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Series Code: RST
Program Code: RST000003S
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00:03 [foreboding music plays]
00:13 - Well, welcome back. Good to see you all! 00:16 It looks like you had a good lunch. For those 00:20 of you who were not able to afford it, we 00:22 do have popcorn. [laughter] And oranges. So, it's all 00:27 part of your registration fee. [laughs] So, we are 00:31 going to continue this afternoon with what we 00:34 started this morning. We are going to begin 00:36 on page 25 of your study notes. Page 25. We're 00:41 gonna take one session to study the first trumpet. 00:45 So now, we're gonna get into the trumpets. And 00:48 then in the second session this afternoon and the 00:50 first session tomorrow morning, we will be 00:52 dealing with the second trumpet. That's gonna 00:55 take us a little longer than the first trumpet. 00:57 But before we do, we want to begin each morning 01:00 and evening with a word of prayer. So, let's pray. 01:04 Father in heaven, as we approach your throne, 01:06 we do so boldly in the name of Jesus, knowing that our 01:09 prayer will be mingled with His perfect righteousness. 01:12 And so, we ask that Jesus will be with us, that Your 01:16 Holy Spirit will be with us, as we open Your 01:18 Word. Give us clarity of thought; give us tender 01:22 hearts. And Lord, empower us to share this wonderful 01:27 message with so many people that are confused 01:30 and don't know where to turn. So, be with us 01:33 and guide us. We pray in Jesus' precious name, 01:37 amen. [Amen.] Okay, we want to begin by reading 01:42 Revelation chapter 8 and verse 7. Revelation 8:7. 01:47 We have several symbols in this verse. It says there, 01:51 "The first angel sounded: And hail and fire followed..." 01:56 By the way, the hail is not ice; it is fiery 02:00 hail. Okay? Like that that fell on Egypt. 02:04 So, it says, "And hail and fire followed, mingled 02:07 with blood, and they were thrown to the earth. 02:13 And a third of the trees were burned up, and all the 02:17 green grass was burned up." So, here you have several 02:23 symbols. You have hail and fire, blood, a third 02:28 of the trees, and all of the green grass. So, 02:33 how do we interpret these symbols? Well, that's the 02:36 purpose of this particular lesson. Now, the constant 02:39 use of the passive voice in the trumpets indicates 02:43 that God is allowing these things to happen, 02:46 and sometimes God commands them to happen. 'Cause you 02:50 notice, it says, for example here, that 02:53 the hail and fire mingled with blood were thrown 02:58 to the earth. So in other words, God is 03:01 allowing this to happen. Time and again, you have 03:03 the passive voice in the trumpets. It's no 03:07 coincidence that Ellen White begins the book 03:11 Great Controversy with the chapter on the destruction 03:15 of Jerusalem, because that is actually the first 03:19 trumpet. Now, the Bible tells us that the judgment 03:24 begins where? The judgment must begin in the house 03:28 of God. So, the question is, who is the house of God? 03:34 Those who profess to be followers of whom? 03:37 Those who profess to be followers of God! 03:40 Now, to whom did the gospel go first when 03:44 Jesus came to this earth? The Jews! That's why, 03:48 for example, in Romans chapter 2 and verses 8 & 9, 03:54 if you go with me there, Romans 2:8, 9, the apostle 03:59 Paul says something very interesting. And 04:02 I read there beginning with verse 8, "But those 04:07 who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, 04:10 but obey unrighteousness," what is gonna come upon 04:13 them? "Indignation and wrath; tribulation and anguish on 04:20 every soul of man who does evil," of whom first? 04:25 "...Of a Jew first and also of the Greek," or 04:29 of the Gentiles. So, why does the indignation 04:32 of God fall first of all upon the Jews? Because 04:35 they were the first ones to receive what? The 04:38 blessing of the gospel. Also, notice the book of 04:42 Acts chapter 13. Acts 13. These are some texts 04:47 that I'm just adding to the notes. Acts 13. 04:53 Here, the apostle Paul is ministering, and he 04:57 says to the Jews that are gathered there who 05:00 are rejecting, by the way, his message... 05:02 Once again, chapter 13 of Acts and verses 46 & 47. 05:09 "Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, 'It 05:13 was necessary that the Word of God should be 05:14 spoken to you," what? "...first"! Speaking to the 05:18 Jews. "But since you reject it and judge yourselves 05:21 unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to," 05:25 whom? "...to the Gentiles." 05:27 And Jesus referred to this when He said the 05:29 first shall be last, and the Gentiles who received 05:34 the gospel last will be what? Will be first. 05:38 So, the judgment of the first trumpet falls 05:43 first on those who first received the message 05:46 and then oppressed God's people. Do you remember 05:51 in the Old Testament- who were the ones to be 05:54 judged first in the book of Ezekiel? What did God 05:58 say? Begin where? "Begin in My sanctuary," right? 06:04 And also, you remember, that according to Jesus, 06:10 the Jewish nation, by rejecting Him, God withdrew 06:16 His Spirit from them and poured out His 06:20 wrath, which is manifested in the destruction of Jerusalem. 06:26 Now, let's go to page 26. The book of Ezekiel 06:30 portrays the divine judgment against Jerusalem 06:34 (this is in the Old Testament, not A.D. 70, but in the 06:37 Old Testament) as a throwing down of the 06:40 censer, and the consequent... What is the consequence? 06:44 The burning of the city with what? With fire. 06:48 You can read that in Ezekiel 10 verse 2, 6, 7, 06:52 verse 22, 2 Chronicles 36 verses 14-23. The 06:58 second destruction of Jerusalem parallels the 07:01 destruction of Jerusalem. And for this, I recommend 07:04 that you read the first chapter of the book, 07:07 The Great Controversy. Now, the churches and 07:10 the seals begin when? They begin in apostolic 07:16 times, right? Ephesus, the first church, is the 07:20 apostolic church. And with regard to the seals, 07:23 the white horse represents the apostolic church. So, 07:27 when must the trumpets also begin? Must they 07:30 also begin in apostolic times? They must also 07:34 begin in apostolic times! Now, furthermore, the 07:38 first trumpet must refer to a judgment that falls 07:41 upon those who first oppressed God's people. 07:45 What judgment fell upon the oppressors of God's 07:48 people in apostolic times? There's only one possibility, 07:53 and what is that? The destruction of Jerusalem. 07:58 Now, going to the next section, right around the 08:00 middle of page 26... According to Jesus, 08:04 the destruction of Jerusalem was due directly to what? 08:09 To the persecution against Jesus, and who else? 08:13 His faithful followers. Let's read Matthew 27 08:17 verses 24 & 25. "When Pilate saw that 08:21 he could not prevail at all, but rather that a 08:24 tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands 08:28 before the multitude, saying"... Now, notice the terminology. 08:32 "'I am innocent of the,'" what? "'...of the blood of this 08:36 just Person. You see to it.' And all the people 08:40 answered and said," His what? "'His blood be on us 08:45 and on our children.'" Is blood one of the key 08:48 terms that we find at the first trumpet? Fire 08:51 mingled with what? Mingled with blood. So, the 08:55 representatives of the Jewish nation are saying, "His 08:57 blood be upon us and upon our children." 09:02 Luke 19:41-44, Jesus is predicting what is gonna 09:07 happen to the city of Jerusalem and to the 09:10 temple. It says there, "Now as He drew near," 09:13 that is, drew near to the city, "He saw the 09:15 city and wept over it, saying, 'If you had known, 09:19 even you especially in this your day, the things 09:22 that make for your peace. But now, they are hidden 09:25 from your eyes. For days will come upon you when 09:28 your enemies"... Who are the enemies? The 09:32 Romans, right? God used the Romans to punish those 09:35 who rejected the gospel and persecuted Christ 09:37 and His followers. So it says, "'For days will come 09:41 when your enemies will build an embankment around 09:44 you, surround you, and close you in on every 09:47 side, and level you and your children within you 09:51 to the ground; and they will not leave in you one 09:54 stone upon another,'" and what is the reason for this? 09:58 "'...Because you did not know the time of your 10:02 visitation.'" That is, you did not recognize 10:07 the Messiah. After Jesus ascended to heaven, the 10:11 Jewish nation persecuted and shed the blood of the 10:15 followers of Jesus, as well. So, not only did the 10:20 Jewish nation reject the gospel by persecuting 10:23 and killing Christ, but they also did the same 10:25 thing with the followers of Jesus all throughout 10:28 the book of Acts. Let's read Matthew 23 verses 10:32 34 to 39. This is the discourse of Jesus to 10:37 the scribes and the Pharisees. It's the 10:40 culmination of that chapter that deals with the woes 10:42 on scribes and Pharisees. Here, Jesus stated, 10:46 "Therefore indeed, I send you prophets." What Jesus 10:51 is saying from that point on, this is just a few 10:52 days before His death, by the way. He's saying, 10:55 "I send you prophets." In other words, "I will 10:57 send you prophets, wise men, and scribes." So, 11:03 the crucifixion of Christ was not the close of 11:05 probation for the Jewish nation, because Jesus is 11:08 promising after His death to do what? To send them 11:12 prophets, wise men, and scribes! The prophets 11:15 would be like Stephen. Did he have a prophetic 11:18 vision? [Yes.] Was Peter also a prophet? Did he 11:21 have a vision? Yes, he most certainly did. 11:24 What about wise men? The Seven Deacons are 11:27 described as men full of wisdom. And who is 11:30 the scribe or the theologian? The apostle Paul! So, 11:34 Jesus is saying, "I'm gonna send you additional 11:36 witnesses." And what will they do with them? 11:40 The same thing that they did with Christ. "Some of 11:42 them, you will kill and crucify; and some of 11:46 them, you will scourge in your synagogues and 11:50 persecute from city to city." And what is gonna 11:54 be the sentence as a result of persecuting 11:56 Christ, and then His people? It says in verse 12:00 35, "That on you may come all the righteous," what? 12:06 Blood. See, that's one of the symbols in the 12:07 first trumpet. "...All the righteous bloodshed 12:11 on the earth from the blood of the righteous Abel to the 12:14 blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you 12:17 murdered between the temple and the altar. 12:21 Assuredly, I say to you all these things will come 12:25 upon this generation." Are you catching the 12:29 picture? Fire mingled with blood. Now, notice 12:34 Ellen White's comment. This is in Great Controversy, 12:37 page 28. Almost all of the statements that I'm 12:40 gonna read from Ellen White are from the chapter, 12:43 "The Destruction of Jerusalem". Notice this 12:45 statement. "The longsuffering of God toward Jerusalem 12:49 only confirmed the Jews in their stubborn impenitence. 12:54 In their hatred and cruelty toward the disciples of 12:58 Jesus, they rejected the last offer of mercy. Then, 13:04 God withdrew His protection from them and removed His 13:09 restraining power from Satan and his angels, 13:12 and the nation was left to the control of the leader 13:16 she had chosen." And, by the way, the book of 13:20 Acts, you find a whole series of verses here 13:24 in your study notes. You read the book of 13:26 Acts, and you'll see that the Jews were 13:28 constantly appealing to the Roman rulers to 13:32 persecute the Christians. In other words, they did 13:35 the same thing that they did to Christ. So in other 13:38 words, God gave them great light first before 13:42 the Gentiles. They rejected the light by persecuting 13:46 God's people. And for that reason, what did God 13:48 do? We studied this in our previous lesson. God 13:53 allowed them to reap what they what? What 13:56 they sowed, which is the judgment of the first 13:59 trumpet. Now, let's take a look at the symbol of 14:03 thirds. You'll notice that the trumpets only 14:07 afflict thirds. The trumpets don't afflict everything 14:12 like the plagues. It's not the fullness of God's 14:15 wrath; it's only partial. A third of the trees 14:20 means that the trumpets were what? Partial and 14:23 preliminary judgments that point forward to 14:26 greater judgments in the future. The trumpet 14:30 judgments fell on limited geographical areas, and 14:35 they foreshadow the plagues that will fall globally. 14:39 Ellen White repeatedly stated that the destruction 14:42 of Jerusalem foreshadows the final destruction 14:45 of the world. Now, let's look at a couple of texts 14:48 that use the word, "a third". By the way, 14:52 the word 'third' means, "a portion", simply. 14:55 It doesn't represent 33.33%! [laughter] 15:00 It means "a portion". In other words, these 15:02 judgments don't afflict everyone everywhere. 15:06 Notice Zechariah 13:8, first of all, in the King 15:09 James Version: "'And it shall come to pass that 15:11 in all the land,' saith the Lord, 'two parts 15:15 therein shall be cut off and die, but the third 15:18 shall be left therein.'" So notice, it doesn't 15:22 say, "two-thirds"; it says two what? 15:25 "Two parts shall be cut off." But the third- 15:28 it's understood that it's the third part- 15:30 the third part shall be left therein. Notice 15:33 Yang's literal translation: "And it shall come to pass 15:37 in all the land on affirmation of Jehovah. Two parts 15:43 in it are cut off. They expire, and the third" 15:46 that is understood, the third part is what? 15:49 Is left in it. So to understand the word, 15:53 'a third' to refer to what? To a part, 15:56 or a portion. Now you say, "How do we know 16:00 that?" Well, let's take a look at an interesting 16:03 detail that Ellen White presents. The Bible 16:06 tells us that God casts Satan out of heaven 16:09 with how many of His angels? With a third 16:12 of the angels of heaven. But according to Ellen 16:15 White, "a third" actually means nearly one-half. 16:20 Thus, "a third" does not mean 33.3%! Not one 16:25 more, not one less. But rather, a fraction 16:28 or a part of the angels. Notice this statement 16:31 from The Story of Redemption, pg. 18. "Satan had proved 16:36 himself unworthy of a place in heaven. Then, 16:39 Satan exaltingly pointed to his sympathizers, 16:42 comprising nearly half of all the angels." Not 33%. 16:49 Nearly half of the angels. "...And exclaimed, 'These 16:53 are with me! Will you expel these, also, 16:57 and make such a void in heaven?' He then 16:59 declared that he was prepared to resist the 17:01 authority of Christ and to defend his place in 17:04 heaven by force of might, strength against strength." 17:09 So, a third simply means that it's not an affliction 17:11 that falls upon everyone everywhere! It means 17:14 that it's a partial judgment that affects only some; 17:18 it's a preliminary judgment. So, a third 17:22 of the trees in the first trumpet doesn't mean 17:25 that we're supposed to look for a place on earth 17:27 where a third of the trees were burned 17:29 up, literally speaking. No! "A third of the 17:34 trees" means "a partial judgment upon people," 17:38 we're going to notice, that foreshadows a 17:41 greater global destruction at the end of time. 17:46 Notably, in the seven last plagues, God will 17:49 pour out what? He will pour out the fullness of 17:54 His wrath. Notice Revelation chapter 15:1. The contrast 17:58 between a third and the fullness. It says in Revelation 18:02 15:1, "Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and 18:07 marvelous: seven angels having seven last plagues," 18:12 just like you have seven angels with seven trumpets, 18:15 pouring out partial judgments represented 18:18 by the word, "a third", "a part"... How may 18:21 do the plagues affect? Ohh, it says here, 18:26 "For in them, the wrath of God is," what? "...complete." 18:30 By the way, a better translation would be, 18:33 "The wrath of God is full." In other words, 18:37 it will affect everyone, everywhere. Of course, 18:41 excepting the remnant. Now, Ellen White wrote 18:47 that the destruction of Jerusalem was the first 18:49 draft. So, that would indicate something partial, 18:53 too, right? Ellen White said that the destruction 18:56 of Jerusalem, which we believe is the first 18:58 trumpet, was the first draft of the cup that 19:01 the wicked will have to drink fully during 19:04 the plagues. Here is the statement, Great 19:06 Controversy, 21- by the way, all these 19:08 statements that I'm gonna read are from the chapter 19:10 on the destruction of Jerusalem, interestingly 19:12 enough. She wrote on page 21, "In the temporal 19:16 retribution about to fall upon her children, He 19:20 saw but the," what? "He saw but the first draft 19:25 from that cup of wrath, which at the final judgment, 19:28 she must drain to its drakes." Are you catching 19:34 the picture? So, what fell upon Jerusalem 19:37 was only the first draft- a local judgment of God 19:43 pointing forward to a much greater judgment. 19:46 In fact, Ellen White has repeated statements 19:48 where she says that the destruction of Jerusalem 19:51 was a small-scale model, a partial model, of what 19:56 will happen all over the world, with all of 19:58 the wicked at the end of time. Notice these 20:01 statements here that Ellen White uses, 20:03 and these are from the chapter on the destruction 20:06 of Jerusalem. It says, "Christ saw in Jerusalem 20:10 a symbol." What is greater, a symbol or what the 20:14 symbol symbolizes? What the symbol symbolizes. 20:18 You know, in the Old Testament, you have 20:20 a lamb. It represented a much larger and greater 20:23 reality, doesn't it? So, "Christ saw in Jerusalem 20:26 a symbol of the world, hardened in unbelief 20:30 and rebellion and hastening on to meet the retributive 20:34 judgments of God." And then, she speaks about 20:37 the sin of the Jews and compares it with the sin 20:39 of the Christian world at the end of time. 20:42 And by the way, they look like two different 20:44 eras, but they really are the same era when 20:46 you look at it, carefully. On page 22, Ellen White 20:49 wrote, "Jesus, looking down to the last generation, 20:54 saw the world involved in a deception similar 20:59 to that which caused the destruction of 21:01 Jerusalem." So, the world is gonna be guilty of a 21:04 similar sin to the sin that was being practiced 21:07 in Jerusalem. What was it? "The great sin of the 21:11 Jews was the rejection of," whom? Of Christ. 21:16 The great sin of the Christian world would 21:18 be the rejection of what? Of the law of God, the 21:22 foundation of His government in heaven 21:24 and on earth. You say, "Well, those are two 21:27 different rejections." No, they're not. 21:29 Let me ask you: the law is a reflection of whom? 21:33 The law is a transcript of the character of Christ! 21:36 So, how can you say, "I love Jesus, but 21:38 I hate the law!" "I love the reality, but I hate the 21:42 reflection!" It's the same sin. The Jews rejected 21:46 Christ; the Christian world will reject the 21:49 reflection of Christ in His law. Are you with me 21:51 or not? Notice this other statement, Great Controversy, 21:55 pg. 25-also in the chapter on the Destruction of Jerusalem- 21:59 "The prophecy which He uttered was two-fold 22:02 in its meaning. While foreshadowing the 22:05 destruction of Jerusalem, it prefigured also the 22:09 terrors of the Last Great Day. So, the judgment 22:12 that fell on Jerusalem, was that a total and 22:13 complete worldwide judgment? No! It was 22:16 partial, indicated by the word, "a third", 22:20 right? Now, notice this other statement. 22:23 Great Controversy, 36 & 37: "The Saviour's prophecy," 22:28 this is Matthew 24, "concerning the visitation of judgments 22:31 upon Jerusalem is to have," what? "...another 22:35 fulfillment of which that terrible desolation was," 22:40 what? "...but a faint shadow. In the fate 22:43 of the chosen city we may behold the doom of," 22:46 what? No longer local- impartial. "The doom of the 22:50 world that has rejected God's mercy and trampled 22:53 upon His law. Dark are the records of human misery 22:57 that earth has witnessed during its long centuries 23:00 of crime-the results of rejecting the authority 23:04 of heaven. However, a scene yet darker is 23:08 presented in the revelations of the future. The records 23:11 of the past-the long procession of tumults, 23:14 conflicts, and revolutions- the 'battle of the warrior... 23:18 with confused noise and garments rolled in blood'- 23:21 what are these, in contrast with the terrors of that 23:25 day when the restraining Spirit of God shall be 23:29 wholly withdrawn from the wicked, no longer to 23:33 hold in check the outburst of human passion and 23:36 satanic wrath. The world will then behold, as never 23:39 before, the result of Satan's rule." Have you 23:42 ever read chapter 1 of the book Great Controversy? 23:46 Satan was in control of the nation. Mothers 23:49 ate their children! People gnawed at the 23:53 leather on their belts and their sandals because 23:56 of the hunger! People betrayed one another. 24:01 It was terrible! And yet, that was only a foreshadowing 24:05 of what is gonna happen globally at the end of time, 24:08 indicated by "a third". A portion, in other words. 24:13 So, only a portion of God's wrath fell. 24:16 Now, let's talk about the fire in the symbolism. 24:20 Fire falling from heaven signifies what? A judgment 24:25 from God against apostate Jerusalem. Now, did 24:29 apostate Jerusalem persecute God's faithful people, even 24:32 in the Old Testament? Oh, yeah! Jesus says, 24:35 "You kill the prophets and all the messengers 24:37 that I sent to you!" Notice Exodus 9:22-26- 24:42 this is one of the plagues that fell upon Egypt. 24:46 Why did God sent the plagues upon Egypt? 24:50 Because what? They were oppressing God's people, 24:53 right? They are God's punishment because 24:56 of the oppression of God's people. It says 24:58 there-and notice the symbolism similar to 25:00 what we find in the first trumpet-it says, 25:05 "Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Stretch our your 25:08 hand toward heaven, that there may be," what? "...hail." 25:13 And by the way, it was burning hail, if you read 25:15 the story. "...hail in all the land of Egypt- 25:19 on man, on beast, and on every herb of the field, 25:22 throughout the land of Egypt. And Moses stretched 25:25 out his rod toward heaven; and the Lord sent thunder," 25:31 and what? Hail, and what else? Fire. Are those two 25:34 symbols that we find in the first trumpet? 25:36 [Yes.] Absolutely! "...and fire darted to the ground. 25:40 And the Lord rained hail on the land of Egypt. So 25:44 there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, 25:49 so very heavy that there was none like it in all the 25:53 land of Egypt since it became a nation. And the hail 25:58 struck throughout the whole land of Egypt, all 26:01 that was in the field, both man and beast; and the 26:04 hail stuck every herb of the field and broke every tree 26:07 of the field. Only in the land of Goshen, where the 26:11 children of Israel were, there was no hail." How 26:16 many Christians were destroyed in the destruction 26:18 of Jerusalem? How many Christians died? None died! 26:22 Because they were like the children of Israel in 26:24 Goshen. They were protected from the wrath of the Lord. 26:30 So, fire mingled with hail represents a judgment 26:34 of God upon apostasy, especially those who 26:37 persecute His people. Notice Psalm 18:12 & 13. 26:41 "From the brightness before Him, His thick clouds passed 26:45 with hailstones and coals of fire. The Lord 26:49 thundered from heaven, and the Most High uttered 26:52 His voice, 'Hailstones and coals of fire,'" symbols 26:58 of God's judgment. Now, are you noticing the 27:01 method that we're using here? We are allowing 27:06 the Bible to explain its symbols; we're not taking 27:10 Uriah Smith... Bless his heart; he's resting in 27:13 the Lord till Jesus comes. We're not allowing anyone 27:17 to interpret the trumpets for us; we interpret 27:20 the symbols in the light of Scripture, and 27:22 therefore we gain a picture of what this is talking 27:24 about. Now, notice something else which 27:28 is very interesting. Repeatedly, the latter 27:32 prophets of the Old Testament- and I put 27:34 only the references. I can't include all of the 27:36 references, because then we would have to have 27:38 two volumes. In all of these texts, it tells us that 27:42 God's judgments on apostate Israel fall 27:46 because they had forsaken the covenant of the Lord. 27:51 By the way, was the city of Jerusalem burned with 27:55 fire? Was it? Absolutely! You remember the parable 28:00 of Matthew 22:7 where messengers are sent out 28:04 to invite the Jews to the wedding, and they said, 28:07 "No, we're not interested," so he sends out other 28:10 messengers-that's after the death of Christ-and 28:13 they do likewise. They say, "We're not interested," 28:15 and they kill the messengers. And so then, the parable 28:19 tells us in Matthew 22 that the king who represents 28:22 God the father was angry. And so what did he do? 28:29 Well, Matthew 22:7 tells us what happened to 28:32 Jerusalem. "But when the king heard about it, he 28:34 was furious and he sent out his armies, destroyed 28:39 those murderers," and what did he do? "...and 28:42 burned up their city." Was Jerusalem punished with 28:45 fire? Yes, it was. Was there great shedding of 28:48 blood? Ooh, we're gonna see that in a few moments. 28:51 Now, it is of interest that just before the 28:55 destruction of Jerusalem, signs and wonders appeared 28:59 in the heavens. One of the signs was the appearance 29:04 of chariots of fire and men of war gathering 29:07 for battle. So, above the city, you have the 29:09 clouds, and there are armies marching on the 29:13 clouds. Now, what are these armies that are 29:18 marching on the clouds? Well, let's notice what 29:21 Ellen White has to say, and then we'll look at 29:23 some biblical texts. Great Controversy, 29:24 pg. 29. "Signs and wonders appeared, foreboding," what? 29:30 "...disaster and doom. In the midst of the night, 29:33 an unnatural light shone over the temple; and on 29:37 the altar, upon the clouds at sunset were pictured 29:41 chariots and men of war, gathering for battle." 29:45 Let me ask you: who are the chariots? The chariots 29:48 are the angels. In fact, you'll notice in the next 29:51 line that we have here, the Bible describes God's 29:54 chariots as chariots of what? Chariots of 29:58 fire! And you can read all of these texts. So, 30:01 what were people seeing above Jerusalem on the 30:04 clouds? They were seeing the heavenly armies preparing 30:08 for the destruction of the city. Ellen White 30:12 described the fiery inferno that destroyed 30:15 Jerusalem in the year 70. Notice this description 30:18 that she gives. Once again, the emphasis on fire that 30:21 you have in the first trumpet. Pg. 34: "The 30:25 whole summit of the hill, which commanded the city, 30:29 blazed like a," what? "...like a volcano. One 30:34 after another, the buildings fell in with a tremendous 30:37 crash, and were swallowed up in the," what? "...fiery 30:42 abyss. The roofs of the cedar were like," what? 30:46 "...sheets of flame. The gilded pinnacles 30:49 shone like the spikes of red light, the gate towers 30:53 sent up tall columns of," what? "...of flame and smoke." 30:58 Is there our great emphasis on fire and the destruction 31:00 of Jerusalem? There most certainly is. What about 31:04 the blood symbolism? Because this is blood 31:05 mingled with fire. Well, as we've previously seen, 31:10 the Jews in Pilate's judgment hall clamored 31:13 for Christ's crucifixion, and what did they say? 31:16 They say, "His blood be upon us and upon 31:20 our children." Jesus also predicted that God would 31:24 require from that generation all the what? All the righteous 31:28 blood, shed from the time of Abel. According 31:33 to Revelation 16, by the way, God will pour 31:36 out the third plague upon the fountains of 31:40 fresh water for the wicked to drink, 31:43 because they shed the blood of God's people. 31:46 So, because the Jewish nation shed the blood 31:49 of Christ, what is happening? So to speak, symbolically, 31:53 God is giving them what? Blood to drink. It's a 31:57 terrible judgment of God. In fact, let's read 31:59 Revelation 16. Revelation chapter 16, the third 32:02 plague. It explains the reason why the fountains 32:06 of waters are turned into blood. Revelation chapter 32:08 16, and notice verse 4. "Then the third 32:12 angel poured out his bowl and the rivers 32:14 and springs of water, and they became," what? 32:17 Blood. Did God have a moral reason for doing 32:20 that? For turning the fountains of water 32:22 into blood? Absolutely! "And I heard the angel 32:25 of the waters saying, 'You are righteous, 32:27 O Lord; the One who is and who was and who 32:30 is to be, because You have,'" what? "'...judged 32:33 these things, for they have shed the blood of 32:36 saints and prophets, and You have given 32:39 them blood to drink, for it is their just due.'" 32:47 Are you following me? Now, let's read a few 32:49 statements from the Spirit of Prophecy in 32:51 the chapter on the destruction of Jerusalem, 32:54 once again. "The leaders of the opposing factions 32:57 at times united to plunder and torture the wretched 33:01 victims. And again, they fell upon each other's 33:04 forces," and what's the next word, and what? 33:07 "...and slaughtered without mercy. Even the 33:10 sanctity of the temple could not restrain their 33:13 horrible ferocity. The worshipers were stricken 33:16 down before the altar, and the sanctuary was 33:20 polluted with the bodies of the," what? "...of the 33:23 slain." On pg. 32, Ellen White wrote, "The Roman 33:27 leaders endeavored to strike terror to the Jews 33:30 and thus cause them to surrender. Those prisoners 33:33 who resisted when taken were scourged, tortured, 33:36 and crucified before the wall of the city." 33:39 Is that what they had done to God's people? 33:42 Yes! "Hundreds were daily put to death in this manner, 33:47 and the dreadful work continued until along 33:50 the valley of Jehoshaphat. And at Calvary, crosses 33:53 were erected in so great numbers that there was 33:56 scarcely room to move among them. So terribly 34:02 was visited the awful imprecation uttered 34:06 before the judgment seat of Pilate. His blood be 34:08 on us and upon our children." Let's read a few more 34:13 statements. "Like one entranced, he," that is, 34:17 Titus, "looked from the crest of Olivet upon the 34:21 magnificent temple and gave command that not 34:24 one stone of it be touched. Before attempting to gain 34:28 possession to this stronghold, he made an earnest appeal 34:31 to the Jewish leaders not to force them to 34:33 defile the sacred place with," what? "...with blood." 34:38 On pg. 33, Ellen White wrote, "In the struggle 34:42 [of the Jews against Titus], a firebrand was 34:46 flung by a soldier through an opening in the porch. 34:49 And immediately, the cedar-lined chambers 34:52 about the holy house were in a," what? "...blaze." 34:55 Notice once again, fire. "Titus rushed to the 34:58 place, followed by his generals and legionaries, 35:00 and commanded the soldiers to quench the flames. His 35:04 words were unheated. In their fury, the soldiers 35:08 hurled blazing brands into the chambers 35:11 of joining the temple. And then with their 35:13 swords, they slaughtered in great numbers those who 35:17 had found shelter there. Blood flowed down the 35:20 temple steps like water!" Fire mingled with what 35:25 in the first trumpet? With blood. "Thousands upon 35:29 thousands of Jews perished. Above the sound of battle, 35:32 voices were heard, shouting, 'Ichabod! The glory is 35:36 departed.'" On page 35, Ellen White wrote-she's 35:41 quoting Milman here- "The slaughter within 35:45 was even more dreadful than the spectacle from 35:47 without! Men and women, old and young, insurgents 35:51 and priests, those who fought and those who 35:54 entreated mercy were hewn down in indiscriminate 35:57 carnage. The number of the slain exceeded that 36:01 of the slayers. The legionaries had to 36:05 clamber over heaps of dead to carry out the work 36:10 of extermination." And one final one, page 35, "In 36:15 the siege and the slaughter that followed, more than 36:18 a million of the people perished. The survivors 36:21 were carried away as captives, sold as slaves, 36:25 dragged to Rome to grace the conqueror's triumph, 36:28 thrown to wild beasts in the amphitheaters, 36:30 or scattered as homeless wanderers throughout the 36:34 earth." Are you catching a picture of what the 36:37 first trumpet is dealing with? Now, what about 36:41 the tree and grass symbolism? The tree 36:44 and grass symbolism. Third of the trees are 36:47 burnt, and all the green grass. Well, we need to 36:50 understand a few historical events that took place 36:56 during the ministry of Christ. Six months before 37:00 Jesus began His ministry, John the Baptist compared 37:03 the Jewish nation to a tree, and warned that 37:09 if the tree did not produce good fruit, 37:12 it would be what? It would be cut down and 37:15 thrown where? Into the fire. John was specifically 37:19 referring to the Jewish nation. Let's read Matthew 37:23 3 verses 7-12. [reads on-screen text] 37:39 "And do not think to say for yourselves, 'We have 37:41 Abraham as our father.'" To whom is John the Baptist speaking? 37:46 He's speaking to the Jewish nation. "Don't 37:48 say we have Abraham as our father, for I say to 37:51 you that God is able to raise up children to 37:53 Abraham from these," what? "...from these 37:56 stones." By the way, when it says, "stones", 37:58 it's not talking about rocks. Ellen White 38:02 explains in Desire of Ages that Jesus was 38:05 pointing to the Gentiles, because the Jews considered 38:07 the Gentiles having stony hearts! The Jews were 38:13 not very complimentary when it came to the Gentiles; 38:15 they called them pigs, or swine...right? They 38:21 referred to them as dogs... Very politically incorrect. 38:25 [laughter] And they referred to them as 38:27 rocks! Because they had stony hearts. They could 38:30 not be reached with the message. Verse 10: 38:33 "And even now, the axe is laid to the root of the," 38:36 what? Trees. That deals with individuals, doesn't it? 38:40 Every tree that does not produce fruit will be 38:43 cut down in the fire. So, it says, "The axe 38:46 is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore, 38:49 every tree which does not bear good fruit 38:52 is cut down," and what? And is thrown into the 38:57 fire. It's thrown into the fire, not right after 39:00 it's cut down, because it's green wood; it's 39:02 thrown into the fire after it what? After 39:05 it dries up. We'll come back to that in a moment. 39:08 Now, it's interesting: John the Baptist began 39:11 his ministry six months before Jesus did. 39:15 Two-and-a-half years into the ministry of Christ. 39:18 Two-and-a-half years into His ministry, we meet 39:21 this tree again. Let's go to Luke chapter 13. 39:26 Luke chapter 13 and verse 1. Luke chapter 13 39:30 and verse 1. This is two years into the ministry 39:34 of Christ-two-and-a-half years-after John the Baptist 39:37 spoke about the tree being cut down and 39:39 thrown into the fire. Luke 13:1 says... 39:42 [reads text on screen] 39:56 So, Pilate had done this to a group of Jews. 39:59 So now Jesus says in verse 2... [reads text] 40:10 Then Jesus says in verse 3... [reads text] 40:35 And then Jesus tells a parable. "He also spoke 40:38 this parable: "A certain man had a fig tree planted in 40:41 his vineyard.'" There's the same tree that John 40:44 the Baptist spoke about. "'...and he came seeking,'" 40:48 what? Fruit on it! Which you would expect, right? 40:53 By the way, Ellen White explains that the fig tree 40:58 that we're gonna look at later, it had leaves but it didn't 41:03 have any fruit. And those of you who have fig trees, 41:06 you know the fruit comes out first and then the leaves 41:08 come out afterwards. A couple of days ago, 41:10 I was in Modesto [California] at someone's home, and 41:14 the fig tree has the fruit and just the budding leaves 41:17 coming out. But anyway, it says in verse 7, "Then 41:21 he said to the keeper of his vineyard..." By 41:23 the way, the keeper of the vineyard is Jesus; 41:25 the owner of the vineyard is the Father. "He said to 41:27 the keeper of his vineyard, 'Look, for three years I 41:29 have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find 41:32 none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?" 41:36 So actually, you have six months that John 41:40 the Baptist had preached. And at this point, I said 41:43 two years but it's actually two-and-a-half years 41:44 that Jesus has been ministering to the Jewish nation. 41:49 Verse 8. [reads text on screen] 41:57 So what is the vinedresser saying? He's saying, "Leave 42:01 it for one more year." How much longer did 42:04 Jesus have to minister at this point? One more 42:07 year. That's right. [reads text further] 42:15 The parable ends. You don't know whether the 42:18 tree bore fruit or not. But the last week of 42:21 Jesus before He dies, we meet the fig tree 42:24 again. Jesus sees a fig tree in the distance 42:27 and He says, "Hey, I'm hungry. Let's go get 42:31 some figs off of that tree." Well, the tree 42:33 must've had an abundance of leaves, right? And 42:36 Ellen White emphasizes that there were other 42:38 trees that were totally bare. They didn't have 42:42 any leaves. So, Jesus isn't gonna 42:44 look for fruit. Those represent the Gentiles, 42:46 by the way. He was gonna look for fruit on this tree 42:48 that was supposed to produce fruit first! 42:53 And when Jesus comes, He finds that the tree 42:57 has bunches of leaves, but it has no what? 43:00 It has no fruit. So what happens? The tree dries 43:05 up by its roots. What happens when a tree 43:10 dries up from the roots? That's it. It's dry 43:14 forever. And what happens- what do you do with a tree 43:17 that dries up? You cut it down and you use it 43:21 for firewood. Now, you say, "It doesn't say 43:25 here that the tree was thrown into the 43:26 fire." True enough. But let's notice another 43:30 parallel passage that speaks about what happens 43:33 when a plant does not bear fruit. Notice John 43:37 15 verses 5 and 6. John 15:5-6. You know that 43:42 the vineyard is a symbol of Israel, right? Now, 43:45 notice John 15:5-6. Jesus is speaking to His disciples, 43:50 and He says... [reads text] 44:01 But what happens to a branch that doesn't 44:03 bear fruit? Not only is it cut off, but what 44:08 happens then? It is burnt; thrown into the fire. 44:11 It says in verse 6: "If anyone does not 44:14 abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is 44:17 withered," just like the fig tree. "And they gather 44:20 them and throw them," where? "...into the fire, 44:23 and they are burned." Are you with me? So, the burning of the 44:29 fig tree represents the destruction of what? 44:32 Of Jerusalem with fire, because the king sent 44:37 his armies to burn their city because they 44:40 had rejected the invitation to the son's wedding. Now, 44:45 Ellen White wrote this: "Terribly was it realized 44:49 in the destruction of Jerusalem; terribly 44:52 has it been manifested in the condition of the 44:55 Jewish nation for 1,800 years. A branch severed 45:00 from the vine-a dead, fruitless branch-to be 45:05 gathered up and," what? "...and burned. From land 45:08 to land throughout the world, from century to 45:10 century...dead. Dead in trespasses and sins." 45:16 Notice Luke 23:27-31. [reads text] 45:51 When is that gonna take place? When are people 45:55 gonna cry for the rocks and the hills to fall upon 45:58 them? At the Second Coming. So, was what 46:02 happened to them in Jerusalem a partial 46:03 judgment, and there's gonna be a far greater 46:05 one in the future? Absolutely! And then 46:10 Ellen White quotes a Bible verse, which is Matthew 46:13 23:39. "For if they," that is, the Jewish nation, 46:18 "do these things in the green wood,"-by the way, 46:22 the "green wood" is a symbol of Christ- 46:24 "what will be done in the dry?" Are you following 46:29 me or not? Now, let me read from Ellen White 46:32 the explanation of this last verse that is mentioned 46:35 here in verse 31 where it says, "For if they do 46:41 these things in the green wood, what will 46:44 be done in the dry?" Ellen White explains 46:47 in Desire of Ages, [pg.] 743. "From the fall of Jerusalem, 46:51 the thoughts of Jesus passed to a," what? 46:54 "...a wider judgment. In the destruction of 46:57 the impenitent city, he saw a symbol of the 46:59 final destruction to come upon the world. 47:03 He said they shall begin to say to the mountains, 47:05 'Fall on us,' and to the hills, 'Cover us,' for if 47:08 they do these things in a green tree, what 47:11 shall be done in the dry?" By "the green tree", 47:14 Jesus represented what? Himself! The innocent 47:19 Redeemer. "God suffered His wrath against transgression 47:22 to fall on His beloved Son. Jesus was to be crucified 47:26 for the sins of man. What suffering, then, 47:30 would the sinner bear who continued in sin? 47:33 All the impenitent and unbelieving would know 47:36 a sorrow and misery that language would fail to express." 47:42 What is the "dry wood"? The dry wood represents 47:46 those who reject Christ. If they did this to the 47:49 green wood, to Jesus, what's gonna happen when 47:51 the wood is dry? Let me read you two statements 47:54 from individuals who are not Adventist: a Methodist 47:58 commentator, Adam Clarke, from many, many years ago. 48:02 He explains what this verse means. Luke 48:06 chapter 23 and verse 31. "This seems to be 48:09 a proverbial expression, the sense of which is this: 48:15 if they spare not a tree, which, by the beauty 48:19 of its foliage, abundance and excellence of its 48:22 fruits deserves to be preserved. Then, the 48:26 tree which is dry and withered"-remember the 48:29 fig tree-"will surely be," what? "...cut down. 48:33 If a people who profess to be governed and directed 48:36 by divine laws, what desolation put an innocent 48:40 man to death in the very face of justice 48:43 in opposition to all its dictates and decisions, 48:46 injustice and oppression, may not be expected 48:49 when anarchy and confusion sit in the place where 48:52 judgment and justice formally presided. 48:56 Our Lord alludes prophetically to these retributions 48:59 which fell upon the Jewish people about 49:02 40 years after." The dry tree to be burned. 49:09 Another commentator, the Presbyterian pastor 49:12 Albert Barnes wrote the following about this 49:15 verse. "This seems to be a proverbial expression. 49:19 A green tree is not easily set on fire. A dry one is 49:24 easily kindled and burns rapidly. And the meaning 49:28 of the passage is, 'If they,'" the Romans, "'do 49:32 these things to Me, who am innocent and blameless, 49:35 if they punish Me in this manner in the face of 49:38 justice, what will they do in relation to this 49:41 guilty nation? What security have they that heavier 49:46 judgments will not come upon them? What desolations 49:49 and woes may not be expected when justice 49:52 and oppression have taken the place of justice 49:55 and have set up a rule over this wicked people? 49:59 Our Lord alludes evidently to the calamities that would 50:02 come upon them by,'" whom? "'...by the Romans in 50:06 the destruction of Jerusalem, in the destruction of 50:09 their city and temple.' The passage may be 50:11 applied, however, without impropriety and with great 50:15 beauty and force to the punishment of the wicked 50:18 in the future world." So, you've seen that 50:21 what happened in Jerusalem foreshadows what's gonna 50:24 happen at the end of time. Then he finishes 50:27 the comment by saying, "'Thus applied' means that 50:30 the suffering of the Saviour as compared with 50:33 the sufferings of the guilty were like the burning 50:35 of a green tree as compared with," what? 50:39 "...with the burning of one that is dry. A green 50:41 tree is not [adapted] to burn; a dry one is. So 50:45 the Saviour, innocent, pure, and holy, stood 50:48 in relation to suffering." So far so good? So, 50:55 what is this symbolism of the first trumpet 50:58 pointing to? It's pointing to the destruction 51:00 of Jerusalem when you allow the Scripture to 51:03 explain itself. Now, you'll notice also that all the 51:08 green grass is burnt. Now, what does the 51:12 word 'grass' mean? What is the symbol 'grass'? Well, 51:18 let's notice several verses here. The first 51:21 is in Isaiah chapter 40 and verses 6-8. 51:25 "The voice said, 'Cry out.' And he said, 51:29 'What shall I cry?' 'All flesh is,'" what? 51:33 So grass represents what? People. "'And all 51:37 its loveliness is like the flower of the field.'" 51:41 What happens with the grass? The grass withers, the 51:45 flower fades, because the breath of the Lord 51:49 blows upon it. Surely, the people are what? 51:52 Grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the 51:56 Word of our God, what? Stands forever. Psalm 52:01 37 describes the destruction of the wicked. It says here, 52:05 "Do not fret because of evildoers, nor be 52:09 envious of the workers of iniquity." So what's 52:13 gonna happen with evildoers and the workers of iniquity? 52:17 "For they shall soon be," what? "...cut down," 52:21 and what is it compared with? "...like grass, and 52:25 wither as the green herb." Psalm 90: 5-7, once 52:30 again, describes the wicked under the symbol 52:33 of grass. It says there: [reads text] 52:59 And then one final verse that I have in here, and 53:03 you can look for others in a concordance, Psalm 53:05 92 and verse 6 and 7... [reads more text] 53:14 So, it's kinda speaking about people who are 53:17 not followers of the Lord, right? A senseless man, 53:20 and a fool does not understand this. [reads further] 53:40 So, the question is, to what does the first 53:43 trumpet point? To what historical event? It points 53:47 to the destruction of Jerusalem. Now, is this 53:51 during apostolic times? Does the first trumpet 53:54 begin during apostolic times? Absolutely! Some 53:58 of the apostles were still alive at this point. 54:01 The gospel is still being preached at this point. 54:04 So, the first trumpet in harmony with all of 54:07 the series that we find in Scripture, all the 54:09 prophetic series, begins in the days when the 54:12 prophet wrote. And, of course, John wrote in 54:16 the '90s-in the mid-'90s. So, this description of 54:22 what happened with Jerusalem is covering from 54:25 the time of Christ, the persecution of His 54:28 followers in the church, culminating, finally with 54:31 the destruction of Jerusalem. So notice 54:34 once again the symbols: hail and fire. Are those 54:39 symbols of God's judgment upon His own apostate 54:41 people? Yes. Mingled with blood-is that true 54:46 of what happened to the city of Jerusalem 54:48 and the inhabitants of Jerusalem? Absolutely! 54:52 Now, trees. What do the trees represent? 54:55 Trees that don't produce fruit-it's speaking about 54:59 the individuals-the tree is the nation, but then 55:02 it refers to "trees"- it refers to individuals 55:05 in the nation. What happens if they don't bear fruit, 55:09 the Fruit of the Spirit by receiving the Messiah? 55:11 They are cut down, and they are thrown into what? 55:15 They are thrown into the fire. And what 55:19 happens to all of the wicked symbolized by 55:21 the green grass? The green grass withers, 55:25 and it is also burnt up. So, clearly, the first 55:30 trumpet points to the destruction of Jerusalem. 55:34 And you know, there's something very interesting. 55:36 If you read the article that I mentioned-[let's] 55:39 see if I have it here- the article that you got 55:42 on loose pages; I don't have it with me. But 55:45 that article has the different concepts that Adventist 55:49 scholars have about the trumpets. There's a chart 55:51 there with many of the scholars of the Seventh-day 55:56 Adventist Church, and you'll notice that even 55:58 C. Mervyn Maxwell... Have you ever heard of 56:01 C. Mervyn Maxwell? You know of the famous Maxwell 56:05 family? He was my teacher at the seminary-staunch 56:09 believer in the Spirit of Prophecy, staunch 56:11 believer in the historicist's view of Bible prophecy. 56:15 If you look at that chart, you'll notice that he 56:17 deviates from the concept of Uriah Smith, concerning 56:21 the first trumpet. Uriah Smith says the first trumpet 56:24 is fulfilled in the fourth century with the barbarian 56:28 invasions. But C. Mervyn Maxwell, he among others 56:33 says, "No, this trumpet," the first trumpet, "represents 56:37 the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans." How did 56:42 he reach this conclusion? Simply by allowing the 56:45 Bible to interpret itself! And by taking what Ellen 56:48 White says in the Spirit of Prophecy in conjunction 56:51 with the Bible in amplification of what the Bible has to 56:54 say! So, the first trumpet deals with the 56:58 destruction of Jerusalem because Jerusalem has 57:02 done what with God's people? First of all, 57:05 it cried out for the blood of Christ. "Let 57:08 His blood be upon us and upon our children." 57:12 Jesus said, "All of the righteous' blood will fall 57:14 upon the nation." And as a result, the nation 57:18 was burnt with fire, the blood was shed, 57:22 and the green grass, those who were wicked 57:26 in the city, were destroyed, and the trees that did not 57:30 bear fruit were cut down and were burnt 57:35 in the fire. So, I hope that you're understanding 57:38 the first trumpet, which is the beginning point 57:41 of the seven trumpets. If we don't have a 57:44 starting point, it's hard to know where we're 57:46 moving to. Now, in our next study together, 57:49 we're gonna see that the second trumpet 57:50 does deal with the barbarian invasions and the fall of 57:54 the Roman Empire that oppressed God's people. |
Revised 2020-07-28