Participants:
Series Code: TMC
Program Code: TMC000016A
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00:18 O magnify, O magnify
00:21 the Lord with me 00:23 and let us exalt His name together. 00:27 O magnify the Lord, 00:29 O magnify the King 00:31 and may His name be lifted high forever. 00:40 O worship Him, O worship Christ the Lord with me 00:44 and let us exalt His name together. 00:49 O worship Christ, the Lord, 00:51 O worship Christ, the King 00:53 and may His name be lifted high forever. 01:02 King of kings and Lord of lords! 01:06 May His name be lifted high forever. 01:10 King of kings and Lord of lords! 01:15 May His name be lifted high forever. 01:23 O magnify, O magnify the Lord with me 01:27 and let us exalt His name together. 01:32 O magnify the Lord, 01:34 O magnify the King 01:36 and may His name be lifted high forever. 01:45 King of kings and Lord of lords! 01:49 King of kings and Lord of lords! 01:54 May His name be lifted high forever. 02:33 Let's welcome Myrna Matthews- Haynes and Adrian Westney. 08:35 So at this time we'll give you an opportunity to listen to 08:38 Steve Darmody. 09:16 Mary, did you know 09:19 that your baby boy 09:23 would one day walk on water? 09:27 Mary, did you know 09:30 that your baby boy 09:33 would save our sons and daughters? 09:38 Did you know 09:41 that your baby boy 09:45 has come to make you new? 09:50 This child that you delivered 09:55 will soon deliver you? 09:59 Mary, did you know 10:02 that your baby boy 10:05 will give sight to the blind man? 10:09 Mary, did you know 10:12 that your baby boy 10:16 would calm a storm with His hand? 10:20 Did you know 10:22 that your baby boy 10:26 has walked where angels trod? 10:30 And when you kissed 10:33 your little baby 10:36 you kissed the face of God? 10:40 Mary, did you know? 10:52 The blind will see, 10:54 the deaf will hear, 10:57 the dead will live again! 11:02 The lame will leap and the dumb will speak 11:07 the praises of the Lamb! 11:12 Mary, did you know 11:17 that your baby boy 11:20 is Lord of all creation? 11:24 Mary, did you know 11:27 that your baby boy 11:30 will one day rule the nations? 11:34 Did you know 11:36 that your baby boy 11:41 was heaven's perfect Lamb? 11:48 And the sleeping child 11:52 you're holding 11:55 is the great 12:01 I AM? 12:13 Oh Mary, 12:23 Mary, 12:25 did you know? 12:37 Thank you very much. 12:39 Very happy to welcome each of you back again today. 12:43 Appreciate you being here. 12:44 It's one of the wonderful things about the coming of Jesus 12:47 is that it says He will gather all of His people 12:51 for the great wedding supper of the Lamb. 12:54 I don't know about you, but I'm looking forward to that. 12:56 When all of us will be invited to come 12:59 and be at the supper... the wedding supper of the Lamb. 13:02 And today Roy Drusky's going to sing 13:05 a beautiful song about that. 13:07 It's called Wedding Music I Hear. 13:20 Is that wedding music 13:25 I hear? 13:29 The bride's adorned and ready 13:33 to appear. 13:38 There's heavenly preparation 13:42 for the wedding celebration... 13:47 Is that wedding music 13:51 that I hear? 13:56 The family is preparing 14:00 for a wedding. 14:04 All have been invited 14:09 to attend. 14:13 The bride is standing ready 14:18 waiting for the signal 14:22 when the groom says "Rise, My children... 14:26 come on in! " 14:32 Is that wedding music 14:36 I hear? 14:40 The bride's adorned and ready 14:44 to appear. 14:49 There's heavenly preparation 14:53 for the wedding celebration... 14:59 Is that wedding music 15:02 that I hear? 15:08 Soon we'll rise to leave 15:11 that land of sorrow 15:17 for that ceremony 15:20 in the air. 15:25 The Father then will lead us 15:29 through the holy land of splendor. 15:34 Have you made your preparation 15:38 to go there? 15:43 Is that wedding music 15:47 I hear? 15:52 The bride's adorned and ready 15:56 to appear. 16:01 There's heavenly preparation 16:05 for the wedding celebration... 16:10 Is that wedding music 16:14 that I hear? 16:19 There's heavenly preparation 16:23 for the wedding celebration... 16:28 Is that wedding music 16:32 that I hear? 16:51 Father up in heaven, 16:53 this morning as we open Your Word 16:59 we think about this wonderful time that You're coming back 17:04 where each one of us will have the privilege of hearing 17:07 wedding music. Lord, we ask that we 17:12 each may have the opportunity 17:16 of being in Your kingdom. 17:18 Not because, Lord, we have done anything 17:23 but because we've accepted You. 17:25 Bless us as we study Your Word now. 17:28 Give us wisdom and understanding we pray. 17:31 In Christ's name, Amen. 17:40 This morning we're going to take a look 17:42 at a text in the Bible - 17:45 a chapter in the Bible - that you'll find 17:48 Bible commentaries just kind of pass it by. 17:52 You don't hear very many sermons on it. 17:54 Books on the Bible don't say much about it. 17:57 Yet it is an extremely important chapter. 18:00 It talks about an angel that is standing on the earth 18:04 and on the sea. 18:06 We're going to take a look and see what Revelation 18:08 the 10th chapter has to say to us about this angel. 18:12 We'll start with verse 1: 18:56 Now you find that when you're studying God's Word 19:00 that you will in Bible prophecy come across 19:04 angels many places in the Scripture. 19:07 When you come across an angel 19:08 like in Revelation the 14th chapter 19:11 there are three angels. Those angels represent 19:14 a message that's to be given to the world. 19:17 And so you have three angels with three distinct messages 19:20 the whole world is to hear. 19:22 When you go to Revelation the 18th chapter 19:24 you have an angel there. And it says the earth was 19:27 "lightened" with the glory of that angel 19:29 meaning that that angel had a particular message 19:32 the world is to hear. 19:33 And when you come to this angel here in Rev. the 10th chapter 19:37 that is standing on the earth and on the sea 19:40 that angel has a distinct message that the whole world 19:43 was to hear. 19:45 That's what he's representing. 19:46 So let's see what's the message that this angel 19:49 that has his right foot upon the sea 19:51 and his left foot upon the land 19:53 and his hand raised to heaven 19:54 let's see what that message that he's proclaiming 19:57 to the world is. 20:20 So he has his hand raised to heaven. 20:22 He's shouting out across the whole world 20:25 that there is to be "delay no longer. " 20:28 Now the Scripture that we're reading 20:30 is the New King James Version. 20:32 I like the Old King James Version 20:35 on this particular text much, much better. 20:38 It doesn't say that there shall be delay no longer. 20:41 The Old King James Version says that time shall be no longer. 20:47 In other words, he has his hand raised to heaven. 20:49 He's shouting out to the whole world 20:51 that time has run out... 20:54 that time should be no longer. 20:57 So this angel is dealing with the question of time. 21:01 Watch as he continues: 21:14 So here it says that he is shouting out 21:17 that it's done... that the mystery of God is what? 21:23 Finished. 21:24 Now if you pick up your Bible and you look in it 21:27 you'll find that there are several things 21:29 that are mentioned as mysteries. 21:31 One of the things the Bible refers to as a mystery 21:34 is the mystery of iniquity. 21:37 That's a mystery. 21:39 You see, logically you can't put it together. 21:43 Why would Lucifer rebel against God, 21:45 leave heaven and everything there? 21:47 It doesn't make sense. 21:49 And I even run onto people who are trying 21:51 always to make an excuse for sin. 21:53 There is no excuse for sin. 21:55 You can't... there just isn't. 21:57 That's why it's referred to as the mystery of iniquity. 22:00 But it also refers to the mystery of God. 22:03 You see, it's also a mystery how that the Son of God, 22:07 Jesus Christ, would leave heaven! 22:09 Would leave the side of His Father! 22:10 Would leave the adoration of the angels! 22:12 Come down to this earth to be abused of man. 22:16 That logically does not fit. 22:19 That's the reason it's referred to as the mystery of God. 22:22 It's talking about the gospel. And he says: "The mystery of God 22:26 is finished! " That means when the whole plan of salvation 22:29 is over. It's come to an end. 22:31 So this angel has his hand raised to heaven. 22:34 He's shouting out that time should be no longer. 22:37 That the mystery of God has come to an end. 22:41 That's what he's proclaiming. 22:43 Listen as he continues: 22:55 So the prophet John is told to go to this angel, 22:59 take the little book out of the hand of the angel. 23:03 That little book is open - please notice - 23:07 in the hand of the angel. OK? 23:34 Now evidently there is something, 23:37 something about this message this angel has 23:40 that time should be no longer, 23:42 something about the mystery of God should be finished, 23:45 something that's contained in that book 23:47 that the Scripture says that would be: 23:53 Now you find that as you read God's Word 23:56 and as you study it the books of Daniel and Revelation 24:01 go together. 24:03 They're kind of like a hand and a glove. 24:05 All the prophecies in the book of Daniel are repeated 24:08 in the book of Revelation. 24:09 And so you find that one complements the other 24:12 as you study them. This little book 24:15 that is open in the hand of the angel 24:19 is also mentioned in Daniel... 24:21 in Daniel the 12th chapter. 24:23 Notice what it has to say about it: 24:39 So here he's telling Daniel: "Shut up the words. 24:42 Seal the book - not open - 24:45 seal the book unto the time of the end. " 24:50 Now you understand the difference between 24:52 the time of the end and the end of time? 24:55 The Bible uses both those phrases. 24:57 It talks about the time of the end; 24:59 it talks about the end of time. 25:01 When I was a boy 25:03 oh, sometime... usually the month of September... 25:07 my father would go to town and he would buy a turkey. 25:12 And he would bring it home, and he would put that turkey 25:15 in a cage. And he would give instructions to me 25:18 about taking care of it. 25:20 Make sure it was fed, watered, cared for properly. 25:23 When my father put that turkey in that cage 25:27 that began the time of the end. 25:31 Do you understand what I'm talking about? 25:35 But when Thanksgiving Day rolled around 25:38 that was the end of time. 25:40 OK? So he said: "Shut up the book. 25:43 Seal it unto the time of the end. " 25:46 And when you and I begin to study Bible prophecy 25:49 and we begin to look at the Word of God 25:51 and see what it's talking about 25:53 you'll find that when we're looking at prophecies concerning 25:56 the coming of the Lord 25:58 there's one date that comes up over and over 26:01 in God's Word that marks the be- ginning of the time of the end. 26:05 I don't care whether you're talking about 26:19 all those chapters give you a time 26:23 and every one of them sets the time of the end 26:27 as that of 1798 AD. 26:30 That begins the time of the end. 26:33 He said: "Shut up the book; seal it 26:36 unto the time of the end. " 26:38 "Many shall run to and fro and knowledge shall be increased. " 26:42 Up until 1798 AD 26:45 there were a lot of people that tried to understand 26:47 Bible prophecy... but they just couldn't seem to get through. 26:52 And you can go back and read their writings. 26:55 Great students of Bible prophecy. 26:57 And it just seemed that they 26:59 couldn't break through. 27:02 The books of Daniel and Revelation became known as 27:05 closed books. Looked on as closed books. 27:09 Couldn't be understood. 27:10 But in the late 1700's 27:13 on the scene of action came a man by the name of Joseph Wolf. 27:19 Joseph Wolf was a Jew. 27:22 As a boy he gave his heart to the Lord. 27:25 Went to school; studied to be a minister. 27:27 And when he finished the seminary 27:30 he went to Israel and began to 27:34 preach and teach the Jewish people there. 27:37 But Joseph Wolf had a great, great burden 27:40 on his heart to understand Bible prophecy. 27:44 And so he began to read it, understand it. 27:47 And as Joseph Wolf was studying 27:51 particularly the book of Daniel 27:53 and he came to that text that we studied the other night 27:56 in Daniel 8:14 that said 27:58 "Unto 2,300 days then shall the sanctuary be cleansed. " 28:02 And he began to study that 28:04 and he got over into the 9th chapter of Daniel 28:08 and he came to that text where Gabriel has explained 28:11 to Daniel and said: "Know therefore and understand 28:13 that from the going forth of the commandment to restore 28:15 and build Jerusalem unto Messiah, the Prince, 28:17 shall be seven weeks threescore and two weeks. " 28:19 And he began to take that prophecy 28:22 and he began to trace it step by step. 28:25 And as he traced it 28:27 it brought him to the date of 1843. 28:31 But there was a problem. 28:33 All the churches back then - 28:36 Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Episcopalian - 28:39 all of them believed that that phrase in Daniel 8:14 28:43 that said: "Then shall the sanctuary be cleansed" 28:46 they all believed that that meant the cleansing 28:48 of this earth by fire. 28:51 And so when Joseph Wolf took that prophecy and it brought him 28:55 to 1843 he said: "Jesus is coming back! " 28:59 And he began to preach all across the Middle East 29:03 that Jesus Christ was coming back. 29:06 And people responded to his message 29:08 saying that Jesus was coming. 29:10 At the same time, folks, 29:14 not connected with Joseph Wolf 29:16 but living at the same time 29:18 there's a minister over in England by the name 29:21 of Edward Irving that's been preaching the same prophecy. 29:25 He has taken that same prophecy and studied it 29:28 and it's brought him to the date of 1843. 29:31 And he has preached across England that Jesus is coming. 29:34 He's joined by 500 other Anglican preachers 29:38 and that has swept across the British Isles like wildfire. 29:43 You want to say this is coincidental? 29:45 You want to tell me this just happened? 29:49 At the same time not connected with Joseph Wolf 29:52 not connected with Edward Irving 29:54 but living at the same time - contemporary - 29:56 there's a Catholic priest down in South America 29:59 by the name of Manuel de Lacunza 30:01 that's been studying the same prophecy. 30:03 And as he is studying those prophecies 30:06 they, too, have brought him to the date of 1843. 30:09 And he has written a book called The Coming King 30:12 and it's circulated across South America 30:14 and thousands and thousands of people have accepted 30:17 and believed that Jesus is coming in 1843. 30:21 At the same time 30:24 not connected to these men but living at the same time 30:28 there's a Baptist minister here in the United States. 30:31 His name is William Miller. 30:34 William Miller has been pouring over those prophecies 30:37 for 9 years. He has become absolutely convicted 30:41 that Jesus is coming in 1843. 30:45 William Miller was invited by a Congregational church 30:50 up in Boston to come and to present his messages. 30:53 And he went up to this little church 30:55 and there he took his charts and all 30:57 and he began to explain the prophecy. 30:59 And he brought them all the way down through that prophecy 31:02 coming to 1843, and he said that Jesus was coming back. 31:07 When he finished 31:09 the young pastor of that church by the name of Joshua V. Himes 31:13 stood up and said: "Mr. Miller, do you believe 31:15 what you're preaching? " 31:17 He said: "Well, I wouldn't be preaching it 31:18 if I didn't believe it. " 31:20 And that young preacher said: "Then why don't you do something 31:22 about it? " And under the tremendous genius of that 31:25 young minister they began to make one large city 31:28 after another across the United States. 31:30 They would pitch tents. 31:32 Six, seven, eight thousand people 31:34 would pour out to those tents. 31:35 In fact, so many people came that the railroad companies 31:38 would have to run railroad tracks out to take care 31:41 of the people that came just by car. 31:43 Among the people that came to those meetings 31:46 was a young Methodist minister by the name of S. S. Snow. 31:51 He listened to William Miller preach. 31:53 Went home that night under great conviction. 31:56 Got his Bible, got every history book he could get his hands on, 32:01 and began to study that prophecy in Daniel. 32:04 And he found out that that decree given by King Artaxerxes 32:08 in 457 BC... found out that that 32:11 was given in the fall of 457 BC. 32:14 And he began to trace it step by step 32:16 and as he traced it it didn't bring him to 1843: 32:20 it brought him to the fall of 1844. 32:24 And S. S. Snow went to see William Miller 32:27 and they sat down and they poured over that prophecy 32:30 and William Miller could see that he was right. 32:34 They called a Bible Conference. 32:36 People came in from all over... some even from Europe. 32:40 S. S. Snow stood up and presented that paper 32:43 and that Bible Conference voted... they voted 32:47 that Jesus Christ was coming back. 32:50 They called it the Midnight Cry. 32:53 They went out of there electrified. 32:55 They said: "Jesus is coming! " 32:58 They told everybody they met that Jesus was coming. 33:00 They got down on their knees; they confessed their sins. 33:03 It was something they believed with all their hearts. 33:06 It was in their mouths as sweet as honey. 33:11 Time should be no longer. 33:14 The mystery of God is finished. 33:20 October 22, 1844, came... the date that they 33:25 had set for the coming of Jesus. 33:27 They went out to meet Him. 33:29 Some went out and stood in fields. 33:32 Some sat in their homes as William Miller did. 33:35 All day long they waited. 33:38 The sun set and Jesus didn't come. 33:41 They encouraged one another and said: 33:43 "Oh, He'll come at midnight. " 33:45 And on into the night they wait- ed and midnight came and passed 33:48 until the sun came up the next morning. 33:51 And that that had been in their mouths as sweet as honey 33:55 became bitter in their stomachs. 33:59 They had longed for it, looked for it 34:02 but Jesus hadn't come. 34:04 Now let me tell you something, friends: 34:06 if you're intellectually honest 34:09 you can take that prophecy in Daniel 8 and 9 34:13 and it'll take you to the Fall of 1844 every last time. 34:18 Oh, they were wrong. 34:20 They were wrong because that prophecy's talking about 34:24 Jesus coming before His Father to begin the judgment. 34:29 And they thought it was talking about the second coming 34:31 but the point I'm trying to make today 34:33 is it was prophesied in God's Word 34:36 that they would be disappointed. It was prophesied that 34:38 it would be preached. That's the point I'm trying to make. 34:42 Yes... it was preached. 34:45 They misunderstood it, but God said they would 34:47 misunderstand it. And they were prepared 34:50 and looking for the coming of Jesus. 34:52 It was in their mouths as sweet as honey. 34:54 There were certain prophecies that had to be preached 34:58 before Jesus could come. 35:00 For instance those that I mentioned to you. 35:02 But I want you to look at the last verse 35:06 of the 10th chapter of Revelation because I read to you 35:10 all the verses but the 10th one... but the 11th one. 35:14 Let me read it to you: 35:30 Thou must prophesy again about what? 35:35 Huh? About what? 35:39 Time shall be no more? 35:41 They mystery of God should be finished? 35:43 "Thou must prophesy again. " 35:46 Who? Who must prophesy again? 35:52 You... you. 35:55 You're the ones that are living down here 35:57 at the time of the end. 35:59 You're the one that God has laid that message on. 36:03 You and I are the ones that need to be proclaiming 36:05 that Jesus is coming back. 36:07 "Thou must prophesy again" 36:10 in preparing the world for the coming of Jesus Christ. 36:14 No, He didn't come because those 3 angels in Revelation 14 36:19 have a special message the whole world is to hear. 36:31 That's the message of the first angel: to tell people that 36:34 salvation is available for every man, every woman, 36:37 every child. 36:44 And you and I talked about that the other night: 36:47 that we're living during the hour of God's judgment. 36:50 It doesn't say the hour of God's judgment IS COMING. 36:54 It says the hour of God's judgment HAS COME! 36:58 Going on up in heaven right now. 37:00 Secondly it says: 37:16 And dear friend, we're going to be talking about Babylon. 37:19 We're going to be talking about the fall of Babylon. 37:20 We're going to be finding out what's involved in that second 37:23 angel's message and a third angel. 37:41 And here in a few days we're going to be looking 37:43 at the beast and its image and its mark. 37:46 And we're going to be finding out exactly what's involved 37:48 in that. And all that is part - 37:51 put it down - all that is part 37:53 of getting ready for the coming of Jesus Christ. 37:57 So you need to be here as we study those great great 38:01 prophecies that are extremely important 38:03 that you and I know what they're talking about. 38:06 The problem is when you start talking about 38:10 the coming of Jesus 38:11 people get edgy and get scared and they say: 38:15 "Oh, Bro. Cox, don't you know there's a text in the Bible 38:18 that says no one knows the day nor the hour? " 38:21 Well, yes, that's found in Matthew 24:36. 38:24 This is the way it reads: 38:33 But the problem is that there's another text 38:36 in that same chapter 38:38 that few people seem to pay any attention to. 38:40 And that text says this: 39:00 Now this morning I don't know the day. 39:03 I don't know the hour of the coming of Jesus Christ. 39:06 I'm not going to try to tell you that, friends. 39:08 But I am going to do everything in my power 39:10 to help you know it's near... even at the door. 39:15 I am going to do that. 39:16 What bothers me 39:18 is I talk to Christian people... 39:21 people that love the Lord... 39:23 and they say: "Oh, we don't know when Jesus is coming. 39:26 Why He's going to come back as a thief in the night. " 39:31 "We don't know when Jesus is going to come back. " 39:35 Well, let me tell you something: 39:38 you can write this down in your little book if you want to. 39:41 If Jesus comes back as a thief in the night to you you're lost. 39:48 OK? Just put it down. 39:50 If He comes back as a thief in the night to you, 39:53 you're lost... at least that's what the Scripture says. 39:55 Listen: 40:05 Paul said: "I shouldn't have to write to you about this. " 40:13 People say: "See right there? " 40:15 The problem is they quit reading right there. 40:26 Now listen, folks: 40:45 No, dear friend. Jesus is NOT coming as a thief in the night 40:50 to you or to me or to those that love the Lord. 40:53 He's coming as a thief in the night to the wicked 40:56 but not to the righteous. 40:57 So you and I need to be watching. 40:59 We need to be waiting for the coming of the Lord. 41:03 You see, some people think 41:04 that God doesn't know what He's doing. 41:08 But as I read the Scripture God has always done everything 41:12 according to a plan. 41:13 Everything has gone off perfect. 41:16 Listen concerning the birth of Jesus: 41:18 "And when the fullness of... " What? "time had come... " 41:26 He was born exactly on time. 41:28 You remember when He turned the water into wine there at the 41:33 wedding in Cana? And His mother, you remember, 41:35 had asked Him to do something about it. 41:37 You remember His response to her? 41:39 He said, Jesus said to her: 41:48 He said: "You're rushing Me; 41:49 you're moving Me ahead of time. " 41:51 His ministry went off like clockwork. 41:55 He died exactly on time. John 19 verse 30: 42:04 And He died exactly on time. 42:07 And you'd better put it down: 42:08 He's coming back exactly on time. 42:14 There's a text in the Bible 42:17 that I find people read but many times they take 42:20 out of context. I'd like for you to look at it with me. 42:23 It's found in Peter - the book of Peter - 42:26 II Peter the third chapter. 42:28 I'm going to start with verse 3. And it says: 42:45 So they're scoffing about the coming of Jesus. 42:48 This chapter, folks, is talking about the end of time. 42:52 It's talking about the coming of Jesus Christ. 43:08 So he said the earth back then was destroyed by water. 43:12 All right? Now listen carefully because 43:15 Peter's going to come to our day... 43:17 time in which you and I are living. 43:19 Verse 7: 43:32 I don't have time to go into that this morning, folks. 43:34 But let me ask you something: 43:36 the fuel that we use out here - 43:38 you know, the gas and the oil - 43:40 what is that called? 43:43 What kind of fuel is it called? 43:45 It's called fossil fuel. 43:49 Are you with me? 43:50 Put there by the flood. 43:52 The same fuel that will burn the earth at the close. 43:57 Put it down. 44:07 Now Peter is saying: "Concerning the coming of Jesus 44:11 don't forget this one thing. " All right? 44:21 Peter's saying when it comes to the coming of Jesus Christ 44:23 don't forget that one day is as a thousand years 44:26 and a thousand years as a day. 44:27 And people say to me: "Oh, that just means that 44:30 God's not concerned with time. " No it doesn't. 44:32 In fact, it means just the opposite. 44:35 Listen to the next verse: 44:49 What is the Lord trying to tell you and tell me? 44:53 Why did he say: "One day is as a thousand years 44:56 and a thousand years as a day? " 44:58 Well, let me ask you some questions today. 45:02 How do we... 45:04 how do we go about getting a year? 45:09 How do we establish that? 45:12 How do we get 365 days in a year? 45:15 Yeah, we get it from the earth's orbit around the sun. 45:19 How do we establish 30 days in a month? 45:24 The moon... it's orbit around the earth. 45:26 How do we establish that there are 24 hours in a day? 45:33 Earth's rotation on its axis. 45:35 OK, you tell me... now you tell me this morning 45:39 what heavenly body - sun, moon, stars, earth - 45:45 what heavenly body gives us the 7-day week? 45:53 What happened? 45:55 Come on. 45:57 I don't know what the evolutionist does with that? 46:00 Only place you get a 7-day week is right here, friends. 46:04 God gives the 7-day week. 46:06 Now, what does that have to do with what I'm talking about? 46:09 If you pick up the Bible and begin to study it, 46:11 you'll find in prophecy the number seven is used 46:13 over and over and over. 46:14 God... In Revelation the number seven is used over 50 times. 46:18 God talks about 7 seals, 7 woes, 7 spirits, 46:21 7 plagues, 7 trumpets. I can go on and on. 46:24 That number seven indicates completeness. 46:27 That's what it stands for. 46:30 All right. Now watch carefully: 46:36 That's how it divides it. 46:38 Genesis 5 says there's ten generations 46:42 from Adam to the flood. 46:47 Genesis 11 says there's ten generations 46:50 from the flood to Abraham. 46:54 Matthew 1:17 says there's fourteen generations 46:58 from Abraham to David. 47:01 It continues in Matthew 1:17 and it says there's 14 generations 47:05 from David to the captivity. 47:08 And then it says that there's fourteen generations 47:10 from the captivity to Christ. 47:13 OK... that's five periods of time. 47:16 Then the Bible tells us in Revelation 2 and 3 47:19 that you and I are living in the time of the Holy Spirit, 47:22 the dispensation of the Holy Spirit. 47:23 That's the sixth period of time. 47:25 And then the Bible talks about a 7th period of time in: 47:33 Talks about 1,000 years that we studied. 47:38 OK? Studied last night. 48:02 Thousand years. 48:04 Seven periods of time. 48:08 Are you getting the picture? 48:11 That seventh period, folks, 48:13 is the 1,000 years' millennium. 48:16 We have come through 6,000 years of time. 48:20 Now watch carefully because the Bible speaks 48:22 of rest. 48:25 Pastor Melashenko talked to you about rest. 48:28 Listen carefully what it promises you. 48:43 Every 7th year they had to let the land lie desolate. 48:47 It was to rest. OK... follow: 49:00 Let me ask you something: as we studied the millennium 49:02 last night the land was going to be what? 49:05 Desolate. 49:12 OK... that's a promise that God has given. 49:15 You remember the children of Israel? 49:17 Remember what happened with them? This is what it says 49:19 in II Chronicles 36:21: 49:36 Now you know why the children of Israel were in captivity 49:39 for 70 years. 'Cause the land had to lie desolate 49:42 for 70 years. Do you think we have done any better 49:45 in letting the land rest than the Jewish people did? 49:49 Huh? 49:50 Well let me ask you, dear friends: if we haven't 49:52 and we've gone 6,000 years, 49:55 then how long would the land have to rest? 49:58 A thousand years. 50:00 Are you with me? That's where it is. 50:10 Jeremiah talks about it and says: 50:34 You see, the whole land is absolutely desolate. 50:37 "For thus saith the Lord: 'The whole land shall be desolate 50:41 yet I'll not make a full end. ' " 50:44 So when it comes to the coming of Jesus Christ 50:47 you can consider this... 50:51 we find it just simply tells us this: 50:54 that from creation to Abraham was? Have any idea? 51:04 Why would it pick Abraham? 51:06 Because it's when God took the Jewish people. 51:09 Took Abraham and said: "I'm going to make a special nation 51:11 out of you to take the gospel to the world. " 51:14 We're told that it is from Abraham to Jesus... 51:21 Have any idea? 51:27 Where do we find ourselves today? 51:30 From Jesus to our day has been 2,000 years. 51:36 And it says the land is "going to keep its Sabbath. " 51:41 It's going to rest for 1,000 years. 51:45 The Sabbath always takes place, friends, on the seventh. 51:51 Now, are you going to tell me today 51:53 that God's going to pass up this coming... this 7,000th year 51:59 this millennium, and go 6,000 more years into eternity 52:02 before Jesus comes? 52:06 All I'm trying to get across to you this morning: 52:09 I don't know the day; 52:11 I don't know the hour; 52:12 but let me tell you something, dear friends, I know it's near. 52:16 It can't be far off. 52:18 All the prophecies in this book point to it. 52:21 You and I are down to the end 52:24 when Jesus Christ is going to come back. 52:27 Matthew 24... it says: 52:43 That meant they were going on about their business 52:45 not concerned. More concerned with making a living, 52:51 more concerned with life 52:53 than they were about the coming of the Lord. 52:56 What does it say? 53:10 I hope that will not be said of you. 53:12 I hope it will not be said of me 53:14 that we did not know. You and I 53:18 are to be watching and waiting. Looking, 53:21 preparing, for the coming of Jesus Christ 53:26 that you and I should be ready for that day. 53:33 Do you really want Jesus 53:38 your Lord to appear? 53:43 Do you long for 53:47 your Savior's return? 53:55 Your lips praise His name... 54:01 does your life show 54:04 the same? 54:09 Do you really 54:13 want Jesus 54:18 to 54:20 come? 54:27 Heavenly Father, this morning as we have seen 54:31 that surely we're down to the end - 54:34 the time when Jesus is going to be coming back - 54:37 we ask that each one of us here today 54:41 may make a full surrender of our heart to You. 54:45 That by faith we might reach out and accept 54:51 Your gift of life eternal. 54:54 And Lord, we pray that each one of us 54:58 may have the privilege of being among those that will 55:03 go with You to be with You in Your kingdom 55:07 because we have accepted Christ as our Savior today. 55:10 For this we pray in Christ's name, Amen. 55:16 The Bible says in Matthew 13:44 55:32 Every day we pass by ordinary places 55:35 that may be hiding something of incredible value 55:39 whether buried in a field or squirreled away in an attic 55:43 or even an old, fallen-down house. 55:46 But imagine for a moment the thrill of stumbling upon 55:50 a treasure beyond your wildest dreams. 55:53 Will you eagerly sell everything you have 55:55 to gain something of much greater value? 55:58 Will you be willing to endure criticism of friends - 56:01 even family members - in order to obtain it? 56:05 This parable speaks of the most incredible treasure of all 56:09 and it's hidden in God's Word. 56:11 That treasure IS Jesus Christ Himself. 56:16 But sadly even those who claim Him 56:20 often don't recognize this infinite treasure. 56:23 Just watch how quickly they toss aside what the Bible says 56:27 when it becomes inconvenient. 56:31 Friends, the treasure of the gospel is hidden in God's Word. 56:36 Many of its readers have eyes but they do not see. 56:40 They have ears but they don't hear. 56:44 They never find its hidden treasure. 56:47 In fact, they may read it over and over 56:50 and never see it. 56:51 Even worse, many times they do see it 56:54 but think the price is too high. 56:57 Like the Jews of old 56:59 who rejected the Messiah because He was not in harmony 57:02 with their ambitious desires 57:04 many won't seek heavenly treasure 57:06 because earthly treasure is more alluring. 57:10 They reason that if they could just obtain the things 57:13 they desire they would have peace. 57:16 Sadly, they don't realize 57:18 that they carry the disturber of their own peace 57:21 inside their hearts. 57:22 They pass by the One who declared: 57:25 "Peace I leave with you; 57:27 My peace I give to you. 57:29 Not as the world gives do I give to you. 57:32 Let not your heart be troubled; 57:34 neither let it be afraid. " 57:37 The treasures of the Bible 57:39 are revealed only to those who carefully study 57:42 its pages with a humble and searching heart. 57:45 Our whole ministry is dedicated to helping 57:48 men and women find the priceless treasure 57:51 hidden in the Bible. We pray that you will not 57:54 be satisfied with surface truths. 57:57 But instead you will want to unearth the precious gems 58:01 that others pass by. Dig into the Bible 58:04 as a miner digs into the earth to find veins of gold. 58:08 Don't give up until you've found a relationship with God 58:12 and then join us in spreading the good news 58:15 to the world. Please consider what you can do 58:18 for those who still don't know about Jesus. |
Revised 2019-05-14