Revelation of Hope (Pacleb)

Unlocking the Mysteries of the Apocalypse

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

Program transcript

Participants: Pr. Taj Pacleb

Series Code: ROHB

00:40 Our message tonight is entitled
00:42 Unlocking the Mysteries of the
00:43 Apocalypse.
00:45 Tonight in this foundational
00:46 message, we want to put the
00:49 importance of the study of
00:51 the bible prophecy in its
00:53 proper context. Ladies
00:54 and gentlemen, whether
00:55 we recognize it or not,
00:57 each and every one of us
00:59 are in the midst of a war;
01:01 a great controversy, a
01:04 cosmic conflict, a
01:05 supernatural battle
01:07 between good and evil.
01:09 I want us to notice how this war
01:11 is described in the Book of
01:13 Revelation, Chapter 12, which
01:15 is the first verse we are going
01:16 to be looking at tonight. I
01:17 would like you to take your
01:18 bible and open with me to the
01:19 last book, the Book of
01:20 Revelation. We're going to go
01:22 to the 12th chapter, Revelation,
01:26 the last book of the bible, the
01:28 12th chapter. Notice how the
01:29 bible describes this great
01:31 controversy between good and
01:32 evil. Revelation, Chapter 12,
01:34 beginning with Verse 7. We will
01:36 study this chapter in detail on
01:38 a future night. We are going to
01:39 understand all of the
01:40 complexities of this controversy
01:42 later on. But, I want us to
01:44 notice just one main point in
01:45 this chapter, Revelation 12.
01:47 Notice with me, in Verse 7, and
01:49 if you are there and if you are
01:50 ready to study the bible, would
01:52 you let me know by saying amen.
01:53 Amen.
01:54 The bible says in Revelation12:7
01:56 and there was war in
01:58 heaven. Michael and his angels
01:59 fought against the dragon; the
02:01 dragon fought against angels and
02:02 prevailed not. Neither was
02:04 their place found anymore in
02:05 heaven. The great dragon was
02:08 cast out. That old serpent
02:09 called the devil and Satan,
02:11 which deceives the whole world,
02:13 he was cast out into the earth
02:15 and his angels were cast out
02:17 with him. Here we find that war
02:19 broke loose in the very
02:21 atmosphere of God; in heaven
02:23 itself. As I mentioned, we're
02:25 going to cover all the
02:26 complexities of this controversy
02:28 in detail on a later night, but
02:30 I want you to notice as we ask
02:31 the question, what kind of war
02:33 was this that broke loose in
02:35 heaven? Friends, what we must
02:37 understand tonight is that there
02:39 was much more than a physical
02:40 battle, a clash of arms. No
02:41 friends, when the bible
02:43 describes the war in heaven,
02:45 that word war in the original
02:46 Greek language, is the word
02:48 polemos, which literally means
02:50 a strife, a quarrel, a dispute,
02:54 or an what? An argument.
02:57 So it was much more than a
02:59 physical battle that took place
03:01 between the holy angels and the
03:03 demonic angels. Lucifer, who
03:05 became Satan. It was much more
03:06 than physical friends. It was
03:09 a war of ideas, or, a war of
03:12 wills. You see friends, God
03:14 wants control over our minds.
03:16 But so does the enemy want
03:19 control over our minds.
03:20 The war is about the will,
03:22 friends. A battle of ideas
03:24 or a belief system. The reason
03:26 why this is important is because
03:27 friends, when you think about it
03:28 whoever has your mind, will
03:30 shape your beliefs. Isn't that
03:33 right? And whoever shapes your
03:36 beliefs will control, or dictate
03:38 your words and your actions.
03:40 And words and actions, when we
03:42 repeat them over and over,
03:44 produce habits. Habits form a
03:46 person's character. We have
03:48 been told that character is what
03:50 determines destiny. So the
03:52 great controversy between good
03:54 and evil that is fought in the
03:55 battlefield of our minds is
03:58 because God wants a destiny and
04:01 desires a destiny for us of
04:03 eternal bliss and happiness. But
04:05 Satan's destiny for us is a
04:07 destiny of eternal destruction.
04:09 But it all starts with the mind.
04:11 Whoever has your mind will shape
04:13 your beliefs, will control your
04:14 will and will determine your
04:17 destiny. So friends, we can say
04:19 it like this, our destiny is
04:20 going to be determined by
04:22 whomever we yield our mind to.
04:25 Notice that the bible says in
04:27 Verse 6 of the same chapter,
04:29 please write it down.
04:31 10 Corinthians 4:6 the
04:32 bible says for God who commanded
04:35 the light to shine out of
04:37 darkness has shined where? In
04:40 our hearts? To give the light.
04:42 What is the light? The...?
04:44 The knowledge of the...?
04:46 Glory of God in the face of
04:49 Jesus Christ. The bible defines
04:51 for us what the light
04:52 specifically is; the light of
04:54 the knowledge. What knowledge
04:56 Is it? Notice. 2 Peter 1:19,
04:58 the bible says, we have also a
05:00 more sure word of prophecy,
05:02 where unto you do to another
05:04 you take heed, as unto a what
05:06 everyone? A light that shines
05:08 in at our place, until the dawn
05:10 and the day star arise in your
05:12 hearts. So according to this
05:14 passage, we find that the light
05:16 is none other than the sure word
05:18 of prophecy. You see brothers
05:20 and sisters, God's word, the
05:23 bible, is a prophetic word and
05:25 it is a sure word. In a world
05:27 full of uncertainties and
05:28 unsurities, friends there is
05:30 something we can be certain and
05:32 sure about. And that is the
05:33 prophetic word that the bible
05:35 says it's like a light that
05:36 shines in a dark place and
05:38 friends, this is the light
05:39 God is wanting to shine in our
05:40 hearts as the same light that
05:42 Satan is wanting to blind us
05:44 from. He does not want us to
05:46 know the contents of the sure
05:48 word of prophecy. Because he
05:50 knows that if we know this sure
05:52 word of prophecy, his hold upon
05:54 our lives is going to be broken.
05:55 He knows he is going to be
05:57 defeated if we know the sure
05:59 word of prophecy. You see
06:01 brothers and sisters, the word
06:03 of God is like a light that
06:05 helps us to see our way through
06:06 the darkness of the devil's
06:08 deceptions and delusions in
06:10 these last days. The bible says
06:12 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet
06:14 and a light unto my path.
06:16 Friends, when it's all dark
06:17 around you're not going to know
06:19 where to go and what to do
06:20 unless you have the light.
06:22 Isn't that right? So the sure
06:24 word of prophecy is the light.
06:26 The knowledge that will save us
06:28 in these last days. But it's
06:31 called a sure word. Maybe some
06:33 of you are wondering how can I
06:34 be so sure that it's a sure
06:36 word? What evidence is there
06:39 that the bible is objectively,
06:41 universally and consistently
06:44 true for all time, in all ages,
06:47 for all people in all the world?
06:50 How can we be so sure that the
06:53 bible is the truth? Seven
06:55 reasons. Hope you write them
06:56 down. Here's the first one.
06:57 The first reason is the
06:59 testimony of internal
07:01 consistency. The testimony of
07:03 what, everyone?
07:04 Internal consistency.
07:05 In other words, when you study
07:06 the bible, you will find
07:08 internal consistency. Now it
07:10 seems like the bible we hold in
07:11 our hands is one book, or one
07:13 volume. But in reality, this
07:15 bible is a codex of 66 little
07:18 books put together in one volume.
07:20 Broken into two testaments; the
07:23 Old and the New Testament. So,
07:25 66 little books. These
07:27 different books were written
07:28 over a period of one thousand,
07:30 five hundred years, by over
07:32 thirty-six different authors
07:35 that lived on three different
07:37 continents. Individuals in
07:40 various different backgrounds
07:42 and different upbringings.
07:44 They all wrote about what is
07:46 undoubtedly the most
07:47 controversial topic in our world
07:48 today. That is the topic of
07:50 spirituality, the topic of God,
07:52 the topic of truth. Yet with
07:54 all these different factors, we
07:56 find that within the writings,
07:58 there is internal harmony and
08:00 consistency. You see, the
08:02 sacred writings of the bible
08:03 demonstrate consistency and
08:05 harmony that is not found in any
08:08 other book in the past or in
08:10 the present, in the history of
08:12 the world. Now this is
08:13 remarkable. You know why?
08:14 Because this was done in a day
08:16 before fax machines, a day
08:17 before conference call, e-mail,
08:20 voicemail. It wasn't as if they
08:22 all got together in one room and
08:25 carefully plotted what they were
08:26 going to write about to avoid
08:28 any contradictions. They did
08:30 not do this friends. Thirty-six
08:32 different authors,
08:33 A period of 1500 years, living
08:34 on three different continents,
08:36 various different backgrounds
08:38 and writing about the most
08:40 controversial issue; and that is
08:41 God. Yet there is harmony and
08:43 consistency, which testifies to
08:46 us that behind every penman was
08:50 the same divine author. God
08:53 himself inspired by the Holy
08:55 Spirit. That is one of the
08:58 first reasons. You are going to
08:59 see it more in detail as you
09:00 continue to come night after
09:02 night. Let's move on. The next
09:04 two reasons why you can trust
09:05 the message of the bible, is
09:06 because the testimony of history
09:09 and the testimony of archeology.
09:11 You see brothers and sisters,
09:13 modern archeological discoveries
09:15 continue to give us evidence of
09:18 the bible's historical accuracy
09:20 and of its divine preservation.
09:22 Many people are asking, how do we
09:25 know that the bible we study
09:26 today is still the same bible
09:28 that God inspired over 2000
09:31 years ago? How do we know that
09:33 the message hasn't been
09:35 corrupted? How do we know that
09:37 it is still the truth and it
09:39 still can be trusted? Well
09:40 friends listen, archeology
09:42 has answered this very important
09:43 question. In fact, it was in
09:45 1947 that a shepherd threw a rock
09:48 in a cave near the Dead Sea at
09:51 the West Bank. The shattered
09:53 sound of pottery led to one of
09:55 the greatest archeological
09:56 discoveries in modern time. It
09:58 was the discovery of the Dead
10:00 Sea scrolls. These ancient
10:02 manuscripts, dating back to the
10:04 first and second Century,
10:05 confirming the bible's accuracy
10:07 and preservation. In fact, did
10:09 you know there are over 20,000
10:11 ancient manuscripts of the New
10:13 Testament, dating within about a
10:15 hundred years of itself. There
10:17 are more manuscripts of the New
10:19 Testament, than any other piece
10:21 literature of antiquity. God
10:22 has given us plenty of evidence
10:24 through archaeology and history
10:26 to know that His word has been
10:28 preserved for us down throughout
10:31 the ages. A divine hand,
10:32 brothers and sisters, has
10:34 preserved his ancient words for
10:35 us today. Archaeology and
10:37 history bears this out.
10:39 Another reason, as we continue
10:40 tonight that we can trust the bible
10:42 Is the testimony of science.
10:44 All true science confirms the
10:46 bible's claims. We'll talk more
10:48 about that on a future night.
10:49 We don't have time to go into
10:50 some of that, but we'll get to
10:52 that on a future night. as we
10:53 continue, notice the fifth
10:55 reason why we can trust the
10:57 bible. It is the testimony of
10:58 relevancy. The testimony of
11:00 what?
11:01 Relevancy.
11:02 Friends, this is an ancient
11:03 book, but it is still relevant
11:05 for us today. An ancient book
11:07 that still speaks to the needs
11:09 of our contemporary society.
11:11 Giving us answers to the
11:12 problems we are facing right
11:14 now today, in our day and age.
11:16 It is the only book in the
11:18 world, the bible, that is read
11:19 by all classes of people, all
11:21 around the world and all
11:22 different statuses in life. It
11:24 is an ancient book and yet it is
11:26 the bestselling book and the
11:28 most translated piece of
11:30 literature in all the world, in
11:31 all of history. The bible,
11:34 friends, is a relevant book.
11:35 The one, the God who inspired
11:38 the word, never falls behind the
11:40 times. His declarations never
11:42 get outdated or out of touch.
11:44 His utterances are always fresh
11:46 and brand new. The teachings
11:47 of the bible friends, can solve
11:49 the problems we're facing in the
11:50 world today. We are going to
11:52 see that more in detail on
11:53 future nights. Next reason why
11:56 we can trust in the message in
11:57 the bible is because the
11:59 testimony of a changed and
12:01 transformed life. This book,
12:03 brothers and sisters, has the
12:04 power to change you from inside
12:06 out. I can stand before you
12:08 here tonight and testify to this
12:10 because I've experienced it. I
12:12 was never brought up in a
12:13 Christian home or a religious
12:14 household. Growing up, I had
12:16 no idea what was God or who was
12:17 God. As a result of not having
12:19 a spiritual foundation, growing
12:20 up in Waianae on the island of
12:22 of Oahu, I got involved in
12:24 drugs. I got involved in all
12:26 types of things that were just
12:27 wasting my life. In fact, this
12:29 was me just 13 years ago. If
12:31 you notice, look into those
12:33 eyes. There is no life in those
12:35 eyes. That was me friends. I
12:36 was a druggie. Burning out my
12:38 brain cells, getting high every
12:40 single day. Thinking that the
12:41 world could satisfy. But
12:43 friends, I was empty. In this
12:46 lost condition, someone came and
12:48 knocked on my door and they
12:50 invited me to a revelation
12:51 seminar. Have you ever heard
12:53 of something like that before?
12:54 A seminar just like this. I
12:56 came to those meetings just as
12:57 I was. Sometimes I came to the
12:59 meetings high. But as the word
13:01 of God was being proclaimed, as
13:03 I listened to God's word
13:04 friends, I experienced a change.
13:06 God restored my burnt brain
13:08 cells, he changed my life and
13:10 he made me a preacher and
13:11 presenter of the good news of
13:13 Jesus all around the world,
13:14 friends, who would have thought
13:16 that God could use someone like
13:17 me? Let me tell you, I know
13:19 that God's word is true because
13:20 it's made a change in my life.
13:21 Not just influencing my thinking
13:23 and my behavior, but from the
13:24 inside out, I am no longer that
13:26 person that you saw just a
13:27 moment ago on the screen. I
13:28 want you to know that you can
13:30 experience a change for the
13:32 better as you study God's word.
13:33 Can you say amen?
13:34 Amen.
13:35 Now, the seventh reason why we
13:36 can trust in the message of the
13:37 bible is because the testimony
13:39 of prophecy. The testimony of
13:41 what?
13:42 Prophecy.
13:43 Now friends, this is probably
13:44 one of the most compelling
13:45 reasons why the bible, we know
13:46 that it's true. Because
13:48 fulfilled bible prophecy
13:50 verifies. What word did I use?
13:52 Verifies. It verifies the
13:55 truthfulness of the bible. It
13:57 gives us confidence and
13:58 hope to know that the future is
14:00 in the hands of an almighty God.
14:02 By the way friends, this is what
14:04 makes the bible different than
14:06 any other book in the world.
14:08 What makes the God of the bible
14:10 unique from all other writings
14:12 and books? I want you to
14:15 notice what it says in the Book
14:17 of Isaiah 46:9 and 10. Isaiah,
14:19 Chapter 46, Verses 9 and 10.
14:21 It says, remember the former
14:23 things of old, for I am God and
14:26 there is how much?
14:27 None else.
14:28 None else. I am God and there
14:29 is none like me. Friends, I
14:31 want you to know this. This is
14:34 a very bold statement. Here,
14:35 the God of the bible is saying
14:38 I am the one true God. There's
14:40 none else. There's none like
14:42 me. By implication, this verse
14:44 is saying that every other God
14:46 that people are worshipping has
14:48 to be a false God. Now here's
14:49 the question. How do we know
14:51 that's true? Are we just to
14:53 accept it by blind faith? In
14:54 other words, is this an empty
14:56 statement? What gives weight
14:58 to the statement where God says
15:00 I'm the one true God and there's
15:01 none else? Notice the rest of
15:03 the verse. Declaring the end
15:06 from when? The beginning. And
15:08 from ancient times, things that
15:10 are not yet done. In other
15:12 words, God says I'm the one true
15:13 God. The evidence of this, he
15:15 says, I declare the end from
15:16 the beginning. I tell you what
15:18 is going to happen before it
15:19 does. When it happens, that's
15:21 evidence. That's verifiable,
15:23 testable evidence that what he
15:26 says is the truth. That he is
15:28 the one true God. This is not
15:30 an empty statement. The bible
15:33 actually invites us to test its
15:35 claims. Friends, what book in
15:38 the world does the same thing?
15:40 A book that actually invites us
15:42 to test to see whether these
15:45 things are really true.
15:46 Friends, this is remarkable
15:47 because if you notice, many
15:49 other quote, unquote, holy books
15:51 that people are writing and
15:54 reading, they claim they have
15:56 fragments of truth. There is
15:58 good in all religions. I
16:00 believe you can learn from
16:02 anyone. Amen? Every other book
16:04 has fragments of truth. But I
16:05 believe friends, that the bible
16:07 in its essence, is the truth.
16:09 Prophecy is how we can verify
16:10 things. If you're to study the
16:12 different quote, unquote, holy
16:13 books in the world, the writings
16:15 that people are saying are of
16:16 divine origin, you will find
16:17 something interesting. None of
16:18 them contain predictive
16:20 prophecy. A question ought to
16:22 raise up in your mind. Why not?
16:24 If these books are of divine
16:26 origin, why is there an absence
16:29 of predict prophecy? Here is the
16:31 simple reason. The future must
16:34 be known before it can be
16:36 revealed. The future must be
16:39 what everyone?
16:40 Known.
16:41 Before it can be?
16:42 Revealed.
16:43 The fact is, these quote,
16:44 unquote, holy books, do not
16:45 reveal the future because the
16:47 gods of these books don't know
16:49 the future. Why? Because they
16:51 are not divine, friends. I want
16:52 you to think about it. I want
16:54 to appeal to your reason
16:55 tonight. Anyone can write a
16:57 book with good principles to
16:59 live by. Be peaceful, be nice
17:00 to people. Anyone can do that,
17:02 right? But it takes a God, a
17:04 divine being, to tell the future
17:07 with specific accuracy and it
17:09 happens just as he said it.
17:11 Friends, if you notice an
17:13 absence in all these other
17:14 quote, unquote, holy books, but
17:17 the bible in contrast, over 30
17:20 percent of it is prophetic in
17:22 nature. In other words, God has
17:24 given to us plenty of verifiable
17:26 evidence. God does not expect
17:28 us to go blindly in faith. He's
17:30 given us some evidence that we
17:32 can rest our faith upon.
17:34 Prophecy is the proof that we
17:36 can believe that the bible is
17:37 the truth. Now if that makes
17:39 sense to you, would you please
17:40 say amen.
17:41 Amen.
17:42 Now friends, in the bible you'll
17:43 find that there are only two
17:44 books of the 66 that are
17:47 apocalyptic in its entirety.
17:49 One is in the Old Testament, the
17:50 other is in the New Testament.
17:52 The Old Testament apocalyptic
17:54 book is the Book of - do you
17:55 know?
17:56 Daniel.
17:57 Daniel. And the New Testament
17:58 apocalyptic book is the Book of?
17:59 Revelation.
18:00 Revelation. These two books
18:02 contain prophecies that have to
18:03 do with our day and age. In
18:05 fact, I want you to know some of
18:06 the opening words of this end
18:07 time book. Write it down.
18:08 Revelation Chapter 1:3.
18:10 Blessed is he that reads and
18:12 they that hear the words of this
18:15 prophecy and what?
18:16 Keep those things which are
18:18 written therein. For the time
18:20 is at hand. Notice in some of
18:22 the opening words of the Book
18:24 of Revelation. God pronounces a
18:26 threefold blessing. Blessed are
18:28 those who read it, those who
18:29 hear it, and those who keep or
18:31 apply the things contained
18:33 within it. We find that there
18:35 is a blessing in the study of
18:37 Revelation. Many sincere,
18:39 wonderful Christians are
18:40 allowing Satan to rob them of
18:42 the blessing when they buy into
18:44 the lie that Revelation is too
18:46 hard to understand. That it's
18:48 too mysterious. That it's scary
18:50 and we shouldn't study and that
18:51 it's not very important.
18:53 Friends, nothing could be
18:54 further from the truth. God has
18:55 a blessing in store for us in
18:56 this book. I don't know about
18:58 you, but if God wants to bless
18:59 me, I want all the blessings.
19:01 Amen?
19:02 Amen.
19:03 So, you have already been
19:04 blessed by making the decision
19:05 to come to this place. Friends,
19:06 the blessings are going to
19:07 continue to pour out as we take
19:09 a look at some of these
19:10 prophecies of these last days.
19:11 In fact, I want you to notice,
19:13 in the last chapter of this end
19:15 time book, Chapter 22 and Verse
19:17 10, please write it down. The
19:19 bible tells us He said to me,
19:22 do not what? Seal the words of
19:24 the prophecy of this book, for
19:25 the time is at hand. God tells
19:27 us clearly that this is not a
19:29 sealed, or a closed, book.
19:31 Don't ever believe it friends.
19:32 Revelation is an open book.
19:34 It's a book where God wants to
19:36 reveal some things to us. God
19:38 said clearly, do not seal it.
19:39 It's not sealed, it's not
19:40 closed; it's open. Remember
19:42 friends, whose goal is it to
19:44 hide things from us?
19:45 Satan.
19:46 Satan. Whose goal is it to
19:48 reveal and enlighten us? It's
19:50 God. So who do you suppose is
19:52 behind those who say that we
19:54 don't have to study Revelation?
19:56 Who do you suppose is behind
19:57 that? Friends, none other than
19:59 the enemy. I am so grateful
20:01 that you have chosen not to
20:02 listen to the enemy tonight.
20:04 Can we say amen?
20:05 Amen.
20:06 Let me tell you that there are
20:07 two main reasons why Satan hates
20:08 this book. He hates the whole
20:10 bible, but especially
20:11 Revelation, for two main
20:12 reasons. Number 1, is because
20:14 Revelation exposes his
20:17 deceptions in the last days.
20:19 The Book of Revelation describes
20:20 the anti-Christ's beast power.
20:22 They will perform signs and
20:24 wonders and miracles and all the
20:25 world is going to wonder after
20:27 the beast. Friends, when we
20:28 study Revelation, it exposes
20:30 those deceptions so that we will
20:32 not be deceived by that. Satan
20:34 wants us to be deceived. He
20:35 doesn't want to be exposed and
20:37 that's why he hates this book.
20:38 Friends, deception in these last
20:40 days is going to be so strong,
20:42 so potent. Do you know why?
20:44 Let's think for a moment. What
20:46 is the nature of deception? You
20:48 see, Satan many times does not
20:50 come as he appears because he
20:51 knows no one is going to fall
20:53 for it. So he comes as a subtle
20:56 serpent. He comes like a wolf
20:58 in sheep's clothing. Isn't that
21:00 right? Not only that, but
21:02 deception is a counterfeit of
21:04 the genuine. Tell me, how many
21:06 of you have ever seen a
21:08 counterfeit thirteen dollar
21:09 bill? Have you ever seen a
21:11 counterfeit thirteen dollar bill
21:12 anyone?
21:13 No.
21:14 Is there such a thing as a
21:15 counterfeit thirteen dollar bill?
21:16 No.
21:18 No. Why not? Because there is
21:19 no genuine thirteen dollar bill,
21:21 right?
21:22 Yes.
21:23 You see, deception is a
21:25 counterfeit of the truth of the
21:27 genuine. Now tell me, are there
21:28 counterfeit twenty dollar bills?
21:30 Yes or no?
21:31 Yes.
21:32 How about hundred dollar
21:33 bills?
21:34 Yes.
21:35 Why are there counterfeit twenty
21:36 and hundred dollar bills?
21:37 Because there is a genuine!
21:38 Satan is not going to
21:39 counterfeit something that is
21:40 not real, he's going to take
21:41 something that is real and he's
21:42 going to make a counterfeit of
21:44 it. What is a counterfeit? It
21:45 is something that looks real,
21:47 seems real, sounds real, may
21:49 even feel real, but in reality,
21:52 it is fake. The one that is a
21:54 surface observer may not catch
21:57 it. But when we study
21:58 Revelation, go deeper into the
22:00 word of God, we can tell the
22:01 difference between the
22:02 counterfeits of the anti-Christ
22:04 and the truth of Jesus Christ.
22:06 Can you say amen?
22:07 Amen.
22:08 That's the reason why friends, I
22:09 repeat, make sure that you write
22:10 down every scripture you hear
22:12 from this place. Make sure you
22:13 go home and check in your own
22:15 bible. If it's not there, you
22:16 don't have to believe it
22:17 friends. Never take a man's
22:19 word for it. I'm talking about
22:20 myself. You don't know me.
22:21 Make sure that everything that
22:23 you hear from this place and any
22:24 other spiritual meeting, you
22:25 test it with the word of God,
22:27 because friends, many sincere
22:29 people are being led astray by
22:32 wolves in sheep's clothing. So
22:33 we need to study for ourselves.
22:35 Can we say amen?
22:36 Amen.
22:37 God expects us to use our mind
22:39 and to test it out for ourselves.
22:41 We encourage you to do that. We
22:42 have nothing to hide friends.
22:44 The bible, and the bible alone,
22:46 is the only thing that matters
22:47 here in this seminar. We don't
22:48 want to teach anything unless
22:50 it's from a does sayeth the Lord
22:52 and it is written. But
22:54 friends listen, choosing to
22:55 ignore Revelation is choosing to
22:56 allow ourselves to be deceived
22:58 in these last days. That's one
23:00 of the first reasons Satan hates
23:01 the Book. The second reason is
23:03 actually found in the opening
23:04 words of this Book. So I invite
23:05 you to now turn with me to
23:07 Revelation Chapter 1.
23:08 Revelation Chapter 1. Notice
23:10 with me the second reason why
23:12 Satan hates the Book of
23:14 Revelation. Revelation Chapter
23:17 1 and Verse 1. the bible says,
23:20 The Revelation of beasts and
23:23 dragons plagues-is that what it
23:25 says? No friends, is the Book of
23:26 Revelation all about beasts and
23:28 dragons plagues?
23:29 No.
23:30 Well that's what most people
23:31 think, right? Most people, when
23:32 they think about Revelation, oh,
23:34 it's scary. These beasts and
23:35 dragons and scary plagues. I
23:37 don't want to read it, I don't
23:38 want to know. It's too scary.
23:39 But friends, what is Revelation
23:41 about? The Revelation of Jesus
23:43 Christ. Notice friends, it does
23:45 not say the Revelation from
23:46 Jesus - even though it is from
23:48 him. It says the Revelation of
23:51 Jesus. It's not just from him,
23:53 but it's of him. In other
23:54 words, the Book of Revelation
23:56 is all about Jesus. Jesus wants
23:58 to reveal himself and his power
24:00 and his grace and his peace and
24:02 his love to us, through the
24:03 prophecies of this end time book.
24:05 Friends, that's the reason why
24:07 Satan hates Revelation. because
24:09 Satan hates Jesus. He wants to
24:11 separate us and take us away
24:13 from Jesus. The devil knows if
24:15 we study Revelation, Jesus will
24:17 be revealed to us and he doesn't
24:20 want us to know Jesus. That's
24:21 the reason why he hates it,
24:23 friends. It's not just a
24:24 revelation from him, it is a
24:26 revelation of him. Tell me
24:27 friends, what is Jesus like? Is
24:30 Jesus scary? Absolutely not.
24:33 What is he like? He's
24:35 beautiful, isn't he? He's
24:37 wonderful. He is magnificent.
24:39 Jesus is powerful, Jesus is
24:43 love! Jesus is filled with
24:44 grace. Friends, if Revelation
24:45 is all about Jesus, that means
24:46 Revelation is beautiful. That
24:48 is the correct way to see this
24:49 end time book. It's basically a
24:52 love story between Jesus and his
24:54 people. We're going to see that
24:55 more in detail on a later night.
24:57 But, I want you to notice, the
24:58 primary purpose of Revelation,
25:01 Number 1, is to reveal Jesus.
25:03 If that is clear, would you
25:05 please say amen?
25:06 Amen.
25:07 Now notice the secondary
25:08 purpose of prophecy. It
25:09 continues the same. The
25:10 Revelation of Jesus Christ,
25:12 which God gave unto him to show
25:14 unto his servants, things which
25:15 must what? Shortly come to
25:17 pass. He sent and signified it by his
25:20 angel to his servant, John. I
25:21 want you to notice friends, the
25:23 secondary purpose of the Book of
25:24 Revelation is to reveal things
25:25 which must shortly come to pass.
25:27 That's prophecy, but that's the
25:28 secondary purpose.
25:29 The primary purpose, reveal
25:32 Jesus. Then after that, things
25:34 which must shortly come to pass
25:36 And, by the way, why does God
25:38 want to reveal things which must
25:40 shortly come to pass to us? Why
25:42 is he interested in removing the
25:44 veil, giving us a glimpse into
25:46 the future? Is God simply
25:48 seeking to satisfy our curiosity
25:50 ? Is he just trying to inform
25:52 our minds? No friends. Notice
25:54 the motive of God in revealing
25:57 the future to us. Jesus said in
25:59 John 14, Verse 29, please write
26:02 it down, John 14:29 Jesus said
26:04 and now I have told you before
26:06 it come to pass, that when it is
26:08 come to pass, you might what?
26:10 So why does God tell us what is
26:12 going to come to pass before it
26:14 does? So that we might just
26:15 be satisfied in our curiosity,
26:17 so that we might believe.
26:19 In other words,
26:20 the motive of God in
26:21 revealing the future to us is to
26:23 give us evidence, friends.
26:24 Verifiable evidence that we can
26:26 believe that what he says is the
26:28 truth. That his word is the
26:30 truth. It's the guide to life.
26:32 It's the map to heaven. So God
26:34 is seeking a relationship with
26:36 us. Amen. That's what it's all
26:38 about friends. It's not just
26:40 about head knowledge, it's about
26:41 a heart experience with a person
26:43 that can be believed in. A
26:46 person that can be trusted. A
26:48 person that has your best
26:50 interests in mind. A person
26:51 that only desires to bless you
26:53 and prosper you and give you
26:55 victory over evil. This is the
26:57 purpose of prophecy, friends.
26:59 It's to solidify our faith that
27:01 God is a God that can be
27:03 believed in. Can you say amen?
27:04 Amen.
27:05 Not simply to satisfy our
27:06 curiosity or to inform the mind,
27:07 but to enable us to enter into
27:10 a safe, trusting relationship
27:12 with Jesus Christ. And that's
27:14 good news. Now I want you to
27:16 notice how did Jesus give the
27:19 Revelation? The rest of Verse 1
27:21 said, and he sent and signified
27:24 by his angel to a servant John.
27:29 So when the Lord revealed things
27:30 which must shortly come to pass
27:31 to us, when he revealed the
27:32 future, the bible said he first
27:33 signified it. Now, friends
27:34 tell me, what is the root word
27:36 of the word signify? The word
27:38 sign, right? In other words,
27:39 God revealed the future to us,
27:41 but how did he do it? In signs
27:43 and symbols. In other words,
27:45 Revelation is a symbolic book.
27:47 This is how God reveals prophecy
27:49 to us. In fact, notice another
27:51 supporting verse in the Book of
27:53 Hosea, Chapter 12 and Verse 10,
27:55 please write it down. Hosea 12:10
27:57 says, I have also spoken by the
27:59 prophets and I have multiplied
28:01 visions and I have given what?
28:03 Symbols through the witness of
28:05 the prophets. So, God revealed
28:07 the future to us through signs
28:09 and through symbols. Now why
28:11 did God do this? Was God just
28:13 trying to make it hard for us to
28:15 understand? No friends, the
28:16 reason why he did it is very
28:18 simple. He gave the future to
28:20 us in signs and symbols because
28:22 this was God's way of preserving
28:24 the message from the enemies who
28:26 would try to destroy the message.
28:29 So to conceal it, was a way of
28:31 preserving it. That's the
28:33 reason why. And for those who
28:35 really wanted to know what truth
28:36 is, they would have to search
28:38 with all their hearts. God
28:39 would bless them with lifesaving
28:41 knowledge and understanding of
28:43 what this book is all about.
28:45 Friends, it's a symbolic book
28:47 filled with signs and symbols.
28:49 If that's the case, then here's
28:51 the next question. How do we
28:53 unlock the meaning in the signs
28:55 and the symbols of prophecy?
28:57 Well tonight, I want to give
28:59 you seven keys to unlock the
29:01 mysteries of the apocalypse.
29:03 How many keys?
29:04 Seven.
29:05 Now only seven reasons why you
29:07 can believe it. But now seven
29:09 keys of how you can understand
29:11 it. You see, God in his word,
29:14 has given us some hermeneutical
29:16 principles. Principles of how
29:18 to study the bible to really
29:20 understand what truth is and
29:22 what God is trying to
29:23 communicate in absolute sense.
29:25 But, the first thing you need to
29:27 know is that there is a right
29:29 way to study the bible, but
29:30 there is also a wrong way, to
29:31 study the bible. Did you know
29:32 that? Many people think there's
29:34 no wrong way. But friends,
29:35 let me tell you, there's a wrong
29:36 way to study it, and there's a
29:37 right way to study it. Let me
29:39 show it to you. In the Book of
29:41 Second Timothy, Chapter 2, Verse
29:43 15, the bible says, study to show
29:46 who? So friends, we're not to
29:48 let preachers and teachers spoon
29:51 feed us. We're to study for
29:52 ourselves. Amen. It says, study to show
29:54 yourself approved unto God. A
29:56 workman that needs not be
29:59 ashamed, rightly dividing the
30:01 word of truth. So the bible
30:02 there is a right way to divide.
30:04 To study, to interpret, to
30:06 understand the word of truth.
30:07 Friends, think about it, if
30:08 is a right way, then that means
30:09 there is also a...
30:10 Wrong way.
30:12 Wrong way. So what is the right
30:14 way to study the bible? You see
30:16 many people say you can make the
30:18 bible say whatever you want it
30:21 to say. That is not true if you
30:24 study it the way it tells you to
30:27 study it. You see, if we all
30:29 use these seven keys, these
30:31 hermeneutical principles of how
30:33 to study the bible, we would all
30:35 be on the same page in our
30:36 understanding of the meaning.
30:38 God has not left us to guess,
30:40 speculate and surmise. Think
30:42 about it. Things of eternal
30:44 importance, God is not going to
30:45 leave us to guess about that.
30:47 He is going to make it clear
30:48 because he is a just and fair
30:50 God. Can we say amen?
30:51 Now I want to share with you
30:53 seven keys to unlock the
30:54 mysteries in the meanings of the
30:57 mysteries of the Book of
30:58 Revelation. I want you to write
30:59 them down. Key number 1, we're
31:00 going to go through this kind of
31:01 fast. Number 1, we must
31:03 understand that the Book of
31:05 Revelation is built upon the
31:08 solid foundation of the Old
31:10 Testament scriptures.
31:11 Revelation is like a mosaic of
31:14 scripture. Do you know what a
31:16 mosaic is? It's a lot of
31:18 pictures. Small pictures put
31:20 together to make one big
31:22 picture. Isn't that right?
31:23 That's what revelation is. It's
31:25 like a mosaic of other
31:26 scriptures in the Old Testament.
31:27 There are four hundred and four
31:29 verses in the Book of
31:30 Revelation. How many?
31:31 Four hundred and four.
31:33 And of the four hundred and four
31:34 verses, two hundred and seventy-
31:36 four of those verses are direct
31:38 quotes, paraphrases and echoes
31:41 from the Old Testament
31:43 scriptures. In other words,
31:44 it's built upon the foundation
31:46 of the Old Testament. Friends,
31:47 to ignore the Old Testament
31:49 context in our study of
31:51 Revelation is to be prepared to
31:53 have a faulty and a wrong
31:55 conclusion of its meaning. Let
31:57 me give you one example for the
31:58 sake of time. I can give you a
32:00 lot of examples, but here's one.
32:01 In the thirteenth chapter of
32:03 Revelation it describes a beast
32:05 that comes up out of the sea.
32:08 This beast has seven heads and
32:10 ten horns. It has the body of a
32:13 leopard, it has the feet of a
32:15 bear and it has the mouth of a
32:17 lion. It has seven heads and
32:19 ten horns. Friends listen, if
32:21 you ever see an animal like this
32:23 don't even run, just pray.
32:25 Amen. Obviously, this is
32:27 symbolic, right? So what does it
32:30 mean? How can we understand
32:31 these things? Friends, we
32:33 have to guess and make up our
32:35 own interpretation. All we have
32:36 to do is go back to the Old
32:38 Testament context. Because this
32:39 beast in Revelation thirteen,
32:41 according to Daniel chapter 7, a
32:44 beast in prophecy represents a
32:47 king and their kingdom. So it's
32:49 not talking about animals, these
32:50 are talking about kingdoms we're
32:52 referring to. Friends, this
32:54 beast, or this kingdom, is like
32:57 a lion, bear and a leopard. We
32:59 have seen these symbols in the
33:01 Old Testament book of Daniel.
33:03 In Daniel Chapter 7, we're going
33:05 to study this on this coming
33:06 Sunday. Daniel 7 describes a
33:09 lion, a bear, a leopard, and a
33:11 terrible looking beast that has
33:12 ten horns. The beast in
33:15 Revelation 13 is simply a
33:17 composite kingdom of all these
33:20 other kingdoms in prophecy. And
33:22 many people are trying to find
33:23 out who this beast in Revelation
33:25 13 is, when they don't even have
33:27 a clue who the four beasts of
33:30 Daniel Chapter 7 are. You see
33:31 friends, in order to correctly
33:33 understand, we first have to
33:35 get the Old Testament context
33:36 and foundation. Are you with
33:38 me, yes or no?
33:39 Yes.
33:40 And friends, on a later night,
33:41 we're going to understand all
33:42 these symbols. Don't worry,
33:43 we're going to get to that.
33:44 Tonight we're just laying the
33:45 foundation. Amen.
33:46 Amen.
33:48 A good solid foundation of how
33:49 we're going to approach the
33:50 study of the word of God. We're
33:51 going to know exactly why this
33:52 beast has seven heads and ten
33:54 horns. Why it has the feet of a
33:55 bear. We're going to understand
33:56 what the water represents.
33:57 We're going to know exactly why
33:59 the lion has two wings and the
34:00 leopard has four wings and four
34:01 heads. We know all those
34:03 details in this seminar. Not
34:04 only that, but friends, we're
34:05 going to know exactly who the
34:06 anti-Christ is in this seminar.
34:08 We're going to know friends.
34:09 It's clear. God made it clear
34:10 for us to understand. We're
34:12 going to know exactly what the
34:13 mark of the beast is in this
34:14 seminar. We are going to
34:15 discover everything we need
34:16 to know about Israel and the
34:17 rebuilding of the temple in the
34:18 last days. We're going to study
34:19 the sequence of end time events.
34:21 The rapture, the seven last
34:22 plagues, Armageddon, we're going
34:23 to understand all of those
34:24 things. We're also going to see
34:26 a study on the United States in
34:27 bible prophecy. A topic on the
34:29 abomination and desolation.
34:30 What happens when a person dies?
34:32 Why does God allow sin and
34:33 suffering? Why are there so
34:34 many different denominations?
34:35 All of these things will be
34:36 covered. We're also going to
34:38 discover in this seminar about
34:40 the Holy Spirit and the gifts of
34:41 the Spirit and how to be filled
34:43 and how to know that we can have
34:44 the Holy Spirit. We're going to
34:46 study from God's word what it
34:47 says about how we can be blessed
34:49 physically, mentally, emotionally,
34:51 financially, socially, and
34:53 spiritually. In every single
34:55 aspect. In this seminar, we're
34:56 going to discover through the
34:57 topics, how to find personal
34:59 peace and how to be ready for
35:01 the end of time and to live with
35:03 Jesus for eternity. So
35:05 friends, we're going to cover a
35:06 lot. But tonight, once again,
35:07 is just the foundation. So we see
35:09 clearly that Revelation is built
35:11 upon the solid foundation of the
35:13 what?
35:15 Old Testament.
35:16 Old Testament scriptures. Now
35:17 we go to the second key. Write
35:18 it down. That is simply that
35:19 the bible is its own interpreter.
35:23 The bible interprets itself.
35:25 Friends, as you come to this
35:26 place, I am not going to give
35:28 you my interpretation. Friends,
35:29 you can throw my interpretation
35:30 in the garbage. It does not
35:32 matter what I think. We're
35:34 going to see that the bible is
35:35 its own interpreter. I want you
35:37 to notice an example of this in
35:39 the Book of II Peter, Chapter 1.
35:41 Please turn with me now, 2
35:43 Peter, Chapter 1, beginning with
35:45 verse 19. If you're there,
35:46 would you let me know by saying
35:48 amen?
35:49 Amen.
35:50 All right. The bible says in 2
35:51 Peter 1:9, we have also a
35:52 more sure word of prophecy.
35:54 Where unto you do other, you
35:56 take heed. As unto a light that
35:57 shines in a dark place, unto the
36:00 dawn and the day-star arise in
36:02 your hearts. Knowing this first.
36:05 In other words, if we're going
36:07 to be sure, about the sure word
36:09 of prophecy, we have to know
36:10 something first. Well, what do
36:12 we need to know? Knowing this
36:14 first, that no prophecy of the
36:16 scripture is of any what?
36:18 Private interpretation. In
36:20 other words, we can't just give
36:22 our own interpretation. It's
36:23 not a private interpretation.
36:26 Verse 21. For prophecy came not
36:28 in old time by the will of man.
36:30 First I want you to notice, that
36:32 word man, is it in the singular
36:35 or the plural? Singular, right?
36:37 It did not come by the will of
36:39 man. That's not one man. In
36:40 other words, God didn't give all
36:43 the truth to any one man. One
36:45 man did not give all the truth.
36:46 It did not come by the will of
36:48 man. But notice, but holy-what
36:51 is the next word? Men of God
36:53 spoke as they were moved by the
36:55 Holy Ghost. So it did not come
36:58 by the will of man, but holy men.
36:59 That word men, is that singular
37:01 or plural? That's plural,
37:03 that's more than one. Here's
37:05 the point friends, one man did
37:07 not give it, therefore, one man
37:10 cannot explain it. But as we
37:12 compare the testimonies and the
37:13 visions of all the different
37:15 holy men of God, we can
37:18 understand what truth is and
37:19 we'll see that the bible
37:20 explains itself. Does that make
37:23 sense? In fact, notice with me
37:26 in 2 Timothy Chapter 3, Verse 16
37:29 it says that all scripture is
37:32 given by inspiration of God and
37:34 is what? The bible says how
37:36 much scripture is given by
37:38 inspiration? All. In other
37:40 words, when we study the bible,
37:42 we can't treat the bible like a
37:44 buffet. What do you do at a
37:45 buffet? You pick and choose,
37:47 isn't that right? First, the
37:49 bible is not a buffet to pick
37:51 and choose. It's a full course
37:53 meal. It says that all
37:54 scripture is given by
37:55 inspiration. All of it is
37:56 prophetible, all of it is
37:57 relevant. Why? Because we find
37:59 the truth of any given topic as
38:02 we compare all the writings with
38:04 itself, because God does not
38:05 contradict himself and it's all
38:07 in complete harmony with itself.
38:09 In fact, I want you to notice in
38:11 Isaiah Chapter 28, Verse 9 and
38:13 and 10. It gives the same
38:15 principle. Isaiah verse 9 and
38:16 10, it says, whom shall he teach
38:18 knowledge and whom shall he make
38:20 to understand doctrine? In
38:22 other words, who is going to
38:23 understand the doctrine, the
38:24 teachings of the bible? Here is
38:26 the answer. For precept must be
38:28 upon precept. Precept upon
38:30 precept. Line upon line, line
38:33 upon line. Here a little and
38:35 there a little. In other words,
38:37 here the bible gives us a
38:39 hermeneutical principle, how to
38:41 study. It says that precept
38:43 must be upon precept. Line upon
38:45 line. Line upon line. In other
38:47 words, we call that contextual
38:49 study. What kind of study?
38:50 Contextual.
38:51 In other words, to really know
38:52 what truth is, we have to study
38:53 the context. Because you can
38:55 take anything out of context and
38:56 twist it around and make your
38:58 own belief. But if you study
38:59 contextually, that is a
39:01 safeguard from being led astray
39:04 into some crazy doctrine. So
39:06 contextual study, precept upon
39:08 precept, line upon line. but
39:11 not only contextual study. At
39:13 the last part it says, here a
39:15 little and there a little.
39:16 That's what we like to call
39:18 comparative study. What kind of
39:20 study?
39:21 Comparative.
39:22 In other words, we look here a
39:23 little in the Book of Revelation
39:24 reading the context of course,
39:26 and then we go there a little in
39:28 the Book of Daniel, still
39:29 reading the context. And then
39:30 we jump over here a little to
39:32 the Book of Isaiah. Then we
39:34 compare what Moses said there a
39:35 little. Then as we compare the
39:37 different writings of different
39:38 men of the bible, still reading
39:40 the context, it's then that we
39:41 can now what truth really is on
39:43 any topic, and we will discover
39:45 before our very eyes, that the
39:46 bible is very simple and easy to
39:48 understand, because it explains
39:50 itself. Can you say amen?
39:51 Amen.
39:53 By the way, this is how the
39:54 Holy Spirit teaches. You want
39:55 to know how the Holy Ghost
39:56 teaches? By this method.
39:57 Notice what it says in 2
39:58 Corinthians Chapter 2 and verse
40:00 13. Which things we also speak.
40:02 Not in the words which man's
40:04 wisdom teaches, but which the
40:06 Holy Ghost teaches. Comparing
40:08 spiritual things with spiritual.
40:10 So the Holy Spirit teaches by
40:12 comparison, friends. Here a
40:14 little and there a little. And
40:16 so that is the method that we
40:17 want to use in this seminar.
40:19 That leads us to our next key
40:21 by the way. The key, the third
40:23 key is that we must pray for the
40:25 guiding wisdom of the Holy
40:27 Spirit in order to understand
40:28 spiritual things. So before you
40:30 even crack open a bible, you
40:31 must first pray and ask the
40:33 spirit of God to lead you and
40:34 guide you in your thoughts and
40:36 to lead you to the right
40:38 conclusions. By the way
40:39 friends, the bible is the only
40:42 book, when it's read, the author
40:44 is always present, as long as we
40:46 invite Him to be present. Can
40:48 we say amen?
40:49 Amen.
40:50 The Holy Spirit comes and
40:51 teaches. Notice what it says in
40:52 1 Corinthians 2, verse 14. It
40:53 says, but the natural man-the
40:55 what kind of man?
40:56 Natural.
40:57 The natural man does not receive
40:58 the things of the spirit of God,
40:59 for they are foolish to him.
41:01 Nor can he know them because
41:03 they are spiritually discerned.
41:05 Spiritual things are spiritually
41:07 discerned. If we come with the
41:09 natural man, the carnal mind,
41:10 and expect to understand
41:12 spiritual things, we're not
41:13 going to know it. It's going to
41:14 be a bunch of foolishness to us.
41:15 That's why there are many
41:16 atheists and infidels and
41:17 skeptics that think it's such
41:18 foolishness. Why? Because they
41:20 are trying to understand it
41:21 with a natural, carnal mind.
41:23 But friends, when we pray to the
41:25 Holy Spirit to give us wisdom,
41:26 It's then that we can discern
41:28 the message and understand now
41:30 what truth really is. Notice
41:32 the promise of Jesus in John 16:
41:34 13. Christ said, how be it when
41:37 He, the spirit of truth is come
41:39 He will guide you into what?
41:41 All truth.
41:42 Not into ideas or speculation or
41:44 opinions, but into all truth.
41:46 This is what the Holy Spirit
41:48 will do, friends. What is
41:50 truth? John 17:17 tells us.
41:52 Sanctify them through thy truth.
41:56 Thy word is truth. Can you say
41:59 amen?
42:00 Amen.
42:01 So we will understand the truth
42:02 of the word of God as the spirit
42:03 of God leads us when we pray and
42:05 ask Him for His guidance. That
42:06 leads us to our fourth key.
42:07 What else do we need to pray
42:09 for? Not just for Holy Spirit,
42:10 But key number 4, we must also
42:12 pray for a humble and teachable
42:15 spirit. Because friends, when
42:16 you think about it, the one that
42:17 thinks he knows it all, what
42:19 else can God teach him? The one
42:20 that comes with a pharisaical
42:21 mindset and says, oh I know all
42:22 these things. You see, it was
42:24 the Pharisees who thought they
42:25 knew it all, that crucified and
42:27 rejected Christ. Many
42:28 Christians are doing the same
42:30 thing because they say I've been
42:31 brought up in the church, oh I
42:32 know so much, what can I learn
42:34 now? My friends, in reality,
42:36 the one who thinks he knows it
42:38 all, does not know, what he does
42:40 not know. Did you catch that?
42:42 The one who thinks he knows it
42:43 all, does not know what he does
42:45 not know. I want you to notice,
42:46 we must be humble and teachable
42:47 in our study. Jesus said in
42:49 Matthew 11 Verse 25, you have
42:51 hidden these things from the
42:52 wise and prudent and have
42:54 revealed them to who?
42:55 Babes.
42:56 Babes. In other words, we must
42:58 have a mindset of a child, of a
42:59 babe. What is the
43:00 characteristic of a little
43:02 child? They're so inquisitive.
43:03 They ask questions. They're
43:04 teachable. Their minds are
43:06 moldable and as we pray for a
43:08 humble and teachable spirit, get
43:10 off our pedestal and humble
43:11 ourselves at the feet of Jesus,
43:12 is then that God can reveal the
43:14 deep things of God to us. Why?
43:16 Because He knows that we're
43:18 going to receive it like a
43:19 little child. Can you say amen?
43:20 Amen.
43:21 Then our next key. Key number
43:24 five, is that we must seek for
43:27 truth, not with a mere curiosity
43:30 but with all our hearts. In
43:33 other words, we have to ask God
43:35 to give us a hunger and a thirst
43:38 for it. We can't just read
43:40 casually and surfacely and
43:41 expect to understand. No, we
43:43 have to search with all our
43:44 hearts. The bible says in
43:46 Hebrews 11 verse 6, that He is
43:48 a rewarder of them that seek him
43:50 how?
43:51 Diligently.
43:52 Diligently. We must be
43:53 diligent, we must not stay at
43:55 the surface. Just like a gold
43:57 miner has to dig beneath the
43:59 surface to find the treasure.
44:01 Just like a scuba diver has to
44:02 go beneath the surface of the
44:04 water to see the wonders of God,
44:05 so too the bible student is not
44:07 going to be a surface reader of
44:08 scripture. They're going to dig
44:10 deep and they're going to find
44:12 the treasures and the wonder of
44:14 God. Can you say amen?
44:15 Amen.
44:16 The bible says you will seek me
44:17 and you will find me when you
44:19 search for me with all your
44:21 heart. Then when God reveals
44:23 truth to us, what are we to do?
44:25 Key number 6. How do we respond
44:27 when God reveals truth? Number
44:29 6, we simply need to do what God
44:32 has told us to do. In other
44:34 words, we need to apply it to
44:36 our lives. Jesus said in John
44:39 7:17, if any man will to do his
44:42 will, he shall know the doctrine
44:44 whether it be of God or whether
44:46 I speak of myself. So according
44:48 to this passage, the one that is
44:49 going to know the doctrine is
44:51 the one that is willing to do
44:52 the will of God. In other
44:53 words, when God reveals truth,
44:55 He sends it to us, not just to
44:57 inform our minds, but God wants
44:58 us to apply it to our lives.
45:00 The blessing is in life
45:02 application that we walk in the
45:04 light of truth so that it is not
45:06 just head knowledge, but it's a
45:08 heart experience with a person
45:10 of truth that is Jesus Christ.
45:12 Can we say amen?
45:13 Amen.
45:15 Finally, our seventh and last
45:16 key. After we apply it to our
45:17 lives, then what do we need to
45:19 do? Key number 7, we need to
45:20 share what we got, amen.
45:22 Amen.
45:23 We need to share it with others.
45:24 The things that God has shared
45:26 with us. The bible tells us in
45:28 Proverbs Chapter 11 verse 25,
45:30 that the liberal soul, that's
45:32 the generous soul, shall be made
45:34 fat. He that waters, shall be
45:37 watered also himself. Others,
45:39 when we share the water of life,
45:41 the water of truth, with others,
45:42 God gives us even more for
45:45 ourselves. Amen.
45:46 Amen.
45:47 When we empty our cup in
45:48 blessing to others, is then that
45:49 God can fill our cup. So we
45:51 need to give it out. Share it
45:53 with our family and our friends
45:54 because God has revealed it to
45:56 you, not just for you, but for
45:58 all those that are in your
46:00 influence. Friends, when we do
46:01 that, God sees, I can trust this
46:03 person with the deep things of
46:04 God, because he's just giving it
46:06 out and I want all my children
46:08 to experience this. So let me
46:09 give him some more so that he
46:11 can share some more with others.
46:14 So we found seven keys of how
46:16 to unlock the mysteries of the
46:18 apocalypse. Let's see if you
46:19 can remember them without
46:21 looking at your notes. Key
46:23 number 1. I'll help you, don't
46:25 worry. Revelation is built upon
46:28 the solid foundation of the Old
46:31 Testament scriptures. Very
46:33 good. Key number 2. Remember
46:37 the bible interprets itself. We
46:39 don't have to guess and surmise
46:40 and speculate. Just let the
46:42 bible speak for itself. Then
46:45 key number 3. Before we even
46:47 crack it open, what are we going
46:48 to do? Pray for what? The
46:51 guiding wisdom of the Holy
46:53 Spirit. Who better to help us
46:54 understand than the author
46:56 Himself? But don't just pray
46:57 for the Holy Spirit. Key number
46:59 4. We need to pray for a humble
47:01 and teachable spirit, because
47:03 the one who thinks he knows it
47:04 all, does not know, what he does
47:06 not know. Key number 5. We
47:08 need to seek with all our hearts
47:11 to be diligent studiers. Then
47:13 when God reveals truth, key
47:15 number 6. What are we going to
47:16 do?
47:17 Share with others.
47:18 Not share with others yet.
47:19 Apply it to your life first,
47:21 amen. Apply it to your life.
47:23 Do what God has told you to do.
47:25 Then once you have applied it to
47:26 your life, then key number 7.
47:28 We need to share with others,
47:30 the things that we have learned.
47:32 Friends, when we use these seven
47:34 keys, I want you to notice what
47:36 we can expect as a result.
47:38 Jesus said in John 8:32, you
47:41 shall know the truth. For
47:43 yourself, friends. You shall
47:45 know the truth in an absolute
47:47 sense, folks. What is the truth
47:49 going to do?
47:50 The truth shall make you free.
47:53 Free from what? Free from
47:55 confusion. Free from deception.
47:57 Free from uncertainty. Free
47:59 from fear of the end times.
48:01 Free from worry, free from
48:03 guilt, free from sin when we
48:05 know the truth. Not just
48:07 intellectually, but
48:08 experientially. When we know
48:10 Jesus, we can be free from all
48:11 of Satan's delusions in the last
48:13 days. Can you say amen.
48:14 Amen.
48:15 Not only will we know the truth
48:16 and be free by it, but notice in
48:17 Revelation chapter 1 verse 4,
48:19 we're almost finished. Grace be
48:21 unto you! And peace from him
48:24 which is, which was, and which
48:26 is to come. You see, God not
48:28 only will change our mind, he
48:31 will transform our lives by His
48:33 grace and peace. Oh, brothers
48:35 and sisters, is your life filled
48:37 with anxiety? Grief? How about
48:40 stress and worry?
48:41 Revelation speaks about a God of
48:44 grace, a Prince of Peace. How
48:46 many of you could use a little
48:48 more peace in your life?
48:49 Amen!
48:50 A little more rest in the
48:51 busyness? Freedom from stress?
48:53 Oh, brothers and sisters, it's
48:54 found in this end time book.
48:56 Especially, it speaks grace, it
48:58 speaks peace, it speaks hope to
49:01 us. It's offered by Him who
49:04 was, who is and who is to come.
49:07 Friends, who is that?
49:08 Jesus.
49:09 That's Jesus. The same
49:11 yesterday, today and forever.
49:13 Jesus was, brothers and sisters,
49:16 he was the one who faced every
49:18 trial that you will ever face in
49:20 your life. He was the one that
49:22 suffered every disappointment
49:23 that you will ever experience.
49:24 He was the one that was tempted
49:26 in all points like as we are,
49:27 yet without sin, he was the one
49:29 that carried your burdens, took
49:31 your sorrows upon himself. He
49:33 was the one who took our sins
49:35 and he was the one that hung
49:37 there on the cruel cross to save
49:40 the human race. He was,
49:42 friends, he was the one. But
49:44 friends, I'm so grateful that
49:47 Jesus not only was, Jesus is.
49:49 Amen.
49:51 He's alive today. He did not
49:53 staid, for early Sunday morning
49:55 he rose from the grave as a
49:57 conqueror over death. Friends,
49:59 if you were to go to the graves
50:00 of Confucius and Buddha and
50:02 Muhammad, their bones are still
50:03 there. Only go to the grave of
50:05 Jesus. His bones are not there.
50:07 He is risen, he is alive. We
50:09 serve a risen savior and because
50:11 he lives, we can live as well.
50:13 Amen.
50:14 The bible says he ever lives
50:16 to make intercession for us.
50:17 Oh friends, he's alive and well
50:19 and he's still in the business
50:22 of transforming lives, restoring
50:25 marriages, and homes and lives.
50:27 He's alive for you today,
50:29 friends. He listens to your
50:32 prayers. He counts all your
50:34 tears. He knows every burden you
50:37 ever face. Jesus was, Jesus is.
50:40 But friends, not only that. I
50:43 want you to notice before Jesus
50:45 left the grave that early Sunday
50:47 morning, he did something very
50:49 special just before he left and
50:52 rose. The bible tells us that
50:54 he folded the grave clothes.
50:56 The napkin, the handkerchief
50:58 that was covering his face, he
51:00 folded very neatly and he put it
51:02 to the side. Friends, it's
51:04 interesting, why did Jesus do
51:05 this? Ever wonder this before?
51:07 Why did Jesus take the time to
51:10 fold the grave clothes? Well
51:11 friends, back in the day,
51:15 whenever a king or man of
51:16 royalty, would sit down at a
51:18 meal, the king had a special
51:21 sign to tell his servants
51:23 whether or not he was finished,
51:25 or not finished, with a meal.
51:27 You see, whenever the king was
51:28 finished with a meal, he would
51:30 take that handkerchief, that
51:31 napkin. He would crumple it and
51:33 he would throw it down. Then
51:35 he would leave. That indicated
51:36 to the servants that he's
51:38 finished. He's not coming back
51:40 for that meal. But whenever that
51:42 king folded the napkin and put
51:44 it down very neatly and got up,
51:47 that was an indication to the
51:49 servants that he was not
51:50 finished with that meal.
51:52 That he went to go do something,
51:54 but he's going to come back.
51:56 Friends, you realize that when
51:58 Jesus resurrected, he folded the
52:00 grave clothes, indicating to you
52:02 and I, that he's not done in
52:04 this world. Why? Because Jesus
52:06 was, he is and he is to come.
52:09 Friends, he is coming back. He's
52:11 coming back to this world,
52:12 friends. This is a reoccurring
52:14 theme in Revelation. It beats
52:16 with a sense of urgency. It
52:17 lifts our eyes from the
52:19 depressing chaotic things, the
52:21 world, to a king that is going
52:22 to return. We don't have to be
52:24 afraid, friends, because he's
52:26 coming to take us home. He's
52:27 coming to rescue us from the
52:29 pain and the problems and the
52:30 sin and the suffering of this
52:32 world. Notice what happens when
52:34 he returns. Revelation 21:4.
52:36 It says, and God shall wipe away
52:38 all tears from their eyes.
52:39 Let's read it together, shall
52:41 we? And there shall be no more
52:44 death, nor sorrow, nor crying.
52:47 Neither shall there be any more
52:50 pain, for the former things have
52:53 passed away. Friends, he's
52:55 going to wipe away all the
52:57 tears. He will dispel all the
52:59 fears. Sickness will no longer
53:02 prevail when Jesus comes.
53:03 Natural disasters will no longer
53:05 destroy our dreams. Death will
53:08 not claim any victims any
53:11 longer. When Jesus comes, he's
53:13 going to make all things new,
53:15 folks. A brand new world. All
53:17 things are going to be restored
53:20 soon, and very soon. Friends,
53:21 if Jesus can make a new world,
53:23 surely he can create a new heart
53:26 can't he? Surely he can give us
53:27 a new mindset. A new sense of
53:29 hope, a new sense of peace.
53:31 This is what Revelation is all
53:32 about. It's not fear, it's not
53:34 scared, it's not doom and gloom.
53:36 It's about hope friends. It is
53:38 a revelation of hope, because
53:41 it's a revelation of Jesus. It
53:44 gives us confidence to face the
53:46 uncertainties of all our
53:49 tomorrows. How many are
53:50 thankful for that today?
53:51 Amen.
53:53 Friends, we're about to close,
53:54 but before we do, I want to
53:56 share a story with you. A story
53:58 that illustrates what God has
54:01 given to us in the Book of
54:03 Revelation. There's a story
54:04 about a little boy that loved to
54:06 read. Now be it, this was the
54:08 time before video games. And
54:10 his favorite series of books
54:12 were these country western
54:14 books. He collected each one as
54:16 they came in the mail. He read
54:17 it from cover to cover. He
54:19 devoured these books. He loved
54:21 these books because these books
54:23 gave him a role model, someone
54:26 that he could look up to. The
54:28 role model in these books was
54:30 the sheriff. Sheriff Brown was
54:32 name. And he was a tough
54:34 sheriff that always threw the
54:35 bad guys in jail. But he was
54:37 also a very loving and kind
54:38 sheriff that saved the people
54:40 that were in trouble.
54:41 This boy collected every
54:42 book, read it from cover
54:43 to cover. He loved Sheriff
54:45 Brown, he loved to see how he
54:47 he was so strong and so wise
54:50 and he was a role model for this
54:52 little boy. One day, the next
54:54 book came in the mail. The
54:56 little boy tore it open and
54:57 began to read. As he read this
54:58 book, he couldn't wait to see
55:00 what Sheriff Brown was going to
55:01 do next. But as he read, he got
55:03 to read about this new criminal.
55:06 This outlaw. He was confident
55:08 that his hero, Sheriff Brown,
55:09 could take him out. But as he
55:11 continued to read, it seemed
55:13 like in the storyline that the
55:14 criminal always seemed to
55:16 outsmart and outdo the sheriff.
55:19 He started to be worried. It
55:21 seems like this bad guy is
55:23 going to win. As he continued
55:25 to read, he saw that this
55:27 criminal was plotting to kill
55:29 the sheriff. This little boy
55:32 began to be afraid of what was
55:33 going to happen in this book.
55:35 He thought perhaps this was the
55:37 last book in the series of
55:40 books. That perhaps in this
55:42 book, Sheriff Brown would lose
55:44 and that evil would triumph. So
55:46 this little boy could not read
55:48 anymore because he was afraid
55:51 of the future. He was afraid of
55:54 what?
55:55 Future.
55:56 He was afraid of what was going
55:57 to happen so he stopped reading.
55:59 A few weeks go by. His mother
56:01 is walking down the hallway when
56:02 suddenly she hears from his room
56:05 her son say, if you only knew
56:08 what I knew. If you only knew
56:10 what I knew. He said it with
56:12 such confidence and enthusiasm.
56:14 If you only knew what I knew!
56:15 The mother was wondering what
56:16 was going on and she went to
56:17 investigate. Son, what do you
56:19 mean? Who are you talking to?
56:20 What do you mean, if you only
56:22 knew what I knew? The son began
56:24 to explain. Mom, do you
56:25 remember that book I got a few
56:26 weeks ago? I was reading about
56:27 this criminal that was going to
56:29 destroy and kill the sheriff. I
56:30 couldn't read mom, I was afraid
56:32 of what was going to happen.
56:33 But today mom, I got a bright
56:36 idea! Today, I decided that I
56:38 would read the last chapter.
56:41 That I would skip to the end!
56:43 I would read the back of the
56:45 book to see the end of the story
56:47 Mom, when I read the ending,
56:50 I understood that Sheriff Brown
56:52 won and the criminal was thrown
56:54 in jail and mom, when I realized
56:57 the ending.
56:58 I went back to where I had left
57:00 off reading. As I continued to
57:01 read the evil schemes of this
57:03 criminal, I could only help but
57:05 smile and say to myself, if you
57:07 only knew what I knew! If you
57:10 only knew what I knew. Friends,
57:12 what did that little boy know?
57:14 He knew something that we need
57:17 to know. He knew the outcome.
57:19 He knew the end of the story.
57:22 He knew the last chapters. He
57:24 read the back of the book! The
57:26 back of the book told him that
57:28 his hero won. Friends, as you
57:30 look in this world and you see
57:33 evil abounding all around, you
57:35 see wickedness prevailing on
57:36 every side. It seems like evil
57:38 is triumphing over good in this
57:40 great controversy over good and
57:41 evil. But friends, when you
57:43 open to the back of the book,
57:45 when you go to the Book of
57:46 Revelation, Revelation tells us
57:50 clearly, that God wins this
57:53 battle.

Home

Revised 2014-12-17