Participants: John Dinzey
Series Code: POF
Program Code: POF000020A
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00:25 Hello and welcome to, Pillars of Faith.
00:28 And we welcome you to the 00:29 Thompsonville Seventh-day Adventist Church 00:31 which is also the 3ABN Worship Center, 00:34 for this very special, Pillars of Faith, series 00:38 brought to us by Pastor John Dinzey, 00:40 who is the General Manager of 3ABN Latino channel. 00:45 He has been dealing with and explaining to us 00:49 the three angels' messages of Revelation 14. 00:52 And this last presentation will be, The Third Angel's Message, 00:58 part two. 00:59 And he has been giving us very insightful, informative 01:03 information on this very important passage of Scripture 01:08 found in the book of Revelation. 01:10 Revelation chapter 14. 01:11 And you know how important the three angel's messages are, 01:15 not only to the Laodicean church, but to the church 01:19 in general, and the world actually needs to hear 01:22 these messages for they are of import. 01:25 We know that because they are given to angels, 01:27 and they are flying in the midst of heaven. 01:29 And I don't want to re-preach or preach his sermon. 01:31 I'll let Pastor Dinzey do that. 01:33 But what a powerful passage of Scripture for our contemplation 01:37 and for our study in these last days. 01:39 And we are so thankful that Johnny has undertaken 01:43 to bring this message to us in clarity, with power. 01:48 And we are so thankful that the Spirit of God has 01:51 joined him and anointed him during this time. 01:53 And so today's message is, The Third Angel's Message, part two. 01:57 And I suspect you could take five parts for each 02:00 one of these messages, they are so full of import 02:03 and so full of information for us. 02:05 But Johnny has tried to squeeze the three angels' messages 02:09 into five presentations. 02:12 He's done a fine job. 02:13 And we look forward for a blessing from the Lord 02:17 through him to us during the next hour as he speaks. 02:22 I'm going to ask you now to bow your heads with me 02:23 in a word of prayer as we ask God's blessing 02:27 upon this presentation. 02:29 We should always pray when we're going to open the Word of God, 02:31 particularly when we delve into the book of Revelation. 02:35 Shall we pray. Father God, again we thank You 02:39 and praise You, for truly You are a good God. 02:43 A wonderful God. 02:44 And You've given us the book of Revelation, 02:47 the companion book of Daniel, to let us know what 02:50 is happening, what will happen, just prior to the second coming 02:54 of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 02:56 We echo the sentiments of Amos 3:7, "Surely the Lord will 03:00 do nothing, but that He explain it or give it to 03:04 His spokesmen the prophets." 03:06 And You are about to end this world and come back 03:08 to take Your children home. 03:10 And You've given us explanations and You've given us words of 03:13 encouragement to get us ready for that great and awful day. 03:17 And we thank You for those who have studied those truths 03:20 and who explain them to us even now. 03:23 We thank You for Pastor John Dinzey 03:25 and for what he's going to give us through the unction 03:29 of Your Holy Spirit. 03:30 We pray for open ears, understanding hearts. 03:33 And we thank You, Father. 03:35 In Jesus' name, amen. 03:40 Amen, amen. 03:41 Thank you, Pastor C.A. Murray. 03:43 And we praise the Lord for his ministry here at 3ABN. 03:47 And we really appreciate Pastor C.A. Murray. 03:51 As well, we praise the Lord for the 03:54 Three Angel's Broadcasting Network 03:56 that the Lord is using to bring the everlasting gospel 04:00 to the world. 04:01 We just praise the Lord also for your support 04:05 and your prayers that make possible preaching 04:08 the everlasting gospel 24 hours a day all around the world. 04:11 And we continue to need your support as we endeavor 04:15 to reach every person for Jesus Christ. 04:19 So we have been studying the three angels' messages 04:22 and it has been a journey to go through the Scriptures 04:27 and study and try to condense these messages into five. 04:33 And I humbly say that if you need more information 04:38 than that which we have given during these five topics, 04:42 you are welcome to call 3ABN and ask for some more 04:46 information on the three angels' messages 04:48 and we will send you some information to continue your 04:52 study in this topic. 04:54 Because it is a vital one to understand 04:56 for these last days that we're living in. 04:58 And I am among those that believe that 05:01 Jesus Christ is coming soon. 05:02 And I hope that as you take a look at the things going on 05:06 in the world you will come to the same conclusion, 05:08 because our Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ, 05:11 is soon to come. 05:13 Before we continue, I'd like to go to the Lord in prayer 05:15 one more time. 05:16 It is my need to go to the Lord in prayer. 05:20 I would like to kneel and ask for you to pray for me 05:23 and for yourself, and for all those that will join us 05:25 around the world. 05:27 And so at this time let us pray. 05:30 Our loving heavenly Father, we thank You so much 05:34 for Your great mercy and kindness toward us. 05:38 Lord, as we take this moment to study the third angel's message, 05:43 we ask for Your blessing and for Your Holy Spirit 05:46 to guide our thoughts. 05:48 And Lord, I place myself in Your hands, that You may be the one 05:52 speaking to Your children. 05:53 I ask, Lord, once again that every word will come from 05:56 Your throne of grace. 05:58 And we pray that in all things Your name 06:01 will be honored and glorified, and Your children 06:03 around the world will be blessed. 06:05 We ask You, Father, in Jesus' holy and blessed name. 06:09 Amen and amen. 06:11 Well we continue our message in Revelation chapter 14. 06:17 As previously stated, this is message number two 06:22 of, The Third Angel's Message. 06:25 And once again, I would like to read the first two 06:29 angels' messages before we launch into the third. 06:32 So we ask you to join me in the book of 06:34 Revelation 14 verses 6 and onward. 06:40 Revelation 14 beginning in verse 6, 06:42 "And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, 06:47 having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them 06:51 that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, 06:54 and kindred, and tongue, and people, 06:57 saying with a loud voice, 'Fear God and give glory to him; 07:02 for the hour of his judgment is come. 07:05 and worship him that made heaven, and earth, 07:09 and the sea, and the fountains of waters.'" 07:12 The second angel said, "And there followed 07:15 another angel saying, 'Babylon is fallen, is fallen, 07:21 that great city, because she made all nations 07:24 drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.'" 07:28 The third angel, "And the third angel followed them, 07:32 saying with a loud voice, 'If any man worship 07:36 the beast and his image, and receive his mark 07:40 in his forehead or in his hand, the same shall drink 07:45 of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out 07:48 without mixture into the cup of his indignation; 07:52 and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone 07:55 in the presence of the holy angels, and in the 07:58 presence of the Lamb. 08:00 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up 08:03 for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, 08:07 who worship the beast and his image, 08:10 and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.' 08:13 Here is the patience of the saints: 08:15 here are they that keep the commandments of God, 08:18 and the faith of Jesus." 08:22 As we hear these words, please understand 08:25 that because of our limited time we have to be brief 08:29 in some areas, and some areas we will not be able to cover. 08:32 But by God's grace we hope that you will be blessed 08:35 as we study together. 08:36 As we hear the third angel's message we have to 08:39 ask ourselves, what is it that we are hearing? 08:41 We're talking about a time when the end of things 08:47 is before us, the mark of the beast is already proclaimed, 08:52 and people are having to make a decision 08:57 whether or not to take the mark of the beast. 09:00 And this is a dangerous time to be living in. 09:03 We are very close to seeing that take place. 09:05 So I want to encourage you to listen carefully 09:08 and also to continue studying this topic 09:10 as we study the third angel's message. 09:13 We encourage you to take notes as well. 09:17 The issue, of course, in the end time is worship. 09:20 Worship the Lord or worship the beast, his image, 09:26 and the dragon. 09:28 So in John 4:23, I would like to bring to your attention 09:33 the words of Jesus Christ. 09:35 John 4:23-24, notice the words of Jesus. 09:39 "But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshipers 09:44 shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth. 09:49 For the Father seeketh such to worship him. 09:52 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him 09:56 in spirit and in truth." 10:00 And so I say to you that in churches all around the world 10:04 there are people that worship the Lord in spirit and in truth. 10:09 However, there are people that do not worship the Lord 10:12 in spirit and in truth. 10:15 There are people in churches that do not. 10:18 They honor the Lord with their lips, but their heart 10:21 is far from the Lord. 10:24 How do I know this? 10:25 Because the Bible says that there are wheat and tares 10:29 in the church, even unto the end of time. 10:32 And so I know that in every church there are wheat 10:36 and there are tares. 10:37 And I say to you, it is not my job, it is not your job, 10:41 to say, "Well which ones are the wheat? 10:43 Let's see, I think that guy over there, 10:45 he must be one of the tares. 10:46 And that person over there, surely that's a tare." 10:48 And so, we do not have the job to decide who is wheat 10:53 and who is tares. 10:54 That is a job for the Lord. 10:56 However, be aware that we need to keep our eyes 10:59 on Jesus Christ instead of people. 11:02 Those that you see and you say, "Oh, that is a person 11:05 that is an example for me." 11:06 Be careful. 11:08 The example that we should have is Jesus Christ. 11:10 And I say to you, put your eyes on the Lord Jesus Christ 11:14 and not on people because people can fail. 11:17 And many will fail, as a matter of fact. 11:20 Now I invite you to join me in Mark 7:5-6. 11:30 Notice the words of Jesus. 11:31 "Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, 11:35 'Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of 11:39 the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands?' 11:44 He answered and said unto them, 'Well hath Esaias prophesied of 11:48 you hypocrites, as it is written, 11:51 "This people honoureth me with their lips, 11:54 but their heart is far from me."'" 11:58 And so it is that in Jesus' time there were people honoring Him 12:02 with their lips, but their heart was far from Him. 12:05 In the same today, we have people that honor Him with 12:08 the lips and that is as far as they go. 12:12 They do not allow the Lord to take full 12:15 possession of their hearts. 12:17 And today the Lord is looking for people 12:19 that will worship Him in spirit and in truth. 12:22 And you will have to make a choice: 12:23 worship the Lord in spirit and in truth 12:27 or worship the beast. 12:30 And I encourage you to worship the Lord 12:32 in spirit and in truth. 12:34 Surely He has done much to save you. 12:37 Surely He is worthy of all your worship. 12:40 So we must worship with all of our heart 12:43 because we love the Lord and are grateful for His blessings. 12:47 Consider the great sacrifice that heaven has made 12:51 for your salvation. 12:53 Jesus Christ gave up His life for you, shed His blood 12:56 on the cross so that you could be saved, 12:58 so come to the Lord and follow Him with all your heart. 13:03 Now let's take a look, since we are talking 13:06 about the antichrist power that calls upon people 13:09 to take on the mark of the beast. 13:11 Paul warns us, let's see how this developed, 13:15 Paul warns us or warns God's children 13:18 of the danger that was ahead during his time. 13:21 Let's go to the book of Acts 20 and we are going to 13:27 read verses 29-30 again. 13:29 We have read this in the past, but we need to read it once more 13:32 because there may be many joining us that were not 13:35 with us last time. 13:37 Let us begin. Acts 20:29-30. 13:40 "For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves 13:46 enter in among you, not sparing the flock. 13:50 Also of your own selves shall men arise, 13:54 spreading perverse things, to draw away 13:57 disciples after themselves." 14:01 Question, do we have such a thing happening today? 14:04 I would say to you that there are grievous wolves. 14:07 I say to you that there are people trying to 14:09 draw disciples after them. 14:11 And some are doing it just for the gain of popularity. 14:15 Some are doing it for the gain of money. 14:18 And they are deceiving people with fanciful words. 14:22 And I will say to you that instead of feeding the flock 14:25 with the meat of the Word, they are feeding the flock 14:28 with whipped cream. 14:30 I listened to some sermon, I was in a particular city recently. 14:35 And I heard there was a famous evangelist that has 14:42 radio and TV programs. 14:43 Even has a large church. 14:45 And I said, I've heard much about this individual. 14:47 Let's see what he has to say. 14:49 Never heard this individual. 14:50 So I prayed and I asked the Lord to bless me with wisdom 14:54 so that I am not deceived. 14:56 And I listened for a few minutes. 14:57 And I do not know what the rest of his messages were like, 15:01 but on that particular day, after listening a few minutes 15:05 I said, "Well there seems to be a lot of whipped cream here, 15:08 and not what you would call something to feed your mind 15:12 and something that will be of my spiritual help." 15:15 So I had to turn it off. 15:17 So I ask you to do the same thing. 15:19 The Bible says that the Bereans, they heard the Word gladly. 15:25 But then they went home and searched the Scriptures 15:28 to see if those things were true. 15:31 And every message, including this one, 15:33 search the Scriptures to see if these things are true. 15:39 Notice now in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4. 15:46 Continuing looking at the development of the antichrist, 15:50 the man of sin, let's begin reading in verse 3. 15:54 "Let no man deceive you by any means: 15:56 for that day shall not come, except there come 16:00 a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, 16:04 the son of perdition, who opposeth and exalteth himself 16:08 above all that is called God, or that is worshiped: 16:13 so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, 16:18 shewing himself that he is God." 16:22 So we see here that Paul warned the people 16:25 that the time would come when a man of sin 16:28 would come upon the scene. 16:30 And this man of sin would deceive people, 16:34 and would sit apparently in the temple of God 16:37 and deceive people, showing himself 16:40 that he is God. 16:42 And there is a power that has done this and has even claimed 16:46 to be God upon the earth. 16:49 And we want to ask you to take heed and be warned 16:53 because we are living in the time of the end. 16:56 2 Thessalonians 2, now we move on to verses 5-7. 17:01 Paul continues by saying, "Remember ye not 17:04 that when I was yet with you I told you these things? 17:08 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might 17:12 be revealed in his time. 17:14 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work. 17:19 Only he who now letteth will let, until he 17:23 be taken out of the way." 17:25 So we see that the mystery of iniquity was already working. 17:30 Paul was beginning to hear and see signs 17:34 of iniquity coming into the church. 17:36 The church was pure as the disciples went forth 17:41 to preach the gospel among the Jews first, 17:44 and then eventually all around the world. 17:46 The church doctrines were pure, the people were honestly 17:51 seeking the Lord, but eventually, Paul says 17:54 that wolves would come in seeking to draw away 17:57 disciples after them. 17:59 Jesus Himself warned in Matthew 24 that there would be 18:02 false christs and false apostles seeking to deceive many. 18:08 And so this was prophesied, this was said to happen. 18:13 And also it says that there would come a falling away. 18:17 A general falling away from the purity of the doctrines. 18:21 However, we know that the Lord has always preserved the truth. 18:26 Has always persevered people that understand 18:29 the truth of the Scriptures. 18:31 So, we continue and so we ask the question, 18:37 what was the origin of the great apostasy? 18:40 How did the church first depart from the simplicity 18:44 of the gospel? 18:45 I tell you, it was by conforming to the practices around them, 18:50 conforming to the practices of paganism, 18:53 to facilitate the acceptance of Christianity by the heathen. 18:57 They tried to draw more people, they tried to draw the pagans 19:03 to come into their churches and worship with them, 19:06 and they would not come. 19:08 So they made some concessions, they adopted some of their 19:12 festivals, they adopted some of their beliefs 19:15 to try to persuade them to come in. 19:18 Including the Bishop of Rome, the church at Rome in particular 19:23 was primarily doing this. 19:27 Remember that persecution came about, and God's true followers 19:31 fled into the wilderness, as is prophesied 19:34 in Revelation chapter 12. 19:36 We will look at that briefly if we have opportunity. 19:39 And so it is that little by little the church began to 19:44 accept worldly practices and were led astray 19:48 from the path of the Lord. 19:50 So the apostle Paul declared even in his day, 19:54 "The mystery of iniquity doth already work." 19:58 And so during the lives of the apostles 20:00 the church remained relatively pure, following the Lord. 20:07 And I quote to you a historical book from Robert Robinson 20:11 in, Ecclesiastical Researches, chapter 6 paragraph 17, 20:16 page 51, and I read, quoting, "Toward the latter end of the 20:22 second century, most of the churches 20:25 assumed a new form; the first, simplicity, disappeared: 20:30 and insensibly, as the old disciples retired to their 20:34 graves, their children, along with new converts, came forward 20:39 and new-modeled the cause." 20:43 In other words, they began to depart from the simplicity of 20:46 the truth and made changes so that the church could then be 20:51 more appealing to the worldly minded. 20:55 And so I question, do we have that taking place today? 21:00 Do we have churches adopting worldly practices 21:04 to try to draw people in? 21:06 Yes, it's taking place. It's taking place. 21:10 All you have to do is do some research, 21:12 go into some churches and see what they are doing, 21:15 and you will notice that worldly practices are coming 21:18 into the church even today. 21:19 And I tell you, it's time to be wide awake 21:22 to know what is the truth and what is a lie. 21:26 We need to be in prayer asking the Lord that 21:28 we are not deceived. 21:29 Because the Bible says in Matthew 24 that if it were 21:33 possible, they would deceive the very elect. 21:38 So another quote that I would like to bring to you 21:42 is from Gavazzi, Lectures, page 278. 21:47 This is Alessandro Gavazzi, 1854. 21:50 Also known as Father Gavazzi. 21:53 As a matter of fact, the previous book I quoted to you 21:56 and the book I'm about to quote to you from, 21:58 they're available for free on the internet. 22:01 This is where I got it from. 22:03 On the internet for free. 22:04 As a matter of fact, I'll even tell you where you can get it. 22:07 Just go to Google Books, you'll see the quotes on the screen. 22:11 Take down the name, take down the information, 22:14 the name of the book, and you can get the book for free 22:17 in pdf form. 22:19 So this is what he says on page 278 of the Gavazzi lectures. 22:25 It says, "As the Christian religion secured the favor 22:30 and support of secular rulers," the church was getting united 22:34 with the state, "it was nominally accepted 22:37 by multitudes; but while in appearance Christians, 22:42 many 'remained in substance pagans, 22:46 especially worshiping in secret their idols.'" 22:50 And so this is what history reveals. 22:53 Constantine, you may hear this name as you watch 3ABN, 22:58 he was the one that created the first Sunday law 23:02 commanding people to stop working on Sunday 23:04 and go to church. 23:06 He was an individual that nominally accepted Christianity. 23:11 He didn't fully give his heart to the Lord. 23:13 It is said that he decided that anyone that wanted to join 23:17 his army would have to become a Christian. 23:19 And so because of the benefits of being a soldier in his army, 23:24 some say, "I'll be a Christian," and became "Christians," 23:28 not fully giving their hearts to the Lord 23:30 but remaining pagans and worshiping idols. 23:34 And so beginning these type of things. 23:37 As a matter of fact, some have said that Constantine 23:42 one time said, brought his soldiers through a river 23:48 and said, "Congratulations, you are now baptized. 23:51 You are now Christians." 23:52 Just as simple as that. 23:54 And so, friends, we have to be very careful 23:57 because every wind of false doctrine is blowing even today. 24:03 So we're talking about the development of the 24:05 antichrist power. 24:07 Let's move over to Revelation chapter 17. 24:10 Revelation 17, let's begin reading in verse 3. 24:15 Notice, "So he carried me away in the spirit 24:19 into the wilderness. 24:21 And I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet colored beast, 24:26 full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads 24:30 and ten horns." 24:32 So I'd like to point out to you that here we have a 24:35 woman sitting upon a scarlet colored beast. 24:39 And it says, "full of names of blasphemy." 24:42 Now at this point I would like to bring to you, 24:45 what is the beast? 24:46 The Bible declares to us what a beast is. 24:48 The Bible defines itself when it uses symbols. 24:52 Daniel 7:23 will help us understand what a beast is. 24:56 Daniel 7:23, "Thus he said, 'The fourth beast shall be the 25:02 fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse 25:07 from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, 25:10 and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.'" 25:14 So we know then when we look at Revelation 17:3, 25:19 the beast that the woman was sitting on 25:21 is a kingdom or nation. 25:24 So what is a woman then, we ask. 25:26 The woman in Revelation 17:3, the Bible tells us that 25:34 a woman is a symbol is a church. 25:39 A woman is a symbol of a church. 25:41 And there are some scriptures that helps us. 25:43 And we have shared with you in the past. 25:47 And so at this point I would like to say to you, 25:50 a corrupt woman in Bible prophecy is a corrupt church. 25:55 In Revelation 17:3, it says this woman is full of blasphemy. 26:01 So it must be a corrupt church. 26:04 We're talking about the development 26:06 of the antichrist power. 26:08 A corrupt church full of blasphemy, 26:11 and it is said to be sitting upon a beast. 26:15 In other words, upon a kingdom. 26:16 In other words, when you sit upon an animal, 26:19 you control the animal. 26:21 You sit upon a horse, your desire is to control the horse 26:24 so the horse will go where you want the horse to go, 26:27 not where the horse wants to go. 26:29 Now there are a few animals that you can do this with. 26:32 Obviously, there are some that you cannot 26:34 because they will go crazy and they'll try to knock you off. 26:37 Some horses do, I understand. 26:39 But for the most part, horses can be tamed. 26:42 In this instance, the woman is sitting on the beast 26:44 symbolizing she controls the kingdom, 26:48 she controls the power. 26:50 And the woman has the authority over the beast. 26:54 So I say to you that, how is it, where can we look 26:59 as we look around to see, is there such a thing? 27:03 Is there such a thing taking place today? 27:05 Yes there is. 27:07 You can look all around the world and say, 27:10 "Is there a religious power 27:12 controlling a kingdom or nation?" 27:14 You can look all around the world and you will find 27:17 that the Roman Catholic Church perfectly fits this description. 27:23 The Roman Catholic Church perfectly fits this description. 27:26 The Pope is said to be the head of the state; 27:30 the state or the country is the Vatican. 27:33 The Vatican is a country, 27:35 for those of you that did not know it. 27:37 The Vatican is a country, but also it is a church. 27:41 So the Pope is the supreme power in that country. 27:45 And here we have a perfect fit with what the 27:49 prophecy is trying to tell us. 27:52 In Revelation 17:4, the Bible says, "And the woman was 27:56 arrayed in purple and scarlet color..." 27:59 You can see that these are colors used by the 28:01 Roman Catholic Church. 28:02 "...and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls..." 28:05 Very rich. 28:06 "...having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations 28:10 and filthiness of her fornication." 28:13 Therefore, as you research this power, this church, 28:16 you will find that the doctrines do not line up 28:19 with the Scriptures. 28:21 And we have to say this with respect, 28:24 we have to say this with care. 28:27 I have family that are Catholics. 28:29 Unfortunately, this power, this church does not follow 28:35 the pure doctrines of the Bible. 28:37 We're not here to criticize, we're here to point out 28:40 what is truth and what is error. 28:42 And as we consider the identifying characteristics 28:46 of the little horn presented in Daniel chapter 7, 28:49 Revelation chapter 13, the beast power, 28:52 Revelation chapter 17, and even 18, it talks about Babylon. 28:58 And the woman that controls the beast we can safely say, 29:03 we can conclude that it is the Roman Catholic Church. 29:08 But some may say, "Well why are you criticizing other churches? 29:12 Shouldn't Christians love one another?" 29:15 And yes, Christians should love one another 29:18 and should be careful not to criticize others. 29:21 As the Bible says, "Why do you criticize your brother, 29:25 the speck in your brother's eye, and there you have a 29:28 beam in your own eye." 29:29 We have to be careful with these things. 29:31 And so this is why we have to go to the Scriptures 29:34 and stay with the Scriptures and compare this with history 29:38 to see if it is true. 29:40 And so I say to you about the statement, 29:44 "Why are you criticizing others? 29:45 Shouldn't Christians love one another?" 29:47 Are we to be quiet when what could be our fellow brother 29:52 in danger and is in a church that is teaching doctrines 29:56 and may be lost? 29:57 Should we be silent if somebody is inside a house 30:00 that is on fire, and the house is about to be 30:04 consumed with flames? 30:05 Should we say, "Well why bother the brother? 30:08 He may be in there nice and relaxed and enjoying 30:11 a nice rest in his bed with his family. 30:14 Why wake him up during this fire? 30:17 He's probably tired." 30:18 Should we just be silent when there's danger? 30:21 We need to say something to help others. 30:25 And so I also bring you the example of Jesus Christ. 30:28 Did Jesus Christ keep quiet when the Jews were in danger 30:34 of being deceived? 30:36 And He went around preaching, and He preached the truth. 30:39 But the time came when He had to say things 30:42 in a plain, "Thus saith the Lord..." 30:45 Matthew chapter 23, you may read. 30:47 There are many other things other than what I will read. 30:50 But I'm going to read Matthew 23:23-25. 30:54 Following the example of Christ. 30:56 This is what we're trying to do here. 30:59 Notice what Jesus says. 31:00 "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! 31:03 For ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, 31:07 and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, 31:11 mercy, and faith. 31:13 These ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone." 31:19 So here we have Jesus clearly pointing out 31:23 the errors and sins of the scribes and Pharisees. 31:28 Would you say to Christ, "Wait a minute, Jesus. 31:30 We should love one another." 31:31 Be careful. 31:33 Jesus had to say those things to try to wake them up from 31:35 the danger that they were in and realize that they were 31:38 far from God instead of close to the Lord. 31:41 Notice also Matthew 23:24-25. 31:44 "Ye blind guides," Jesus said, "which strain a gnat, 31:49 and swallow a camel." 31:51 Verse 25, "Woe unto you..." 31:54 He's telling them of their danger. 31:55 "...scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! 31:57 For ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, 32:01 but within they are full of extortion and excess." 32:04 Jesus said these things with the desire for them 32:09 to repent and give their hearts completely to the Lord. 32:13 And these things I say, that we're talking about here, 32:17 with the desire that people who are listening 32:20 that may be in danger of receiving the punishment 32:24 that the Bible says will come upon those 32:27 that take the mark of the beast... 32:31 The Bible says that they will receive the wrath of God. 32:34 So we are hoping that people will realize the 32:37 danger that they are in and come out of that confusion, 32:41 because they are in danger. 32:44 So I say to you that research will reveal, 32:48 as you research the Scriptures, as you look at history, 32:51 as you research the doctrines that you may believe in now 32:55 and compare them to the Scriptures, 32:57 you will come to the understanding that the 32:59 antichrist power is none other than the Roman Catholic Church, 33:05 and anyone else that follows those type of teachings. 33:10 So I encourage you to look at this, pray about it, 33:13 and follow the Lord with all of your heart. 33:15 You may be surprised to know that God calls 33:19 this power a harlot. 33:22 This is because it has departed from the pure 33:26 doctrines delivered to the saints. 33:29 Please understand that God called the people of Israel 33:32 a harlot when they departed from following the Lord. 33:37 I'd like to point to you, once again, how the Bible 33:42 calls this power that we are talking about, Babylon, 33:48 the corrupt woman in Revelation 17:5. 33:54 Revelation 17:5. 33:57 We read verse 4, that the woman was arrayed in 34:01 purple and scarlet, etcetera, and had a cup full of 34:04 abominations and filthiness. 34:06 Revelation chapter 17 verse 5 says the following. 34:10 "And upon her forehead was the name written, 34:13 'Mystery, Babylon the Great, 34:17 The mother of harlots and the abominations of the earth.'" 34:22 So I say to you, look, the Bible says that this power 34:28 God calls a harlot. 34:30 And so you may be surprised when the Bible says this. 34:34 However, you have to understand that this is the language 34:38 the Bible uses for His children, God's children, 34:43 that depart from the pure doctrines and start to follow 34:46 false doctrines and take on worldly practices. 34:51 So I would like to bring you the example 34:53 of the people of Israel that followed the Lord 34:56 that the Lord said, "I am married to you, Zion. 35:00 I have likened you to the daughter of Zion, 35:04 to a comely and delicate woman," the Bible says concerning 35:09 Israel, concerning the people of Israel. 35:12 I quoted also Paul, I paraphrased him. 35:17 Now let's look at how the Lord Himself 35:20 called the people of Israel. 35:21 Notice Ezekiel chapter 16. 35:24 Ezekiel chapter 16, and we're going to read verse 1 35:27 to give you the context to know that we are 35:29 talking about the people of Israel. 35:31 Notice Ezekiel 16:1-2. 35:33 "Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 35:36 'Son of man, cause Jerusalem to know her abominations...'" 35:42 And then from verse 3 and onward, it begins to 35:45 talk about the abominations of Jerusalem. 35:49 I am going to read only verses 35 and 36 35:52 of the things mentioned. 35:53 Notice the following. 35:55 Concerning Jerusalem the Bible says, 35:57 "Wherefore, O harlot, hear the word of the LORD. 36:00 'Thus saith the Lord GOD, "Because thy filthiness 36:04 was poured out, and thy nakedness discovered 36:07 through thy whoredoms with thy lovers, 36:10 and with all the idols of thy abominations, 36:13 and by the blood of thy children, which thou didst 36:16 give unto them..."'" 36:18 So the Lord called Jerusalem a harlot when she departed 36:22 from following the Lord and started worshiping idols. 36:26 I bring to you also 2 Kings 17:16-17. 36:30 2 Kings 17:16-17, notice. 36:34 "And they left all the commandments of 36:38 the LORD their God, and made them molten images, 36:41 even two calves, and made a grove, and worshiped 36:45 all the host of heaven, and served Baal. 36:49 And they caused their sons and their daughters 36:51 to pass through the fire, and used divination 36:54 and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil 36:57 in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger." 37:01 So when the people of Israel departed from the Lord, 37:04 started worshiping idols, and also left all the commandments, 37:09 the Lord called the people of Israel a harlot. 37:15 So in the time of the end, the same thing is 37:18 taking place with Babylon. 37:20 The same thing is taking place with the Roman Catholic Church. 37:24 And notice that in Revelation 17:5 it says that 37:30 Babylon is the harlot, and that she is the mother of harlots. 37:35 In other words, there are others that follow the same 37:40 practices, the same beliefs, as this Roman Catholic Church. 37:44 They borrowed some of their beliefs that are 37:46 not from the Bible, and are therefore considered 37:49 also that they have departed from the pure doctrines 37:52 of the Lord and are considered apostate churches. 37:56 They're considered to be separated from the Lord. 37:58 And they're not fully following the Lord, and the Lord 38:01 considers them as harlots. 38:03 This is why later the Lord says, "Come out of her, My people, 38:07 and be not partakers of her plagues." 38:09 Because the Lord will visit them with punishment. 38:15 And so, we are talking about the antichrist power 38:18 and the danger that they are in. 38:19 We are talking about the third angel's message 38:22 in Revelation chapter 14 verses 9 and onward. 38:26 And there is a warning given to the people 38:30 that take on the mark of the beast 38:33 in their foreheads or in their hands. 38:36 Let us move to Revelation 13:3. 38:40 We talked a little bit about this yesterday. 38:42 I mean, the last time we were together. 38:45 Revelation 13:3. 38:47 "And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; 38:52 and his deadly wound was healed. 38:53 And all the world wondered after the beast." 38:57 So we see here one of the characteristics 38:59 of this beast power, which we understand 39:01 is the Roman Catholic Church. 39:03 And when I say, "We believe," we're talking about 39:06 that we believe, but also a host of people respected by 39:12 Christendom that includes Luther, Zwingli, 39:16 and many, many of the reformers. 39:18 There are quotes by them. 39:20 We do not even have time to give you them, 39:22 but we will send them to you if you contact us. 39:25 So it says the whole world wondered after the beast. 39:29 Remember, we are talking about a church that is controlling 39:35 a kingdom or a nation. 39:37 We're talking about the Roman Catholic Church. 39:39 And here it says the whole world wondered after the beast. 39:43 Question, is there a religious leader, the president 39:48 of a denomination that can go to a country, another country, 39:53 step out of a plane, and receive all the media attention; 39:58 radio, television, newspapers, to come and watch or report 40:05 what that religious leader is doing? 40:08 You can look all around the religious world 40:14 and look at the different presidents of denominations, 40:16 and there's only one religious leader that draws the attention 40:21 of television and radio and newspaper. 40:23 And we're talking about 40:25 the Roman Catholic pontiff, the pope. 40:28 And you have seen this take place through the different 40:31 popes that have come upon the scene. 40:33 And recently Pope Francis came to the United States, 40:37 and thousands upon thousands were glued to their televisions. 40:42 Thousands upon thousands went to see the pope. 40:46 Their eyes were fixed onto the television screen 40:51 as the pope stepped out of his plane, 40:53 went into that little car. 40:54 It was the news media, that was the major story 41:01 for the day. 41:03 So when we say, the whole world wondered after the beast, 41:05 it is happening even today. 41:07 But this prophecy is talking about an even greater impact 41:11 as time continues. 41:13 And we urge you to consider these things 41:16 in prayerful consideration. 41:18 So can the president of the Baptist church, 41:21 if there's such a thing, go to, let's say, another country 41:28 come out of a plane and receive that type of attention? 41:31 I'm sure he has gone to a few countries 41:34 and has been as any other person walking in. 41:38 The president of Pentecostal church, of the Lutheran church, 41:41 whatever denomination you may want to name, 41:44 step out of a plane, go anywhere, and draw media 41:48 attention such as the Roman Catholic pontiff, the pope? 41:52 No, they are not doing it, and will never do. 41:56 Unless they commit, of course, some great sin that the world 42:02 wants to know about. 42:03 So we have mentioned in the past that the message 42:07 of the little horn in Daniel chapter 7, 42:09 the beast power in Revelation chapter 13, 42:12 and the Babylon of Revelation 17 describing the characteristics 42:16 and activities of the antichrist power is the same power 42:21 being described by these different names 42:24 that persecute God's people for 1260 years; 42:28 also referred to as 42 months, time, times, and half a time. 42:33 We looked at that in our last time together. 42:35 And we said that this would take place 42:37 from the year 538 to the year 1798. 42:42 538 to the year 1798. 42:45 Matthew 24:21 speaks of this time and says, 42:51 verses 21 and 22, "For then shall be great tribulation, 42:54 such as was not since the beginning of the world 42:57 to this time, no, nor ever shall be. 43:00 And except those days should be shortened, 43:03 there should no flesh be saved. 43:05 But for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened." 43:10 The beast power of Revelation 13 is said to have 43:13 ruled for 1260 years. 43:16 That is from 538 AD to 1798 AD when the French general 43:24 Louis Alexandre Berthier took the pope captive 43:29 in February of 1798 putting an end to his rule. 43:34 And I say to you that many millions of people died 43:40 during the years of 538 to 1798. 43:46 There shall be great tribulation, the Bible said, 43:49 such as has never been seen. 43:52 Such as has never been seen. 43:53 Millions of people gave up their lives 43:56 because of their faith. 43:58 But the Bible says that the deadly wound would take place. 44:03 And that was in the year 1798. 44:05 But the Bible also says the deadly wound would be healed. 44:09 So let's move quickly to that in Revelation 13:11. 44:16 Let's talk about the wound being healed. 44:20 "And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; 44:23 and he had two horns like a lamb, 44:27 and he spake as a dragon." 44:29 You see, in Revelation 13 another power appears 44:33 to join with the other beast, the first beast, 44:36 to bring about the image of the beast 44:39 and to bring about the death penalty. 44:42 The context of this second beast is that it arises 44:47 after the first beast receives a deadly wound. 44:50 The deadly wound happened in 1798. 44:53 So I ask you, was there a nation... 44:55 Let's look at all the nations arising in 1798. 44:59 Notice in Revelation 13:1, "And I stood upon the sand of 45:03 the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea..." 45:06 This is the first beast. 45:08 "...having seven heads and ten horns, 45:09 and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads 45:13 the name of blasphemy." 45:16 So here we have the first beast that rises up out of the sea. 45:21 The Bible tells us what the waters or the seas symbolize 45:26 in Revelation 17:15. 45:30 John is told, "And he saith unto me, 45:32 'The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, 45:37 are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.'" 45:40 In other words, when the beast rises up out of the sea, 45:43 it's a symbol of power rising up out of a populated area, 45:48 because it talks about sitting upon people, multitudes, 45:51 nations, and tongues. 45:52 Therefore we ask, what does it mean when the beast 45:57 rises up out of the earth, as is the case with the second beast. 46:01 The second beast is said to be rising up out of the earth. 46:05 This means that it rose up in a relatively 46:09 low populated area. 46:11 Not too many people around the area. 46:14 So this is clue number one. 46:16 The second beast is also said to be lamb-like. 46:20 That is in the beginning. 46:21 In other words, innocent, freedom loving, rather than 46:25 dictatorship and kingly power. 46:29 So the second beast rises up out of the earth 46:33 and has two horns like a lamb, but eventually 46:35 it speaks as a dragon. 46:38 When you look at 1798 and compare the nations, 46:42 which one was relatively young, coming up? 46:45 There's only one nation that fits that description. 46:48 And that is the United States of America. 46:53 Lamb-like in its beginning. 46:57 It was not a nation, the United States did not rise up 47:01 conquering this nation and conquering that nation 47:04 to gain territory. 47:06 The United States became a mighty nation 47:09 by purchasing, you may remember the Louisiana purchase, 47:12 and purchasing land even from Mexico, 47:15 so that it gained a lot of territory and it became 47:19 eventually a mighty nation. 47:21 There's only one nation that fits that description. 47:24 And that is the United States of America. 47:29 And so there are some quotes by some prominent writers 47:32 that help us understand, even describe how the United States 47:36 became a great empire. 47:38 I quote to you one. 47:39 G.A. Townsend, The New World Compared With The Old. 47:43 You can find this book for free on the internet. 47:46 He states, "Like a silent seed we grew into an empire." 47:53 In other words, not creating great wars 47:56 or anything of the such. 47:58 A European journal in 1850 spoke of the United States 48:02 as a wonderful empire, which was emerging, 48:06 and "amid the silence of the earth daily adding 48:10 to its power and pride." 48:12 And so little by little, the U.S. became a mighty nation. 48:16 And it fits the description in Revelation 13. 48:20 Revelation 13 verse 11 states that eventually 48:25 it speaks as a dragon. 48:26 And so we see this nation that has freedom of speech, 48:31 freedom of religion, eventually would speak as a dragon 48:35 and begin to mandate things to people 48:38 that are contrary to its principles that are now held. 48:42 And so even now, since 2001 especially, 48:47 we have seen some liberties that have been little by little 48:51 taken away from the people. 48:53 Revelation 13:12 says, "And he exerciseth all the power of the 49:00 first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which 49:05 dwell therein to worship the first beast, 49:07 whose deadly wound was healed." 49:10 So eventually the deadly wound was healed. 49:13 This verse tells us that the dangerous times are ahead. 49:16 And we are in danger, and we need to study the Scriptures 49:19 that we may understand the time that we are living in. 49:23 You may remember that we mentioned that the 49:25 Catholic church received a deadly wound when its leader, 49:30 Pope Pius VI, was taken prison by the French general, 49:34 Louis Alexandre Berthier. 49:37 This deadly wound began to be healed 49:41 when Benito Mussolini singed a treaty, a concordat. 49:47 They said the Prime Minister of Italy, Benito Mussolini, 49:52 signed the Lateran Treaty on February 11, 1929. 49:57 On the internet you can find information about this treaty. 50:01 I'm quoting to you from an article even in Wikipedia. 50:04 Some say it's a great thing. 50:06 "On the 11th of February 1929," I quote, "he signed a concordat 50:12 and treaty with the Roman Catholic Church." 50:14 Quoting, "Under the Lateran Pact, Vatican City was granted 50:19 independent statehood and placed under Church law, 50:23 rather than Italian law..." 50:25 In other words, it created its own laws. 50:28 "...and the Catholic religion was recognized 50:30 as Italy's state religion... 50:33 Pope Pius XI praised Mussolini, and the official Catholic 50:38 newspaper pronounced, 'Italy has been given back 50:42 to God and God to Italy.'" 50:46 And so we see that the deadly wound began to be healed 50:50 in 1929 when the Roman Catholic Church was given territory 50:55 that formerly it owned, and it became its own country. 51:00 Revelation 13:13-14 says the following. 51:04 "And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire 51:07 come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, 51:10 and deceiveth them that dwell on the earth 51:12 by the means of those miracles which he had power to do 51:15 in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on 51:18 the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, 51:20 which had the wound by a sword, and did live." 51:24 We see here that the United States of America 51:26 will play a leading role in the world to persuade the world 51:31 to make an image to the beast. 51:33 Revelation 13:15 says, "And he had power to give life 51:37 unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast 51:39 should both speak, and cause that as many as would not 51:42 worship the image of the beast should be killed." 51:46 The people of the world in the near future 51:49 will be required to worship the beast. 51:51 And those that don't will be killed. 51:55 Notice Revelation 13:16. 51:57 "And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, 52:01 free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, 52:04 or in their foreheads." 52:06 So I ask you, what is that mark? 52:09 What is that mark? 52:10 We believe the answers are found in historical writings. 52:14 Cardinal Gibbons of Baltimore claimed that Sunday keeping 52:18 was the mark of Roman authority. 52:21 Notice, "Of course," quoting, "the Catholic church claims 52:24 that the change was her act. 52:27 It could not have been otherwise, as none in those 52:29 days would have dreamed of doing anything, 52:32 in matters spiritual, ecclesiastical and religious 52:36 without her. 52:37 This act is a mark of her ecclesiastical power 52:42 and authority in religious matters." 52:46 Another letter from Cardinal Gibbons on October 28, 1895 52:51 says, "Of course the Catholic Church claims 52:53 the change was her act. 52:55 And this act is a mark of her ecclesiastical 52:58 authority and religious power." 52:59 Actually, this is the place where you can find it. 53:02 Another quote from Stephen Keenan from the 53:04 Catholic Doctrinal Catechism, the third edition, 174. 53:10 "Have you any other way of proving the church has 53:13 power to institute festivals or precepts?" 53:15 That is the question found on page 174. 53:19 The answer is, "Had she not such power, she could not have 53:23 done that in which all modern religionists agree with her: 53:28 she could not have substituted the observance of Sunday 53:31 the first day of the week, for the observance of Saturday 53:34 the seventh day, a change for which there is 53:38 no Scriptural authority." 53:40 I am quoting. 53:42 So another quote from Louis Gaston Segur, 53:47 Plain Talk About the Protestantism of Today, 53:50 London: Thomas Richardson and Son, 1874, page 213. 53:55 "Thus the observance of Sunday," I'm quoting, "by the Protestants 53:59 is a homage they pay, in spite of themselves, 54:02 to the authority of the Catholic church." 54:05 So I say to you that the mark of the authority of the 54:08 the Catholic church, which eventually will become 54:11 the mark of the beast, is Sunday worship. 54:17 At this point in time you cannot say that those who 54:21 worship on Sunday have the mark of the beast. 54:23 Why? Because it is not a law at this point. 54:27 People do as they will. 54:29 But the time will come when it will be a law. 54:32 And when it becomes a law where it will have fines 54:36 at first, prison sentences, and eventually death, 54:40 then it becomes the mark of the beast. 54:43 And if it is the mark of the beast, then we need to be aware 54:47 that we need to follow the true Sabbath, 54:49 the Sabbath of the Lord. 54:51 Let's go back to the third angel's message. 54:53 Note, "And the third angel followed them, saying 54:55 with a loud voice, 'If any man worship the beast and his image, 54:58 and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, 55:01 the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, 55:04 which is poured out without mixture into the 55:07 cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented 55:10 with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, 55:15 and in the presence of the Lamb. 55:17 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: 55:19 and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast 55:23 and his image, and whosoever receives the mark of his name.'" 55:27 Note the contrast. 55:28 Verse 12 of Revelation chapter 14. 55:31 "Here is the patience of the saints: 55:33 here are they that keep the commandments of God, 55:36 and the faith of Jesus." 55:37 A difference is made here between those that receive 55:40 the mark, those that worship the beast, 55:42 and those that serve God. 55:44 Who are those that serve God? 55:46 Revelation 14:12. 55:47 "Here is the patience of the saints: 55:49 here are they that keep the commandments of God, 55:52 and have the faith of Jesus." 55:55 I say to you that God also has a seal and a sign. 55:58 And that is the Sabbath commandment. 56:01 The Sabbath commandment, which is found in Exodus 20:8-11. 56:07 Notice what God says concerning this sign 56:09 in Ezekiel 20:12. 56:12 "Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, 56:15 to be a sign between me and them, that they might 56:18 know that I am the LORD that sanctify them." 56:22 Verse 20 of Ezekiel chapter 20, "And hallow my sabbaths; 56:25 and they shall be a sign between me and you, 56:27 that ye may know that I am the LORD your God 56:31 that sanctifieth you." 56:33 So we see here that the Sabbath is the seal of God, 56:36 the sign of those that are in allegiance to God. 56:40 And so I encourage you to consider these things. 56:43 Our time is fast leaving us. 56:46 I bring you to Revelation 18 rather quickly here. 56:50 In Revelation chapter 18 is foretold that an angel 56:54 comes down from heaven "having great power; 56:57 and the earth was lightened with his glory." 56:59 We do not have time to talk more about this, 57:02 but the time will come when God's people, 57:04 under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, 57:06 will go forth to proclaim the everlasting gospel, 57:09 and say, "Babylon is fallen! Babylon is fallen! 57:12 Come out of her My people, and be not a partaker 57:16 of her sins and her plague." 57:18 The message will soon be preached. 57:20 And I encourage you to come out of confusion, 57:22 look at the Bible, read and study, 57:25 and show yourself approved unto God. 57:27 We'll see you next time on, Pillars of Faith. |
Revised 2017-04-17