Participants: Ivor Meyers (Host), James Rafferty (Host), Jason Bradley, Yvonne Lewis
Series Code: SISS
Program Code: SISS000016A
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00:30 We are finished, finished, finished
00:32 and just getting started. 00:34 So we're finished with the seven churches, 00:36 we've done the intro to Revelation, 00:39 we've gone through the churches of Revelation 00:41 we set up a good foundation... that foundation is 00:44 a repeat and enlarge, a recapitulation 00:46 a recapitulation that we're going to see 00:48 in the seals and in the trumpets 00:50 and now we're starting in the seals, 00:52 now the seals begin with two chapters, 00:54 Revelation 4 and Revelation 5 00:56 and they're parallel chapters so, it's going to take us 00:59 at least two... maybe three meetings 01:01 to just go through these first two chapters 01:03 before we actually start unsealing the Book... 01:05 before the Lamb starts unsealing the Book... 01:08 and again I just want to remind us that this Book... Revelation 01:14 is mysterious, it's complicated, it's challenging, 01:16 it's difficult but it's going to be easy 01:18 because everything we're about to study 01:20 we've already studied once in the seven churches 01:22 and now we're just going to see it all over again, 01:25 there's going to be some new stuff in here, of course, 01:27 but we're going to go all the way back to the Apostolic Age, 01:30 we're going to see what the activities were taking place 01:33 in symbolic language here 01:34 as Jesus went to heaven after His resurrection, 01:37 and how that impacted the earth, Planet Earth... 01:40 the outpouring of the Holy Spirit 01:41 and how that played out in the history of the fall 01:43 all the way down again to the second coming of Jesus 01:45 and then boom! we're done with the seals 01:47 and the trumpets... we start again... 01:49 at the Apostolic Age... 01:51 Ivor: So we're studying the Book three times over. 01:53 James: Yes, well four actually, and the fourth time... 01:56 it takes us right into... just like the Laodicean church, 01:58 right into us... and events that some have passed 02:02 but a lot of them are yet to be played out there, 02:05 all right, so we're going to start with a word of prayer, 02:07 Jason, pray for us and we'll get into it. 02:08 Jason: Heavenly Father, it's an honor and a privilege 02:11 to be able to study your Word and we wouldn't dare do so 02:15 without asking you to be with us, 02:16 so we ask you for your presence and 02:18 we ask that you will help us to comprehend what we're studying, 02:22 and to be able to it and retain it, 02:24 and repeat it... in Jesus' name we pray, amen. " 02:26 All: "Amen... " 02:27 James: And like we normally do, 02:29 let's just read through the verses first... 02:30 that gives us an idea of what we're going to be covering 02:33 and maybe Yvonne, you can start and read 02:35 one through six and then maybe Jason, 02:38 you could read, seven through eleven. 02:41 Yvonne: Sure... "After this I looked, 02:43 and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: 02:45 and the first voice which I heard was as it were 02:49 of a trumpet talking with me; which said, 02:51 Come up hither, and I will shew thee things 02:53 which must be hereafter. 02:54 And immediately I was in the spirit; 02:57 and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, 02:59 and one sat on the throne. 03:01 And he that sat was to look upon 03:04 like a jasper and a sardine stone: 03:07 and there was a rainbow round about the throne, 03:10 in sight like unto an emerald. 03:12 And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: 03:15 and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, 03:18 clothed in white raiment; 03:20 and they had on their heads crowns of gold. 03:22 And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings 03:26 and voices: and there were seven lamps 03:29 of fire burning before the throne 03:31 which are the seven Spirits of God. 03:33 And before the throne there was a sea of glass 03:36 like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, 03:39 and round about the throne, were four beasts 03:41 full of eyes before and behind. " 03:44 Jason: "And the first beast was like a lion, 03:46 and the second beast like a calf, 03:48 and the third beast had a face as a man, 03:51 and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle. 03:55 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; 03:59 and they were full of eyes within: 04:01 and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, 04:05 Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. 04:09 And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him 04:13 that sat on the throne, who liveth forever and ever, 04:16 The four and twenty elders fall down before him 04:22 that sat on the throne, 04:23 and worship him that liveth forever and ever, 04:26 and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 04:28 Thou art worthy, O Lord, 04:31 to receive glory and honour and power: 04:33 for thou hast created all things, 04:35 and for thy pleasure they are and were created. " 04:39 James: What an incredible scene we see here. 04:41 Yvonne: Wow! Hmmm... hmmm... 04:43 James: This is an incredible scene 04:44 and there are a lot of words... word implications of events 04:49 that are transpired and changes that are taking place 04:52 in Government of Heaven, 04:54 impacting planet Earth in this picture, 04:57 this picture is not just all... 04:58 "Let me just take you to heaven and show you what heaven's like" 05:01 and show you what God... where He sits and what happens 05:03 around the throne, whatever, no... as we study this, 05:06 we're going to find that there are 05:08 certain phrases and words here 05:09 and the presence of certain individuals 05:12 that are telling us a story of redemption 05:14 and telling us that something major has been accomplished 05:18 and that's why we see this double praise to God 05:21 we see the living creatures... 05:22 the four beasts... the living creatures, 05:24 they are saying, "Holy, holy, holy... " 05:25 and then we see the 24 elders, who were they? 05:28 They're saying, "Oh, honor and glory, 05:31 you are worthy to receive glory and honor and power 05:33 for you have... what have you done?" 05:34 And so, that's what we're going to see here as we... 05:37 as we start to break open chapter four in Revelation. 05:41 Ivor: I think... one of the important things that... 05:45 we have stressed is location and timing... 05:49 location and timing... we saw that these... 05:53 this is answer for us in terms of the time prophecies, 05:58 the 70 weeks, the 1,260... the 2,300... 06:00 and the Sanctuary... 06:02 in terms of location... where are we? 06:03 And so, the question that we want to answer right now 06:07 to kind of lay the foundation for Revelation chapter four, 06:10 and five and actually six and seven, 06:13 is location... where is Jesus in Revelation chapter 4? 06:19 This is an introduction to the seven seals 06:23 and so in order to rightly understand the seven seals 06:26 and what they're talking about, 06:27 we need to understand the opening vision, 06:30 and so here we see that a throne is set in verse 1, 06:33 or rather verse 2, and the question is, 06:38 "What throne is this, where is this throne?" 06:42 Look in verse 5... the Bible says there, 06:45 "And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings 06:48 and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire 06:50 burning before the throne, 06:51 which are the seven Spirits of God. " 06:53 So, we're given a clue here as to the location of this throne, 06:57 the Bible tells us that before the throne 07:01 directly across from the throne was this... 07:04 were the seven lamps, 07:05 now we know where the seven lamps are found 07:09 and the seven-branched candlestick 07:11 is found in the Sanctuary, right? 07:12 That is found in the Holy Place, so let's hold our place here 07:17 and go over to the Book of Exodus chapter 26 and verse 35 07:22 and in Exodus 26, verse 35, 07:28 Yvonne, I'm going to ask if you could read that for me, 07:32 Exodus 26 verse 35. 07:35 Yvonne: "And thou shalt set the table without the veil, 07:39 and the candlestick over against the table 07:42 on the side of the tabernacle toward the south: 07:44 and thou shalt put the table on the north side. " 07:47 Ivor: Okay, very good, so, 07:48 the Bible says that the candlestick was located 07:51 on the south side of the Sanctuary, 07:54 so directly across from that 07:56 was the Table of Shewbread 07:59 which is located on the north side of the Sanctuary, 08:02 or if I were to put it another way, 08:04 the Table of Shewbread is located 08:06 on the "sides of the north. " Yvonne: Hmmm... 08:10 Ivor: The sides of the north, okay, 08:12 so let's go over to Psalm 48 08:14 and let's see why that's significant, 08:16 Psalm 48 verse 2. 08:17 James: What was that last verse? 08:20 Ivor: That was Exodus 26 verse 35. 08:22 Ivor: So, Psalm 48 verse 2, and Jason, find that, 08:29 could you read that for us? 08:31 Jason: Psalm 48 verse 2, all right... 08:38 "Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, 08:42 is mount Zion on the sides of the north, 08:45 the city of the great King. " 08:47 Ivor: Ah, okay, so... 08:48 Mount Zion... is said to be located where? 08:51 On the sides of the north... it is a city of... who? 08:55 The great King... so where does the King sit? 08:58 He sits on the side of the north, 09:02 why is that so significant? 09:04 Because if you remember Isaiah chapter 14, 09:07 which speaks about Lucifer... 09:09 James: And his fall... 09:10 Ivor: Where did Lucifer want to sit? 09:12 James: On the sides of the north. 09:13 Ivor: On the sides of the north, on the mount of the congregation 09:17 also think about that, 09:19 what's on the Table of Shewbread? 09:21 There are twelve loaves of bread, 09:24 those loaves of bread 09:25 represented the Children of Israel 09:28 or what we would call, "the twelve tribes... " 09:31 the congregation of God, get that? 09:34 So, the sides of the north 09:37 would represent the mount of the congregation, 09:39 God's people... and God sitting as King over those people, 09:43 this is why Lucifer wants to sit on the side of the north 09:47 but this side of the north is located in the Holy Place, 09:51 so what we're seeing here in Revelation chapter 4 09:56 is a vision of the throne in the Holy Place. 10:01 Now here's why this is super significant 10:05 in the context of the seven seals 10:07 because remember we just mentioned that this is a... 10:10 Revelation 4 and 5 is revealing to us the story of redemption, 10:15 okay, so the significant thing about the Table of Shewbread 10:20 is that the Priest was to... 10:23 in fact it was Leviticus 24 verse 8 10:25 and I'll just read it here very quickly, 10:26 it says, "Every Sabbath shall he set it in order... " 10:29 that is the Table of Shewbread, 10:31 "in order before the Lord continually, 10:33 being taken from the children of Israel 10:35 by an everlasting covenant. " 10:36 So the Table of Shewbread was to be ministered 10:39 how often? "Ministered at... " how often? 10:42 Every Sabbath... Leviticus 24 verse 8. 10:46 The Table of Shewbread brings our attention 10:50 to the Word of God, but even more specifically, 10:53 to the Sabbath Commandment, okay, 10:57 now here's why this is so... so... beautiful 11:00 and so, actually, important in the context of the seven seals. 11:03 It is because the Sabbath according to Exodus 20 11:08 is a sign of Creation, 11:10 God created the world in six days 11:13 and rested on the seventh, 11:14 that's why He wants us to keep it... 11:16 but there was another reason that God gave 11:18 for us keeping the Sabbath, 11:19 it's found in Deuteronomy chapter 5, 11:21 I'm going to read that in your hearing 11:24 so, Deuteronomy chapter 5 verse 14, 11:26 it says, "But the seventh day is the Sabbath 11:29 of the LORD thy God, in it thou shalt not do any work, 11:32 thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, 11:34 nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, 11:36 nor thine ox, nor thine ass, 11:37 nor any of thy cattle, 11:39 nor thy stranger that is within they gates; 11:41 that thy manservant 11:42 and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou. 11:44 And remember that thou was a servant 11:47 in the Land of Egypt, and that the Lord thy God 11:50 brought thee out thence through a mighty hand 11:53 and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God 11:56 commanded thee to keep the Sabbath day. " 11:58 The Sabbath was a sign... not only of Creation 12:03 but also redemption, 12:05 God has drawn us out from a terrible situation, 12:10 therefore, keep the Sabbath, now why is that significant? 12:14 Because as you look at the... for example the first seal, 12:18 there's a rider on a white horse, 12:20 well, that rider on the white horse... 12:22 we will identify as Jesus Christ but Jesus... in Revelation 19... 12:27 He's again sitting on a white horse 12:29 and His name is called the Word of God. 12:31 Yvonne: Hmmm... 12:33 Ivor: In the third seal... 12:34 you find a famine of wheat and barley, 12:36 guess what wheat and barley make? They make bread... 12:39 okay, in the fifth seal you find the people 12:44 are under the altar... have been slain for what? 12:48 The Word of God and the testimony which they held, 12:51 now, check this out, 12:52 right between the sixth seal and the seventh seal, 12:56 you have the introduction of the 144,000 13:00 who are sealed with the seal of God, 13:04 what is the seal of God? 13:07 It's pointing us specifically to the Sabbath Commandment 13:12 and why are they sealed thus? Because they were... 13:17 the angel says, "these were they 13:20 are they who are brought out of great tribulation, 13:23 they were redeemed, they were redeemed... " 13:26 so the whole... 13:28 James: Just like in the Old Testament... 13:29 when they were redeemed... I brought you out of Egypt, 13:32 I brought you out of bondage, here's the 144,000... 13:34 here's this great multitude, 13:36 what they... they came out of great tribulation, 13:38 they've been sealed. 13:39 Ivor: And by-the-way, 144,000 is 12 times 12... 13:44 it's the Table of Shewbread right there, 13:46 the 24 elders... 12 and 12... 13:49 everything that is unfolding within the context of the seals, 13:54 should be understood 13:55 within the context of the Table of Shewbread. 13:58 So that sets the foundation and remember, 14:00 because the Table of Shewbread unfolds simultaneously 14:03 with the seven-branched candlestick, 14:05 we're going to see that these seals and churches 14:08 basically match. 14:10 James: They line up... and another thing 14:11 that's really... that came to me as you were talking, Ivor, 14:14 is in the vision... 14:16 you're talking about the Table of Shewbread 14:17 in the mount of the congregation... God's throne 14:20 and the shewbread... the 12 representing God's people there, 14:23 well that's exactly the picture 14:24 we see here in Revelation chapter 4, 14:26 we see a throne set in heaven and then we see 14:29 around the throne... 24 thrones 14:32 it says, "seats" in the King James 14:33 but the word is, "thrones," thrones... 14:35 24 thrones around that throne, 14:37 and this is the... these 24 thrones, 14:40 represent the people of God, 12 and 12... twenty four... 14:47 12 and 12... because they symbolize 14:49 the Old Testament redeemed, the New Testament redeemed 14:51 and they are around the throne, so if the throne represents 14:54 this Table of Shewbread... 14:56 then the thrones around that throne will represent 14:59 the mount of the congregations, 15:01 so you've got the symbols in the Old Testament 15:04 becoming literal in this revelation of Jesus Christ. 15:07 So, let's break that up just a little bit more, 15:10 let's look at that a little bit more, 15:12 how do we know that these 24 elders 15:15 are actually representative of the redeemed? 15:17 Because, you know, some people have said, 15:19 "Maybe these guys are representives 15:20 of the unfallen worlds... " 15:22 well, there are a number of reasons we know 15:23 that these represent the redeemed, okay, 15:25 the first reason I want to break down for you 15:27 is the number 24... it's 12 and 12... 15:30 that is a number that signifies the tribes and the apostles, 15:34 it's a Kingdom number, okay, number 2, 15:36 another number reason why we know 15:39 because of how they are described, 15:41 they have white robes... 15:43 that was promised to the Philadelphian church 15:45 if you overcome, they have crowns... 15:47 that was promised to the church of Smyrna, if you overcome... 15:49 and they are sitting on thrones, 15:51 you know what that was promised to? 15:53 "He that overcomes will sit with me on my throne 15:57 as I sit with my Father on His throne... " 15:59 that was promised to Laodicea, 16:00 so here... in other words... 16:02 John... in the seven churches... the Holy Spirit... 16:06 and by-the-way, here's another thought 16:08 that came to me as you were talking about the Sabbath 16:09 and how, God came to minister on the Sabbath, 16:12 He comes to minister on the Sabbath, 16:13 well, John was in the Spirit on the "Lord's Day" 16:16 when the Spirit came to minister to him and to share with him... 16:19 on this island... lonely island of Patmos... 16:21 to share with him... see... the Sabbath is a time for us 16:25 to be ministered to... by God, 16:27 Sabbath was a time when God wants to answer our prayers, 16:30 the Sabbath is the time when God wants to recharge us, 16:33 "Is your battery running low? Are you running out of power?" 16:37 Well, God wants to recharge that battery, 16:40 He wants to get you back up to where you need to be, 16:42 that's what the Sabbath is all about 16:44 so the Sabbath... John's alone... 16:45 and you can imagine... he might be discouraged... 16:47 he might be struggling... 16:48 he sees what's coming into the churches, 16:49 he sees this "falling away" beginning to develop, 16:51 he sees... men who want the preeminence, 16:53 and the Holy Spirit comes to him 16:54 and ministers to him on the Sabbath, 16:56 and as God shows him this vision, 16:58 he sees these 24 elders and all of a sudden he's clicking, 17:02 "Wait a minute... elders... elders... elders... " 17:03 never is the word used 17:06 in the Old Testament and the New Testament, 17:07 that anyone other than human beings... 17:09 angels are never called elders, angels are never called elders 17:13 when the sons of God went before the Lord... in Job, 17:17 these representatives from other worlds... 17:18 they weren't called elders, 17:20 elders are not only representatives of us, 17:24 people who've been redeemed, but they also... play a part 17:27 in the unfolding of the plan of Salvation 17:29 in the Book of Revelation, there are times 17:32 when John says, "One of the elders came to me... and said... 17:36 one of the elders came to me and said... " 17:38 and those the special moments, those are the special moments 17:41 that remind us of when we get to go to someone and say, 17:44 "we... redeemed... " 17:46 we... people who are going through the same struggles 17:48 that they are going through can go to them and say... 17:51 it's not an angel... it's not the Word of God... 17:53 sometimes, you know, you can witness to someone 17:55 through the Word of God, you give them all the doctrines 17:57 but sometimes they just need to hear a word from you. 17:59 "How did you... what's your relationship with Christ, 18:01 what does He mean to you?" 18:03 We're the... so those elders represent us... 18:05 and our testimony... and then finally, I think, 18:08 it's important... we'll get this... 18:10 into this in verse five too but it's important to recognize 18:12 that these elders are... are... actually spoken about 18:19 in Matthew 27 and in Ephesians chapter 4, 18:23 let's look at those two verses, Jason, if you can read for us 18:27 Matthew chapter 27 and Yvonne if you can look up 18:31 Ephesians chapter 4 18:32 and I'll give you the verses here as soon as I get there 18:34 because I don't have them of the top of my head 18:36 and Jason, in Matthew 27, it's verses... we'll just read 18:44 let's read all the way through verses 50 to 52 18:47 just to get the contents, contents... content... 18:50 verses 50 and 52 and then... Yvonne, when he's done with that 18:54 you can read in Ephesians chapter 4... 18:57 you have Ephesians? 18:59 Yvonne: I do... James: You do... 19:02 okay... ah... read verse 10 19:05 and... yeah, verse 10... Yvonne: Okay... 19:08 Jason: So, Matthew 27 verse 50 through 52 says... 19:14 James: 53... 19:16 Jason: Oh, so 53... "Jesus, when he had cried again 19:19 with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. 19:21 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain 19:25 from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, 19:29 and the rocks rent; 19:30 And the graves were opened; 19:32 and many bodies of the saints which slept arose. 19:35 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, 19:38 and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. 19:41 James: One things I'll emphasize there before you say 19:44 your verse there, Yvonne, "after His resurrection" means, 19:47 "it's permanent," He was resurrected permanently, 19:51 so "after His resurrection" means... "this is permanent," 19:54 they've been in the grave for quite some time 19:56 and they've been resurrected after His resurrection, 19:59 now what happens to these guys? Yvonne, go ahead... 20:02 Yvonne: Oh, Ephesians 4:10...? 20:05 "He that descended is the same 20:08 also that ascended up far above all heavens, 20:11 that he might fill all things. " 20:13 James: Oh, I didn't give you the... 20:14 I didn't give you the full thing here, 20:16 it actually starts with... verse 8. 20:19 Yvonne: Okay... 20:25 James: Actually it's verse 8, just read verse 8. 20:29 Yvonne: Eight... James: Hmmm... hmmm... 20:31 Yvonne: "Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, 20:35 he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. " 20:38 James: Okay... this is talking about Jesus' resurrection, 20:42 "captivity" are that group of people that He resurrected 20:45 they were captive in the earth... in the grave, 20:47 and He led them... He led them... he let them free 20:49 and at the same time "gave gifts unto men... " 20:51 which we could say... is the Holy Spirit 20:52 as well as the gifts that they received 20:54 but it's... I think primarily the Holy Spirit 20:55 so, what you have taking place here in Revelation chapter 4 21:00 is you have this picture, okay, the throne is set in heaven, 21:02 the throne is a representation of the Government of God 21:06 it's been in controversy, now it's set, 21:10 it's set now, it's got a rainbow over it now 21:13 now, a rainbow is a symbol of God's justice and His mercy, 21:17 it's a symbol of... water and sunshine... 21:19 two seemingly opposites coming together 21:22 justice and mercy, is God just or is He merciful? 21:25 which one? Yvonne: Both... 21:27 Ivor: So, you're saying that perhaps there was an event 21:30 on earth that basically cemented 21:36 or established God's throne and rid the universe of any doubt 21:43 as to the character of various individuals 21:47 within the great controversy and that event would have been 21:50 the cross... the death and burial and resurrection. 21:53 James: Which chapter five is going to bring out... 21:55 see, chapter four is like Genesis chapter 1, 21:58 that's the creation story 22:01 and when God gives the creation story in Genesis one, 22:04 He says... that He made man in His image, 22:06 male and female made He them... done. 22:09 So, Revelation 4 says, "God's throne is set... " 22:12 there are 24 elders there, they've been raised, you know, 22:15 captive, they've got thrones, 22:16 they've got white robes, they've got crowns 22:18 it's all done... 22:20 chapter five tells us "Well, how did that happen, 22:24 how did the throne get set, 22:26 how did the rainbow get established, 22:27 how did God's mercy and justice get established... 22:29 how did those elders... 22:31 why are they there... how did that happen?" 22:32 Chapter 5 tells us... so chapter 5 is like Genesis 2, 22:35 Genesis 2 now goes back and... 22:37 goes back to the Creation story and says now, 22:39 "When God created man... 22:42 He made him out of the dust of the earth," 22:44 we came from dirt... everybody knows that... 22:49 when God created woman... 22:51 ooooo, that was a little bit different, 22:53 He went to the man... took a rib... 22:55 so you get the details there, so when we get to... 22:58 so these are two parallel chapters... 23:00 they're repeating and enlarging within, 23:01 that's what Revelation 4 and 5 do, 23:03 Revelation 4 gives us a basic outline 23:05 and what happens is... 23:06 and this is... we don't do this enough... 23:08 what happens is... is when... 23:10 see it's been... thousands of years 23:13 that this controversy has been waging, in heaven, 23:17 and it's finally been settled, and when it's settled, 23:20 it's like... "YES!" and "holy, holy, holy... " 23:23 and then the 24 elders... they sit there and they go, 23:26 "Yes, worthy is the lamb... " and they just start praising God 23:28 this happened to me... 23:29 Ivor: Not that the controversy is going on... 23:32 not that there is war going on in heaven 23:34 for thousands of years... but... 23:35 James: No... no... but there's a controversy... 23:37 there's a question that needs to be answered, yes, good, 23:40 and so they can't help it, they just explode with praise, 23:43 but that's not... we're not done yet... Revelation 5, 23:46 "And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne 23:48 I saw a scroll written... " 23:49 and I... so we go through the thing again, 23:51 in a little bit more detail as to how this happened 23:53 but in chapter 4... we started the process of understanding 23:57 how God's throne is set, how these 24 elders got there, 24:00 why did they get the things 24:02 that were promised to the churches, how did that happen? 24:04 We looked at the verses with that special resurrection 24:06 we've seen God's throne was set, we've seen the rainbow over it, 24:10 we know that these guys are praising God, 24:12 we know they're saying, "Holy, holy, holy... " 24:13 we know the 24 elders are praising God, 24:14 the seven spirits are still there, 24:16 now, the seven spirits... have to go out into all the earth, 24:19 we'll see this in chapter 5 but not until we finish 24:22 this re-creation story, okay, 24:25 Genesis 1 and 2 gives us the creation story, 24:27 Revelation 4 and 5 gives us the re-creation story. 24:31 Ivor: And remember that... that concept that 24:35 what we're looking at in the cycle of seven 24:39 is re-creation... right, 24:42 how God is... re-doing things, 24:45 how God is bringing the church into His likeness 24:49 and into His image to usher us into that... 24:52 that eternal Sabbath in heaven, and so the parallels there 24:58 between the creation week of Genesis 25:01 and what's happening in the cycle of sevens, 25:04 in the Book of Revelation are again, very significant. 25:08 James: Very significant, in fact... in the creation week, 25:12 part one, chapter one, God rests on the Sabbath, 25:16 He's finished all His work and rests on the Sabbath, 25:19 in re-creation... when Jesus was on the cross on Friday 25:22 on the sixth day, He said, "It is finished... " 25:26 and he rested on the Sabbath. 25:28 Yvonne: Yes... yes... 25:30 James: He comes up from the grave 25:32 takes the captivity captive, takes them up into heaven, 25:34 there they are... so we see, 25:36 the Sabbath is a vital part of this 25:38 because even before we fell, the Sabbath called us to rest, 25:43 in everything God had created for us... without us... 25:45 there was nothing we could point to... 25:47 we couldn't point to that tree and say, 25:48 "Hey, did you see that tree over there...? 25:50 God made the trunk, I put on the branches, 25:52 He did the leaves... I did... " nothing... nothing... 25:54 Yvonne: Right... right... 25:55 James: so even before the fall, every... 25:58 all the glory went to God... all the glory went to God, 26:00 so now, after the fall, we have a problem with that 26:02 because we want to get a little bit of glory, don't we? 26:05 yeah, see, but see... Jesus trod the wine press alone 26:07 and the people were not with Him, 26:10 so He re-creates us, by Himself, 26:12 but He does it for us. 26:14 Ivor: So the Sabbath is a sign... the seal... 26:17 that, "I am the Lord that sanctifies you... " 26:20 James: Yes... exactly... 26:21 Ivor: "You don't sanctify yourself... 26:22 I sanctify you... 26:24 so if you... if you think you can sanctify yourself... 26:26 then don't keep the Sabbath, you know, 26:28 but the Sabbath is a sign that 26:29 I am the Lord that sanctifies you. " 26:31 James: It's reminding you to "rest in me. " 26:33 Ivor: "It's not self-sanctification, 26:36 it's not self-righteousness, I am the one that sanctifies. " 26:40 Yvonne: So for anyone who says, 26:42 "Well, the Sabbath is just for Jews... 26:44 because it was given to the Jews 26:49 or by Moses to the people... " that is not the case, 26:55 it was instituted at creation. 26:57 Ivor: It is a sign of redemption 27:00 so if you are ever in tribulation 27:03 and the Lord delivered you, 27:04 He says, "I want you... 27:05 I delivered you, keep my Sabbath... " 27:07 that's the sign that you remember 27:10 that I delivered you out of bondage, 27:12 bondage to drugs, bondage to music, 27:14 bondage to... whatever it is... bondage to being in the world, 27:17 when you are delivered, the sign that God says, 27:21 "I want you to keep as a... as a... 27:22 as in honor of that... is the Sabbath. " 27:24 And if anyone watching has a question about that, 27:27 they can send their video questions to: 27:30 Yvonne: sss@3abn. org 27:34 sss as in Salvation in Symbols and Signs. 27:37 James: Salvation in Symbols and signs 27:39 and this is all about salvation in symbols and signs, 27:41 it's all about Jesus, 27:43 take us out with a word of prayer, Jason. 27:45 Jason: All right... "Dear Heavenly Father, 27:46 we just want to lift you up and praise you and thank you so much 27:50 for blessing us with all your many promises 27:53 and the Sabbath and giving us a day of rest 27:57 and all the signs of the times that you provided 28:00 in Revelation which is what we're coming to know 28:03 as a love story, thank you for the opportunity 28:07 to be here and learning this and helping us 28:10 to comprehend what we are studying 28:12 we pray this in Jesus' name, amen. 28:14 All: "Amen... " |
Revised 2016-08-29