Participants: Pastor Stephen Bohr
Series Code: CGC
Program Code: CGC000025S
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00:01 Music...
01:03 Pause... 01:12 Let's pray, "Our Father in heaven, 01:15 thank You for bringing us once again to Your house, 01:18 we anticipate great blessings from Your hands 01:22 as we open with reverent hands Your holy Word. 01:27 As we study about Armageddon, 01:29 earth's last great battle, 01:32 we ask for the guidance of Your Holy Spirit 01:35 and we ask also that You will help us to be on the right side 01:38 in this final conflict. 01:40 We pray this in the precious name of Jesus Your beloved Son, 01:44 Amen. " 01:46 There is no battle in the history of the world 01:54 that has received more publicity than the battle of Armageddon. 01:58 I'd like to begin by reading the passage 02:02 which deals with the battle of Armageddon, 02:05 it's found in Revelation chapter 16 02:09 and verses 12 through 16. 02:12 This is the sixth plague 02:17 of the seven plagues of Revelation and it says this, 02:22 verse on screen... 03:17 Now, in our lecture today, 03:20 we are not going to study everything 03:22 relating the battle of Armageddon. 03:24 Many, many books have been written on this battle 03:28 and by the way, most of what has been written 03:32 about this battle is flat wrong 03:35 but as I read the books that have been written 03:40 about the battle of Armageddon, 03:43 I'm amazed to see that the writers 03:45 comment on everything in this passage abundantly 03:50 but there's one verse 03:53 which seems to be shuffled under the rug 03:56 and very little is said about that specific verse. 04:00 You see, as I've read books 04:03 from many different denominations, 04:05 about the battle of Armageddon, 04:07 they have very much to say 04:08 about the waters of the Euphrates drying up 04:11 and the kings from the east and the dragon, the beast 04:15 and the false prophets 04:16 and the three evil spirits like frogs... 04:19 there's very much exposition when it comes to this 04:24 but the verse which rarely receives much of a comment 04:28 is verse 15. 04:31 In fact, you know the interesting thing 04:34 is that this is the only time 04:36 between Revelation 3:21 and Revelation chapter 21 04:43 that Jesus clearly speaks in Revelation. 04:49 So, if this is the only verse where Jesus explicitly speaks, 04:54 between Revelation 3:21 and Revelation chapter 21, 04:59 it must be a very important verse, 05:03 let's notice this verse again 05:06 because it deals with the issues involved 05:09 in the battle of Armageddon, 05:11 it says once again in chapter 16 and verse 15, 05:16 here Jesus is speaking, 05:17 verse on screen. 05:33 The battle of Armageddon has everything to do 05:37 with the way in which we are dressed... 05:40 the way in which we are garbed. 05:43 You see, in the battle of Armageddon, 05:45 there are going to be two different groups of people, 05:48 those who are found with their garments on 05:53 and those who are found naked. 05:56 Now, the question is, 05:58 what does it mean to be covered with the garments 06:02 and what does it mean to be naked? 06:05 We need to go back of course to the book of Genesis. 06:09 So, go back with me to Genesis chapter 2 06:13 and I'm going to read very quickly verses 15 through 17, 06:18 Genesis chapter 2 and verses 15 through 17, 06:24 we've read this many times before 06:26 but let's read it again, 06:28 verse on screen. 06:46 Did God give a clear commandment to Adam and Eve? 06:48 He most certainly did. 06:50 Of course, here it's given to Adam, 06:52 but Eve repeats it in Chapter 3 06:54 so they both understood the command of God. 06:56 Now, the Bible tells us that before Adam and Eve sinned 07:02 in their state of innocence, 07:04 while they were still obedient to God, 07:07 there was something very interesting 07:10 that characterized them, 07:11 go with me to Genesis chapter 2 and verse 25, 07:14 Genesis chapter 2 and verse 25 07:17 and remember this is describing Adam and Eve 07:19 while they were still obedient to God's commandment 07:22 and we've already studied that in this one commandment 07:25 are contained all of the Ten Commandments in principle, 07:28 but I want you to notice the condition they were in 07:32 while they were obedient to God's Commandment. 07:35 It says in Genesis 2 verse 25, 07:38 verse on screen. 07:45 Now, is there any connection with that verse... 07:47 between that verse and Revelation 16 verse 15, 07:49 very clearly there's a connection. 07:52 There's the idea of nakedness and there's the idea of shame... 07:56 two words that we noticed in Revelation 16 verse 15, 08:00 so, when they were in this condition 08:02 of obedience to God's Law, 08:04 the Bible tells us that they were naked 08:07 and they were not ashamed. 08:08 Now, after they sinned, they noticed that they were naked, 08:12 where was the change? 08:13 Allow me to go through it very quickly. 08:16 Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden 08:19 were naked with respect to human man-made garments 08:23 but the Bible makes it very clear 08:26 that they were originally covered with the glory of God. 08:29 They were covered with the glorious light 08:31 and you say, "How do we know that?" 08:33 I'm only going to mention the verses 08:35 because we've already read them previously. 08:37 In Psalm 8 verses 5 and 6, 08:40 we're told that when man was created, 08:43 God crowned him with glory and splendor. 08:46 In other words, man was... was covered with God's glory, 08:51 he was covered with God's splendor 08:53 in a state of innocence. 08:54 Incidentally, the true church in Revelation 12 and verse 1 08:58 is described as a woman who is clothed with... what? 09:03 She is clothed with the sun, in other words, 09:05 her garments are not artificial human garments, 09:08 they are garments of light. 09:10 We also notice 09:12 that when Jesus was on the Mount of Transfiguration, 09:15 He was transfigured and the Bible says 09:17 that His garments glowed or shone like the light 09:22 and by the way, the Bible tells us 09:24 that the white garments that God has 09:27 are really garments of light. 09:29 Allow me to read just this one text to prove this point, 09:33 Psalm 104 and verses 1 and 2... 09:36 Psalm 104 and verses 1 and 2, 09:39 notice how God is garbed... 09:42 what the clothing of God is 09:44 when it speaks about Him being covered in white raiment. 09:46 It says there in Psalm 104 verses 1 and 2, 09:50 "Bless the LORD, O my soul. 09:52 O LORD my God, You are very great: 09:55 You are clothed with honor and majesty... " 09:59 and now notice verse 2, 10:01 "who cover Yourself with... " what? 10:04 "with light as with a garment 10:07 who stretch out the heavens like a curtain. " 10:11 So, what are the white garments of God? 10:13 The white garments of God are light 10:16 and so, Adam and Eve 10:17 while they were obedient to God's law 10:19 as they stood in their innocence the Bible says 10:22 that they were covered with the glorious robe of light, 10:27 they were naked with respect to human garments 10:29 but they were covered with the glory of God 10:32 but then came sin. 10:34 Go with me to Genesis chapter 3 and verse 7 10:37 and notice the change that took place 10:39 in Adam and Eve when they sinned. 10:42 The first consequence of their sin... 10:43 it says in Genesis 3 verse 7, 10:46 "Then the eyes of both of them were opened, 10:49 and they knew that they were naked... " 10:52 so, what was the first result? 10:54 They now noticed that they are... what? 10:57 Naked... so it must have been 10:58 that the glorious robe of light 11:00 that covered them had left them 11:03 and now they... they don't have human garments 11:06 and they don't even have the garments of light, 11:08 and so, they see that they're naked 11:10 and notice how they try to solve the problem. 11:13 It says in verse 7, the last part of the verse, 11:16 "and they sewed fig leaves together 11:19 and made themselves coverings. " 11:22 They tried to cover their disobedience to God's Law, 11:27 they tried to cover the shame of their nakedness 11:32 with fig leaves... with garments made by themselves 11:37 but it's interesting to notice 11:39 that Genesis tells us that even after they covered themselves 11:42 with the fig leaves, they still felt naked 11:44 which shows that their nakedness was not nakedness of body... 11:48 their nakedness was nakedness of soul... 11:51 they had sinned against God... 11:52 they had broken the law of God... 11:54 the glory had left them 11:55 because they were now transgressors 11:58 of God's holy Law. 11:59 Notice verses 9 and 10 of Genesis 3, 12:02 verse on screen. 12:15 At this point he wasn't naked with respect to human garments, 12:18 he had the fig leaves on him 12:20 and yet he's saying at this point 12:23 that he still feels naked. 12:24 Obviously, the garments that are made by human beings 12:27 could not cover that nakedness 12:30 because only the glory of God could cover their nakedness. 12:34 So, as Adam and Eve stood obedient to God's Law, 12:38 they were covered with God's glory. 12:40 When they disobeyed God's Law, 12:42 they were now destitute of the glory of God 12:46 but as we found in our study, God promised them 12:49 that He was going to give them another opportunity. 12:52 The famous verse of Genesis 3 verse 15... 12:55 let's read that again, Genesis chapter 3 and verse 15, 12:59 God promises to send a seed to the world 13:02 to restore that which was lost. 13:03 It says there in Genesis 3 and verse 15, 13:08 God speaking to the serpent, 13:09 "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, 13:14 and between your seed and her Seed; 13:17 He... " that is the Woman's Seed... 13:20 "shall bruise your head, 13:22 and you shall bruise His heel. " 13:25 In other words, there's going to be a battle here 13:27 between Satan and the Seed of the woman 13:29 Satan is going to bruise the Seed of the woman's heel, 13:33 whereas the Seed of the woman is going to strike 13:37 and He's going to bruise the head of the serpent. 13:40 Now, the question is, 13:42 "How was this Seed going to give the serpent 13:48 the bruise on his head?" 13:50 Genesis 3:21 makes it very clear, 13:53 in order to bruise the head of the serpent, 13:55 Adam and Eve had to be restored to their original condition. 13:59 How could Adam and Eve be restored 14:01 to their original condition where they were covered... 14:04 where the shame of their nakedness was truly covered? 14:08 Notice Genesis 3 and verse 21, here is the secret, 14:11 it says in verse 21, 14:13 "Also for Adam and his wife the LORD God made... " what? 14:22 "tunics of skins, and clothed them. " 14:28 Who made the garments? 14:30 God did. 14:31 And what did God do with the garments? 14:34 He clothed them... 14:36 in other words, He covered their... what? 14:38 He covered their nakedness. 14:40 What was the only way in which the nakedness of Adam and Eve 14:44 and their descendants could be covered once again 14:47 with the glory of God? 14:48 Only by the death 14:51 of the Lamb of God 14:53 who takes away the sins of the world. 14:56 By the way, it says... skins... plural... 15:01 which means that there was more than one animal involved, 15:05 they were two sinners incidentally. 15:07 In order to get the skin of an animal, 15:10 the animal has to be... what? 15:11 The animal has to be slain... 15:13 in other words, there was an animal sacrifice 15:15 and the impression you get from the Bible 15:18 is that this took place in the very Garden of Eden 15:20 before God cast Adam and Eve out He said, "There's hope... 15:23 I'm going to send a Seed, 15:25 He's going to bruise the head of the serpent 15:27 and the way that He's going to do it 15:28 is by dying as the Lamb of God 15:31 so that your nakedness can once again be... " what? 15:34 "So that your nakedness can be covered. " 15:37 Wasn't this a marvelous promise? 15:39 Now, you say, "What does this have to do 15:42 with the battle of Armageddon?" 15:43 Well, this evening, we are going to study 15:47 the story that we find in the first half of Genesis chapter 4 15:53 because it has a very close relationship 15:55 with what we just talked about. 15:57 How the nakedness of man was going to be covered 16:00 by the death of lambs to cover the shame of their nakedness. 16:04 God was telling Adam and Eve, "This is the only way 16:07 in which sin can be dealt with... 16:10 the head of the serpent can be bruised 16:12 and you can be restored to your original condition. " 16:16 Now, go with me to Genesis chapter 4 and verses 1 and 2, 16:21 Genesis chapter 4 and verses 1 and 2. 16:23 This is the story of two brothers... very well known, 16:27 their names: Cain and Abel 16:30 and in this story, we're going to see the first battle 16:33 of Armageddon in history. 16:35 In fact, it gives us an illustration 16:38 of what the final battle is all about. 16:40 Let's go to Genesis 4 verse 1. 16:44 Verse on screen... 16:57 by the way, that's a mistranslation, 16:58 the Hebrew says, "I have acquired a man... 17:01 the LORD." 17:02 What had God promised? 17:05 That He was going to send a seed in the woman 17:08 and so, Eve now thinks that this is the seed of the woman 17:12 and so she says, "I have acquired a seed 17:15 the LORD... " 17:16 little did she realize that this seed 17:19 was not going to be the Messiah, 17:21 this seed was going to be the devil's seed. 17:25 Incidentally, this story shows beyond any shadow of a doubt 17:31 that the seed that you are... is not determined 17:35 by your genetic make-up, 17:38 it's not determined by your birth, 17:40 it's not determined by the place you live, 17:43 it's not determined by your national identity, 17:46 because both brothers were born from the same woman. 17:49 What this shows... this story is 17:53 that whose seed you are depends on your character, 17:57 it does not depend on what nation you belong to, 18:02 whether you are a Jew or an Arab... 18:04 whether you're a citizen of the United States 18:06 or Mexico or wherever, 18:08 the way that you determine which seed you belong to... 18:12 is by the character that you possess. 18:15 Now, notice Genesis chapter 4 18:18 and let's continue reading at verse 2, 18:22 it says, "Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel. " 18:30 By the way, the name Abel means "vapor. " 18:32 It's the same word that is translated in Ecclesiastes... 18:37 vanity... 18:39 I won't get into that anymore. 18:42 It says, "Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel. 18:46 Now Abel was a keeper of... " what? 18:49 "of sheep... 18:51 and Cain was a tiller of the soil. " 18:55 Now, is there anything wrong with being a tiller of the soil? 18:59 No... is there anything wrong with being a keeper of sheep? 19:04 Absolutely not... 19:05 did Cain and Abel know that God required them 19:10 to offer an animal sacrifice to take care of their sins? 19:13 Do we have that in the previous chapter? 19:16 Yes... had God said the only way that sin can be dealt with... 19:21 the only way in which man can be restored to cover his nakedness 19:26 is by the death of the Lamb of God 19:28 who takes away the sins of the world 19:30 and, of course, the animals represented the coming Messiah 19:33 in the future... 19:34 did they know it? 19:36 They must have because Genesis 3:21 speaks about that 19:39 and now I want you to notice however what happens here. 19:43 Genesis chapter 4 and verse 3... 19:47 Genesis 4 and verse 3, it says here, 19:51 verse on screen... 20:03 Is that what God had asked for? 20:07 Had God asked for the fruit of the ground? 20:11 Absolutely not... what had He asked for 20:15 that could remove sin? 20:17 The sacrifice of the lamb. 20:19 So, let me ask you, 20:21 "Did Cain bring an offering to God?" 20:26 Yes he did. 20:28 "Did he raise an altar to God?" 20:29 "Did he claim to be a worshipper of God?" 20:32 Yes he did. 20:34 "Was he obedient to God?" 20:36 No. 20:37 "Did he worship God on God's terms?" 20:40 "Did he worship God the way that God said 20:42 or did he worship God the way he wanted to?" 20:45 You see, he worships as he wants... 20:48 he disobeys God 20:50 and he refuses to offer an animal 20:53 and the Bible says that only the shedding of blood 20:58 can remit... what? 20:59 Only the shedding of blood can remit sin 21:03 and so, Cain is the disobedient one. 21:07 Cain is the one who worships God as he wishes 21:11 not as God has commanded. 21:12 Cain is the one who claims to serve the true God 21:16 but rejects the blood of the lamb. 21:18 Cain is Abel's brother. 21:21 It's not like Cain is some outsider 21:25 and Abel his brother is some insider 21:28 and then this outsider comes to kill his brother. 21:30 They both claim to worship God... 21:33 they both raise up an altar... 21:35 they both bring an offering... 21:37 they both claim to serve God 21:39 and yet they have radically different characters 21:42 even though they claim to serve the same God. 21:45 Now, you know there are some scholars 21:48 and, of course, I've read lots of books on this story 21:50 that say that the reason why God didn't accept Cain's offering 21:54 is because Cain had a nasty attitude. 21:58 It wasn't so much as... 22:01 that the offering that he brought that made the difference 22:03 but he just had a lousy attitude 22:05 when he came to worship God. 22:07 Listen, that flies in the face of the evidence that we find 22:11 in all of Scripture concerning Cain. 22:13 It was not his attitude which led God to reject his sacrifice, 22:19 it was the act of offering the sacrifice that he did 22:23 in disobedience to God. 22:24 Worshipping God on his own terms 22:27 and rejecting the fact of shedding the blood 22:31 which would ultimately cover the nakedness of his sin. 22:35 You say, "How do we know that?" 22:37 Let me go through the evidence. 22:39 First of all, Genesis 3:21 shows us 22:41 that they knew about the sacrifice of animals 22:44 to cover their nakedness... 22:45 impossible that Adam and Eve did not tell them that. 22:49 In fact, from the point that these sacrifices were made... 22:53 there's no doubt that sacrifices were offered after this. 22:56 Furthermore... and I'm not going to read these texts, 23:00 I'm just going to mention them, 23:01 God tells Cain in chapter 4 and verse 7, 23:05 "You know, if you do good... " 23:07 notice, not if you have a good attitude, 23:10 "if you do good, won't you be accepted? 23:13 Won't your sacrifice be accepted? 23:15 But if you do evil, sin lies at the... " what? 23:20 "sin lies at the gate" or at the door. 23:22 In other words, clearly in Genesis 4 and verse 7, 23:26 it tells us that Cain did not do good 23:29 by bringing the offering that he did 23:32 and by the way, the Bible says in James 4 and verse 17, 23:36 that sin consists of knowing what you're supposed to do 23:40 and not doing it, 23:41 it's he who knows how to do good and does not do it... 23:44 that is sin, 23:45 so, was sin lying at the gate of Cain's door? 23:48 It most certainly was. 23:50 Furthermore, Hebrews 11 and verse 4 23:53 very, very clearly tells us 23:56 that the difference was in the sacrifice that they offered. 23:59 Notice Hebrews chapter 11 and verse 4, 24:03 this is an important verse that we need to read, 24:05 it says here in Hebrews 11 and verse 4 24:08 about the sacrifice that was made by Abel, 24:11 "By faith Abel offered to God 24:15 a more excellent attitude than Cain... " 24:17 Audience: No. 24:19 Pastor: Thank you very much, 24:20 it says, "By faith Abel offered to God 24:23 a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, 24:26 through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, 24:31 God testifying of his... " what? 24:34 There it is again... 24:35 "of his gifts and through it he being dead still speaks. " 24:41 Where was the difference? 24:43 It was not a difference in attitude... 24:45 it was a difference in offering or in sacrifice. 24:48 Furthermore, in 1st John chapter 3 and verse 12, 24:52 which we've read in previous... previously in other context, 24:55 it says, 24:56 "not as Cain who was of the wicked one 24:59 and killed his brother. 25:02 And why did he kill him? 25:04 Because his works were evil 25:07 and his brother's works were righteous. " 25:09 So, where was the problem... 25:12 was it with the attitude or with the actions? 25:14 The problem was with the actions 25:18 and by the way, we're going to notice 25:20 in a moment in verse 4 25:21 that Abel offered the firstlings of his flock... and their fat... 25:27 that's very significant 25:29 because some people say, "It doesn't say in Genesis 4... 25:32 that... that Abel offered a sacrifice" 25:34 but it's very clear that he did and we're going to notice that 25:38 but what I want you to notice for now is that 25:40 Cain did not offer the firstlings 25:42 or the firstfruits of his flock 25:44 and he did not offer their fat to God. 25:47 Now, let's go back to Genesis chapter 4 and read verse 4 25:50 we're contrasting the attitude of these two brothers. 25:54 Genesis chapter 4 verse 4, it says, 25:56 "Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock 26:01 and of their... " what? 26:03 "And of their fat. " 26:04 Now, why would Abel bring the firstborn of his flock 26:11 and why would he bring their fat? 26:13 Where would he get such an idea 26:16 that he was supposed to offer God the firstborn of his flocks 26:19 and that he was supposed to offer their fat? 26:21 Do you think he just said, 26:23 "Oh, I think it would be nice to offer God the firstborn 26:25 and to offer their fat?" 26:27 Of course not. 26:29 We know very clearly from the later sacrificial service... 26:32 listen to what I'm going to say, 26:33 from the later sacrificial service in the sanctuary 26:38 that every firstborn animal was the property of God 26:43 and was to be brought to the temple for God 26:47 and we also know 26:48 and I'm going to mention the verses in a moment 26:50 you can read them at your leisure there on the list, 26:53 we also know that when the animal was sacrificed, 26:56 the fat was separated from the animal 26:59 and was burned upon the altar. 27:00 By the way, you could not get the fat of the animal 27:02 unless you... what? 27:04 Unless you killed the animal. 27:06 So, very clearly, God was the one who told Abel, 27:09 "You should offer the firstlings or the firstborn of your flocks 27:14 and you should offer their fat 27:16 because there's no way that Abel would have simply guessed that 27:19 and besides, the later sanctuary service shows us 27:22 that God required that. 27:23 Are you understanding what I'm saying? 27:25 In other words, Cain did not bring 27:27 the firstborn of his flock... 27:30 Cain did not bring the fat... 27:34 Cain did not bring what God said... 27:36 he worshipped God on his own terms 27:38 and he disobeyed God... 27:40 he refused to bring the blood. 27:43 Now, in Hebrews 9 verse 22, it says, 27:46 "Without shedding of blood there is no... " what? 27:49 "There is no remission of sin. " 27:53 "Without shedding of blood there is no remission of sin. " 27:55 So, was there any satisfaction for the sins of Cain 27:59 just by bringing the fruit of the ground? 28:02 Absolutely not... 28:04 and so we find three characteristics about Cain, 28:07 Number 1: He rejected Jesus by not offering an animal. 28:12 Secondly: He disobeyed God's explicit order... 28:16 he was disobedient 28:17 and Number 3: He worshipped God... 28:19 he brought an offering... 28:21 he raised an altar 28:22 but he worshipped God not as God had commanded 28:25 but he worshipped God as he pleased. 28:28 Are you starting to catch a picture 28:31 of the difference between Cain and Abel? 28:33 Let me ask you, did Abel obey God's specifications exactly? 28:38 Yes he did. 28:39 Did Abel obey God? 28:42 Did he worship God the way that God commanded 28:45 that He should be worshiped? 28:46 Absolutely. 28:47 Did Abel accept the blood of Jesus to save him from his sins? 28:52 Sure, because in Hebrews 11 verse 4 it says, 28:55 "By faith Abel offered a more excellent sacrifice. " 28:58 He looked by faith to the sacrifice of Jesus the Messiah. 29:02 Now, I want you to go back with me to Genesis chapter 4 29:06 and you're going to notice something very interesting here 29:09 and we'll read verse 4 for the context again 29:12 and then we'll go onto verse 5. 29:14 It says, 29:15 verse on screen. 29:28 Did God accept the offering of Cain? 29:30 Audience: No. 29:32 Pastor: Why didn't He accept the offering of Cain? 29:34 Didn't Cain come to worship Him? 29:35 Did Cain raise an altar? 29:37 Didn't Cain place the fruit of the ground upon an altar? 29:41 Didn't he claim to worship the true God? 29:44 He most certainly did. 29:45 So, why did God reject the offering of Cain? 29:49 For three reasons, Number 1: 29:53 Because without shedding of blood 29:55 there is no remission of sin. 29:57 Number 2: Cain was disobedient to God's specific command 30:02 and Number 3: Cain offered a substitute 30:05 in place of what God had asked for 30:08 and God can take no substitutes. 30:11 When we substitute for worship 30:13 something that God has not commanded us to offer, 30:16 that is unacceptable to God. 30:20 Now how did... how did God show that He approved 30:22 Abel's sacrifice 30:24 and He did not approve of Cain's sacrifice? 30:26 You know, I find it very interesting 30:28 the way that some scholars think. 30:30 As I studied for this subject, 30:32 I noticed that some scholars said that the... 30:35 the way Cain knew that Abel's sacrifice had been accepted 30:39 and his not... 30:41 is that the smoke from Abel's sacrifice went up 30:44 whereas the smoke of Cain's sacrifice went down. 30:47 Audience: Laughter. 30:48 Pastor: That sounds so interesting 30:50 but we don't have to speculate. 30:52 How did God show in the Bible that He accepted a sacrifice? 30:58 The Bible tells us 31:00 how God showed that He accepted a sacrifice. 31:03 Allow me just to mention four examples from the Old Testament 31:07 and I'll just mentioned them, Leviticus 9:24, 31:10 when the sanctuary was established in the wilderness, 31:13 the sanctuary service... 31:15 the Bible says that the animals 31:16 were placed upon the Altar of Sacrifice 31:18 and God showed His acceptance by raining fire from heaven 31:22 that consumed the sacrifices. 31:24 In 1st Chronicles chapter 21 and verse 26, 31:29 David invoked the name of the Lord 31:32 and offered a sacrifice 31:33 and God showed His approval of David's sacrifice 31:36 by raining fire from heaven and consuming the sacrifice. 31:40 When Solomon's temple was dedicated, 31:42 2nd Chronicles chapter 7 and verse 1, 31:45 Solomon prayed to God 31:47 and God rained fire from heaven and consumed the sacrifice. 31:50 In the days of Elijah... Elijah invoked the name of the Lord 31:53 and the Bible tells us that God responded 31:56 to the prayer of Elijah by raining fire from heaven, 31:59 so, what happened originally 32:01 when Abel invoked the name of the Lord 32:04 what happened is that fire came down from heaven 32:08 and consumed the sacrifice of Abel 32:11 and the sacrifice of Cain remained on the altar 32:14 without any fire. 32:17 God was saying, "I do not accept a disobedient sacrifice, 32:22 I do not accept worship on your terms, 32:24 I do not accept an offering that does not have blood 32:27 because without the shedding of blood, 32:29 there is no remission of sin 32:30 and now we find that Cain becomes very angry. 32:37 Notice once again, Genesis chapter 4... 32:39 Genesis chapter 4 and let's read verse 5 again, 32:44 "but he did not respect Cain and his offering. 32:49 And Cain was very angry, 32:53 and his countenance fell. " 32:56 You know, in the Hebrew... Hebrew is very descriptive, 32:58 when that says that his countenance fell 33:01 it says that he became long faced. 33:05 he started to pout... he was angry... 33:09 he was angry at God 33:11 because God had accepted the worship of his brother 33:16 and He had not accepted his worship. 33:18 Now Folks, I want to underline again 33:21 the importance of this story. 33:22 Certain points that we need to keep in mind... 33:25 they were both brothers... 33:27 this is a conflict between brothers. 33:31 They were both religious, yes or no? 33:35 They both worshipped. 33:38 They both raised an altar. 33:41 They both brought an offering. 33:43 They both claimed to worship the true God. 33:47 Where was the difference? 33:49 Blood... obedience... and worship on God's terms. 33:56 Now notice, Genesis 4:6 and 7, God tries to reason with Cain. 34:02 It says in Genesis chapter 4 and verse 6, 34:06 "So the Lord said to Cain, 'Why are you angry? 34:10 And why has your countenance fallen? 34:13 If you do well... '" 34:16 see, there it is, "If you do well... " 34:17 in other words, if you bring the sacrifice that I said, 34:20 if you obey Me... 34:21 if you worship on my terms... 34:23 "if you do well... will you not be accepted? 34:28 And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. 34:35 And its desire is for you... " 34:37 in other words, sin is personified here. 34:39 This is the idea of a beast that is crouching 34:42 ready to pounce on someone. 34:44 What the Lord is saying is that if you do well, 34:47 your offering will be accepted 34:49 but if you don't... sin is lying at the door 34:52 ready to pounce on you and so it says, 34:55 it's desire is for you... 34:57 in other words, sin desires to have you 34:59 but you shall rule over it. 35:02 You should have sovereignty over sin by doing good... 35:07 by obeying God and worshiping God on His terms 35:10 and then we find in verse 8, 35:13 the tragic climax of this story, 35:16 it says, "And Cain talked with Abel his brother... " 35:19 it looks like they got into an argument... 35:21 we don't know exactly what they talked about, 35:23 but it's not hard to imagine. 35:25 I can imagine Abel saying to Cain, 35:27 "Cain, you know what God has told us 35:30 that we're supposed to bring, 35:31 you know that we're supposed to worship God on His terms, 35:35 you know that we're supposed to obey God... 35:37 if you brought the right sacrifice... " 35:41 see, he's using the same logic that God did... 35:43 "if you brought the same sacrifice, 35:44 your offering would be accepted just as well as mine. " 35:48 And what does this do with Cain? 35:51 It fills him with further fury. 35:53 He says, "Who are you my little brother to teach me? 35:57 I'm your older brother and you should do what I say... " 36:00 and Abel says, "I do what God says... " 36:02 and so it says in verse 8, 36:05 verse on screen. 36:15 First battle of Armageddon in history. 36:19 The false worshipper is killing the true worshipper. 36:24 The disobedient is killing the obedient. 36:29 The one who really and truly has accepted Jesus 36:34 is raising against he who claims to serve Jesus but does not. 36:42 Are you catching the picture of what we have here? 36:45 The first battle of Armageddon in history. 36:50 Now, I want you to notice what we find in the following verses, 36:55 verse 9, "Then the Lord said to Cain, 36:58 'where is Abel your brother'?" 37:01 By the way, the word brother is used in the first 11 verses 37:04 it's used seven times. 37:06 I think God is trying to emphasize 37:07 that they were brothers. 37:08 Is that just possible that the final war 37:10 is going to be among brothers? 37:12 People who claim to worship the same God... 37:17 people who... who go to church... 37:21 people who worship... 37:24 but one group is characterized by worship on God's terms 37:28 and by obedience to God and by truly receiving Jesus 37:32 while the others worship God on their terms 37:35 and thus disobey God 37:38 and though they claim to receive Jesus, 37:40 they are truly rejecting Him. 37:42 The final war is going to be among brothers. 37:45 You say, "How is this possible?" 37:46 Listen Folks, 37:48 this is the way it's been all throughout human history, 37:50 what makes you think that it's going to be any different 37:53 at the end? 37:54 You know, we usually as Christians think, 37:57 "Oh yeah, we need to be careful about the Arabs and the Muslims 38:00 and the Russians 38:01 because they're going to be the ones that are dangerous to us. " 38:04 Scripture does not corroborate that idea. 38:07 Scripture tells us that our greatest enemy as Jesus said 38:12 will be those of our own household. 38:14 The greatest enemy of Abel was his brother. 38:18 The greatest enemy of the prophets in the Old Testament 38:22 were the very people that they were sent to... 38:25 religious people... 38:27 those that crucified Christ were religious people... 38:31 those who persecuted God's people during the 1260 years 38:35 was the church that claimed to follow Jesus Christ. 38:38 Of course, in the end time it's going to be different, 38:41 Our... our enemies at the end of time 38:44 and going to be the Chinese and the Russians... 38:46 now how spiritual is that? 38:47 Let me ask you, are there good and bad Russians? 38:51 Yes. 38:52 Are there good and bad U. S. people? 38:55 Yeah. 38:56 So, if you say that the battle between Russia and China 38:58 and the United States, 39:00 you're saying the "bad" was... 39:01 the good/bad against the good/bad. 39:03 The fact is that the book of Revelation shows 39:07 that the final battle will be two different kinds of people 39:11 who claim to worship the true God. 39:14 One group worships on God's terms 39:16 and obeys God to the letter... 39:19 the other group disobeys God and worships as they wish. 39:24 Now, notice Genesis 4:9 and 10, 39:28 Genesis chapter 4 verses 9 and 10, 39:32 we're told here this, "Then the Lord said to Cain, 39:40 'Where is Abel your brother?' 39:42 He said, 'I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?'" 39:47 Is he repentant? 39:49 No, he's defiant... 39:50 verse 10... 39:52 "And He said, 'What have you done?'" 39:55 And now notice, very important, 39:56 "The voice of your brother's blood cries out of Me 40:02 from the ground. " 40:04 What was crying out? 40:05 "The voice of his brother's... what?" 40:08 Of his blood was crying from where? 40:11 Was crying from the ground. 40:14 Now, notice Genesis 4:11 40:17 and then I'm going to explain to you what this means, 40:19 Genesis 4 and verse 11, 40:21 let's add the testimony of that verse, 40:23 it says... God is speaking... 40:25 "So now you are cursed from the earth, 40:27 which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood 40:31 from your hand. " 40:33 What received the brother's blood? 40:35 The earth. 40:36 By the way, this is an illusion to the sanctuary service. 40:39 Do you know that when an animal was sacrificed, 40:42 the blood was taken out of the animal 40:45 and it was poured on the ground next to the altar. 40:48 By the way, it was innocent blood 40:51 because the blood of the lamb represented the blood of Jesus. 40:55 It was poured out on the ground 40:56 and in that sense, the ground was crying out for... what? 41:00 Was crying out for justice. 41:02 By the way, when it says here 41:04 that the blood of Abel is crying out, 41:06 we need to understand that blood doesn't literally cry out... 41:10 what's happening here, what does that mean 41:12 that the blood of your brother cries out? 41:15 It is crying out for... what? 41:17 For justice... 41:19 by the way that expression "crying out" is a legal term 41:22 in the Old Testament. 41:24 It refers to an individual who has been wronged 41:27 and who's crying out so that his case is rated by God 41:32 Had a great injustice been performed here? 41:35 The true worshipper and the obedient one... dies 41:38 and the false worshipper 41:41 and the one who is disobedient to God lives. 41:44 Must justice be meted out? 41:46 Yes, that's why the blood is crying from the ground 41:50 because the blood has been spilt on the ground 41:52 and the blood of Abel is demanding justice 41:55 because an injustice has been committed 41:57 and then I want you to notice 42:00 what happens in Genesis 4 and verse 15, 42:02 this is where the story gets particularly interesting. 42:05 Genesis chapter 4 and verse 15, it says, 42:09 "And the LORD said to him... " that is to Cain, 42:11 "Therefore, whoever kills Cain, 42:15 vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold 42:19 verse on screen. 42:27 What was placed on Cain? 42:30 A mark. 42:31 Was that a mark of preservation of life? 42:34 Yes, it was. 42:37 It says here... it was a mark to preserve his... what? 42:40 To preserve his life. 42:42 Now, is there in the book of Revelation 42:45 a mark that is placed on the forehead and on the hand 42:50 which preserves life? 42:52 I'm not talking now from the perspective of God, 42:54 I'm talking from the perspective of man. 42:56 Let me ask you, "What is going to happen 42:59 with those... humanly speaking 43:00 who refuse the Mark of the Beast? 43:02 It says in Revelation 13 that they will be... what? 43:06 Killed. 43:07 So, what the beast is saying is, 43:09 "You receive the mark and your life will be... " what? 43:12 "Your life will be spared... " 43:14 and so, we find in the story of Cain and Abel 43:17 a prefiguring of the Mark of the Beast. 43:21 The beast giving his mark to those who want their lives 43:25 preserved... who don't want to die in the final crisis. 43:29 Of course, eventually, 43:30 the same is going to happen with the wicked 43:32 as happened with Cain. 43:34 Cain died a lost man 43:35 and he will resurrect in what the Bible calls, 43:39 "The second resurrection" to suffer second death. 43:42 In other words, his life was spared only for a period of time 43:47 just as at the end of time 43:49 those who have the Mark of the Beast... 43:51 their lives will be spared for a short period of time. 43:55 Now, I'd like to make a brief application of this story 43:59 as we find it in the book of Revelation. 44:01 Listen Folks, the conflict in the book of Revelation 44:06 will be exactly the same as in Genesis... with one difference 44:10 and that is that in Genesis you have two individuals 44:15 that have different characters, different styles of worship... 44:19 one obedient and one disobedient. 44:21 The only difference with the end of time 44:23 is that... at the end of time, 44:25 you're going to have two worldwide groups 44:28 who have the same characters as these two individuals 44:31 at the beginning of history, 44:33 are you understanding what I'm saying? 44:34 In other words, these two characters 44:36 will have proliferated and filled the world 44:39 and you will have two different kinds of worshippers. 44:43 By the way, do you know that the controversy 44:45 in the book of Revelation is identical 44:47 to the controversy in Genesis? 44:48 It's over the blood... it's over worship 44:50 and it's over obedience. 44:52 You say, "How do you know that?" 44:54 Go with me to Revelation chapter 7 and verse 14, 44:57 let's notice the "blood" first, 44:58 those who are saved... 45:00 what characterizes those who are saved 45:01 according to the book of Revelation? 45:03 It says in Revelation chapter 7 and verse 14, 45:06 speaking about that great multitude 45:08 which no one can number, 45:09 it says, "And I said to him, 45:11 'Sir, you know. ' 45:12 So he said to me, 45:17 verse on screen. 45:22 Are God's true people going to have white garments 45:27 made white in the blood of the Lamb 45:28 just like at the beginning 45:31 will the shame of their nakedness be covered 45:33 by the blood of Jesus? Yes... 45:35 but these people will be characterized by something else, 45:38 not only because they accept the blood of Jesus, 45:41 but accepting the blood of Jesus 45:43 is manifested in obedience and true worship. 45:47 Notice Revelation chapter 14 verses 6 and 7, 45:51 the first angel's message, Revelation chapter 14 45:54 and verses 6 and 7, 45:56 it says, "Then I saw another angel 45:58 flying in the midst of heaven, 45:59 having the everlasting gospel to preach to those 46:02 who dwell on the earth, 46:03 to every nation, tribe, tongue and people, 46:06 saying with a loud voice, 46:08 'Fear God and give glory to Him... '" 46:11 Is this a worldwide message? 46:12 It sure is. 46:13 "Fear God and give glory to Him 46:16 for the hour of His judgment has come... " 46:19 and then what does it say? 46:20 "And worship Him who made heaven and earth 46:24 the sea and the springs of water. " 46:26 Will God have a people at the end of time 46:29 who'll listen to this call and worship the Creator? 46:33 Absolutely... 46:34 and what is the sign of the Creator? 46:37 The sign of the Creator is... what? 46:39 The Sabbath. 46:41 Do you see why this issue is important? 46:44 The whole Christian world without any Biblical authority, 46:48 I shouldn't say "the whole Christian world" 46:51 most of the Christian world without any authority... 46:54 any divine authority... they say, 46:56 "It's okay to worship God on the first day of the week. " 47:00 Is that acceptable in the sight of God? 47:03 That's not any better than the worship of Cain. 47:06 You say, "Why not?" 47:08 For the simple reason that Cain worshipped God on his terms 47:11 and he disobeyed God's explicit instructions. 47:15 Is not keeping the Sabbath 47:17 and worshipping on a different day 47:20 the same principle as what happened with Cain. 47:23 Absolutely... 47:24 because it's being disobedient to God 47:27 and it's worshipping God on our terms 47:29 instead of on the basis of the terms 47:31 that God Himself has established 47:34 and so, Revelation calls for people to worship the Creator. 47:38 Revelation speaks about those who have their... 47:40 their garments white in the blood of the Lamb, 47:42 they're like Abel... they've sacrificed an animal so to speak 47:45 and their... their lives have been covered 47:47 with the blood of Jesus 47:49 but they also worship the Creator. 47:51 By the way, do they also keep the commandments of God? 47:54 Notice Revelation chapter 12 and verse 17... 47:58 Revelation chapter 12 and verse 17, 48:01 it says, "And the dragon... " 48:03 by the way, the same four elements of Genesis 3:15. 48:04 We're kind of going quickly here, 48:06 but if you notice the story of Cain and Abel, 48:09 the story of Cain and Abel 48:10 is actually an amplification of Genesis 3:15, 48:13 because in that story... 48:15 do you have enmity in the story of Cain and Abel? 48:16 Yes you do. 48:18 Do you have two seeds? 48:19 Yes you do. 48:20 Do you have a woman? Yes. 48:22 Do you have a serpent? 48:25 "Cain was of that wicked one" it says in 1st John 3. 48:27 So, do you have the same elements of Genesis 3:15 48:31 in the story of Cain and Abel? 48:32 Absolutely. 48:34 Do we have the same elements in the final battle? 48:36 Of course, now if the same elements are present 48:38 in the final battle, 48:40 must this final battle be like the original battle 48:42 between Cain and Abel? 48:44 Absolutely. 48:45 Notice Revelation 12:17, 48:46 "And the dragon was enraged with the woman... " 48:49 see... dragon... that's the serpent... 48:50 with the woman... there's the woman... 48:52 "he went to make war... " that's the enmity... 48:54 "with the remnant of her seed... " 48:56 there you have the seed 48:57 and what characteristic do they have? 48:59 "they keep the commandments of God 49:02 and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. " 49:04 Notice the end of the 3rd Angel's message, 49:07 Revelation chapter 14 and verse 12, 49:09 this is the last message that God gives to the world. 49:12 It says in Revelation 14 and verse 12, 49:16 "Here is the patience of the saints, 49:18 here are those who keep the commandments of God 49:22 and the faith of Jesus. " 49:23 So much for the idea 49:25 that the commandments were nailed to the cross... 49:27 if they were nailed to the cross, 49:28 why does Revelation say that there's going to be a people 49:30 who keep them? 49:31 You're not with me... 49:35 Why does Revelation condemn people 49:38 who practice false worship? 49:39 Why is it wrong to worship the image to the beast? 49:44 "That's idolatry" you say 49:46 because there's a commandment that says, 49:47 "Thou shalt not make a graven image. " 49:49 "Thou shalt have no other gods before me... " 49:51 So, if that's true 49:54 then the commandments must still be binding... 49:55 they weren't nailed to the cross, 49:57 if the conflict at the end of time has to do 49:58 with worship and so on... 50:00 are you understanding what I'm saying? 50:02 The... the trouble is... and I need to be frank here, 50:05 what Christians are willing to say 50:08 is that God crucified the Ten Commandments 50:10 and then He un-crucified nine. 50:12 Or they'll say that Christ crucified one... 50:17 you see it's the Sabbath that people want to get rid of 50:20 and it's because the devil hates the Sabbath. 50:23 In the Old Testament, he led Israel to break the Sabbath 50:26 time and again... 50:27 in the times of Christ, 50:28 he twisted the meaning of the Sabbath... 50:30 the Pharisees disfigured the Sabbath. 50:32 At the end of time, 50:34 the conflict is going to be also over the Sabbath, 50:36 because the devil hates the Sabbath 50:38 because the Sabbath points to the fact 50:40 that there's only one true God... 50:42 the Creator of the heavens and the earth 50:44 and if people keep the Sabbath 50:45 the devil can have nothing to do with them 50:47 because they're recognizing that there's only one true God. 50:51 Raise your hand if you're understanding what I'm saying. 50:54 It's an issue of whose authority you accept. 50:57 Now, let's go to Revelation 6, 51:02 it's going to get even more interesting. 51:05 Revelation 6... remember the... 51:07 remember the blood of Abel crying out? 51:09 Is that going to happen at the end of time also? 51:13 Did that happen during the 1260 years? 51:15 Were a lot of people... 51:16 did a lot of people during the 1260 years die unjustly? 51:20 What did the Little Horn do? 51:21 He persecuted... whom? 51:23 The saints of the Most High. 51:24 The woman was persecuted in the wilderness. 51:27 Many of them were killed. 51:28 Was there any justice in that? 51:29 No... 51:31 how about the martyrs who will die near the end of time 51:33 before Probation closes? 51:36 Is there any justice in that? 51:37 Absolutely not 51:39 and I want you to notice what happens as a result. 51:41 Revelation chapter 6 and verse 9, 51:44 this is the fifth seal... 51:45 I wish we had the time to study this specific context, 51:47 but let's notice... it says, 51:49 "When he opened the fifth seal, 51:50 I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain 51:54 for the word of God 51:56 and for the testimony which they held. " 51:57 Some people say, "See the souls are under the altar. " 51:59 Well, this problem can be resolved very easily. 52:02 You see, the word "soul" 52:04 as we studied in one of our previous lectures 52:06 is really... it says in Leviticus 17 verse 14, 52:09 that the "nephesh" of man is his blood. 52:12 The word "nephesh" is translated many, many times 52:15 in the Old Testament... soul... 52:16 in other words, the soul of man is his blood. 52:19 What it means is that the life of man is his blood. 52:23 So, these souls that are crying out under the altar... 52:27 they... they... they... they are the blood that was shed 52:30 they are the life of these individuals 52:32 that are crying out to God. 52:33 Are you understanding what I'm saying? 52:34 Don't put into the text 52:36 "immortal souls that are in heaven" 52:38 you know, people like to add to the text. 52:40 The text is not saying that. 52:42 Now, notice... they're under the altar... 52:45 remember the blood that was poured next to the altar? 52:47 And then notice verse 10, 52:49 "And they cried with a loud voice, saying, 52:52 'How long, O Lord, holy and true, 52:55 until you judge and avenge... '" what? 52:58 "our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" 53:01 Are they crying out for the same thing that Abel... 53:03 Abel's blood cried out for? 53:04 Absolutely... 53:06 and by the way, there's two groups of martyrs... 53:07 These that are crying out are the ones who died 53:09 during the 1260 years 53:11 but there's going to be another group of martyrs... 53:12 notice verse 11, it says, 53:14 "Then a white robe was given to each of them. " 53:17 Isn't that interesting? 53:19 The died overcomers... 53:20 "a white robe is given to each of them. " 53:22 and it was said to them 53:24 that they should rest a little while longer... " 53:27 well, I guess if they're resting, 53:29 then, they must not be alive under the altar. 53:32 What's crying out is their blood 53:35 and so it says that they should rest a little while longer 53:39 and now notice... 53:41 until both the number of their fellow servants 53:44 and their brethren who would be killed as they were 53:47 was completed. 53:48 Is there going to be another group of Martyrs 53:50 that are going to be killed? 53:51 Yes... and do you know why? 53:52 because the beast has two stages of existence. 53:55 He killed during the 1260 years 53:59 but his deadly wound is going to be healed 54:00 and he's going to kill again. 54:02 Are you with me or are you not with me? 54:06 By the way, who are the powers 54:08 that are going to try and destroy God's people 54:09 at the end time? 54:10 This is the amazing thing, 54:12 the beast represents the Roman Catholic Papacy... 54:14 the false prophet represents Protestantism 54:18 as it's found in the United States of America. 54:22 You say, "How is that possible 54:23 that you could say such a thing?" 54:26 Well, Abel and Cain were brothers... 54:28 and that's exactly what's going to happen at the end of time, 54:32 two kinds of worshippers... obedient and disobedient. 54:36 Both are going to come before God. 54:40 Both attend church... 54:42 but one group are like Abel. 54:45 They follow... they worship God to the letter, 54:48 they obey God and they truly receive Jesus 54:51 as their Savior and as their Lord. 54:54 Is there going to be a mark of protection 54:57 that is placed on those who follow the beast... 55:01 the ones who have the character like Cain? 55:04 Yes... is it a... is it a sign of preservation? 55:07 Is it a mark of preservation? 55:09 Yes, it is... 55:10 see, the beast and his image will say, 55:12 "Hey Folks, you know, as long as you follow us... 55:15 as long as you worship the ways we say... 55:19 as long as you obey our commands... 55:22 your life is going to be preserved. 55:24 Nobody will be able to kill you... " 55:27 but as Cain ultimately died 55:29 and he will resurrect and he will be outside the holy city, 55:33 so will be also with those who are not faithful to God. 55:37 Now do you understand what the issues are 55:40 in Revelation 16 verse 15? 55:42 Jesus says, "Behold I come as a thief... 55:45 blessed is he that watches and keeps his garments 55:50 lest he be found naked and they see his shame. " 55:55 You see, the issue at the end of time is the same issue 56:00 as existed at the beginning of time. 56:02 Whether you receive the blood of Jesus... 56:04 whether you are obedient to Jesus... 56:07 and whether you worship the way Jesus has commanded 56:11 that we're supposed to worship. 56:12 By the way, our final text... Matthew chapter 7 56:15 speaks about the two kinds of Christians in the end time 56:20 and I pray to God 56:21 that we'll be the right type of Christian. 56:23 Jesus spoke in Matthew chapter 7 verses 21 through 23 56:29 the following words, He says, 56:31 verse on screen... 56:41 "Many will say to me in that day... " 56:43 that's, by the way, the way... the final day... 56:47 "Many will say to me in that day, 56:49 verse on screen... 57:08 Are there going to be two kinds of Christians 57:09 in the end time? Yes... 57:11 "What type of Christian are you going to be?" 57:13 The kind that worships God the way that God has specified... 57:17 those that obey God 57:18 and those who truly receive Jesus 57:20 or otherwise? 57:22 I pray to God that you will be the right kind. |
Revised 2020-10-28