Participants: Pr. Lyle Albrecht
Series Code: RIN
Program Code: RIN000014
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00:59 Thank you and good evening ladies and gentlemen,
01:02 to each and every. 01:05 A special welcome to my friends. 01:08 The Blue Mountain boys and girls are here. 01:13 Remember that story I made up about playing and 01:15 singing in the band? 01:17 Here's the proof right here tonight. 01:19 It's good to see all of you. 01:22 Are you ready to travel? 01:25 A few evenings back, I had a little quiz if you'll recall. 01:30 I said we're going to go to the city that's said to be 01:34 the most romantic in all the world. 01:37 And several of you said Paris. You remember that? 01:40 And I said, "No, not Paris but rather Venice. " 01:44 Well tonight, we're going to go to Paris. 01:47 The Kingston Trio sang it, I suppose, for all of us and best, 01:51 when they sang, "A young man goes to Paris, 01:55 as every young man should. 01:57 For something in the Paris air does a young man good. " 02:03 This city, like the major cities of the world, is born on 02:07 the banks of a river. 02:08 Here, of course, it's the river Seine. 02:11 And we, oft times, would pronounce it "sane". 02:14 No matter how you say it, it means, "the fisherman's net". 02:18 That which he catches fish in. 02:21 On the banks of the Seine is the chief identifying 02:25 feature of this city. 02:26 That is the Eiffel Tower. 02:28 The Eiffel Tower was built for the World Exposition 02:34 that was held here at the turn of the prior century. 02:37 About 1898 or 1900, right in then, 02:41 this the Eiffel Tower was built. 02:44 And when the thing was built, the folks just 02:47 had a fit about it. 02:48 The locals denigrated it, they put it down. 02:52 And they protested regarding the thing. 02:55 They said, "Our city is a city of wide streets and 02:59 lovely boulevards, beautiful statues. 03:03 And here you build this iron skeleton in the 03:07 midst of all of it. 03:08 Tear it down. " 03:10 And now they're more proud of it than any other 03:12 single feature, I think, in the whole city. 03:15 For those of you with an engineering background and 03:17 interest, it is what is known as a perpendicular cantilever. 03:21 Now that, to me, sounds like a contradiction of terms. 03:23 But in any event, that's what it is. 03:26 And at the top of it... 03:28 And by the way, when you go to the top, you're up 03:30 nearly a thousand feet high. 03:31 I was up there once. I'm never going again. 03:34 The breeze was blowing and that thing was going 03:36 back and forth like this. 03:38 And I didn't have my sea legs and besides that, 03:41 I'm afraid of heights. 03:43 I sometimes fear I shall fall from here. 03:47 Atop that, there's a restaurant at the very top of it, 03:51 at about the 800 or 850 foot level. 03:54 And then there are towers that go up another 200 feet. 03:57 And atop those towers are the lights of warning. 04:01 And there are television antennas and radio things 04:04 and all like that. 04:05 And some poor guy has to go up there every other day 04:08 to check the bulbs and polish the lenses. 04:11 I'm glad that's not my job. 04:14 Couldn't do it. 04:16 I just couldn't do it. 04:18 Well, there are many other things to see. 04:21 I want you now to take a look at this city from an 04:24 aerial vantage point. 04:26 The city was born on an island in the middle 04:28 of the river Seine, a natural island. 04:30 And this city today is divided by that. 04:33 When you look upstream of the island, it is then divided 04:36 right bank and left bank. 04:37 And you've heard them talk about the city of Paris that way. 04:40 The artists, you know, the sculptures and the painters. 04:43 They're left bank people. 04:46 And the folks from Idaho, they put over on the right bank. 04:51 Well, there is one thing here that folks come to see 04:56 on the island, largely, and that is this lovely, 04:59 lovely gothic cathedral. 05:03 Many say, and I think I would agree, that it's the most 05:06 lovely gothic cathedral in the world. 05:10 Notre-Dame de Paris. 05:12 We simply say Notre Dame. The Cathedral of Notre Dame. 05:15 Our Lady of Paris. 05:17 And every time I see this picture, my mind goes back 05:21 to that movie that I saw when I was a bit younger. 05:24 "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" Do you remember him? 05:27 Old Quasimodo lived up in there amongst the bells. 05:32 And he wasn't very pretty but he was kind and sweet and good. 05:36 And he saved that street girl, you know. 05:39 Hid her up there from the revolutionary mobs and all. 05:43 And then, finally, he fell from a gargoyle 05:45 at the end of the story. 05:46 That movie has been made on at least four separate occasions. 05:49 And from time to time someone will ask me, 05:51 "Which is your favorite?" 05:54 And I still like the Lon Chaney one best. 05:57 I think it's nearer to the facts and nearer to history. 06:00 And so that's my favorite of all. 06:03 We're going to talk more about the gargoyles 06:05 in just a little bit. 06:06 But before we do that, let me just tell you this. 06:09 When I was here, there was a man that was arrested 06:12 when he came down from the top of those towers. 06:15 You can go up the stairway and go in and amongst the bells. 06:18 You don't want to be there when the bells strike the hour 06:21 because your ears are going to ring. 06:22 But this guy had a knack for walking a tight rope or a wire. 06:29 And he had sneaked up there somehow. 06:31 Under the cover of darkness, I don't know. 06:33 But he got his cable with him and somehow he stretched 06:36 it between those towers and tied it off. 06:39 And then when the crowd was gathered by the hundreds 06:42 down here in front of the cathedral, he walked 06:45 between those two towers. 06:47 Up there about 300 feet high, I think, or something like that. 06:50 Well, he paid his fine but he had his 15 minutes of fame. 06:56 Now I want you, from across the banks of the Seine River, 06:59 to have a look at this cathedral because this is said to be the 07:02 finest example of the flying buttress style of architecture. 07:06 A flying buttress is nothing more or less than an arm 07:11 that has a foundation several feet out and away from 07:14 the wall of the church. 07:15 And that arm reaches up and supports the wall just below 07:19 where the roof sits atop. 07:21 And when you support the roof in that way, you can leave 07:24 vast openings in the wall and fill those openings 07:28 with stained glass. 07:29 And that they have done here. 07:31 Oh and by the way, if ever you go to Paris in the summer time 07:35 or when the weather's really nice, take a boat ride at sunset 07:38 down the river Seine and they have a program. 07:43 Lights flash on the buildings and the loud speakers tell you 07:46 the story and give the history behind it all. 07:49 And I found it very relaxing as well as informative. 07:52 The flying buttresses of the Cathedral of Notre Dame. 07:56 This, for your interest sake by the way, was completed in 1193. 08:01 That's been a while back, huh. 08:04 Still standing strong. 08:05 Well from the top, we look upstream and we see 08:09 where the river forks, right bank and left bank, and 08:12 we see the tour boats coming down and it's a good ride. 08:16 Now in front of the cathedral itself, there are folks 08:20 by the dozens, sometimes by the hundreds. 08:22 And of course everyone has a camera or two. 08:25 But many have easel's with drawing pads. 08:30 Maybe they're doing chalk work, maybe it's pencil drawing. 08:32 Or maybe it is watercolor or oil or something else. 08:36 But they're painting the facade, the front of the church 08:40 because it is such a beautiful, beautiful thing to see. 08:44 And we're going to begin to look at it right now. 08:46 Above the doors of entry, there is kings row. 08:50 There they are. 08:51 They stand about 18 feet high. 08:53 Each has a crown on his head and a scepter in his hand. 08:59 And during the French Revolution, an angry mob 09:03 scaled the wall. 09:05 And men vented their anger by putting ropes around the 09:08 necks of those statues and pulling them down and 09:10 smashing them to pieces. 09:12 And when they were asked, "Why did you do that?" 09:15 they said, "Because we want to show our anger and our 09:19 disrespect for the kings of France who've sold us out. " 09:22 And then it was explained to the mob that these statues never 09:26 symbolized the kings of France, but the Bible kings 09:30 from the time of Saul and David, right down to the time of Jesus. 09:33 Well fortunately, they've been beautifully 09:35 replaced and restored. 09:37 But it is indeed one of the most beautifully carved 09:41 facades that I have ever seen. 09:43 Now to give you a little bit of a feel for the size, 09:45 way up at the top of the screen there is kings row. 09:49 Right up there. 09:50 And down here, the entry doors. 09:54 And then way at the bottom of the screen, there are the 09:56 heads of the people. 09:57 Now between the doors of entry, there is a carving 10:01 of Jesus done in marble. 10:02 And on either side then, six of His disciple apostles. 10:09 I want to take you inside but first a close up, if you'd like, 10:13 of those beautiful marble carvings. 10:16 And again, you just have to sort of pinch yourself 10:19 to be reminded that this is done hundreds of years ago 10:23 by men with crude tools, by our measurements today. 10:26 Hammers and chisels in their hands. 10:28 I think they did a good job. 10:31 Well, here they are on either side of Jesus 10:33 there in the very middle, and all kinds of other Bible stories 10:36 carved beneath them. 10:37 You recall that we have said on more than one occasion 10:40 that these great cathedrals were built during the dark ages 10:44 when folks were largely illiterate. 10:47 But if they were able to read or write, they couldn't read the 10:50 Bible, for Bibles were literally chained to monastery desks. 10:53 And so, in order to teach them the Bible stories 10:56 that they were permitted to hear and know, 10:58 they would decorate the churches with a statue, 11:02 with a monument, with a painting, 11:04 with a stained glass window, or some other illustrative device, 11:08 and then take the folks on tours throughout the cathedrals 11:12 or around the exterior as in this case and tell them 11:15 the Bible stories that go along with it. 11:17 Now, we're ready then to step inside. 11:22 Through the entry door, you're greeted by the Madonna. 11:26 She, after whom the cathedral is named, 11:28 Our Lady of Paris, with the baby Jesus in her arms. 11:33 Now, we have also on prior occasions said that a 11:37 true cathedral must be built in the shape of a cross. 11:40 Were the folks are seated for worship, that is the main nave. 11:44 And then at the high altar, there is a wing that goes out 11:48 on either side and that's the transept. 11:51 And then behind that, a little alcove called the apse. 11:54 And so, we're ready then to look down the main nave. 12:00 I've forgotten how many folks they say they can 12:03 comfortably seat in here, but hundreds and hundreds, 12:06 if not a few thousand as I recall now. 12:10 And in the apse, there you see some stained glass windows. 12:14 But the windows that most folk come to see are in the transept 12:18 and we're going to look at those. 12:19 But before we do that, let me remind you again 12:22 of the style of the gothic. 12:24 It is slender and delicate and spaghetti like as opposed 12:30 to the Romanesque which has broad columns and 12:33 big arches and all of that. 12:35 The basic difference between the two styles. 12:37 Alright. 12:39 Now, there is a story here in this painting that I 12:43 want to share with you tonight. 12:44 For hundreds and hundreds of years, when a king or queen 12:49 of Europe was coronated, the Pope would come from Rome 12:54 and he would be given the crown of coronation. 12:59 And at exactly the right moment after the bands had played 13:03 and all of the rest, he would walk down the center aisle 13:06 of the nave carrying in his hands the crown, 13:09 he would step up to the high altar, and then he would 13:13 reach out and place it upon the head of the king or the queen. 13:18 And that was to show the king, the world or whomever, 13:23 that the church, the leader of the church, was above the king. 13:30 And it was like that, ladies and gentlemen, for 1260 years. 13:33 From about 538 to 1798 when Napoleon put an end to it all 13:38 as we're going to talk right now. 13:41 So it's time for the coronation of Napoleon Bonaparte. 13:45 He was small in stature but he was a giant in his own mind. 13:51 Or someone said, a legend in his own mind. 13:53 He stood only about, let's see, about 4 feet and 11.5 inches 14:00 in his high healed boots. 14:02 And here's something else you're going to enjoy about Napoleon. 14:06 When his picture was painted, when his portrait was made, 14:11 he always, always wore a three piece suit, 14:16 he always wore a vest. 14:20 And he tucked his hand inside his vest like this. 14:23 And you've seen pictures like that, haven't you now. 14:27 Well, I've done a little bit of research and I can tell you 14:30 why he always wore the vest. 14:34 He had a little pot belly and he thought that the vest 14:39 would help hide it. 14:49 Cruel, Ron. 14:51 These people are cruel. 14:55 Alright then. 14:57 So let me finish this story now. 14:59 Let's get back to reality. 15:01 Here comes the Pope down the aisle, 15:03 he's carrying the crown, he comes up the high altar, 15:06 steps up and reaches out to place the crown on the head 15:09 of Napoleon, and at that instant Napoleon snatched the crown 15:12 from the hand of the Pope and put it upon his own head 15:15 to say to the church and to France and to the world, 15:20 "No one is worthy to crown Napoleon except Napoleon. " 15:25 And shortly afterward, he would make the Pope a captive. 15:29 And we're going to go out to the Palace of Fontainebleau 15:31 tomorrow night, by the way, in our travel. 15:33 We're going to go to Fontainebleau and we're 15:35 going to walk through the suite of rooms where the Pope 15:38 was made a captive. 15:39 So be sure to be here on time to travel with me. 15:41 And so history has been made here in so many different ways. 15:45 But none, I think, more fascinating than at the time 15:47 of the coronation of Napoleon Bonaparte. 15:51 Now we're going to begin to walk around the high altar. 15:54 And it's covered, up at about the 15 foot level, with carvings 16:00 that have been painted with oil paints and then much of it 16:03 encrusted with gold leaf. 16:04 And here, Bible stories are told. 16:06 We'll begin over at the extreme left because this is where 16:09 the story begins. 16:10 Here, we see Herod the Great. 16:12 He has a scepter and he has a crown. 16:14 And he's giving an order to his armies of the Roman legions. 16:18 They're to go to Bethlehem and destroy the little baby boys 16:22 two years of age and younger. 16:23 But the holy family has been warned and there go 16:27 Joseph and Mary. 16:28 Joseph's leading the little burro and there's Mary 16:31 and the baby Jesus in her arms. 16:33 They're going to go down to Egypt for a couple of years. 16:35 We move on around to the opposite side and we 16:37 come to the end of the ministry of Jesus. 16:40 And we see His triumphal entry into the city of Jerusalem. 16:44 And the folks are throwing their coats before Him and laying 16:47 palm fronds in front of His little animal there. 16:51 And then finally, we find Him in the upper room 16:54 washing the feet of His disciples and then sharing 16:58 with them the Lord's supper. 17:00 A spiritual washing before the eating of that spiritual meal. 17:05 And so again, further evidence of the way folks were taught 17:08 the Bible stories from the decorations 17:11 in and around the cathedrals. 17:14 Now, I told you we were going to enjoy the beauty 17:17 of the rose windows. 17:19 Here they are. 17:20 Those frames, ladies and gentlemen, are about 17:23 28 feet in diameter. 17:25 And every single frame tells a different Bible story. 17:29 This one and this one and this one, 17:30 and these down beneath them. 17:33 And now we can easily see the advantage of that 17:37 flying buttress so they can leave the wall empty 17:39 and fill it with beautiful stain glass. 17:41 This is the west rose window and the one on the opposite side 17:46 is like it, only different in that it tells 17:49 different Bible stories. 17:51 You can imagine the folks being brought here, can't you now. 17:54 And the pastors pointing out this frame and telling them 17:58 the Bible story and explaining the next and the next, 18:01 and right on down the line. 18:03 I was privileged to go inside the treasury. 18:09 You cannot go without armed guards accompanying you 18:13 at any time and rarely can a person go. 18:16 But with special permission and asking in advance 18:19 we were granted the ability, four of us, to go 18:23 inside the treasury. 18:25 And I think there were 4 or 5 armed guards for each of us. 18:29 And so we made quite a group. 18:31 But inside the treasury there are scores, 18:34 ladies and gentlemen, of crucifixes and little 18:39 altars of incense, and other relics that are pure gold. 18:46 Pure solid gold. 18:49 The wealth of the church of Rome is inestimable. 18:53 Really it is. 18:54 The bank of Rome, the Vatican Bank, is I suppose, 18:59 if not the most wealthy bank in all of the world... 19:01 We're going to go again to Rome in a few evenings 19:03 and I may forget so I'll tell you now. 19:05 But, the Vatican owns all of the utilities in the whole 19:09 of the city of Rome. 19:10 All of the lights, all of the water, all of the sewer system, 19:15 all of the gas, and that sort of thing is owned by the church. 19:20 And so it's quite obvious that they have a nice income. 19:23 And we see just a little bit of the evidence of it here. 19:27 Now, we're up atop the cathedral and we're standing beside 19:32 the gargoyle from which Quasimodo fell in the movie. 19:38 My son Troy was with me. He's our youngest. 19:41 And Peggy stayed down at the ground level. 19:45 She was still admiring some of the marble carvings and all. 19:49 But we climbed the staircase and went up and in and 19:52 amongst and through the bells. 19:53 And then we came over beside this gargoyle. 19:59 And we each had a camera with us. 20:03 And I stood up against this gargoyle and I said to my son, 20:06 "Troy, if you don't mind, take my picture. " 20:11 And he picked up his camera and focused and had his 20:16 hand on the trigger. 20:19 And then he put it down. 20:23 And he said, "Dad, what do you plan to do with this picture?" 20:28 And I said, "Well, I don't know for sure. " 20:31 I said, "I suppose it depends a little bit on how it 20:34 turns out and all. " 20:36 Troy said, "You weren't thinking about putting it in your 20:39 travel log, where you?" 20:42 And I said, "Well to be honest, the thought had come 20:44 across my mind alright. " 20:47 "No way," he said. "No picture. " 20:50 "Why," I asked him. 20:53 He said, "Because you're going to confuse the folks. 20:55 That's why. " 20:59 I want to thank you for traveling with me. 21:06 And now to our subject of the evening. 21:08 The Hour of God's Judgment. 21:09 Please open your Bibles to Revelation chapter 14. 21:13 We've alluded to this passage on several prior occasions 21:16 and must begin with it tonight. 21:18 Revelation chapter 14 carries within it those three very 21:23 special messages to the terminal generation 21:25 by the three angels, those three messengers 21:29 sent from God's throne. 21:30 And I'm going to begin to read now at verse 6 21:33 and ask you to follow carefully. 21:35 We'll read verses 6 and 7. 21:37 Revelation chapter 14, beginning with verse 6. 21:41 "I saw then another angel flying in the midst of heaven and he 21:44 had the everlasting gospel to preach to those 21:46 that dwell upon the earth; to every nation and kindred 21:49 and tongue and people. " 21:51 That takes our minds back, doesn't it, to our 21:54 study last night. 21:55 The final command of Jesus from Matthew chapter 28 21:58 where He said to His disciples to go to the whole world 22:00 and take the gospel. 22:02 "And he that believes and is baptized, the same 22:05 shall be saved. " 22:06 And so we see a connection here again tonight. 22:08 This is a message that's to go to the whole world. 22:11 This is the good news about Jesus and about the 22:13 righteousness of God. 22:16 This must be preached to the whole world, 22:18 to every man that dwells upon the earth; 22:20 every nation and kindred and tongue and people. 22:22 And then verse 7, "And He said with a loud voice, 'Fear God. '" 22:28 Now, if you have a newer translation, something different 22:31 from the King James, it very likely says, "Reverence God" 22:35 or "Honor God. " 22:36 It doesn't mean to be afraid God at all, 22:38 but rather to reverence God. 22:40 "Reverence God and give Him glory, for the hour of 22:45 His judgment is come. 22:48 And worship He who made the heaven and the earth 22:51 and the sea and the fountains of water. " 22:52 Now I want you to know that there are two things here 22:55 that go together hand in glove. 22:57 One of them is this special message about the 23:00 judgment hour of God. 23:02 And together with that, really, locked tightly to it is this 23:06 idea of returning to the Creator, 23:10 the worship of the Creator, He who made the heavens 23:12 and the earth and all of the rest. 23:14 You remember when about 3 evenings ago we talked about 23:17 the origin of the Saturday Sabbath and how it was a 23:21 memorial to the creative power of God? 23:23 It was a monument made out of time where a family could 23:27 come together and be reminded down through the ages 23:29 that we're not the result of an accident, from a 23:32 primeval pool, but rather we have come from the 23:34 creative hand of God almighty. 23:36 And so, here then is this special messenger with this 23:39 special message announcing the judgment hour of God 23:42 is begun and turn your minds back toward the 23:46 creatorship of Jesus. 23:47 Remember His day of creation. 23:49 That's implicit within it as well. 23:51 Our message tonight, ladies and gentlemen, 23:53 has been designed really by God to answer a number of questions. 23:57 Questions that I'm asked nearly every week in my ministry. 24:01 Questions like these. 24:03 "Lyle, where did this Saturday business originate? 24:08 I mean, I've been in church all my life and my great granddaddy 24:12 was a preacher and I've never heard much about it 24:15 until fairly lately. 24:17 Why? Why was that? 24:18 Why didn't Martin Luther shout it from the rooftop 24:20 and begin to keep the Saturday Sabbath? 24:23 Why? 24:24 Why is it such a Johnny come lately sort of a notion?" 24:27 And then this second question. 24:29 Where and when and how did the Seventh-day Adventist 24:33 church originate? 24:34 And I'm asked that question more and more often recently 24:38 because the Seventh-day Adventist church today, 24:40 ladies and gentlemen, is the fastest growing 24:42 Protestant church in all of the world. 24:44 And if time allows, we shall say more about that 24:46 before we conclude. 24:49 And so we going to, in our Bibles tonight, find the 24:52 answers to these questions. 24:53 But before we read more from the Revelation, 24:56 let's go back to the Psalms. 24:57 Leave a book mark here at Revelation. 25:00 Turn back to chapter 10 and 11, leave your mark there. 25:04 And then we shall go together to the Psalms. 25:07 I want to read to you a verse from Psalm number 20 25:11 that's very fitting. 25:12 At least in my mind tonight and I think it shall be 25:14 to yours as well. 25:15 Just before the Proverb. 25:17 Job and Psalms and then the Proverbs. 25:20 Chapter 20 verses 1 and 2. 25:24 Psalm number 20 verses 1 and 2. 25:30 Psalm 20 verse 1. 25:34 "May the Lord hear you in the day of trouble, 25:39 and may the name of the Lord God of Jacob defend you. " 25:42 And then this next verse. Listen carefully. 25:45 "And send you help from... " 25:47 Now you tell me what it says in your Bible. 25:49 Send us help from where now? 25:51 There it is, "... send us help from the sanctuary 25:55 and strengthen you out of Zion. " 25:57 Send us help, Lord, from the sanctuary. 26:00 Tonight we're going to study the sanctuary and we're going to 26:03 share together the beauty of its teaching. 26:06 And we're going to see in it the love of God and the great love 26:10 of our Father as well. 26:11 I want you now then to go with me to Revelation chapter 10. 26:16 I'm going to read the entirety of that chapter, and then 26:18 as time allows, several verses from the 11th chapter as well. 26:22 And while we're turning back to Revelation chapter 10, 26:25 let's be reminded, as we have on prior evenings, 26:28 that much of the book of Revelation is symbolic. 26:30 In fact, I think it's safe to say that most of the book 26:33 of Revelation is written in terms of symbols. 26:37 And there was a reason for that, of course. 26:39 The Bible was protected from its enemies who couldn't 26:42 understand the symbolisms, you see. 26:45 So God saved the information, couched the information 26:48 in symbols so that we who live in the last day, 26:52 the terminal generation, could be blessed by the information 26:55 and the Revelation not be destroyed by those who are 26:59 described symbolically in it. 27:01 Alright, chapter 10. Symbolic indeed. 27:05 And we're going to begin with the first verse. 27:07 John in this vision says, "I saw a might angel 27:09 come down from heaven. 27:11 He was clothed with a cloud and he had a rainbow upon his head. 27:15 His face was like the sun and his feet were like 27:18 pillars of fire. 27:20 And he had in his hand a little book that was... " 27:23 Now you tell me what it says. 27:24 What does it tell us about this little book? 27:26 It was open. 27:28 We're going to notice that again and again in this passage. 27:30 And because of the emphasis upon the little book being open, 27:33 we can know that at one time, or some time or another, 27:36 the little book was closed. 27:38 But this angel now has in his hand, 27:41 a little book that is open. 27:43 "The angel put his right foot upon the sea and his 27:45 left upon the earth and he cried with a loud voice 27:47 like when a lion roars. 27:48 And when he cried, the seven thunders began 27:50 to utter their voices. 27:51 And when the seven thunders uttered their voices, 27:54 I was about to write. 27:59 And then I heard a voice from heaven that said, 28:00 'Seal up the things which the seven thunders have uttered 28:03 and do not write them. 28:05 Don't write it John, not yet. ' 28:07 And then the angel that I saw standing upon the sea 28:11 and upon the earth lifted up his hand toward heaven 28:13 and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, 28:15 who created the heavens and the things there in, 28:17 the earth and the things that are there in, 28:18 the sea and the things that are there in, 28:19 that time should be no longer, no more time. 28:26 But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, 28:29 when he begins to sound, the mystery of God would be finished 28:32 as He's declared to His servants the prophets. 28:34 Then the voice that I heard from heaven spoke to me again 28:37 and said, 'Go and take the little book that is now open 28:40 in the hand of the angel, the one that stands 28:42 upon the sea and upon the earth. ' 28:43 And I went to that angel and I said to him, 28:45 'Give me that little book. ' 28:47 And he said, 'Take it and eat it up. 28:51 And it'll be, in your mouth, as sweet as honey 28:53 but it will make your belly bitter. ' 28:56 And so I took the little book from the hand of the angel 28:58 and I did eat it up. 28:59 And it was, in my mouth, as sweet as honey. 29:02 But as soon as I had eaten, my belly was bitter. 29:07 And then he said to me, 'You must prophesy again 29:12 before many nations and tongues and peoples and kings. '" 29:19 Alright, now let's make some basic review here. 29:22 It's fascinating, this symbolic information. 29:25 The whole experience revolves itself, gathers itself 29:29 around this little book. 29:30 And every time we see the angel, we see the book. 29:32 And four time we're told that it is indeed a little book. 29:35 And twice we're told that the book is open. 29:38 And once we're told the nature of the book. 29:40 It is the book of prophesy. 29:42 "Thou must prophesy again. " 29:47 Now this question comes to us, naturally really. 29:51 Where in the stream of time would this prophesy 29:54 regarding the little book find a fulfillment? 29:57 Our very first night together, we said that prophesy 30:00 is history written in advance. 30:02 It's God pulling aside the veil that hides the future 30:05 and giving us a glimpse into what's out there 30:07 so we can make preparation. 30:09 And on the other hand, history is the mirror 30:11 reflection of prophesy. 30:13 It is prophesy fulfilled. 30:14 And prophesy and history go together like identical twins. 30:19 Thus then the question, where in the stream of time 30:23 would this prophesy become history? 30:27 Now we have several clues and we're going to begin 30:29 to look at them right now. 30:32 Clue number 1, for those of you who take notes. 30:34 Clue number 1, as we look at where this prophesy 30:37 finds its fulfillment. 30:39 In the days of the voice of the... 30:41 Which angel? The third? 30:45 The seventh angel, exactly right. 30:47 The seventh angel. 30:48 In all of the Bible, both Old and New Testaments, 30:50 but particularly in the book of Revelation, the number 7 30:54 is a special number. 30:55 It's unique. 30:57 The Sabbath is unique, it's the seventh day of the week. 30:59 And we've said that again and again. 31:01 But here we have the seventh angel. 31:03 Now when, in the Revelation, you come to number 7, 31:07 whether it's the trumpets or the plagues or the churches 31:10 or whatever else, that's the end of it. 31:12 It's over, that's it. That's the finality. 31:15 This, then, is the seventh angel and he's just 31:19 beginning his sounding. 31:21 Moreover, it tells us then that at this time the mystery of God 31:25 should be finished. 31:26 We could ask, what is the mystery of God? 31:29 And we ought to. 31:31 If we had 2 or 3 weeks to put the theology together, 31:33 I'm sure you'd agree with me that the mystery of God 31:36 is the power of the gospel. 31:39 We can't explain it. 31:40 I see it in every meeting and it's miraculous. 31:44 I see it often demonstrated in men, it seems. 31:47 Men who've never had any interest in the things 31:49 of God or Christ. 31:50 Maybe you've never been to church before. 31:52 And they'll come maybe to just one meeting or one 31:55 worship service and they sort of get hooked. 31:57 And they continue to come and the Holy Spirit begins to 32:00 fill their hearts and their minds and their lives. 32:03 And habits that have held them in a vice grip, maybe for years 32:07 and decades, suddenly fall off. 32:09 Tobacco or alcohol or cocaine or whatever else. 32:13 And you can't explain that changed life. 32:15 I've told you how I saw it in my own dad and I'll tell the story 32:18 in detail on another evening. 32:20 It is a mystery. 32:21 The power of the gospel is a mystery. 32:25 Just before Jesus ascended, we must allude again, 32:28 He said to His disciples, "Go into the whole world 32:31 and share this good news, take this power out to the 32:35 ends of the earth. 32:36 And when the job is done, then I will come again. " 32:40 Now this tells us that the gospel has gone 32:44 to nearly the whole earth. 32:45 The mystery of God, the power of the gospel 32:48 is in its final stages of fulfillment. 32:51 The mystery of God is near its finishing touches. 32:54 Now this angel, the seventh, the last, which carries the message 33:03 that the mystery of God is in the final stages of fulfillment, 33:06 also makes a bold statement that time shall be no more. 33:17 We're now ready to step across from time into eternity 33:20 where there are no more alarm clocks. 33:22 How about that? 33:26 And so this is the seventh angel, he's the last one. 33:28 His message is that the gospel has nearly gone to the 33:31 whole world with its miraculous life changing power 33:35 and time shall be no longer. 33:37 It becomes, with these clues, quite obvious I think 33:40 to even the casual observer that the fulfillment of this prophesy 33:44 has to do with the end times, with the last days. 33:48 Now we have alluded, on several evenings prior, to the time 33:52 of the falling of the stars predicted by Joel in chapter 2, 33:56 predicted by Jesus in Matthew chapter 24 and Luke 17 and 21, 34:02 that there would be signs in the sun and the moon and the stars. 34:05 And we talked about how at the turn of the 16th or 17th 34:10 century, right in there, there was the dark day that had been 34:13 been predicted by Joel and then by Jesus. 34:15 Do you remember? 34:16 And the moon was turned to blood, 34:18 and then there was the meteoric shower, 34:21 and then that great earthquake. 34:23 And so we said we believe with good reason, 34:26 with Bible background and historical knowledge, 34:29 that the last days, plural, began about 1780, 34:34 right around in there. 34:36 Now someone might easily say, "Well, boy that's been 34:38 a long time ago. 34:40 I mean here we are, you known, in 2000 plus. 34:46 That's surely been a long time ago. " 34:47 But you know folks, if I were to stretch across this auditorium 34:51 a tape that symbolizes the history of the world 34:54 since the beginning until today, and then I cut off from 35:00 that tape the amount that would represent from 1780 to today. 35:06 You know how much it would be? 35:08 Just about like that. 35:11 And so when you look at the big picture, in the big 35:14 scheme of things, suggesting that the last days began 35:17 about 1780, it's not a stretch at all. 35:21 Now, we're going to summarize once again. 35:23 We're talking about a little book tonight. 35:25 We're talking about a book of prophesy. 35:27 We're about a book that was once closed but is now open. 35:30 It was to be opened at the end of time, at the time of the 35:32 beginning of the sounding of the seventh angel. 35:34 Now my suggestion is that we could begin in Genesis 35:41 and go to Revelation. 35:42 We could do it in the opposite direction, study from 35:44 Revelation to Genesis. 35:45 We could begin right in the middle of our Bibles 35:49 and go both directions. 35:50 And we'll only find one book of all of the 66 that 35:53 make up our Bible that fits the demands of 35:57 Revelation chapter 10. 35:59 Only one book. 36:01 And I think you'll agree with me that it is the little 36:04 Old Testament book of Daniel, of course. 36:08 Many folks refer to Daniel as the Old Testament apocalypse 36:12 or the Old Testament revelation. 36:14 And much of the symbolism, much of the language 36:17 of the New Testament Revelation is borrowed from, 36:20 directly from the Old Testament book of Daniel. 36:24 I'm going to suggest that we turn to Daniel chapter 12, 36:28 you and I together, and we'll notice a verse or two. 36:34 Daniel is writing, ladies and gentlemen, about 560 years 36:39 before the birth of Jesus. 36:41 And he's in Babylonian captivity and he ends every day by 36:46 looking out, on his knees, over toward Jerusalem 36:49 and the Holy Land and praying, "Lord, how long 36:51 until You let us return? 36:53 How long, how long?" 36:58 When he comes to conclude his book, God tells him 37:02 exactly how to sign off. 37:04 And we're going to read that together right now. 37:10 Right now. 37:12 Daniel chapter 12 and verse 4. 37:16 "But thou, Daniel, shut up the words and seal your book... " 37:22 Until when? 37:24 Oh, there it is. 37:26 "Close your book, let it remain closed, let it remain sealed 37:29 until the time of the end. " 37:30 And then it says, "Many shall run to and fro, 37:32 and knowledge shall be increased. " 37:36 Now, ladies and gentlemen, I can't begin to explain to you 37:40 the effect that this verse had upon my mind when first 37:44 it was explained to me. 37:47 I was a young man but the impression was 37:50 deep and is lasting. 37:51 I guarantee you. 37:53 "Let your book remain closed, Daniel. 37:56 But in the end times, there will be an explosion of knowledge 37:59 in technology, and men will be running to and fro. " 38:03 And the explanation was continued by my Bible teacher. 38:08 Imagine in the lifetime of folks who have gone from traveling 38:15 on the back of an animal to seeing jets 38:17 streak across the sky. 38:19 Imagine this explosion of technology. 38:23 I remember so very well in college reading about 38:27 the first computer, the first real working computer. 38:31 And it was somewhere in New York City, they said. 38:33 And I've forgotten how many floors of one big building, 38:36 but they told how much information. 38:38 They said that you could put enough information in that 38:40 computer, it would take nearly all of the books in all the 38:43 libraries of all of the cities and universities 38:47 in the United States. 38:48 Now all that much is in that computer. 38:50 Well, that hasn't been so terribly long ago, folks. 38:52 This isn't the history of civilization I'm sharing 38:54 with you now. 38:55 I mean, it wasn't back in the dark ages when 38:57 Lyle was in college. 39:00 But in one lifetime, you know, we've gone from buggies to 39:04 soft landings on the moon. 39:06 And now, all of that information that took all of those 39:09 floors in that great big building in New York City 39:12 can be compressed into that little computer you put inside 39:16 your watch pocket. 39:17 It is quite remarkable. 39:18 And so when this verse was explained to me, 39:21 the explanation had to do with people leaving vapor trails 39:25 across the sky, you know. 39:26 Jet airplanes here and there. 39:28 Amazing. 39:30 Yea, this explosion of technology. 39:32 So it really locked in, it made a lot of sense. 39:35 Men running to and fro, knowledge is increased. 39:37 I want to say to you all tonight that this is a good application 39:40 of Daniel chapter 12 and verse 4. 39:43 A proper application, but it is a secondary application. 39:46 And many, many Bible prophesies have primary 39:49 and secondary applications. 39:51 Folks then ask, "Well, what is the primary application?" 39:55 Well to answer that, we look for the subject of the verse. 40:00 Daniel chapter 12 verse 4. What is the subject? 40:03 Close the doors on the ship. 40:05 Lock the door on the jet airplane. 40:09 No, close your book Daniel. 40:14 Let your book remain closed until the time of the end. 40:17 And in the time of the end, knowledge will be increased. 40:20 Knowledge about your book. 40:24 Now folks ask rightfully, "How then does it plug in, 40:28 the running to and fro? 40:29 If primarily that isn't men leaving vapor trails 40:31 across the sky, what then does it mean?" 40:35 In the time of Daniel, and for a long time prior and 40:38 a good while afterward, books were not as we have them 40:42 with backs and pages and so forth, but rather they were 40:45 scrolls rolled upon sticks. 40:48 And if we're looking for a passage, say we're looking 40:51 for Daniel chapter 12 verse 4 and we unroll with this hand 40:55 and roll up with this hand. 40:56 Nope, we went by it. And so we do just the reverse. 40:58 It took a real manual dexterity, by the way. 41:01 And when they were doing that, they called it 41:04 running to and fro through their scrolls. 41:08 "Close your book, Daniel. 41:10 Let it remain closed until the end time, the last days. 41:15 And knowledge about your book shall be increased 41:17 as men run to and fro studying through your book. " 41:22 Now it's time for a history lesson. 41:24 About 1780, there came a simultaneous international 41:27 interdenominational and independent revival 41:29 of the study of the book of Daniel. 41:31 And there was one chapter, and one verse within that chapter, 41:35 that grabbed the minds of these scholars and 41:39 would not let them go. 41:40 And so we're going to go now, you and I, back to 41:43 chapter 8 of Daniel. 41:45 And we're going to notice in a moment verse 14. 41:48 Daniel chapter 8. 41:50 And while you're turning, just let me give you again 41:53 this idea because it is very important. 41:55 These men were arriving at the same conclusions 41:59 without collaboration. 42:00 There was no internet hookup. There was no email. 42:04 There were no cell phones. 42:05 It was impossible even to get a letter from 42:09 this continent to that in less than months. 42:12 And so, here are these men; one in South America, 42:15 one for sure we know about, several here on this 42:18 North American continent, many over on the continent of Europe, 42:23 and one out in the Middle East. 42:25 And they were studying Daniel and arrived at the very same 42:28 conclusions regarding this passage we're now going to read. 42:31 Chapter 8 and verse 14. 42:33 Here is the verse that really grabbed them 42:35 and wouldn't let them go. 42:37 "He said unto me, 'Unto two thousand and three hundred days, 42:40 then shall the sanctuary be cleansed. '" 42:43 And perhaps your Bible says, "Then shall the sanctuary 42:45 be restored to its rightful place. " 42:48 Now these men universally jumped to the conclusion that 42:54 the sanctuary here spoken of was planet earth. 42:57 And that the cleansing here spoken of was the final fire. 43:00 And so they said, "If we could only discover when this 2300 day 43:06 period begins, then we'll know when Jesus will come back. " 43:09 And they intensified their search and the answer 43:12 to their question as to when this prophesy began 43:14 was to be found in the study of chapter 9. 43:17 So we'll go there and we shall read only just verse 25 43:21 for want of time. 43:22 Daniel chapter 9 verse 25. 43:25 "Know therefore and understand, that from the time of the 43:27 going forth of the command to restore and rebuild Jerusalem. " 43:29 There it was, ladies and gentlemen. 43:31 There was the event that triggered, initiated, 43:35 this 2300 day prophesy. 43:40 The longest of all of the time prophesies in the Bible. 43:42 Now, these Bible scholars, moreover, knew that 43:46 when you're studying a passage that is clearly prophetic 43:49 and it mentions a day, you interpret that to mean 43:53 a literal year. 43:56 A day for a year. 43:57 Numbers chapter 14, Ezekiel chapter 4 and verse 6. 44:00 We've mentioned that before. 44:02 Numbers 14, Ezekiel 4:6. 44:03 "I have given you a day for a year. " 44:05 And so these men said, "Look, we're not talking about 44:08 2300 literal days but 2300 literal years. 44:11 And it tells us that this 2300 year period will begin 44:16 at the time of the command that allows Jews to go back and 44:19 restore and rebuild Jerusalem. " 44:20 And so they did what we do here every night. 44:23 They put together, with the prophesy, history. 44:26 And they discovered that 457 years before the birth of Jesus 44:33 there was a command given by a guy by the name of Artaxerxes 44:36 that allowed the children of God to go back from captivity, 44:41 back to Jerusalem, and not only patch up the potholes but 44:44 to restore and rebuild the temple and the whole place. 44:47 Now, without the aid of calculators or modern math, 44:51 these men added 2300 years to 457 before Christ, 44:56 and they came to the startling notion that Jesus would 45:00 come back to cleanse the earth about 1843 or 1844, 45:05 some time right in there. 45:07 And this idea, folk, lit the fuse to the greatest 45:11 religious revival the world had known, I think, since the 45:13 time of Luther and Calvin. 45:15 I mean it really changed the Christian world and 45:18 caused a lot of non-Christians to become Christian 45:21 as far as that goes. 45:24 Now your question ought be, and I'm sure it is in many minds, 45:31 "Who, in the United States, were these preachers 45:35 who believed that Jesus would be back about 1843 or 1844?" 45:39 Well, there were several. 45:42 Chief among them in the United States was a man by the 45:45 name of William Miller. 45:47 William Miller, like his grandfather before him, 45:49 was a Baptist pastor. 45:51 He'd, by the way, been decorated as a very brave and loyal 45:56 soldier at the war of 1812, the Battle of Lake Champlain. 46:01 And it was after that experience that he went back and began 46:05 to carefully study the Bible. 46:06 He'd seen so many horrors in war and he wanted to 46:08 get nearer to God. 46:09 And so William Miller, this Baptist preacher, 46:12 came to this idea that Jesus was going to be back 46:15 about 1843 or 1844. 46:20 Now by early 1843, by late 1842, 46:29 these Bible scholars here in the United States, 46:33 and elsewhere for that matter, had arrived at a precise date. 46:37 Not only just a generality of somewhere between 46:40 1843 or 1844, but a precise date. 46:44 "The sanctuary shall be cleansed. " 46:46 Type will follow antitype. 46:49 And so they began to study this sanctuary system. 46:51 You remember, God took Moses up into a mountain 46:54 and gave him a vision of the sanctuary in heaven. 46:57 And then He said, "Go back down and build one just like that. " 47:00 And He told him of the services that went along with it. 47:03 He said, "Every evening, bring a little animal and 47:05 take that little animals life and spill the blood there 47:08 on the altar of sacrifice. " 47:10 And now, symbolically, the sins of the people are collecting 47:13 inside the Most Holy Place. 47:15 But once a year, a special animal is sacrificed, 47:18 special blood is spilled. 47:19 And this blood is taken inside the Most Holy Place, 47:23 and there it is sprinkled upon the altar of the 47:27 ten commandment law, the Ark of the Covenant. 47:32 And when that happened, then the sanctuary was cleansed 47:35 of the sins of the people for the past year. 47:39 And that became known as the day of atonement, at-one-ment, 47:44 when the people were brought back into oneness with God. 47:47 Now in our calendar, that day of atonement happens 47:52 on October 22. 47:53 And so, these Bible scholars and students said, 47:57 "Hey, Jesus is coming back not, generally between 1843 and 1844, 48:01 but on October 22nd of 1844. 48:05 That's when He'll be back with the cleansing fire. " 48:10 The preaching of this idea, ladies and gentlemen, 48:12 had the result of dividing every congregation right 48:16 down the center aisle. 48:18 Let's suppose that the year is 1843 and this is a 48:22 Methodist congregation. 48:24 And a brother over here asks one over here, "Tell me sir, 48:26 are you and Adventist or are you not?" 48:30 Now what is he asking? 48:31 He's asking simply, "Do you believe that Jesus is going to 48:34 be back on October 22nd of next year, or do you disbelieve it?" 48:37 The point I want to make now is that there were 48:41 Adventist Baptist, there were Adventist Methodists, 48:44 there were Adventist Episcopalians, 48:45 Adventist Catholics, Adventist Presbyterians, 48:47 Adventist Quakers, Adventist everybody. 48:51 Time to time, when I'm introduced as a 48:53 Seventh-day Adventist minister, someone will kind of smile 48:55 and say, "Oh I read about you on the internet. 48:58 You're the ones who said Jesus was coming back in 1844. 49:03 I read all about you. " 49:07 And when they say that to me, sometimes I respond like this. 49:12 "What kind of limousine did Abraham Lincoln 49:16 prefer to ride in? 49:17 What was his choice? 49:18 Lincoln town car or Cadillac, huh? 49:21 Which did he prefer?" 49:22 "Oh that's a silly question. 49:24 He had no preference for there were no automobiles. " 49:28 Seventh-Day Adventists never said Jesus was 49:31 coming back in 1844. 49:33 For there were no Seventh-Day Adventists until 1863. 49:37 But there were lots of wonderfully dedicated 49:40 Christian folks who believed it and were teaching it 49:43 and sharing it; 49:46 that the hour of God's judgment was soon to come. 49:52 Now if you know anything at all about Seventh-Day Adventists, 49:54 you know that we lay a great deal of importance upon 49:59 the heavenly sanctuary. 50:04 And it's not because, "I think it's a good idea," 50:06 or "some little lady said that it was important. " 50:09 It's because God said it. 50:11 I want you to go with me now to chapter 11. 50:16 And while you're turning to chapter 11 of 50:18 Revelation, by the way, not Daniel. 50:19 Revelation again. 50:21 While you're turning there with me, let me just give you 50:25 a little bit of the background now. 50:31 These followers of William Miller and a score of others, 50:38 by early 1844 began to liquidate. 50:43 I mean, the farmers sold out. 50:46 And the business folks liquidated their stock. 50:49 And as it got nearer and nearer to October 22nd, 50:51 they gave their things away. 50:55 And they encouraged everyone to do the same, do likewise. 50:58 Give away your food, cash in, bring your money. 51:02 Help us to print a little tract so the we can encourage 51:04 everybody in town to do likewise. 51:07 And there were camp meetings that required in New York state, 51:10 a special train to take the folks out to hear 51:13 that Jesus was coming back on October 22nd of 1844. 51:16 This wasn't something done in some dark corner 51:19 by a bunch of lunatics. 51:20 This happened on a very broad base. 51:23 1844 was the year of the General Election. 51:25 By the way, aren't you about tired of the politics? 51:28 I mean, months and months yet to go. 51:31 I've had it, you know. 51:34 It's almost to a point where I don't care. 51:38 Well, equal space was given in the city newspaper 51:43 to the idea that Jesus would be back on October 22nd of '44 51:47 as was given to the General Election. 51:49 And the two men who ran for the high office that year 51:51 were Mr. Clay, a gentleman from Kentucky, and James Polk 51:55 who became the President of the United States, of course. 51:58 Now, Jesus did not come on October 22nd. 52:01 And they were bitterly terribly disappointed. 52:03 But the prophesy from Revelation 10 said it would be like that. 52:07 "In your mouth it will be sweet as honey. " 52:09 You know, my dears, there is nothing in the world, I think, 52:11 sweeter to the born again than the thought that 52:13 Jesus is coming back. 52:16 Now, the key to the understanding of the 52:18 disappointment was to be found in the studying of chapter 11. 52:22 And so we go there to read the very first verse. 52:25 John is in this vision now and he's seen about this book 52:30 and the angel and all. 52:31 Now chapter 11 verse 1. 52:33 "There was given unto me, a reed like unto a rod. 52:35 And the angel said, 'Get up and measure the temple of God 52:38 and the altar and those that worship inside. '" 52:41 Now this thing was so real to John that he was on his back, 52:44 he was prostrate. 52:46 He was down on his back. 52:50 And the angel said, "Get up John, now get up. 52:53 Rise and measure. " 52:56 And if we were to put this into modern language, we would say, 52:58 here's an angel who comes to John the Revelator and says, 53:01 "Here John, take this Stanley Steel tape measure 53:04 and measure the temple of God. " 53:06 Now if I were to take a tape measure and measure this 53:08 lectern, it's this wide and it's this high. 53:11 Will it hold my Bible and my notes and a book or two? 53:14 Will it? Will it suffice? 53:15 I'm studying, I'm measuring. 53:17 You see? 53:18 "Get up John, measure the temple. 53:20 Study the temple of God and the altar and all that goes on. " 53:27 I'm going to ask you, ladies and gentlemen, in your minds now 53:29 as we move toward a conclusion, to go with me 53:32 to the temple of God. 53:38 It was divided, as Moses carefully noted, 53:42 into two compartments; Holy and Most Holy. 53:45 Sanctum and Sanctum Sanctorum. 53:48 And you step into the Holy Place and the only light 53:51 is that which comes from a candelabrum over here. 53:53 It has a central stem with three branches on either side. 53:56 For a total of how many? 53:57 There it is again. 53:59 Seven, that perfect number. 54:02 Now everything in here has to teach us something about 54:05 the life, the atonement, the death, the ministry, 54:08 the resurrection of our Lord Jesus. 54:09 We're measuring and we're studying. 54:11 And when we see the candelabrum, we remember that when Jesus 54:14 came, he said, "I am the light of the world. " 54:18 We're measuring and studying. 54:20 Now over against this wall, there is a long and low table 54:22 atop which there are two stacks of bread. 54:25 Six in each stack for a total of twelve. 54:27 And remember that when Jesus came, he said, 54:28 "I am bread of life. " 54:31 We're measuring and studying. 54:32 And now there's only one object left in this Holy Place. 54:35 And that is the altar of incense. 54:37 Incense continuously burns there and wafts over 54:40 into the Most Holy Place. 54:43 And the incense that burns there, says the apostle Paul, 54:45 symbolizes the life of Jesus. 54:48 Paul said His life is a sweet smelling savor. 54:53 And that, by the way, is why we always end our prayer 54:55 in who's name? 54:57 In Jesus' name. 54:58 Amen. 54:59 And that makes them acceptable into the throne room of God. 55:02 So we're measuring and we're studying. 55:04 Now we part the curtain and step into the Holy of Holies 55:07 and there's only one article of furniture. 55:09 And that's a great golden chest. 55:11 And no ark is important in it's own right, but rather becomes 55:14 important for what it contains. 55:15 And so we lift the lid and roll it back. 55:17 And inside we see the 10 commandment law of God. 55:22 There it is. 55:23 And we read down through, "I'm the Lord thy God 55:24 that has taken thee by the hand to lead thee out of Egypt. 55:26 Therefore, thou shall have no other gods before me. 55:28 Thou shall not make unto thee any graven images 55:30 the likes of anything in the heaven, the earth, the water 55:33 beneath the earth. 55:34 Thou shall not bow down before them. 55:35 Thou shall not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. 55:38 Remember the... " 55:40 What? 55:41 Which day? 55:43 "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. 55:46 Six days to labor, but the seventh day is the Sabbath 55:49 of the Lord thy God. " 55:50 What happened on October the 22nd of 1844? 55:53 Instead of Jesus coming back, I believe, and many theologians 55:57 with minds far brighter than mine also believe 56:00 that Jesus, according to the type, stepped inside the 56:04 Holy of Holies and began His great High Priestly ministry 56:07 for His children. 56:08 The hour of God's judgment began on that day. 56:12 And it has nothing to do with being condemned 56:16 or being put down. 56:18 This is to vindicate the character of God, you see. 56:22 God is on trial. 56:24 We don't know when our names come up, but all who claim Jesus 56:27 have their name come up in this trial, in this 56:30 great courtroom scene. 56:33 The question of the universe is, "Is Lyle safe to save? 56:37 God, you surely don't want to take him into Your 56:39 eternal kingdom and run the risk that sin's infection is 56:42 going to break out again. 56:44 Surely You have better sense than that. 56:46 God, are You going to save him?" 56:48 And now God is on trial. 56:50 Revelation chapter 12 speaks about our enemy and calls him 56:53 the accuser of the brethren. 56:58 Now in this courtroom, all the Christians have an Attorney. 57:03 He's not only their Attorney, He is their Judge. 57:06 His name is Jesus Christ, the Righteous. 57:08 And when the devil, though he's not there in person, 57:10 he shouts across the universe, "God, you can't save 57:13 Lyle and destroy me. 57:14 He's a sinner, surely. " 57:16 And now I'm in big trouble. 57:17 And now my Attorney... I don't even have to be there. 57:20 My Attorney is there for me. 57:24 The final judgment has been rigged in my favor. 57:29 Praise Jesus. 57:36 And my Attorney stands up. 57:39 And He says, "Father, Lyle is safe to save. 57:42 He has claimed My blood, 57:44 My righteousness. " 57:48 And now, God is vindicated. 57:54 Ah, thank You Jesus. 57:59 You're our High Priest, 58:02 You're our Attorney, 58:05 our Lawyer and our Judge. 58:09 And we don't even have to go to the city hall, 58:11 we don't even have to go to the courtroom. 58:15 For You fixed it all in our favor. 58:18 We don't deserve it. 58:22 But we, tonight, again thank You in Jesus' name. Amen. |
Revised 2014-12-17