Salvation in Symbols and Signs

Introduction to the Trumpets part 1

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

Program transcript

Participants: Ivor Myers (Host), James Rafferty (Host), Jason Bradley, Yvonne Lewis

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Series Code: SISS

Program Code: SISS000030A


00:30 Here we go... we're in the seven trumpets...
00:33 we're in the seven trumpets, we are in the seven trumpets
00:35 but you're not going to get that feeling
00:37 when we read the first verse of Revelation chapter 8
00:40 because the first verse of Revelation 8
00:41 is actually the 7th Seal,
00:43 now what it's doing in chapter 8 is a mystery,
00:47 it's not a really mystery but it's just mysterious,
00:50 like why didn't they just leave that with the seven seals?
00:52 Why did they put it in with the seven trumpets?
00:54 We've got to remember in this context that
00:56 the chapter divisions of the Bible are not always accurate,
01:00 they're not inspired... the Bible was all written just
01:03 in one document, just one word after another
01:05 one chapter after another, we divided it up
01:07 to make it easier and sometimes when we divide,
01:10 we don't quite get it right, we think we do... we don't.
01:13 Some people have been led to the conclusion
01:15 that the seven trumpets must be part of the seven seals,
01:17 the seven seals open and then there are the seven trumpets.
01:19 Now, the seven seals are part of the six seals
01:22 the seven trumpets start a whole new epic,
01:24 a whole new picture and we'll see that as we get into it
01:27 but we want to start with prayer
01:29 and then, we'll jump right in.
01:30 Jason, you want to open us up with prayer?
01:32 Jason: Sure... "Dear Heavenly Father,
01:34 thank you for the opportunity to study your Word once again,
01:38 please be with us as we take a look at the trumpet scenes
01:42 and help us to understand what we are reading,
01:45 in Jesus' name we pray, amen. "
01:46 All: "Amen... amen... "
01:48 James: So Yvonne, let's just read
01:50 Revelation chapter 8 verse 1.
01:52 Yvonne: "And when he had opened the seventh seal,
01:54 there was silence in heaven
01:56 about the space of half an hour. "
01:58 James: Okay now, this seventh seal
02:00 is connected with the six other seals,
02:02 even though it's a new chapter,
02:04 I've actually crossed my chapter 8 out,
02:05 and I put it... it's the next verse to where it starts,
02:08 how do we know that?
02:09 Well, remember when the sixth seal was opened
02:11 and there were all these signs in the heavens
02:14 and all these people were hiding
02:15 and running for the rocks and the mountains
02:17 and saying, "Fall on us and hide us
02:18 from the face of Him that sits on the throne
02:20 and the wrath of the Lamb
02:21 for the great day of His wrath is coming,
02:23 who's going to be able to stand?"
02:24 Who shall be able to stand?
02:26 Okay, after that, we have chapter 7,
02:29 chapter 7 was an interlude, it was an interruption
02:32 and its specific purpose was to answer the question,
02:35 "Who shall be able to stand?"
02:36 Who's going to be able to stand?
02:38 those who are sealed... a great multitude that no man can number
02:42 answered the question...
02:43 we spent four sessions answering that question,
02:46 why?
02:48 Because it's an important question to answer, right?
02:49 Who's going to be able to stand?
02:51 Yvonne: Hmmm... hmmm...
02:52 James: So, if you are just going through the
02:53 succession of the seals...
02:55 just flowing from the early Apostolic Age
02:58 and you're moving through persecution, the Dark Ages
03:00 and the sealing and then the Millerite Movement,
03:02 you come into these signs and then the second coming of Jesus,
03:04 if you're flowing like that, once you get to chapter 7
03:08 the seal of God on the redeemed
03:11 has already taken place because Jesus is coming,
03:14 so you can take chapter 7, 1 through 8
03:15 and take those verses out of the way,
03:17 just put them aside, they've already taken place,
03:18 they fit back here,
03:20 the next verse is chapter 7 verses 9 through 17...
03:23 that's a picture of the redeemed around the throne in heaven
03:27 that's future to the Second Coming,
03:29 He's coming to get them and He's going to take them to heaven
03:31 and there's going to be this throne,
03:33 so, all those verses can be taken aside
03:34 and they can be put into the future,
03:36 in the succession... you understand,
03:37 the next verse we will read then will be Revelation 8 verse 1.
03:41 Ivor: So what you're saying is, if you just... if you...
03:44 just kind of shrunk Revelation chapter 7
03:47 and just looked at Revelation 8, verse 1
03:50 occurring right after chapter 6, the last verse,
03:54 "Who shall be able to stand?" And no one answers.
03:57 James: Right... and then there's silence...
03:59 and, of course, no one answers
04:02 because you can tell the inference is,
04:04 "Who's going to be able to stand?"
04:06 No one is saying, "I can stand...
04:09 I can... hey... I can do it"
04:11 not the righteous and not the wicked.
04:13 There's just this silence as the seventh seal is opened,
04:17 now, I want you to look at a verse with me,
04:18 this one's found in Zechariah and this one will basically
04:22 describe this whole scenario, Zechariah chapter 2
04:26 and Zechariah is right next to the Book of Matthew,
04:29 and Malachi... so you've got,
04:31 Matthew, Malachi and then Zechariah,
04:32 so its two books away from the New Testament Book of Matthew.
04:36 Zechariah chapter 2 and... can you read Yvonne,
04:41 are you there yet? Yvonne: Yeah.
04:43 James: Could you read 10 through 13?
04:44 Yvonne: Sure... "Sing and rejoice,
04:46 O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come,
04:48 and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the Lord.
04:51 And many nations shall be joined to the Lord in that day,
04:54 and shall be my people:
04:55 and I will dwell in the midst of thee,
04:57 and thou shalt know that the Lord of hosts
04:59 hath sent me unto thee.
05:00 And the Lord shall inherit Judah his portion in the holy land,
05:04 and shall choose Jerusalem again.
05:07 Be silent, O all flesh, before the LORD:
05:10 for he is raised up out of his holy habitation. "
05:13 Wow...
05:15 James: You see that? "Be silent... be silent,
05:18 he is raised up out of his holy habitation. "
05:20 When Jesus comes... right now Jesus...
05:23 and we got to look at this in... as we get into this...
05:25 the trumpets... right now,
05:26 Jesus is wearing garments of priestly ministry,
05:28 when He comes, He's going to be wearing different garments,
05:31 and He's going to come
05:33 to deliver His people from their enemies...
05:36 we looked at Revelation 19:11, you know,
05:38 He comes on the horse with armies, okay,
05:41 so He's clad in vestures of righteousness,
05:43 He's clad in vestures of judgment, okay,
05:46 when He comes with the sword et cetera,
05:48 the whole world is going to be captive
05:50 because the Bible tells us, in fact Revelation 1:7 says,
05:53 "Every eye shall see Him... even those that pierced Him... "
05:56 "every... " and so everyone's just going to see that,
05:59 at first they're going to fight
06:00 and then they're going to stop and they're going to say,
06:01 "Who is going to be able to stand?"
06:03 And then there is silence, when the silence is broken
06:05 it's going to be broken by the voice of Jesus.
06:07 You know what Jesus is going to say?
06:11 "My grace is sufficient for thee"
06:13 that's... that's who's going to be...
06:16 whoever trust in my grace, you're going to be able to stand
06:19 that's going to be a glorious day
06:22 because right when we hear that, we're going to feel something
06:25 strange take place at our feet,
06:27 see, normally, you feel your feet on something,
06:30 you're either walking or what... but in that day,
06:34 our feet are going to feel like they're not on anything
06:37 because they're actually going to be
06:40 lifting up from terra firma and going up into the air,
06:43 we're going to meet the Lord... the Bible says,
06:45 "we're going to meet the Lord in the air in that day. "
06:47 Yvonne: That's exciting.
06:49 Ivor: I think there are a couple of things
06:51 as I'm looking at this chapter
06:54 talking about the seals
06:57 and specifically the sixth seal going into the seventh seal,
07:00 there seems to be a great failure
07:08 on the part of the wicked to understand who God is
07:10 because the question that's asked...
07:14 they're the ones that ask the question,
07:15 "Who shall be able to stand?"
07:17 and in their mind they're thinking,
07:18 "This God is so like... no one's going to be saved... "
07:23 and God... then the Book shows us
07:25 there's a great multitude...
07:27 James: that no man can number... Ivor: that no man can number...
07:29 "I don't know what you guys were thinking about me...
07:31 but my mission was never to destroy...
07:35 my mission was to save... "
07:36 so they misunderstand the character of God in that way
07:39 number two, sin deranges people
07:44 and what I mean by that is... as you look at Revelation 6
07:48 and again, this goes into the silence of Revelation chapter 7
07:51 but in Revelation 6... you have the wicked crying out,
07:55 "Hide us from the wrath of the Lamb,"
07:57 from... you know,
07:58 "the wrath of the Lamb... " so they're crying out...
08:00 I want you to just think about that for a moment,
08:02 like, if you are leaving your house one day
08:05 you're walking down the street and you see someone...
08:07 James: Freaking out...
08:10 Ivor: burst around the corner, "run for your lives... "
08:13 and you're like... "what, what...?"
08:16 "run... it's a Lamb... a Lamb... "
08:18 you'd be like... you'd get ready to run...
08:21 James: And then you'd look at baa... baa... baa... baa.
08:25 Ivor: A Lamb? Right... they are crying out,
08:31 "hide us from the wrath of the Lamb. "
08:33 Yvonne: Hmmm...
08:35 Ivor: Jesus is not coming because He's seeking to destroy,
08:38 that's going to happen
08:40 but it's a misunderstanding of His character...
08:42 that shows that the wicked have misunderstood...
08:45 the character of Christ,
08:46 that He's trying to seek and save as many as He can
08:50 and so I think when that moment of silence comes,
08:53 a couple of things are happening,
08:55 number one, the Word has been gong forth,
08:58 He's been sending His people to preach,
09:00 "Come on preach, preach, while it is yet day...
09:02 preach, preach, preach... "
09:03 but now... silence...
09:05 there's no more... you've cut off the limit of...
09:08 of mercy and forgiveness has been reached
09:11 and there's nothing more for you to hear
09:13 and number two... there's nothing more for you to say.
09:15 These people who have been giving hard speeches
09:18 and "God, yeah... if God is real, then let Him do"
09:21 and now comes this time where nobody speaks,
09:24 because there's just this awe... this realization...
09:30 the Bible says that the wicked
09:32 who have given all these hard speeches,
09:35 there's going to come that time where there's total silence,
09:39 no one's going to have an accusing finger against God,
09:41 against His people, the probation has closed,
09:45 there's no more good news to be shared to the rebellious
09:51 in order to have them saved,
09:52 and so all these things come to play,
09:54 there's a lot there in that silence,
09:56 even though it's just one verse,
09:57 there is a lot there in that silence
10:00 that just really reflects the gospel of the character of God
10:03 and the character of the wicked
10:05 as well as the character of the righteous.
10:06 James: And you know, Ivor, as you were talking there,
10:09 I was thinking about this, there is wrath in the Lamb,
10:12 the wrath of the Lamb is the fact that it's a Lamb
10:15 and that's just overwhelming to these...
10:18 I mean, we think about that because, oh, I think about...
10:20 I picture Jesus cleansing the Temple...
10:21 Ivor: Yeah.
10:23 James: He was Jesus... you know,
10:24 but He was angry
10:26 at those who were there, why they were there
10:29 and what they were doing, those who weren't there...
10:31 those who weren't allowed to come in there
10:32 and when you have a meek and lowly person like a lamb,
10:37 when you have that kind of representation,
10:40 when you see that person standing up
10:43 for those who have been downtrodden,
10:45 and standing up against abuse and cruelty,
10:48 you know, when you have a just cause,
10:50 no matter how powerful a person is that you are opposing,
10:53 no matter how... you know... much they...
10:55 when you're... you're cause is just,
10:57 there is something to fear,
10:58 there is something to fear and so,
11:00 the Lamb's cause is just and right
11:02 and so that wrath, to us... it's like...
11:05 "that's the Lamb, that's the Lamb... "
11:08 so... because it's so just and so right
11:10 it's like, "Whoa, that is... it's just too much... "
11:13 it's just too much for them, and so that...
11:16 we see that in the context of this,
11:18 it's powerful when you think about it
11:19 in the context of Jesus on this earth
11:21 and it's going to be even more powerful
11:22 when we see it in the context of Jesus coming the second time.
11:25 This is kind of a digression but...
11:27 when the Lord Jesus returns,
11:31 if we have not been changed, in a moment,
11:35 in the twinkling of an eye,
11:36 we cannot stand before a righteous, holy God,
11:39 we'll be consumed by the brightness of His coming,
11:42 correct? so, that's...
11:44 it's not so much Him doing some vengeful thing,
11:49 it is man's nature to not be able to stand
11:53 in the presence of a holy God.
11:55 James: That's the very thing we're talking about here.
11:56 Yvonne: Okay.
11:58 James: See, sometimes we think,
11:59 "Oh, that must be some kind of supernatural event... "
12:00 no, it's the reality of not being...
12:02 not being able to bear it,
12:03 we can actually give some practical examples of that
12:07 but if you are a person who's used to being in bad company
12:12 and doing wicked things...
12:13 it is uncomfortable to be in good company,
12:17 when I came out of the world,
12:19 I started going to church
12:21 and I felt uncomfortable in church
12:22 and it wasn't because people didn't want me to be there
12:25 or because they were judging me,
12:27 they were glad I was there but I just had this discomfort,
12:30 I was looking around like,
12:31 "everyone is sprouting wings under their suit jacket,
12:34 right, and I'm a sinner" and that's what we see here,
12:37 people who have kept themselves in the dark
12:40 and now they face the Lamb, pure innocence, pure holiness,
12:44 pure love... and it's just overwhelming to them
12:46 so yeah, you're right.
12:47 Jason: And they would be miserable in heaven
12:49 if they were living that lifestyle
12:53 and they didn't want to change, they never wanted to change,
12:56 they don't... imagine them having to spend an eternity...
12:59 James: Eating from the Tree of Life.
13:02 Jason: Yeah, living the great life but it's not great to them
13:06 because they just want to sin
13:08 and they're comfortable in their sins.
13:09 James: And I see this, I mean this is power packed right here
13:14 because we're looking at it in the context...
13:15 of the Book of Revelation... but I see this in a practical way
13:19 in our life today, I mean, when I became a born-again Christian,
13:23 I was living in a party house with my friends
13:27 and it was uncomfortable for them... for me to be around,
13:31 it was uncomfortable that I was there,
13:33 I wanted to be with them, I wanted to witness to them,
13:35 but I was drinking my pop while they were drinking their alcohol
13:38 and it was uncomfortable to them
13:40 and they were like... they'd give me a hard time
13:41 and they'd... "take it... " you know...
13:42 and they just didn't want me there... just...
13:44 and I had that experience within a lot of places,
13:47 and I think, with Christ... it's just, it's just multiplied,
13:50 okay, let's move in now to the trumpets,
13:53 the trumpets begin in Revelation chapter 8 and verse 2
13:56 and what we're going to see here is,
13:57 we're going to see a verse that talks about the trumpets
14:00 and then immediately we're going to take a detour
14:02 for a few verses and we're going to go in a different direction
14:06 and then we're going to come back to these trumpet verses
14:08 and then we've got to understand what all that means
14:10 so what I'd like us to do, Jason, you can start us out here
14:12 read verse two
14:14 and then we'll talk about that just a little bit
14:17 and then we want to read verses 3 through 5
14:20 and really get into what's going on there,
14:23 so let's start with chapter 8 verse 2.
14:25 Jason: Okay, "And I saw the seven angels
14:28 which stood before God;
14:29 and to them were given seven trumpets. "
14:31 James: Okay, trumpets in the Bible,
14:33 what do they represent, what do they represent?
14:36 Now there are a number of verses
14:37 and stories I want us to go to because it's huge...
14:40 trumpets are huge, okay,
14:42 one of the things we know about trumpets,
14:44 in the Old Testament,
14:45 trumpets were blown in preparation for destruction,
14:49 Jericho... march around... blow the trumpet,
14:52 march around... blow the trumpet,
14:54 seven days they marched around,
14:55 seven days they blew the trumpet,
14:57 on the seventh day... seven times
14:58 and the trumpets blew and down came the walls,
15:01 in Joel chapter 2, trumpets are symbolically
15:05 representing the call of alarm,
15:07 "Look out, war, alarm... " so, war, destruction, alarm...
15:12 Paul talks about it and I've got a verse here
15:14 in 1st Corinthians chapter 14 verse 8, he says,
15:17 "For if the trumpet makes an uncertain sound,
15:19 who will prepare himself for battle?"
15:22 So you've got battle, you've got war, you've got alarm
15:26 but you also have trumpets that were sounding
15:28 on the Day of Atonement, calling people to repentance,
15:32 calling people to a day of atonement,
15:34 in other words, in battle, in judgment, in war,
15:37 you've also got a call to repentance...
15:39 it's taking place in the background,
15:40 the call to repentance,
15:42 and we're going to see this in the context of the trumpets
15:44 because there's a place there
15:45 where it says, "And they didn't repent... "
15:47 in other words, God was calling to repentance through judgments
15:49 in Joel... it wasn't judgments but they were called...
15:52 it was a call to repentance.
15:53 Jason: Didn't we read a verse that compared...
15:56 it said something as of trumpet...
15:58 so like, someone heard the Lord's voice
16:01 and it sounded like... "as a trumpet. "
16:03 James: That's Revelation chapter 1 verse 10.
16:04 Jason: Okay. James: "I heard a voice
16:06 behind me and it sounded like a trumpet"
16:07 which is another verse and we didn't read that
16:10 but there's another verse that helps us to identify
16:11 the trumpets are... the call of Christ,
16:14 calling us, trying to get our attention,
16:16 trying to call us back to repentance,
16:18 trying to warn us... alarm us about things that are happening
16:22 in the world... or in our own hearts
16:24 and calling us to that Day of Atonement...
16:26 that reconciliation and calling us to understand
16:29 you know... the judgments are coming.
16:31 Ivor: Let's point out as well
16:32 that you guys would know the story of Gideon,
16:35 and when the trumpets were blown in that story,
16:37 you remember what happened, the adversaries of God's people
16:41 actually turned their swords upon one another,
16:43 so we pull all these stories together,
16:45 you know, the falling of the enemies of God's people,
16:49 the enemies of God turning themselves on one another,
16:52 warning... in Numbers chapter 10
16:56 when the trumpets were blown, it was a symbol...
16:59 it was a sign for them to advance,
17:01 you know, to move forward,
17:04 so when we look at...
17:05 it's good for us to look at all these instances
17:08 where trumpets are involved,
17:09 so that when we get to the Book of Revelation,
17:12 we get to the seven trumpets, we can see, okay,
17:14 which one of these stories applies,
17:17 you see what I'm saying... to these trumpets...
17:19 and we can begin to find some kind of theme
17:22 as we begin to go through the trumpets
17:24 so we can expect probably to see
17:27 some kind of powers falling,
17:29 or we can probably expect to see judgment,
17:32 we can probably expect to see advancing... war...
17:37 things of this nature and maybe even hostile forces
17:41 turning upon each other, yeah,
17:43 so all these things give us a little bit of insight...
17:47 kind of set the ground for,
17:48 "Okay, what should we be looking for in these trumpets?"
17:51 Yeah... yeah.
17:52 James: I love that...
17:54 and the other thing that it gives us insight is,
17:55 the seven churches and the seven seals,
17:57 where did they start historically?
18:00 Did they start with Babylon,
18:02 did they start in the future somewhere,
18:04 what is the historical setting for the first church?
18:07 What is the historical setting for the first seal?
18:10 What is the succession of events,
18:12 where are we staring in history,
18:14 where are we ending in history? we know where are we ending...
18:16 we are ending in the new heaven and the new earth
18:17 but where are we starting?
18:19 Where's the beginning? That's a pop quiz.
18:21 Jason: I was hoping that was a rhetorical question.
18:26 Yvonne: Laughing...
18:27 James: We want to know... where we start,
18:29 where was the first church, what did it represent,
18:31 what age did it represent?
18:32 Yvonne: Ephesus was the first church.
18:34 James: Ephesus was the first church.
18:35 Jason: They lost their first love...
18:37 James: And what was the first seal... the white-horse rider,
18:39 what age and time in history did that represent?
18:41 Yvonne: Oh, I'm bad with this... Jason: Yeah, I don't remember...
18:47 Ivor: Okay, let's do it like this.
18:48 The seven trumpets unfold at the altar of incense,
18:54 the seven churches unfold at the seven-branched candlestick,
18:58 the seven seals unfold at the Table of Shewbread,
19:02 all those articles of furniture are found where?
19:05 Yvonne: In the Holy Place.
19:07 Ivor: In the Holy place which means
19:08 that the priests that ministered in the Holy Place,
19:12 was to minister at these articles of furniture, how?
19:14 Simultaneously, right, so if the first church
19:18 represents the early church period...
19:22 Yvonne: Right...
19:23 James: You show them... first church represents
19:25 the early church period... da, da, da, da, da...
19:26 Ivor: The first seal, right,
19:28 represents the early church period,
19:30 then...
19:32 the first trumpet...
19:33 Yvonne: Early church...
19:35 James: We're in early church period...
19:37 that's where we are. Ivor: Absolutely.
19:38 James: Here's another way we can know because
19:39 let's read now, Yvonne, let's read verses 3, 4 and 5.
19:43 Yvonne: Okay, "And another angel came
19:46 and stood at the altar, having a golden censer;
19:48 and there was given unto him much incense,
19:50 that he should offer it with the prayers
19:53 of all saints upon the golden altar
19:55 which was before the throne.
19:57 And the smoke of the incense,
19:58 which came with the prayers of the saints,
20:01 ascended up before god out of the angel's hand.
20:04 And the angel took the censer,
20:06 and filled it with fire of the altar,
20:07 and cast it into the earth: and there were voices,
20:11 and thunderings, and lightnings,
20:12 and an earthquake. "
20:14 James: Okay, we have sanctuary symbols yet again,
20:16 and the sanctuary symbols we have here...
20:18 there are two articles,
20:19 there's the altar... and then there's the golden altar,
20:21 well, actually... there are three,
20:22 there's the censer, there's the altar,
20:24 the censor and the golden altar,
20:25 now, the golden altar was in the Holy Place,
20:29 so we know we're in pre-1844... before 1844...
20:33 we believe we're in Apostolic Age
20:35 simply because... that's where we started in churches
20:38 and that's where we started in the seals
20:39 and then we have this altar,
20:41 now, the only other altar other than the golden altar
20:44 was the altar in the Courtyard where the sacrifices were made,
20:48 the Lamb was slain for the sins of the individual
20:51 that would come and that altar represents Calvary,
20:54 so what we see in symbolic language here
20:56 is we see this angel that's standing at Calvary,
20:59 Calvary's altar...
21:00 and he's taking incense from Calvary's altar
21:03 to the Holy Place in the Sanctuary...
21:06 and mingling it there with the prayers of the saints,
21:08 so what we have here in symbolic language
21:10 is these articles of furniture
21:12 representing the ministry of Christ
21:14 first at Calvary... His death there
21:16 and then taking the death... the incense...
21:19 the righteousness of Christ
21:20 from Calvary into heaven, into the Holy Place
21:23 and mingling it with the prayers of God's people,
21:25 now, let's break that down,
21:28 let's look at a couple of verses
21:29 that will help us with that because,
21:32 the incense in Revelation chapter 5
21:35 is identified as the prayer of the saints,
21:36 now we're saying this incense represents
21:39 the righteousness of Jesus Christ
21:41 and the reason we say that is because
21:42 it's mingled with the prayers of the saints,
21:44 it won't make sense to have the prayers of the saints
21:46 mingled with the prayers of the saints...
21:47 so, look up a verse, Jason, Ephesians chapter 5 and verse 2,
21:52 and then, I think we referenced this verse, Yvonne,
21:56 already, but could you look up Hebrews chapter 13
21:59 verses 10 through 12 is the reference we're going to give.
22:03 So, Ephesians 5 verse 2, and then,
22:07 Hebrews chapter 13 verses 10 through 12.
22:13 Yvonne: Okay.
22:15 Jason: Ephesians 5:2, okay, "And walk in love,
22:23 as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us
22:26 an offering and a sacrifice to God
22:28 for a sweet-smelling savour. "
22:30 James: Okay, that "sweet-smelling savour"
22:33 is the incense, that incense in Revelation
22:36 is the sacrifice of Jesus,
22:37 "walk in love as Christ has loved us
22:40 and given himself as a sweet-smelling savour... "
22:42 as a sacrifice that's like incense,
22:44 so in Revelation chapter 8, that incense represents
22:47 the sacrifice of Jesus on the altar in the Courtyard,
22:50 the sacrifice of Christ on that altar,
22:52 and now it's been taken from that altar
22:54 and it's being offered in the heavenly sanctuary
22:57 so that means we have Christ going to the Holy Place
23:00 in the heavenly sanctuary
23:01 and it's being mingled with the prayers,
23:03 now, let's look at that in the context of Hebrews chapter 13.
23:06 Yvonne: Verse 10 right? James: Starting with verse 10.
23:08 Yvonne: And going...? James: To 12...
23:11 Yvonne: To 12... okay, "We have an altar,
23:13 whereof they have no right to eat
23:18 which serve the tabernacle.
23:20 For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought
23:24 into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin,
23:26 are burned without the camp.
23:28 Wherefore Jesus also,
23:30 that he might sanctify the people
23:32 with his own blood, suffered without the gate. "
23:35 James: All right, let's stop right there,
23:37 that's good... so Paul is saying,
23:38 there's an altar in the earthly sanctuary system
23:40 and then we have an altar
23:42 and our altar is where Christ was sacrificed
23:44 that He might sanctify us with His blood,
23:46 so the picture here... God is basically saying,
23:49 "Okay, I've got judgments, I've got alarm, I've got warning
23:52 I've got call to repentance, et cetera,
23:54 but before those judgments sound...
23:56 before I let those judgment loose,
23:58 I want you to see a picture of what God is doing,
24:00 what I'm doing for you,
24:02 I'm taking the sacrifice to Jesus
24:04 and I'm mingling with your prayers,
24:06 so what are you praying for,
24:07 pray... what are you praying for?"
24:09 And that's where... that's where we leave off...
24:10 Ivor: Yeah, and I think it's good that we...
24:12 you look at the seven seals
24:15 and it opens up with a Lamb that had been slain,
24:18 right, and you look at the seven churches...
24:21 the one who was dead and... you know...
24:23 the first and last... was dead and is alive
24:25 so each of these... lets us know that...
24:29 that the focus that keeps everything off
24:32 is the sacrifice of Christ,
24:34 and that's another very important key because
24:36 what ends up happening is that
24:39 as we were talking a little bit earlier that... the seven...
24:43 some people think that the seven trumpets
24:47 start in connection with the seventh seal,
24:50 so when the seventh seal opens up,
24:52 then we have the seven trumpets unfolding
24:55 so the seven trumpets are yet... future...
24:57 James: In the future somewhere.
24:58 Ivor: Right, but when we understand
25:00 that each of these opening visions are
25:01 bringing our attention to the sacrifice of Christ, the cross
25:05 and then seeing that,
25:07 "Yeah, we know that from the Old Testament
25:09 when the priest ministered...
25:10 he was to minister these articles simultaneously,
25:13 we can know church one, seal one,
25:16 trumpet one... simultaneous...
25:19 church two... seal two... trumpet two... simultaneous
25:23 and we just go down the list
25:25 and it's not that they're going to match perfectly like...
25:28 but we have a general outline, what know what we're looking for
25:31 we know the general time frame and at least that helps us
25:35 to avoid making some mistakes with the trumpets
25:37 that... you know... a lot of people do make.
25:40 James: Absolutely, good point... so basically, the opening vision
25:44 is giving us that connection with the churches and the seals
25:47 and the connection we're seeing here is...
25:49 the sacrifice of Jesus
25:51 so that takes us all the way back to the Apostolic Age,
25:54 Jesus is sacrificed, He goes to heaven,
25:56 He starts mediating,
25:58 what does He tell His disciples before He leaves?
26:00 "I want you to pray, I want you to pray... "
26:02 what are they praying for?
26:04 The Comforter, the Holy Spirit,
26:06 the Comforter... and so their prayers come up...
26:08 but what kind of prayers are they praying?
26:10 When He talks about that in Acts chapter 2,
26:12 it talks about how they were praying
26:15 and they all came together with one accord... in one place,
26:18 they must have been praying prayers of,
26:20 "Hey, Ivor, you know...
26:21 I was making fun of your beard the other day
26:25 and I just want to say, 'I'm sorry it's cool...
26:28 it really is cool... '"
26:29 and Ivor was like, "Yeah, well...
26:30 James, I got something that I need to tell you,
26:32 I can't really tell you on the Set,
26:34 because it's really bad
26:35 but it's obviously a flaw you have
26:37 but I really feel bad... "
26:39 and so they're praying these...
26:40 they're praying these prayers for forgiveness
26:43 and their prayers... all these faults are coming up
26:45 but they're mingled with the sacrifice of Jesus
26:48 and then something incredible happens
26:51 as a result of those prayers,
26:53 now, I wish we had time to talk about it...
26:54 Ivor: Incredible cliffhanger...
26:56 Yvonne: Oh, another cliffhanger.
26:57 Ivor: I was looking at you hoping... don't say it...
26:59 James: I was so excited to say that... but that's the point
27:04 we were talking earlier about faults,
27:05 God loves to have us come to Him just the way we are,
27:09 sinful, helpless, dependent, it is His glory,
27:13 take us up in the arms of faith,
27:14 to heal our wounds and to just give us His Spirit,
27:17 that's what He wants and when we get that... boom!
27:19 We've got... and that's the picture we have right here,
27:21 faulty people asking for the gift of the Holy Spirit.
27:24 Yvonne: Hmmm...
27:26 James: All right, what do we have? Who is... who is...
27:28 Jason: Well, I think people should send their e-mails
27:29 if they have questions to sss@3abn. org
27:33 James: Amen... amen...
27:34 who wants to close us out with prayer?
27:36 Yvonne: I will... "Father, thank you so much
27:37 for your presence, your power, your anointing,
27:40 Lord, we just praise your name
27:41 and we ask you to continue to guide us
27:43 as we open up these wonderful chapters in Revelation,
27:49 thank you, in Jesus' name, amen. "
27:50 All: "Amen... "
27:52 James: So we left on a cliffhanger
27:53 but we're going to come back, right back to Revelation 8 here
27:56 and we're going to see what the rest of the story gives us.
27:58 Yvonne: Great. Jason: Amen.


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Revised 2016-10-05