Participants: John Dinzey
Series Code: 13HC
Program Code: 13HC000003
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00:45 Hello and welcome again to 3ABN Fall Camp Meeting.
00:48 We are glad that you are here. 00:50 We have a group of people that have come from different parts 00:53 of the United States. Anyone come from outside 00:56 the United States here? Anyone here? 00:58 OK, they're probably on their way still. 01:01 But we are happy that you are here 01:03 and of course we welcome those that accompany us 01:05 via radio, Internet, satellite, 01:09 or local TV station. 01:11 Cable stations all over the world watching 3ABN, 01:15 listening to 3ABN. And we praise the Lord that we have 01:19 this opportunity to study God's Word together. 01:22 Today we're going to study a topic from Daniel chapter 9. 01:25 We're going to study about The Time Is Fulfilled. 01:29 The Time Is Fulfilled. 01:32 Before we do that we're going to ask Sr. Celestine Berry 01:36 that will come forward and minister to us in music. 01:41 Then we will begin to study God's Word. 01:44 It is my privilege to be the speaker for this hour 01:47 so I ask for your prayers 01:48 for we ask that the Lord will be the One to speak to us. 01:51 So at this time I'd like to ask Celestine Berry. 01:54 She will be interpreting a song called The Warrior is a Child. 01:58 So I invite you to God's throne of grace 02:02 as you listen to this song. 02:19 Lately I've been winning 02:24 battles left and right 02:28 But even winners 02:31 can get wounded in the fight 02:37 People say that I'm amazing 02:42 I'm strong beyond my years 02:45 But they don't see inside of me 02:52 I'm hiding all the tears 02:59 They don't know that I go 03:05 running home when I fall down 03:10 They don't know who picks me up 03:15 when no one is around 03:19 I drop my sword 03:22 and cry for just a while 03:29 'Coz deep inside this armor 03:36 The warrior is a child 03:48 Unafraid because 03:52 His arrow is the best 03:56 But even soldiers 04:00 need a quiet place to rest 04:06 People say that I'm amazing 04:10 I never face retreat 04:15 But they don't see the enemies 04:20 That lay me at His feet 04:26 They don't know 04:29 that I go running home when I fall down 04:35 They don't know who picks me up 04:40 when no one is around 04:45 I drop my sword 04:47 and cry for just a while 04:54 'Coz deep inside this armor 05:01 The warrior is a child 05:13 They don't know that I go 05:18 running home when I fall down 05:22 They don't know who picks me up 05:27 when no one is around 05:31 I drop my sword 05:34 and then look up for a smile 05:40 'Coz deep inside this armor... 05:47 deep inside this armor... 05:56 deep inside this armor 06:04 The warrior is 06:08 a child 06:21 Amen. 06:22 Amen; praise the Lord. We thank you Sr. Celestine Berry. 06:27 The Warrior is a Child. Amen? 06:30 Amen. A message in song. 06:32 And we would like to now invite you to prayer. 06:36 We would like to ask the Lord to lead us, 06:38 guide us, help us to understand His Word. 06:40 I will kneel, and I would ask you if you may remain seated. 06:45 But I'm going to kneel and ask the Lord for His blessing. 06:48 So let us pray together. 06:52 Our loving heavenly Father, 06:55 we thank you so much for Jesus 06:59 who gave His life for us. 07:02 And as we study this important topic, Lord, 07:05 we pray that You will lead us into a deeper understanding 07:11 of what Jesus has done and is doing for us. 07:15 We ask, Lord, for Your Holy Spirit to be poured out. 07:18 I place myself in Your hands, Lord, and I pray that Jesus 07:22 Christ may be seen and heard. 07:25 And so we ask that every word spoken will come from Your 07:29 throne of grace. 07:31 In Jesus' holy and blessed name, Amen. 07:37 Jesus came to preach a message to the people... 07:41 a message that some said "Never a man spake 07:45 like this Man. " You may remember 07:48 that before Jesus there was a forerunner the Bible calls him. 07:52 And so I invite you to turn in your Bibles 07:55 to Matthew chapter 1. 08:00 I'm sorry. It's not Matthew chapter 1. 08:04 It is Mark chapter I believe. Let me make sure of that. 08:08 Mark chapter 1 and verse 1. 08:11 So as we look at the scriptures we see that a forerunner was 08:15 sent. No, I'm sorry. It's not Mark chapter 1. 08:19 I noted it wrong on my notes. 08:22 So we start off with giving you the scripture 08:26 that it begins like this: 08:44 "Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" 08:48 was his message. John the Baptist preached this message 08:52 and you have to ask yourself "What does he mean 08:56 by "Repent... for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. " 09:01 So we now take you to another scripture, 09:04 another speaker: Jesus Christ Himself. 09:07 And for this scripture we'd like to invite you to 09:11 Mark chapter 1 verse 14. 09:14 In Mark chapter 1 verse 14. 09:18 Notice: 09:42 Amen? 09:45 So what does He mean by "The time is fulfilled? " 09:49 "Repent ye and believe the gospel. " 09:52 He said that the kingdom of God is what? At hand. 09:56 What does He mean by that? 09:59 And what does He mean by "the time is fulfilled? " 10:01 We will briefly take a look at this and bring you to 10:05 some scriptures that help us to understand what this means. 10:10 You must understand that when Adam and Eve sinned 10:17 as soon as they sinned there was a Savior. 10:21 Amen? Amen. 10:23 We read in the book of Revelation chapter 13 verse 8- 10:26 we're not going to look that up - but it says that 10:28 Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God slain from the foundation 10:33 of the world. So as soon as there was a sinner 10:37 God's grace was extended, His mercy was extended 10:41 to Adam and Eve and to the human race. 10:45 Because looking forward to the Lamb that would be slain, 10:49 Jesus Christ, it was said that He was slain from the foundation 10:53 of the world. So we have to ask ourselves 10:57 what happened there. You see, the kingdom 11:01 of grace was instituted because grace and mercy 11:06 were extended to Adam and Eve. 11:09 But when Jesus says: "Repent ye for the kingdom of heaven 11:13 is at hand and the time is fulfilled" 11:16 He's referring to a prophecy in the book of Daniel. 11:20 We're going to look at that in a moment 11:22 but first we'd like to invite you to Hebrews chapter 4 11:26 verses 15 through 16. 11:28 Hebrews chapter 4 verses 15 through 16. 11:31 Notice the wording in Hebrews chapter 4. 11:34 There are a lot of scriptures we have to look at today. 11:36 We'll get as far as we can. 11:38 Hebrews 4:15-16 we have these words: 11:41 "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched 11:45 with the feeling of our infirmities 11:47 but was in all points tempted like as we are 11:51 yet without sin. " Praise the Lord! 11:54 Now let's look at verse 16. 11:56 "Let us therefore come boldly... " That means we're 11:59 confident... "unto the throne of grace 12:03 that we may obtain mercy and find grace in time of need. " 12:08 So it says here that we should come with confidence - 12:11 "boldly" the King James uses - 12:14 before the throne of grace. 12:16 If there is a throne of grace, 12:18 there must be a kingdom of grace. 12:22 So the kingdom of grace that was instituted in 12:27 the foundation of the world 12:29 was not established until Jesus Christ dies on the cross. 12:35 Because when you look at when Adam and Eve sinned 12:38 their mercy that they received 12:41 was looking forward to the sacrifice that would be made 12:44 on their behalf. So a kingdom of grace was instituted 12:48 but was established when Jesus Christ dies on the cross 12:52 victorious. 12:54 Amen? So when Jesus says "Repent ye because the time 12:57 is fulfilled" you see God had been working for 13:02 hundreds and thousands of years with the Jewish people 13:06 preparing them to do a special work in all the world 13:10 to bring the everlasting gospel to the world. 13:14 It was through them. They were to be the vehicle 13:16 to bring the everlasting gospel to the world. 13:19 So God worked with them 13:21 for hundreds and a few thousand years. 13:24 Eventually because of their sin, 13:30 their rebellion, time was allotted for them to get 13:34 things right. 13:36 But first let us look at a scripture 13:38 in Galatians chapter 4. 13:41 Galatians chapter 4. 13:44 In Galatians chapter 4 we are going to read verses 4 and 5. 13:48 Notice the words. If you prefer to write these down 13:53 you may. We might be going through them rather quickly. 13:56 "But when the fullness of time was come 14:01 God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, 14:05 made under the law... " For what purpose? 14:08 "to redeem them that were under the law 14:10 that we might receive the adoption of sons. " 14:16 God wants to adopt each and every one of us. 14:19 We have a choice to make. 14:21 The Bible says that "when the fullness of time" 14:24 so that means that God has a time table. 14:27 God has a heavenly clock. 14:31 And this clock... when the time came His Son was sent. 14:36 But He told God's children that this would happen. 14:42 He gave them a prophecy by which they were to guide 14:44 themselves to know when that time was coming. 14:47 And this is why we have to go to the book of Daniel. 14:51 This... When Jesus says "the time is fulfilled; 14:55 the kingdom of God is at hand" He's talking about establishing 14:59 the kingdom of grace that was instituted at creation 15:02 but He's talking also about the time was fulfilled 15:06 that you must repent before your time of mercy is closed 15:12 as far as being the people to bring the gospel to the world, 15:17 the everlasting gospel to the world. 15:20 And so let us turn in your Bibles to the book of Daniel 15:24 chapter 9. In the book of Daniel chapter 9. 15:28 If you look at the book of Daniel and you begin in verse 1, 15:31 we're not going to start there, you will notice that 15:34 Daniel is praying. The people of Israel were in Babylon 15:38 and he knew that they were placed there 15:40 because of their sins. 15:42 You should read that prayer of Daniel. 15:44 He identified himself with the sins of the people of Israel 15:48 even though there are no sins recorded in the book of Daniel 15:53 that he committed. 15:54 But the Bible says that "all have sinned 15:57 and have come short of the glory of God. " 16:00 But we see here that Daniel has been praying. 16:03 Tears were flowing from his face. 16:05 He knew - he was reading the book of Jeremiah - 16:08 he knew that the time was coming 16:10 for the deliverance of the people of Israel 16:12 and he was asking the Lord for understanding. 16:15 Furthermore, he was also pleading with the Lord 16:18 to understand the prophecy: the vision he was given 16:21 in Daniel chapter 8 16:23 specifically verses 13 and 14 16:26 which we hope to look at near the end. 16:30 Because it says there: "Unto 2,300 years 16:33 then shall the sanctuary be cleansed. " 16:37 But today we're going to focus on Daniel chapter 9 16:40 beginning in verse 24. 16:42 So I invite you to begin there with me. 16:45 Daniel chapter 9 verse 24. 16:48 Are you ready? If you are, say "Amen. " 16:52 Very well... let's begin. Verse 24: 18:18 And so we have this prophecy brought to Daniel 18:22 and Daniel was seeking for understanding. 18:25 And God sent an angel to help him understand. 18:29 He actually came to bring him more detail about the prophecy 18:33 in Daniel chapter 8. More information that will help us 18:37 even today to understand God's time clock and events 18:42 that took place that help us understand that what God says 18:46 will happen, happens. Amen? 18:50 And so now as we look at this particular prophecy 18:55 we now bring you 18:58 to what this prophecy means. 19:03 You must understand... let's go back to verse 24... 19:06 It says: "Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people. " 19:10 We have to understand what that means. 19:13 Is it 70 literal weeks? Is it 70 prophetic weeks? 19:17 We understand by studying the Bible 19:20 that in Bible prophecy a day equals what? 19:22 A year. You've studied this before. 19:25 Some listening may not understand this, 19:28 so we're going to bring to you at least one scripture 19:32 that brings that into our understanding. 19:35 In Ezekiel chapter 4:5-6... we're going to read that. 19:41 There's another reference in Numbers chapter 14 verses 33-4. 19:45 We are not going to read that one for the sake of time. 19:48 But in Ezekiel chapter 4 19:51 I invite you to turn in your Bibles there. 19:53 Ezekiel chapter 4... notice the wording 19:56 beginning in verse 5: 20:00 "For I have laid upon thee the years of their iniquity 20:05 according to the number of the days - 390 days - 20:10 so shall thou bear the iniquity of the house of Israel. 20:13 And when thou hast accomplished them, lie again on thy right 20:17 side and thou shalt bear the inequity of the house of Judah 20:20 forty days. " 20:22 So he was going to be a symbol of what was going to happen 20:25 to Israel and Judah. 20:27 And then the verse finishes with these words: 20:31 "I have appointed thee each day for a year. " 20:35 Each day for a year. So in Bible prophecy 20:38 one day equals one year. 20:40 So when we look at the prophecy of Daniel chapter 9 20:44 beginning in verse 24 we have to ask ourselves 20:47 how many is that. Well, a little math will tell us. 20:50 Seventy times seven... we'll see that on the screen 20:52 for some folks that prefer to see that. 20:54 Seventy times seven is how much? 20:57 490. So when we look at this prophecy 21:02 we have to understand that seventy weeks times seven 21:06 which is 7 days in a week means 490 years. 21:12 490 years. 21:15 So the people of Israel had 490 years 21:18 to do as it is specified in the prophecy. 21:23 What was specified in the prophecy concerning them? 21:26 If you look at Daniel chapter 9, there were things 21:29 that specified the people of Israel and there were things 21:35 that God was going to accomplish through His Son Jesus Christ. 21:39 So in the prophecy - when you look at Daniel chapter 9- 21:42 you will notice that verse 24 says that 21:46 "they must make an end of sin. " 21:49 In other words, stop their rebellion. 21:52 It says: "finish transgression and make an end of sins. " 21:56 They had 490 years to accept God's message and repent 22:01 and believe the gospel 22:04 and to accept God's invitation to continue to be 22:08 the people - the instrument - that He would use to bring 22:11 the gospel to all the world. 22:13 At that point they had been keeping it to themselves... 22:18 even though it seems to appear that they would send out 22:22 missionaries from time to time. 22:25 Jesus says that they... 22:28 they encompassed sea and land to make one a proselyte. " 22:32 But they taught them things that were not in the scriptures 22:36 He said. But let's continue here as we look at this prophecy. 22:41 So we have seen that seventy times seven equals 490. 22:48 So we now have to ask ourselves: "If they had 490 years, 22:52 when do these years begin? " 22:55 When is the starting point? And the same starting point 22:58 for Daniel 9:24-27 23:01 is the same starting point for Daniel chapter 8 verse 14 23:05 which we hope to look at later. 23:06 So we see here what is the starting point? 23:09 In Daniel chapter 9 verse 25 you see the beginning. 23:14 It says: "Know therefore and understand 23:16 that from the going forth of the commandment 23:21 to restore and to build Jerusalem. " 23:24 From this commandment that is the starting point. 23:28 So as you look at scriptures and you look at history 23:31 you will notice that there were several decrees mentioned. 23:34 But the decree must line up 23:40 with what's written in scripture in order for that to apply. 23:42 Since there were several you examine all of them 23:45 and it's history... it is the decree of Artaxerxes 23:50 that clearly meets with what the Bible says 23:57 because it gave instructions to do exactly that: 24:01 to restore and to build Jerusalem. 24:03 "The walls will be built... even in troublous times" 24:06 the scripture says. 24:08 So we take the year 457 BC as the starting point. 24:11 So we'll show that on the screen. 24:13 We'll take the 457 BC as the starting point 24:18 and we will see that the prophecy covers the time 24:23 when the Messiah would be revealed. 24:26 So we see that from the commandment to restore 24:30 and to build Jerusalem - 70 weeks, 490 years - 24:35 starts in 457 BC. And if you count 490 years 24:39 from 457 BC it takes you to the year 34 AD. 24:44 How does it take you to 34 AD? 24:46 You must understand that you don't count 0. 24:51 They literally went from 1 BC to 1 AD. 24:56 They didn't go to year 0... there is no year 0. 24:59 So you went from 1 BC to 1 AD and that's how you see 25:02 that there are 490 years. 25:05 If you understand that say "Amen. " 25:07 Amen. Some of you have studied this before. 25:09 So we see now that we move on 25:11 to what is next in the prophecy. 25:16 I'd like to bring you now - you will see a graphic 25:19 that will show you that because of the way the prophecy 25:23 is mentioned it says that there are 62 weeks 25:28 and then it mentions... it mentions a time 25:34 when there are 483 years... 483 years. 25:37 It specifies something about the last week 25:40 because it says: "He shall confirm the covenant with many 25:44 for one week. " And so we see that there is... 25:49 there is one week that is of greater importance 25:53 because it's the final stage of the time they had 25:57 to repent and believe the gospel. 26:01 Repent and believe the gospel. 26:04 So now we will see on the screen 26:06 that beginning in 457 BC taking us to 490 26:11 we notice that there are 483 years from 457 BC 26:15 to a specific time when there are 7 years left. 26:21 We're going to focus on the seven last years. 26:24 We're going to focus on those seven last years 26:26 to understand what happened and that shall be the focus 26:28 of our study for the remainder of the time. 26:31 So we see in the last 7 years. Now we have to ask ourselves 26:35 about the Messiah. What happened? 26:39 What happened because it said "the Messiah. " 26:43 There are some interesting things in this prophecy 26:45 that we're going to look at, 26:46 and so I invite you to pay close attention. 26:50 So let us begin in 27 AD. 26:55 That brings us to the time when the Messiah is revealed. 27:01 What happened that helps us to understand 27:04 that the Messiah comes upon the scene of history 27:07 to begin His ministry. I invite you to turn in your Bibles 27:11 to Luke chapter 3 verse 21. 27:13 Luke chapter 3 verse 21. 27:17 Luke chapter 3 verse 21. 27:19 As you saw a graphic the time came in 27 AD 27:22 when Jesus Christ was baptized. 27:26 Luke chapter 3 beginning in verse 21. 27:28 Are you ready? Say "Amen. " 27:30 Amen. We read: "Now when all the people were baptized 27:35 it came to pass that Jesus also being baptized 27:39 and praying the heaven was opened 27:43 and the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove 27:48 upon Him. And a voice came from heaven which said: 27:51 'Thou art My beloved Son; 27:54 in Thee I am well pleased. ' " 27:59 Amen? Amen. 28:01 So when Jesus is baptized is when He is really revealed 28:04 to the public as the Messiah. 28:08 When Jesus is baptized He is revealed as the Messiah. 28:11 He begins His public ministry. 28:13 Prior to that He was doing work as any other man would do. 28:18 He was a carpenter. 28:20 He learned to be a carpenter by trade. 28:22 But His public ministry began in the year 27 AD 28:27 which can be identified by the words of the book of Luke. 28:32 It mentions specific detail as to who is governing 28:36 at that time that helps us understand 28:39 to arrive at that particular date. 28:41 So in 27 AD Jesus Christ was baptized 28:44 and He is and was the Messiah. 28:49 So in 27 AD He was anointed 28:54 by the Holy Spirit. Amen? 28:58 So that is what the word Messiah means: 29:01 the Anointed One. 29:04 So in 27 AD Jesus Christ was anointed 29:07 as the Messiah and He began a special ministry 29:13 focusing to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 29:17 You will see that in the writings of Matthew, Mark, 29:20 Luke and John. "I am sent to the lost sheep 29:23 of the house of Israel. " 29:24 The Bible says in John 3:16 29:26 that "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten 29:30 Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish 29:33 but have everlasting life. " 29:34 So He came to preach to the Jewish people but preach to us 29:37 as well. But He came to call the people of Israel to repentance 29:42 and to believe the gospel 29:45 because "the time is fulfilled; the kingdom of God is at hand. " 29:50 The kingdom of grace was to be established 29:52 and the people of Israel had only seven years left. 29:57 So the Messiah is the Anointed One. 30:01 So in Daniel chapter 9 verse 24 30:06 I invite you to look at that again: Daniel 9:24. 30:10 In addition to the people of Israel to finish transgression - 30:15 abandon rebellion - and to make an end of sins 30:20 God through His Son was going to make reconciliation 30:25 for iniquity and to bring in everlasting righteousness 30:31 and eventually to seal up the vision and prophecy. 30:35 But there's another point here that we're going to look at: 30:38 "to anoint the Most Holy. " 30:41 What does that mean? 30:43 We're going to look at that in a moment. 30:45 So we see here that Jesus... the time comes when He was 30:50 going through the city of Jerusalem. Going through 30:52 the cities of Israel preaching "Repent ye: 30:56 and believe the gospel. " He went from place to place 30:59 healing the sick. Even raising the dead, 31:03 giving sight to the blind. 31:04 Even curing a disease that they thought was incurable: 31:07 leprosy. 31:09 Even demons were cast out. 31:11 Never a man spoke like this Man. 31:14 And He preached with passion and He looked at every person 31:18 as a person He longed to save. 31:21 So He preached with an urgency to the people of Israel 31:25 to repent and believe the gospel. 31:28 But unfortunately the Bible reveals 31:34 a point in time when Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane. 31:38 He headed to Jerusalem. 31:39 Went to the Garden of Gethsemane... 31:41 there began to pray. And in Matthew 26 you will see 31:45 that He is pouring out His heart out in prayer 31:48 because the time of His suffering was coming. 31:51 Greater suffering... because He suffered all His life. 31:54 Eventually we remember... You remember that Judas 31:58 came with people with clubs and spears and swords 32:03 to take Him captive. 32:05 Did He resist? No. 32:08 He went willingly with them. 32:10 And He was taken before the high priest 32:12 and He was there before the Jewish Council. 32:17 They examined Him, questioned Him, 32:19 even found false witnesses, and eventually condemned Him 32:23 to death without a just cause. 32:26 He was taken then to the Romans and brought to them. 32:30 And he said: "What evil has He done? " 32:33 And there was no evil He had done. 32:37 And he insisted: "But why? What evil has He done? " 32:41 They went as far as saying: "His blood be upon us 32:46 and our children. " 32:50 He had done nothing wrong. 32:52 And there on the cross 32:57 even two individuals as testimony to those there... 33:03 one a thief that at first was 33:07 attacking Jesus with words. 33:10 Eventually he understands that he has an opportunity 33:15 for salvation still while on the cross. 33:19 And he even says to the other thief: 33:25 "He has done nothing amiss" the Bible says. 33:28 "We are suffering for what we have done 33:31 but He has done nothing amiss... nothing wrong. " 33:34 And then he turns to Jesus and he says: 33:38 "Remember me when You enter into paradise. " 33:43 How? Do you see faith there? 33:47 This thief beholds Jesus Christ dying on the cross 33:50 but yet he believes that He will go to paradise 33:54 and he says: "Remember me when You go to paradise. " 33:59 He believed and therefore his faith was accounted 34:04 for righteousness. 34:07 And Jesus promised him: "Verily, verily I say unto you 34:10 today, you will be with Me in paradise. " 34:15 What kind of testimony was that to those listening? 34:19 What? What is He talking about? 34:21 He's dying on the cross. It was a testimony 34:25 that even though He's was going to die He's going to rise again 34:30 to victory. 34:32 The last testimony there on the cross 34:38 came from the centurion. When Jesus Christ gave up 34:40 the ghost the Bible says what happened then? 34:44 The centurion said: "Surely 34:47 this is the Son of God! " 34:52 He didn't whisper that... that was loud. 34:55 Impressed by what had happened, impressed by how Jesus was 34:58 dying, suffering willingly. And he said: 35:02 "This is the Son of God. " 35:05 And there on the cross, Jesus Christ gave His life for us. 35:10 And now I say to you that Jesus confirmed the covenant 35:15 with many for one week, 35:18 but the time came when in 31 AD 35:24 Jesus was crucified. 35:28 There on the cross He gave His life for us and died 35:35 to bring salvation to the world. 35:37 So in 31 AD... As you look at the graphic you notice 35:40 that 27 AD to 31 AD are 3-1/2 years. 35:44 Jesus spent 3-1/2 years of public ministry 35:47 and when He dies on the cross there are 3-1/2 years left. 35:51 So even though they went as far as to crucify the Son of God 35:56 God in His incredible mercy 35:59 gave them another 3-1/2 years. 36:02 Is God merciful? Would you say "Amen? " 36:04 Has He been merciful to you? Would you say "Amen? " 36:07 Amen. 36:09 I invite you to turn in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 27 36:12 verse 50. 36:14 Matthew chapter 27 and verse 50. 36:16 Something interesting happens 36:19 while Jesus is dying on the cross. 36:22 Matthew chapter 27 verses 50 and 51. Notice: 36:26 "Jesus, when He had cried again with a loud voice, 36:30 yielded up the ghost. " Verse 51: 36:33 "And behold the veil of the temple 36:37 was rent in twain from the top to the bottom 36:41 and the earth did quake and the rocks rent. " 36:46 So you ask yourself: "Why does Matthew 36:49 while describing what's happening at the cross 36:51 take us away from that scene and move us to the temple? " 36:57 Because something significant had happened 37:02 that if we just keep reading we may miss. 37:05 And many people read this and miss it. 37:08 But I believe you understand that God was giving a message 37:12 to the people of Israel: that temple 37:16 is now... no longer valid. 37:20 What happens? No more sacrifices are needed 37:22 because the true sacrifice was done. 37:27 The Lamb of God was slain and crucified for us. 37:33 And that brought an end to sacrifices... all sacrifices... 37:39 because the true sacrifice had come. 37:42 All those lambs and goats 37:45 and all those animals were but a shadow - a symbol - 37:49 of what Jesus Christ was going to do on the cross 37:53 and what He would continue to do after the cross. 37:56 And so I invite you to consider that Jesus Christ 38:03 did something powerful. 38:06 Now let's go into John chapter 20 verse 16. 38:09 We have to hurry. John chapter 20 verse 16. 38:13 We remember that Jesus Christ on Sunday morning 38:17 was resurrected from the dead. 38:18 In John chapter 20 verse 16 we have the following words: 38:21 "Jesus said unto her: 'Mary. ' She turned herself 38:25 and said unto Him: 'Rabboni' which is to say Master. 38:29 Jesus said unto her: 'Touch Me not 38:31 for I am not yet ascended to My Father. 38:34 But go to My brethren and say unto them 38:37 I ascend unto My Father and to your Father 38:40 and to My God and your God. ' " 38:42 Amen. 38:46 So Mary went with that message: 38:48 "I have seen Jesus the Messiah alive again! " 38:55 It was almost unbelievable to them. 38:59 It was news too good to be true! 39:02 But the good news was true. 39:05 And that evening Jesus showed Himself before the disciples 39:09 and presented His scars to them. 39:13 Later one called Thomas who said: "I won't believe 39:17 until I put my fingers into the nail scars. " 39:22 So later Jesus presented Himself to him and said: 39:25 "What? Thrust your finger in My scars. " 39:29 What did He tell Mary? "Don't touch Me. " 39:31 But now He's telling: "Put your fingers in here. " 39:35 Giving permission to touch Him. 39:37 Jesus said to Mary: "Do not touch Me because I have not yet 39:40 ascended to the Father. " 39:43 Did He go to the Father before He showed up? Yes He did! 39:46 He went to the Father to assure Himself 39:49 that the sacrifice was accepted. 39:54 And Jesus Christ died as an innocent Lamb for us. 39:59 Took our sins upon Him 40:01 so that we could have salvation. 40:06 And so it was that something else happened 40:10 after He ascended up to heaven. 40:13 And so I bring you now to Daniel chapter 9 verse 24. 40:20 Daniel chapter 9 verse 24. 40:22 The last part says that during the 70 weeks - 40:27 during the 490 years - 40:29 a time would come when the Most Holy would be anointed. 40:33 "To anoint the Most Holy. " 40:35 Some people mistake and think this is talking about Jesus 40:37 Christ. But this is not talking about Jesus Christ. 40:41 Daniel chapter 9 verse 24 the last part is talking about 40:44 the Most Holy place in heaven being anointed. 40:51 I would like to bring to you 40:56 the Hebrew words Most Holy in Daniel 24 are kodesh ka-doshim 41:01 which means holy of holies. 41:04 That's what it means. 41:06 And so I bring you this quote by F. C. Gilbert: 41:29 That's from the book The Messiah in His Sanctuary 41:31 page 227. F. C. Gilbert. 41:34 So this part - "to anoint the Most Holy" - 41:37 is talking about the Most Holy place in heaven 41:40 to be anointed. 41:42 And so I bring you this graphic in the year 31 AD 41:47 when Jesus Christ was crucified; 41:49 later went to heaven 41:52 and anointed the Most Holy place in heaven. 41:57 Amen. 42:00 So in 31 AD the heavenly temple was inaugurated 42:05 for service by the High Priest for the people of God: 42:10 Jesus Christ. 42:12 So in Hebrews... Please join me in your Bibles 42:17 in Hebrews chapter 9. We're going to read quickly 42:19 verse 18 and onward. 42:21 Hebrews chapter 9 verse 18 and onward. 42:23 Notice how these words help us to understand this. 42:28 "Whereupon neither the first testament 42:30 was dedicated without blood 42:33 for when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people 42:36 according to all the law he took the blood of calves 42:39 and of goats and water and scarlet, wool, and hyssop 42:41 and sprinkled both the book and all the people 42:44 saying: 'This is the blood of the testament which God 42:47 has enjoined unto you. ' 42:49 Moreover, " it says, "he sprinkled with blood 42:52 both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministries. " 42:56 Verse 22: "And almost all things are by the law 42:58 purged with blood, and without the shedding of blood 43:00 is no remission. " 43:02 Verse 23: "It was therefore necessary 43:05 that the patterns of the things in the heavens 43:12 should be purified with these. 43:16 But the heavenly things them- selves with better sacrifices 43:21 than these. For Christ is not entered into the 43:25 holy places made with hands, 43:27 human hands - which are the figures of the true" - 43:30 the one in heaven - "but into heaven itself 43:32 now to appear 43:34 in the presence of God for us. " 43:40 Amen? 43:42 So what we have here is Jesus Christ entering into 43:47 the Most Holy place in heaven 43:49 anointing the heavenly temple. 43:52 He went into the holy place and anointed it. 43:57 He went into the Most Holy place... anointed it 44:01 and came out 44:03 to begin His ministry in the holy place 44:08 because His ministry in the Most Holy place comes later 44:14 in the year 1844. 44:16 Amen? 44:18 This is what this scripture is telling us. 44:20 He went in there and anointed the thing. 44:22 Now I'd like to invite you to consider 44:25 this interesting thing. 44:27 You see, God must make people aware of what He is doing. 44:31 So I invite you to turn in your Bibles 44:34 to Acts chapter 2 verses 1 and 3. 44:37 Acts chapter 2 verses 1 and 3. 44:39 If you join me quickly... We have to catch up on time 44:42 here if we can. Acts chapter 2 verses 1 and 3. 44:45 Here we have: "And when the Day of Pentecost was fully come 44:49 and they were all with one accord in one place 44:52 and suddenly there came a sound from heaven 44:56 as of a rushing mighty wind 44:58 and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 45:01 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues 45:05 like as a fire and it sat upon each of them. " 45:10 So what happened there on the Day of Pentecost? 45:13 The Holy Spirit was poured out upon the disciples 45:16 in the appearance of cloven tongues. 45:19 Now hold that thought for a moment. 45:22 You see, the Bible records in... we're not going to go there... 45:25 in Exodus chapter 40 verses 9 through 38 45:27 and also in Leviticus chapter 9 verses 22-24 45:31 that when the first sanctuary was instituted, 45:36 inaugurated, sacrifices were made 45:39 and then... It was anointed, sacrifices were made 45:43 and then what happened? 45:47 Fire came down from heaven. 45:49 And God descended upon the temple and filled the place 45:54 with His glory. 45:57 That's what happened in the first sanctuary. 45:59 Later as you go to II Chronicles chapter 7 46:03 you have to read chapter 6 and you will notice 46:06 that again God sent the blessing down. 46:10 The temple was done... it had been built. 46:12 You can call it the David-Solomonic temple 46:14 because David wanted to do it. He wanted to build the temple 46:16 but he could not. 46:18 Solomon was given the task. 46:21 And when the temple was finally erected, was anointed 46:25 for the priests to come in and do their service, 46:27 in II Chronicles chapter 7 verses 1-3 46:31 fire came down from heaven and consumed the sacrifices. 46:37 Amen. Letting them know that "I approve of what has happened" 46:43 "I will dwell in this house 46:46 just like in the first house you gave Me. " 46:52 Unfortunately, this temple was torn down. 46:57 So when Jesus Christ comes upon the scene 47:00 was there a temple? Yes or no? 47:01 Yes... but something happened to this temple. 47:09 The veil of the temple was rent in two. 47:12 Not with human hands because it was rent from the top 47:15 to the bottom... God letting them know: 47:17 "This temple, the services are over. 47:20 It is now the time for the temple in heaven 47:24 to be inaugurated for the ministry of the High Priest - 47:29 the true High Priest, Jesus Christ - 47:31 to begin His ministry. " 47:33 And so we see that God is bringing a message 47:37 to the people because when that ceremony is accomplished 47:42 God sends fire down again 47:45 in the form of the Holy Spirit 47:48 and cloven tongues as a fire appeared to the disciples. 47:53 So God is letting them know something has happened: 47:55 the Holy of Holies has been inaugurated. 48:01 I would like to - for those of you that are SDA's and like 48:04 to look into a quote by Ellen G. White concerning this - 48:10 this is found in Acts of the Apostles 48:13 page 38. Notice this. 48:20 This is from the book Acts of the Apostles: 48:51 Amen. 48:53 So He had been inaugurated as what? 48:56 Priest and King. 48:59 And once you are placed in that position 49:02 what do you do? 49:03 You begin your ministry. 49:06 And He began His ministry in 31 AD in the holy place. 49:13 You remember that there was a daily service that took place, 49:17 but once a year there was the Day of what? 49:21 of Atonement. So eventually Christ would enter into the 49:25 Most Holy place to begin the final phase of His ministry. 49:29 And you will notice as you read in the scriptures 49:32 that the high priest had duties every day. 49:38 And so Jesus accomplished those duties from 31 AD 49:42 to 1844. Taking care... 49:47 making sure the lamps are lit which were but a symbol. 49:51 So He ministered in the first apartment 49:54 considered the holy place. 49:56 But the people of Israel had 3-1/2 more years 49:59 to make an end of sins. 50:02 So the first 3-1/2 years Jesus Christ ministered unto them. 50:06 There remained 3-1/2 more years 50:10 because it says: "He shall confirm the covenant 50:14 with many for one week. " 50:15 If you go to Daniel chapter 9 you will notice that it says 50:19 "He shall confirm the covenant with many for one week 50:22 and in the midst of the week... " What would happen? 50:24 It says: "sacrifices and oblations would cease. " 50:29 And by His death on the cross 50:31 He ended sacrifice and oblations. 50:36 So after this - 3-1/2 more years - 50:42 the apostles continued to preach to the people of Israel. 50:45 You remember Peter's great sermon in Acts chapter 2. 50:49 Preached to them, taught them, led them to understand 50:52 that Jesus Christ was resurrected and was ministering 50:55 in heaven. That He was at the right hand of the Father. 50:57 They continued to preach for 3-1/2 years 51:00 and then later... I invite you to turn to the book of Acts 51:04 chapter 6. The book of Acts chapter 6. 51:09 We have little time left. Let's see if we can 51:11 get this part done. Acts chapter 6. I begin reading 51:14 in verse 9. 51:16 I'm sorry. I'll begin reading, yes, in verse 9. 51:20 "Then there arose certain of the synagogue 51:22 which is called Synagogue of the Libertines and Cyrenians 51:25 and Alexandrians and of them of Cilicia 51:28 and Asia disputing with Stephen. 51:30 And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit 51:34 by which he spake. Then they suborned men 51:37 which said: 'We have heard him speak blasphemous words against 51:40 Moses and against God. ' " 51:42 Didn't they say that Jesus spoke blasphemous words? 51:46 They said... repeating what took place here. 51:49 "And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes 51:52 and came unto him and caught him and brought him 51:54 to the Council. " Did they bring Jesus to the Council? 51:57 Was the high priest there? 51:58 We have here a similar stage taking place. 52:05 Verse 13: "And they set up false witnesses. " 52:08 Did they set up false witnesses against Christ? 52:10 Yes they did. "which said: 'This man ceaseth not 52:13 to speak blasphemous words against this holy place 52:16 and the law, for we have heard him say that this Jesus of 52:19 Nazareth shall destroy this place and shall change the 52:22 customs which Moses delivered unto us. ' 52:25 And all that sat on the Council looked steadfastly on him 52:29 and saw his face as it had been the face of an angel. " 52:34 And you see, God again is ministering. His last message 52:39 in 34 AD to the people of Israel is through Stephen. 52:43 And he saw a vision identifying as a prophet. 52:46 He became a prophet. 52:49 So in Acts chapter 7 verses 54 through 59... 52:52 I'll try to get through them: 52:54 "When they heard these things, " he preached a sermon to them, 52:57 "when they head these things they were cut to the heart 52:59 and they gnashed on him with their teeth. But he 53:03 being full of the Holy Ghost looked up steadfastly 53:06 into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus 53:09 standing on the right hand of God and said: 'Behold, 53:12 I see the heavens opened 53:14 and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God. ' 53:18 Then they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears 53:22 and ran upon him with one accord 53:24 and cast him out of the city and stoned him. 53:29 And the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's 53:32 feet whose name was Saul. 53:33 And they stoned Stephen and calling upon God 53:36 and saying: 'Lord Jesus receive my spirit. ' " 53:39 Verse 60: "And he kneeled down and cried with a loud voice 53:43 'Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. ' 53:47 And when he said this he fell asleep. " 53:50 The last message of warning. 53:54 The 490 years were over. 53:56 And we have a representation of the people of Israel 53:59 rejecting this message 54:01 to repent and make an end of rebellion 54:06 and believe the gospel. 54:09 But they killed God's prophet Stephen. 54:13 And so I bring you to a graphic that shows us 54:16 that the end of the 490 years were completed. 54:19 Beginning in 457 BC 54:22 taking us all the way to 34 AD 54:26 when Stephen was stoned the 490 years were done. 54:31 So I ask you this question: 54:34 has God closed the door of mercy to the people of Israel? 54:39 No. "For God so loved the world 54:42 that He gave His only begotten Son 54:45 that whosoever... " What? "believeth in Him 54:47 should not perish but have everlasting life. " 54:50 They lost the privilege to be God's representatives on earth 54:54 as a country, a people, 54:57 but they still had the privilege and opportunity 54:59 to accept salvation full and free 55:03 if they believe the gospel. Amen? 55:07 And so we praise the Lord for God's mercy to us. 55:12 Stephen was stoned in 34 AD. 55:15 And so now I bring you to Daniel chapter 8 verses 13-14 55:19 rather quickly. Daniel 8:13-14. 55:23 "Then I heard one saint speaking 55:26 and another saint said unto him... " 55:46 Amen. 55:48 This scripture reveals that after 2,300 years 55:52 something of vital importance would begin. 55:57 The beginning point for this prophecy is the same as the one 56:00 the 70 weeks: 457 BC... 56:03 taking us to the year 1844. 56:07 What happened in 1844? 56:09 Jesus Christ stepped from the holy place into the Most Holy 56:14 place to do what it said in Daniel chapter 8 verse 14: 56:21 beginning of the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary. 56:27 Amen? And there He is ministering for us! 56:31 "For we have not a High Priest which cannot be touched 56:34 with the feelings of our in- firmities but was in all points 56:36 tempted like as we are... yet without sin. 56:39 Let us therefore come with confidence to God's 56:42 throne of grace. " 56:43 And as a people I invite you to "Behold what manner of love 56:48 the Father hath bestowed upon us 56:50 that we should be called... " What? 56:52 "sons of God. And it does not yet appear... " 56:55 verse 2 says of I John chapter 3 56:57 "what we shall be but when He appears 57:01 we shall be as He is. " Now notice I John chapter 3 says 57:06 that "he who has this hope purifies himself. " 57:12 And it is time for God's people to purify themselves 57:15 and to take up the message that John the Baptist preached, 57:18 that Jesus preached: "Repent for the kingdom of God, 57:22 the kingdom of glory is at hand. " 57:25 "Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand. " 57:28 I say to you and to all those listening: Amen. |
Revised 2014-12-17