Participants:
Series Code: RST
Program Code: RST000023S
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00:01 [intense orchestral music]
00:14 Well, welcome to the afternoon session! Our 00:18 last session in this seminar. And when I 00:22 say "session," I'm talking about the two that we're 00:24 gonna have this afternoon. This morning, we began 00:28 our study of the sixth trumpet. We want to 00:32 continue that study, and I believe that we 00:34 were on page 306 when we ended in our last 00:39 presentation. So, we want to begin there. 00:44 What we're gonna do is just, basically, summarize 00:48 the main points of what we studied this morning. 00:51 But before we do, at the beginning of each 00:54 session-morning and afternoon-we have a 00:57 word of prayer to ask the Lord's presence. 00:59 So, let's pray. Father in heaven, thank you 01:02 for the good meal that we've been able to enjoy. 01:05 Thank you for the good worship service that we've 01:08 been present at. What a blessing it was. We 01:11 ask that you will now bless us as we open 01:14 Your Word, and study about the sixth trumpet. 01:18 Give us clear minds and open hearts. We ask that 01:22 You will be present here with us through the ministry 01:24 of the Holy Spirit. We pray this in Jesus' 01:28 precious name. Amen. [Amen!] Okay! What 01:34 two points in common do the sixth trumpet 01:37 and the sixth plagues have? Sixth plague? 01:41 First of all, the river Euphrates. And secondly, 01:47 the manifestation of spirits of devils, right? 01:52 Those are the two common denominators between the 01:54 sixth trumpet and the sixth plague. Now, let's 01:58 summarize what we looked at this morning. You have 02:02 four bullet points here where it says, "In summary". 02:07 In Revelation 8:12, 12:13-15, and 13:1-9, 02:15 the persecuting waters of the symbolic river 02:18 Euphrates flowed against God's people for 1,260 02:22 years. You remember that? The dragon spewed water 02:26 all over his mouth to try and drown the woman. 02:30 So, that was the river Euphrates during the 02:32 1,260 years, right? ...Right? [audience approval] 02:36 Good, alright. Now, what happened at the end of 02:40 this period? Revelation 9:1-11 (and that's the 02:46 fifth trumpet, by the way), Revelation 12:16, 02:49 the earth dries up the waters, and Revelation 02:52 13:3, 10, the deadly wound of the papacy. 02:56 What happened with the waters at the end of 02:59 the fourth trumpet and the end of this period? 03:03 The waters dried up. What is another way of 03:06 explaining "the waters dried up"? What is another 03:08 way of expressing it? "The beast received 03:14 a deadly wound," right? So the drying up of the 03:17 waters and the deadly wound are the same. 03:22 And then, Revelation 9:13-21, 12:17, 16:13-15, 03:30 which we're gonna look at a little bit later, and 17:1, 2, 03:34 and 15 tell us that the persecuting waters are 03:38 going to flow again. Correct? Once again, 03:46 in Revelation 9:13-21, you have a mention of 03:49 the Euphrates. We're gonna study that. And 03:52 you also have mention of spirits of demons 03:55 coming up to cause problems for God's people. So, 04:01 are the persecuting waters going to flow again? 04:04 Yes, because the harlot in Revelation 17 is seated 04:09 on many waters. And what is her name? Babylon! 04:14 What were the many waters of Babylon? The Euphrates! 04:18 So are the waters going to flow again under the 04:22 leadership of the harlot, joined with the kings 04:24 of the earth? Absolutely. But then what's going 04:28 to happen, according to Revelation 11:15-17- 04:31 this is the seventh trumpet, when Jesus 04:33 takes over the Kingdom- and Revelation 16:12, 04:36 which describes the drying up of those waters, 04:40 and Revelation 17:16, where it says that the 04:42 kings will turn against the harlot. What's gonna 04:45 happen to the waters, finally, during the period 04:48 of the sixth plague? The waters are going 04:52 to dry up again. What does that mean? It means 04:57 that the papacy will finally lose its power 05:01 when the civil powers, the kings, arise against 05:05 the system. Is that what happened at the end of 05:08 the French Revolution? Absolutely! France rose 05:12 against the papacy. So, let's go to our comments 05:16 on Revelation 16:12. Let's read the verse 05:21 first. "Then, the sixth angel poured out his 05:25 bowl on the great river Euphrates." We're gonna 05:30 find this same river mentioned in the sixth 05:32 trumpet when we study verse by verse, a little 05:35 bit later on. So, "The sixth angel poured out 05:38 his bowl on the great river Euphrates," and 05:40 what happened when he poured out his bowl? 05:44 "The water of the Euphrates was dried up so that the 05:49 way of the kings from the east might be prepared." 05:55 So, after the waters dry up, what is the 05:57 next event? The next event is the coming of 06:02 Christ. Who are the kings from the east? The kings 06:07 from the east are Jesus and His angels. We already 06:10 identified them in chapter 19! Jesus comes on a 06:12 white horse. He's followed by white horses, and He's 06:16 coming to trample on the winepress. So, do 06:19 you see the seventh trumpet there? The 06:20 seventh plague is really- the sixth and seventh 06:24 plagues are parallel to the seventh trumpet. 06:27 Now, let's go to the next page - page 307. 06:31 We know for certain that the drying up of the Euphrates 06:34 at the time of the sixth plague occurs after the 06:39 close of probationary time, right? Does the sixth 06:44 plague take place after the close of probation? 06:47 Yes, because the plagues fall after the close of 06:50 probation. But when does the sixth trumpet take 06:55 place? Does it take place after the close 06:58 of probation? No. The sixth trumpet takes 07:03 place during probationary time, because it's the 07:07 sixth trumpet. Only when the seventh trumpet is 07:11 about to sound, probation closes, and then you 07:14 have the time of trouble; and, ultimately, the 07:18 seventh trumpet blows, and Jesus comes to take 07:22 over the kingdom. Now, let's go to the next 07:24 verse. Revelation 16 and verse 13. "And I 07:29 saw three unclean spirits like frogs, coming out 07:35 of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the 07:38 beast, and out of the mouth of the false 07:40 prophet." Does this describe demonic activity? 07:45 [Yes.] Yes. Does the previous verse mention 07:48 the river Euphrates? Yes. Are you following 07:52 me or not? So, now notice- let's read the note. 07:56 It is vitally important to underline that the 07:59 events of verses 13 to 16-very important- 08:03 occur chronologically before those of verse 08:07 12. In other words, what we find in verses 13 08:10 to 16 actually occurs before what you find 08:14 in verse 12. You're gonna see why. In 08:18 other words, verse 12 describes the sixth 08:20 plague after the close of probationary time, 08:25 while verses 13-16 describe the events that led up 08:29 to that climax during probationary time. 08:34 Are you with me? Yes? [Yes!] Good. [laughs] 08:39 Now, the ancient Egyptians considered the frog the 08:42 god of immortality. The three unclean spirits 08:46 symbolize three symbolic fallen angels. So does the 08:50 devil also have three angels? [Oh, yeah.] Yeah. God 08:54 has three angels, and Satan has three angels. 08:57 Now, let's continue here. The three unclean 09:01 spirits come out of the mouth of the dragon, 09:06 the beast, and the false prophet. What comes 09:07 out of your mouth? [Words.] Words. So what is coming 09:11 out of the mouth of the dragon, the beast, and 09:13 the false prophet? False doctrines. False teachings. 09:19 Deceptions. Now, the next paragraph... It 09:22 has been common among Adventists to interpret 09:24 the dragon in this verse as spiritualism. Have you 09:28 ever heard that before? The beast is the papacy, 09:31 and the false prophet are the Protestant denominations, 09:35 and the dragon is Satan... or spiritualism. Now, 09:40 that's partially true. But really, the dragon 09:44 represents Satan working through the civil powers 09:48 of the world. And you say, "How's that?" Who 09:52 tried to slay Jesus when He was born? Was it the 09:55 dragon who tried to slay Jesus? [Yes.] Yes. And 09:59 who was the dragon that wanted to slay Jesus? 10:03 Well, it was Satan working through Herod. In Ezekiel 10:08 29:3, Pharaoh is called the great dragon. Who 10:12 wanted to see Moses, the deliverer, dead? 10:15 Satan wanted to! But who did he use? He 10:19 actually used Pharaoh. So, the dragon represents 10:22 the civil powers of the world, the beast represents 10:25 the papacy, and the false prophet represents apostate 10:30 Protestantism. Now, these three fallen angels... 10:34 Actually, these three angels represent Satan's 10:37 people who spread his lies. You know the three 10:39 angels of Revelation 14 represent the people 10:41 of God proclaiming the message. It's not that 10:44 you're gonna see three angels whizzing across 10:46 heaven. It's the people that actually proclaim 10:49 the messages. So, we need to understand that 10:51 these three fallen angels represent Satan's people 10:56 who spread his lies. They will speak on behalf 10:59 of what? These evil spirits will speak on behalf of whom? 11:04 On behalf of the dragon, the beast, and the false 11:08 prophet. So, what we have here is that the 11:13 dragon is a parody of whom? Of God the Father. 11:21 The beast is a parody of whom? Of Christ. 11:26 How many years did the ministry of Christ last? 11:30 Three and a half. Did He perform miracles? 11:33 [Yes.] Yes. Did He receive a deadly wound at the 11:37 end of His life? [Yes.] Did He resurrect from 11:40 the wound? [Yes.] Did the world wonder after 11:43 Him? Yes! Just look at Pentecost. After that, 11:48 5,000 more. So, what would the false prophet 11:52 represent? What does a false prophet do? He 11:54 makes fire come down from heaven in the 11:56 sight of men. So he would be a counterfeit of what? 12:00 Of the Holy Spirit. So, Satan has his counterfeit 12:05 godhead, and God has His true Godhead. Are 12:08 you with me or not? [Amen.] Now, let's 12:11 continue at the bottom of the page. Notice how 12:14 Ellen White connects the false prophet of 12:17 Revelation 13:13 with the message of Revelation 16:13-14. 12:23 "John upon the isle of Patmos saw the things 12:26 which had come upon the earth in the last days." 12:29 And then she quotes Revelation 13:13 and 12:33 16:14. Interesting. 13:13 is describing the 12:37 beast from the earth, and 16:14 is quoting 12:42 the verses that we're taking a look at now. 12:44 She continues, quoting, "'And he doeth great 12:47 wonders, so that he make a fire come down from 12:50 heaven on earth in the sight of men.'" And then 12:53 she goes to this very next verse. "'For they 12:55 are spirits of devils, working miracles which 12:58 go forth onto the kings of the earth and of the 13:01 whole world, to gather them to the battle of 13:06 that great day of God Almighty. So, what is 13:12 verse 13 describing? Verse 13 is describing 13:16 demonic activity by three fallen angels that are 13:22 speaking out of their mouth doctrines of 13:25 devils. They are deceiving spirits. So now, let's 13:29 go to the comments on Revelation 16:14. What 13:35 are these spirits that are mentioned in Revelation 13:39 16:13? The unclean spirits. Well, we don't have to 13:42 guess, because it says, "For they are spirits of 13:47 demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings 13:53 of the earth and the whole world, to gather 13:58 them to the battle of that great day of God 14:02 Almighty." Let's read the note. "The purpose 14:06 of the message of these symbolic angels and the 14:10 signs they perform is to gather the kings of the 14:14 earth and the whole world against God and His people. 14:20 One cannot help but see that under the sixth 14:22 trumpet, the angels are at the four corners at 14:27 the river Euphrates, and they're released." 14:30 And here, the text tells us that the spirits of 14:33 demons go to the kings of the earth and of the 14:36 whole world. Is there a parallel there? [Yes.] 14:39 Absolutely there's a parallel. Now, let's notice 14:44 Ellen White's comment in Revelation 16:13-14. 14:48 When did this demonic activity start to manifest 14:51 itself? Is it just in the very last remnant 14:55 of time, or did it start right around the 1840s? 15:00 [1840s.] It started when the three angels' messages 15:05 were proclaimed in the 1840s. You remember the vision 15:09 that Ellen White had of the train? Where 15:11 she's talking about... Where did spiritualism 15:13 originate? Modern spiritualism. Have you heard of the 15:17 Fox sisters? 1848 in Rochester, New York. 15:22 Ellen White describes this as a train. She 15:27 says, "I saw a train." And almost the whole 15:30 world appeared to be on the train. Ellen White 15:33 saw the conductor. He looked like a very refined 15:36 person. She was confused how God's prophet didn't 15:42 know who he was. And so, Ellen White asked 15:45 her angel, "Who is he?" And the angel tells Ellen 15:49 White, "He's Satan, disguised as an angel 15:52 of light, and he's leading the world into deception, 15:57 and ultimately onto destruction." So, does 16:02 this scenario of Revelation 16 apply only to the 16:06 very end of time? No! The sixth trumpet goes 16:10 all the way back to 1798, after 1798, and the 1840s. 16:18 Now, notice Ellen White, the tenses of the verbs 16:20 that Ellen White uses when she quotes this 16:25 verse. This is from Last Day Events, pg. 249. 16:30 "The Spirit of God is," what?...Is the Spirit 16:37 of God withdrawn? Boom! No... "The Spirit of God 16:43 is gradually withdrawing from the world." Was it 16:47 withdrawing in her day? Yes! "Satan is," when she 16:53 writes, "Satan is mustering his forces of evil." What is 16:58 Satan doing? He's gathering his armies. That's the 17:02 sixth trumpet, by the way. Satan is also 17:05 mustering his forces of evil, and now she's 17:08 gonna quote Revelation 16:13-14. "Going forth 17:13 onto the kings of the earth and of the whole 17:15 world, to gather them under his banner to be 17:19 trained for the battle of that great day of 17:21 God Almighty." Is she quoting Revelation 16? 17:24 [Yes.] Was the devil already doing that 17:27 back when she wrote? Yes! See, the sixth 17:31 trumpet doesn't leave a big gap between 1798, 17:35 and then jump all the way to the end time. No! 17:38 God started withdrawing His Spirit there in 1798, 17:44 and the Spirit has been withdrawn little by little 17:47 since then. Notice the next quotation: Great Controversy 17:51 [pg.] 588 and 589. "The line of distinction between 17:55 professed Christians and the ungodly is now 17:58 hardly distinguishable. Church members love what 18:01 the world loves and are ready to join with them." 18:04 And what does Satan want to do? "And Satan 18:07 determines to unite them in one body." Is that what 18:12 God wants to do with His people? Yes! "And 18:15 thus strengthen his cause by sweeping all into the 18:21 ranks of spiritualism. Papists, who boast of 18:24 miracles as a certain sign of the true Church, 18:27 will be readily deceived by this wonder-working 18:30 power. And Protestants, having cast away the 18:34 shield of truth..." What is the shield of truth? 18:36 The Bible. "...will also be deluded. Papists, 18:41 Protestants, and worldings..." The word 'worldings' means 18:44 'the secular'. "...will alike accept the form of godliness 18:48 without the power, and they will see in this 18:50 union a grand movement for the conversion of 18:53 the world and the ushering in the long expected 18:57 millennium." So, was that happening in the days 19:01 of Ellen White? Yes. Notice the next quotation. 19:06 [vol.] 8, Testimonies [for the Church], pg. 49. 19:08 "Already, the inhabitants of the earth are marshaling 19:16 under the leading of the prince of darkness." 19:20 So was the prince of darkness already at 19:22 work back then? Oh, yes he was. Notice [vol.] 19, 19:26 Manuscript Releases, page 376. "Let us earnestly 19:31 prepare for the conflict that is before us, for 19:34 Satan's armies are marshaling for the last great struggle." 19:42 Let's read the following quotation. North Pacific 19:45 Union Gleaner January 27, 1910. "In these perilous 19:49 times, when the forces of evil are marshaling 19:55 their hosts to thwart, if possible, the efforts 19:58 of God's servants in the earth, it is vitally 20:01 necessary for every laborer to walk humbly 20:04 with God. Daily, he is to maintain a close 20:06 connection with the heavenly agencies." 20:10 So was this spirit of these evil spirits already 20:14 being manifested in the times of Ellen White? 20:17 Absolutely. Notice this quotation. Review and 20:20 Herald July 18, 1882. "Satan is marshaling his 20:26 forces for the last great struggle." What is the 20:30 last great struggle? It ultimately culminates 20:34 in what? In the battle of Armageddon. "...to 20:37 make war with the remnant of His seed, which keep 20:40 the commandments of God and have the testimony 20:42 of Jesus Christ." So is Revelation 12:17 related 20:45 to the sixth trumpet, as well? She's quoting 20:49 Revelation 12:17. Do you notice that she 20:51 quotes Revelation 12:17, she quotes Revelation chapter 20:55 13 about the false prophet, she also quotes what we 21:01 find in Revelation chapter 16... So are all these 21:04 passages describing events during the sixth trumpet? 21:08 Absolutely. Now, this is a very important 21:11 statement. Satan is marshaling his forces 21:14 for the last great struggle to make war with the 21:17 remnant of her seed which keep the commandments 21:19 of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. 21:22 If we would be true to God, we cannot 21:25 escape the conflict; but we are not left 21:28 in doubt as to the issue." Now don't miss the next 21:32 part of this quotation. "Beyond the smoke and 21:35 heat..." The sixth trumpet is gonna mention fire and 21:41 brimstone and heat. She's alluding to that. "Beyond 21:46 the smoke and heat of the battle, we behold 21:51 them that had gotten the victory, standing on 21:55 Mt. Zion with the Lamb." [Yes.] Notice the following 22:00 quotation. "I was shown that a terrible condition 22:03 of things is seen to exist in our world." 22:08 Did these things already exist in her time? Yes. 22:11 What were they going to do in the course 22:12 of time? Intensity, right? Get worse and 22:15 worse. She continues, "The angel of mercy is 22:19 folding her wings, ready to depart. Already, the 22:24 Lord's restraining power is being withdrawn." 22:28 Was it happening in her day? Yes. So once again, 22:34 "Already, the Lord's restraining power is 22:36 being withdrawn from the earth, and the power 22:38 of Satan is working in the world to stir up the 22:43 religious elements under the training of the great 22:45 deceiver, to work with all deceivableness of 22:48 unrighteousness in the children of disobedience. 22:52 Already, the inhabitants of the earth are marshaling 22:56 under the leadings of the prince of darkness, and 22:59 this is only the beginning of the end." This is only 23:04 the first part of the sixth trumpet! She 23:07 continues, "The law of God is made void. We 23:12 see and hear of confusion, perplexities, want, and 23:15 famine; earthquakes and floods; terrible outrages 23:19 will be committed by men, passion-not reason- 23:22 bears sway, God's wrath is upon the inhabitants of 23:25 a world that is fast becoming as corrupt 23:28 as were the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah." 23:30 What would she say today? "Already, fires and floods 23:34 are destroying thousands of human beings and the 23:37 property that has been selfishly boarded by the 23:42 oppression of the poor." So, was Satan at this 23:46 time already manifesting his power to marshal 23:48 the forces of the earth to be on his side? 23:52 Absolutely. And she describes it as "beyond 23:55 the smoke and heat of the battle." Why would 23:58 she mention smoke and heat? Well, that's language 24:02 that comes from the sixth trumpet, we're gonna 24:04 notice. Notice the next quotation. The demonic 24:08 activity... You remember that in Revelation chapter 24:11 16, it speaks about the spirits that come out 24:14 of the mouth of the dragon, the beast, 24:15 and the false prophet as spirits of devils? Is 24:19 that the language that is used-spirits of devils? 24:21 Notice how Ellen White uses that time and 24:23 again in her writings. Here, we find in The Desire 24:28 of Ages [pg.] 257. "So it will be in the great 24:33 final conflict of the controversy between 24:35 righteousness and sin. While new life and light 24:38 and power are descending from on high upon the 24:41 disciples of Christ, a new life is springing 24:45 up," where? We're gonna see that the power in 24:48 the sixth trumpet comes from beneath-from hell. 24:53 So, she's saying here, "A new life is springing 24:56 up from beneath." What is that new life that's 25:00 springing up from beneath? God? No! Notice: "...is 25:06 springing up from beneath, and energizing the agencies 25:11 of Satan. Intensity is taking possession of 25:14 every earthly element. With a subtle? through 25:18 centuries of conflict, the prince of evil works 25:21 under a disguise." And now notice, she's gonna 25:23 refer directly to a Bible verse. "He appears clothed 25:27 as an angel of light, and multitudes are 25:31 giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of 25:36 devils." Now, we're not gonna read all of these 25:40 quotations-there are many of them-but I 25:44 want you to notice the highlighted portions that 25:46 we have here. Does Revelation 16 use the expression "spirits 25:52 of devils"? Yes. Notice how Ellen White repeatedly 25:56 uses this. In Great Controversy page 560- 26:00 this is the next to last quotation that we find 26:03 on page 310. How does the quotation end? It 26:08 ends, "They who thus appear are the spirits of devils." 26:15 The next quotation. Let's, in fact, read this quotation. 26:19 "Satan has long been preparing for his final 26:22 effort to deceive the world. The foundation 26:25 of his work was laid by the assurance given 26:28 to Eve in Eden, 'Ye shall not surely die. In the 26:31 day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, 26:34 and you shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.' 26:37 Little by little..." So, does it happen overnight? 26:42 No. "Little by little, he has prepared the 26:46 way for his masterpiece of deception in the 26:50 development of spiritualism." Was spiritualism already 26:54 raising its ugly head in the 1840s? Absolutely. 27:00 She continues. "He has not yet reached the full 27:03 accomplishment of his designs." So, can we 27:07 see him working now? Are the spirits of devils 27:10 working now? Yes. Are they gonna work a lot 27:13 harder later? Towards the end of the sixth 27:16 trumpet - absolutely. So little by little, he has 27:19 prepared the way for his masterpiece of 27:21 deception in the development of spiritualism. He has 27:24 not yet reached the full accomplishment of his 27:27 designs, but it will be reached in the last 27:30 remnant of time. Says the prophet..." Now, 27:33 what is she gonna quote? She's gonna quote Revelation 27:38 16! "Says the prophet, 'I saw three unclean 27:43 spirits like frogs. They are the spirits of devils, 27:48 working miracles which go forth unto the kings 27:51 of the earth and of the whole world, to gather 27:52 them to the battle of that great day of God 27:55 Almighty. Except those who are kept by the 27:58 power of God through faith in His Word, the whole 28:01 world will be swept into the ranks of this delusion. 28:06 The people are fast being lulled to a fatal security, 28:10 to be awakened only by the outpouring of the 28:13 wrath of God.'" Notice what Ellen White says 28:17 about the state of the dead. By the way, is 28:18 the Christian world just very ripe for this? [Yes.] 28:22 Why is the Christian world ripe for this- 28:24 for the manifestation of the spirits of devils, 28:26 going to the kings of the earth and the whole 28:29 world, to gather them against God? Why? 28:32 Because practically all Christian churches, with 28:36 perhaps the exception of the Jehovah's Witnesses, 28:40 believe that when a person dies, their soul goes to 28:44 heaven or to hell. They believe in the immortality 28:48 of the soul, which is the foundation of spiritualism! 28:53 Are you with me? [Yes.] So notice what Ellen White 28:56 wrote. "I saw that the saints must get a thorough 29:01 understanding of present truth, which they will be 29:05 obliged to maintain from the scriptures. They must 29:09 understand the state of the dead," and now 29:13 comes the expression, "for the spirits of devils..." 29:18 Out of whose mouth do the spirits of devils come? 29:24 The dragon, the beast, and the false prophet. All 29:29 three are controlled by spiritualism. The dragon 29:33 alone is not spiritualism. The evil spirits come out 29:38 of the mouth of all three. So, they must understand 29:41 the state of the dead, "For the spirits of devils 29:44 will yet appear to them, professing to be beloved 29:47 friends and relatives who will declare to them 29:50 that the Sabbath has been changed. Also, 29:53 other unscriptural doctrines." Folks, if people believe 29:57 their ministers that say, "Don't worry about 30:00 those Adventists. Sunday's the day we're supposed to 30:02 keep," and people buy it, what's gonna happen 30:05 when Satan disguises himself as friends and 30:08 relatives, and says, "Sunday is the day of 30:11 worship"? They will have no protection against 30:14 this delusion! What is early protection? "I 30:17 see you! I hear you! But you are not my 30:21 relative, because the Bible says the living 30:24 know that they will die, but the dead know 30:27 nothing. So depart from me, in the name of Jesus." 30:30 Our only protection will be this book. [Yes.] 30:34 Not our eyes, not our feelings, not our ears, 30:37 not what people say... No. Simply what the 30:41 Bible says. In fact, Ellen White goes on 30:45 in this quotation on page 87 and 88. That's 30:49 where she speaks about the train, and she says 30:52 that individuals, demons, disguising themselves 30:58 as relatives and friends, are going to appear before 31:02 Adventists. Before Adventists! Not before non-Adventists- 31:08 although, probably they will to them, too-but 31:10 they will appear to Adventists to try to persuade Adventists. 31:14 And when Adventists will say, "Well, there's something 31:16 going on here; this is wrong," they'll start wailing and 31:19 saying, "Oh, son, it's me, son." [Ohhh.] Hoo... And Ellen 31:25 White says that the falsification is perfect. 31:28 The voice is precisely the voice that the relative 31:32 had. The appearance is exactly the same. What 31:37 will be our only protection? God said that the dead 31:41 don't know anything! So we can't go by our 31:44 eyes, our ears, our emotions, our feelings, miracles, 31:48 what others say. Only what the Word of God 31:50 says. Now, here comes the description of the 31:55 train. "I saw the rapidity with which this delusion 31:59 was spreading." Was it already spreading in 32:00 Ellen White's day? [Yes.] Is the sixth trumpet 32:03 already in play during the times of Ellen White? 32:08 Absolutely. "A train of cars was shown me, 32:11 going with the speed of lightning. The angel 32:15 bade me, 'Look carefully.' I fixed my eyes upon the 32:19 train. It seemed that the whole world was on 32:22 board, that there could be no one left. Said the 32:28 angel, 'They are binding in bundles, ready to 32:31 burn.' Then, he showed me the conductor, who 32:35 appeared like a stately, fair person, whom all 32:40 the passengers looked up to and reverenced. 32:44 I was perplexed." The prophet didn't even 32:47 know who he was! "I was perplexed and asked 32:51 my attending angel who it was. He said, 'It is 32:55 Satan. He is the conductor in the form of an angel 32:59 of light. He has taken the world captive. 33:03 They are given over to strong delusions, to 33:07 believe a lie, that they may be damned. This 33:10 agent, the next highest in order to him, he is 33:13 the engineer. And other of his agents are employed 33:17 in different offices as he may need them, 33:20 and they are all going with lightning speed to 33:24 perdition.'" What do you think? Amazing, isn't 33:30 it? So let me ask you: Revelation 16:13, 14, 33:37 and 15 - do they apply during probationary time? 33:40 [Yes.] Yes! Ellen White quotes them in probationary 33:45 time. So, must this be a parenthesis in the 33:51 sixth plague? Absolutely. Now, let's go to the 33:54 bottom of the page. Ellen White then described 33:57 another group that resisted and opposed this overwhelming 34:02 delusion. Let's read. She's continuing here 34:06 in Early Writings, page 88. "I asked the angel 34:11 if there were none left." [laughs] 'Cause the 34:14 whole world is on the train. "I asked the angel if 34:18 there were none left. He bade me look in 34:21 an opposite direction, and I saw a little company." 34:29 How many are on the devil's side in the sixth 34:33 trumpet? 200 million. [Oh, wow.] How many 34:38 are on the Lord's side in the sixth seal? 144 34:43 thousand. You see the contrast? So, it says, 34:48 "He bade me look in an opposite direction, and 34:50 I saw a little company traveling a narrow pathway. 34:54 All seemed to be firmly united, bound together 34:59 by emotion." [By truth.] Oh, my- my glasses must 35:04 be failing me. [laughter] "Bound together by," 35:10 what? [Truth!] What needs to bind God's people 35:13 together? Just feeling good about each other? 35:15 [laughter] [No.] [Truth.] Getting together and 35:17 singing "Kumbaya"? [further laughter] 35:19 No! "All seemed to be firmly united, bound 35:23 together by the truth in bundles or companies. 35:28 Said the angel, 'The third angel is binding 35:30 or sealing them in bundles for the heavenly garner.'" 35:34 You remember the scene in Revelation 14 where he 35:36 has a sickle in his hand and he's harvesting the 35:38 harvest of the earth? This little company looked 35:43 careworn, as if they had passed through 35:46 severe trials and conflicts, and it appeared as if 35:49 the sun had just risen from behind a cloud 35:52 and shone upon their countenances, causing 35:55 them to look triumphant as if their victories were 35:58 nearly won. J. A. Seiss in his book The Exposition 36:05 of the Book of Revelation, makes the following 36:08 incisive remark about the sixth plague, but he's 36:15 commenting, actually, on the part that has to do 36:17 with the events that take place before the 36:19 sixth plague. He connected it with spiritualism, and 36:24 this guy wasn't an Adventist. Notice what he wrote. 36:28 "Modern spiritism, or so-called spiritualism, is only 36:32 a revival of the same thing - a branch of 36:35 the same iniquity. There, doubtless, is some reality 36:39 in it, and it is confessedly a system of contact with 36:44 the death, whose spirits are invoked in various 36:47 forms and methods to teach wisdom to dictate 36:50 faith, religion, and life, to comfort and 36:53 help and trouble and necessity, and to serve 36:56 as saviors and as gods. It is demon worship 37:00 brought to life again." [Ooh!] "It claims to have 37:04 vast multitudes of adherence, even among the baptized 37:12 and nominally Christian! It is influencing whole 37:16 communities of men and women who are prepared 37:18 to commit themselves, body and soul, for a 37:22 time and eternity into the care of these lying 37:26 demon guides. It has made inroads upon people of 37:29 all classes, and is received by many as 37:34 a distinct and the only true religion. Its oracles 37:37 are loud and hopeful in the prediction that 37:40 it will soon enlist to itself the governments 37:45 and reigning classes of the whole world." 37:48 He's commenting on Revelation chapter 16 37:51 and verses 13 and 14. So, let me ask you this: 37:58 Is Revelation 16:13, is that describing 38:04 something before probationary time ends, or after? 38:08 Before! How about verse 14? Going to all the 38:11 kings of the earth and the world to gather them. 38:13 Before! Now, how about verse 15? Verse 15, 38:18 that's the bottom of page 312. Let's notice. 38:23 Jesus says now, "Behold, I am coming as a thief." 38:29 Do you know what the coming of the thief is? 38:31 You know what moment that is, the coming of 38:32 the thief? It's not the Second Coming. See, 38:38 the coming of the thief has two stages. You 38:41 say, "What?" And one isn't the rapture. [chuckles] 38:46 Let's just use this analogy. You know, 38:51 Fresno sometimes gets very cold, but let's 38:53 use Canada as our example. Saskatchewan. Okay? 38:57 I was there in January. ...Ooh. [laughter] I mean, 39:01 talk about cold and windy. But anyway, you live 39:04 in Saskatchewan, and it is the month of 39:06 December. It is bitter cold. The wind is 39:09 blowing, and it's snowing. You finish work and you 39:12 get home, going to a nice, warm living room... 39:15 And then your wife brings you a bowl of soup and 39:19 some bread. I know you're not hungry, so I can 39:21 talk about this. [laughs] And so, then afterwards, 39:25 you sit down to watch the news, and you kind of dose 39:27 off. You say, "I'm gonna go to bed," so you go 39:29 to bed, you get under the covers... "Oh, it's so 39:33 nice and warm under the covers." And you're 39:35 there with your wife; and suddenly, you forget 39:37 that you forgot to lock the door. Mm. Oh, it's 39:44 so nice and warm under these covers. [laughter] 39:47 This pillow feels so good... Ah, I've lived here for 39:51 20 years, and the thief has never come. And 39:56 so you stay under the covers. Lo and behold, 39:59 that night, the thief comes...enters the 40:02 house, and steals your valuables. Do the people 40:06 inside the house know that the thief has come? 40:09 No. When do they find out? The next morning, 40:12 but it's too late. Probation will close 40:16 before people realize it! Because they'll be 40:18 sleeping. They're not watching. When will 40:21 they find out that Jesus has closed the door and 40:24 that they're lost? When Jesus comes on the 40:27 clouds of heaven in the morning, but then it will 40:31 be too late. So, when Jesus says here, "Behold, 40:35 I am coming as a thief." He's saying, "I'm gonna 40:38 close probation! So be ready." Blessed is 40:44 he who watches. It's the opposite of sleeping. 40:48 Who watches. And keeps his garments! Lest he 40:54 walk naked, and they see his shame. Will 41:02 this warning make any sense after the close 41:04 of probation? [chuckles] Will it make any sense 41:10 after the close of probation? Of course not! Why not? 41:14 Well, because probation has closed. You can't 41:16 watch anymore; you can't guard your garments anymore. 41:20 Is this a warning during probationary time? Yes. 41:23 Let's go to the next page. And by the way, 41:25 do you know who some of those will be, who will be 41:30 naked, and they will see their shame? People who 41:33 belong to the church of Laodicea. What church 41:37 is that? Of course, that's the Lutherans, 41:38 right? [laughter] And the Presbyterians, 41:42 and the Methodists... and the Mormons and 41:44 and the Jehovah's Witnesses... No. What is Laodicea? 41:48 The Seventh-day Adventist Church. Notice Revelation 41:51 chapter 3:18. This is the scary part. Many of 41:55 those who profess Jesus inside the remnant church 41:58 are gonna be found not watching and without the 42:01 garment. Revelation 3:18 says, the faithful witness 42:05 is speaking... [reads text on-screen] 42:16 "...your nakedness may not be revealed..." Is that 42:21 a warning to Laodicea? [Yes.] Is it a warning 42:24 during the period of the sixth trumpet? 42:27 Absolutely. Now, let's notice the next paragraph. 42:32 It bears noting that it would do no good to 42:34 give this warning to God's people during 42:36 the period of the sixth plague after probation 42:38 has closed. Because at that time, probation will 42:42 have closed, and no one can change sides! In 42:45 fact, verse 15 contains God's warning to His 42:48 people during probationary time to be faithful in 42:52 resisting the spirits of devils by not gathering 42:55 with the kings of the earth and the whole 42:57 world." So, verses 13-15, they apply to probationary 43:04 time. Right? When does does the drying up of 43:07 the Euphrates in chapter 16:12 apply? That's 43:12 during the period of the sixth plague. But 43:15 the gathering before that takes place during 43:18 probationary time. Are you following me or not? 43:22 Now, so that you have it absolutely clear, we're 43:26 going to a review now on page 313. Here is the 43:32 literary structure of Revelation 16:12-16. 43:36 Once again, we see how important it is to study 43:39 the order of events, how the passage is 43:43 organized, because is not in strict chronological 43:47 order. First, Revelation 16:12. This is the 43:51 summary. Up to the moment of the fifth 43:54 plague, Babylon's waters are ever-increasing. 44:02 With what intention? With the intention of drowning 44:06 God's people at the time of the sixth plague. 44:12 But what happens during the sixth plague? The 44:15 waters are about to drown God's people. 44:17 But what happens then? The waters are dried 44:20 up. So, does verse 12 apply to post-probationary 44:24 time? Do the waters dry up at the sixth 44:27 plague? Absolutely. Let's continue. The 44:31 drying up of the waters then prepares the way 44:35 for the coming of the kings of the east. 44:37 Who are the kings of the east? [Jesus.] 44:39 Jesus and His angels. Jesus comes from the 44:41 east! He comes on a white horse. The armies 44:44 of heaven come with Him. Right? Which trumpet is 44:46 that? That's #7! Now notice the next two 44:53 verses. Revelation 16:13 and 14. These verses 44:57 take us back to probationary time, "When the wicked 45:00 swirling waters are ever-increasing and 45:03 gathering against God's people. Does the gathering 45:05 of the wicked take place after probation closes, 45:08 or before probation closes? Before! "Three 45:11 evil angels with a counterfeit message go to the kings 45:15 of the earth and the whole world to gather 45:17 them for the final battle against God in the person 45:22 of His people." Then you have Revelation 16:15. 45:26 In this parenthetical statement, Jesus warns 45:29 God's people to be on the right side when 45:32 probation closes. When the gathering is over 45:35 and probation closes, there will only be two 45:38 groups: those who walk naked, and those who will 45:42 have the seal of God on their forehead. In 45:47 other words, the faithful, and the unfaithful. 45:50 And then, Revelation 16:16 is a continuation of 45:56 verses 13 and 14, so we skip 15, because 46:01 15 is a warning. You say, "Now, wait a minute." 46:05 Well, let's read Revelation 16:13-16, but let's skip 46:15 verse 15, and you tell me if it makes sense. 46:18 [reads text on-screen] 46:38 Now, we skip verse 15. [reads verse 16 on-screen] 46:45 [That makes sense.] Is that a continuation of 46:47 the thought? [Yes.] [Mhm.] Absolutely, 'cause verse 46:51 15 is a parenthetical statement; it's a warning, 46:54 that when this moment comes, make sure that 46:56 you're clothed. By the way, when do you clothe 46:58 yourself? After probation closes, right? No! We 47:02 clothe ourselves before probation closes. So, 47:05 is this warning telling us, "You need to be 47:08 clothed before probation closes?" Absolutely. 47:12 Now, here's a question: Where's Armageddon 47:14 located? So where do the three evil spirits that 47:22 come out of the mouth of the dragon, the beast, 47:24 and the false prophet, where do they gather 47:26 the whole world against God's people? They gather 47:30 them at a place called what? In the Hebrew tongue, 47:35 Harmageddon. Now, the word 'Harmageddon' comes 47:41 from two Hebrew words: 'har', which means 'mountain', 47:47 and 'mo'ed', which means congregation. It's the 47:52 identical expression that is used in Isaiah 14 where 47:57 Lucifer says that he will go to the "Mount 48:00 of the Congregation." The wicked are actually 48:06 gathered at the Mount of the Congregation. Which 48:08 congregation? Who's the congregation? [The Church.] 48:16 The Church - God's people. The consonants in 'Harmageddon' 48:20 are identical to the ones in 'Har Mo'ed'. So in 48:26 other words, Harmageddon- you know, in Hebrew, 48:29 there were no vowels, right? Only consonants. 48:33 So, the consonants in Harmageddon are the 48:37 same consonants that you have in Har Mo'ed, 48:39 which is 'Mount of the Congregation'. But what 48:43 about the ending, 'Armagedd...on'? What 48:48 about that? Well, this is simply a way of 48:51 Greek-icizing, if I could invent that word, a 48:55 Hebrew word. The ending is a Greek ending adapted 48:59 to a Hebrew word. The same happens with the 49:03 Hebrew word 'abad'. What does 'abad' mean? 49:08 We already studied that. What is the name of the 49:14 being that comes out of the abyss in the fifth 49:16 trumpet? Abaddon. But where does the "O-N" 49:23 come at the end? Abad- the Hebrew word is abad! 49:27 So why do you have in Revelation, "Abaddon"? 49:31 Because the ending 'on' is adding a Greek ending 49:36 to a Hebrew word. Let me give you an example. 49:41 I couldn't think of an English example, so 49:43 I'll give you a Spanish example. [laughter] In 49:45 English, we have the word 'park'. As in, 49:49 parking a car. Park. Right? So, when we use that- 49:55 we sometimes use that word- Hispanics use that 49:57 word. They say, 'parquear'. 'Parquear'. Have you 50:03 ever heard that word? Parquear? [Yes.] So, 50:07 does 'A-R' belong to the original word? No. 50:10 It's added to make it Hispanic. [laughter] 50:16 Are you following me or not? So, 'Har Mo'ed' 50:21 is the word 'Armageddon', but the ending 'Har Mo'eddon', 50:27 the 'O-N' is a Greek ending to a Hebrew 50:30 word. Are you understanding what I'm saying? [Yes.] 50:33 So, it means, 'The Mount of the Congregation'. 50:35 Now, let's go to the last paragraph on page 50:38 314. In Daniel and Revelation, God gathers 50:42 His people to Mount Zion where the spiritual temple 50:48 on earth is. What is Zion, and what is the 50:52 sanctuary, and what is the city before the 50:55 Second Coming of Jesus? It is the Christian church - 50:58 the Seventh-day Adventist Church. In Revelation, 51:01 there is a twofold gathering. God and His angels gather 51:05 the remnant to symbolic Mt. Zion, and Satan and 51:09 his angels gather the wicked around it to attempt to 51:12 destroy it. So, they surround the Mount 51:14 of Congregation. In the Old Testament, the word 51:17 'mo'ed' refers exclusively either to the congregation 51:22 of the tabernacle, or the appointed times to celebrate 51:26 the Hebrew feasts. It is a sanctuary term 51:30 that refers to the congregation that meets at the temple 51:34 on Mt. Zion to worship the Lord. So, who are 51:37 the wicked going to surround? They gather 51:39 at Har Mo'ed, or Harmageddon. Where is it that they're 51:44 gathering? Well, did they surround the Holy 51:48 City according to Revelation chapter 14 and verse 20? 51:52 What is outside the Holy City? The winepress! 51:56 What does the winepress represent? The wicked! 52:00 So why did the wicked gather around the city? 52:04 Because they wanted to overcome the city. By 52:07 the way, are the wicked gonna surround the 52:08 city after the millennium? [Yes.] But in this case, 52:11 it's the literal city. Before the Second Coming, 52:14 it is what? It is the church. It's a spiritual 52:17 city. Now, if you read these verses that are 52:20 mentioned here-we don't have time to read all 52:22 of them-but if you read Revelation 14:1, where 52:26 are the 144,000 gathered? On Mt. Zion. In Revelation 52:32 14:19 and 20-that should be, by the way, 19 and 20, 52:35 rather than 19 and 10-you have God's people inside 52:41 the city. And where are the wicked gathered? 52:44 In the winepress, outside. Is Jesus gonna come to 52:48 trample the winepress to save those who are 52:50 inside? Absolutely. The same if you go- 52:53 by the way, the background to these texts in Revelation 52:57 14:19-20 is found in Joel 2:32 and 3:9-12. 53:04 That is the root prophecy of what we find in Revelation 53:07 14. In Daniel chapter 11:45, does the king 53:12 of the north set up the tents of his tabernacles in a 53:16 strategic place between the seas and the holy 53:18 mountain? Yes! To deliver a final death 53:22 blow. So, what we have here is God's people are 53:25 gathered in spiritual Zion, in spiritual Jerusalem, 53:30 in the spiritual temple... and the wicked are gathered 53:35 outside. And their intention is to drown those who 53:43 are inside. You remember the text that we read 53:45 from the book of Isaiah chapter 8:7-8 about the 53:49 invasion of Sennacherib, king of Assyria, into the 53:52 holy land? He and his armies represent overflowing 53:56 waters. Up to where did the waters reach? Up 54:00 to the neck! Which means that God's people were 54:03 in severe danger, but what did God say? 54:06 It says there that God will rebuke the waters. 54:10 In other words, he will dry the waters up. 54:14 So, we've? very quickly, but let's review 54:19 what we've studied. At the end of time, 54:21 there's gonna be how many gatherings? [Two.] 54:24 Two. What will gather God's people? The 54:27 three angels' message. Right? [Yes.] The Father, 54:32 Son, and Holy Spirit. What will gather the 54:34 wicked? Oh! Three... counterfeit powers 54:42 that parody the Father, the Son, and the Holy 54:44 Spirit...and three counterfeit angels. 54:47 Right? Three counterfeit angels. So, where will 54:51 God's people be gathered? They will be gathered 54:54 spiritually in spiritual Jerusalem, in the church. 54:57 Where will the wicked be gathered? They will 55:00 be gathered outside in the winepress. What does 55:04 this appear like's gonna happen? It appears like 55:08 God's people are going to be killed and destroyed! 55:12 But then what happens? Jesus comes on a white 55:16 horse, the armies of heaven come with Him 55:19 on a white horse, and what does He come to do? 55:22 He comes to trample the winepress. Why is He 55:25 gonna trample the winepress? Well, because their intention 55:31 is to destroy God's people who are inside. Are you 55:34 understanding me? [Yes.] So, what is represented 55:39 by Jesus coming on the horse with the horses, 55:43 or the angels of heaven, coming with Him? Which 55:44 trumpet is that? [Seventh.] That's the seventh trumpet! 55:48 It's the Second Coming of Jesus when the kingdoms 55:50 of the world are taken over by Jesus. So let 55:54 me ask you then: Where would you expect the 55:57 sixth trumpet to be? Well, the sixth trumpet 56:00 would have to be before that. Would it have to 56:03 be during probationary time? [audience agrees] 56:06 Yes! Because probation doesn't close until the 56:11 seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet. 56:15 So, let's review very quickly, the trumpets. 56:18 What is the first trumpet? The destruction of Jerusalem. 56:21 What is the second trumpet? The fall of the Roman Empire. 56:24 What is the third trumpet? It is, apostasy begins 56:28 to infiltrate the church in the days of Constantine. 56:32 What is the fourth trumpet? The period of 56:34 1,260 years of papal dominion. But then there's 56:39 an opposite reaction in the fifth trumpet. 56:42 What does that represent? It represents a French 56:44 revolution when the papacy received a 56:47 deadly wound. And then, after the fifth trumpet, 56:51 you have two gatherings: the gathering of the 56:54 righteous by the three angels' messages, the 56:56 gathering of the wicked by this false godhead, 57:00 and three counterfeit angels. In other words, 57:03 the world is gonna be divided into two groups. 57:06 So, must probation still be open if the world is 57:08 gonna be divided into two groups? Yes. Is 57:11 this going to intensify as we near the close 57:15 of probation? Is it already at work? [Yes.] 57:18 Yes, it already is at work. And so, when it 57:21 appears that God's people, when probation closes, 57:24 when the seventh trumpet is about to sound, after 57:27 that what do you have? The time of trouble such 57:29 as never has been seen in the history of the 57:31 world. Where are God's people gathered? In the 57:35 Church. In other words, in spiritual Jerusalem. 57:39 Where are the wicked gathered? They're 57:41 gathered outside. And then what is gonna blow? 57:43 Trumpet #7, because Jesus is coming on a 57:47 white horse, and the armies of heaven are 57:49 coming with Him to deliver His people from certain death. 57:52 [intense orchestral outro music] |
Revised 2020-12-07