Participants: John Lomacang (Host), C.A. Murray
Series Code: HCL
Program Code: HCL090005
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00:01 Hello, friends, grab your Bible and a friend
00:02 and sit back as we explore God's word together 00:05 on this edition of "House Calls." 00:21 Welcome to another journey 00:23 and get your backpacks ready 00:25 because this is a journey for only those who are prepared. 00:28 In your backpack you just need a Bible 00:31 but you need prayer to guide you 00:32 and you need the Holy Spirit to work through you. 00:34 Welcome to House Calls program. 00:35 My name is John Lomacang, good to have you. 00:37 Joining us today, hit record, 00:39 you don't want to lose this program 00:42 because it's not just me, it's me and C.A. 00:45 Good to have you here. Good to be here, John. 00:47 I tell you, it's always fun to have you with me. 00:49 Thank you. It's fun to be here. 00:51 I always enjoy studying the Word of God with you. 00:53 I like having John 00:54 and sometimes we have John Dinzy 00:56 or John Stanton or C.A. 00:59 and John Stanton or John Lomacang and C.A. 01:03 you know, we mix it up here 01:04 but we still use the same Bible, 01:06 the authorized Word of God 01:08 which I encourage you to get. 01:10 Get your pens and sit back for a very exciting program 01:13 as we continue on our topic, "Our God Shall Come." 01:17 We are looking forward to the coming of our Lord. 01:18 It's not a cliché, not a billboard, 01:20 it's not a stamp on our shirts 01:23 but it's a promise in our hearts 01:24 and we are longing for the day 01:26 that Jesus is going to come. 01:27 But before we go any further, 01:28 we like you to pray for us. 01:30 Glad to do so, shall we pray? 01:31 Heavenly Father, again we thank You for Your word 01:33 which is a lamp unto our feet, a light into our path 01:36 and we thank You for that light 01:38 which shines on the path before us 01:41 that comes from Your word. 01:42 We ask you now to enable us to walk in that light 01:45 so that we can know Your will for us. 01:47 We can walk in that will 01:49 and we can be prepared for the soon coming day 01:51 when Christ will put in His appearance 01:54 and end this era 01:57 and assuring a brand new era of love joy 01:59 and peace throughout all eternity. 02:01 We thank you for this day 02:03 and for the study of the Word 02:04 in Jesus name, amen. Amen. 02:07 Friends, you know, I mean, if you watch the program before, 02:10 by the way, if you are a first time viewer, 02:12 welcome to "House Calls." Here's what we do. 02:14 You have a Bible question, 02:16 you are excited about what you hear 02:18 or may be upset by what you hear 02:20 or maybe you have an enquiry mind 02:21 and you want to know even more 02:23 or may be you have a comment. 02:24 Here's what you'll do, you send that comment 02:26 or question to housecalls@3abn.org, 02:29 that's housecalls@3abn.org. 02:31 We go to the internet, we download those, 02:34 we print them out, we put them on our laptops 02:36 or whatever and when we sit down like this, 02:38 we read your question, if you like to have a private, 02:40 non-on-the-air response, let us know. 02:43 Try to make a concise into the point 02:45 so we can get to it. 02:46 If it's really long, we sometimes say, 02:47 that's a book and we go to the next one. 02:50 Am I right? 02:51 But here's what we are going to do today. 02:52 We're going to have, 02:53 we're going to dive into our questions 02:55 because we so enjoy this part of the program. 02:57 It helps us respond to the needs you have 03:00 and your desire to know more deeply the Word of God. 03:04 And I have a seasoned professor with me here today. 03:09 My pastor, I am his pastor 03:11 and we are both natives of New York City, 03:16 how about that. Yeah. 03:17 I am actually native of Buffalo 03:19 but spend so much time in New York City, 03:21 I feel like I am a native of New York City 03:23 and of course you are a Brooklyn born guy 03:26 and we spend so many years in New York City together. 03:28 Actually, I was born in Manhattan. 03:30 And across the river, okay. 03:32 So we are going to just say, 03:34 we own the state, we identify with the state 03:37 but we both Brooklyn raised, 03:42 we have the flavor from New York City. Yeah. 03:44 You were born in Manhattan, I didn't know that. 03:45 I was born on 72, Central Park. 03:47 I was born in upper echelon of the city. 03:50 That's a high territory up there. 03:52 I left at three months old, 03:54 I couldn't get a place that I really felt good to stay with. 03:57 That's not really the case 03:59 but I want you to get your Bibles. 04:00 We have this question that I like, 04:02 I like the questions that come in here. 04:05 This one is Matthew 11:11, 04:09 try to say that 15 times, Matthew 11:11. 04:14 And the question is, 04:16 "What was the Lord really saying 04:18 concerning the fate of John the Baptist? 04:21 Some say, he that is John will not be in heaven 04:25 because of his doubt. 04:28 Let's take a look at this, Matthew 11:11. 04:32 "Verily I say unto you, 04:33 among them that are born of women 04:36 there hath not risen 04:37 a greater than John the Baptist, 04:40 notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven 04:44 is greater than he." 04:47 Sounds like a riddle, doesn't it? 04:48 A little bit. But it's not a riddle. 04:50 And by no means, let me just get directly-- 04:53 well, let me have you register, 04:55 what do you think this text is saying? 04:58 I mean, it's talking about John on two extremes here. 05:02 This-- first of all it's not to put down the John the Baptist. 05:04 Right. It is not. 05:06 It's talking about the glories of entrance 05:08 into the kingdom of God. 05:11 It's looking at it, dare I say from a heaven's point of view. 05:17 John was a great, great servant of the Lord 05:21 but those who are saved, 05:24 those who are finally accounted worthy to live with Christ, 05:29 even the least I say, 05:32 the Bible says is greater than that. 05:36 It's comparing the glories of being saved 05:39 as opposed to the servant hood 05:41 as great as that is here on earth. 05:44 And notice the things that this is where it kind of, 05:49 some people get thrown by this 05:52 when it says, "Among those born of women 05:55 there is not risen one greater than John the Baptist." 05:59 What makes, let's talk about the greatness 06:00 and the leastness of John the Baptist? 06:02 The greatness side of it is 06:04 how special would you feel if you were the one 06:07 to introduce Jesus to the world? Precisely. 06:10 He was the fort--he was the table setter. That's right. 06:14 You know, in basketball you have the point guard 06:16 who handles the ball, who feeds it to the big man 06:19 because a big man can't dribble and get it for himself. 06:21 So he is the one that, he's a seven footer 06:25 but the seven footer needs that little point guard 06:27 to help him to be all that he can be. 06:30 Well, it's a kind of inaccurate, you know, depiction 06:37 but John was a table setter for the Lord. 06:41 He was the one who was the Herald of Christ, 06:44 the one who had the privilege 06:46 of announcing the coming of the Messiah. 06:49 It doesn't get any better than that. 06:51 So he got the privilege of saying-- 06:56 I am not minimizing this 06:57 but for many, many years Ed McMahon used to say, 06:59 "Here's Johnny." Yeah. 07:01 You know, you got to be older if you can get that. 07:02 So if that went over you head, that was just simple a show 07:05 where one was introducing the other. Yes. 07:07 But John said, "Behold, the Lamb of God 07:11 that taketh away the sin of the world." 07:13 Now the reason why it talks about him as being great, 07:15 that was his calling. 07:17 The Lord, his-- Elizabeth, the cousin of Mary-- Yes. 07:22 That have this meeting, Jesus in-- 07:25 this is just, this is mind-boggling, 07:27 Jesus and his cousin John meets before they are born. 07:29 Precisely. Yeah, yeah. 07:32 They meet when Mary is running, trying to figure out 07:35 how to explain to Joseph for pregnancy. 07:37 She goes to Elizabeth because the angel Gabriel says, 07:40 "Somebody knows how you feel." 07:42 Elizabeth is already old, 07:44 she is having a baby. 07:45 Nobody said that will happen. 07:47 Zechariah is at home, dumfounded. 07:51 How does this happen? 07:52 He can't speak because he doubted it. Yes. 07:54 See, and Mary doesn't know 07:56 how to tell Joseph who is an upright 07:59 and just man that she is pregnant 08:01 and they are not even married yet. 08:02 Right. Okay. 08:04 And John the Baptist, when Mary walks in another room, 08:08 in the stomach of Elizabeth, John leaps. 08:11 John leaps in the womb. 08:13 That's powerful. Yeah, yeah. 08:14 And Elizabeth says, "He knows that 08:18 that's the divine one." That's powerful. 08:21 Calling from even in the womb, 08:22 he was going to be the Herald of the Lord. 08:26 And not withstand that 08:27 he did not live a long successful-- 08:29 well, I should not say successful 08:30 but a long, quite peaceful life, 08:33 his life was very turbulent as you well know 08:35 because he spoke out against the powers that being 08:37 the powers that be-- had him killed 08:40 but he fulfilled his task in a great way 08:44 and then have to suffer martyrdom 08:47 but is he in the kingdom? 08:49 Oh my soul, I would say yes. Yeah. 08:51 John will be in the kingdom but here's the least part 08:55 and this is the side that really great in the introduction 08:58 but you know what sad about that introduction 08:59 is John left the scene very quickly. Yes. 09:03 John wasn't there 09:05 when the multitudes were being healed. 09:07 John wasn't there 09:08 when the multitudes were being fed. 09:10 John didn't see the sight restored to the blind. 09:14 John didn't see the glorious resurrection of Jesus. 09:17 John wasn't at the tomb with Mary saying, 09:20 I am here with you. 09:22 John passed of the scene so quickly 09:24 and he was the forerunner. 09:26 He was-- his whole existence 09:29 was to prepare the way for the Lord. 09:32 And so when it says he is the least 09:33 that means in the sense of his experience 09:35 he didn't really have, 09:37 I mean, I saw Jesus give that man back his sight, 09:40 I saw Him restore the blind. 09:41 I saw Him raise her to life. 09:42 I saw Him feed multitudes which is loaves and fishes. 09:45 He didn't have the-- and the others 09:47 that came after John had the privilege 09:50 of being in the presence of Christ. 09:52 That's why he said, "In the kingdom of heaven 09:55 he won't have very much testimony." 09:57 Because he said, "I need you guys to tell me 10:00 what happened after I left." Yeah. 10:01 Because so much did happen, 10:03 so many great and wonderful things 10:04 that he never got a chance to be a part of. 10:07 That's why he-- that's why they said, 10:08 he will be least in the kingdom. 10:10 And those who are least in the kingdom 10:11 will be greater than He 10:13 because they will have more testimony. 10:15 They have a lot-- I mean, even today, 10:17 even I would be in a greater testament 10:19 setting than John was. 10:21 But I would love being 10:23 the John to introduce Jesus to the world. 10:25 Suffice to say that all of them though are in the kingdom. 10:28 That's right. Yeah, no body is out. 10:30 They are all in. That's' right. 10:31 They will be there when the Lord come. 10:32 We are going to be in that number 10:33 when Jesus comes back but John is going to say, 10:36 "You know, I understand it now 10:40 but when I was in that tomb languishing 10:44 and Jesus didn't come to see me. 10:48 I realized, man, what a short life 10:52 but I must decrease, He must increase." 10:56 So he knew his mission. Yeah, yeah. 10:58 You know, just let me touch on something, John. Go ahead. 11:00 You know, the idea that 11:03 God is not dismayed by our doubts. No. 11:06 You know, those who have had great trial 11:10 have sometime been subject to doubt. 11:11 God can deal with your doubt. 11:12 In fact I was talking with-- 11:14 I was at a conference just yesterday where I spoke 11:18 where wives have been victims of abuse 11:21 and this one former youth pastor said, 11:24 I just, I just-- I screamed at God. 11:26 I just, I yelled at God. 11:28 How could you let this happen to my wife? 11:31 And he said, I felt bad and I said to Him you know, 11:34 God can take your finger pointing, 11:37 God can take-- you saying, 11:38 I don't understand what I am going through, 11:40 I don't understand why you are allowing this, 11:42 I don't understand what is going on. 11:44 God's skin is not so thin, 11:46 He can take that. That's right. 11:47 What He doesn't want you to do is give up. 11:49 If you got to tear out your hair 11:51 and scream and hover at Him 11:52 and shake your fist at Him, well, you won't be the first. 11:55 As long as you don't turn your back on Him, 11:58 as long as you don't run away from Him. 12:00 John was in prison, tough place to be. 12:03 You know, rough situations. 12:04 He went to Christ, are you it 12:06 or should I look for somebody else, you know. 12:09 This it-- he had this little dip in faith 12:12 but he died in triumph. He died believing. 12:16 He fulfilled his mission 12:17 and that's what God want all of us to do. 12:19 Even if you have these little dips, 12:21 sometimes your faith will get little weak, 12:23 just don't turn your back on Him. 12:26 Don't turn away from Him, He can take your fist shaking 12:29 and your finger pointing 12:31 but don't turn away from Him, 12:32 that's when you are in trouble. 12:33 So do you got to question Him, question Him. 12:35 Sometimes He will answer you, 12:36 sometimes he will let you go through it, 12:38 answer you on the other side 12:39 but don't ever turn away from Him. 12:41 He will be with you all the time. 12:42 I appreciate that. That is true. 12:43 We have to let our humanity be put aside for the questions 12:48 that divinity still lives in our path. Precisely. 12:51 Because divinity, what it means is 12:53 He knows what he did, you don't have to know. 12:56 He knows why He did it. 12:57 And what does the song writer say, 12:58 we will understand it-- Better by and by. 13:02 Suffice it to say, that's what we fit into 13:04 the scheme of what the Lord wants to do. 13:06 Another gentleman wrote. 13:08 Matter of fact her name is Nancy. 13:11 Thank you so much, Nancy. 13:13 She wanted the references 13:15 to topic we talked about on Sabbath. 13:19 The number of times that Acts is mentioned 13:22 that in the Book of Acts the word Sabbath is mentioned. 13:25 By the way it's mentioned nine times. 13:27 And I am glad you brought that up. 13:30 C.A., sometimes people say, 13:33 Jesus did away with the Sabbath 13:35 when He died on the cross. 13:36 They say, He nailed it to the cross, He got rid of it. 13:39 It's no longer binding on us, 13:41 it's no longer an observation, 13:42 we got to get rid of that day. 13:43 Who wants a day anyway? 13:46 But in the Book of Acts the unquestionable authority 13:49 of the validity of the Sabbath 13:50 continues in the Book of Acts. 13:53 One of the first ones you find is, 13:56 matter of fact, let me give you the references here. 13:59 I like to do that, I have in front of me a laptop computer. 14:02 The first one you find is in Acts 1:12, 14:07 where you find the Sabbath day's journey 14:10 talked about, that's the first reference, Acts 1:12. 14:12 And since you're recording, 14:14 I will go ahead and make sure that 14:15 you get all these on the record. 14:17 Acts 1:12, if you are listening on the radio, 14:20 grab these as I go by. 14:22 Acts 13:14 is the other one, 14:25 then the other one Acts 13:14 is there, 14:29 Acts 13:27 where it talked about how 14:35 "For they all dwell at Jerusalem, 14:38 because they knew Him not 14:40 nor yet their voices of the Prophets 14:42 which they had read every Sabbath day, 14:45 and they fulfilled them in condemning Him." 14:48 That's one. 14:49 They kept going over the life of Jesus. 14:52 Simply, 14:55 but Acts 13:42, this is Paul and Barnabas. Yes. 14:59 Where they-- "And when the Jews 15:01 were gone out of the synagogue, 15:02 the Gentiles begged that these words 15:05 might be preached to them the next Sabbath." 15:08 So that's Acts 13:42. Then verse 44. 15:12 Verse 44 picks it up again. 15:13 Says this, "And the next Sabbath 15:16 almost the whole city came together 15:18 to hear the word of God." 15:19 So you see, Jews, Gentiles and look at the next one. 15:23 Read that one for us, Acts 15:21. 15:25 Acts 15:21. Yeah, Acts 15:21. 15:29 So this is showing that the apostles did 15:32 what was continually referenced 15:34 in the Old Testament. 15:35 They didn't break stride. 15:37 Notice what it says in Acts 15:21. 15:39 "For Moses of old time hath in every city 15:42 them that preach him, being read in the synagogues 15:46 on every Sabbath day." Okay. 15:48 So they remind the newer generation of Moses, 15:54 the work that he had done and how often do they hear it? 15:56 Every Sabbath. Every Sabbath. 15:57 So they are showing not one but every Sabbath. 16:00 Another one, look at Acts 16:13. 16:05 That's reference number seven. 16:07 You have that one? 16:08 "And on the sabbath 16:10 he went out of the city by a river side, 16:12 where prayer was want to be made and he sat down, 16:15 and spake unto the women which resorted thither." 16:20 In another words who met him there. 16:22 The reason why this is something I look that up 16:24 and I said, now, John, 16:26 I mean, Paul is down by the river side on the Sabbath. 16:29 Why was he there? 16:30 And notice he said, he spoke to the woman. 16:32 The custom was-- this was a custom, 16:34 this is no longer applicable today in our society 16:38 but there needed to be at least 10 men 16:40 in the congregation for them to build a facility. Yes. 16:44 They didn't have 10 men. Just a woman met him there. 16:47 So that's why they had no facility to meet in. 16:50 And I thought why the woman, they mentioned a woman 16:53 and one thing you will discover as you study God's word, 16:55 words are not mentioned arbitrarily. 16:57 True, very true. They are there for reason. 16:59 They are there to make you look it up. 17:01 Why did Paul have to go down 17:03 by where the prayer was customarily made by the river. 17:08 And he went, sat down and spoke 17:10 to the woman who met there. 17:12 And when do they meet? They met on the Sabbath to pray. 17:15 They went out of the city, 17:16 that's where they met to pray every Sabbath. 17:18 Yes, yes. 17:19 Because they had no place to meet in the city 17:21 because there was not 10 men at least 17:23 added to the congregation. 17:24 And last one, Acts 17, well, the last two. 17:27 Acts 17:2 is the other reference 17:30 to the Sabbath in the Book of Acts. 17:33 "And Paul, as his manner was, 17:35 went in unto them, 17:37 and three Sabbath days reasoned with them 17:40 out of the scriptures." 17:41 And of course that reminds us of Luke 4:16. 17:44 Christ as His custom was went out on the Sabbath day, 17:48 Paul as his manner is, 17:49 his custom is three Sabbath days 17:52 he reasoned with him out of the scriptures. 17:54 And the cities that are mentioned there 17:55 that he reasoned are in verse 1. 17:57 He passed through Amphipolis, Apollonia, Thessalonica 18:02 where there was a synagogue of the Jews. 18:04 But when you follow the references, 18:06 he spoke to both, Jews and Gentiles and Greeks. 18:09 And so this was not some-- 18:10 and the last reference in Acts of the Sabbath, 18:12 Acts 18:4. Read that one there. 18:16 "And he reasoned again in the synagogue every Sabbath, 18:20 and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks." 18:23 Okay. So there you go. 18:24 So the Sabbath wasn't just the Jewish thing, 18:26 it was for the Greeks and you go in Acts 13, 18:29 the Gentiles and they were also proselytizing done, 18:36 converts coming into the truth of the New Testament church. 18:41 So the Sabbath day there are nine references. 18:43 Once again, Acts 1:12, Acts 13:14, 18:47 Acts 13:27, Acts 13:42-44, 18:52 Acts 15:21, Acts 16:13, 18:55 Acts 17:2 and Acts 18:4. 18:58 Hope you got those. 18:59 And just want to recap those very quickly. 19:02 This one was a cute one here. I like this. 19:06 And why I say I like this, that's-- 19:07 I say that so much, I like them all. 19:09 I am from New York, I like anything. 19:11 I like it, I like it, it's a good one. Here it is. 19:13 Okay, okay, they start with the word, okay. 19:16 Matthew 27:51-53. Okay. 19:22 They put, "Okay. Matthew 27:51-53. Okay. 19:25 In verse 52, we read 19:28 that the graves of many bodies 19:32 of the ones that were dead arose." 19:35 Read that for us from Matthew 27:51-53. 19:41 Read that for us. 27:51-53. 19:46 "And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain 19:49 from the top to the bottom, 19:53 and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent. 19:56 And the graves were opened, 19:57 and many bodies of the saints which slept arose. 20:01 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, 20:05 and went into the holy city, 20:06 and appeared unto many." Okay. 20:09 This is the person's question. 20:15 After they said, they said, "But in verse 53 it says, 20:19 after Christ resurrection then they came out. 20:24 That was the third day. 20:27 What did they do for all that time, 20:29 just sit in the hole?" 20:33 Okay. Okay. My reaction was identical. 20:37 So what he's in essence-- 20:39 what they're in essence saying is, 20:41 okay, they were brought back to life, 20:43 verse 52, many of the saints 20:46 who had fallen asleep were raised 20:48 and coming out of the grave after his resurrection. 20:50 They went into the holy city and appear to many. 20:53 What he is doing is, he is separating 20:54 verse 52 and verse 53. 20:57 You notice what I am saying? 20:59 He is separating verse 52 as different time frame 21:01 and verse 53 as another time frame. 21:03 He is saying, okay, 21:07 the resurrection is talked about here. 21:09 That's exactly what's been referred to 21:11 and so when it says, 21:12 and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, 21:15 he is not saying they came to life 21:17 and just laid there saying, 21:18 "Okay, we got two more days before we get out of here." 21:22 That's what he is in essence asking. 21:24 You know, that's not the case. 21:25 While you separate the events, 21:27 the coming to life and coming out of the grave 21:30 happen on the same day after His resurrection. 21:33 But sometimes people tend to separate those two events. 21:36 They was the beauty, the resurrection of Christ, 21:39 coming out of the grave, they didn't get life on one day 21:43 and come out the next day. Oh, I see. 21:45 And that's what the person was thinking there. 21:49 So your opinion is needed and I really would like, 21:52 I need your opinion, thank God. 21:54 Thank you so much, Wallace, for sending us that question. 22:00 Isaiah 26:19 is a passage that would do well 22:04 because you know when it says, come out. 22:07 Let's look at Isaiah 26:19. 22:09 Some of the same language is used in Isaiah 26, 22:12 but you will notice, when you get to that, C.A., 22:17 read that for us, Isaiah 26:19 22:23 Isaiah 26:19, this is a brand new Bible 22:29 and I should know better than 22:32 bring a brand new Bible on set with me 22:35 because it-the pages still stick together. 22:39 26:19, "Thy dead men shall live, 22:43 together with my dead body shall they arise. 22:46 Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust, 22:50 for thy dew is the dew of herbs, 22:52 and the earth shall cast out the dead." Okay. 22:56 "Your dead men shall live, 22:57 together with my dead body shall they arise." 23:00 The one I want to point out here is 23:03 the arising part and the singing part 23:05 happens the same time. 23:08 They are not coming to life and then singing later on 23:11 but they arise, awake and sing, 23:14 you who dwell in the dust. 23:15 Notice what it says, you who dwell. 23:16 And the word there dwell means live. 23:19 And the reason I am using this reference is 23:20 because if you would to put this in the vernacular 23:24 of just talking about a common setting, 23:26 you say they live in New York 23:27 and I could just-- let me go ahead 23:29 and substitute the word here just to illustrate my point. 23:31 "Awake and sing you who dwell in New York." 23:35 I am saying they live in New York 23:36 but I want them to wake up and sing. 23:38 So the context here is, they are not alive in the dust, 23:42 they are dwelling in the dust. 23:44 That's the place that they are going to be until they awake, 23:48 until they are brought back to life again. Okay. 23:51 I hope I am making my illustrated point well here 23:54 and the point is in the Book of Matthew 27, 23:57 they were still asleep. 23:59 They were not awake one day 24:01 and came out of grave the next day 24:02 waiting for Jesus' resurrection to come out of the grave. 24:05 So therefore they were not 24:06 just sitting in the grave or sitting in the hole, 24:09 waiting for the grave to open up and let them out. 24:11 There was no consciousness. 24:13 Ecclesiastes 9:5, 24:15 "The living know that they will die 24:16 but the dead know not any thing." Okay. 24:19 Also their love and their hate 24:20 and their envy is now perished. 24:22 So Psalms 146:4, 24:26 "His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth, 24:28 in that very day his thoughts perish." 24:30 Psalms 115:17, "The dead do not praise the Lord, 24:34 neither any that go down into silence." 24:36 So those passages are there to let us know 24:38 until they are coming out of the grave, 24:39 they won't be singing, they won't be rejoicing, 24:43 they won't be witnessing about Christ 24:45 in His resurrection. Okay. Yes. 24:47 Isaiah here of course spoke so much about Christ, 24:50 His work, His death, His life. 24:52 Here he is talking about a special resurrection. 24:56 And when we go back to the New Testament text, 25:02 the text says many other things. 25:04 This is not a blanket declaration 25:07 for all of the saying 25:08 but Christ chose many of the saints as trophies, 25:13 emblems of His resurrection. 25:15 And they went into the city and witnessed. 25:18 And so they were powerful evangelist 25:21 for the power of the resurrected Lord. 25:25 He chose some, many, not all, not everybody. 25:28 So it's not a blanket doctrine. 25:30 This is a special resurrection that Christ chose 25:34 really to hail or highlight His victory 25:40 over sin and death at that time. 25:42 And so these people are very powerful witnesses 25:44 for the power of the resurrected Lord. 25:46 Showing that He is in fact 25:47 the resurrection in the life. Precisely. 25:49 You know the beauty of the being-- 25:53 I call it spiritual fallout. 25:56 If you are in the grave where Jesus-- 25:58 if you're in the cemetery where Jesus was buried, 26:01 you're coming out with Him, okay. 26:03 It says some powerful resurrection there. 26:05 And it didn't say that they were in the same cemetery. 26:08 I am not highlighting that. 26:09 But the point of the matter is 26:10 wherever you are and Jesus wants you to arise, 26:12 you are going to arise. 26:14 What's also nice about that is this, 26:18 He could have said 26:20 or His disciples could have said, 26:22 he rose and people would have said, 26:24 "I didn't see Him." Yeah. 26:26 But the number that arose and went into the city 26:30 and testifies that Jesus rose, 26:32 somebody said, "Wait a minute, 26:35 step brother so and so, now--" 26:37 I was at that funeral. I know that guy. 26:40 I was at that one, I know that was him 26:42 and he is back. 26:44 Something powerful must have happened here. 26:46 Something really, really spectacular 26:47 must have happened, yeah. 26:48 And you're saying, wait a minute, 26:49 brother, that is him. 26:52 And could you explain what just happened here? 26:55 He said, and then he testifies 26:56 at the resurrection of the Jesus. 26:57 Powerful witness. Powerful witness. 26:58 I mean, we skip by that, I want to highlight 27:00 because we escape by that. 27:02 And it's like, you know, 27:04 like somebody beep their horn and went by. 27:05 But that's a powerful illustration 27:07 of how the testimony of Jesus 27:10 resonated everywhere they went. 27:12 And before they got together with Him, 27:14 that's why the Book of Acts says, 27:15 you know, He was seen by disciples, 27:18 Mary and the woman that came from Galilee saw Him. 27:20 He was seen upwards of about 500 27:22 and then He had a band of testim-- 27:24 He had a ban of people testifying 27:26 of His resurrected power 27:28 because they too came out of the grave. 27:30 He of course still was limited in place 27:32 He could be in those who saw Him 27:33 but this group of evangelists 27:36 filtering their way through the city. 27:38 What a powerful witness for the resurrection Lord, 27:40 John, that you have these people who were dead. 27:43 We know that he was dead. 27:45 What's he doing walking around? 27:46 Well, Christ brought me back. For what purpose? 27:49 To testify of His goodness, of His resurrecting power. 27:51 In fact that He is a risen Lord, I am witness. 27:54 That's right. That He is a risen Lord. 27:56 I am the resurrection of the life. Yeah. 27:58 And he that believeth in me, though he were dead, 28:00 yet shall he live. Yeah. 28:01 That's what He tried to tell Martha that day in John 11, 28:04 I am the resurrection, 28:05 you gonna see your brother again 28:06 because I am the resurrection. 28:08 And He does something special for them. 28:09 So friends, know the dead weren't 28:14 sitting around, waiting around 28:16 anymore than anybody right now 28:17 are sitting around waiting around. 28:20 That's what the whole purpose of sleep is all about. 28:22 When I went to bed last night, I surely would have, 28:25 you know, my wife gave me this urgent statement, 28:27 she says, "Uh, I just--" she was so tired, 28:30 she says, "I just want to sleep." 28:32 And it was around 10 o'clock 28:34 and I said, "But, I got to get my question 28:36 and all ready for House Calls tomorrow." 28:38 She said, "But you know, 28:39 the best sleep is before midnight." 28:41 And I got to bed before midnight 28:44 and I praise God for that. 28:45 But you know what when the resurrection comes 28:48 those who are going to come forth from the grave 28:50 at the resurrection are not going to say, 28:52 "Finally, it's been 1,500 years." 28:56 You know, they are not going to know. 28:58 It's going to be like they went to sleep 29:00 and they just, in a twinkling of an eye, 29:02 I think that's what that talks about. 29:03 Indeed. Wow. 29:05 Well, thank you for your questions. 29:07 We have covered a number of very important ones. 29:10 We have number more in our hands here 29:11 but I for the sake of our topic 29:13 want to go ahead and segue now 29:14 but if you have any questions or comments 29:16 about any thing we said here today 29:17 or something you like us to address on House Calls, 29:19 send those questions and comments 29:21 to housecalls@3abn.org. 29:23 That's housecalls@3abn.org. 29:27 And we will get to them as soon as we possibly can. 29:30 Thank you so much for your prayers 29:32 and thank you for your financial support of 3ABN, 29:34 it does make a difference. Amen. 29:37 We are talking about the ultimate deliverance, 29:39 "Our God Shall Come." 29:41 And we ended with the fact that when the Lord comes, 29:46 He is not coming back silently. 29:50 I want to start by talking about that 29:53 briefly here a little, C.A., 29:54 because there is something 29:56 that has taken the world by storm, 29:58 million of these books have been written 30:03 and brought and sold 30:05 and churches have entertained, the DVDs. 30:08 You know what I am speaking about, 30:10 left behind the secrete rapture theory that somehow 30:16 the Lord is going to say, "Hey, guys, time to go. 30:21 The others will figure it out." 30:24 That's the secret rapture theory. 30:27 All of a sudden saints have disappear 30:28 from the dinner tables, from airplanes, 30:30 from cars on the highway, from the toll booth, 30:33 your wife is disappears from the kitchen table 30:36 and you realize that you have seven more years 30:38 if you're going to see her again. 30:39 Yes. Yes. You see. 30:41 And so what is that done to the faith of Christian? 30:43 I think, it's kind of sad. 30:46 It turns God into a bit of hocus-pocus artist, you know. 30:51 Somebody is flying a plane and they're gone 30:53 and the plane needed to fly, crashes in the ground. 30:55 You got lives on that plain that are lost or at stake. 31:01 It's a theory that has been put together 31:03 sort of with the house of cards. 31:05 And when you really examine it-- first of all it's not biblical 31:09 but more than it's counterintuitive 31:12 and doesn't really make sense, 31:15 why God would chose to do it that way. 31:17 Now you can say, well, God does what He want's to do 31:19 but there is order to what the Lord does. 31:22 And a rapture theory is just not sequester 31:25 with the God that we know. 31:27 And then it's not biblical. 31:28 Right. And I like that fact you said, rapture theory. 31:32 It was a theory classically orchestrated 31:35 in the 15th and 16th centuries. 31:40 Luis De Alcazar and Francisco Ribera, 31:44 you can say with that nice Latino flavor. 31:46 His wife could do it really well. 31:48 I am just slaughtering that, so forgive me 31:50 but if you look up the rapture theory, 31:52 also called the gap theory. 31:54 And I was saying, there was an attempt 31:56 by the church of the Middle Ages, 31:58 the Church of Rome to say that there is no possible way 32:01 that the antichrist could be existing in the system 32:03 of the Dark Ages because He is going to come way 32:07 down the road after the saints disappear. 32:10 And so they came up with this possible theory 32:12 one was called preterism 32:14 and the other one called futurism. 32:17 And the one that called almost futurism on the foundation 32:19 which the rapture theory was built saying 32:24 that when the saints are raptured away, 32:27 then we know that the tribulation 32:29 is just about to begin, seven years of tribulation. 32:32 The Jews are going to evangelize the world. 32:35 The singular antichrist man is going to be set up 32:39 and then all of a sudden we will have seven more years before 32:42 we see our love ones again if in fact 32:44 we are converted because we missed the first train. 32:47 Yes, yes, yes. It's-- and that's basically, 32:49 and we can get very complex and take a lot of time 32:51 with this because it's based on the 70 weeks process, 32:55 it's taking that last week and moving 32:58 all the way to the end of time. 33:01 You know, you get your 69 weeks then all of sudden 33:03 you take that last week and you tag 33:04 it on with the end week of the time not understanding 33:07 that those that 70 week is a package. 33:09 They all go together, its not 69 here 33:12 and then 2000 years later we tack on another week. 33:15 No, it's a package and may be we got to do 33:18 a study on that one time. 33:21 If you get a chance you have done that already 33:23 but it's a theory that respond a lot of sadness 33:26 and a lot of confusion as you went out in the ranks 33:28 of Christendom because it's non biblical, 33:31 it's based on a lot of conjecture 33:33 and it's not substantiate about the Word of God. 33:37 The point was so wonderfully made, 33:38 I mean, I couldn't even add any more to that but you know 33:41 I am going to. 33:44 And I am only doing that to reiterate and to emphasize. 33:47 That was beautifully said, I don't know 33:48 if you catch that again. 33:50 It's a 70 week prophecy, Daniel 9:24-27, 33:54 there's a 70 week prophecy there that pertains 33:57 to the activities of the Jewish nation. 34:00 And in that 70 weeks 70 x 7 is 490 years. 34:04 Matter of fact, let's go and walk them 34:06 through really briefly. 34:07 I think this fits so wonderfully because you have to see 34:09 that there's no room for a gap to cause 34:12 this still to be legitimist prophecy. 34:14 You can't add time to it to make it legitimate because 34:17 it is taken from a larger time frame. 34:19 It's taken from a larger, a much larger picture 34:23 than it's here to fore present it and those who do that 34:28 are not making it a 490 year prophecy. 34:31 And by the way you may ask yourself, 34:33 how do we get to 490 from 70? 34:36 Well, Ezekiel 18:4, 34:41 not Ezekiel 18:4. 34:45 I will get the passage here in just a moment. 34:46 When you look at the prophecy the day, 34:48 year, principle in prophecy. 34:50 The 70 weeks, 70 x 7, 34:55 there are seven days in a week, 70 x 7 is 490. 35:01 70 week prophecy, 70 x 7, those are how many days 35:05 in a week is 490 years total. 35:09 So you have this breakdown 35:11 and I am going to start in Daniel 9. 35:16 And we are going to see this thing unfold beautifully. 35:19 That's just so nice about the Word of God, 35:21 it's not a book of confusion but it's a book-- 35:24 and the setting is Daniel is still in captivity 35:30 and he is wondering how long we are going to be here, Lord? 35:33 What's going to happen? 35:34 And so the first the Lord gives him in Daniel 8:14, 2300 days. 35:42 And then in the smaller picture 35:46 of that 2300 days, 35:51 the Lord gives him a small portion of 490 years. 35:57 So, 2300 years is a small section of only 490 years 36:02 that pertains just to Daniel and his people. 36:07 And the Lord says, I am giving you a particular 36:10 timeframe to do certain things. Okay. 36:13 Let's start that out verse 24. 36:16 "Seventy weeks are determined upon 36:17 thy people and upon thy holy city," 36:20 Okay, notice who it's for. 36:22 Right away Daniel's people and about the holy city 36:25 pertaining to Daniel's people. Go ahead. 36:27 And the word for determine is cut off 36:29 so it's a section cut out like a slice of cake 36:31 cut out from a larger cake. 36:33 So I am hearing you say the word 36:34 determine means cut off. 36:35 To cut off, right. To separate out, to cut off. 36:37 Slice, all right. Got it. Yeah, to slice out. 36:39 Okay. All right, "Are determined 36:40 upon thy people and upon thy holy city to finish 36:43 the transgression, and to make an end of sins, 36:47 and to make reconciliation for iniquity, 36:49 and to bring in everlasting righteousness, 36:53 and to seal up the vision and prophecy, 36:55 and to anoint the Most Holy." 36:58 Six things. Now I want you get this because 37:01 this where the prophecy sets a beautiful foundation 37:04 to anoint the Most Holy. 37:08 You will see when we began to go through this in particular 37:10 that those who came up with the theory have taken away 37:13 the Most Holy from the prophecy 37:14 and put the most unholy in here. 37:17 You notice that? Yeah. 37:19 They have focused this prophecy on the most unholy, 37:21 not on the Most Holy. 37:23 Go to verse 25 now. 37:24 Okay, here we go, 37:25 "Know therefore and understand, 37:27 that from the going forth of the commandment to restore 37:30 and build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince 37:33 shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks." 37:39 Shall be seven weeks. 37:40 I am sorry, I said seventy? 37:42 I meant seven. "seven weeks 37:44 and threescore and two weeks." 37:45 So that is 7 + 62 or 69 week. Exactly. 37:52 So notice here, finish your point. 37:54 Well, I am saying that's two Messiah. 37:56 Right. Right, that's two Messiah. 37:58 So it's what is eluded to on 24 is clearly stated in 25. 38:04 I will read again, "From the going forth 38:06 of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem," 38:07 that's a starting point. 38:09 "Unto Messiah shall be seven weeks, 38:13 and threescore and two weeks or total of 69 weeks." 38:18 And notice in two passages so far we have seen clearly 38:20 who the focal point of this prophecy is, 38:22 the Most Holy and the Messiah. Yes. 38:24 It is once again giving us a timeframe, 38:27 the Jews needed to be very clear 38:29 that they had a certain window of time in order to prepare 38:32 themselves to do these six things starting up 38:35 by making an end of transgressions. 38:38 Making an end of sins or reconcile-- 38:40 and making reconciliation for the iniquity. 38:44 Bring an everlasting righteousness. 38:47 Seal up the vision in prophecy and anoint the most holy. 38:50 They had a time to do that. 38:52 And the time was, you need to get that done 38:55 before Jesus shows up. 38:56 Precisely, precisely. Okay. Go ahead. 38:58 Yeah. And what comes up next, 39:00 John, as you well know is the rational 39:03 for connecting all of this together and not allowing 39:06 for gap theory because what's going to happen is all 39:08 of this is going to take place during the lifetime of Messiah. 39:12 That's right. You don't have that 2000 39:14 or how many years you want to put in that gap, 39:15 it all happens during lifetime of Messiah. 39:17 Let's go to 26, "And after threescore and two weeks 39:22 shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself 39:25 and the people of the prince that shall come 39:29 shall destroy the city and the sanctuary 39:31 and the end thereof shall be with a flood, 39:34 and unto the end of the war desolations are determined." 39:38 Okay. So you see-and one point 39:41 I want to get real quickly here, 39:42 we didn't finish verse 25, but it says, 39:44 in the middle of verse 25, after the phrase, 39:46 until Messiah the Prince is there shall be seven weeks, 39:49 and sixty two weeks: the street shall be built again, 39:53 and the wall, even in troublous times. 39:55 This is so powerful. 39:56 When you read the story of Nehemiah--. 39:59 Yes. The project was almost done 40:03 and the people of God fell into disrepair. 40:06 They got discouraged. Yeah. 40:08 There they were in Jerusalem. 40:10 By the way one of the things we have to point out 40:12 is one of the reasons why this facade exist today 40:14 is there were three decrees that were generally on the forefront. 40:18 Cyrus to build the temple, Darius to build the city, 40:23 to build the wall and then Nehemiah to build 40:27 the whole thing, restore the city, 40:29 finish the walls, restore the city. 40:32 The system both financially and economically 40:36 and politically finished the whole thing. 40:38 And the people had got into the Cyrus' part and Darius' part 40:41 but they didn't get o the Nehemiah part. 40:42 They needed Nehemiah push to finish the whole project. 40:46 And by the way, if you follow the story of Nehemiah, 40:48 it only took them 52 days to finish it. 40:51 But the reason why it got stopped is because the enemy 40:54 came and resisted the people and that's why it says 40:57 in the verse, "The street shall be built again, 41:01 and the wall, even in troublous times." 41:03 Yes, yes. They had a tough time doing it, the enemies. 41:07 Let's go Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arab. 41:09 Precisely. They resisted Nehemiah, 41:12 what did they try to do? 41:13 They try to get him to stop the work 41:14 and come down from the building. 41:16 And of course he persisted and said about his task. 41:20 What he kept say-- remember the city name, the city of Ono. 41:22 Ono, yeah. Yeah. Ono. 41:26 Ono, yeah. They say, come on down, 41:28 let's go to the city of Ono. 41:29 And I-- you know, we all as preacher 41:30 say and Nehemiah said-- Ono. 41:34 Don't come on down, Ono. 41:36 And he didn't. He said as a matter of fact, 41:38 the people labored with a torch in one hand-- 41:41 a sword in one hand and a labor in-- a torch in another. 41:43 They labored. They wouldn't come down. 41:45 He refused to come down from the wall. 41:48 So the devil attacked this prophecy in another way. 41:51 John, that's good council for us today. 41:53 The devil couldn't threaten him down, 41:54 could not co-opt him, couldn't coerce him. 41:57 He stayed about his task and we need to stay about 41:59 our task too. That's right. 42:00 When it comes to serving the Lord. 42:02 Let's go to verse 27, "And he shall confirm 42:05 the covenant with many for one week; 42:08 and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice 42:11 and the oblation to cease." 42:12 Now this is the part of the text that gets 42:15 a lot of the people in trouble. 42:16 Oh, yeah. 42:18 Let me just read on, "And for the overspreading 42:20 of abominations he shall make it desolate, 42:23 even until the consummation, and that determined 42:26 shall be poured upon the desolate." 42:30 That's a powerful language, I mean-- 42:32 Yeah, this is heavy stuff right here because 42:34 this is the lynchpin for a lot of theology of the end times 42:39 and for the theory that we've been talking about. 42:42 "He shall confirm the covenant with many for one week; 42:45 and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice 42:48 and the oblation to cease." 42:50 There in is the key. 42:51 You know what's amazing about 42:53 that and you're listening to this sometimes 42:55 when we read this even to people 42:56 who have been seasoned in this prophecy. 42:59 Sometimes you listen to that and you say, 43:01 "He shall do what?" 43:04 The oblation, the over spreading of the desolation, 43:06 what on earth is that all mean? 43:08 So don't get discourage. 43:09 Let me break it down really quickly here. 43:11 First of all when you look at the prophecy 43:13 and I am going to show you how, how a Lord 43:16 who had only been on the earth, how Jesus who only had 43:19 three and half year ministry was able to confirm 43:21 His covenant for seven years. 43:23 That's the big thing here because 43:25 if He wasn't able to do that, then you have some 43:27 somewhat of legitimacy to take that prophecy 43:29 and take it all the way down. 43:31 First thing, if you start with Cyrus or Darius 43:35 you never come up with these dates matching. 43:39 You don't get up to the Messiah the prince. 43:41 So you don't get to the year that Jesus was anointed, 43:44 the word Messiah means the anointed one. 43:47 Acts 10:38 talks about Him being anointed 43:49 in the 15th year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar. 43:53 So he was anointed in that very year. 43:55 So when you look at the time prophecies, 43:57 notice this very quickly. 43:58 When the Bible breaks the time down and I said to you earlier 44:02 that the times are not mentioned arbitrarily. 44:05 There shall be, in Daniel 9:25, "There shall be--" 44:08 talking about until the Messiah the prince, 44:10 "there shall be seven weeks and sixty two weeks." 44:12 That's 69 total. 44:14 In the year 457 BC, 44:20 this prophecy began. 44:23 That's the time of the decree by Artaxerxes, 44:27 he gave Nehemiah, this decree was given to start rebuilding. 44:31 And you try to come up with that name and spell that. 44:35 Have fun doing that. 44:37 But notice, there's a seven year period there. 44:40 So how many days are in seven year? 44:47 Seven times seven is what 49. 44:51 So when you began to see how long it took, 44:53 that whole process took 49 years 44:57 from the beginning of the decree till the time the wall, 45:01 the city and the streets and the economy 45:03 and the political system was fully established. 45:05 That was completed, that's why it was broken down. 45:08 And then now, since that part of what was done 45:10 then you had 62 weeks left 45:13 or the 400 and something year period left right there. 45:20 I am not mathematically so much. 45:22 I am trying to run through my head here. 45:24 But the whole thing was 483 years up to Christ. 45:26 Correct. So you get down to Christ 45:29 and you have 483 years, the year He is baptized 45:32 the last seven years began. 45:35 And here is the biggest question, friends. 45:37 And this is the crux of the whole thing. 45:39 If the rapture theory is true, seven year tribulation 45:43 that has been pushed to the future, 45:45 then here is the problem. 45:47 The last seven years of this prophecy 45:49 never happened which says, Jesus was never baptized, 45:54 He was never anointed, He was never on this earth 46:00 to perform His ministry. 46:03 He couldn't have been cut off in the middle of the week 46:06 because according to the rapture theory 46:08 there was no middle of the week. 46:10 That's going to happen later on. 46:12 So the problem here is you take Jesus 46:15 totally out of the prophecy. 46:16 Who do you think would want to take Jesus 46:18 totally out of the prophecy? 46:19 Got to be Satan himself. 46:22 So-- Yeah. And who's at 46:24 the evangelical center 46:28 of this prophecy? The Satan. 46:31 There are those who say that, he shall confirm the covenant 46:34 with many means he is going to make a deal with the devil. 46:38 And the Lord has never made any deals with Satan. 46:43 He shall confirm the covenant with many 46:45 was his preaching ministry. 46:46 That was His ministry during that time and of course 46:49 we know three and half years later Christ went to the cross. 46:52 So it fits perfectly and what did His going to the crops do? 46:55 It caused the sacrifice to cease. 46:59 It just didn't make any sense anymore. 47:02 The veil was rent from top to bottom, 47:04 the sacrifice is over, it was ended. 47:06 That system was not any good anymore because it foreshadowed 47:09 what Christ is going to do. 47:10 Christ did it so that sacrifice is not necessary, 47:13 not of any value anymore. 47:15 And you know what so amazing about 47:16 this prophecy too, C.A., is this. 47:18 When the bible says, he shall confirm 47:20 his covenant with many for one week. 47:22 Well, you ask the question, well, Jesus only preached 47:24 for three and half years how do you get seven years out of that? 47:27 Ha, go with me to the Book of Hebrews. 47:31 How do you get seven years out of that? 47:32 How does He confirm anything if He's only been-- 47:35 how can He confirm something that has a seven year span 47:37 if He's only preaching and on the earth in that ministry 47:40 settings for three and half year? 47:42 You know while you are heading-- while we are heading Hebrews, 47:43 Hebrews is such a necessary book because 47:45 it drives the nail home in the mediatorial, 47:51 the sacrificial ministry of Jesus. 47:53 Over and over we see in the Book of Hebrews, 47:55 if they had bulls and goats we've got something better. 47:58 If they had blood of rams, we got something better. 48:00 We got this more sure sacrifice and ministry 48:04 that is Jesus Christ and that's 48:06 the burden of the Book of Hebrews. 48:08 Where do you want to go? 48:09 Hebrews 2 and notice, we're going to-- 48:11 we are focusing on the word, confirm because the Bible says, 48:14 He, that is Messiah will confirm 48:16 His covenant with many, not the antichrist. 48:19 The rapture theory has put 48:20 the antichrist in the place of Christ. 48:23 That's not what the bible says. 48:25 Let me pick up my glasses here. 48:27 Notice verse 2, verse 3. 48:30 Hebrews 2:3, notice what it starts with, 48:32 "How shall we escape, if we neglect 48:35 so greater salvation; which at the first began 48:40 to be spoken by the Lord." 48:42 Who started it? The Lord. 48:45 "And was confirmed to us by those who heard him." 48:49 Who confirmed it? 48:51 His disciples. His disciples, right. 48:53 When Jesus left-- and by the way, 48:55 once again this prophecy pertains to the house of Israel. 48:59 Before the gospel went to the Gentiles, 49:01 Jesus said to them, 49:02 "First go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." 49:06 Okay, how long did they do that? 49:07 Yes, yeah, three and half years. 49:08 Three and half years. 49:10 Now get that friends, Jesus, three and half years, 49:13 His disciples for the next three and half years 49:16 and the year that Steven was stoned marked the end 49:19 of that three and half year, remember that? 49:20 Precisely. And it fits perfectly, 49:23 it is biblically sound. 49:24 And His ministry was amplified and continued 49:28 after his going to heaven by those who are with Him, 49:31 who talked with Him, who ate with Him, 49:33 who sup with Him, who learned from His own 49:37 very lips for that next three and half years. 49:39 And, you know, what's so beautiful about that, 49:41 since it happened in the days of Steven, 49:43 since this prophecy does point out that the gospel 49:46 was going to the Gentiles at one point because 49:48 He was going to confirm His covenant for just seven years. 49:50 Let me show you in the Bible where that, 49:52 that switch-over did take place. 49:54 Go with us to that Book of Acts 13. 49:56 And by the way this fits into one of the references of Sabbath 49:59 that you asked for earlier. 50:01 Acts 13, by the way, Paul was referred 50:05 to as the apostle to the Gentile. Why? 50:08 Because the Lord was done appealing to the Jewish leaders. 50:11 Let me make this clear, not the Jewish nation 50:13 but the Jewish leaders. 50:15 A lot of times we heard the phrase 50:17 that the Jews can't be saved. 50:18 Well anybody could be saved if they go through Christ. 50:21 Lord is not singling people out. 50:23 But look at setting here and I want you to get this, 50:26 Steven was stoned, they thought they could stop it there 50:29 but there was-- that when Steven was stoned, 50:31 it closed probation that is for the leaders, 50:34 but notice how thy seal their fate. 50:37 Here's it was, Acts 13:42, 50:41 "So when the Jews went out of the synagogue, 50:43 the Gentiles bade or be sought that these words 50:47 might be preached to them the next Sabbath1." 50:49 Verse 43, "Now when the congregation 50:51 had broken up, many of the Jews 50:54 and devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, 50:59 who, speaking to them, persuaded them 51:01 to continue in the grace of God." 51:04 Verse 44, "And on the next Sabbath 51:07 almost the whole city together to hear the word of God. 51:10 But when the Jews saw the multitude--" 51:13 now if that had finished their transgression, 51:17 they wouldn't be all upset like this. 51:19 "But when the Jews saw the multitude, 51:21 they were filled with envy; 51:22 and contradicting and blaspheming, 51:24 they opposed the things spoken by Paul." 51:26 And here is the closing out, 51:29 "Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said," 51:32 here is the way it works, "It was necessary 51:35 that the word of God should be spoken to you first." 51:38 There is the order of it. 51:40 Given to you first, they had it for thousands of years. 51:43 "But since you reject it," That's exactly 51:47 what the word says. 51:48 What they do on God's work, they rejected it. 51:50 Rejected it, sure. "And judge yourselves 51:52 unworthy of everlasting life, 51:54 lo or behold, we turn to the Gentiles. 51:58 For so the Lord has commanded us 52:00 'I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, 52:03 That you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.' 52:06 Now when the Gentiles heard this, 52:07 they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. 52:10 And as many as had been appointed 52:13 to eternal life believed. 52:15 And the word of the Lord was being 52:17 spread throughout all the region. 52:20 But the Jews stirred up the devout 52:22 and prominent women and the chief men of the city, 52:24 raised up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, 52:27 and expelled them from their region." 52:29 Kick them out. 52:31 And friends, this theory today 52:33 is trying to get rid of all of that. 52:34 Yes. Very much so. 52:35 You see, registering on that. 52:37 Yeah, very much so. 52:38 This was the inauguration of a new-- 52:41 I may use a word dispensation, 52:43 but a new era in promulgating the gospel. 52:48 That's right. It was not going to be limited 52:50 to a particular group of people. 52:52 There were not going to be tasks anymore 52:55 with spreading the gospel. 52:57 It was going to move now to the broader Gentile community. 53:02 And this was the kick off, shall we say for that. 53:06 Yeah. Three and half years 53:08 on the other side of the resurrection of Jesus. 53:11 It was time now for gospel to take wings 53:14 as it were and to go to a wider audience. 53:16 And as a matter of fact, that's exactly 53:19 what this whole thing is about. 53:20 The Lord didn't come for the gospel to be exclusively 53:23 for a particular nation but just like the post office, 53:25 just life UPS and FedEx and DHL, 53:28 I want to keep them all in there. 53:30 Just like a letter that's vitally important, 53:32 the whole purpose of Jesus is to get the message out. 53:36 It's not so much the exclusivity of the people 53:38 and their nationality but he said, 53:40 I've chosen you to be a light. Yes. 53:43 But seeing you judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, 53:47 I got to get somebody else to do the job. 53:48 Yeah. And I would submit 53:50 that if you have a job and you don't do it, 53:51 your boss is going to say, I rather you do it, 53:53 or what's he going to say? 53:55 If you can't do it, I will find someone who can. 53:56 And that's exactly what it is. 53:58 That's precise and you know, we talked about chosen people, 54:00 you got to finish the sentence, chosen for what? 54:03 Thank you. What were they chosen for? 54:04 Chosen to be alike. That's right. 54:06 And if you are not going to be alike, 54:08 well, I've got somebody else who's going to shine for me. 54:10 And today there's this over emphasis on-- 54:13 and I am being very kind here. 54:14 Let me just put this in the right context. 54:16 The Lord has not closed the door of salvation to anyone. 54:20 Amen. I am reiterating that, 54:21 Jew nor any other nation nor any other nationality, 54:25 no matter how fair your skin or how dark your skin, 54:27 the gospel message is for every nation, 54:29 kindred, every tongue, every people. 54:31 Today, there's this inordinate emphasis 54:33 though on Jew, Jew, Jew, Jew, Jew. 54:37 You get my point. 54:38 There's this inordinate emphasis 54:39 that the Jews are got to be still the chosen people, 54:42 they got to be the chosen people of God. 54:43 No, that's not the emphasis the scripture gives. 54:47 That's why even today, 54:48 there's this inordinate push 54:50 in the Middle East, inordinate emphasis in the Middle East. 54:55 And brethren, the Lord is saying, 54:58 I have come to save mankind. 55:01 For God so loved the world. Yes. 55:04 See, so what's happening nowadays, 55:05 we are focusing the gospel off of Jesus 55:08 and putting it to the Jews. Yes. 55:10 When there was a purpose of the Jew to focus it on to Jesus. 55:14 And that's what this is all about, 55:15 this idea that a temple must be rebuilt 55:17 and so everything must happen. 55:18 It's trying to underpin a theory 55:22 that is erroneous at its very heart. 55:24 It simply is, is unbiblical. 55:26 All of that 490 years takes place within the lifespan 55:32 of the Jewish nation and the last week of course 55:34 within the lifespan of the ministry of Jesus Christ. 55:37 And to take that last week and tuck it down 55:40 at the end of the time and have this big gap, 55:42 it just doesn't imply, it's not biblically sound. 55:44 The homiletics is bad, the acts of Jesus is bad. 55:47 It just doesn't work. All of this we have shown 55:50 from the Bible takes place within the life 55:52 and times of Jesus Christ and the Jewish nation. 55:54 And if you look up that phrase, secret rapture on the internet, 55:57 we have this World Wide Web. 55:59 Use it for the right reason, look up secret rapture. 56:02 Look up Francisco Ribera or Luis De Alcazar. 56:10 If I am incorrect you can get the correct spelling, 56:12 the internet will even correct you in that area. 56:14 Look up the gap theory. 56:15 Look up a man by the name of J. N Darby. 56:18 Look up C. I. Scofield and you see how these men 56:21 have contributed to the proliferation 56:23 of something that's antithetical to the gospel. 56:26 It doesn't match, it doesn't fit. 56:28 It has taken Jesus out. 56:30 And the focus today is now back to the nation of a people 56:33 rather than the Christ of the world. 56:36 And so we believe that the Lord is coming soon. 56:39 In this last day the gospel is going to the entire world. 56:42 Why do they choose the Jewish nation, to get it there. 56:45 Now you and I are all chosen generation royal priesthood. 56:51 No longer the need for a nation. 56:52 What do you say? Precisely. I say amen and amen. 56:56 And you know, where we are, 56:58 we are so mindful of the fact that the Lord is coming soon, 57:00 friends, here at 3ABN. 57:02 We are so mindful that no cliche, 57:05 we are living in the day that we believe 57:08 is just before the coming of Christ. 57:10 That's why staying in the word is so vitally important 57:13 but even more than just reading the Bible 57:15 for intellectual stimulation, 57:17 get to know the Christ of the word. 57:19 When He comes and makes a house call on your life as on ours, 57:24 we want to be ready when Jesus comes. 57:26 Thank you so much for tuning in. 57:27 Get to know that Christ today and God bless you 57:30 and have a great day in Christ. |
Revised 2014-12-17