43:13 the most notable of which was Stephen. 43:16 Noteworthy also is the fact that Saul of Tarsus later recounted 43:22 that he persecuted many from city to city. 43:25 Acts 6 verse 3 explains that the seven deacons were wise men. 43:31 Peter's sermon on the day of Pentecost 43:32 was a prophetic sermon. 43:34 And his ability to read the hearts of Ananias and Sapphira 43:38 also reveals that he possessed the prophetic gift. 43:41 And we shall see shortly that Stephen was the last prophet 43:45 who ever spoke to literal Israel. 43:48 So did Jesus fulfill His promise that He was going to send 43:50 wise men, He was going to send prophets, 43:52 and He was going to send messengers to speak 43:55 even after His crucifixion? 43:57 Yes, three and a half more years Jesus did that. 44:01 Jesus made it crystal clear in this passage 44:05 that the cup of Israel's iniquity did not fill up 44:08 until they rejected the messengers which were 44:13 sent by Jesus to them after His crucifixion. 44:17 Only then was the blood of all of the martyrs 44:20 demanded of that generation, according to verse 35. 44:25 Now Matthew 22:1-10 also provides evidence 44:29 that probation did not close for the Jewish nation 44:33 when Jesus was crucified. 44:35 In this parable, after the oxen and fatted cattle 44:39 have been killed... 44:40 And what is represented by the killing of the animals? 44:43 The death of whom? 44:45 The death of Jesus. 44:47 ...God sent out messengers to invite the Jews 44:50 to His Son's wedding supper. 44:52 But the messengers were ignored, seized, treated spitefully, 44:57 and killed. 44:59 As a result, God sent out His armies to destroy 45:04 those murderers and to burn their city. 45:07 What event was that? 45:09 The destruction of Jerusalem. 45:12 The gospel then went to those in the highways and byways, 45:16 an expression that is used to describe the Gentiles. 45:19 Particularly important here is the fact that the Father 45:23 sent out messengers to the Jewish nation 45:25 even after the death of Jesus. 45:28 It was only after the Jews rejected the calls 45:31 of these messengers that the Father decided 45:33 to destroy them and their city. 45:35 Are you following along? 45:37 Now in Ezekiel 11:22-23, we find a picture of 45:42 God's lingering mercy for Old Testament Jerusalem 45:46 just before the Babylonian captivity. 45:48 We took a look at this a while ago. 45:50 Even though at this point Jerusalem had been judged, 45:54 and Nebuchadnezzar was on his way to destroy the city, 45:57 we are told that the Shekinah left the temple and lingered 46:02 on the Mount of Olives as if loathed to leave. 46:06 In the same way, when Jesus left the temple and pronounced 46:09 the awesome words, "Behold, your house is left 46:11 unto you desolate," He did not want to leave. 46:15 We can almost hear Him say, 46:17 "How can I give you up, oh Israel?" 46:20 Mercy lingered on for three and a half years. 46:25 Notice that Ellen White caught this idea very clearly 46:28 in the book, Great Controversy, page 28. 46:32 It says there, "Through the preaching of the apostles 46:35 and their associates, God would cause light 46:39 to shine upon them..." 46:41 That is, upon the Jews. 46:42 "...they would be permitted to see how prophecy had been 46:46 fulfilled, not only in the birth and life of Christ, 46:49 but in his death and resurrection. 46:52 The children were not condemned for the sins of the parents; 46:56 but when, with a knowledge of all the light given 46:59 to their parents, the children rejected the additional light 47:02 granted to themselves, they became partakers 47:05 of the parents' sins, and filled up the measure 47:09 of their iniquity." 47:12 Now let's talk about the ending date for the prophecy 47:15 of the 70 weeks. 47:18 Many have been perplexed by the apparent absence 47:23 of a clearly defined ending event for the prophecy 47:26 of the 70 weeks. 47:28 But is such an event really missing in the 47:31 prophecy of Daniel 9? 47:32 See, in Daniel 9, if you read the prophecy of the 70 weeks, 47:35 it speaks about, you know, the coming of the Messiah, 47:38 the anointing of the Messiah, it speaks about what happens 47:42 at the middle of the last week, but the prophecy doesn't 47:46 seem to give an ending point. 47:49 There's no event mentioned in the prophecy of the 70 weeks 47:53 as an ending point for the 70 weeks. 47:56 We know that the ending point is the final ending point 48:00 for the Jewish nation as God's nation to reach out 48:04 to the world with the gospel. 48:05 We know that the ending point means that probation is closed 48:10 for the Jewish nation as God's instrument to take 48:12 the gospel to the world. 48:14 But there's no clear event in Daniel 9 to indicate 48:18 what event marked that moment. 48:21 Apparently. 48:23 Now let's continue here. 48:25 Is such an event really missing in the prophecy of Daniel 9? 48:31 Seventh-day Adventists have consistently believed 48:34 that the stoning of Stephen marked the conclusion 48:38 of the 70 weeks. 48:39 But are we justified in believing this? 48:43 I believe the biblical evidence fully vindicates 48:45 the Adventist point of view. 48:47 And why is this? 48:49 A study of Daniel 9:24 indicates that six things 48:53 would be accomplished during the time period of the 70 weeks. 48:57 One of these was to seal up vision and prophecy. 49:02 What does this expression mean, 49:04 "to seal up vision and prophecy?" 49:08 Here comes the interesting detail. 49:10 The same expression, "to seal up," 49:15 is used earlier in this verse, and is translated, 49:19 "to make an end of sins." 49:23 So in other words, where it says, "to seal up 49:26 vision and prophecy," the translation could be, 49:30 "to end vision and prophecy." 49:35 Because it's the identical word. 49:36 Why, in the same verse, is it translated in versions, 49:40 "to seal up," in one place, and in the same verse 49:44 later on it is translated, "to make an end," 49:47 when it is the same Hebrew expression? 49:50 It can be very well translated, "to make an end of 49:55 vision and prophecy." 49:58 In other words, one of the accomplishments of the 70 weeks 50:02 was to bring prophecy and vision to an end for the Jewish nation. 50:07 How and when did this happen? 50:10 When did they receive the last prophetic vision? 50:16 Careful examination of Acts 6 and 7 reveals that Stephen 50:21 was the last prophet who was given a vision 50:26 for the nation of Israel. 50:28 Let's take a look at the evidence. 50:31 In order to comprehend the significance 50:34 of the events in Acts 6 and 7, we must first understand 50:38 the covenant pattern in the Old Testament. 50:41 Due principally to the studies of Old Testament scholars, 50:45 George Mendenhall and Meredith Kline... 50:49 They are not Adventists, by the way. 50:51 ...we now know that God's covenant with Israel 50:53 in the Old Testament follows the same basic pattern 50:57 as the secular Suzerainty Treaties of the late Bronze Age, 51:03 which is 1550 BC to 1200 BC. 51:07 We will use Joshua 24, which describes the covenant renewal 51:11 just before Israel entered the Promised Land, 51:14 to exemplify the basic components of the 51:17 Old Testament covenant between God and Israel. 51:20 These are the elements that covenants contain 51:22 in the time when God made the covenant with Israel. 51:24 Would you expect God to use the same method of covenant 51:28 with Israel as with the surrounding nations? 51:30 Of course. 51:31 He wasn't going to talk to them in a different language. 51:34 He would use the same basic structure as He used 51:36 with the other nations. 51:38 Now what do you have in this covenant structure? 51:41 When a covenant was made, first of all you have the 51:43 preamble or the introduction. 51:47 Then it's very interesting that you have a historical prologue. 51:53 In other words, there's a telling of the historical events 51:57 that God did for Israel. 51:59 The history of Israel through the time of the conquest 52:03 is portrayed in chapter 24, the last half of 52:08 verse 2 through verse 13. 52:11 And then you have the covenant stipulations. 52:13 In other words, the obligations of the covenant. 52:16 Then you have the covenant blessings and curses. 52:20 Then you have an oath of obedience by Israel. 52:24 Then you have witnesses to the covenant. 52:29 Then you have a ceremony to ratify the covenant, 52:33 and arrangements for the covenant to be preserved 52:36 and perpetuated. 52:38 And then the covenant is notarized. 52:40 If you read Joshua 24, you're going to find all of those 52:43 elements in the covenant. 52:45 Now when Israel broke the covenant, 52:48 God sent them prophets to bring legal proceedings against them. 52:53 It is important to keep in mind that the prophets 52:55 were God's lawyers bringing a covenant lawsuit against Israel. 53:00 The proceeding has come to be knows as a covenant lawsuit. 53:04 Which in Hebrew is, "rib." 53:08 Though there are several examples of this 53:10 in the Old Testament, we will take Micah 6 as our example. 53:15 The word, "rib," is there translated, "contend," 53:19 or, "controversy." 53:21 So we need to understand, you know, Israel was unfaithful 53:24 to God, so God sends the prophets to sue Israel in court. 53:29 That's basically what you have. 53:32 Now when Israel broke the covenant, 53:35 God sent them then prophets to carry on legal proceedings. 53:39 Now let's notice the elements here that we find in Micah 6. 53:44 First of all, there's a call to the witnesses to give 53:47 ear to the proceedings. 53:48 I hope that you'll read these chapters, 53:49 because this is just a summary. 53:52 Then you have an introductory statement of the case at issue, 53:56 the case that is being brought before the court. 53:59 Then interestingly enough, you have a recital of the 54:01 Lord's benevolent acts. 54:04 You have a re-enactment or repetition of how good 54:07 God was to Israel in history. 54:10 Then you have the indictment. 54:12 And after the indictment, you have the sentence. 54:18 Now you say, "What does this have to do with Acts 7?" 54:22 You'll see. 54:23 There's something very important here in Acts 7. 54:25 As will be noticed above, the recital of God's benevolent acts 54:30 towards Israel was fundamental, both to the establishment 54:34 of the covenant, and to the covenant lawsuit. 54:38 Did God recite the benevolent acts in both? 54:40 Yes He did. 54:42 Something which has perplexed some Bible students 54:45 is the inordinately long historical discourse 54:49 which Stephen gave before the Sanhedrin. 54:52 Did you notice in Acts 7, he tells the whole history 54:54 of Israel and how God was so good to Israel. 54:58 In other words, he is God's lawyer in court. 55:03 The members of the Sanhedrin were the 55:05 intelligentsia of Israel. 55:08 Why would Stephen presumably waste his time and theirs 55:12 with the history that they knew all too well? 55:15 The answer lies in the fact that Stephen was God's prophet 55:19 bringing God's covenant lawsuit against Israel. 55:22 And as we shall see below, this would be God's 55:26 final covenant lawsuit. 55:29 There is an amazing parallel, and this will be our 55:31 final point, between the trial of Christ 55:34 and the trial of Stephen. 55:36 Let's notice a few similarities. 55:38 Both were taken before the Sanhedrin. 55:41 Both were accused by false witnesses. 55:43 Both reviewed the history of the Jewish nation. 55:46 Both spoke about God sending the prophets, 55:49 and finally sending His own Son. 55:51 In both, money was paid as a bribe to false witnesses. 55:55 Both were accused of speaking against Moses and the temple. 55:59 Both accused the Jewish leaders of shutting 56:01 their ears to the truth about the Messiah. 56:04 Both prayed for God to forgive the sin of their enemies. 56:08 Both were killed outside the city. 56:11 The innocence of both could be seen on their face. 56:14 In both, there was a mob mentality. 56:17 The Jews are repeating with Stephen 56:19 what they did with Christ. 56:22 These parallels suggest that Stephen was repeating 56:26 the experience of Jesus. 56:27 That is to say, what the Jewish leaders had done with Jesus, 56:31 they were now doing to Stephen. 56:34 This was the last straw. 56:38 Is this making sense? 56:41 Well, you can't miss the next exciting episode. 56:44 Because our time is up. 56:46 There are incredible evidences in the book of Acts 56:50 to prove that the stoning of Stephen 56:52 is the close of probation for the Jewish nation 56:55 as God's instrument to carry the gospel to the world. 56:59 Now God carries the gospel to the world through those 57:04 who have accepted Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. 57:07 Israel is global and worldwide. 57:10 And God's Israel is spiritual Israel, through whom 57:14 God will fulfill His promises to His people, 57:18 and through which God will finally fulfill prophecy 57:22 as it appears in the books of Daniel and Revelation. 57:27 And so we have a lot of exciting things still to study. 57:30 In our next session we will finish this document, 57:34 and you'll find some amazing things. 57:36 And then we will go to our next prophetic principle, 57:40 which will take us quite a long time. 57:42 The last few are going to take us longer than the first ones. 57:45 So I hope to see you all at the next session. |
Revised 2015-06-09