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Series Code: RAD
Program Code: RAD170012A
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00:01 What does the future hold?
00:02 Where can we find certainly in a world of uncertainty? 00:05 The book of Revelation provides helpful answers for today, 00:09 tomorrow, and forever. 00:11 Join Mark Finely, author and world renowned speaker, 00:14 on a journey into the future with 00:23 Revelation reveals God's plan for the future, 00:27 and unmasks the Devil's deception. 00:30 Down through the centuries the Devil has tried to deceive 00:34 people by introducing into Christianity false ideas. 00:38 False teachers have come in, heretical ideas have been 00:43 promoted, but yet God has constantly had a people who 00:47 have lived for, and believed His truth. 00:50 That truth is clearly revealed in the book of Revelation. 00:53 Revelation not only points to the future, but it leads us 00:57 to the past so we can understand what's happened in Christianity, 01:02 and how to live today in the light of God's truth. 01:06 This presentation is a powerful presentation that will help you 01:11 to understand how one of the greatest heresies has entered 01:14 into the Christian church, and how God is appealing to us 01:17 to be faithful to Him. 01:18 So let's pray together. 01:20 Father in Heaven, thank You for Your love and grace. 01:23 Thank You for the light that shines on Scripture, 01:26 revealing to us Your truth for this end time 01:29 of earth's history. 01:30 Bless us in a mighty way. 01:32 Open our minds, and our hearts, and enable us to understand 01:35 Your Word clearly, and give us the courage to follow it. 01:38 In Christ's name, Amen. 01:41 Our topic during this presentation is 01:48 Would you agree with me that merely because someone says 01:53 something, doesn't mean that the thing that they say 01:57 is necessarily true. 02:00 Would you also agree with me that because we have worshipped 02:04 a certain way down through the centuries, doesn't mean that 02:07 that form of worship is true. 02:09 Would you also agree that tradition and truth are 02:14 two separate things? 02:15 That human opinion, and divine revelation are 02:18 two separate things? 02:20 That what man says, and what God says are 02:22 two separate things? 02:24 Merely because something is believed, and if you believe it 02:27 hard enough doesn't mean that the thing which you believe 02:31 hard enough is truth. 02:32 Let me give you some examples of that. 02:35 Let's go back to the days of Copernicus. 02:39 In Copernicus' time most people believed that the earth was the 02:45 center of our solar system, or the universe. 02:48 They believed that the earth was stationary, and that the 02:52 planets and the sun, in fact, was revolving around the earth. 02:56 But yet, a free thinking Pole by the name of Copernicus began 03:01 taking a look at that theory. 03:03 He proved that it was not true at all, and he demonstrated 03:08 that the sun is the center of the solar system, 03:12 and our earth is actually rotating on its axis, 03:15 and revolving around the sun. 03:17 Because people believed that the earth was the center for years, 03:21 they didn't make the earth the center. 03:23 Well, here's another example. 03:25 Aristotle, brilliant philosopher, scientist, 03:34 Now insects have six legs. 03:37 So evidentially Aristotle must not have counted, 03:41 because he said the spider is an insect. 03:45 It was Jean-Baptiste Lemark who sensed that 03:50 although insects have six legs, spiders are arachnids, 03:57 and they have eight legs. 04:01 So a spider, not having six legs like an insect, 04:05 couldn't possibly be an insect. 04:08 People said, Lemark is crazy! 04:10 Look what Aristotle did. 04:12 Just like they said Copernicus is crazy, and they battled 04:15 against his idea of the sun being the center 04:20 of the solar system. 04:21 Both these men experienced ridicule, 04:24 they experienced taunting. 04:26 Both of them experienced persecution for their beliefs. 04:30 But yet, merely because somebody said something, and something 04:36 was passed down through the centuries, didn't necessarily 04:39 make what they said right. Could it be... 04:50 Could it be that many are guarding a tradition that does 04:53 not have foundation in the Scripture? 04:58 Could it be that there are thousands walking in the way of 05:01 tradition rather than walking in the way of God's Word, 05:04 rather than walking in the way of the cross, 05:06 rather than walking in the way of the law of God? 05:08 Could it be that the Devil has deceived millions, 05:12 even millions of Christians, in embracing a tradition 05:17 that they think is true? 05:19 Let's go to the book of Revelation. 05:21 We're going to journey through the book of Revelation. 05:23 We're going to notice a Titanic struggle between good and evil, 05:27 between Christ and Satan, and see God's Word clearly revealing 05:34 His truth for this end time. 05:48 There's a great battle in Heaven. 05:50 Satan and his angels are cast out, 05:53 and they're cast out into the earth. 05:55 But what I want you to notice is the Scripture says 05:59 that Satan, who's cast out of Heaven, 06:01 this dragon is like the serpent. 06:05 He's a dragon because he destroys. 06:07 He's a serpent because he deceives. 06:09 He deceives those whom he's going to destroy, 06:12 and destroys those whom he has deceived. 06:15 The Bible says he deceives the whole world. 06:18 Could it be that the majority of the world, 06:20 including Christianity, has followed a tradition, 06:24 a tradition that has to do with worship, a tradition that's at 06:28 the very heart of a conflict in the book of Revelation 06:32 between worshipping the Creator, and worshipping the beast. 06:36 Truth at times is stranger than fiction. 06:40 And isn't it logical that if the Devil wanted to attack Jesus, 06:44 the Devil would attack the law of God, which is the very 06:49 foundation of God's throne, and the very 06:51 foundation of His character? 06:54 Wouldn't it be logical that Christ, who is love, 06:59 and the very foundation of love, would have a loving law to guide 07:05 all humanity to pathways of happiness, because love is 07:10 always manifest in obedience? 07:11 Just like the Devil wanted to lead Adam and Eve 07:15 in the Garden of Eden, to disobedience, so He has a plan 07:19 to destroy the authority of the Creator. 07:22 Now isn't it also logical that the Devil would attack the 07:27 fourth commandment, and the seventh day Sabbath? 07:31 You say, Why? Because, you see, the Sabbath commandment is the 07:35 basis of the entire law of God. 07:38 Because when you read, Thou shalt have no other gods 07:41 before Me, who says that? 07:42 When you read, Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord 07:45 thy God in vain. Who says that? 07:47 When you read, Thou shalt not kill. Who says that? 07:49 Thou shalt not commit adultery. Who says that? 07:51 The fourth commandment, the bridge between the first four 07:56 commands and the last six, tells us that the Creator 08:01 is the One that commands. 08:02 The reason God has the authority, through Christ, 08:06 to command is because He created. 08:11 We as creatures created by God did not choose life, 08:16 He gave us life, so we're responsible to our Creator 08:19 for obedience, because He gave us the breath of life. 08:24 So the Devil attacks Jesus by attacking Jesus' law. 08:30 He attacks Jesus as Creator by attacking the Sabbath command, 08:35 the fourth commandment, that is a sign of His 08:37 creative authority. 08:51 So the seventh day is the sign of creative authority. 08:57 God invites us to keep the Sabbath as a symbol of loyalty 09:02 and obedience to Him. 09:16 Some people say, What difference does a day make? 09:18 But according to Revelation 1:10 the Lord has a day. 09:21 And according to Mark 2:27, 28, Luke 6:5, the Lord's day is the 09:30 Sabbath day, because the Son of man is Lord 09:32 even of the Sabbath day. 09:33 So if the Son of man is Lord of the Sabbath day, 09:36 the Lord's day must be the Sabbath day. 09:39 Three times that passage is repeated: 09:47 They all say that the Sabbath is the Lord's day. 09:50 Throughout the Old and the New Testament God has a day, 09:55 and the Lord's day is the symbol of His creative authority. 09:58 But why do so many keep Sunday? 10:06 change the day that He wrote with His own finger 10:09 on tables of stone. 10:18 So God didn't change the day. 10:19 He says, I'm the Lord, and I do not change. 10:26 Because the Bible says, 10:34 If He's the same yesterday, today, and forever, He certainly 10:38 didn't change the Sabbath. 10:39 What about the Apostles? 10:41 Did they change the Bible Sabbath? 10:42 They certainly didn't, because the Bible says, 10:55 So God didn't change the Sabbath. 10:57 Jesus didn't change it. 10:59 The disciples didn't change it. 11:02 Who changed the Bible Sabbath? 11:04 Could it be that in the early centuries tradition slipped 11:10 into the Christian church? 11:11 Could it be that the Devil had a plan to attack and destroy 11:16 the fourth commandment? 11:19 I'm going to take you on a journey, a journey into history, 11:23 and a journey into prophecy. 11:24 And we'll understand who did it, who changed the Bible Sabbath. 11:28 It was changed by man in the days of compromise, 11:32 not changed by God, or Jesus, or the disciples. 11:37 Let's go right into the heart of the book of 11:39 Revelation, Revelation 13. 11:40 Revelation 13 describes a beast coming up out of the sea. 11:45 Verse 1 says this: 12:14 Now notice there are four beast like figures in those verses: 12:19 a lion, a bear, a leopard, and a dragon. 12:25 The book of Revelation takes the prophecies of Daniel 12:29 and puts them together. 12:31 So to understand Revelation, one must 12:34 understand first Daniel. 12:36 So let's go back to 12:38 because there we see the exact same four beasts: 12:43 a lion, a bear, a leopard, and a dragon. 12:47 Now we might think that it's very hard, or very difficult, 12:51 to understand Bible prophecy. 12:53 But yet the same God that gave us prophecy, 12:57 explains the meaning of that prophecy. 13:09 In Bible prophecy, according to Jeremiah 49, wind represents 13:14 strife, it represents conflict, devastation, or destruction, 13:19 hurricanes, tornados, cyclones, destruction. 13:23 So the winds are blowing on the great sea. 13:26 According to Revelation 17:15, the sea represents peoples, 13:32 it represents nations. 13:34 So you have conflict among nations. The Bible says, 13:43 In Bible prophecy what does a beast represent? The Bible says, 13:53 Look at it, do you see it in Scripture? 13:54 It's very plain. The same God that gave 13:56 prophecy explains prophecy. 14:06 So a beast represents a king, or... 14:15 So what does a beast represent? 14:17 A beast represents a king, or a what? a kingdom. 14:21 So these four beasts in Daniel 7 represent four kingdoms. 14:29 The first kingdom that rises is pictured as a 14:34 lion with eagles wings. 14:36 Now here's another principle in prophecy. 14:39 When God gives a time sequence prophecy, He always begins 14:44 where the prophet is. 14:46 Daniel lived in the days of Babylon. 14:50 So hence God begins describing these kingdoms 14:54 with the nation of Babylon. 14:56 The lion with eagles wings is a fitting symbol of Babylon. 15:01 You remember in Daniel 2, we don't have four beasts, 15:05 we have four metals. 15:07 Daniel 2, there was a great image. 15:11 Now the great image of Daniel 2, and the four beasts of Daniel 7, 15:15 are closely aligned. 15:17 In Daniel 2, four metals: head of gold, 15:21 breasts and arms of silver, thighs of brass, 15:25 legs of iron, and feet of iron and clay; the toes. Four metals. 15:29 In Daniel 2 the metals represent 15:45 Now notice the similarity in the four beasts. 15:49 Again Babylon would be represented by the lion, 15:52 and we'll show you why. 16:02 Now let's look at the evidence for this in prophecy itself. 16:23 A lion is the king of the jungle; the king of the beasts. 16:28 An eagle is the king of the birds. 16:31 So this first empire Babylon, mighty Babylon that was the 16:34 dominate nation in the world at the time, that ruled a large 16:38 expanse of the world, is pictured as a 16:40 lion in eagle's wings. 16:41 Is there any evidence of that outside of the Bible? there is. 16:46 Come with me to the Pergamom Museum in East Berlin. 16:51 Not long ago I was there with a group 16:54 that we took on a tour. 16:55 This is Precession Way that is the wall lining the way into the 17:04 Ishtar Gate in Babylon. 17:06 The German archaeologist, Robert Koldewey, went down and 17:10 excavated Babylon, and as he did, they pieced together 17:15 what the wall would be like. 17:16 And this is an original. 17:18 These are not facsimiles, these are not reproductions. 17:24 But they took the tiles from the wall of Babylon and pieced them 17:28 together; put it back there in the Pergamom Museum. 17:32 So as you walk along Precession Way, as it's recreated, 17:35 and as you look at these original walls, you see a lion, 17:39 with what? eagles wings; fitting symbol of Babylon. 17:43 Incidentally, the bricks in Precession Way, 17:46 every one of them had the name of 17:47 Nebuchadnezzar stamped upon them. 17:49 So a lion with eagle's wings actually was 17:51 the symbol of Babylon. 17:53 The nation of Babylon did not rule forever. 17:58 Another nation followed it. 18:13 What nation was it that overthrew Babylon? 18:15 Babylon ruled from 605-539 B.C. 18:19 But it was the Persians that overthrew the Babylonians. 18:23 Notice, the Medo-Persian Empire. 18:26 The bear lifts itself up on one side. 18:28 What does that represent? Persia dominating over Medo. 18:34 What about these three ribs in the mouth of the bear? 18:38 What do these three ribs represent? 18:40 The Persian Empire raises itself up on one side; 18:43 dominates over Medo. 18:45 But when Medo-Persia attacked Babylon, it also defeated two 18:50 other nations: Lydia and Egypt, to conquer the world. 18:54 So the three ribs: Babylon, Lydia, and Egypt. 18:57 History follows prophecy like a blueprint. 19:00 But the Bible says there would be a third 19:02 empire that would rise. 19:13 You look there at the leopard like beast with 19:18 four heads and wings. 19:20 What do you know about a leopard? A leopard is fast! 19:23 Now if you wanted to describe rapid conquest, 19:26 what animal do you choose? a leopard. 19:28 But if you want to describe rapid, rapid, rapid, rapid 19:31 conquest, what do you do? 19:32 You put wings on the back of your leopard. 19:33 What do you know about Greece? 19:36 Alexander the Great, at 33 years old he conquered the 19:39 world in rapid conquest. 19:40 But at 33 he died, likely of malaria in a drunken stupor. 19:46 But yet, what happened? 19:48 Four of his generals: Cassander, Lysimachus, Ptolemy, 19:52 and Seleucus then began to reign. 19:55 So the four heads: the four generals of Alexander the Great. 20:00 Every one of these beast figures clearly describes 20:05 that particular empire. 20:07 The empire of Alexander the Great is fittingly symbolized 20:11 in the leopard that attacks so rapidly, the wings that give it 20:16 even more rapid conquest, and the four 20:18 heads, his four generals. 20:22 Because he would have four generals. 20:24 But then another beast arises after Babylon, 20:27 Medo- Persia, and Greece. 20:43 Just as the fourth medal had iron legs, so likewise the 20:48 fourth beast has iron teeth. 20:54 How was it different? 20:56 It was not succeeded by a fifth world ruling empire. 20:59 It had ten horns just like the legs of iron have ten toes. 21:03 It was indeed divided. 21:06 Just as the Bible described: head of gold, breast and arms 21:10 of silver, thighs of brass, legs of iron; four nations: lion, 21:14 bear, leopard, dragon; Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. 21:19 What do you know about Rome? It was divided. 21:23 The Roman Empire ruled from 168 B.C. to 351 A.D., 21:29 but then it was divided. 21:31 The barbarian tribes came down from the North. 21:35 Just like we have toes of the image in Daniel 2, 21:38 of clay and iron, we have the horns of the fourth 21:42 beast, the ten horns. 21:45 Then Daniel introduces something new, something that we haven't 21:50 seen in the prophecy of Daniel 2. What is it? 21:56 So he's looking among the divisions of the Roman Empire. 21:59 When was Rome divided? sometime between A.D. 351 and A.D. 476. 22:11 So here is a horn that comes up among the ten 22:14 called the little horn. 22:20 So this little horn comes up, he plucks up three 22:23 horns by the roots. 22:32 So this little horn arises, and he eventually has 22:41 He eventually becomes strong and powerful. 22:43 Now notice some things about this little horn. 22:51 So what are the ten horns? the divisions of Europe. 22:54 So if we want to identify this little horn we have to look 22:58 at a European power. 22:59 We're not looking at an American power. 23:01 We're not looking at a South American power. 23:03 We're not looking at Asia or China. 23:06 We are not looking at Africa. 23:07 We're not looking in Russia. 23:09 We're looking deep within Europe. 23:11 He arises among the ten, among the ten divisions 23:14 of the Roman Empire, someplace in Western Europe. 23:18 There's a second thing about this little horn. 23:20 He arises after the ten horns. 23:23 He doesn't rise in the days of Babylon, 23:25 Medo Persia, Greece, or Rome. 23:27 He rises when the Roman Empire is falling apart 23:30 among the ten horns. 23:32 So we've learned two things: if we're going to identify the 23:34 little horn we have to look in Western Europe. 23:37 We have to look someplace between 351 A.D. and 476 A.D. 23:45 Now what does that mean? 23:47 What do eyes symbolize in the Bible? 23:50 Eyes in the Bible symbolize wisdom. 23:53 Remember what a prophet is called in the Bible? 23:55 A prophet is called what? a seer. 23:58 Why is a prophet called a seer? 24:00 Because a prophet sees with divine eyes. 24:03 A prophet sees with a divine wisdom. 24:05 But this does not have the eyes of God. 24:08 It has the eyes of what everybody? the eyes of a man. 24:11 So here is a system based on human tradition. 24:18 So we would expect to see a human religious system rising 24:25 out of the old Roman Empire in Western Europe 24:29 from A.D. 351 to A.D. 476. 24:32 Now according to the Bible this power is diverse. 24:36 It's different than all the other horns. 24:38 How would it be different? 24:40 The other horns would be political powers. 24:45 This would be a religious power. 24:51 In other words, this little horn that arises would be a religious 24:55 political power that would grow out of the Roman Empire after 24:59 the breakup of the Roman Empire in Western Europe. 25:03 It would be a religio-political power. 25:07 What power was rising as a religious power, 25:12 and a political power out of Rome at the time the Roman 25:15 Empire was falling apart, precisely in 25:18 those early centuries? 25:20 Of course, it was the medieval of the Roman Church. 25:25 The Bible is very plain. 25:33 How do you speak great words against the Most High, 25:35 if you're a religious power? 25:37 What does it mean, you'd wear out the saints of the Most High? 25:39 In other words he'd be a persecuting power, 25:41 and persecute those that did not go along with its 25:43 religious ideology, and he would 25:48 Notice the Bible does not say this power would 25:50 change the law of God. 25:52 Because no earthly power can change the law written 25:55 with God's own finger on tables of stone. 25:57 But he would think 26:00 Truth is stranger than fiction. 26:03 Down through the centuries the saga is an amazing one as we 26:08 journey through prophecy. 26:14 He would think to change the times and the laws. 26:18 According to Daniel 8:12, this same power would 26:26 The Devil would bring deceptions unknowingly, unwittingly, 26:32 subtly, into the Christian church. 26:35 The very law of God would be changed, 26:39 changed not by God, but changed by human religious teachings. 26:45 I wonder 26:51 How did the Devil attack the very law of God, 26:54 the fourth commandment that speaks of creation? 26:58 How did he attack the Sabbath commandment? 27:00 How did he change the very law of God? 27:04 What historical circumstance is contributed to that change, 27:10 and how did church and state unite to accomplish that goal? 27:19 and it was crystallized in the fourth century. 27:41 So Sun day, dies Solis, the day of sun worship. 27:48 Down through the centuries pagans everywhere have 27:52 worshipped on the day of the sun. 27:54 You take the center image here and with... 28:00 It's an image out of Egypt. 28:01 You'll notice the Apis bull, and he has the sun on his head. 28:05 Sun worship, the Egyptians worshipped Amun-Ra. 28:09 Far left hand corner, you notice the Babylonian god sitting 28:13 in his throne, but you notice the sun shining upon him. 28:17 They worshipped Bel Marduk. 28:18 Each of the images: far right you have the Persians, 28:24 and the Romans with Mithraism, worshipping the sun. 28:27 So the Sabbath always was a sign between God and His people. 28:32 Ezekiel 20:12, My Sabbaths I've given you as a sign 28:37 between Me and you. 28:38 The Sabbath is a sign that God created us. 28:41 The Sabbath is a sign that God fashioned us. 28:43 The Sabbath is a sign that we rest in His love and care. 28:47 It's a sign that He's sanctified us, and a sign that He's coming 28:49 again for us to recreate a new heavens and a new earth. 28:52 But Sunday; the largest luminous body in the heavens was the sun, 28:57 and men seeing that they noted when the sun didn't shine 29:01 for periods of time, that their crops would be destroyed. 29:04 Or if the sun shone too much the crops would be destroyed. 29:07 There would be a drought. 29:09 So they worshipped the sun, or the sun god. 29:12 Constantine, the pagan Roman Emperor, who became a Christian, 29:16 ruled from A.D. 306 to 337. 29:20 In that 31 year period saw an empire that was falling apart. 29:24 The Roman armies had stretched too thin. 29:28 Roman lavishness, and wealth, and prosperity had eaten out 29:32 the heart of the nation for useful work. 29:35 They were consumed with entertainments, sports, 29:38 and pleasures, and immorality. 29:40 And the very heart of Roman society was falling apart. 29:44 Constantine wanted to unite his empire. 29:46 He also saw something else happening. 29:48 The barbarian tribes were approaching from the North. 29:51 They were on the borders of the empire, and some of 29:54 his empire was falling. 29:55 Constantine believed that if he could Christianize the heathen 29:59 that he then could have a chance of saving the empire. 30:03 What could unify the empire? possibly sun worship. 30:08 The pagans were worshipping on the day of the sun. 30:11 Many Christians by this time had drifted from their faithfulness 30:15 to Christ, although many were still 30:16 worshipping the Bible Sabbath. 30:18 But they also were worshipping on the day of the resurrection. 30:21 They were beginning to do that. 30:23 So Constantine thought to himself, I can unite my empire. 30:27 I can do this by passing a decree. 30:31 So here in A.D. 321 Constantine passed this decree. 30:44 Here you have the first Sunday decree passed in a compromise 30:49 with an attempt to try to unite the empire from the pagans 30:55 taking and overthrowing it. 30:57 Constantine, the pagan Roman Emperor, eventually united 31:02 with the state powers. 31:08 It was in the Council of Laodicea that this was 31:11 further established. 31:19 acknowledges how the change of the Sabbath took place. 31:22 In the book, The Catholic World, one of the most significant 31:26 statements ever made regarding the change of 31:28 the Sabbath said this: 32:03 So you see what the book, The Catholic World, says. 32:07 It says that the Bible Sabbath that was indeed part of God's 32:14 Word; that the Bible Sabbath was changed by the church, 32:19 that the pagan day, Sunday, came into the church in an 32:23 error of compromise. 32:25 When we look down through history, 32:28 the Devil hated the Bible Sabbath. 32:30 Why? Because he hated the Creator. 32:32 Because he hated God's law. 32:34 Because he led a third of the angels to disobey, 32:37 and he led Adam and Eve to disobey. 32:38 So he attacks the Sabbath to do away with the basis, 32:42 or the significance of authority of the very law of God. 32:48 now takes this a step further, and it condemns those who are 32:53 worshipping on the Sabbath. 32:56 What did they mean? they shall not worship on the 32:58 Sabbath and be idle. 33:00 And I'm quoting from the Council of Laodicea on Saturday. 33:04 Now notice they're changing the idea from 33:07 Sabbath, the seventh day. 33:08 They call Sunday, contrary to Scripture, the Lord's day. 33:23 So what's happening? two things simultaneously. 33:26 Historically the Roman Empire is falling apart. 33:29 Constantine wants to unite it. 33:32 Secondly, there have been Jewish revolts through 33:35 the empire, and Christians want to disassociate 33:38 themselves from the Jews. 33:40 So they begin honoring first once a year the resurrection, 33:43 then they begin honoring the resurrection more frequently, 33:46 and by the days of Constantine, you have many in the Christian 33:50 church honoring the resurrection. 33:52 Constantine and church leaders come together to unite the 33:55 empire, but there are still those keeping the Sabbath, 33:58 so the Catholic Council of Laodicea passes a decree 34:02 to condemn them, saying that they are shut out from Christ. 34:05 How was the Sabbath changed from the seventh day of 34:10 the week, written with the finger of God, 34:12 to the first day of the week? 34:14 It was changed gradually down through the centuries as church 34:18 and state had their own reasons: the church to disassociate from 34:23 the Jews, the state to unite with the pagans, 34:26 and together they coalesced and came together. 34:29 Now remember what the Bible predicted, Daniel 7:25, 34:33 that this would take place in the days of the little horn 34:37 in the early centuries, 34:41 Now notice, it does not simply say law of God. 34:45 You know, there's only one commandment that has to do with 34:46 time, and that's the Bible Sabbath. 34:49 But it says, times and laws, plural. 34:52 Now in Convert's Catechism we're going to come back to that 34:55 plural business shortly. 34:56 But let's look at how the church is very open in its admission 35:01 of changing the Sabbath. 35:02 Here's Convert's Catechism. 35:04 The Convert's Catechism is a Catechism issued by the 35:08 Catholic Church with the Impro-motto in it that all 35:12 people converting to Catholicism would study from. 35:16 And it says in the Catechism, 35:24 That's rather amazing from the Catechism, isn't it? 35:27 But notice it goes on. 35:40 The Catechism is plain. 35:42 Our Catholic friends openly acknowledge that the church 35:45 changed the day from Sabbath to Sunday, 35:48 from the seventh day to the first day. 35:50 Here's the basic question though: did the church have 35:53 the authority to do that? 35:55 Would anybody have the authority to change the Sabbath 35:58 written with God's own finger on tables of stone? 36:02 Would anybody have the authority to change a sacred day of 36:05 worship when the Bible clearly predicted that a church state 36:10 power would rise and make an attempt to change the Sabbath? 36:14 Let's go to the Catholic Encyclopedia. 36:16 Does the Catholic Encyclopedia acknowledge that the church 36:19 changed the Sabbath? it does. 36:22 Notice what it says: 36:28 Of course it's not the Jewish Sabbath, 36:30 it's the Sabbath of the Lord. 36:31 It's the Sabbath given at Creation. 36:32 But this is what they say: 36:44 It openly acknowledges that the church changed the day from 36:48 the seventh to the first, from Sabbath to Sunday. 36:50 It is a little confusing though. 36:52 Why does it say the third commandment is the Sabbath 36:57 commandment when the fourth commandment is the Sabbath 36:59 commandment on tables of stone? 37:00 Remember what Daniel said? 37:02 They shall think to change times. 37:05 And it didn't say the law, it said times and laws. 37:09 How were the laws of God, the commandments of God changed? 37:13 Well, here on the left you have the Ten Commandment law. 37:16 In that Ten Commandment law you have the first commandment, 37:20 Thou shalt make no other gods before Me. 37:21 The second, Don't make any graven images. 37:23 The third is, Don't take the name of the 37:26 Lord thy God in vain. 37:27 The fourth, Remember the Sabbath, 37:28 and so forth down through to the end. 37:30 Honor your father and mother, fifth. 37:33 Thou shalt not kill, sixth. 37:35 Thou shalt not commit adultery, seventh. 37:37 Thou shalt not steal, eighth. 37:39 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor, 9. 37:42 And thou shalt not covet, ten. 37:45 The Catholic Church dropped the second commandment. 37:48 That means there would be only nine. 37:50 So what did they have to do? divide the tenth into two. 37:55 You shall not covet your neighbors wife. 37:57 And ten, You shall not covet your neighbors goods. 38:00 So if you dropped the second about images, so what happened? 38:04 The laws of God, the commandments 38:07 of God were changed. 38:09 The Sabbath was changed from Saturday to Sunday; 38:13 seventh day to the first day by man in a compromise, 38:16 and the second commandment regarding images was dropped out 38:20 of, indeed, that commandment; dropped out of the whole 38:26 Ten Commandment law. 38:28 Now there is a very famous writer by the name of 38:33 Karl Keating, and he's written a recent book called 38:39 It's the attack on Romanism by Bible Christians. 38:43 He is a leading Catholic writer; very brilliant man. 38:47 And the whole intent of this particular book is to show that 38:52 the Protestant argument of the Bible, and the Bible only, 38:57 that that arguments invalid. 38:59 Because what he's really saying is that the Protestants that go 39:03 by the Bible, and the Bible only, really ought to go back 39:07 to the Bible Sabbath, because there's no foundation 39:10 in the Bible for Sunday. 39:13 And so he's arguing that you have to have an authority 39:17 outside of the Bible. 39:18 And the only authority for the change of the Sabbath 39:21 is the Catholic Church. 39:22 So that's Keating's argument. 39:24 And let's take a look at it. He says, 39:54 So here's what his argument is. 39:55 His argument is, Okay you Baptists, okay Pentecostals, 39:59 okay Church of Christ, he said, if you want to follow the Bible, 40:04 you ought to go back, like the Seventh-day Adventists do, 40:07 he says, and keep the Bible Sabbath. 40:09 But if you keep Sunday, you don't have any authority 40:13 for that in the Bible, and you're really doing that 40:15 in harmony with the Pope of Rome who changed the Sabbath, 40:20 so you're acknowledging the authority of the Papacy. 40:22 That's his argument. 40:24 Now if you follow the logic of that argument, 40:27 it's pretty logical. 40:28 If you take the authority of the Bible, there's only one thing 40:31 to do, and that's go back and worship on the Bible Sabbath. 40:34 Because it was in Genesis 2 that the Bible says, God blessed the 40:40 Sabbath, and God sanctified the Sabbath, 40:43 and God rested upon it. 40:44 2300 years before the Jewish nation, God set aside the 40:49 Sabbath at creation. 40:51 There were no Jews around at creation. 40:53 It was in Exodus 16 that the manna fell before 40:56 the Ten Commandments. 40:57 And God said, Don't go out on Sabbath and gather any, 41:01 but worship Me and My commandments. 41:02 It was in the Ten Commandment law that God wrote with His own 41:06 finger on tables of stone: Remember the 41:09 Sabbath to keep it holy. 41:10 It was all through the Old Testament. 41:12 You know, God says, Isaiah 8:20, To the law and to the testimony; 41:16 if they speak not according to this word, 41:18 there is what? no light in them. 41:20 In other words, live in harmony, by His grace, 41:22 through His power, with His law. 41:23 Now I know somebody says, We're not saved by the law! 41:26 Certainly we're not saved by the law. 41:28 We're saved by grace! 41:29 But that grace that pardons us empowers us to be 41:34 obedient Christians. 41:35 That's why Jesus said, If you do what? love Me, you will 41:40 keep My commandments. 41:43 So here is the real question: 41:50 If you look around the world you find that many, many are 41:55 following tradition. 41:57 They've stepped aside from the Biblical teachings. 42:01 The question is, will we follow the commandments of God, 42:05 written with His own finger on tables of stone, 42:08 or will we follow the teachings of man? 42:13 Down through the centuries men and women have been willing 42:17 to stand for truth. 42:19 Proverbs 23:23 says, Buy the truth and sell it not. 42:25 Jesus said, in John 8:32, You shall know the truth, 42:31 and the truth shall make you free. 42:34 You know, even in the middle ages in the Reformation, 42:37 there were those that were discovering the Bible Sabbath. 42:41 Carlstedt, for example, a very close colleague of Luther, 42:45 began to keep the Bible Sabbath. 42:49 Some of the Waldenses, in fact many of them 42:51 kept the Bible Sabbath. 42:54 John James, in the 1600's in England, was a Sabbath keeper. 43:00 As the result of that the authorities broke into his 43:04 church while he was preaching on the Bible 43:06 Sabbath, took him out. 43:07 He was dragged through the streets of London. 43:11 He was whipped, he was beaten, eventually beheaded. 43:15 And can you imagine it, because of his faith in Christ, 43:18 because of his desire to follow Christ he was, 43:21 this man of God was beheaded, and his head was placed on what 43:26 they call a pale or a pole in front of his church the next 43:30 Sabbath to warn anyone that might come and worship there. 43:34 But yet, just as Tertullian said, The blood of the martyrs 43:38 is the seed of the gospel. 43:40 Down through the centuries, down through the centuries, 43:44 Jesus Christ has had faithful men and women that would not 43:50 yield their conscientious convictions. 43:53 You see, God says in 44:04 Jesus says that His Word would echo, and re-echo down through 44:10 through the centuries. 44:11 His Word would speak to hearts in every generation. 44:15 As I travel around the world, whether I stand in the Kremlin 44:20 in Russia preaching the Word of God, men and women whose hearts 44:24 are open respond, and follow God's truth, and become Sabbath 44:28 keeping Christians. 44:29 Whether it's in China, or India, or Inter and South America, 44:33 men and women today are stepping out. 44:36 They're stepping out from tradition, stepping out from the 44:40 teachings of men, stepping out from human opinion. 44:44 They're making decisions to follow the word of God. 44:47 Let me tell you the story of five Russian sailors. 44:51 These five Russian sailors were on a Russian submarine. 44:55 And there on that submarine they had little to do. 44:59 They found a book. The book happened to be called, 45:02 The Great Controversy. 45:03 It is the story of good and evil, 45:06 the story of Christ and Satan, the story of how the Sabbath 45:10 was changed by man and not by God. 45:13 As they read the history of Christianity, as they read about 45:16 the crisis that was coming in our world, these Russian sailors 45:21 said, We must follow Christ. 45:24 They were under the water, under the ice of the Arctic, 45:27 for six months in that submarine, 45:29 reading that book again and again. 45:31 One would read it and pass it onto the next. 45:33 He would pass it onto the next. 45:36 As they surfaced and came out, it was now Siberia. 45:42 It's now in the month of January. 45:44 These men came to a Sabbath keeping Adventist Church 45:49 and they said, Pastor, we want to be baptized! 45:52 You want to be baptized? 45:54 Have you accepted the Bible? Yes. 45:55 Have you accepted Jesus? Yes. 45:57 Have you accepted His commandments? Yes. 45:59 We want to follow Christ! 46:00 We want to be Sabbath keeping Christians! 46:01 The Pastor said, Well, we'll wait until the Spring, you know, 46:04 because the ice was a meter and a half in Siberia. 46:08 These Russian sailors said, We can't wait! 46:11 They went out to the lake. 46:13 They took axes and chopped about four and a half 46:17 to five feet of ice. 46:18 They cut steps in the ice, and they said, Pastor, next Sabbath 46:23 on the memorial of Creation, we want to be baptized. 46:26 They cut the ice in about a Sunday. 46:28 And the Pastor had to come and chop, because you know, 46:30 it gets so cold that you have to chop and inch, 46:33 an inch and a half off every night. 46:34 But the Pastor said, I'm never going to be able to stand 46:36 in that water the whole time. 46:38 So every day he would walk down those steps in Siberia, 46:41 dunk himself in the water to get ready for the next Sabbath. 46:44 Those sailors were so committed to Christ, so committed to the 46:50 Bible, so committed to truth, that in the middle of the winter 46:54 in Siberia, they were baptized following Jesus Christ. 46:58 You see, the question is not a matter of days, the question is 47:05 The question is not a matter of one day or the next, 47:09 the question is rather, Am I going to follow the teachings 47:13 of man, or am I going to follow the teachings of Jesus? 47:15 Am I going to follow human tradition, 47:17 or am I going to follow God's Word? 47:19 You see, the real issue is 47:28 Is it human opinion or tradition? 47:31 You see, the question is 47:38 See, if the church is the basis of authority, and if you believe 47:43 the church has the authority to change the Sabbath, 47:47 then you can accept Sunday. 47:49 But if there's only one authority, 47:51 and that is the Bible; if there's only one supreme 47:54 authority, and that's Jesus Christ, 47:56 if there's only one who can write with His own finger on 48:00 tables of stone the Ten Commandments and say, 48:03 Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. 48:05 See, the church would have to have huge, immense authority 48:09 to change the very law of God, written with the finger of God, 48:13 and obviously the church does not have that authority. 48:17 You see, in the Garden of Eden God gave the 48:22 Sabbath to Adam and Eve. 48:23 The church would have to have enormous authority to change 48:28 the eternal command of God that to keep the Sabbath 48:33 the day that God sanctified, and blessed, and rested upon. 48:37 It has to have enormous authority to change 48:39 the law given to Moses. 48:41 Revelation 14:12 is an appeal. 48:45 It's an appeal to your heart wherever you are today. 48:49 It's an appeal to you in your home. 48:51 It's an appeal to you in that hotel room. 48:54 It's an appeal to you wherever you're watching this telecast. 48:57 It says, Here is the patience of the saints;... 49:00 You say, Where are God's people today? 49:02 Where can I find God's people? 49:08 Find a group of people that love Jesus. 49:10 Find a group of people that are keeping the seventh 49:13 day Sabbath, Saturday. 49:14 Find a group of people that are believing that we're living 49:19 in end times based on the prophecies of the 49:21 book of Revelation. 49:23 Satan came to the Garden of Eden and he said to Eve, 49:27 Eve, what difference does one tree make? 49:30 Eve, partake of that tree. 49:34 Eve, it doesn't make any difference whether you eat 49:37 of that fruit or not. 49:38 She was deceived, and partook of the fruit, and lost Eden. 49:44 The Devil comes to people today and says, 49:47 What difference does a day make? 49:49 You see the issue was not a tree, 49:52 and the issue is not a day. 49:58 Just like all trees weren't alike. 49:59 The tree was a symbol of obedience. 50:04 And when Eve did not partake of that tree, 50:07 she was obeying God. 50:08 When she partook of the tree, she was disobeying God. 50:12 So when she listened to the voice of the evil 50:14 one, she disobeyed. 50:16 It wasn't that tree, because she... 50:19 It wasn't simply that she took of the tree, it was the fact 50:22 that she disobeyed God. 50:24 And so God calls us to obedience. 50:26 You see, here's what our choice is really. 50:44 Jesus reaches out to you and He says to you, My child, 50:49 I created you. I fashioned you. 50:53 I set aside a day for you to acknowledge, in a busy, hectic 50:59 world that I'm your Creator. 51:02 I set aside a day for you to rest on as a symbol of resting 51:09 in My grace, in My love and care. 51:12 You see, Sabbath isn't a symbol of salvation by works. 51:15 It's rest, rest in His grace and care. 51:19 And God's saying to you, Come, worship upon My Sabbath. 51:24 I created the world, and I can recreate your heart. 51:29 And every Sabbath as you rest, be reminded of Eden, 51:34 be reminded of the day that earth will be recreated, 51:38 reminded of the day that I will come again. 51:43 Jesus says to you and me, 51:55 You make that choice today. 51:57 Will you make that decision today? 51:59 Jesus has His hands stretched out for you. 52:04 I know for some this is new. 52:07 Why not pray right now, Oh Jesus, I need You every hour. 52:12 And I'm coming to You to make this significant decision 52:17 to follow You, to keep Your Sabbath, to walk in Your ways. 52:23 Listen: I Need Thee Every Hour. 52:38 I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord. 52:48 No tender voice like Thine can peace afford. 53:00 I need Thee, Oh I need Thee, every hour I need Thee. 53:16 Oh bless me now my Savior, I come to Thee. 53:37 I need Thee every hour, in joy or pain. 53:47 Come quickly and abide or life is vain. 53:56 I need Thee, Oh I need Thee, every hour I need Thee. 54:13 Oh bless me now my Savior, I come to Thee. 54:33 I need Thee every hour, teach me Thy will. 54:42 And Thy rich promises in me fulfill. 54:52 I need Thee, Oh I need Thee, every hour I need Thee. 55:09 Oh bless me now my Savior, I come to Thee. 55:29 Is that your prayer, my friend? 55:32 I need Thee every hour. 55:35 Jesus invites you to come. 55:40 The Sabbath may be a new truth for you, but Jesus says, 55:44 I'll be by your side. 55:46 I'll strengthen you. 55:48 Jesus says, Step out. 55:50 I've been convicting you by My Spirit. 55:54 I've been moving upon your heart. 55:56 I've been revealing truth to you in My Word, and you know deep 56:02 within your heart that you've heard truth. 56:05 Jesus invites you to come, to make that decision 56:10 that you'll follow Him. 56:12 Follow Him wherever He leads. 56:14 Jesus has not called us to the easy path. 56:19 He's not called us to the common, or the conventional, 56:23 but He has called us to obedience. 56:25 He has called us to follow Him. 56:28 He has called us that through His grace, and by His power, 56:33 keep His commandments. 56:36 Let's pray together, and I want to ask God especially for you 56:39 that it will touch your heart right now, that it will bring 56:43 you deep conviction right now. 56:44 That He will give you the strength, 56:47 and the courage to follow Him. 56:48 Let's pray. Father in Heaven, thank You so much for Jesus. 56:53 Thank You that He trod the way before us. 56:55 Thank You that He never leads us in a way that He doesn't give us 56:58 the power to follow. 57:00 As we feel convicted about the Bible Sabbath, 57:02 help us to put it into practice in our life. 57:05 Help us to have the joy, and the blessing of Your day, 57:08 for we pray it in Christ's name, Amen. 57:12 Thank you for joining us for Revelation's 57:14 Ancient Discoveries. 57:16 We're delving deeply into the book of Revelation. 57:19 We're unmasking the plans of the evil one, 57:22 and revealing the plans of God. 57:24 So stay with us through this entire series, 57:27 and you will be abundantly blessed. |
Revised 2018-04-18