Participants: Stephen Bohr
Series Code: ASTPP
Program Code: ASTPP000027
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00:15 I'm glad to have you here at Anchor Bible school.
00:18 We're excited about the potential that this school has 00:21 for reaching the world. 00:23 Not only because of the class, but because we tape this series 00:27 and we want it to go to the world. 00:31 And not only on the internet, 00:33 but also on television broadcast. 00:35 So we appreciate you being here. 00:37 It's much easier to tape things with people than to do it 00:41 in an empty studio. 00:43 You know, it's difficult to get inspired when you don't have 00:47 anybody to preach to except for empty chairs. 00:50 So thank you for coming. 00:52 We're going to continue studying this chart. 00:55 Now when chapter 13 ends, and we'll include chapter 14:1-5, 01:00 how many groups do you have? 01:04 Two. 01:06 You have those who worship the image 01:09 and receive the mark and the number of the name, 01:14 and then you have those who are standing victorious 01:16 on Mount Zion, right? 01:19 But of course, the question comes up, 01:22 what is it that led the two groups to be on 01:26 one side or the other? 01:28 Why did one group decide to be on one side 01:31 and the other group decide to be on the other side? 01:34 We don't have a clear reason for that in chapter 13. 01:39 So now we come to chapter 14 and verse 6. 01:42 What do we have in chapter 14 and verse 6? 01:46 The three angels' messages. 01:48 Interesting. 01:50 Three angels are sent from heaven to preach 01:54 to the world. 01:56 And they preach, first of all, that we're to fear God, 01:59 they preach the everlasting gospel, that we're suppose to 02:01 fear God, give glory to Him because the hour of His 02:06 judgment has come, and that the world is suppose to 02:09 worship the Creator. 02:11 Right? 02:12 That's the first angel's message. 02:15 The second angel's message says, "Folks, if you're in 02:18 Babylon where that is not practiced, get out." 02:23 See, the three angels' messages are sequential. 02:27 The first message says, "Hey, fear God." 02:29 Which incidentally is usually linked with keeping 02:33 God's commandments. 02:34 So fear God, give glory to God. 02:39 We're in the hour of His judgment. 02:41 Worship the Creator. 02:43 And then the second angel says, "If you're in Babylon where 02:46 none of those things are done, she's fallen, 02:50 come out." 02:51 And then the third angel says, "If you don't come out, 02:55 if you receive the mark of the beast, 02:57 if you worship the beast and his image, 03:00 this is what is going to happen. 03:01 The wrath of God will fall upon you." 03:04 You see the sequence? 03:06 And so the three angels' messages have the purpose 03:09 of polarizing the world. 03:13 Dividing the world into two groups. 03:18 In other words, ripening the world, if you please. 03:22 And incidentally, the three angels' messages 03:25 are accompanied by the latter rain. 03:28 You know that the latter rain was what matured the harvest 03:32 and ripened the harvest? 03:34 Have you noticed what comes immediately after 03:36 the three angels' messages? 03:39 Jesus is seen seated on a cloud. 03:43 And there are two harvests that are ripe. 03:48 Have you noticed that? 03:51 There's first of all the harvest of the earth. 03:52 That represents what group? 03:55 The righteous. 03:58 That's the first thing that Jesus does, 04:00 is to separate the righteous. 04:02 And incidentally, if I might say this, we've usually applied 04:07 Jesus sitting on the cloud as the Son of Man 04:09 having a sickle in His hand, we usually have applied that 04:13 to the second coming. 04:14 But technically it's referring to the 04:17 conclusion of the judgment. 04:21 Because the harvest is separated before Jesus comes. 04:26 And Ellen White understands it that way. 04:29 And so Jesus is sitting on the cloud as the Son of Man 04:34 with a crown on His head and with a sickle in His hand. 04:38 He's going to harvest the earth because the harvest is ripe 04:42 and the grapes are ripe. 04:45 Let me ask you, what is it that ripened the harvest 04:47 and the grapes? 04:49 The three angels' messages. 04:52 And what accompanied the three angels' messages? 04:56 The latter rain. 04:58 Are you following me? 05:01 And so we know now what it is that divided the two groups. 05:06 The group in chapter 13 and the group that stands 05:09 victorious at Mount Zion. 05:10 We know that the three angels' messages 05:13 polarize the world into two groups. 05:18 Following me? 05:19 Now, you have Jesus, puts in His sickle, 05:25 harvests the harvest of the earth, the righteous. 05:28 Because the righteous are the first to be judged. 05:31 And then He puts in His sickle and He harvests the grapes 05:35 of the earth. 05:37 That represents the wicked. 05:39 And then the grapes are thrown into the winepress. 05:43 And where is the winepress? 05:47 If you've read Revelation 14:18-20, 05:49 the winepress is outside the city. 05:54 Which city? 05:57 Jerusalem. 05:59 And who is in Jerusalem? 06:03 The saints. 06:05 Literally or spiritually? 06:08 Spiritually. 06:12 Because when you accept the three angels' messages, 06:15 you are first in Jerusalem spiritually. 06:18 And then you will be literally. 06:21 Are you understanding the principle? 06:23 So in Revelation 14 where it says that, you know, 06:26 the righteous are inside the city... 06:28 By the way, it doesn't give the name of the city. 06:31 And later on we're going to find that it's Jerusalem. 06:34 Citizens of the New Jerusalem. 06:36 By accepting the three angels' messages, they become 06:38 citizens of the New Jerusalem. 06:40 They're in Jerusalem. 06:42 Not physically, but spiritually. 06:44 Outside the city are the grapes in the winepress. 06:49 What do you suppose the grapes are doing out there 06:52 outside the holy city? 06:55 Why are they there? 06:58 On vacation? 07:00 No. 07:01 If you go to Joel chapter 3, which is the root prophecy, 07:06 it speaks about the nations gathering around Jerusalem 07:09 to attack it. 07:14 And then it speaks about the winepress there. 07:16 This comes from Joel chapter 3. 07:19 So why are the wicked in the winepress outside the holy city? 07:22 What is their intention? 07:24 Their intention is to attack and destroy the remnant 07:27 who are spiritually in Jerusalem. 07:29 Is this happening worldwide? 07:31 This is worldwide. 07:33 Because in Joel, it says that the harvest is in 07:37 the Valley of Jehoshaphat. 07:39 But when you come to Revelation 14, 07:42 Jesus has said, "Harvest the earth." 07:47 So Revelation 14 universalizes what we 07:50 find in the book of Joel. 07:52 In Joel, it's the Valley of Jehoshaphat. 07:54 In Revelation, it is the harvest of the earth. 07:59 The vintage of the earth. 08:02 In other words, the three angels' messages 08:03 divide the world into two groups. 08:05 God's people are safe and sound in spiritual Jerusalem. 08:09 And the wicked are in the winepress 08:11 gathered to attack the city. 08:13 But you know how chapter 14 ends? 08:17 It speaks mysteriously about some horses 08:22 that trample the winepress. 08:27 Interesting. 08:28 And the blood splatters up to the horses bridles. 08:31 This, folks, is symbolic language. 08:36 Because we're not talking about literal grapes. 08:42 Now why the winepress? 08:44 You know what a winepress is? 08:47 A winepress, at least the way it use to be in Italy, 08:54 is that they would put all the grapes 08:57 into a big tub and then people would get in with bare feet 09:02 and they would trample upon the grapes to make wine. 09:07 See, now you will not feel tempted to drink wine anymore. 09:12 Of course, wine isn't made that way. 09:14 But that's the way... 09:15 In some places in Italy it's still done that way, 09:17 I understand. 09:19 Rosanne is from Italy. 09:20 And I see her saying yes. 09:22 And what happens when you're trampling the grapes? 09:27 What happens with your clothing? 09:29 They are splattered. 09:31 And what does the wine look like? 09:33 Blood. 09:36 Now let me ask you, who is riding those horses 09:39 that trample the winepress and the blood splatters 09:42 up to the horses bridles? 09:44 You don't know until you get to Revelation 19 09:48 where it speaks about Jesus sitting on a white horse, 09:51 and the armies of heaven are coming with Him, 09:54 and His garments are stained in blood. 09:59 That is not His own blood. 10:02 But it is the blood of the wicked, because it says 10:04 that He comes to trample the winepress. 10:09 Are you with me? 10:10 So what happens when the wicked are gathered 10:13 around God's people, to destroy God's people, 10:15 who are in spiritual Jerusalem? 10:16 Those who have received the mark of the beast, 10:18 who worship the beast, who worship the image to the beast, 10:20 who receive the number of the beast. 10:23 They're going to gather around God's people, 10:25 according to the book of Revelation, 10:26 with the intention of destroying them. 10:28 But when they're about to destroy them, 10:30 Jesus and the armies of heaven will come from heaven 10:33 and they will trample the winepress and deliver 10:36 God's people. 10:38 So let me ask you, does Revelation 14 end 10:44 with the final crisis of God's people? 10:47 It does. 10:48 With the two groups? 10:51 Yes. 10:52 And then you have, do you see there Revelation 15:2-4 10:57 on the right-hand side? 11:02 That's the climax. 11:04 The question is, was anybody victorious over the beast, 11:08 over his image, over his mark, and over the number of his name? 11:12 See, it reaches the same climax that chapter 13 reached. 11:17 Are you with me? 11:20 See, it takes you all the way to the climax, 11:23 and then John says, inspired by the Spirit, 11:26 "Now wait a minute, I still have some things to tell you 11:28 about what happened before." 11:31 So let's read Revelation 15 and verses 2 through 4. 11:38 Revelation chapter 15 and verses 2 through 4. 11:45 It says there, "And I saw something like a sea of glass 11:48 mingled with fire, and those who have the victory over the beast, 11:52 over his image, over his mark, and over the 11:54 number of his name..." 11:55 Is that in the third angel's message? 11:57 A warning about all that? 12:00 Of course, it's in the third angel's message. 12:04 Are there a group that are victorious? 12:06 Yes. 12:07 Where are they standing? 12:09 They're standing on the sea of glass, having what? 12:13 Harps of God. 12:14 And what do they sing? 12:16 "...the song of Moses, the servant of God, 12:17 and the song of the Lamb, saying..." 12:19 Now let me ask you, is that the same group that 12:21 we saw in Revelation 14:1-5? 12:25 Yes or no? 12:27 Yes. 12:29 So in other words, they're going to stand 12:31 victorious twice, right? 12:33 No. 12:35 It's the same victory dance. 12:39 But what has happened? 12:41 What John has done, he's taken us all the way to the end, 12:45 Revelation 14:1-5, and then he's going to tell us, 12:49 "Hey, I want to tell you how those people 12:50 got onto Mount Zion. 12:53 And I want to tell you what happened with those 12:56 who worshipped the beast and His image." 13:00 So then He takes you back to the three angels' messages 13:02 and says, "This is what divided the earth into two groups. 13:07 The three angels' messages made some people mad at them 13:10 and other people accepted it. 13:12 And those who got angry, they received the mark of the beast 13:15 and worshipped the beast, and received the image of the beast. 13:21 Whereas those others, they gain the victory 13:25 over the beast, over his image, over his mark, 13:28 and over the number of his name." 13:30 Are you following me? 13:33 And so then Revelation 15, it takes you, 13:38 as we're going to notice in a few moments, 15:2-4, 13:40 that's the climax of chapter 14. 13:45 In other words, verses 2 through 4 of chapter 15 13:48 really belongs with chapter 14. 13:51 It's the climax of chapter 14. 13:57 Now John is going to tell you, inspired by God's Spirit, 14:01 he's going to say, "Now wait a minute. 14:04 I still have a few things to tell you about things 14:07 that happened before they stood victorious." 14:11 So now he's going to go back and he's going to 14:13 describe the close of probation. 14:17 Is he taking you further forward? 14:21 Do you see the chart there? 14:23 See, Revelation 12 has the whole picture. 14:27 Thirteen begins with the Old Testament. 14:32 Fourteen takes you to the time when the three angels' messages 14:35 begin to be proclaimed, all the way to the victorious group. 14:40 Chapter 15 takes you back. 14:45 Let me ask you, will God's people stand on Mount Zion 14:47 before the close of probation? 14:50 Of course not. 14:52 So chapter 15 is going to take you to the time 14:55 when probation closed. 15:00 It's taking you back to the moment when the 15:03 three angels' messages end. 15:06 And, as we already studied, the temple is filled with smoke. 15:14 The temple being what? 15:16 The Most Holy Place. 15:18 And no one can what? 15:20 No one can enter. 15:22 Let me ask you, has probation closed at this point? 15:24 Have the three angels' messages done their work and divided 15:26 the whole world into two groups? 15:29 So do you see it's taking you a little bit further forward? 15:32 The three angel's have finished their message. 15:36 Isn't this fascinating? 15:40 How, when you understand the structure, you know 15:42 exactly where to fit everything. 15:45 If you don't, you say, "Now wait a minute. 15:47 How can they be on Mount Zion before the close of probation? 15:52 You know, how can they be victorious in chapter 14 15:57 before the three angels' messages are proclaimed?" 16:01 The fact is, they're not. 16:03 The fact is, that you have this phenomenon 16:05 of taking you all the way forward, then back. 16:08 Then forward, and not as far back. 16:12 And then forward, and not quite as far back. 16:16 Until finally when you get to the last part of the book, 16:19 the first stages are totally forgotten. 16:24 So chapter 15 takes you to the moment when the 16:28 three angels' messages end. 16:31 Is that clear? 16:35 And then the next chapter, chapter 16, 16:40 after probation closes, after a short period of time, 16:44 what is poured out? 16:47 The plagues. 16:48 Is that taking you a little bit further forward 16:50 than the close of probation? 16:51 It's taking you a little further. 16:53 And chapter 16 gives you all of the seven plagues. 17:00 However, there are three plagues that are particularly important 17:07 for God's people. 17:09 We're going to notice in our study this afternoon 17:12 or tomorrow, depending on how fast we go... 17:17 We might have to have two sessions tomorrow. 17:19 But anyway... 17:22 We're going to notice in our study tomorrow 17:25 that when you get to the plagues, the first four plagues, 17:31 God's people are in jeopardy. 17:34 I call them, jeopardy plagues. 17:37 In other words, the lives of God's people are in danger, 17:41 and the wicked are filled with rage. 17:45 But when you get to plagues five, six, and seven, 17:48 those are called, deliverance plagues. 17:52 Because during those three plagues, God's people 17:54 are no longer in danger. 17:58 In fact, when the fifth plague of darkness falls, 18:04 the politicians of the world, the civil rulers of the world, 18:09 are going to wake up. 18:12 And the multitudes that have been deceived by 18:15 counterfeit religion are going to wake up, 18:19 and they're going to say, "You guys deceived us." 18:25 And their rage for God's people is going to be forgotten. 18:30 Like after the millennium with the devil with the multitudes. 18:35 See, first of all, they're focused on the holy city 18:37 after the millennium to destroy those who are inside the city. 18:42 But when God shows them who is the real guilty party, 18:46 they turn on the devil. 18:49 The same is going to happen before the millennium. 18:53 The people who go to church now and they just 18:56 glorify their preachers and they say, "Oh, this is so wonderful. 18:59 This futurism, that we're going to heaven before the rapture. 19:04 Oh, we can have our cake and we can eat it too. 19:07 Isn't this wonderful." 19:09 And they preach a prosperity gospel. 19:11 And just make yourself rich. 19:12 "God wants you to be rich in this world. 19:15 And He wants you to be psychologically happy." 19:19 And all those who have soothed the feathers of people. 19:22 Someday they will have to render an account. 19:27 And they will not render it only to God. 19:29 They will render it to their religious leaders. 19:32 The people that they deceived will turn against them. 19:36 That's the drying up of the Euphrates. 19:38 We're going to study that. 19:41 Are you catching the picture? 19:43 It's a serious thing to be a preacher. 19:48 Very serious. 19:50 Because God will hold us more accountable 19:53 than anyone else. 19:55 Because where great light is given, 19:59 much is demanded. 20:02 And so, if there's any preachers out there where your focus is 20:05 having a big ministry, and getting lots of money, 20:08 and being very popular, think twice. 20:11 The popularity and the money will last now, 20:15 but reckoning day will come. 20:18 And it will not be God who will do it. 20:22 It will be those who most admired them 20:26 who will do the work. 20:31 Amazing. 20:34 So you have the first four plagues, jeopardy plagues. 20:36 We'll study this. 20:38 And the last three plagues are deliverance plagues. 20:42 Because the last three plagues, once the darkness hits 20:45 and God's people are in light, 20:48 the wicked multitudes... 20:49 And God is going to show His law in the heavens. 20:51 And He's going to show that the Sabbath was still binding. 20:54 Psalm 50 tells us that. 20:57 ...then the wicked are going to say, 20:59 "You told us they were the bad guys. 21:00 Now we know who the real bad guys are." 21:03 And so the rage will no longer be focused on God's people. 21:06 God's people will be safe. 21:10 In fact, at that point we'll have the special resurrection 21:14 of those who died in the message of the third angel. 21:17 And God's living saints will be glorified. 21:22 And so you have all of the plagues in chapter 16. 21:25 But then you'll notice that there's something significant 21:31 about plagues number six and seven. 21:34 And so in chapter 17, God through John says, 21:40 "Now wait a minute, I already gave you all of the plagues 21:43 up to number seven, but I have something to tell you more 21:46 about number six and seven." 21:49 And so in chapter 17 and 18, what he does is he goes back 21:56 and he amplifies plagues number six and seven. 22:03 Are you following me? 22:06 And you know, this won't make a lot of sense to you right now 22:09 because we haven't studied it. 22:12 But in Revelation 17, he's going to actually explain 22:19 the moment when the waters are dried up on the harlot, 22:24 that's plague number six, 22:27 and when the kings turn against the harlot. 22:30 It says the kings that cooperated with the harlot, 22:32 they will hate the harlot. 22:36 And they will make her desolate, and naked, 22:40 and they will burn her with fire. 22:42 That's the way of saying that they're going to 22:43 really be mad at her. 22:47 So they better be very careful about linking up with religion. 22:56 Because it will be a serious matter, a serious thing. 23:01 And so in chapter 17 you have an amplification 23:04 of the sixth and seventh plagues. 23:09 And then God in His mercy... 23:10 Do you notice there where it says, 23:12 "18:1-5 flashback warning." 23:18 After describing plagues number six and seven 23:23 from a religious political perspective in chapter 17, 23:28 and from a religious economic perspective in chapter 18... 23:34 Because chapter 18 emphasizes commerce. 23:38 Chapter 17 emphasizes religion. 23:43 Are you following me? 23:45 After you have the picture in chapter 17 23:49 of the sixth and seventh plagues that are going to fall 23:51 without mercy, then you have chapter 18:1-5. 23:56 It's the loud cry. 23:58 Is the loud cry given during the plagues or is it given 24:01 before the close of probation? 24:05 So why is it there? 24:08 The reason why is because God wants to say, 24:10 "Listen, the plagues are going to fall on Babylon." 24:14 Doesn't the loud cry say, "Come out of her, My people, 24:18 lest you partake in her sins and you receive her plagues." 24:23 So God, after portraying this harlot who fornicates with 24:27 the kings and is full of the blood of the saints, 24:31 God says, "I've got to warn everybody. 24:32 I've got to insert a warning." 24:34 And so in chapter 18 verses 1 through 5 He says, 24:37 "These plagues are going to fall on Babylon. 24:39 Get out." 24:41 Are you with me? 24:43 It takes you back to warn people that when these plagues come, 24:47 make sure you're not there. 24:50 Because those plagues are going to fall upon Babylon. 24:54 Does that make any sense? 24:57 And then you come to chapter 18 and verses 6 through 24. 25:01 This is the fall of Babylon from an economic perspective. 25:04 See, we live in a world where we have a global economy. 25:12 And someday that global economy, that Babylonian economy, 25:15 is going to collapse. 25:19 And that is portrayed in Revelation 18. 25:23 The demise of the union of church and state 25:25 is portrayed in chapter 17. 25:27 The demised of the global economic system 25:29 is in chapter 18. 25:33 And then, this is interesting, after chapter 18 where you have 25:39 the global collapse of the economy, 25:42 do you notice to the right-hand side of the line there 19:1-10? 25:46 God's people are in heaven again. 25:51 Now we've got a problem. 25:53 How can God's people be in heaven in chapter 19 25:56 verses 1 through 10 if Jesus doesn't come on the white horse 26:01 until Revelation 19:11-21? 26:07 Are you understanding my question? 26:11 The second coming is in Revelation 19:11-21. 26:16 But God's people are in heaven in verses 1 through 10. 26:21 So how can they be in heaven before the seventh plague? 26:25 The answer is very simple, folks. 26:28 Revelation 19:1-10 is the climax of chapter 18. 26:34 When everything collapses, after that, God will have a people 26:39 who stand victorious with Him. 26:43 But then John says, "Now wait a minute. 26:44 Wait, wait, wait, wait. 26:47 I still have to tell you something about 26:50 the seventh plague. 26:53 Which, by the way, is the second coming of Jesus. 26:56 And so then in chapter 19:11-21, he takes you back 27:02 to describe the second coming of Christ 27:07 coming on a white horse with the armies of heaven. 27:12 Is that making sense to you? 27:15 It's amazing. 27:17 And you know, do you know where I got the idea 27:19 to study this structure this way? 27:20 From the spirit of prophecy. 27:26 I don't think Ellen White sat down to do this. 27:30 I don't know of any chart that she had. 27:33 But I'll tell you one thing. 27:35 The Holy Spirit told her exactly how to put it in order. 27:39 And when you read the book, Great Controversy, folks, 27:41 it is amazing. 27:44 There is no, there is nil possibility that someone 27:49 with a two and a half year primary education 27:52 could have put things in the order that they are in 27:54 in the book, Great Controversy. 27:58 It's spectacular. 28:02 And I tell you as one that has really studied it. 28:06 And yet people today, they say, "Oh, don't give out the 28:08 'Great Controversy,' because it might offend someone." 28:15 Huh, you know, it's interesting. 28:17 "It might offend someone," they say. 28:20 Well, I suppose God should have told Stephen not to offend 28:23 Saul of Tarsus. 28:26 You know what? 28:27 If something offends someone, it's because it hit a raw spot. 28:35 I have a church member, I have a church member 28:41 who really got angry at me when I preached 28:45 the Genesis series the first time. 28:48 She came with her husband, she was a Roman Catholic. 28:52 When I spoke about the beast, she quit coming to church. 28:57 She was serious. 28:59 And she would come once in a while on Sabbath, 29:01 but she looked at me... 29:04 I mean, if looks could kill, I'd be dead right now. 29:10 She was not a happy camper. 29:13 And so some members were saying, "Pastor Bohr, see, you shouldn't 29:16 have spoken so strongly." 29:20 You know. 29:21 And I don't think I was obnoxious. 29:25 I just presented the biblical evidence. 29:28 She wasn't happy. 29:30 But the Holy Spirit put it in there. 29:36 And it worked on her. 29:37 And to make a long story short, 29:41 today she's one of the most active members 29:45 at Fresno Central Church. 29:48 And you know what? 29:51 A couple of years ago she sent me a card 29:54 apologizing for all of the looks... 30:02 Praise the Lord. 30:04 ...and thanking me for preaching that sermon. 30:07 So just because something makes people mad 30:10 doesn't mean that it's all bad. 30:14 Because Stephen made a lot of people mad. 30:17 But the result was the apostle Paul. 30:23 Plant the seed and let God do the work. 30:26 Don't start saying, "Well if I say it this way, 30:28 it might offend..." 30:29 No. 30:31 Pray to the Lord that the Lord will show you how to say it. 30:33 And then say it. 30:35 And leave the consequences with God. 30:39 Because ultimately, the buck stops with Him. 30:42 Or I guess you would say, the pound stops with Him. 30:49 The cruzeiros, no you don't have cruzeiros anymore, right, 30:51 in Brazil? 30:53 What's your currency? 30:56 Oh, okay. 30:59 They use to have the cruzeiro. 31:02 You can tell what century I'm from. 31:06 So in Revelation chapter 19 verses 11 to 21 you have 31:09 the seventh plague, the second coming of Jesus. 31:12 And He comes to trample the winepress. 31:14 Let me ask you, is this the same climax that 31:16 we reached in Revelation 14:18-20? 31:20 The winepress? Yeah. 31:21 Now you know, now listen carefully, now you know 31:24 who's riding the horses. 31:25 Revelation 14 doesn't tell you who's riding the horses 31:27 that trample the winepress. 31:29 Revelation 19 does. 31:31 It tells you that the Word of God is on the horse, 31:34 and the armies of heaven are coming, 31:35 and they're coming to trample the winepress. 31:37 And that's why the garments of Jesus are stained in blood. 31:43 And then you come to the right-hand side of the line 31:50 at the very top of the chart. 31:53 See, you have these four perspectives, right, 31:56 that we studied today. 32:00 What is the first perspective on the extreme right-hand side? 32:04 Satan and the earth. 32:08 And then you have Revelation 21 verse 2, 32:10 events at the beginning of the millennium, 32:13 20 verse 3, the first half of the verse; during. 32:17 20 verse 3, the last half of the verse; after. 32:22 Before, during, and after. 32:25 And the perspective is Satan and the earth. 32:29 Then you have the view of the saints. 32:32 Chapter 20 verse 4; the beginning. 32:35 Chapter 20 verses 5 and 6; during. 32:39 And chapter 20:7-10; after. 32:44 Then, even though it's not there, you have 32:45 the view of the wicked. 32:47 In that blank space, you want to put, "wicked," there. 32:52 Revelation 20:11 has the beginning. 32:54 Remember the white throne? 32:57 Revelation 20:12 is during. 32:59 The dead standing before God. 33:03 And Revelation 20 verse 13 through 21 verse 1; after. 33:13 And then you have the fourth outline, 33:19 and it describes the events after. 33:24 It says there that the holy city descends from heaven 33:31 like a bride adorned for her husband. 33:34 And then you have all of the description of what life 33:36 will be like with the Lord. 33:38 You'll be with God's people. 33:39 No more tears, no more pain, no more sorrow, no more crying. 33:43 And then at the end, it describes 33:45 that the overcomers are in the city. 33:47 And it tells you what were the sins that were committed 33:51 that were in the books that condemned the wicked. 33:54 And they're cast into the lake of fire. 33:58 And then at the very top of the chart, 34:01 you have a new heavens and a new earth. 34:05 So what has Revelation 12 through chapter 22 done? 34:14 It has taken you through the broad sweep 34:18 of salvation history from the times of Babylon 34:22 all the way to the new heavens and the new earth. 34:26 Step by step. 34:30 It's amazing. 34:34 Now, let's go to Revelation 11:18. 34:39 We're finished with the chart. 34:41 It took us one and a half classes to do the chart. 34:46 Revelation 11:18, in our remaining time. 34:56 And I actually want to begin at verse 15. 35:00 Now those of you who were at prayer meeting, 35:02 you heard some of this. 35:03 You received the handout. 35:08 So this will be review for you. 35:10 But I want to give you another example of the importance of 35:12 understanding the literary structure. 35:17 Revelation 11 beginning with verse 15. 35:25 You're acquainted with the seven trumpets, right? 35:30 The seventh in the series takes you to the time 35:32 of the coming of Jesus. 35:35 Right? 35:37 When the seventh trumpet sounds, Jesus takes over the kingdom. 35:42 Let's read it. 35:45 "Then the seventh angel sounded. 35:48 And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, 35:51 'The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms 35:54 of our Lord and of His Christ, 35:59 and He shall reign forever and ever.'" 36:03 Is that the time when Jesus comes to take over the kingdom? 36:06 Yeah. 36:08 The seventh trumpet. 36:10 Verse 16, "And the twenty-four elders who sat before God 36:15 on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying, 36:19 'We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, 36:23 the One who is and who was and who is to come...'" 36:27 Now listen to the tense of the verb. 36:30 "...because You have taken Your great power and reigned." 36:38 So does God, does Jesus, along with His Father, 36:43 take over the kingdoms of this world and reign 36:46 at the moment of the seventh trumpet? 36:48 Yes, that's the second coming of Jesus. 36:51 Now yesterday we studied that shortly before the seventh 36:55 trumpet sounds, what's going to happen? 36:58 The mystery of God is going to be finished. 37:04 What is the mystery of God? 37:08 It's the preaching of the gospel. 37:10 In the end time, it's the preaching of the 37:12 three angels' messages. 37:15 So shortly before the seventh trumpet sounds, 37:18 which the seventh trumpet is the second coming of Jesus, 37:22 the mystery of God is going to be finished. 37:24 No one knows how long before. 37:28 Because we have no more time prophecies. 37:31 The mystery of God will be finished. 37:33 Probation will close. 37:36 In Revelation 15, it's explained by saying 37:38 that the temple in heaven is opened 37:42 to let the plague angels out. 37:43 The temple is filled with smoke. 37:45 Nobody can go in anymore. 37:47 Probation is closed. 37:49 But listen carefully. 37:51 After probation closes, you're still going to be on earth 37:54 for the plagues. 37:56 So there is a period between the close of probation 38:00 and the second coming of Christ. 38:03 Now, let's go to verse 18. 38:08 Verse 18. 38:11 This verse actually gives you the summary 38:15 of the rest of Revelation. 38:19 This verse is not the conclusion of the seventh trumpet. 38:24 This verse is going to take you back, 38:27 and it's going to tell you the events that took place 38:35 from the times that the nations were getting angry 38:38 till after the millennium. 38:43 Now notice that there are five events in this verse. 38:48 And it summarizes or sketches the last half of Revelation. 38:53 It's the outline of the last half of Revelation. 38:56 What is the first event here? 38:59 "The nations were angry..." 39:03 "The nations were angry..." 39:08 Is that talking about something that happens 39:10 before the close of probation or after the close of probation? 39:14 Before. 39:17 It's before. 39:20 You say, "How do you know that?" 39:23 Well, you know, it's interesting that the word, "angry," 39:26 that is used there is used in only one other verse 39:31 in Revelation. 39:34 Revelation 12:17. 39:38 In Revelation, there are other words for, "angry." 39:43 But this word in 39:46 is used in only one other verse. 39:49 Revelation 12:17. 39:53 When the nations are angry, who are they angry at? 39:59 It's not saying, when it says, "The nations were angry," 40:01 it's not emphasizing that, you know, Syria doesn't like Israel. 40:10 That's not, "The nations were angry." 40:13 The nations were angry at God's people. 40:18 Now let me ask you, in Revelation, 40:19 where is that described? 40:21 The anger of the nations against God's people. 40:25 How about Revelation 12? 40:28 Does Revelation 12 describe the anger? 40:31 Hmmm. 40:33 He wants to kill the Child. 40:35 Then he wants to kill the woman. 40:37 And then he wants to kill the remnant. 40:41 How about Revelation 13? 40:44 Are the nations angry there? 40:47 The beast persecutes the saints. 40:51 And then the beast that rises from the earth, 40:54 he imposes the mark of the beast and tells people to worship 40:57 on pain of death. 41:01 And then in chapter 14, you have this warning message; 41:04 the three angels' messages. 41:06 And after the message is proclaimed, 41:08 the wicked are gathered around the city 41:10 to destroy God's people. 41:12 So where is the anger of the nations described? 41:16 In Revelation 12, 13, and 14. 41:21 Are you with me? 41:23 Now notice the next point. 41:26 "The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come..." 41:32 That's God's wrath. 41:34 When does God's wrath come? 41:38 Before or after the close of probation? 41:42 After. 41:44 So is the wrath of the nations taking place 41:47 in post probationary time? 41:49 Yes it is. 41:50 And where in Revelation is the wrath of God described? 41:56 In Revelation 15. 41:58 Let's notice the words that are used. 42:02 Revelation chapter 15 and verse 1. 42:13 And by the way, verse 1 is kind of like a 42:19 parenthetical statement. 42:22 It says, "Then I saw another sign in heaven, 42:25 great and marvelous: 42:27 seven angels having the seven plagues, 42:30 for in them the wrath of God is complete." 42:35 So when is the wrath of God poured out? 42:39 In the plagues. 42:41 Right? 42:44 So probation closes in chapter 15. 42:49 Chapter 16, the plagues are poured out; 42:51 which is the wrath of God. 42:53 Chapters 17, 18, and 19 further describe 42:57 the sixth and seventh plagues. 43:01 And what is the next event in the sequence in Revelation 11? 43:07 It says, "...and the time of the dead, 43:10 that they should be judged..." 43:14 Which dead? 43:18 The wicked. 43:21 You say, "Now wait a minute. The wicked?" 43:23 Sure. 43:25 What happens after the wrath of God is 43:27 poured out in the plagues? 43:29 The millennium begins. 43:33 And what happens during the millennium? 43:36 The wicked are judged. 43:39 So there you have chapter 20. 43:42 Are you with me? 43:48 What is the next item? 43:53 "...the time of the dead, that they should be judged, 43:56 and that You should reward Your servants the prophets 43:59 and the saints..." 44:03 So what does God do? 44:04 The time comes for the judgment of the dead, 44:07 the wicked dead. 44:08 But at the same time, what happens with God's people? 44:12 They're rewarded when Jesus comes. 44:16 And so you find in Revelation, it says, 44:18 "Behold, I come quickly. 44:21 And My reward is with Me to give to each according to his work." 44:28 So the next two events have to do with 44:31 rewarding the wicked by taking them to heaven, 44:33 and judging the wicked. 44:34 Excuse me. 44:37 Giving the reward to the righteous 44:39 and taking them to heaven, 44:41 and then judging the wicked who are left behind. 44:48 And then what's the next event? 44:52 It says, "...and should destroy those who destroy the earth." 44:59 When does that take place? 45:03 After the millennium, 45:06 when the wicked are thrown into the lake of fire. 45:11 So what do we have in Revelation 11 verse 18? 45:15 We have the summary statement that introduces 45:18 the last half of the book. 45:23 If you don't realize that, you'll be all messed up. 45:30 Because chapter 11 and verses 15 to 17 45:36 describe the second coming. 45:40 And then verse 18 takes you back. 45:42 It says, "Now I'm going to give you the summary 45:43 of the rest of the book." 45:46 And then, listen to this, and then in verse 19, 45:52 God is going to give you the starting point 45:55 for the last part of the book. 46:00 And what is the starting point? 46:03 It's in 11:19. 46:08 11:19 does not come after verse 18. 46:19 Unless you believe that the investigative judgment 46:21 takes place after God destroys the wicked. 46:29 Are you understanding me? 46:32 Unless you believe that the judgment takes place 46:34 after the plagues. 46:38 Verse 19 takes you back to 1844. 46:46 It takes you back to 1844. 46:49 And what happens in verse 19? 46:52 See, Revelation 11:19 is the introduction 46:55 to the rest of the book. 46:57 Eighteen gives you the summary of the events. 47:00 Chapter 11 verse 19 gives you the starting point 47:04 for the key historical events of the last half of the book. 47:08 Is that making sense? 47:11 And what is it that verse 19 says? 47:15 "Then..." 47:17 And when he says, "Then," it's because it's being 47:19 shown to him afterwards. 47:22 "Then the temple of God was opened in heaven..." 47:27 Which temple? 47:30 The word, "temple," here is the Greek word, "naos." 47:34 Which in Revelation is used sixteen times, and it always 47:38 refers to the Most Holy Place. 47:42 So the naos is opened in heaven. 47:45 And what is seen? 47:48 "...the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple." 47:56 So when the ark of the covenant is seen, 48:00 is it still possible to be saved? 48:05 Does God want His people to enter the temple if the 48:08 temple is opened and the ark is seen? 48:11 What does God want us to see when He shows 48:13 the ark of the covenant? 48:15 Let me ask you, when was the ark of the covenant 48:17 seen in the religion of Israel? 48:20 On the Day of Atonement. 48:24 Do you know what the purpose of the Day of Atonement was? 48:27 To divide humanity into two groups. 48:31 Right? 48:33 The Day of Atonement was to separate 48:35 the righteous from the wicked. 48:38 So what is the starting point for the last half 48:40 of the book of Revelation? 48:43 The opening of the heavenly temple to judge the world 48:48 to determine who is on one side and who is on the other side. 48:54 And so it says, "Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, 48:57 and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple," 49:00 that is in the Most Holy Place, 49:01 "and there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, 49:04 an earthquake, and great hail." 49:06 And incidentally, verse 19, as we noticed in a previous study, 49:14 gives you the beginning and the ending point. 49:22 It gives you the moment when the series in the last half 49:27 of Revelation begins, and it gives you also 49:30 when the series ends. 49:34 Can you think of another verse where you have these 49:35 same phenomena; lightenings, noises, thunderings, 49:39 earthquake, and hail? 49:42 The seventh plague. 49:46 So this verse gives you the starting point 49:48 and the ending point. 49:52 Let's just read that verse, Revelation 16 and verse 17. 50:01 It says there, "Then the seventh angel 50:06 poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice..." 50:10 So do you hear voices here? 50:13 Yes. 50:14 "...a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven..." 50:17 Is that the same temple that was opened in 11:19? 50:21 Same word. 50:24 "...from the throne, saying..." What? 50:27 "It is done!" 50:28 So when the temple opens, that's the beginning. 50:32 Here, the voice comes from the temple and says what? 50:36 It could be translated, "It is finished." 50:40 Verse 18, "And there were noises 50:49 and thunderings and lightnings; 50:56 and there was a great..." What? 50:59 Is that the same thing we find in 11:19? 51:02 Yes. 51:04 "...as had not occurred since men were on the earth." 51:06 And you say, "Well, what about the hail?" 51:10 Well, notice verse 21. 51:11 "And great hail from heaven fell upon men..." 51:17 So what does 11:19 do? 51:19 11:19 says, "The main emphasis from 11:19 on 51:24 is going to be the work in the Most Holy Place." 51:29 And this work in the Most Holy Place will end 51:32 when God says, "It is done." 51:38 And the same phenomena that are mentioned in 11:19 51:41 are then mentioned in Revelation 16 51:45 and the last several verses. 51:48 So you also have to connect text in Revelation with one another. 51:54 Because Revelation is built on a pattern of repetition. 51:59 So if it's built on a pattern of repetition, 52:02 then you have to look for the repetition to enlighten 52:05 what it said earlier in the book. 52:08 Are you following me or not? 52:10 So what I'm saying is that Revelation is a very 52:14 intricately organized book. 52:16 There's no human mind that could have devised this. 52:20 It's just too complex. 52:24 And you know, you might say, "Well, it's really nice to know 52:26 all these things, but isn't it enough just to love Jesus?" 52:32 I believe that there's a lot of people that are going to 52:33 be in heaven that didn't know any of this. 52:37 They loved Jesus. 52:39 But you know what? 52:42 We are a people that are going to live through these things. 52:46 This is a different generation. 52:50 You see, people who have died during probationary time, 52:54 it's a different ballgame. 52:58 Because they didn't live through this. 53:01 And you know, there's going to be a special resurrection. 53:05 Just to give you an example, there's going to be a 53:06 special resurrection of those who died understanding 53:09 the message of the third angel. 53:13 Why would God resurrect those individuals 53:16 who understood the message of the third angel? 53:18 There's a very specific reason why He doesn't resurrect 53:21 everybody else who died in the Lord before that. 53:25 You see, those who died before that, they're going to be raised 53:29 once Jesus is above the earth. 53:32 Read, Great Controversy, 635-638. 53:36 There you have all of the sequence. 53:40 The righteous who died before the third angel's message was 53:43 proclaimed, those individuals are going to resurrect 53:47 after the second coming when Jesus is above the earth. 53:53 But those who embraced and understood the third angel's 53:57 message are going to resurrect in a special resurrection 54:01 when the voice of God delivers His people from death. 54:04 When the 144,000 are glorified. 54:06 Those who died in the message of the third angel 54:08 are going to resurrect in a special resurrection. 54:10 You say, "Why would they resurrect? 54:13 And why not the ones who died before?" 54:14 Do you know why? 54:16 Because the ones that died before would not have 54:18 the foggiest idea what's happening. 54:25 Right? 54:27 Because, listen folks, when they resurrect, 54:31 there's still going to be some events. 54:32 The fifth, sixth, and seventh plagues 54:33 are going to be happening. 54:37 And they didn't understand any of this. 54:40 So if God resurrected them, they would resurrect 54:43 and say, "What's all this?" 54:47 But when God's people resurrect, if they die before these events 54:53 happen, they will know exactly what's transpiring 54:56 at that moment. 54:58 That's why God resurrects them. 55:01 Because they understood even though they died before. 55:04 They understood everything involved in the 55:07 last half of Revelation. 55:09 And they will stand with the 144,000 and understand 55:12 exactly what is happening. 55:15 Is that making sense? 55:19 So the bottom line is that the book of Revelation 55:25 is a complex book. 55:29 And it's a beautiful book. 55:31 And it's a book that we need to know now. 55:35 Previous generations didn't need to know all these things. 55:40 But we do. 55:42 Because we live in a different period. 55:44 You can't just say, "Oh, I just love Jesus." 55:47 Because if that's the case, why did God even give the 55:49 book of Revelation? 55:51 Why did He give Daniel? 55:53 Because He knew that we needed it for this time of history. 55:56 And that's why the devil has distracted the church and says, 55:58 "No, no, just preach that Jesus loves you, this I know. 56:01 For the Bible tells me so. 56:04 And no, no, don't talk about prophecy. 56:06 Don't use Ellen White. 56:07 You know, don't scare people. 56:11 You know, just preach to me from the gospels." 56:16 It's all going on. 56:18 Seventh-day Evangelicals. 56:21 Because we've gone astray from our Sanctuary message 56:26 and we've gone astray from our prophetic message. 56:30 And believe me, folks, our Sanctuary message 56:33 and our prophetic message has power. 56:36 Because both of those things are the world view 56:39 of the Adventist church. 56:41 It brings everything together in a whole. 56:43 And when people see the whole, they say, 56:45 "This makes sense. 56:48 Now I understand everything. 56:50 There are no loose ends. 56:51 I understand how everything fits together," 56:54 when they see Adventism as it truly is. 57:00 And people are looking for a world view that makes sense. 57:03 Because there's so much senselessness going around. 57:06 People want something that gives meaning, 57:08 something that gives structure to their life, 57:10 something that gives hope to their future. 57:14 And Revelation is a revelation of hope. 57:19 A revelation of hope. 57:22 And God has called us and has delivered this 57:24 wonderful message to us to deliver to the world. 57:29 What a tremendous privilege we have. 57:33 And what an awesome responsibility we have 57:36 after coming to Anchor Bible school. 57:39 May God use us in a powerful way. |
Revised 2015-08-11