Participants:
Series Code: TAM
Program Code: TAM000011S
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00:30 Let's bow our heads for prayer.
00:31 Our loving heavenly Father, what a joy it is to be in 00:36 Your presence today. 00:38 We thank You Father for Your Holy Word, 00:41 because it's a sure guide in a world that doesn't know where to 00:46 turn; in a world that's confused about Bible prophecy. 00:50 We ask, Father, that You will open our understanding today 00:53 that we might be able to comprehend about the beast 00:56 that rises from the earth. 00:58 I ask, Lord, that You will remove preconceived 01:01 notions from our minds, and You will help us only 01:05 to hear Your voice. 01:06 And we thank You for hearing our prayer 01:09 for we ask it in the precious name of Jesus, Amen. 01:13 In last time's presentation we studied about the beast that 01:21 rose from the sea. 01:24 And we noticed that that beast that rose from the sea 01:27 is a symbol of the Roman Catholic papacy. 01:32 I want to make it very clear that we are not opposed 01:37 to Roman Catholics. 01:38 We're talking about a system. 01:41 We're not talking about the individuals within that system. 01:45 There are very many sincere, loving Christians within that 01:50 communion, but we're talking about the Roman Catholic Church 01:54 as an organization, or as a hierarchy. 01:58 Now you remember, if you were here this time, that we noticed 02:03 that the fourth beast of Daniel 7 has four stages of dominium. 02:09 The first stage of dominion is, of course, the dragon 02:13 beast ruling by itself. 02:15 That represents the Roman Empire. 02:16 Then from the head of that dragon beast come ten horns, 02:21 which represent the ten divisions of the Roman Empire. 02:26 The Roman Empire was fragmented as a result of 02:28 the barbarian invasions. 02:30 And then we notice that a little horn rises among the ten. 02:34 That represents the Roman Catholic papacy, which ruled for 02:38 1,260 years, from 538 to 1798, when the pope was taken prisoner 02:46 by Napoleon's, General Berthier. 02:49 And then we notice that there was a period of time in which 02:52 that little horn, or the beast, remained inactive, 02:56 because the secular governments of the world maintained 03:00 this system bound. 03:01 In other words they did not allow this system to use them. 03:04 The Bible uses the symbolism of the sword. 03:09 They did not allow the church to use the sword of the state. 03:13 And so for about 200 years after the French Revolution 03:17 the Roman Catholic Church has not been able to use the civil 03:20 powers of the world to persecute. 03:23 We noticed also in our study that this deadly wound is 03:27 going to be healed. 03:29 The sword is going to be returned once 03:31 again to this system. 03:32 And all of the world, the Bible says, is going to wander after 03:37 this system, is going to wander after the beast. 03:39 And you say, How in the world could this wound be healed? 03:44 How is it possible that any nation in the world would allow 03:48 this system, once again, to climb on it, and to use that 03:54 government, or to use that secular power as a sword, 03:59 to persecute, once again, those who are not in harmony 04:02 with the teachings of the church? 04:03 Well, today we're going to study a little bit about the healing 04:08 of that deadly wound. 04:10 We're going to identify a second beast in Revelation 13. 04:13 This beast does not rise from the sea. 04:17 It rises from the earth. 04:18 And this beast is actually going to return the sword 04:22 to the first beast. 04:24 You see, this second beast from the earth is going to make an 04:28 image of the first beast. 04:30 This second beast is going to command all of the world 04:34 to worship the first beast. 04:36 In fact, this second beast is going to command every one 04:40 on earth to receive the mark of the best. 04:43 By the way, in the future we're going to have one lecture on the 04:46 image to the beast. 04:47 We're going to have another lecture on the 04:49 mark of the beast. 04:50 And we're going to have still another one on the 04:52 number of the beast. 04:54 So each one of those aspects we're going to study. 04:57 But today we want to identify the power, or the nation, 05:01 that is going to return the sword to the sea beast, 05:05 or to the Roman Catholic papacy. 05:07 In fact, do you know that the Bible says that when the sword 05:11 is returned to the sea beast, that the sea beast is actually 05:15 going to be able to kill, through this power, 05:18 through this nation that rises, is going to be able to kill 05:22 everyone who is not in harmony with her teachings. 05:26 You find that in Revelation 13: 15 where it says: 05:42 Yes, persecution will arise again just like it existed 05:48 during the Middle Ages. 05:49 Now let's read about this beast that rises from the earth, 05:54 that is going to help the first beast get its power back. 05:57 Revelation 13:11, Revelation 13:11. 06:14 Other versions say, He had two horns like a lamb but he 06:18 spoke like a dragon. 06:20 Now the remarkable thing about this second beast, 06:23 this earth beast, is that it has a split personality. 06:27 In other words, it has a positive side, 06:31 and it has a negative side. 06:32 The positive side are the two horns like a lamb. 06:36 Because we're going to notice in Revelation that the lamb 06:38 represents Jesus Christ. 06:40 So this beast has a positive side: the two horns like a lamb. 06:44 But it says that this same beast that has two horns like a lamb, 06:48 speaks like what? like a dragon. 06:51 Let me ask you, What similarity is there between 06:55 a dragon and a lamb? 06:57 No similarity at all! 06:59 And yet in this one beast you find these two characteristics: 07:03 two horns like a lamb. 07:05 It has two aspects like a lamb, but it speaks like a dragon. 07:09 In other words it has a dual personality. 07:13 It has a split personality. 07:16 I want you to notice that it's not that this beast has two 07:21 horns like a lamb, and then the two horns are broken. 07:24 In other words it ceases being like a lamb, 07:27 and then it speaks like a dragon when the two horns are broken. 07:30 No. The Bible says that it speaks like a dragon even while 07:36 it still have the two horns. 07:37 In other words, it professes one thing, 07:41 but it actually lives another. 07:43 In other words, it professes two principles, 07:46 we're going to notice, that Christ entertained. 07:49 And it's going to say, We believe in that, but at the same 07:52 time it's going to persecute like the 07:54 dragon of Revelation 12. 07:56 Now let's identify this lamb beast. 07:59 Let's see... Actually it's not a land beast, but the beast that 08:02 has two horns like a lamb. 08:04 Let's review the order of kingdoms that we 08:07 studied last time. 08:08 You remember that we have a lion. 08:10 What kingdom does the lion represent? Babylon. 08:14 Then we have a bear. 08:15 What kingdom does the bear represent? 08:17 the Medes and Persians. 08:18 Then we have a leopard. 08:20 What kingdom does the leopard represent? Greece. 08:22 Then we have a dragon beast. 08:24 And what does that dragon beast represent? Rome. 08:28 And then that dragon beast grows ten horns. 08:30 What do the ten horns represent that come from the head of Rome, 08:34 of the dragon beast? 08:35 It represents Rome, that was divided into ten kingdoms 08:38 as a result of the barbarian invasions. 08:40 476 is the key date. 08:42 That's when the last Roman emperor was deposed. 08:45 And then you have the little horn, which represents 08:48 the papacy, which, by the way, is Roman also. 08:51 It comes from the head of the dragon beast, which is Rome. 08:54 And it rules for 1260 years. 08:57 But then at the end of the 1260 years, it receives a what? 09:01 a deadly wound. The sword that it used to persecute 09:06 now turns against it. 09:07 In other words, the sword is taken out of its hand. 09:10 And the sword rises against it and gives it a deadly wound. 09:14 And for awhile this beast is inactive; this sea beast is 09:19 inactive because it has a deadly wound. 09:22 But the Bible says that its deadly wound 09:25 is going to be what? healed. 09:27 Now I want you to notice something very 09:30 interesting about this beast. 09:31 When this first beast falls, when the sea beast receives 09:34 its deadly wound, at that moment is when this land beast rises. 09:38 So we have a chronological detail to know exactly when 09:42 this beast is going to arise in the flow of history. 09:45 Let's notice several characteristics. 09:46 Characteristic 1. of this land beast that is going to give 09:50 the sword back to the sea beast. 09:52 And it's going to impose the mark of the sea beast. 09:55 It's going to impose the number of the sea beast. 09:57 It's going to make an image of the sea beast. 10:00 It's going to tell everyone to worship the sea beast. 10:03 In other words, everything it does is with 10:05 reference to the sea beast. 10:07 It's almost like it doesn't have its own identity. 10:10 It arose for one purpose, and that was to return the identity, 10:14 or the ability to persecute to that first beast. 10:19 Now notice Revelation 13:10, 11, Revelation 13:10, 11. 10:26 Verse 10 speaks about the deadly wound. It says: 10:38 See that's the deadly wound. 10:43 And notice, immediately after it speaks about the deadly wound, 10:46 we find in verse 11: 10:48 So when the first beast falls it says: 11:05 So when does this second beast rise? 11:08 It rises to power when the first beast receives its deadly wound. 11:14 Because it says, He who kills with the sword will be 11:17 killed with the sword. 11:18 Then he says, Then I saw another beast rise from the earth, 11:22 which means that this beast would have to rise 11:24 around what year? 11:25 It will have to be around the year 1798 when the first beast 11:30 received its deadly wound. 11:32 A second characteristic which helps us identify this beast 11:37 from the earth is that in Revelation 13, beginning with 11:42 verse 11, there is no reference to waters. 11:45 There is no reference to winds of strife. 11:49 In fact this beast that rises from the earth doesn't even 11:52 fight with any other beasts. 11:54 In other words, it does not arise in the midst of strife. 12:00 Winds of strife represent wars. 12:02 It doesn't have to conquer any previous nation. 12:04 It actually arises in a different place. 12:09 It can't be in Asia, and it can't be in Europe. 12:14 You say, Why not? 12:15 Because if you read Daniel 7 you'll notice that the lion 12:18 and the bear, which are Asian powers, by the way, 12:22 rose from the sea. 12:23 Also the leopard and the dragon beast, which are European 12:28 powers, rose from the sea as well. 12:31 But this beast rises from the earth, which means that it must 12:35 rise in a different place. 12:37 Are you understanding what I'm saying? 12:39 Now something very important is that prophecy is actually moving 12:43 from east to west, because the first two beasts are Asian 12:46 powers: the lion and the bear. 12:49 The next two beasts are European powers, 12:52 which is Greece and Rome. 12:56 And, by the way, always moving further what? further west. 13:00 So where would you expect this beast from the earth to arise? 13:04 Probably further west than Europe. 13:08 And let me ask you, What is it that is west from Europe? 13:12 North America, the United States of America. 13:16 In fact, it's interesting that there are no waters. 13:19 It rises from the earth. 13:22 Waters represent multitudes, nations, tongues, and peoples. 13:25 Let me ask you, When the United States, when the pilgrims came 13:29 to the United States, were there lots of people 13:31 living in this country? 13:33 Was it like the old country, Europe? Absolutely not. 13:35 There were very few living here. 13:37 I'm going to give you some statistics 13:38 a little bit later on. 13:39 In fact, let me read you a couple of statements. 13:42 One of them is by Daniel J. Boorstin, who for many years 13:46 was the Librarian of Congress. 13:48 He says this about North America: 13:56 That is of the United States. 14:03 And another author said this, G. A. Townsend, 14:07 about the territory where this country arose: 14:25 So the United States arose in silence: no wins, no wars, 14:29 no fighting other nations. 14:30 It arose in the earth where there was a scarcity of people. 14:34 It arose around the year 1798, and this author says that it 14:38 arose like a plant. 14:40 Do you know that that word that's used, I saw another beast 14:43 rise from the earth, that word rise is used in the 14:46 New Testament to describe a plant that grows from the earth. 14:50 It's interesting that this historian says, 14:52 in the last quotation I read, Like a silent seed we 14:57 grew into an empire. 14:59 Now another point that will help us identify this power is that 15:05 the first beast, the sea beast, and this earth beast 15:09 are contemporaneous. 15:10 In other words, they exist at the same time. 15:13 But the first beast is older than this second beast, 15:16 because the second beast rises after the first beast 15:19 has ruled for 1,260 years. 15:23 In other words they exist at the same time. 15:25 They are powers that are simultaneous 15:27 in the flow of history. 15:29 And the interesting thing is that this second beast actually 15:33 helps the first beast to get it's power back. 15:36 You know, usually when you look at the beasts in Daniel 7, 15:40 the bear fights the lion and takes away his power, 15:44 and the leopard fights the bear and takes away his power, 15:47 and the dragon fights the leopard and 15:49 takes away his power. 15:50 In other words, every power defeats the previous power. 15:53 But this is very unusual, because in 1798, 15:56 when the first power falls, and loses the sword, the Bible tells 15:59 that this second power is not going to fight that first power, 16:03 but is actually going to do everything possible to restore 16:06 the power to the first beast. Unbelievable! 16:10 Revelation 13 also says that this power is going to be 16:14 worldwide, and it's going to be a super power. 16:18 It's going to be a super power economically, because the Bible 16:22 says that he's going to forbid to buy and sell 16:24 to whoever does not receive the mark of the beast. 16:26 It's a worldwide military power, because it says that it's going 16:31 to kill everyone who does not receive the mark of the beast. 16:35 And it is also a worldwide political power, because it says 16:40 that everybody on earth, all the world marveled 16:44 and worshipped the beast. 16:47 In other words, this second beast is the enforcer 16:50 of the first beast. 16:51 This second beast is actually the sword in the 16:55 first beast's hand. 16:56 And you say, this is incredible. 16:58 How would this beast lend itself to be used in this manner? 17:02 Well, it's unbelievable, but it's true. 17:05 One final characteristic before we move on to talk about the 17:10 two horns like a lamb, which is one especially 17:12 I want us to dwell upon. 17:14 This nation, before it becomes an oppressive nation, 17:20 and actually enforces the religion of the first beast, 17:24 actually was a blessing to those people who fled from the old 17:29 country to the United States. 17:32 I'm not going to read the text, but if you go to Revelation 12, 17:35 you're going to notice in verse 16, that immediately towards the 17:41 end of the 1260 years, when the church was being persecuted, 17:45 it says the dragon was spewing water out of his mouth 17:48 to drown the woman, which represents the church. 17:50 We're told there that the earth helped the woman, 17:54 and the earth swallowed the waters of persecution that the 17:58 dragon spewed out of his mouth. 18:00 In other words, at first this nation provides what? help, 18:04 and refuge for those who are persecuted in Europe. 18:07 But later on what's going to happen with this nation? 18:10 Instead of providing refuge for God's people, it is going 18:14 to become a what? a persecuting power. 18:17 By the way, I'd like to mention just briefly here the phenomenal 18:22 growth of the United States into a world super power. 18:26 In 1701 the United States had 260,000 inhabitants. 18:32 In 1776 when the Declaration of Independence was signed, 18:36 there were 2.8 million. 18:38 In the year 1800 there were 5,236,000. 18:44 That's around the time of the deadly wound. 18:49 In 1900 the United States had 76,212,000. 18:53 In 1950 the United States had 151,325,000. 19:05 And today, the latest that I saw on the internet, 19:08 the United States has over 306,000,000 inhabitants. 19:13 Since 1950 the population of the United States has doubled. 19:19 As a silent seed we grew into an empire. 19:26 Let me ask you, Is the United States a global power, 19:30 economically, militarily, and financially? Absolutely! 19:36 Can it serve, eventually, as the enforcer for this power? 19:40 There's no nation in the world that could serve as the enforcer 19:43 of this power except the United States. 19:46 Now I want to go and dwell upon the two horns like a lamb. 19:50 That's what I want to dedicate most of our time 19:52 to in this lecture. 19:54 First of all we want to ask, What does this beast represent? 19:59 What does a beast represent in Bible prophecy? 20:02 Well, you know that a beast represents a nation, right? 20:05 The lion represents Babylon, the bear Medo Persia, 20:09 the leopard Greece, the dragon Rome, the he goat represents 20:14 Greece, the ram represents Medo Persia. 20:16 In other words, beasts in prophecy represent nations. 20:21 Now allow me to read you a statement from Adam Clarke. 20:24 He was a great Bible commentator. 20:26 He's not a Seventh-day Adventist, but he explains 20:29 what a beast represents. 20:31 See it is not only Seventh-day Adventists that believe that 20:33 beasts represent nations. He says this: 20:46 That's the land beast. 20:52 Is he right? He said, Well, if the first beast 20:55 is an empire, well the second beast must also be what? 20:59 an empire, in order to be consistent. 21:03 Now what do the two horns represent? 21:05 How many beasts do we have? 21:07 I'm not talking about the sea beast and the land beast. 21:10 The land beast is how many beasts? just one, right? 21:13 But it has two horns. 21:16 So how many nations does this beast represent? it's one 21:19 nation, but it has two horns. 21:21 Now what do the two horns represent? 21:23 Once again Adam Clarke gives this explanation: 21:28 very, very good explanation. He says: 21:36 This is the dragon beast. It has ten horns. 22:02 That's the book of Revelation. 22:11 Is he right? I mean you have to be consistent. 22:14 You can't say that the ten horns of the dragon beast represent 22:17 one thing, and to say the two horns on this land beast 22:21 represent something totally different. 22:22 The two horns on the head of the land beast, or this beast 22:27 that has characteristics like a lamb, represent two kingdoms. 22:32 Now there's a Biblical parallel that is very, very close to 22:37 this symbol that we have in Revelation 13:11. 22:41 Go with me to Daniel 8, Daniel 8, and I want to read verse 3, 22:46 and then we'll jump down to verse 20. Daniel 8:3. 23:00 How many animals? one. 23:06 Okay, so you have one beast with what? two horns. 23:17 Now what do those two horns represent on this one beast? 23:20 This one ram with two horns. 23:21 What does the ram, and what do the two horns represent? 23:24 Verse 20: 23:35 Let me ask you, Was this one nation? 23:38 Yes, it was one nation. 23:41 One beast is used to represent it: a bear, and a ram. 23:47 One nation, but this one nation was composed of 23:51 how many kingdoms? 23:52 This one nation was composed of two kingdoms. 23:55 In other words, this beast of Revelation 13 represents one 23:59 nation, but that one nation has two what? has two kingdoms, 24:05 or dual kingdoms within it. 24:08 Now we're going to come back to this. 24:10 You'll understand what we're talking about. 24:12 We're setting the bases now. 24:13 But let me ask, Why are these two horns like horns of a lamb? 24:17 You know, there are many beasts in Scripture that have 24:21 horns in prophecy. 24:23 But this is the only time when the horns are specifically 24:28 identified; what kind of horns. 24:30 You know, for example, the dragon beast that 24:32 says it has ten horns. 24:34 That doesn't say what kind of ten horns they are. 24:36 It's just ten horns. 24:37 But with this beast it specifies. 24:40 It says that it has two horns like a what? like a lamb. 24:45 That must be important. 24:46 Now the question is, What does the lamb represent? 24:49 The word lamb is used in the book of Revelation 29 times. 24:53 In 28 of those references it indisputably 24:59 refers to Jesus Christ. 25:00 And so somehow this beast, the only time where you might 25:06 have an exception is here in this text, Revelation 13:11. 25:10 It must mean that somehow this one nation, on its head it will 25:16 have two horns, which represent two kingdoms, and those kingdoms 25:20 are the ones that were recognized by whom? 25:23 They were recognized by Jesus Christ, because the lamb 25:27 represents whom? The lamb represents Jesus. 25:31 So the two horns like a lamb is the positive side of this beast. 25:37 Let me ask you, Is this good that it has two 25:40 horns like a lamb? sure. 25:42 But the problem is that if it has two horns like the lamb, 25:45 in other words, two horns like kingdoms that Jesus recognized, 25:50 but at the same time it will speak like what? 25:53 It'll speak like a dragon, because it has 25:56 a split personality. 25:57 In other words, the two horns like a lamb 25:59 are the positive side. 26:00 They're related somehow to the Lord Jesus Christ. 26:04 And so we need to ask the question, What two kingdoms 26:08 did Jesus Christ the Lamb recognize? 26:11 Because the two horns are kingdoms, and they're two 26:15 horns like a lamb, so they must be two kingdoms that 26:18 Jesus what? that Jesus recognized. 26:20 Now the question is, Which two kingdoms did Jesus 26:23 recognize as viable? 26:25 Well, we've studied this in previous lectures. 26:29 You remember that Jesus says, Render therefore unto Caesar 26:34 the things that are Caesar's, and unto God the 26:38 things that are God's. 26:40 Did Jesus recognize two kingdoms? 26:41 Did the Lamb of God recognize two kingdoms? Yes, He did. 26:45 So let's summarize. 26:46 This beast that rises from the earth must be a kingdom. 26:50 This beast that rises from the earth, that has two horns, 26:54 the two horns must represent that in that nation there are 26:58 two what? There are two kingdoms. 27:00 And they have to be two kingdoms that Jesus recognized, 27:03 because they are two horns like what? 27:06 two horns like a lamb. 27:07 And we know that the two kingdoms that Jesus recognized 27:11 are the kingdom of Caesar, the civil government, 27:15 and the kingdom of God, which is on earth, the church. 27:21 Now let's talk a little bit about the history of the 27:25 United States of America. 27:27 What nation in the world arose around the year 1798? 27:36 One nation that recognized in its founding documents 27:41 the legitimate simultaneous existence of two kingdoms 27:47 separate one from another. 27:49 There's only one nation in the world that originated 27:54 as one nation that recognized two kingdoms, the same kingdoms 27:58 that Jesus recognized as being separate one from the other. 28:02 I want to read a statement from the Great Controversy, Page 440, 28:06 this magnificent book on Bible prophecy. 28:09 Here Ellen White says: 28:38 Now what I want to do is go through the history of the 28:40 United States to show you that in its founding documents 28:44 you have this idea of one nation, 28:47 composed of two kingdoms, separate one from the other. 28:51 Now the history of the United States can be divided into two 28:55 great periods: the first period is known as the Colonial period, 29:01 and the second period is known as the Constitutional period. 29:06 You know, the Constitutional fathers: men such as George 29:10 Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, James Madison, 29:15 and Benjamin Franklin knew three things. 29:19 These were the Constitutional fathers that arose 29:22 around the year 1798 to write the founding documents 29:25 of the United States. 29:26 They knew three things: first of all they knew the history of the 29:30 church in the middle ages. 29:32 In fact, do you know, that every founding document of the 29:36 United States: the Declaration of Independence, 29:38 the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights were all ratified 29:41 before the beast received its deadly wound? 29:44 As the first kingdom was coming to an end, or receiving its 29:50 deadly wound, the other kingdom, in its founding documents, 29:53 was rising to power. 29:55 That's very, very interesting. 29:57 And the founding fathers knew the history of the church 30:04 in the middle ages. 30:06 They also knew the history of the United States 30:09 in the Colonial period. 30:11 And they also knew their Bibles, as we're going to notice. 30:15 Now the Constitutional fathers knew, and they were living 30:20 at the end of the 1260 years, that when church and state are 30:24 joined together, the automatic result is persecution. 30:28 For example, they knew the history of John Hus, 30:31 that man who was convicted, and burned at the stake 30:35 for his religious convictions. 30:37 They knew, for example, that he had been kept in sub-human 30:41 conditions in prison squalor. 30:44 They knew that false witnesses were called to 30:47 testify against him. 30:49 They knew that he had violated no civil laws. 30:52 They knew that he was tried for the religious convictions 30:54 of his conscience. 30:56 They knew that he was called before a religious tribunal, 30:58 much like the Sanhedrin, at first. 31:01 He knew that that religious tribunal had pronounced a death 31:04 sentence against him. 31:05 And they knew that then they took him to the emperor to have 31:09 the emperor stamp his imprimatur upon the sentence of death. 31:15 And they knew that because of his religious convictions he was 31:18 burned at the stake. 31:19 They knew the history of the church in the middle ages, 31:22 when church and state were united or joined together. 31:25 I'd like to read you a few statements from this very 31:28 interesting book that I have. 31:30 It's called, Hus the Heretic 31:31 It's written by an individual called Poggius the Papist. 31:36 In fact, this is the man who was sent to arrest John Hus. 31:40 And, actually, as he watched the way that John Hus was 31:44 treated by the Roman Catholic Church, he actually came to 31:47 sympathize with John Hus, as against the church 31:50 that he represented. 31:52 Let me read about the conditions that John Hus was in because of 31:55 the convictions of his conscience 31:57 during the middle ages. 31:58 This is on page 19 of this book. 32:01 After a short while Hus was let out of his dungeon into a decent 32:06 chamber, but his feet almost refused to carry him. 32:10 He swayed as he walked. 32:12 Listless and unused to the day was the light of his eyes, 32:19 deathly pale his cheeks, and loose what was left of his 32:23 teeth, since 11 had fallen out due to the damp prison. 32:27 The nails on his fingers were terribly long, because he had 32:31 been unable to bite them off for many weeks. 32:34 Upon his skin was a crust of dirt, which exuded am 32:38 awful stench, and his otherwise brown hair fell in white 32:42 ringlets upon his rotting and torn garb. 32:45 This is an individual who belongs to the Roman Catholic 32:49 papacy describing this. 32:51 His shoes had rotted upon his feet, and his shirt and 32:55 loincloth had vanished. 32:56 The rounded flesh which had covered his bones had shrunken, 33:00 and shriveled, and he had become a picture 33:03 of woe without equal, unrecognizable to those who 33:07 had known him before. 33:08 Horror filled those who looked upon him, and pitying people 33:12 prepared a bath for him, brought shirts and clothing, 33:15 and refreshed him with strengthening foods, for which 33:19 he could only thank with tearful eyes. 33:22 On page 28 we find this statement: With the clock 33:28 striking 8, and the bells telling, the procession of 33:32 Bishops, Cardinals, and Fathers... 33:34 See this is, they're taking him to his trial now, 33:36 to his religious trial. 33:38 Notice who he's appearing before. 33:39 The procession of Bishops, Cardinals, and Fathers, 33:42 and Deputies moved towards the church where a chair 33:46 had been placed for Hus, about which the seats of the 33:49 gentlemen were arranged. 33:51 He was brought there for the convictions of his conscience. 33:54 He had violated absolutely no civil laws. 33:57 In fact when they gave him an opportunity to speak he said 34:03 this: God gave to Peter, His disciple... 34:08 And notice the terminology; very important. 34:10 God gave to Peter, His disciple, the key to open all hearts, 34:15 and to have enough faith with it, but not the sword. 34:21 God gave Peter the what? 34:23 He gave him the key to open hearts, but not the sword 34:28 to slay, as you slay, all those who do not accept your worldly 34:34 doctrines, and who evade them. 34:36 Did he understand what the sword is? 34:39 He most certainly understood what the sword was. 34:41 He said you haven't been given the sword. 34:43 You've been given the key to open the heavenly kingdom. 34:46 When the final vote was taken among the religious dignitaries, 34:50 31 votes were cast not guilty. 34:53 11 votes were cast for excommunication. 34:58 And 45 votes were cast for death. 35:02 And then he was taken to the Emperor, who had promised to 35:07 give him safe conduct back to his home, and he broke his word. 35:12 In fact there was a Count there, Count Slum who told the 35:17 Emperor... And I'd like to read the words that he spoke to the 35:21 Emperor as he was about to sign the death warrant for Hus. 35:27 This is what he said: Caesar... Notice he calls him Caesar. 35:32 Caesar desist from such doings. 35:34 Caesar, Caesar, do not write your name with blood. 35:37 But Poggius continues saying, But the Emperor's ears were 35:41 deaf, and were further closed by the Cardinals, Bishops, 35:45 and priests who crowded about him, kissed the hem of his 35:49 garments, and praised his name when he seized the quill 35:53 and wrote his name. 35:55 And Hus was taken, and he was burned at the stake. 35:58 You know, I've been in the Palace of the Inquisition 36:01 in Lima, Peru. It's a depressing experience. 36:06 They actually have models where they show the types of torture 36:10 that were used against people for no reason other than they 36:14 did not agree with the church. 36:16 Torture and death; some were even burned at the stake, 36:21 like John Hus was burned at the stake. 36:23 And it wasn't the church who did it, but the church used the 36:27 sword of the state in order to accomplish its purpose. 36:30 You see, the Constitutional fathers not only knew the 36:34 history of Europe, when church and state are joined together, 36:36 they also knew the history of the Colonial period 36:39 in the United States. 36:40 You know, there are many people who misunderstand, 36:43 or don't understand the Colonial period. 36:44 Do you know that during the Colonial period, which begins 36:47 around 1620 when the pilgrims arrived in the United States, 36:51 atheists, Jews, Quakers, and Baptists were deprived of their 36:56 religious rights, because they did not agree with the 36:59 established church of the Colonies, which was the Puritan, 37:02 or was the Anglican Church. 37:04 Did you know that there were Sunday laws in the Colonies, 37:07 and if you didn't go to church on Sunday, you could be whipped, 37:10 you could be fined, you could be jailed? 37:12 And in the case of three Colonies, you could be executed 37:15 for not coming to church on Sunday? 37:17 Did you know that they actually cut off the ears of Quakers 37:21 for coming back when they had been exiled from the Colonies? 37:24 If they came back once the cut off one ear. 37:26 If they came back the second time they cut 37:28 off the second ear. 37:29 And if they caught them the third time they executed them 37:31 for their religious convictions. 37:33 Did you know that: 37:40 And also the government paid the salaries of the ministers, 37:46 interestingly enough. 37:48 And so the church and the state were joined together, 37:51 and as a result you had persecution. 37:53 You know, many people know the story, for example, 37:55 of Roger Williams. 37:57 Roger Williams arrived in the Colonies in 1629. 38:00 He pastored a church there, but he started teaching separation 38:03 of church and state. 38:05 He said, There are to be two kingdoms in this country, 38:08 absolutely, but they're supposed to be separate one from another. 38:11 Because that's what Jesus taught. 38:12 Are you seeing what the two horns are? 38:14 Jesus said, Two kingdoms in the same nation, 38:17 separate, one from another. 38:19 And, of course, what he was teaching went over 38:21 like a lead balloon. 38:23 And so they banished him from the Massachusetts Bay Colony. 38:27 And he himself says that towards the end of 1635, 38:32 and the beginning of 1636, he had to flee for three weeks, 38:35 through huge show drifts to get out of the Massachusetts Bay 38:39 Colony, because he had been banished. 38:42 And if they found him in there they could throw him in prison, 38:44 or they could even execute him. 38:45 And so he ended up in Rhode Island, and he established the 38:49 Capital of Rhode Island, which is Providence. 38:52 That's interesting that he would call that city Providence. 38:56 And so the founding fathers knew the history of what happens when 39:01 church and state are united together in Europe. 39:04 They knew what happened when church and state are joined 39:07 together in the United States in the Colonial period. 39:11 They also knew their Bibles. 39:13 In several places they wrote about how they knew that because 39:17 the Jews allied themselves with the Roman state, that led to the 39:21 death of Jesus Christ. 39:23 They knew three things: they knew the history of Europe 39:26 in the middle ages, they knew the Colonial period, 39:28 and they knew their Bibles. 39:29 And they knew that when these two kingdoms become one 39:32 automatically there is persecution. 39:35 And so the Constitutional fathers, knowing this, 39:38 when the wrote the Declaration of Independence in 1776, 39:44 and the Constitution was ratified in 1787, 39:47 and the Bill of Rights, which are the first ten amendments 39:50 to the Constitution, was ratified in 1791. 39:53 They said, We're going to have a different system of government 39:57 in this nation that we're establishing. 39:59 We are going to have, yes, church and state, 40:02 but church and state are going to be separated 40:05 like Jesus taught: two kingdoms in one nation. 40:12 The same two kingdoms that Jesus Christ recognized. 40:17 And remember that this is taking place immediately before 40:20 the first beast received its deadly wound. 40:23 By the way, this idea of the separation of church and state 40:27 is known as Republicanism and Protestantism. 40:31 You see, during the middle ages, what happened is in civil 40:35 affairs the king was the law. 40:37 You know, whatever the king said, in civil matters, 40:41 that's what was done. 40:42 In religious matters whatever the Pope said, that was done. 40:47 In other words, all of the power flowed from up down. 40:50 But the Constitutional fathers said, We're going to try a 40:54 revolutionary experiment. 40:55 We're going to have not the power flow from up down, 40:59 from the king down to the people, so that they have to 41:01 jump when he says jump. 41:02 We're not going to have the power flow from the Pope down, 41:06 where everybody has to subject themselves blindly. 41:08 No, we're going to have a system of government where the power 41:12 flows down up; a government of the people, by the people, 41:17 and for the people; where there will be freedom of religion, 41:22 and where there'll be also freedom in civil matters. 41:26 It's interesting to notice Ellen White was born 29 years 41:30 after the deadly wound. 41:32 It's interesting to notice how she describes this idea 41:36 of the founding fathers. 41:37 In The Great Controversy, page 441, she says: 41:49 That has to do with civil power, right? 41:55 What kingdom does that have to do with? the religious power. 41:59 She continues saying: 42:09 How many kingdoms there? civil and religious liberty. 42:41 Did you catch this? 42:43 She's talking about civil matters, and what? 42:46 religious matters. She says: 42:58 Which, by the way, means a state without a king. 43:03 Which means a church without a Pope. 43:09 And now notice what she says: 43:16 What is the secret of the power and prosperity 43:19 of the United States? all the money we have? 43:21 all of the vast territory we have? 43:24 The powerful military that we have? 43:27 No, the secret of the power of this nation is found in the 43:31 two principles upon which it was established. 43:35 And she goes on to say that when these two principles are 43:39 repudiated... And we'll talk about this when we deal with 43:42 the image to the beast. 43:43 When these two principles are repudiated, that will lead to 43:46 national apostasy, and national apostasy will 43:50 lead to national ruin. 43:52 She also says in The Great Controversy, page 442, 44:12 I want to read you three statements from three 44:15 of the founding fathers. 44:16 First Benjamin Franklin. 44:18 You know, he had an interesting way of putting things. 44:21 This is what he said: When religion is good, I can see that 44:26 it will support itself. 44:27 And when it does not support itself, and God does not take 44:32 care to support it, so that its professors are obliged to 44:37 call for the help of the civil powers, tis a sign I apprehend, 44:41 of it being a bad one. 44:43 Was he right? Of course he was right. 44:47 He's talking about separation of church and state. 44:50 Notice these words that are etched on 44:52 the Jefferson Monument. 44:54 You can go to Washington, D. C., and go to the 44:56 Jefferson Monument. 44:57 These are the words that are etched in stone. 44:59 This is what he said: 45:39 Did Thomas Jefferson believe in the separation 45:42 of church and state? 45:43 Did he believe in two kingdoms? 45:45 Yes, separate from one another. 45:47 Notice the words of George Washington. 45:49 These are words from the Baptist Delegation, August 8, 1789. 45:55 Here Washington says: 46:59 Three of the founding fathers; Thomas Jefferson was actually 47:06 one of the architects of the Constitution 47:10 of the United States. 47:11 Let me ask you once again, Did these men believe in two 47:16 kingdoms within the same nation? Yes. 47:19 And sometimes I ask people when I lecture on this, 47:21 I say, Let me ask you, How many kingdoms are you citizens of? 47:27 How many countries are we in now? 47:31 We're in one country, right? 47:33 But how many kingdoms are we citizens of in one nation? 47:39 We are citizens of two kingdoms. 47:41 We have two passports. 47:43 One passport is a U. S. passport. 47:45 That's the civil passport. 47:48 And then we have the blood of the lamb, 47:49 which is the other passport. 47:51 You see we're citizens of one nation, 47:54 because we were born here, or we were naturalized here. 47:58 We're citizens of the other nation, 48:00 because of the new birth; we were born again. 48:04 And so we live in one nation, but within that one nation 48:08 there are two kingdoms that are to be ever what? 48:10 separate one from another. 48:12 You know, there are many Christian activists today 48:16 in the United States who say that the separation of church 48:20 and state was established so that the state could not 48:22 control the church. 48:24 But the history of the middle ages, and the history of the 48:26 colonial period shows that the reason why the founding fathers 48:30 separated church and state was because there was a danger 48:32 that the church should use the state 48:34 to accomplish her purposes. 48:36 Frequently Christian activists also will say, 48:39 Well, the expression separation of church and state is not found 48:44 anywhere in the Constitution. 48:45 And that's true. If you look in the Constitution for an 48:49 expression that says separation of church and state, 48:52 you're not going to find it. 48:53 But if you read the First Amendment to the Constitution 48:57 you're going to find that clearly in the First Amendment 49:01 is the idea of the separation of church and state; 49:04 of religion from politics. 49:06 Notice what the First Amendment says: 49:11 Now what part of no law don't you understand? 49:20 This is the first clause of the First Amendment. 49:27 In other words, it doesn't say that Congress can't make a law 49:30 establishing a church, or Congress can't make a law 49:35 establishing a religion. No. 49:38 It says Congress shall make no law respecting an 49:40 establishment of religion. 49:42 In other words, what the First Amendment forbids is not 49:46 favoring one church above another church, or one religion 49:50 above another religion. 49:51 The First Amendment forbids the Congress from enacting laws 49:55 that have anything to do with religion, period. 49:59 And so the First Amendment, the first clause of the 50:01 First Amendment says: 50:06 And then you have the second clause: 50:10 That's known as the establishment clause, 50:15 and the free exercise clause. 50:16 In other words, the government can't tell you to worship 50:19 in a certain way, and the government can't forbid you 50:22 to worship in the way that your conscience tells you to worship. 50:25 Let me ask you, Does that very clearly, and obviously, 50:30 establish a separation between church and state? 50:32 It most certainly does, because the First Amendment says that 50:36 Congress can't make any law having to do with religion. 50:39 It cannot tell you to practice religion in a certain way, 50:43 and it can't forbid you from practicing your 50:45 religion in a certain way. 50:47 In other words, there's a separation between 50:49 the civil power and the religious power. 50:52 James Madison, who is known as the father of the Constitution, 50:56 had this to say about the Constitution, 51:01 and the relationship between religion and government. 51:04 He said this: 51:15 That is with religion. 51:27 Is that clear? In 1797 the United States signed a treaty, 51:34 it's known as the Treaty of Tripoli. 51:35 It's was actually approved by President John Adams. 51:38 And this is what the Treaty of Tripoli said. 51:41 This is only a portion of the treaty. 51:50 Now we need to understand that it was founded upon this 51:53 idea of two principles: separation of church and state, 51:56 separation of civil matters from religious matters. 51:59 But that doesn't mean that the United States was founded 52:02 as a Christian nation. 52:04 It was founded as a nation of Christians. 52:07 It's different to say that it was a Christian nation 52:10 than to say that it is a nation of Christians, where most of 52:13 the people, at that time at least, were Christians. 52:16 Now what about Thomas Jefferson? 52:17 In 1802 he wrote a letter to the Danbury Baptist Association, 52:23 and he used what is known as the metaphor of the wall. 52:27 And, actually, he probably got this metaphor "on the wall" 52:31 from Roger Williams long before him. 52:34 But he didn't give him credit if he did. 52:36 Notice what he had to say to the Danbury Baptists. 53:19 Do you know what, I think Thomas Jefferson knew much better what 53:23 the First Amendment to the Constitution meant than the 53:26 Christian Revisionists who want to rewrite it, 53:29 and reinterpret it today, because he was nearer 53:33 to the event, and he actually participated in it. 53:35 By the way, do you know that the third clause of the 53:39 First Amendment to the Constitution 53:40 has to do with civil rights? 53:42 Isn't it interesting that in the First Amendment you have these 53:45 two things: the first two clauses deal with religious 53:48 freedom, and the last part of the First Amendment 53:52 deals with civil liberty? 53:53 Thus encased, folks, within the First Amendment to the 53:58 Constitution, one of the founding documents 54:00 of the United States, you have this idea of two kingdoms: 54:04 in the Declaration of Independence, 54:06 in the Constitution, and in the Bill of Rights. 54:09 You have this idea of separation of church and state. 54:13 You know the third clause, having to do with civil liberty, 54:19 guarantees freedom of speech, freedom of the press, 54:23 freedom of assembly, and freedom to petition the government 54:28 for a redress of grievances. 54:30 Let me ask you, Are those civil rights? Yes. 54:32 And so in the First Amendment you have religious rights, 54:35 and you have civil rights, contained within 54:39 the same Amendment. 54:42 So what is it that is going to happen, 54:45 according to Bible prophecy? 54:47 According to Bible prophecy, this beast that arose from the 54:52 earth, that at first sustained the idea that this is one nation 55:00 having two kingdoms, separate from one another, 55:04 church and state, where you could be actually a citizen of 55:08 both within the same country; where Congress could make no law 55:12 respecting an establishment of religion, nor forbidding the 55:16 free exercise of religion. 55:17 Prophecy tells us that this nation is going to repudiate 55:22 those principles, because we're told in Revelation 13 that this 55:26 beast had two horns like a lamb, which we've clearly identified 55:30 as these two kingdoms, which represent the church and the 55:34 state, and they derive ideas of freedom of religion, 55:37 and also civil freedom. 55:40 What's going to happen is this country is going to repudiate 55:44 these two principles, and it is going to speak like a dragon. 55:50 In other words, it is going to become a persecuting power, 55:55 like the dragon tried to kill the child 55:58 when the child was born. 55:59 That was Rome, by the way. 56:01 Like the dragon tried to destroy the woman in the wilderness 56:05 during the 1260 years. 56:07 That was another Rome, by the way. 56:10 This same Rome, at the end of time, will recover the sword. 56:15 And the most unlikely of all nations will be the nation that 56:20 will return the sword to this sea beast, so that it can once 56:25 again persecute the saints of the Most High. 56:28 You know, I pray to God that this wouldn't happen. 56:33 That as people hear what I'm presenting, and watch it on 56:37 television, they'd say, Wow, This is an amazing history 56:42 of the United States of America. 56:44 We can't allow this to happen! 56:45 We cannot allow this church to use the United States of America 56:51 to accomplish such purposes. 56:53 We cannot have another Middle Ages. 56:56 We must stand firm with our principles upon which 57:01 our nation was established. 57:02 I pray to God that that would happen. 57:04 Bible prophecy tells us that as God has announced, 57:09 things are going to happen. 57:10 They happen because God knows the end from the beginning. 57:14 He does not determine them that way, but He knows that they're 57:17 going to occur, because He knows the end from the beginning. 57:21 I pray that in this final conflict we will choose to be 57:25 on the right side. |
Revised 2023-04-20