Participants:
Series Code: RST
Program Code: RST000007S
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00:15 Welcome back.
00:17 It hardly seems possible that this is session number seven. 00:23 Unbelievable. Seven of twenty-four. 00:26 And so far we have studied introductory matters 00:29 and we have also dealt with the first three trumpets. 00:34 So our task this afternoon is to finish our study of the 00:38 fourth trumpet. 00:40 But before we do, we want to start with a word of prayer 00:42 as we do in the morning, and in the afternoon as well. 00:45 So let's bow our heads for prayer. 00:47 Father in heaven, thank You for the free time 00:51 that we've been able to enjoy, for fellowship, 00:53 for partaking of a good meal, for going out and walking. 00:57 You're such a wonderful God. 00:58 Thank You for all of Your blessings. 01:00 We ask that You'll be present with us 01:02 as we study the fourth trumpet. 01:05 This we pray in Jesus' name. Amen. 01:10 Alright, we are going to page 95 in our study notes. 01:16 Page 95. 01:17 And incidentally, it is Revelation 8:12. 01:23 We're not going to include 13 yet. 01:25 We're going to get to 13 a little bit later on. 01:27 But it's really Revelation 8:12 that is quoted here. 01:32 So let's read the verse that describes the fourth trumpet. 01:59 So that is the fourth trumpet. 02:02 So you'll notice that there are three main symbols 02:06 in this fourth trumpet: the sun, the moon, and the stars. 02:12 So in order to understand the period of the fourth trumpet 02:15 we need to understand what is meant by the sun, 02:18 the moon, and the stars. 02:21 So what are the key verses for us to understand 02:25 the meaning of these symbols? 02:27 Well, one of the key verses is Genesis 1:16. 02:33 Genesis 1:16 02:45 What light is that? 02:47 The sun. 02:50 Remember that's a very important expression, "the lesser light." 02:59 So do you have all three symbols in this verse? 03:03 You have all three symbols in this verse. 03:05 The greater light, the lesser light, and the stars 03:08 that shine at night. 03:11 Now another key verse is Revelation 12:1. 03:15 It also contains the three symbols. 03:18 "Now a great sign appeared in heaven: 03:22 "a woman..." 03:23 What does the woman represent? 03:25 The church. 03:40 This uses the three keys words that we find 03:45 in the fourth trumpet. 03:46 The sun, the moon, and the stars. 03:50 Now I don't have time to go into all the details, 03:53 but the sun represents the age of fulfillment. 03:58 In other words, it's when Jesus actually comes in person. 04:02 The moon, on the other hand, represents the period 04:06 of symbols, types, and shadows in the Old Testament 04:10 that pointed forward to the age of fulfillment; 04:13 pointed forward to Christ. 04:15 The stars represent the founders of the Old Testament church 04:20 and the founders of the New Testament church. 04:23 And we know that because there were twelve patriarchs 04:27 that established the Old Testament church 04:29 and there were twelve apostles that Jesus chose 04:32 as the foundation of the New Testament church. 04:36 Now let's talk about the greater light, the sun. 04:40 We're dealing not with the literal object in heaven, 04:42 we're dealing with symbols. 04:44 So we need to find out what the sun symbolizes. 04:49 So who is represented by the sun, the greater light? 04:54 ~ Jesus. - Well, yes, that's correct. 04:57 Let's notice the Bible verses. 04:59 Psalm 27:1 05:13 So who is the light? 05:15 The Lord is the light. 05:18 In other words, the light of the sun represents the Lord, 05:21 it symbolizes the Lord. 05:23 Psalm 84:11 is another key verse. 05:27 It says, "For the LORD God is a..." What? 05:40 So this text explicitly tells us that the Lord God 05:44 is a sun. 05:45 Obviously not a literal sun, but a symbolic sun. 05:50 Malachi 4:2, once again, identifies God as the sun. 05:56 It says, "But to you who fear My name..." 06:09 So in other words, the sun is a person. 06:18 So we have several text that indicate that the Lord 06:21 is the light, the Lord is the sun. 06:24 The sun represents the Lord. 06:27 Now that's the Old Testament. 06:28 Let's take a look at the New Testament. 06:31 John 8:12 06:34 Here, Jesus is going to go to Jerusalem 06:38 for the Feast of Tabernacles. 06:40 And we find Him saying the following words. 06:56 Now Ellen White makes a very interesting remark about 07:00 where Jesus was when He spoke these words in John 8:12. 07:05 In the book, Desire of Ages, pages 463 and 464, 07:09 we find these words. 07:11 "It was morning; the sun had just risen above 07:16 the Mount of Olives, and its rays fell with dazzling 07:20 brightness on the marble palaces, and lighted up the 07:25 gold of the temple walls, when Jesus, pointing to it, said, 07:30 'I am the light of the world.'" 07:34 So Jesus is saying, "That object in heaven symbolizes Me. 07:39 I am the light of the world." 07:41 A little later on, John 9:5, Jesus once again 07:45 made the same declaration. 07:47 He said, "As long as I am in the world, 07:50 I am..." What? "I am light of the world." 07:55 Let's notice a few other verses. 07:57 Revelation 1:16 07:59 We're in the New Testament now. 08:01 The face of Jesus, the glorified Christ, 08:04 shines like what? 08:06 Like the sun. 08:08 Notice... 08:20 Notice John 1:4-9. 08:23 Speaking about Jesus. 08:33 Who is the one who is shining in the darkness? 08:35 Jesus, right? 08:53 So God raised up John the Baptist to give witness to whom? 08:57 To Jesus. 08:59 So was John a lesser light to lead people to a greater light? 09:03 We'll find that explicitly a little bit later on. 09:07 Verse 8, "He was not that light..." 09:10 In other words, he wasn't the sun. 09:13 "...but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 09:16 That was the true Light," that's Jesus... 09:23 This passage certainly tells us that Jesus is the Light. 09:28 But we're going to find that John the Baptist was a light. 09:32 He was a lamp. Or a moon, if you please. 09:36 Now what about when Jesus came to this earth? 09:39 Notice Matthew 4:16. 09:42 "The people who sat in darkness have seen..." What? 09:47 Because Jesus has come. 09:49 "...have seen a great light, and upon those who sat 09:53 in the region and shadow of death Light has..." What? 09:57 "...dawned." 09:58 So once again, the light of the sun 10:01 is related to Jesus. 10:03 It's a symbol of Christ. 10:05 Now when Jesus was going to be born, 10:10 Zacharias described the birth of Jesus 10:15 by using the symbolism of the sun. 10:17 Let's read Luke 1:76-79. 10:42 Now that word, "Dayspring," is composed 10:45 really of two Greek words: anatole helio. 10:49 "Anatole," means, to rise. 10:52 And, "helio", where we get the word, helium, from, 10:55 is the sun. 10:56 So a better translation is, "...through the tender mercy 11:00 with which the rising Sun from on high has visited us." 11:05 So when Jesus comes into the world, He is the what? 11:08 He's the rising sun. 11:10 What did He come for? 11:11 Oh, if the sun rises, it's "to give light to those 11:15 who sit..." Where? 11:23 Another text is 2 Corinthians 4:6. 11:27 "For it is God who commanded light to shine 11:30 out of darkness..." 11:39 1 John 1:5 11:42 Is there any darkness in God? 11:46 Can darkness exist where the sun is? 11:49 Darkness can't exist where the sun is. 11:52 Notice this verse. 12:05 So this has a very important bearing on the fourth trumpet, 12:10 because in the fourth trumpet the lights are eclipsed. 12:14 Partially eclipsed; not totally, but partially eclipsed. 12:19 Notice 1 Peter 2:9. 12:23 Here, Peter is speaking about God's people. 12:44 So what does the sun represent? 12:47 The sun is a symbol of Jesus Christ, the light. 12:52 Now let's see what the spirit of prophecy has to say about this. 12:56 Testimonies to Ministers, page 280. 12:59 "God makes His sun to shine on the just and on the unjust. 13:05 And this sun represents Christ, the Sun of Righteousness, 13:12 who shines as the light of the world, 13:15 giving His blessings and mercies, seen and unseen, 13:19 to rich and poor alike." 13:21 Explicitly, she says this sun represents Christ. 13:26 And where Jesus lives, people live in the light. 13:32 Where Jesus is not present, people are in what? 13:36 In darkness. 13:38 Let's notice the next quotations. 13:41 "Were the Sun of Righteousness to withdraw His beams of light 13:45 from the world, we should be left in..." What? 13:49 "...in the darkness of eternal light." 13:50 So let me ask you, somehow was Christ eclipsed 13:55 during the period of the fourth trumpet? 13:59 Was Jesus eclipsed during the period of the fourth trumpet? 14:03 Absolutely, because a third of the sun is eclipsed. 14:07 Right? 14:08 So let's continue. 14:09 "Jesus spake as never man spake. 14:13 He poured out to men the whole treasure of heaven 14:15 in wisdom and knowledge. 14:17 He is the light that lighteth every man 14:21 who cometh into the world." 14:24 That is, Counsels on Education, pages 78 and 79. 14:29 In the book, Fundamentals of Christian Education, page 183, 14:33 Ellen White wrote, "We should ask the Lord to open 14:36 our understanding, that we may comprehend divine truth. 14:40 If we humble our hearts before God, 14:42 empty them of vanity and pride and selfishness, 14:46 through the grace abundantly bestowed upon us, 14:49 if we sincerely desire and unwaveringly believe, 14:53 the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness will..." What? 14:58 "...will shine into our minds and illuminate 15:02 our darkened understanding. 15:04 Jesus is the Light that lighteth every man 15:08 that cometh into the world. 15:10 He is the Light of the world, and He bids us 15:13 come unto Him and learn of Him." 15:17 One final quotation, That I May Know Him, page 97. 15:21 "Christ makes no apology when He declares, 15:24 'I am the light of the world.' 15:26 He was, in life and teaching, the gospel..." 15:30 So Jesus is the light in the sense that He is the what? 15:35 He is the gospel, the fulfillment of the gospel. 15:39 "...the foundation of all pure doctrine. 15:42 Just as the sun compares with the lesser lights 15:45 in the heavens, so did Christ, the Source of light, 15:49 compare with the teachers of His day. 15:52 He was before them all, and shining with the 15:54 brightness of the sun, He diffused His penetrating, 15:59 gladdening rays throughout the world." 16:03 So now we know what the sun represents. 16:05 See, you can't understand the darkening of the sun, 16:07 the moon, and a third of the stars without knowing 16:11 what the sun represents, what the moon represents, 16:13 and what the stars represent, right? 16:15 You have to understand first of all what the symbols 16:17 represent or mean. 16:19 Now John the Baptist was a lesser light. 16:25 And by the way, the Old Testament was 16:27 also a lesser light. 16:29 So you have two lesser lights. 16:31 Now if you want a full explanation of this, 16:34 I have a series on the spirit of prophecy, 16:37 Believe His Prophets, is the name of the series, 16:40 where I have an entire presentation on how 16:42 the Old Testament and John the Baptist 16:45 are lesser lights that lead to the time of fulfillment, 16:48 Jesus Christ, the greater light. 16:51 So let's go through this section. 16:52 John the Baptist and the Old Testament were lesser lights... 16:56 Represented by the moon, by the way. 16:58 ...whose purpose was to lead to the greater light, 17:02 the person of Jesus Christ. 17:04 John the Baptist was not the light, 17:07 but he was a light to bear witness to the light. 17:13 Now let's read these statements from the spirit of prophecy. 17:17 Two of them, Desire of Ages, page 220, 17:19 and Review and Herald, April 8, 1873. 17:23 "The prophet John was the connecting link 17:26 between the two dispensations." 17:28 What are the two dispensations? 17:30 The Old and New Testament, right? 17:32 The age of promise and the age of fulfillment. 17:35 "As God's representative, he stood forth to show 17:38 the relation of the law and the prophets 17:41 to the Christian dispensation." 17:43 Law and prophets is Old Testament, 17:44 Christian dispensation is New Testament. 17:47 What was John? "He was the..." What? 17:50 "...the lesser light, which was to be followed by a..." What? 17:53 "...a greater." 17:54 So let me ask you, what is the greater light? 17:56 You know, there's this idea that Ellen White's writings 17:59 are the lesser light to lead to the Bible, the greater light. 18:04 But the greater light we've identified as whom? 18:06 The greater light is Jesus. Exactly. 18:09 Listen, a book cannot contain Jesus. 18:14 Even the Bible is a lesser light that leads people 18:18 to the greater light, who is Jesus Christ. 18:20 So let's continue. 18:22 "John was the lesser light, which was to be 18:24 followed by a greater. 18:27 The mind of John was illuminated by the Holy Spirit 18:29 that he might shed light upon his people; 18:32 but no other light has ever shone or ever will shine 18:38 so clearly upon fallen man as that which emanated 18:42 from the teaching and example of Jesus Christ." 18:44 That is, when He was here. Right? 18:46 When He actually had come. 18:48 "Christ and His mission had been but dimly understood 18:51 as typified in the shadowy sacrifices." 18:54 What were the shadowy sacrifices? 18:57 The sacrifice of the lamb, the Hebrew feasts, etc. 19:01 "Even John had not fully comprehended the future, 19:04 immortal life through the Savior." 19:08 Review and Herald, April 8, 1873. 19:11 "The religion of the Jews, in consequence of their 19:14 departure from God, consisted mostly in ceremony. 19:18 John was the lesser light, which was to be followed 19:21 by a greater light. 19:24 He was to shake the confidence of the people 19:26 in their traditions, and call their sins to their remembrance, 19:31 and lead them to repentance; that they might be prepared 19:34 to appreciate the work of Christ. 19:36 God communicated to John by inspiration, 19:39 illuminating the prophet that he might remove the superstition 19:43 and darkness from the minds of the honest Jews, 19:46 which had been, through false teachings for generations, 19:49 gathering upon them." 19:53 Now in what sense was John the Baptist a lesser light? 19:56 Because we have an issue here. 19:58 John the Baptist is a lesser light, 20:00 and the Old Testament Scriptures are a lesser light. 20:02 So why would you need two lesser lights to lead to Jesus, 20:06 the greater light? 20:08 For a very simple reason. 20:10 Did the Jews of Christ's day understand the lesser light? 20:15 Did they understand the Scriptures? 20:17 Let me ask you, if they had understood the Scriptures, 20:19 would they have accepted Christ even without 20:22 the ministry of John the Baptist? 20:24 Yes. 20:25 Why did God raise up John the Baptist? 20:27 Because they didn't understand the other lesser light. 20:30 So God says, "I'm going to raise up John to point 20:34 to Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, 20:37 so that they say, 'Hey, wait a minute. 20:39 Let's go back to the Bible and find out, 20:41 because we remember the lamb was sacrificed. 20:44 So this guy must have something to do 20:45 with the sacrifice of the lamb.'" 20:48 Now is the ministry of Ellen White similar to this? 20:53 Are the writings of Ellen White, do they have the purpose 20:57 of leading people to Jesus Christ, the greater light? 21:01 Absolutely. 21:02 Absolutely. Are they a lesser light? 21:05 Yes. 21:06 What is the greater light? The Bible? 21:08 No. The greater light is whom? 21:10 The greater light is Jesus Christ. 21:12 Are you with me or not? 21:13 Now this has been a fundamental misunderstanding 21:16 of many, because they say, "Well, you know, 21:18 the writings of Ellen White are a lesser light," 21:20 and they interpret that as inferior light. 21:23 Of less authority light. 21:26 Ellen White is not less inspired than the Bible. 21:29 Ellen White is not less authoritative than the Bible. 21:33 She has a different function than the Bible. 21:37 Her purpose is to shine on the pages of the Bible 21:40 so that people can understand the Scriptures. 21:44 The other lesser light, if you please. 21:46 Now let's go to the next page, page 100. 21:52 "And when they say to you..." 22:06 In other words, should you go consult the dead 22:07 to know what God's will is? 22:10 How do we discover the truth? 22:14 "To the law..." 22:15 At this stage it would be the writings of Moses 22:18 that are called the law. 22:19 "...and to the testimony..." 22:21 That would be the writings of the prophets up to the time 22:23 when Isaiah is writing. 22:31 So where do you find light? 22:33 You find light in the law and where? 22:35 And in the testimony. 22:37 In the writings of Moses and in the writings of the prophets 22:40 that existed up till that time. 22:43 Is the Word of God a lamp and a light? 22:47 Yes. Psalm 119:105 22:50 "Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path." 22:56 So the Word of God is a lamp. 22:59 It's not the sun, it's a lamp. 23:01 Right? 23:03 Is that a bad thing, that the Word is a lamp? 23:05 No, that's a good thing. 23:09 So the Word of God is a lamp that leads to Jesus, 23:12 the greater light. 23:13 Micah 3:6-7 23:30 Why would the day be dark for them? 23:32 Why would the sun go out in darkness? 23:34 Because the prophets were not pointing to whom? 23:38 They were not pointing to Jesus. 23:40 They were eclipsed, if you please. 23:42 Verse 7... 23:52 So when a prophet speaks and does not point to Christ, 23:57 and does not teach the truth, they are in darkness. 24:01 Now let's notice also that the Old Testament 24:05 is a lesser light that leads to Jesus, the greater light. 24:11 Let's read several text here in John 5:35-36, 24:17 then we'll jump to verses 39-40, and then 45-47. 24:22 "He," that is, John the Baptist, 24:24 "was the burning and shining lamp..." 24:26 So what John the Baptist a lesser light? 24:29 Yeah, he was a lamp, right? 24:30 Did he give light? 24:33 Yes. Because it says he "was a burning and shining lamp, 24:37 and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light." 24:40 So John the Baptist had light. 24:42 What kind of light? 24:44 A lesser light. 24:46 How do we know that? 24:47 Verse 36 says, Jesus is speaking, 24:49 "But I have..." What? "...greater witness..." 24:53 So who is the greater light? 24:55 Jesus. 25:06 And then in verse 39 He says to them, 25:09 "You search the..." What? 25:11 ~ Scriptures. - What Scriptures? 25:13 When Jesus spoke these words there was no New Testament. 25:15 So you're talking about the Old Testament. 25:18 "You search the Scriptures..." He says to the Jews of His day. 25:27 In other words, "They give witness of Me." 25:29 Did John give witness to Jesus? 25:32 Does the Old Testament give witness to Jesus? 25:34 Yes. It continues in verse 40. 25:54 So to whom did Moses give witness? 25:57 Moses gave witness to Jesus. 25:59 Did Abraham give witness to Jesus too? 26:01 John 8:56, Jesus says, "Abraham saw My day, and rejoiced." 26:07 Interesting. 26:08 And then verse 47. 26:12 That is, Moses' writings. 26:14 To whom did Moses point? To Jesus. 26:17 "If you don't believe his writings that point to Me..." 26:24 Also Luke 24:25-27. 26:28 Luke 24:25-27, and then we'll read verses 44-46. 26:35 This is on the road to Emmaus. 26:38 That is, verses 25-27. 26:40 Verses 44-46 is when Jesus is in the upper room 26:43 with the disciples later on that evening. 26:47 "Then He said to them, 'O foolish ones, 26:49 and slow of heart to believe in all the prophets have spoken! 26:54 Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things 26:57 and to enter into His glory?' 27:00 And beginning..." Where? "...at Moses..." 27:03 That would be the law, the Pentateuch. 27:16 You know these three words: Moses, prophets, and Scriptures, 27:19 is really a summary of the entire Old Testament. 27:22 The Jews divided the Old Testament into three parts. 27:25 The first was the Torah, which are the writings of Moses. 27:29 The second are the Nevi'im. 27:31 That's the prophets. 27:32 And the other Scriptures were the Ketuvim. 27:36 So these three words, Jesus is saying, 27:37 "The entire Old Testament points forward to Me." 27:42 And then notice verses 44-46. 27:45 Jesus is with the disciples in the upper room. 27:48 Actually, it ends at verse 45. 27:49 "Then He said to them..." 28:09 To whom did the Psalms give witness? 28:12 To Jesus. 28:13 To whom did the writings of Moses give witness? 28:16 To Jesus. 28:17 To whom did the prophets give witness? Jesus. 28:19 So all of these sources are lesser lights 28:22 that point to whom? 28:23 To Jesus, the greater light. 28:26 And it says in verse 45... 28:33 Did a light go on in their brains 28:35 when they saw that Jesus was a fulfillment 28:38 of everything that the Old Testament pointed to? 28:41 Absolutely. 28:42 Now, not only did John give witness to Jesus, 28:46 but the Scriptures do as well. 28:49 In this sense, both John the Baptist 28:51 and the Old Testament Scriptures are lesser lights 28:54 that give witness to the greater light, Jesus Christ. 28:58 No individual or book can reveal Jesus 29:04 like He reveals Himself in His person. 29:08 The Bible is simply a faint shadow of who Jesus is. 29:12 It's a written description. 29:13 But Jesus in person far surpasses the glory that we find 29:18 in the lesser light, which is the Old Testament 29:21 and the work of John the Baptist. 29:25 Now notice the following statements 29:27 from the spirit of prophecy. 29:29 Desire of Ages, page 211. 29:31 "In every page..." How many? 29:34 Every page. 29:36 "...whether history, or precept, or prophecy, 29:40 the Old Testament Scriptures are irradiated..." 29:44 What does, "irradiated," mean? 29:46 You have the word, "ray," in there, right? 29:49 Irradiated. 29:52 Shine, right? 29:53 "...are irradiated with the glory of the Son of God. 29:57 So far as it was of divine institution, 29:59 the entire system of Judaism was a compacted 30:03 prophecy of the gospel. 30:04 To Christ 'give all the prophets witness.'" 30:08 And then you have, This Day With God, page 246. 30:11 "With the first advent of Christ there was 30:13 ushered in an era of..." What? 30:17 "...greater light and glory." 30:18 So who is the greater light? 30:20 It's the age of fulfillment when Jesus actually comes. 30:24 "But it would indeed be sinful ingratitude to despise 30:28 and ridicule the lesser light because a fuller 30:32 and more glorious light had dawned." 30:34 Are you understanding how Ellen White is defining 30:37 greater and lesser light here? 30:40 So don't let people tell you, "Well, the spirit of prophecy, 30:42 that's only the lesser light. 30:44 So don't worry about what you eat and what you drink. 30:47 You know, that's just Ellen White." 30:51 "Don't worry about how you worship. 30:52 That's just Ellen White. 30:53 She's a lesser light." 30:55 As if lesser means inferior. 30:58 Lesser does not mean inferior. 31:01 It simply means it has a different function. 31:03 She continues, "Those who despise the blessings and glory 31:06 of the Jewish age are not prepared to be benefited 31:10 by the preaching of the gospel." 31:11 That's the New Testament age. 31:13 "The brightness of the Father's glory, and the excellence 31:16 and perfection of His sacred law are only understood through 31:19 the atonement made upon Calvary by His dear Son; 31:23 but even the atonement loses its significance 31:27 when the law of God is rejected." 31:30 And then comes this remarkable statement. 31:33 "What speech is to thought, 31:35 so is Christ to the invisible Father." 31:37 In other words, the Father thinks, and Jesus speaks 31:40 what the Father thought. 31:42 That's amazing. 31:43 "He is the manifestation of the Father, 31:45 and is called the Word of God. 31:48 God sent His Son into the world, His divinity clothed 31:51 with humanity, that man might bear the image 31:55 of the invisible God. 31:56 He made known in His words, His character, 31:59 His power and majesty, the nature and attributes of God. 32:05 Divinity flashed through humanity 32:07 in softening, subduing light. 32:10 He was the embodiment of the law of God, 32:13 which is the transcript of His character." 32:18 So let me ask you, the law is a transcript 32:21 of the character of Jesus, right? 32:23 So what is greater, the transcript or the reality? 32:26 Well of course, the reality. 32:29 If you want to see the law in living color, 32:32 study the life of Jesus who is the greater light. 32:36 The Old Testament presents the basics. 32:40 But it cannot present Christ in all of His glory 32:42 such as we will know Him 32:44 when we enter finally the kingdom. 32:47 Now does the New Testament also give witness to Christ? 32:51 Does the New Testament give witness to Christ as well? 32:54 Yes. So is the New Testament a lesser light? 32:58 Yes. 32:59 Let's read John 21:24-25. 33:03 "This is the disciple who testifies..." 33:08 You know, we have two words: witness and testify. 33:12 Those two words are the same in the Greek language. 33:15 There's one word for, "give witness" 33:17 and "testify", in the Greek. 33:18 So when it says here, John says, "This is the disciple 33:22 who testifies," it means that he gives witness. 33:29 "...and we know that his..." Witness, it can be translated. 33:49 So the Bible is just a basic outline, in other words. 33:54 So does the New Testament give witness to Christ as well? 33:57 Yes. 33:59 How about the spirit of prophecy? 34:00 Does the spirit of prophecy give witness to Jesus? 34:03 Notice this statement from, Review and Herald, 34:06 January 20, 1903. 34:08 "The Lord has sent his people much instruction, 34:11 line upon line, precept upon precept, 34:14 here a little, and there a little. 34:16 Little heed is given to the Bible, and the Lord has given 34:20 a lesser light to lead men and women to the greater light." 34:25 Did the Jews pay little attention 34:26 to the Bible in their day? 34:28 Yes. So what did God do? 34:31 He gave them a lesser light, John the Baptist, 34:33 to lead people to whom? 34:35 To Jesus Christ, the greater light. 34:37 It continues saying, "O, how much good would be accomplished 34:41 if the books containing this light were read 34:44 with a determination to carry out 34:47 the principles they contain!" 34:50 Now, not only are the Scriptures a lesser light, 34:55 but God's people are moons that are supposed to reflect 35:00 the light of Jesus to the world. 35:02 And by the way, where do we find the light of Jesus 35:04 in this world? 35:06 We find it where? 35:07 Oh, we don't see Him personally now, 35:10 so we present Jesus to the world by preaching what? 35:14 By preaching the Bible. 35:15 Which is a lamp or a light to the people in the world. 35:19 So let's notice John 12:34-36. 35:59 Remember, we studied this morning about the water 36:02 that came forth from the rock? 36:05 What happens when you drink the water? 36:08 You become a well or a fountain. 36:13 And then you become a fountain to give water to others. 36:17 Is it the same principle with the light? 36:20 When you receive the light, what do you do? 36:23 You project the light; you're a lesser light 36:25 that gives witness to the greater light. 36:28 So notice Ephesians 5:8-14. The same idea. 36:39 He's speaking to the Ephesians. "...you are..." What? 36:43 So are we the great light? 36:45 No. What are we? 36:47 The lesser light. Giving witness to whom? 36:49 To Jesus. 37:07 What is it that exposes the darkness? 37:10 The light, of course. 37:12 "For it is shameful even to speak of those things 37:15 which are done by them in secret. 37:17 "But all things that are exposed are made 37:20 manifest by the..." What? 37:22 "...by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. 37:26 Therefore He says, 'Awake, you who sleep, 37:29 arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.'" 37:35 So we are like moons that present the Scriptures 37:43 and the spirit of prophecy to point to whom? 37:47 To point to Jesus Christ. 37:50 Now let's continue here. 37:52 Desire of Ages, page 465. 37:55 "As the moon and the stars of the solar system 37:59 shine by the reflected light of the sun, 38:03 so, as far as their teaching is true..." 38:06 Where do we get the teaching from? 38:09 From the Bible and what else? 38:11 As Adventists, from the spirit of prophecy. 38:15 "...so, as far as their teaching is true, 38:18 do the world's great thinkers reflect the rays 38:22 of the Sun of Righteousness. 38:24 Every gem of thought, every flash of the intellect, 38:28 is from the Light of the world." 38:32 And then you have this last statement in this section, 38:35 Reflecting Christ, page 379. 38:37 '"Ye are the light of the world,' 38:39 said Christ to His disciples. 38:41 As the sun goes forth in the heavens, 38:44 dispelling the shades of the night, and filling the world 38:49 with brightness, so must..." Whom? 38:52 "...the followers of Jesus let their light shine 38:57 to dispel the moral darkness of a world lying in sin. 39:01 However, they have no light of themselves; 39:05 it is the light of Heaven that they are to 39:08 reflect to the world." 39:11 Are you catching the picture? 39:13 So now we know what the sun represents. 39:15 We know what the moon represents. 39:18 So what is the meaning of the stars? 39:21 A third of the stars are eclipsed. 39:24 Let's read Daniel 12:3, and then we'll read Daniel 12:10. 39:30 What are we doing here, folks? 39:33 We're using simple prophetic principles 39:36 to interpret the trumpets. 39:38 We're using the same method that we used for the churches, 39:41 the same method that we used for the seals, 39:43 the same method that we used to interpret Daniel chapter 7, 39:47 the beast, and so on. 39:49 We're allowing the Bible to interpret 39:50 the meaning of the symbols. 39:52 It's not rocket science. 39:54 It's actually quite simple when you allow the Bible 39:57 to explain itself. 39:58 Daniel 12:3 40:15 So stars represent God's people, right? 40:19 So notice it continues saying, 40:20 "May shall be purified, made white..." 40:31 And then you have several very insightful statements 40:35 by Ellen White. 40:37 In the book, Prophets and Kings, pages 188 and 189, 40:41 Ellen White is dealing here with the end time 40:43 with those who are faithful to the Lord 40:45 in the big trial ahead. 40:47 "Among earth's inhabitants, scattered in every land, 40:51 there are those who have not bowed the knee to Baal." 40:55 And what does she compare them to? 40:58 "Like the stars of heaven, which appear only at night, 41:03 these faithful ones will shine forth when darkness 41:07 covers the earth and gross darkness the people." 41:10 Will they shine as the sun or will they shine as moons? 41:14 Well, they'll be lesser lights, right? 41:16 Because they're preaching the Scriptures. 41:19 It continues, "In heathen Africa, in the Catholic lands 41:23 of Europe and of South America, in China, in India, 41:26 in the islands of the sea, 41:28 and in all the dark corners of the earth, 41:30 God has in reserve a firmament of chosen ones..." 41:35 What is in the firmament? 41:37 The stars. 41:40 So she says, "...God has in reserve a firmament 41:42 of chosen ones that will yet shine forth amidst the darkness, 41:47 revealing clearly to an apostate world the transforming power 41:51 of obedience to His law. 41:53 Even now they are appearing in every nation, 41:55 among every tongue and people; 41:57 and in the hour of deepest apostasy..." 42:00 That is when it's darkest. 42:02 "...when Satan's supreme effort is made to cause 42:05 'all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond,' 42:08 to receive, under penalty of death, the sign of allegiance 42:12 to a false rest day, these faithful ones, 42:15 'blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke,' 42:19 will 'shine as lights in the world.' 42:23 The darker the night, the more brilliantly will they shine." 42:28 Do you want to be among those? 42:31 We've got to let our light shine, folks, 42:33 like the stars of heaven. 42:35 Here's another one, Maranatha, page 200. 42:38 "Maranatha" was a devotional book many, many years ago. 42:43 "The contest is between the commandments of God 42:45 and the commandments of men. 42:47 In this time the gold will be separated 42:49 from the dross in the church. 42:51 True godliness will be clearly distinguished from 42:55 the appearance and tinsel of it." 42:59 And now notice this. 43:00 "Many a star that we have admired for its brilliancy 43:06 will then go out in darkness." 43:10 Many great individuals that we said, "Man, this person 43:14 can't miss," are going to go out in darkness. 43:19 I pray to the Lord that I'm not one of them every day. 43:23 "Many a star that we have admired for its brilliancy 43:26 will then go out in darkness. 43:28 Chaff like a cloud will be borne away on the wind, 43:31 even from places where we see only floors of rich wheat. 43:35 All who assume the ornaments of the sanctuary..." 43:38 That is the external beauty of the sanctuary. 43:40 "...but are not clothed with Christ's righteousness, 43:43 will appear in the shame of their own nakedness." 43:47 So what do the stars represent? 43:49 They represent God's faithful people that shine 43:52 in the midst of darkness; the darkness of the world. 43:56 At the bottom of page 104, Ellen White referred to John Wycliffe 44:01 as the morning star of the Reformation. 44:06 Now wait a minute. 44:08 Revelation 22:16 says that Jesus is the Morning Star. 44:12 So how can we say Jesus is the Morning Star, 44:15 but Wycliffe is the morning star of the Reformation? 44:18 Well, let's read Ellen White's quotation. 44:20 This Day With God, page 327. 44:23 "Every true believer catches the beams from the Morning Star 44:29 and transmits the light to those who sit in darkness." 44:32 So where did Wycliffe get his rays of light from? 44:37 From THE Morning Star. 44:39 "Not only do they shine amid the darkness 44:42 of their own neighborhood, 44:43 but as a church, they shine forth to regions beyond. 44:47 The Lord expects every man to do his duty. 44:50 Everyone who unites with the church..." 44:52 - How many? ~ Everyone. 44:56 Two people believe this. 44:58 Ha, ha, ha, ha. 45:00 "Everyone who unites with the church 45:03 is to be one with Christ to diffuse the beams 45:07 of the Morning Star, and becoming the light of the world, 45:11 Christ and His people are to be..." What? 45:14 "...co-partners in the great work of saving the world." 45:20 And then we have the statement I read this morning. 45:22 I'm going to read it again because it's powerful. 45:24 "'These things sayeth He that holdeth seven stars 45:28 in His right hand.' 45:29 These words are spoken to..." Whom? 45:33 The seven stars... 45:34 Are you understanding what the seven stars 45:36 in relation to the churches are? 45:38 The seven churches represent what? 45:41 Seven periods of church history. 45:43 The seven stars represent the religious leaders at each stage 45:48 of the history of the church. 45:49 Now in that light we need to see this statement. 45:53 "These words are spoken to the teachers in the church; 45:57 those entrusted by God with weighty responsibilities. 46:01 The sweet influences that are to be abundant in the church 46:04 are bound up with God's..." Whom? 46:06 "...ministers, who are to reveal the love of Christ. 46:11 The stars of heaven are under His control. 46:14 He fills them with light. 46:16 He guides and directs their movements. 46:19 If He did not do this, they would become fallen stars." 46:22 And now she's going to say what the stars represent. 46:25 "So with His ministers. 46:27 They are but instruments in His hands, 46:30 and all the good they accomplish is done through His power. 46:33 Through them His light is to shine forth. 46:36 The Savior is to be their efficiency. 46:39 If they will look to Him as He looked to the Father, 46:43 they will be enabled to do His work. 46:46 As they make God their dependence, 46:48 He will give them His brightness to reflect to the world." 46:54 It's clear? 46:56 So what does the sun represent? 46:59 Jesus Christ, the person of Jesus Christ. 47:01 The age of fulfillment. 47:03 What does the moon represent? 47:05 It represents the Old Testament 47:07 that pointed to Jesus, the greater light. 47:09 John the Baptist who pointed to Jesus, the greater light. 47:13 Ellen White who pointed to Jesus as the greater light. 47:18 Now let's go to the next section. 47:22 The eclipse of the two witnesses. 47:25 Were the two witnesses eclipsed during the 47:28 period of the fourth trumpet? 47:30 Absolutely. 47:31 Now I want you to notice that in Scripture 47:38 the period of the 1260 years is an era of darkness. 47:45 During the period of the papal dominion 47:48 it's a period of darkness. 47:50 Why do you suppose it's called, the Dark Ages? 47:55 Because the sun, moon, and stars have been what? 47:58 Eclipsed. 48:00 Exactly. 48:01 Now let's notice Revelation 11:3. 48:05 "I will give power to my two witnesses..." God says. 48:11 For how long were the two witnesses going to prophesy? 48:16 How were they going to prophesy? 48:23 What color is sackcloth? 48:27 Black. 48:31 Let's read the next two verses and you'll see it. 48:34 Isaiah 50:3 48:44 That's what you call a synonymous parallelism, 48:47 where the second line is a repetition 48:49 of the same thought as the first line in different words. 48:52 So, "I clothed the heavens with..." What? 48:55 "...blackness." Or darkness. 48:57 "And I make sackcloth their covering." 48:59 How were the two witnesses 49:00 going to give their witness then? 49:02 In the fullness of light? 49:04 No. In darkness. 49:08 Revelation 6:12 is another text that tells us that 49:11 sackcloth is black, and it's symbolic of blackness. 49:32 So how do we interpret the two witnesses 49:36 in the light of this fourth trumpet? 49:39 Well the two witnesses represent what? 49:43 The two witnesses represent the Old and New Testament. 49:48 How did they witness during the period of the fourth trumpet? 49:52 They witnessed in sackcloth. 49:54 In darkness. 49:56 Because the sun, the moon, and the stars were what? 49:59 Partially eclipsed. 50:02 As we have seen, the Old Testament gives witness to Jesus 50:05 as does the New Testament. 50:08 In this sense, the two witnesses give witness to Jesus. 50:14 Let's notice Ellen White's concept of the two witnesses, 50:17 what they represent. 50:19 Great Controversy, page 267. 50:21 "The two witnesses represent the Scriptures 50:24 of the Old and the New Testament." 50:27 How did the Old and New Testament speak 50:29 during the period of papal dominion? 50:32 In fullness of light? 50:34 No. In darkness. 50:37 She continues, "Both are important testimonies 50:40 to the origin and perpetuity of the law of God. 50:44 Both are witnesses also to..." What? 50:47 "...to the plan of salvation. 50:49 The types, sacrifices, and prophecies of the Old Testament 50:53 point forward to a Savior to come. 50:56 The Gospels and Epistles of the New Testament 50:59 tell of a Savior who has come in the exact manner 51:03 foretold by type and prophecy." 51:07 Are you understanding this? 51:09 So who are the two witnesses? 51:11 The Old and New Testament. 51:12 The two lesser lights, right? 51:14 That were supposed to lead people to whom? 51:17 To Jesus Christ, the greater light. 51:19 But what happened during the 1260 years? 51:23 We're told here that the two witnesses 51:25 prophesied in sackcloth. 51:27 In darkness. 51:29 Because the Word of God was what? 51:32 The Word of God was suppressed by the papal church. 51:38 Ellen White described how the two witnesses 51:40 gave their testimony dimly during the 1260 years 51:44 of papal supremacy. 51:45 The greater and lesser lights pointed to Jesus dimly 51:49 because the papacy partially eclipsed them. 51:53 Notice this statement from, Great Controversy, page 269. 51:58 "The period when the two witnesses," 52:00 that is the lesser light, "were to prophesy 52:03 clothed in sackcloth ended in 1798. 52:07 As they were approaching the termination 52:09 of their work in..." What? 52:13 Obscurity. 52:15 What does obscurity mean? 52:18 You know the word in Spanish is used more. 52:21 The word, "oscuro." 52:24 It means, dark. Right, Lupé? 52:26 Oscuro. 52:27 That's what obscurity means; in darkness. 52:29 So how did the two witnesses give their testimony? 52:32 In darkness. In obscurity. 52:35 So once again, "As they were approaching the termination 52:37 of their work in obscurity, war was to be made upon them 52:42 by the power represented as 'the beast that ascendeth 52:45 out of the bottomless pit.'" 52:46 This is the fifth trumpet, by the way. 52:48 The French Revolution. 52:49 "In many of the nations of Europe the powers that ruled 52:52 in Church and State had for centuries been controlled 52:56 by Satan, through the medium of the papacy." 52:59 That's during the 1260 years. 53:01 "But here..." 53:02 Speaking of the fifth trumpet, the French Revolution. 53:05 "But here is brought to view a new 53:08 manifestation of Satanic power." 53:10 In France the Scriptures were killed. 53:14 The two witnesses were killed. 53:17 During the 1260 years they gave witness in obscurity. 53:20 But in the French Revolution the two witnesses are killed. 53:24 The Old and New Testament. 53:27 We'll come to that when we deal with the fifth trumpet. 53:29 And that will be tomorrow. 53:30 Very, very exciting. 53:32 Notice, Great Controversy, page 269. 53:36 "According to the words of the prophet, then, 53:39 a little before the year 1798 some power of Satanic origin 53:45 and character would rise to make war upon the Bible. 53:51 And in the land where the testimony of God's two witnesses 53:55 should thus be silenced, there would be manifest 53:58 the atheism of the Pharaoh, and the licentiousness of Sodom." 54:04 The chapter on the French Revolution 54:06 describes the fifth trumpet. 54:09 Which follows, of course, the period of obscurity 54:12 of the sun, moon, and stars 54:14 during the period of papal supremacy. 54:16 Are you following me or not? 54:18 Now, let's talk about the darkening 54:21 of the sun and the moon in the light of what 54:24 Ellen White has to say. 54:27 And we'll have to stop after we read probably 54:31 the first statement here. 54:33 Significantly, Ellen White titled the chapter in, 54:35 The Great Controversy, in the period of papal supremacy, 54:39 you know how she titled that chapter? 54:41 An Era of Spiritual Darkness. 54:44 Coincidence, right? 54:46 No. 54:47 Because the sun, moon, and stars are eclipsed during this period. 54:50 She wrote repeatedly about the darkness 54:53 that characterized this period. 54:55 Let's read this statement. 54:56 "The accession of the Roman Church to power 54:59 marked the beginning of..." What? 55:02 "...Dark Ages." Hello. 55:05 "...Dark Ages. 55:06 As her power increased, the..." What? 55:10 "...the darkness deepened. 55:12 Faith was transferred from Christ..." 55:14 So are people looking at Christ? 55:17 No. 55:18 It says, "Faith was transferred from Christ, 55:20 the true foundation, to..." Whom? 55:23 "...to the pope of Rome." 55:24 Is Christ eclipsed during this period? 55:26 He most certainly is. 55:28 "Instead of trusting in the Son of God for forgiveness of sins 55:31 and for eternal salvation, the people looked to the pope, 55:34 and to the priests and prelates to whom he delegated authority. 55:38 They were taught that the pope was their earthly mediator 55:41 and that none could approach God except through him; 55:44 and, further, that he stood in the place of God to them 55:48 and was therefore to be implicitly obeyed." 55:52 Was the sight of the people distracted 55:55 from Christ to the pope? 55:57 Absolutely. 55:58 Was Christ eclipsed? 56:00 His intercessory work. Yes. 56:03 "A deviation from his requirements was sufficient 56:06 cause for the severest punishment to be visited 56:09 upon the bodies and souls of the offenders. 56:12 Thus the minds of the people were turned away from God 56:18 to fallible, erring, and cruel men; nay, more to..." Whom? 56:24 "...the prince of..." There once again. 56:27 Emphasis on darkness. 56:28 "...the prince of darkness himself, who exercised 56:31 his power through them. 56:33 Sin was disguised in a garb of sanctity. 56:36 When the Scriptures are suppressed, and man comes 56:40 to regard himself as supreme, we need look only for fraud, 56:44 deception, and debasing iniquity." 56:48 We have time to read maybe one or two more. 56:52 This one is from, Great Controversy, page 57. 56:55 This is all from the chapter on, An Era of Spiritual Darkness. 56:58 Notice how she emphasizes darkness all the time. 57:01 "The darkness seemed to grow more dense. 57:04 Image worship became more general. 57:07 Candles were burned before images, 57:09 and prayers were offered to them. 57:11 The most absurd and superstitious customs prevailed. 57:15 The minds of men were so completely controlled 57:18 by superstition that reason itself 57:21 seemed to have lost its sway. 57:24 While priests and bishops were themselves pleasure-loving, 57:27 sensual, and corrupt, it could only be expected that the people 57:32 who looked to them for guidance would be sunken 57:35 in ignorance and vice." 57:37 And in, Great Controversy, page 58, she wrote, 57:40 "The advancing centuries witnessed a constant 57:44 increase of error in the doctrines put forth by Rome." 57:50 Are you catching the picture of what's happening 57:52 during the fourth trumpet? 57:55 The fourth trumpet is not describing 57:57 the barbarian invasions. 57:59 We'll conclude this in our next session. |
Revised 2020-08-11