Participants:
Series Code: HHJ
Program Code: HHJ000003S
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00:01 Music...
00:14 Well, hello everyone, 00:16 welcome to our 2020 Secrets Unsealed SUMTV Summit. 00:22 We're glad you decided to join us. 00:24 This year, unfortunately, we're not able to meet 00:28 at Tenaya Lodge and enjoy the delicious food 00:31 the beautiful scenery and fresh air, 00:34 the wonderful fellowship one with another, 00:36 but we're still going to have a blessing in this Summit 00:40 because all of our Speakers are going to be here 00:43 to present their lectures 00:46 and so, we hope that you'll all tune in. 00:48 Now, I want to mention that the four presentations 00:52 that I will have have Study Notes with them 00:56 and so, if you registered for our Secrets Unsealed Summit, 01:00 you should have a copy... electronic copy 01:05 of the Study Notes. 01:06 If you didn't register, you need to register 01:10 so that you can follow along electronically on the internet, 01:14 the presentation that I'm going to make. 01:17 The one that we're going to study today is titled: 01:21 Three Interconnected Doctrines 01:24 but before we begin, we want to have a word of prayer 01:27 so, I invite you to bow your heads with me. 01:29 "Father in heaven, we come before your awesome throne 01:33 in the powerful and almighty name of Jesus 01:35 because we know that when we come in the name of Jesus, 01:39 you incline your ear to hear and to answer. 01:42 Father, we ask that you will be with us now 01:45 as we open your Holy Book. 01:47 I ask that you will open also our hearts 01:50 and that you will help us to live in harmony 01:54 with every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. 01:57 Help us to understand this very important subject 01:59 of the judgment... 02:01 for we are now in the hour of God's judgment. 02:03 Thank you for the privilege of prayer 02:06 and thank you for hearing us 02:08 for we ask it in the precious name of Jesus, amen. " 02:12 Pause... 02:14 There are three Bible doctrines 02:16 that are very intimately related. 02:19 If we get one of those doctrines wrong, 02:22 the others will be wrong as well. 02:25 These three doctrines are: The State of the Dead... 02:29 The Investigative Pre-Advent Judgment... 02:33 and The Second Coming of Christ. 02:35 These three doctrines are very closely interconnected or linked 02:41 and we have to study them together. 02:43 In order to understand how these three doctrines 02:47 relate to each other, 02:49 we need to go back to Genesis 02:51 and study about the origin of man. 02:53 Genesis chapter 2 verse 7 describes the origin 02:57 of the first human on this planet... Adam. 03:02 It says there, "And the Lord God 03:04 formed man of the dust of the ground, 03:07 and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; 03:11 and man became a living being. " 03:14 Now, let's focus first of all on Dust of the ground... 03:18 the material substance of man. 03:21 God did not use simple dust to create man 03:26 because you really can't form anything out of dust, 03:30 the dust was actually wet... 03:33 in other words, the dust was clay... 03:36 potter's clay. 03:37 This is what we find in Isaiah 64 and verse 8 03:41 where it says, "But now, O Lord, 03:44 You are our father; 03:47 we are the clay, 03:49 and You our potter; 03:52 and all we are the work of Your hand. " 03:55 So, God formed a perfect body 03:59 with all of its organs and all of its systems 04:03 but the body had a problem, 04:05 the body was lifeless. 04:07 Notice I didn't say that the body was dead 04:10 because there was no death. 04:12 The body was lifeless 04:14 so, then God infused into that body 04:17 the breath of life or the life force... 04:20 the power source... 04:22 and then, all of the organs and all of the systems 04:26 began to function. 04:28 Now, in that body, God placed a brain 04:32 and the brain was the processor that records 04:37 and classifies all of the information 04:40 that comes into the body through the five senses. 04:44 So, from his first breath 04:47 Adam began forming his life history 04:51 or his personal self-identity 04:54 by what came into his brain through his five senses. 05:00 When Adam died at 930 years, 05:05 his self-identity or his biographical record 05:10 was complete. 05:12 So, this is very important in what we're studying today... 05:17 the creation of man. 05:19 Reviewing: God formed a body 05:23 with all of its organs and systems... 05:25 the body was lifeless... 05:27 God gave the body the vital force 05:31 so that it could function... 05:32 all of the organs and all of the systems began to work... 05:37 the brain was the processor... 05:39 once Adam began his life, 05:42 now the brain is processing everything that comes 05:45 to the five senses 05:47 and recording it in the brain 05:49 and then, we notice that Adam begins forming his life history 05:54 or his personal self-identity. 05:57 At 930 years, his biographical record is absolutely complete... 06:03 he breathes his last 06:05 and God closes the book on the biographical record of Adam. 06:10 But now we need to ask the question, 06:14 "What happened with Adam at death?" 06:17 Well, actually we're going to find that death is the opposite 06:23 of what God did when He created man. 06:25 Notice Ecclesiastes chapter 12 and verse 7... 06:29 Ecclesiastes 12 and verse 7, 06:32 speaking about death it says, 06:34 Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, 06:40 and the spirit will return to God who gave it. " 06:45 So, what happens at death? 06:47 At death, the breath or the spirit leaves the body. 06:52 The body with all its organs and all of its systems 06:57 ceases to function 06:59 and then the body eventually returns to the dust. 07:04 Obviously, the brain is a physical organ 07:08 and so, the brain no longer receives information 07:11 through the five senses. 07:14 The brain ceases to work... 07:16 it no longer receives any input 07:20 and being that the brain is a physiological organ, 07:25 the brain, along with the rest of the body, 07:27 returns to the dust and disintegrates. 07:31 Now, I want you to notice what the Bible says 07:35 happens when a person dies. 07:38 In Psalm 146 verses 3 and 4, 07:41 we find these words, 07:50 verse on screen. 07:59 There's no thinking... 08:01 because the brain has gone to the grave... 08:04 the brain has ceased to function... 08:06 the lungs and the heart... 08:07 the circulatory system no longer functions 08:10 and so, it says, the breath goes out of the body, 08:14 the body returns to the earth... 08:16 and in that day all thought perishes. 08:20 No longer is the person writing his or her life history 08:25 or biographical record. 08:26 Notice Ecclesiastes chapter 9 and verse 5, 08:30 it says there, 08:37 verse on screen. 08:44 Once again, there is no memory 08:46 because they're not functioning anymore. 08:48 Verse 10 of Ecclesiastes 9 adds the following, 08:54 and I read, 08:56 verse on screen. 09:14 So, no work... no device... no knowledge... 09:18 no wisdom in the grave where the person goes. 09:21 But now we need to ask a very critical question, 09:25 when Adam died, his self-identify... 09:29 his biography or his life history of 930 years 09:37 that he inputted into his brain while he was alive... 09:41 this integrated along with his body. 09:44 So the brain where he has all of his biographical record, 09:49 now goes to the ground and it disintegrates. 09:53 So, his whole life history disintegrates into dust. 09:58 Now, I know that this sounds somewhat fatalistic 10:03 does it not? 10:06 However, we're going to find that there's more to the story 10:11 than just the body with the brain going to the dust 10:15 and disintegrating 10:16 and the life history or biographical record 10:19 ceasing to exist. 10:21 Let's take a look at the fact that the Bible tells us 10:26 that God keeps a record of our lives 10:29 in what the Bible calls, "Books. " 10:32 You see, in the Bible, in the books 10:36 we have a complete and exact written transcript 10:42 of Adam's life 10:44 and of the life of every person who lived on Planet Earth. 10:48 That is to say, in the heavenly books 10:51 God keeps a record of the life of each individual 10:56 without missing anything. 10:58 There in the biography are the actions... 11:01 the motives... the words... 11:04 the feelings... 11:06 the emotions... 11:07 the secrets... 11:09 and the thoughts. 11:10 Let's notice what the Bible tells us 11:14 is contained in the books... plural... books. 11:18 Daniel chapter 7 verses 9 and 10, 11:21 is describing the terrible works of the Little Horn. 11:25 Well, God has kept a record of everything 11:28 that the Little Horn did to the saints and to His law 11:31 and so on... 11:33 and so, at some point, after 1798, 11:36 a judgment is going to begin in heaven 11:39 and the records of everything that was done to God's people 11:43 is going to be seen in the heavenly Court. 11:45 Let's read Daniel 7 verses 9 and 10. 11:48 Verse on screen... 12:04 verse on screen... 12:12 "Books" in plural... 12:21 that's an important point. 12:22 So, now all of the nefarious works of the Little Horn 12:27 are going to be revealed in the heavenly Court 12:29 and also, the lives of all of those 12:31 who were murdered by the Little Horn. 12:34 Now, who is going to appear before that judgment seat? 12:38 Notice, our actions are going to be examined... 12:41 those of every single person who has ever believed in Jesus. 12:44 2nd Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 10 tells us, 12:47 verse on screen. 13:02 So, notice that our actions are going to be examined 13:06 in the judgment 13:08 and our actions are contained in the books. 13:12 Notice also, Matthew 12 verses 36 and 37... 13:16 God keeps a careful record of our words... 13:20 not only our actions but our words. 13:22 We find there, the following words, 13:25 verse on screen. 13:42 So, God keeps a record of our words. 13:45 He keeps a record of our actions. 13:48 Do you know He also keeps a record 13:51 of all of the secret things that people don't see out there? 13:55 Notice Ecclesiastes chapter 12 verses 13 and 14, 14:00 Ecclesiastes 12:13 and 14, 14:04 "Fear God and keep His Commandments, 14:08 for this is man's all. 14:10 For God will bring every work into judgment... " 14:14 not only our works that are visible... 14:17 "God will bring every work into judgment, 14:20 including every secret thing, 14:24 whether good or evil. " 14:27 Human beings are personally on earth 14:31 but in heaven, their life record is contained 14:35 in the books... 14:36 the heavenly books contain a complete biography of the person 14:41 inside and out. 14:43 Every act... every word... every motive... 14:47 every thought... every emotion... 14:50 and every opportunity to do good 14:53 which we did not take advantage of. 14:56 There is a complete biographical record of each person 15:01 inside and out. 15:04 So to speak, God has another "me" in heaven, 15:08 not in person... 15:10 not functioning 15:12 but God has a record of the complete life of each person 15:17 on this earth who has ever lived. 15:20 Ellen White wrote in the devotional book, 15:24 "In Heavenly Places" page 360 the following words, 15:27 on screen. 15:50 So, every day the record of our lives 15:53 is going to heaven... is being recorded 15:56 in our biographical record in heaven. 15:59 Our personal self-identity is recorded 16:03 without missing a beat... without missing a detail. 16:07 Now, the Bible authors spoke about the records 16:11 that God keeps as books. 16:12 Actually, a better translation would be, "Scrolls" 16:16 but we have much more sophisticated technology 16:19 these days. 16:21 I believe that if God was speaking to a prophet today, 16:24 He would speak about hard drives and DVDs 16:27 and things like that 16:28 as the way to keep records. 16:31 In fact, Ellen White in her day, photography was just coming in 16:36 and she said that God is photographing 16:38 our lives in heaven. 16:40 Notice this statement in the book, 16:42 Testimonies on Sexual Behavior, Adultery, and Divorce, 16:46 page 62, 16:47 "Remember" she wrote, 16:50 "your character is being daguerreotyped... " 16:54 we don't use that word anymore... 16:55 it means photographed. 16:57 So, "Remember, your character is being daguerreotyped 17:00 or photographed 17:02 by the great Master Artist in the record books of heaven, 17:05 as minutely as the face is reproduced 17:09 upon the polished plate of the artist. " 17:12 So, Ellen White used photography as an example, 17:18 God is photographing our lives 17:20 and putting those photos in our heavenly record, if you please. 17:24 Now, I believe that if God called a prophet today, 17:28 they would be speaking about video cameras and hard drives... 17:33 we'll come back to that a little bit later. 17:35 But the Bible not only speaks of books... plural... 17:39 the Bible also refers to a book, singular. 17:42 Let's notice Revelation chapter 20 verses 12 and 13, 17:46 where you have both "books" and "book. " 17:50 It says there in Revelation 20 verse 12, 17:53 "And I saw the dead, small and great, 17:55 standing before God, 17:58 and books were opened. 18:00 And another book... " singular... 18:02 "another book was opened, 18:05 which is the Book of Life. 18:07 And the dead were judged according to their works" 18:10 see, what's written in the books is the works or their life 18:13 "were judged according to their works, 18:16 by the things which were written in the books. " 18:20 So, we've noticed that the books contain 18:23 the self-identity or the biographical record 18:27 of each human being. 18:28 What does the "Book" contain? 18:31 Well, the Bible makes it clear that the "Book" contains 18:35 the names of those individuals who have accepted Jesus Christ 18:40 and have a genuine relationship with Him. 18:44 It says in Philippians chapter 4 and verse 3, 18:47 the following, 18:48 Paul is speaking about some of his fellow laborers 18:50 in the preaching of the gospel. 18:52 He wrote, 18:53 verse on screen. 19:09 Notice Revelation chapter 3 and verse 5... 19:12 Revelation 3 verse 5, 19:14 verse on screen. 19:29 Once again, the "Book" singular 19:30 contains names. 19:32 Notice Revelation chapter 13 and verse 8 19:35 where it speaks about those who worship the Beast and his image. 19:39 Their names are not written in the book of life. 19:43 It says in Revelation 13 verse 8, 19:45 "All who dwell on the earth will worship him... " 19:48 that is the beast... 19:50 "whose names have not been written 19:51 in the Book of Life of the Lamb 19:54 slain from the foundation of the world. " 19:58 You remember when Moses interceded for Israel 20:01 at the top of Mount Sinai, 20:03 that, you know, Moses was willing to be erased 20:08 from God's Book... as long as Israel could be saved. 20:11 Notice Exodus 32 verses 31 and 32, 20:16 "Then Moses returned to the LORD and said, 20:19 'Oh, these people have committed a great sin.. '" 20:22 they worshipped the golden calf by the way... 20:25 "and have made for themselves a god of gold! 20:29 Yet... " now Moses says, 20:31 "if you will forgive their sin... 20:34 but if not, I pray, 20:37 blot me out of Your book which you have written. " 20:41 In other words, "Take my name out 20:42 if you can't save these people. " 20:44 What love Moses had for Israel. 20:46 Let's read one more text on the contents of the book. 20:50 Daniel chapter 12 and verse 1 20:53 describes those who will be alive 20:55 and go through the final time of trouble... 20:57 the great tribulation... 20:59 they will be spared... 21:01 no one who goes through the final time of trouble 21:04 will die... why? 21:06 Let's read Daniel 12 verse 1, 21:08 verse on screen. 21:31 In other words, those whose names are in the book 21:34 will be protected during the great time of trouble. 21:38 So now, let's look at some details 21:41 about the Investigative Judgment. 21:44 Let's take a look at the... the Bible concept of the books 21:51 which contains the biographical record 21:53 and the Biblical concept of the book which contained... 21:56 contains the names of those who have accepted Jesus Christ. 22:01 First of all, we want to notice that every single person 22:05 who has ever claimed Jesus 22:06 has to appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ. 22:09 We're told in 2nd Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 10, 22:13 the verse that we read a few moments ago, 22:15 verse on screen. 22:29 "All believers must appear 22:31 before the judgment seat of Christ. " 22:33 Of course, all unbelievers also 22:37 but their cases will be looked at later... after the Millennium 22:40 after the 1,000 years... 22:42 we're discussing now primarily the judgment that takes place 22:45 before the 2nd coming of Christ. 22:47 Now, we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ 22:51 but the question is, 22:52 "Where does that judgment occur... 22:55 where does it take place?" 22:56 Well, Daniel 7:9 and 10 which we read 23:00 a few minutes ago, 23:01 tells us where this judgment takes places. 23:04 It doesn't take place on earth when Jesus comes again. 23:08 It takes place in heaven. 23:10 Notice once again, Daniel 7:9 and 10, 23:14 "I watched till thrones were put in place, 23:17 and the Ancient of Days... " 23:19 who is the Ancient of Days? 23:21 It's God the Father, right? 23:22 "And the Ancient of Days was seated; 23:26 His garment was white as snow, 23:28 and the hair of His head was like pure wool. 23:31 His throne was a fiery flame, 23:34 and its wheels a burning fire; 23:37 a fiery stream issued and came forth from before Him. 23:40 A thousand thousands ministered to Him; 23:43 ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. " 23:46 Who are those... 23:48 the ten thousand times ten thousand? 23:50 They're angels, Folks, 23:52 where does the Ancient of Days, God the Father live? 23:55 He lives in heaven... 23:56 that's why we pray, "Our Father, who art in heaven" 24:00 where do the angels live... 24:02 the ten thousand times ten thousand 24:05 and thousand of thousands? 24:06 They also live in heaven. 24:08 So, this judgment is taking place in heaven, 24:10 notice the last part of verse 10, 24:12 "The court was seated, and the books were opened. " 24:18 So, notice that the opening of the Books 24:21 in the heavenly sanctuary, 24:23 takes place in heaven. 24:26 It does not take place on earth. 24:29 Now, is that judgment at the second coming of Christ 24:33 or does it take place before the second coming of Christ 24:37 while probation is still open? 24:39 Let's go to Revelation chapter 14 verses 6 and 7, 24:43 Revelation 14:6 and 7, 24:46 Folks, that judgment takes place 24:47 while the door of mercy is still open 24:50 before Jesus comes in the clouds of heaven. 24:53 Notice what it says there in Revelation 14:6 and 7, 24:57 the first angel's message, 24:58 "Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, 25:02 having the everlasting gospel to preach 25:04 to those who dwell on the earth... 25:06 to every nation, tribe, tongue and people... 25:09 saying with a loud voice, 25:10 'Fear God and give glory to Him'" 25:13 Notice this now, 25:15 "For the hour of His judgment has come... " 25:17 notice it doesn't say, 25:19 "For the hour of His judgment will come... " 25:21 Let me ask you, "Is the door of mercy still open 25:23 when the first angel's message is being proclaimed... 25:25 while, the gospel... the everlasting gospel 25:28 is being proclaimed?" 25:30 Of course, the door of mercy is still open 25:32 because if the door of mercy wasn't open 25:34 what use would it be to preach the everlasting gospel 25:36 to every nation, kindred, tongue and people? 25:39 The door of mercy is open 25:40 and yet the judgment begins while the door of mercy is open 25:44 because the first angel says, "Fear God and give glory to Him 25:47 for the hour of His judgment has come. " 25:50 And then it says, 25:52 "And worship Him who made heaven and earth... 25:54 the sea and springs of water. " 25:57 So, let's review what we've noticed so far. 26:00 Every person who has ever claimed Jesus 26:03 must appear before the judgment seat of Christ. 26:05 That judgment takes place in heaven. 26:09 The judgment takes place 26:11 before the second coming of Christ 26:13 while the door of mercy is still open. 26:16 Now, when do people receive the rewards 26:18 based on what the examination of their records revealed? 26:23 Well, the Bible is clear on that point, 26:26 Notice Matthew chapter 16 and verse 27, 26:29 when Jesus comes, He's going to bring His reward 26:32 which means that beforehand He must have determined 26:36 what the reward would be 26:37 and that way, He could bring it to us. 26:40 It says there in Matthew 16 verse 27, 26:43 verse on screen. 26:54 The case was examined before. 26:56 The reward was determined before... 26:59 during probationary time as people were being judged 27:02 but the individual receives the reward 27:05 when Jesus comes. 27:06 Notice Revelation chapter 22 and verse 12, 27:10 Revelation 22 verse 12, 27:12 here John the apostle writes and he's quoting Jesus, 27:18 verse on screen. 27:27 So, when Jesus comes, He's going to reward 27:30 every single one whose case was examined 27:34 and it was determined 27:35 that they were truly believers in Christ 27:38 and they deserve salvation. 27:41 1st Thessalonians 4:15 to 17 tells us 27:47 that when Jesus comes, that those who died in Christ 27:50 and those who are alive and remain 27:52 will receive the reward 27:53 and be caught up to be with Jesus, 27:55 it says there in 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17, 27:59 verse on screen... 5 lines... 28:21 "then we who are alive and remain 28:23 shall be caught up together with Him... " 28:25 that is, with those died and resurrected... 28:28 "in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, 28:31 and thus we shall always be with the Lord. " 28:33 When are the righteous dead and the righteous living 28:37 taken to heaven? 28:38 They are taken to heaven 28:39 when Jesus returns the second time 28:42 but the reward was determined in the Investigative Judgment 28:46 before probation closed. 28:49 Now, we need to ask the question, 28:52 "Where was Adam in 1844 when the judgment began?" 28:59 Because as Adventists we believe the prophecy of the 2300 days 29:02 tells us that the judgment began on October 22, 1844... 29:07 the Pre-Advent Investigative Judgment. 29:09 So, the question is, 29:11 "Where was Adam in 1844 when the judgment began?" 29:16 Well, notice what we find in Great Controversy page 482, 29:21 "As the books of record are opened in the judgment, 29:25 the lives of all who have believed on Jesus 29:29 come in review before God. " 29:32 Now, notice what chronological order is followed? 29:36 Beginning with those who first lived upon the earth 29:40 our Advocate presents the cases of each successive generation 29:45 and closes with the living. 29:47 See the chronology? 29:49 Begins with Adam... the first one who lived... 29:51 each successive generation is judged 29:54 ending with the judgment of the living 29:56 just before the close of probation. 29:59 So the question is, "Where was Adam 30:01 who was the first one to be judged in 1844? 30:04 Well, the Bible tells us where Adam was. 30:08 John 5:28 and 29... 30:11 Jesus speaks the following words... 30:13 verse on screen. 30:29 So, where was Adam in 1844? 30:32 Adam was in the grave according to Jesus 30:36 and those who believed in Jesus will only come out of the grave 30:40 at the second coming of Jesus Christ. 30:42 Now, here's the big question, 30:45 "How could Adam have appeared 30:47 before the judgment seat of Christ 30:52 in 1844 if he was dead and buried 30:57 and we might say, disintegrated in 1844?" 31:01 The answer is that Adam did not appear 31:04 before Christ's judgment seat in person. 31:07 He appeared through the record of his life... 31:11 the biographical record that was carefully kept by God 31:14 during the course of his life 31:17 so, to speak, when 1844 came, 31:20 God said to the angels, 31:22 "Please bring the DVD with Adam's life 31:26 and we're going to show it in a large screen 31:29 and we're going to see if he truly trusted and believed 31:33 in Jesus as his Savior. 31:35 Ellen White wrote in Great Controversy, page 482, 31:40 on screen. 31:59 They will not appear there in person, Folks. 32:01 Now we need to understand a little bit better 32:04 what the spirit is. 32:06 Now, as Adventists we usually believe 32:09 and we're partially correct 32:11 that the spirit that returns to God 32:15 is simply the life force or the capacity to breath 32:19 but there's more to the story, 32:22 there's more to the story than that. 32:24 The spirit is the breath of life plus our self-identity 32:30 or life record that God has kept in the heavenly books 32:35 or in the heavenly hard drive. 32:38 Each person, in other words, has his or her own spirit 32:43 or self-identity. 32:45 At the resurrection, 32:47 people will not only receive the vital force, 32:51 but they will also receive with the breath 32:54 the record of their lives. 32:56 Stephen Bohr will be Stephen Bohr. 33:01 Imagine if God made a mistake 33:04 and He gave me somebody else's self-identity 33:08 with the capacity to breathe. 33:10 That would be a real problem. 33:12 So, the spirit is the breath including the life record 33:19 or the personal self-identity of each person 33:22 that God kept recorded in heaven. 33:26 Let me just read you three Bible verses 33:29 and then an amazing quotation from Ellen White. 33:31 In Luke 8:52 to 56, 33:35 we find the resurrection of Jairus' daughter. 33:40 Now, sometimes my eyes might fail me a little bit 33:44 so, if I read incorrectly, please correct me. 33:49 Luke 8:52 to 56, it says, 33:54 "Now all wept and mourned for her; 33:56 but He said, 'Do not weep; 33:58 she is not dead, but sleeping. ' 34:01 And they ridiculed Him, 34:03 knowing that she was dead. 34:06 But He put them all outside, 34:08 took her by the hand and called, saying, 34:11 'Little girl, arise. ' 34:13 Then the spirit returned... " 34:17 is that what it says, "The spirit returned?" 34:20 It doesn't say, "The spirit returned... " 34:23 it says, "Her spirit returned 34:26 and she arose immediately. 34:29 And He commanded that she be given something to eat. " 34:32 Let me ask you, 34:34 did that little girl recognize her parents 34:36 when she resurrected? 34:37 Of course she did. 34:39 We get the impression that she was hungry when she died 34:42 because the first thing they do is give her something to eat. 34:45 In other words, she received not only the capacity to breathe 34:50 she also received with it the life record 34:53 that God had kept of her in the heavenly records. 34:56 Notice another case, the death of Stephen, 35:00 Acts chapter 7 verses 57 to 60, 35:05 Acts 7:57 to 60. 35:08 This is speaking about the martyrdom of Stephen. 35:12 "Then they cried out with a loud voice, 35:14 stopped their ears, 35:16 and ran at him with one accord; 35:19 and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. 35:22 And the witnesses laid down their clothes 35:25 at the feet of a young man named Saul. 35:27 And they stoned Stephen 35:29 as he was calling on God and saying, 35:31 'Lord Jesus, receive the spirit. '" 35:35 Is that what it says? 35:37 it's the possessive pronoun, notice, 35:42 "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit... " 35:45 is what he is saying. 35:47 It continues, 35:49 "Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, 35:52 'Lord, do not charge them with this sin. ' 35:55 And when he had said this, he fell asleep... " 35:59 and he went to the grave and he disintegrated 36:03 and along with him, his brain disintegrated 36:07 where all of his life record was, 36:10 but God had saved a backup in heaven. 36:13 The backup is the spirit... 36:16 in other words, the spirit is the record 36:18 and when Jesus returns the spirit, 36:21 He returns, yes, the capacity to breathe 36:23 as we've always believed 36:25 but He also returns the personal self-identity. 36:27 What was another example from Scripture? 36:29 Luke 23 verse 46, 36:32 this is the death of Christ. 36:34 It says here, 36:36 "And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, 36:40 He said, 'Father, into Your hands I commend the spirit. '" 36:45 No, that's not what he says... 36:47 He doesn't say, "I commend the spirit... " 36:49 He says, "I commend my spirit, 36:52 having said this, He breathed His last. " 36:55 Ellen White has a remarkable statement. 36:59 She understood this that I'm sharing with you today. 37:02 In volume 6 of the Bible Commentary page 1,093 37:06 Ellen White wrote this remarkable statement, 37:10 "Our personal identity... " 37:13 our what? 37:15 "Our personal identity is preserved in the resurrection, 37:22 though not the same particles of matter 37:25 or material substance as went into the grave. 37:28 The wondrous works of God are a mystery to man... " 37:33 and now notice this, 37:35 "The spirit... " comma 37:37 "the character of man" comma 37:40 "is returned to God, there to be preserved. " 37:45 So, what is the spirit? 37:47 The spirit is the character of man... 37:51 once again, "The spirit... the character of man 37:54 is returned to God, there to be preserved. 37:58 In the resurrection 38:00 every man will have his own character. " 38:04 That is... his own spirit. 38:05 God in His own time will call forth the dead, 38:09 giving again the breath of life, 38:11 and bidding the dry bones live. 38:13 The same form will come forth, 38:15 but it will be free from disease and every defect. 38:18 It lives again 38:20 bearing the same individuality of features, 38:23 so that friend will recognize friend. 38:25 There is no law of God in nature 38:28 which shows that God gives back the same identical particles 38:31 of matter which composed the body before death. 38:34 God shall give the righteous dead 38:36 a body that will please Him. " 38:39 So, what is the spirit? 38:41 Yes, it's the breath 38:44 but when we get the breath back, 38:47 we also get our character back 38:49 which is the life that we develop 38:52 while we were on this earth. 38:54 You know, it's interesting, 38:55 the Apostle Paul uses interchangeably 38:58 the personal pronoun "you" with the word "spirit. " 39:04 Notice 1st Thessalonians chapter 5 and verse 28, 39:09 This is at the very end 39:11 of his first epistle to the Thessalonians. 39:14 He wrote, 39:15 Verse on screen. 39:21 But in Galatians chapter 6 and verse 18, 39:25 he also has a farewell to the Galatians 39:29 and notice he doesn't say, 39:31 "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you... " 39:34 this is what he says, 39:36 "Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ 39:39 be with your spirit. Amen. " 39:43 Let's take an example of a video camera, 39:46 suppose we turn on a video camera today 39:50 and we record some scenes 39:52 and then we turn it off. 39:54 Ten years later, we take out the video camera, 39:59 we charge the battery 40:01 and we begin recording again. 40:04 Is there any time interval on the tape? 40:09 Absolutely not, 40:10 the tape begins where it left off ten years before. 40:16 So, it is with God. 40:18 Our God is videotaping, so to speak, 40:22 our life... inside and out. 40:24 He records our thoughts... our feelings... 40:27 our emotions... our words... 40:29 our actions. 40:31 When we die, the video camera, so to speak, 40:34 shuts off. 40:36 At the resurrection, it turns on again. 40:38 There has been no time interval 40:41 between when the video camera went off 40:45 and when it resumes again. 40:47 Those who resurrect will pick up where they left off. 40:52 This helps us understand 40:54 a very strange couple-of-verses in the book of Job. 40:59 Job 19 verses 25 to 27, 41:03 and I'm reading from The New International Version, 41:06 these are very well-known words, Job wrote, 41:10 verse on screen. 41:32 So, job is saying, "Nobody else is going to see Jesus, 41:34 I'm going to be the only one that's going to see Jesus. " 41:36 That's not what Job is saying, 41:38 he's saying, "When I resurrect, I'm going to be Job... 41:41 my eyes will see Him and not the eyes of another. " 41:44 In other words, "I'm going to have my own self-identity... " 41:48 and then he says, 41:49 "How my heart yearns within me. " 41:52 Now, what about the wicked, 41:56 let's go and speak about the wicked a little bit 41:58 after the 1,000 years. 42:00 This is not directly related to the Pre-Advent Judgment 42:02 which we're discussing now, 42:04 but it gives us an example of this idea 42:08 that I'm sharing with you 42:09 that people that resurrect receive the same identity 42:13 that they had while they were alive. 42:15 I want you to notice, Great Controversy page 664 42:20 where you find a description of those wicked people 42:24 who are outside the heavenly Jerusalem 42:27 that has descended to the earth after the 1,000 years. 42:30 It says, 42:31 There are kings and generals 42:34 who conquered nations, 42:36 valiant men who never lost a battle, 42:39 proud, ambitious warriors 42:42 whose approach made kingdoms tremble. 42:45 In death these experienced no change. " 42:48 In other words, they're going to get back 42:51 exactly what they left in the tomb 42:53 so, in death these experienced no change. 42:57 "As they come up from the grave, they resume... " 43:01 which means, start again... 43:02 "they resume the current of their thoughts 43:06 just where it ceased. 43:08 They are acuated by the same desire to conquer 43:13 that ruled them when they fell. " 43:15 In other words, they pick up where they left off. 43:18 God will not only give people like Hitler their breath back 43:23 but He's going to give them 43:25 the entire wicked record of their lives 43:28 back to them along with the breath. 43:30 That's an awesome thought. 43:33 Why do the wicked resurrect 43:36 as wicked as they were while they lived? 43:39 The answer is simple, 43:41 when God resurrects them, 43:43 He will not only give them the breath of life... 43:45 He will also return with them 43:48 the record of their wicked lives. 43:51 Let's notice the example of John F. Kennedy 43:54 so that we can understand this a little bit better. 43:56 The assassination of John F. Kennedy 43:59 will help us understand this concept that I'm sharing. 44:03 I'm sure that you've seen the short film clip 44:08 this uprooter film clip of the assassination 44:12 of John F. Kennedy. 44:14 Now, when you see that short film clip 44:17 where the limousine is coming 44:20 and it turns left onto Elm Street, 44:22 let me ask you, 44:24 is John F. Kennedy alive or is he dead? 44:28 You say, "Well, Pastor, that's an ambiguous question 44:31 because we're watching it after he's dead... 44:34 but as the limousine turns to the left before he's shot, 44:38 he's alive. " 44:39 Well, that's exactly my point. 44:41 God recorded the records of Adam's life 44:45 while he was alive 44:46 but the heavenly jury examines the lives 44:51 of those who profess Jesus... after they are dead 44:54 with the exception, of course, of the living 44:57 who are judged alive at the end of time 45:00 and so, what we find is that in a certain sense 45:05 Adam, when he was judged in 1844, 45:09 appeared alive before the judgment seat of Christ. 45:13 Now let me... let me make myself clear, 45:15 I'm not saying that the "person" of Adam was alive 45:18 when the judgment of his case began in heaven in 1844. 45:24 What I'm saying is that the record that is up there of Adam, 45:27 was actually done while he was alive... 45:30 the movie is going to be seen while he was alive 45:34 which means that at least in terms of the visual, 45:38 the heavenly jury is looking at his life 45:41 while he was alive 45:43 even though we know that at that point he is dead. 45:48 Now, let's see how the process worked in 1844. 45:54 Revelation chapter 20 verses 11 and 12 45:59 explains how the process works. 46:02 It says, 46:03 on screen. 46:30 Now, let's take the case of Adam 46:33 who's the first individual to exist in this world. 46:38 Let's take his example first. 46:40 It's 1844... we don't know if his case was examined exactly 46:45 on October 22... but it's 1844, 46:49 and so, God now says, "Okay, now in the Book of Life 46:53 who is written there first?" 46:56 And an angel cries out... 46:59 I'm dramatizing so you can understand... 47:01 the angel cries out, 47:02 "Adam, appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ. " 47:07 Where is Adam at that point? 47:09 Well, personally, Adam is in the grave. 47:12 He's disintegrated... 47:14 his whole life record disintegrated with his grave... 47:17 with his being... 47:19 so, how could he appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ 47:21 in 1844? 47:23 Well, another angel then brings the hard drive, 47:29 if you please, 47:30 that has the entire record of Adam's life 47:34 and it's put into the player 47:37 and now, the heavenly jury watches the entire life of Adam 47:43 in HD... 47:45 they watch the entire life of Adam 47:49 and then, when his case comes to an end, 47:52 God says to the heavenly jury, "Well, what do you think?" 47:56 And the heavenly jury is going to say, 47:59 "Well, there's lots of sins recorded there 48:01 that Adam committed... 48:03 beginning with the first sin 48:04 of eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, 48:07 but Adam repented of his sin. 48:10 He confessed his sins. 48:13 Through the power of Christ, he overcame sin... he hated sin 48:17 and, therefore, having examined the record of his life... 48:21 having him "appeared" here... 48:23 in a certain sense "alive" 48:25 because they're watching the movie of his life 48:27 while he was alive... 48:28 the heavenly jury says, 48:30 "Adam needs to be retained in the Book of Life. " 48:33 I hope you're understanding this concept of the judgment. 48:37 It's unique to the Seventh-day Adventist Church... 48:40 this idea of the judgment. 48:41 You see, the Christian world... 48:43 they're confused about the idea of the judgment... 48:46 because they say, "Well, you know, when a person dies, 48:49 if they were righteous, their soul goes to heaven 48:53 and if they were wicked, 48:55 their soul goes to burn in hell. 48:58 Yeah, the body stays in the grave, 49:00 but their soul goes to heaven or to hell. 49:02 Well, let me ask you this, 49:04 "If a person goes to heaven or to hell 49:07 at the moment of death, 49:08 would a judgment beginning in 1844 49:12 to examine the cases of people make any sense?" 49:15 Absolutely not 49:16 and furthermore, is the second coming related also 49:21 with the state of the dead and the judgment? 49:24 Of course, because if Jesus brings His reward... 49:27 how can He bring His reward 49:29 unless He has determined what that reward will be 49:32 before His second coming? 49:34 So, you see, these three doctrines 49:37 are intimately related... they're interconnected 49:42 and if we misunderstand one, we misunderstand all. 49:46 Now, how many of you have things 49:51 that you would not like to get back with your record? 49:54 If you say that you don't have anything 49:56 that you would not want to get back with your record, 50:00 you just have something that you need to repent of 50:03 and that is that you're lying... 50:04 because we all have things in our record 50:07 that we would not like returned to us 50:10 with our spirit 50:11 or returned to us with our life record. 50:14 All of those sins that have been committed... 50:17 all those evil tendencies... the sinful nature... 50:20 the memory of our sinful thoughts... 50:22 sinful words... actions... feelings... 50:24 are all in the body. 50:27 So, what is God going to do with all of those? 50:30 Well, here's the beautiful news... 50:33 when the cases of the righteous 50:36 appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ, 50:38 all the sins are there 50:42 but next to the sins is recorded: forgiven... 50:46 forgiven... forgiven... 50:48 because of true repentance... confession of sin... 50:51 and victory over sin... 50:52 you find all of the... all of these sins next to them 50:58 forgiven... forgiven... forgiven. 51:00 So, what is Jesus going to do with all of those sins 51:04 that were repented of and that were forgiven? 51:07 Ah... here's the beautiful thing... 51:09 God is going to use that little key on the computer 51:14 that is called: Delete. 51:17 God is going to get rid of everything negative... 51:21 everything sinful... 51:22 He's going to take that... 51:24 He's going to wipe it off of our record 51:26 and when He returns to us our self-identity... 51:29 when He returns to us our biographical record... 51:32 it will be minus all of those wicked things... 51:35 feelings... emotions... works 51:37 that we committed while we were alive. 51:40 That is called the cleansing of the sanctuary... 51:43 not only the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary 51:47 but the cleansing of the sanctuary of the soul... 51:50 the sanctuary of the life. 51:52 Let me give Paul as an example. 51:55 You know, Paul was a pretty nasty guy 51:58 before his conversion. 52:00 His name was Saul. 52:01 In Acts 26 verses 9 through 11, 52:04 we find Saul's testimony... 52:07 personal testimony given by himself. 52:09 He said, "Indeed... 52:26 verse on screen. 52:42 Wow! points to life before his conversion 52:45 but when Paul... when Saul was converted 52:49 and he became the great Apostle Paul, 52:52 we find that he was baptized 52:55 and notice what happened when he was baptized. 52:58 Acts 22 and verse 16, 53:00 here Ananias says to Paul of Tarsus, 53:03 verse on screen... 53:13 Now when it says, "Washing away all your sins... " 53:16 it means, wash away from his personal life at that point, 53:20 he's not guilty of them because 53:22 the righteousness of Christ is placed to his account. 53:26 It doesn't mean that those sins are erased from the sanctuary, 53:29 they're covered with the blood in the sanctuary. 53:32 They're erased from the... 53:33 from the life of the person at that point 53:36 but they're recorded in the heavenly sanctuary. 53:38 Only on the Day of Atonement, 53:41 when the records appear before Christ 53:44 will the record of a life be deleted from the records 53:48 and also, deleted from the person's life itself. 53:54 Now, let me give you an analogy 53:56 that will help us understand this... 53:59 I'm going to use a computer, we have very little time 54:02 but let me see if we can go through this, 54:03 I want to compare the computer... 54:06 a computer with the body. 54:08 The computer is a material... a material thing... isn't it? 54:13 It's composed of matter just like the body. 54:17 The processor of a computer would be equivalent 54:20 to the brain... it does all of the operations 54:23 but if you... if you have a computer 54:25 and the computer has a processor, 54:28 but there's no power for the computer, 54:30 it kind of defeats the purpose 54:32 so you need a power source for the computer 54:35 and that would be equivalent to the breath of life. 54:38 Now, when you buy a computer at the store, 54:41 let me ask you, "Is it the same computer 54:45 one year later?" 54:46 No... it's... it's gained a certain identity 54:51 based on what you have programmed in the computer. 54:53 No two computers are alike after one year. 54:57 It becomes your PC... 54:59 it becomes your personal computer. 55:01 In other words, the computer has developed 55:04 in quotation marks a "self-identity" 55:08 different from any other. 55:10 Now, what would happen if the ceiling of the house caved in 55:14 and your computer was broken into smithereens? 55:19 You say, "Oh, oh, there's a problem here... " 55:22 because the computer has disintegrated 55:24 and the processor has been destroyed as well. 55:27 The record in the computer has been destroyed. 55:32 Ah, for this reason, people who are intelligent 55:37 what do they do? 55:38 They keep a backup of the individuality or personality 55:46 or "self-identity" in quotation marks 55:49 of the computer 55:51 because they know that the computer might crash. 55:54 They know that the computer might get stolen... 55:57 they know that the computer might be involved in a hurricane 56:01 and might be destroyed 56:02 so, they say, "I don't want to lose all the information. " 56:04 So, they have a backup. 56:07 God knows that we... 56:09 unless we're alive with the last generation, 56:12 He knows that we're going to die 56:14 and we're going to disintegrate... 56:16 the processor was going to disintegrate... 56:18 the computer, so to speak, 56:20 is going to be broken into smithereens 56:23 so, God says, "Not a problem... 56:25 I'm going to save a backup... " 56:26 and so, God keeps a backup in the heavenly records 56:31 and now, let me ask you, 56:32 "Could you go to the store 56:34 and buy a far more powerful computer 56:37 than the one that was destroyed 56:40 and can you input the information 56:42 that was in the first computer into the second computer?" 56:46 Absolutely... so God... when Jesus comes... 56:49 He is going to give us a much more powerful computer... 56:54 a body that is immortal and incorruptible 56:57 and He's going to take our life record 57:00 minus all of the sinful records and all of the sinful desires 57:05 and all of the sinful inclinations 57:07 that have been deleted in the Day of Atonement... 57:10 that have been deleted not only from heaven 57:12 but from the life... 57:13 He's going to take that record 57:15 and He is going to give it to those who are dead in Christ 57:19 and they will live... 57:21 and they will not only be able to breathe... 57:24 they will also have the record of their lives 57:27 so that I will be able to recognize everyone by name 57:31 because they will be the same people 57:34 minus all of the negative things that went into the grave. 57:38 I'm... I'm thankful to God 57:42 that God has found a way to take a lot of the things we have 57:47 in our computers and put it in the trash 57:49 so in the heavenly judgment, 57:51 God will blot out every sin repented of... confessed 57:55 and overcome 57:56 and we will be able to live in a perfect body 57:59 in an immortal body 58:01 forever and ever with the Lord. |
Revised 2020-12-27