Participants: Stephen Bohr
Series Code: 13SCM
Program Code: 13SCM000012
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00:31 Hello. Welcome to 3ABN Spring Camp Meeting
00:35 here in southern Illinois. 00:37 We are coming to you live once again 00:39 bringing the message from God's Word. 00:42 And during this hour you will be blessed. 00:44 We have asked for the Lord to bless this program, 00:46 and during this hour Pastor Stephen Bohr will be 00:49 with us, preaching a message from God's Word. 00:52 So we encourage you to open your Bibles, 00:55 get something to write down because as you know 00:58 when Pastor Bohr preaches he shares a lot of scriptures 01:01 and information that is worthy of further study. 01:04 Amen? Amen. We have a wonderful crowd here 01:06 that has come from different places across the US. 01:09 Did anyone come from outside of the US? 01:12 Would you raise your hand? 01:13 Well, several of you! Praise the Lord. 01:15 Praise the Lord. We praise the Lord for those that are here 01:18 and those that are on the way because it is Friday morning. 01:22 Others are on the way and will be here this afternoon 01:25 to be here for this evening's live programs. 01:28 For this opportunity we want to ask you 01:32 to join me in prayer. I think we should ask this time 01:35 if you will stand with me and let's go to the Lord in prayer. 01:38 Ask for His blessing so that we will have a blessing 01:43 for everyone because God is all powerful. 01:46 Loves each and every one of us 01:47 and He is interested for everyone to be blessed. 01:49 Let us pray together. 01:51 Our loving heavenly Father, 01:54 we come to You in Jesus' name. 01:57 And we ask You, Father, to bless Your children: 02:01 all that are here, all that may be listening by radio, 02:05 Internet, television, or whatever means 02:10 it is that they are tuning in. 02:13 We pray that Your Holy Spirit will guide them as we study 02:17 the scriptures. And Father, we ask 02:20 that you will bless Your servant, Pastor Stephen Bohr, 02:23 with the Holy Spirit. 02:24 Use him once again to bring a message that is needed 02:28 for this time. And Father, we also ask 02:31 that you will be with our singer, Sr. Celestine Berry, 02:36 as she also ministers to us through a musical offering. 02:40 We pray for all to be blessed 02:43 and we ask in Jesus' holy and blessed name, Amen; amen. 02:48 You may take your seats. 02:50 The message for this hour is 02:54 Revelation's Apostate Trilogy. 02:57 Revelation's Apostate Trilogy. 03:00 Before that we have Sr. Celestine Berry, 03:03 a member of the Thompsonville Seventh-day Adventist Church, 03:06 and she will be bringing a musical offering 03:09 that will elevate our thoughts to heaven. 03:12 And it is called At The Midnight Cry. 03:16 Afterwards we will hear the preaching of God's Word 03:18 through Pastor Stephen Bohr. 03:20 May God bless each and every one of us. 03:38 I hear the sound 03:42 of a mighty rushing wind. 03:50 And it's closer now 03:56 than it's ever been. 04:02 I can almost hear 04:05 the trumpet 04:09 as Gabriel sounds 04:11 the call. 04:17 At the midnight cry 04:23 we'll be going home. 04:29 When Jesus steps out 04:35 on a cloud to call His children, 04:43 the dead in Christ shall rise 04:49 to meet Him in the air. 04:56 And then those that remain 05:02 will be quickly changed. 05:10 At the midnight cry 05:15 when Jesus comes again. 05:25 I look around me 05:28 and I see prophecies fulfilling. 05:37 And signs of the times 05:42 are appearing everywhere. 05:48 I can almost hear 05:51 the Father 05:56 as He says: "Son, go get My children. " 06:03 At the midnight cry 06:09 the bride of Christ will rise. 06:15 When Jesus steps out 06:22 on a cloud to call His children, 06:29 the dead in Christ will rise 06:36 to meet Him in the air. 06:42 And then those that remain 06:49 will be quickly changed. 06:56 At the midnight cry 07:02 when Jesus comes again... 07:10 At 07:12 the midnight cry 07:21 our Lord will come 07:26 again! 07:48 Love that song. 07:51 It makes the hope of the coming of Jesus burn in the heart, 07:56 doesn't it? 07:57 That's what we're looking forward to. 07:59 This morning we're going to study about the end-time Elijah. 08:06 The apocalyptic Elijah. 08:08 But before we do, we do want to ask for the Lord's presence 08:11 and so I invite you to bow your heads with me as we pray. 08:16 Father in heaven, 08:18 thank for giving us life this day. 08:21 Thank you for the privilege of living in a place where 08:24 we can worship You according to the dictates of our conscience. 08:29 We realize that these days are going to come to an end soon. 08:32 Help us, Lord, to take advantage of this time 08:36 of relative peace. 08:37 We ask that as we study about the end-time Elijah 08:41 that You have called to announce to the world 08:45 that Jesus is coming soon and the need to prepare 08:48 that Your Holy Spirit will be with us that we might 08:51 be able to understand what we're going to study. 08:54 Not only understand it intellectually but 08:56 apply it to our daily lives. 08:59 Instill it in our hearts. 09:01 We thank you for the privilege of coming before Your throne 09:04 boldly, and we do so not because we have any merit 09:08 but because we come boldly in the name of Jesus. 09:12 Amen. 09:17 When should we expect the end-time Elijah to appear? 09:23 I'd like to begin by reading from Malachi chapter 4 09:27 and verses 5 and 6. 09:30 Here we find a prophecy 09:33 that God will send Elijah before the great and terrible 09:37 day of the Lord. 09:38 It says there: "Behold, I will send you Elijah 09:42 the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day 09:46 of the Lord. And he will turn 09:50 the hearts of the fathers to the children 09:53 and the hearts of the children to their fathers 09:57 lest I come and strike the earth with a curse. " 10:02 This text tells us that God is going to send Elijah 10:05 immediately before the great and terrible - or dreadful - 10:08 day of the Lord. 10:10 So we need to ask: "When is the dreadful day of the Lord? " 10:14 We don't have to guess 10:16 because in the immediately- preceding verses we are told 10:19 when the great and terrible day of the Lord is. 10:22 Let's read verses 1 to 3 in Malachi chapter 4. 10:26 It says there: "For behold the day is coming 10:29 burning like an oven and all the proud, yes, 10:32 all who do wickedly will be stubble. 10:35 And the day which is coming shall burn them up 10:38 says the Lord of Hosts 10:39 that will leave neither root nor branch. 10:43 But to you who fear My name 10:45 the Son of Righteousness shall rise with healing in His wings. 10:48 And you shall go out and grow fat like stall-fed calves. 10:53 You shall trample the wicked for they shall be ashes 10:56 under the soles of your feet 10:58 on the day that I do this says the Lord of Hosts. " 11:02 So the question is: "When is the great and dreadful day 11:05 of the Lord? " It's referring to the coming of Christ. 11:10 And so are we to expect another Elijah immediately 11:14 before Jesus comes? 11:16 According to the book of Malachi, yes. 11:19 This prophecy was partially fulfilled as we studied 11:22 last night in John the Baptist. 11:25 But the dreadful and terrible day of the Lord 11:27 did not come in the days of John the Baptist. 11:30 And so we are to expect another Elijah 11:33 who will fully fulfill this prophecy of Malachi chapter 4 11:38 and verses 5 and 6. 11:41 Now let's take a look at some principles 11:43 that we need to take into account 11:45 in order to understand the end-time Elijah. 11:47 When will this Elijah appear? 11:50 Immediately before the second coming of Christ 11:53 according to what we've studied. 11:54 Where would we expect in the Bible to find 11:58 a description of this Elijah? 12:00 Well, I think that the book of Revelation would be a good place 12:03 to go because it's the last book of the Bible 12:06 and it describes the end time. 12:08 So we would expect to find this Elijah 12:10 in the book of Revelation, the last book of the Bible. 12:15 Now we would expect also in the last book 12:18 to find not only Elijah and his message 12:22 but also the trilogy of enemies that Elijah had 12:27 all throughout the course of history, beginning with 12:30 the historical Elijah, continuing with the prophetic 12:32 Elijah, and the Elijah of the Middle Ages. 12:36 Now the question is: "How will this Elijah come 12:41 and how will his enemies come? " 12:43 Will they be literal individuals like in the Old Testament story 12:47 and the New Testament story? 12:48 Absolutely not. 12:50 There's governing principle that we need to keep in mind, 12:53 and that is that in the Old Testament 12:56 you're dealing with literal Elijah because you are dealing 12:59 with literal Israel. 13:01 His enemy was a literal harlot 13:03 who committed literal fornication with a literal king 13:07 who had literal false prophets 13:09 who promoted the literal worship of the literal sun god Baal. 13:14 But at the end of time the geographical, personal 13:19 and ethnic limitations from the Old Testament story 13:23 are removed 13:25 and the persons in the Old Testament story become symbolic 13:28 of spiritual world-wide systems. 13:32 In other words, Elijah, Israel, Jezebel, 13:36 Ahab, Baal, the false prophets, 13:40 are not individuals in the end time 13:43 but represent global systems. 13:47 And so... what was local and literal 13:50 become spiritual and global or world-wide. 13:54 Are you understanding the principle? 13:56 This is a vital principle in the study of Bible prophecy 14:01 and those who ignore it fall into all sorts of mistakes 14:05 in their interpretation of Bible prophecy. 14:08 So what we want to do first is see if we can find 14:12 the three enemies of Elijah 14:14 before we talk about Elijah and his message. 14:18 Go with me to Revelation chapter 16 and verse 19. 14:21 We're going to be mostly in Revelation 14:23 in our study today: Revelation 16:19. 14:27 It speaks here about the great city Babylon. 14:32 And we're told something very interesting about Babylon. 14:35 It says: "Now the great city was divided into... " 14:39 How many? "into three parts. 14:42 And the cities of the nations fell and the great Babylon 14:46 was remembered before God to give her the cup 14:49 of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath. " 14:51 How many parts does Babylon have? 14:54 Babylon has three parts. 14:56 And so you say: "Pastor Bohr, what are the three parts 15:00 of Babylon? " Well, we don't have to guess 15:03 because just a few verses before this one that we just read 15:06 in verse 13- Revelation 16:13- 15:10 we are told what that trilogy is. 15:12 It says: "And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs 15:17 coming out of the mouth of the dragon, 15:19 and out of the mouth of the beast, 15:22 and out of the mouth of the false prophet. " 15:25 And so here we have the three divisions of end-time Babylon: 15:29 the trilogy that constitutes the enemies of the end-time 15:34 Elijah. Now the question is: 15:36 who are the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet? 15:40 Well, in order to understand 15:41 we have to go earlier in Revelation 15:44 where these three powers are introduced. 15:47 And they are introduced in Revelation chapters 12 and 13. 15:52 So we have to go back to these chapters to understand 15:55 who these enemies are. 15:57 Let's talk first of all about the dragon. 16:01 What does the dragon represent? 16:03 Go with me to Revelation chapter 12 16:05 and let's read specifically verse 3. 16:10 Revelation chapter 12 and verse 3. 16:13 It says here: "And the dragon stood before the woman 16:16 who was ready to give birth to devour her Child 16:21 as soon as it was born. " 16:24 Who is this Child that was going to be born? 16:26 The Child is none less than Jesus Christ. 16:29 And we're told that the dragon stood next to the woman 16:32 to devour the Child. Now the question is: 16:34 who was it that stood next to the woman to devour the Child 16:38 when the Child was born? 16:40 It was the devil. 16:42 But it was not the devil in person... 16:44 it was the devil through the civil power of Rome. 16:49 In fact, go with me to Matthew chapter 2 16:52 and verses 16 and 17 where we find 16:55 how Satan worked through Rome - through the civil power 16:59 of Rome - to try and slay Jesus Christ. 17:02 It says there in Matthew chapter 2 verse 16: 17:05 "Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, 17:09 was exceedingly angry. And he sent forth and put to death 17:13 all the male children who were in Bethlehem 17:16 and all its districts from 2 years old and under 17:20 according to the time which he had determined 17:23 from the wise men. " 17:24 And so we find that the dragon - although it primarily represents 17:28 Satan - it represents the civil powers that Satan works through 17:34 to accomplish his purpose. 17:36 Let me give you another Biblical example: 17:37 Ezekiel chapter 29 and verse 3. 17:40 And I'm reading from the King James version 17:42 because I think that it is a more accurate translation. 17:45 Ezekiel chapter 29 and verse 3 17:49 speaks about Pharaoh who is mentioned in the book of Exodus. 17:52 And I want you to notice what Pharaoh - the civil leader 17:56 of Egypt - is called. 17:58 Ezekiel 29:3 says: 18:00 "Speak and say: 'Thus saith the Lord God 18:03 behold I am against thee Pharaoh, king of Egypt, 18:08 the great... " What? Well, some versions say 18:12 "the great monster. " What does the King James version say? 18:15 It says: "the great dragon 18:17 that lieth in the midst of his rivers 18:20 which hath said 'the river is mine own and I have made it 18:23 for myself. ' " 18:25 So who is the dragon? 18:26 Pharaoh. And what is his position? 18:29 He is king. 18:32 Now I know that traditionally we believe that 18:34 the dragon represents spiritualism. 18:36 But you know, we need to look at it carefully 18:39 because really the three-fold alliance 18:41 all three of them are dominated by spiritualism. 18:45 Because the three evil spirits like frogs 18:47 come out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth 18:50 of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 18:53 Ellen White clearly identifies what the dragon represents. 18:58 In Testimonies to Ministers page 39 she says this: 19:02 "Kings and rulers and governors... " 19:05 Well, they're civil powers, right? 19:07 "Kings and rulers and governors have placed upon themselves 19:12 the brand of antichrist 19:14 and are represented as the dragon 19:17 who goes to make war with the saints 19:20 with those who keep the commandments of God 19:22 and who have the faith of Jesus. " 19:26 So what is presented specifically by the dragon 19:29 according to Testimonies to Ministers and also 19:32 what we've noticed in Revelation chapter 12 19:35 and Ezekiel 29? 19:37 Kings, rulers, and what? Kings, rulers, and governors. 19:42 Now let me pursue this from another angle. 19:45 Go with me to Revelation chapter 19:19-21. 19:50 Revelation 19 verses 19 through 21. 19:53 I want you to notice that even though Revelation 12 and 13 19:56 presents the trilogy as the dragon, the beast, 19:58 and the false prophets 20:00 Revelation chapter 19 presents it somewhat differently. 20:05 Notice what we find beginning in verse 19: 20:09 "And I saw the beast... " There's one... 20:14 "and the kings of the earth... " two... 20:17 "and their armies gather together to make war 20:20 against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. 20:23 Then the beast was captured and with him... " The what? 20:27 "the false prophet who worked signs in his presence 20:30 by which he deceived those who receive the mark of the beast 20:33 and those who worship his image. " 20:35 What are the three powers that are mentioned here 20:37 in Revelation 19? 20:39 The kings, the beast, and who? 20:43 And the false prophet. 20:44 So what does the dragon represent? 20:46 The dragon represents the kings of the earth. 20:49 Of course, in the very next chapter you have the dragon 20:51 behind the dragon... 20:53 because an angel descends from heaven and binds the dragon 20:57 to the earth - the one who is behind the kings of the earth, 21:00 the one who is behind the civil powers of the world. 21:03 So we know that the dragon rep- resents the kings of the earth. 21:06 Let me ask you: do you think the kings of the earth are 21:09 going to be wimpish at the end of time just like Ahab was? 21:13 Just like Herod was? 21:16 Just like the kings during the Middle Ages were? 21:19 Absolutely! 21:21 They will be manipulated by the beast 21:25 and they will be manipulated by the false prophet. 21:28 Now let's turn to talk about the identity of the beast. 21:31 We know that the dragon rep- resents the kings of the earth. 21:34 What does the beast represent? 21:36 Go with me to Revelation chapter 13 21:39 and verses 1 and 2. 21:40 This is speaking about the Roman Catholic papacy 21:43 during the 1,260 years. 21:47 And you notice here that it says in Revelation 13:1-2 21:51 "Then I stood on the sand of the sea 21:53 and I saw a beast rising up out of the sea 21:56 having 7 heads and 10 horns 21:58 and on its horns 10 crowns 22:01 and on its heads a blasphemous name. 22:04 Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard. 22:06 Its feet were like the feet of a bear and its mouth 22:09 like the mouth of a lion... " And now notice: 22:11 "The dragon... " which in Revelation chapter 12 represents 22:15 the civil power of Rome because Rome was the dragon 22:17 that tried to kill the Child. It says: "The dragon... " 22:20 which is Satan working through Rome... 22:22 "gave the beast his... " What? 22:25 "his power, his throne, and great authority. " 22:29 And let me ask you: how long did the beast rule 22:32 after the dragon game him his power? 22:35 Time, times, and dividing of time. 22:38 3-1/2 years... just like in the days of who? 22:42 Just like in the days of Elijah. 22:46 In other words, the beast represents the same thing 22:49 as Jezebel. 22:52 The beast represents the power that uses the kings of the earth 22:58 to accomplish its purpose. 23:00 Now listen carefully to what I'm going to say. 23:02 In Revelation chapter 13 this power is called the beast 23:07 but in Revelation chapter 17 a different name is given 23:10 to this power. In Revelation 13 the beast rules 23:15 for time, times, dividing of time: 23:17 1,260 years during the Middle Ages. 23:20 But in the end time - which is a picture of Revelation 17- 23:23 a different symbol is used. 23:26 In Revelation 17 the beast is called the harlot 23:31 who fornicates with the kings of the earth. 23:34 Are you catching the picture? 23:36 The beast uses the kings of the earth during the 1,260 years. 23:40 The harlot in the end time 23:42 influences the kings of the earth by committing fornication 23:47 with them. Is that true of what happened with Elijah 23:50 in the Old Testament? Yes. 23:53 Is it true of the New Testament Elijah? Is there a harlot? 23:56 Yes. Is it true of the church of the Middle Ages? 23:59 Absolutely! 24:01 And so the beast represents the Roman Catholic papacy. 24:07 Go with me to Revelation chapter 17 and verses 1 and 5 24:11 so that you see the final fulfillment of who is 24:15 represented by the beast. 24:16 It says there in Revelation 17 verse 1: 24:19 "Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls 24:22 came and talked with me saying to me: 24:24 'Come, I will show you the judgment of... " Whom? 24:27 "of the great harlot who sits on many waters. " 24:30 And then verse 5 says: 24:32 "And on her head a name was written: 24:34 MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE... " What? 24:38 "THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. " 24:43 So she's called the mother and she's called the harlot. 24:46 What would be her specific proper name? 24:49 Even though it's not used in Revelation 17 24:52 her name would be what? Jezebel. 24:55 Exactly. Jezebel. The beast is the same as Jezebel. 25:00 Now you notice that she sits on many waters. 25:02 Did Jezebel have God's people under control, 25:06 under deception, in the Old Testament? 25:08 Yes! But notice that this now is universalized. 25:11 Not only is it Israel... her dominion is global. 25:15 It says in chapter 17 and verse 15 25:18 what "sitting on the waters " means. 25:21 It says there: "Then he said to me: 25:23 'The waters which you saw where the harlot sits 25:26 are... ' What? 'are peoples, multitudes, 25:29 nations and tongues. ' " 25:31 Is this end-time Jezebel a literal person? 25:34 No! It is a global apostate religious system. 25:39 A woman in prophecy represents a church. 25:41 An apostate woman or a harlot woman represents an apostate 25:46 church. She sits on many waters 25:48 which means that she controls the nations, peoples, multitudes 25:52 and tongues. She is a world-wide system. 25:55 Let me ask you: does she have a track record 25:58 of killing those who don't agree with her? 26:01 Absolutely. 26:03 Let's read two texts. 26:04 Revelation chapter 17 and verse 6. 26:07 Revelation chapter 17 and verse 6: the same character 26:10 as Jezebel, folks. Revelation 17:6 says: 26:13 "I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints 26:16 and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. 26:18 And when I saw her I marveled with great amazement. " 26:22 And then Revelation 18 and verse 24 26:24 repeats the same thought all over again. 26:26 It says: "And in her was found the blood 26:30 of prophets and saints and of all who were slain 26:34 on the earth. " Well, you have this relationship: 26:38 the harlot uses the kings whom she fornicates with 26:43 to slay the saints of the Most High. 26:46 Just like the beast did during the 1,260 years 26:49 she persecuted the saints of the Most High 26:52 and tried to destroy them. 26:56 But we have a third power that's mentioned here in the 26:59 book of Revelation, and that is the false prophet. 27:04 That false prophet is found in Revelation 13 and verse 11. 27:09 You see, in chapter 13 of Revelation we have two beasts. 27:12 The first beast is the papacy that rules 1,260 years 27:17 and has the same characteristics as Jezebel had. 27:21 But we notice that from this system were born also 27:25 children. They are called in Revelation 13 the false prophet. 27:31 Notice Revelation 13 and verse 11: 27:34 "Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth. 27:38 And he had two horns like a lamb 27:41 and spoke like a... " What? "and spoke like a dragon. " 27:45 Whose will does the false prophet do? 27:49 The false prophet does the will of the beast. 27:53 You say: "How do we know that? " 27:54 Because the rest of Revelation 13:11-18 27:58 says that this beast that rises from the earth... 28:01 it leads everyone to worship the first beast. 28:06 It raises up an image to and in favor of the first beast. 28:12 It imposes the mark of the first beast 28:15 and it does everything in the presence of the first beast. 28:20 In other words, this second beast does everything to help 28:25 the first beast who uses the kings of the earth 28:29 to accomplish its purposes. 28:31 Does this sound similar to what happened in the days of Elijah? 28:34 The false prophets taking orders from Jezebel 28:38 who influenced and used the king to accomplish her purposes. 28:42 Now in Revelation 17 this third group of individuals 28:48 is not called the false prophet. 28:51 A different name is given in Revelation 17 28:54 to this third enemy of Elijah. 28:57 You see, in Revelation chapter 13 this trilogy 29:01 is called the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet. 29:06 In Revelation chapter 17 29:08 it's the kings, the harlot, and the harlot's daughters. 29:14 Did Jezebel have false prophets? Yes. 29:18 Let me ask you: is there a daughter involved 29:21 in the story of the New Testament Elijah? 29:24 Absolutely. 29:25 Now notice Revelation chapter 17 and verse 5. 29:29 Speaking about the harlot which is the same as the beast 29:33 it says: "And on her forehead 29:35 a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, 29:40 THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE... " What? 29:43 "AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. " 29:48 Have you ever known a mother who doesn't have children? 29:54 I've known women who don't have children 29:58 but I've never known a mother who does not have children. 30:00 In other words, the harlot has daughters 30:04 that do her bidding just like Salome did the bidding 30:08 of Herodias. And so you have this trilogy. 30:11 You have the kings of the earth dominated by the harlot 30:15 and the daughters helping the mother in advancing her agenda. 30:21 Now it's interesting to notice what Ellen White has to say 30:24 in Great Controversy 382 and 383. 30:27 She says: "Babylon is said to be the mother of harlots. 30:32 By her daughters must be symbolized churches 30:36 that cling to her doctrines and traditions 30:39 and follow her example of sacrificing the truth 30:42 and the approval of God in order to form an unlawful 30:46 alliance with the world. 30:48 The message of Revelation 14 announcing the fall of Babylon 30:52 must apply to religious bodies that were once pure 30:55 and have become corrupt. " 30:57 Is that true of Israel in the Old Testament? 31:00 Is the message of Elijah to a people who have gone astray? 31:03 To people who claim to serve God? 31:05 Absolutely. Ellen White is absolutely correct. 31:07 So she says: "The message of Revelation 14 31:10 announcing the fall of Babylon must apply to religious bodies 31:13 that were once pure and have become corrupt. 31:16 Since this message follows the warning of the judgment 31:20 it must be given in the last days. 31:22 Therefore it cannot refer to the Roman church alone 31:26 for that church has been in a fallen condition 31:29 for many centuries. " 31:32 In our first presentation I read you a couple of statements 31:35 from John XXIII who was the pope during Vatican Council II 31:40 and Paul VI where they referred 31:43 to the Protestant churches as their children 31:47 and requesting that their children come back 31:52 to the mother... to the mother church. 31:55 Interesting... interesting terminology. 31:59 Now let me ask you: does this harlot give wine to the nations? 32:03 Do you know what the wine represents in scripture? 32:06 Wine represents false doctrines. 32:09 It represents false teachings. 32:11 And when the false teachings are given it makes people drunk. 32:14 They can't think straight and therefore they're deceived. 32:18 We are told in Revelation chapter 14 and verse 8 32:21 "And another angel followed saying: 'Babylon is fallen, 32:25 is fallen. That great city because she has made all nations 32:28 drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. ' " 32:33 We are also told in Revelation that this harlot 32:37 as well as her daughters are involved in the occult. 32:42 It says in Revelation 18:23: 32:45 "The light of a lamp shall not shine in you any more... " 32:48 speaking about Babylon... "and the voice of the bridegroom 32:50 and bride shall not be heard in you any more 32:53 for your merchants with the great men of the earth... " 32:55 Now listen to this: 32:57 "for by your sorcery all the nations were deceived. " 33:02 You know there is this movement that has taken root 33:05 in Protestantism and in many Adventist churches as well 33:10 that is called contemplative prayer. 33:13 You know, this is a refined type of spiritualism. 33:17 See, the devil knows that Adventists are not going to 33:19 believe very easily that their dead mother 33:22 would appear to them because Adventists know 33:25 that the living know that they will die but the dead 33:27 know nothing. And so the devil says: 33:29 "I can't approach it that way. What I need to do 33:32 is lead them to believe that they need to experience 33:35 the silence, they need to empty their minds of all thought 33:39 so that they can experience quietness and peace 33:42 and then they can hear God's voice. " 33:44 The problem is when your mind is empty 33:47 you might hear another voice. 33:52 Do you know where contemplative prayer and other spiritualistic 33:56 things come from? Actually, the individual who 33:58 popularized this and brought it in was St. Ignatius Loyola, 34:02 the founder of the Jesuit Order 34:04 with its spiritual exercises. 34:07 And most of those founders who established this method 34:11 of spiritual formation and contemplative prayer 34:15 are Roman Catholic priests. 34:19 And certain Protestant leaders have embraced this method 34:25 of prayer. God does not want us to empty our minds. 34:29 God wants us to fill our minds with scripture. 34:33 And so, folks, we have this trilogy 34:36 in the book of Revelation. 34:38 We have the dragon which rep- resents the kings of the earth. 34:42 We have the beast, which is the same as the harlot, 34:46 which represents the apostate Roman church. 34:50 And we have the false prophet 34:52 which is the same as the daughters 34:54 which represents the Protestant denominations 34:58 that were born from the papacy 35:00 that have embraced many of her teachings and doctrines 35:02 such as the idea of the immortality of the soul, 35:05 an eternally-burning hell, 35:07 the idea that Sunday is the day that we're supposed to keep. 35:11 All these things have been imbibed by Protestantism 35:14 from the mother... from the papacy. 35:17 Now let's talk about the mission and message of the 35:20 end-time Elijah in the light of what we've talked about 35:23 regarding the three enemies. 35:26 Malachi chapter 4 verses 5 and 6 once again says: 35:29 "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet 35:32 before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. 35:35 And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children 35:38 and the hearts of the children to their fathers 35:40 lest I come and strike the earth with a curse. " 35:43 Let me ask you: to whom does this message of Elijah go 35:47 at the end of time? 35:48 Is it primarily to the secular, unchurched, atheistic people 35:53 of the world? No! 35:55 This message has always been given to an apostate church! 36:00 Elijah gave it to an apostate church. 36:03 In the New Testament Elijah, John the Baptist, gave it 36:07 to an apostate church. During the 1,260 years 36:10 the message was given to the apostate church. 36:13 Of course, at the end time it's not given to the 36:15 apostate church... is it? 36:18 Of course it is. 36:20 You cannot suddenly... You say that the end-time 36:22 message is for the secular people in the world. 36:24 No... God is calling His people back. 36:27 Notice Revelation chapter 18 verse 4 36:29 where God speaks to His people. 36:33 And notice: Babylon is full of God's people. 36:35 It says: "And I heard another voice from heaven saying 36:37 'Come out of her... ' And then what does it say? 36:41 'My people. ' " 36:43 Who is the message given to? 36:45 God's people where? In Babylon. 36:48 And Babylon has three parts as we've studied. 36:51 So God says: "Come out of her My people 36:54 lest you share in her sins 36:56 and lest you receive her plagues. " 36:59 Is it the role of the end time Elijah to restore the true 37:03 gospel of Jesus Christ? 37:05 Do you know where the Elijah message is found? 37:07 In Revelation chapter 14 verses 6 through 12. 37:11 That is the reason for the existence 37:13 of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. 37:16 If we do not preach the three angels' messages 37:19 to the church and to the world we have no reason to exist. 37:23 Because this is the unique special message that God has 37:27 given to the Seventh-day Adventist Church 37:29 for this particular time in human history. 37:32 And it's God's last message to the world 37:34 because as soon as the third angel proclaims his message 37:37 Jesus is seen seated on a cloud with a sickle in His hand. 37:42 The three angels' messages mature the world 37:45 either on God's side or on Satan's side 37:48 because people reject the message. 37:51 Notice that the end-time Elijah will restore the everlasting 37:53 gospel. Revelation 14 verse 6: 37:56 "Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven 37:59 having... " What? "the everlasting gospel 38:02 to preach to those who dwell on the earth, 38:04 to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people. " 38:06 Will the end-time Elijah restore true worship to the Creator? 38:10 Yes! Did Elijah do that? 38:12 Absolutely! Verse 7 continues saying: 38:16 "Saying with a loud voice: 'Fear God and give glory to Him 38:20 for the hour of His judgment has come. 38:23 And worship Him who made heaven and earth, 38:26 the sea and... ' What? 'and the springs of water. ' " 38:30 The end-time message brings the attention of people back 38:33 to the Creator. 38:37 Must the Sabbath be involved? 38:40 Why do we worship the Creator? 38:44 Well because He made us! 38:45 And did God give us a sign that He's the Creator? 38:49 Absolutely! The sign is the Sabbath. 38:53 You can't separate worship from the Sabbath. 38:56 That's why Isaiah 66 tell us in verses 22 and 23 39:00 that when everything is restored 39:03 all flesh shall come to worship the Lord 39:06 from Sabbath to Sabbath. 39:09 And we're told in Psalm 95 and verse 6 39:12 "Come let us worship. Let us bow down 39:16 before the Lord our Maker. " 39:19 And so the end-time people of God - the end-time Elijah - 39:23 will attract attention to the true Creator, 39:26 will attract attention to God's holy Sabbath. 39:30 Incidentally, do you know where the Christian church 39:34 got the observance of the sun day from? 39:39 They got it from the paganism of the Roman Empire 39:44 in the days of Constantine the Great. 39:48 The only difference between the Old Testament 39:52 and the end of time is that in the Old Testament 39:56 people were worshiping the literal sun 39:59 whereas at the end of time people will be worshiping 40:02 on the day of the sun which came in from paganism 40:07 because pagans worshiped the sun. 40:09 And some people say: "Pastor, it's not the same thing 40:11 to worship the sun as it is to worship on the day of the sun. " 40:15 And I sustain that it is. 40:18 Let me explain why. 40:20 Let me ask you: who created the sun? 40:23 God. Did He create it for worship? 40:27 No. So what happens if you make it an item of worship? 40:31 What is that called? Idolatry. 40:34 Let me ask you: who created the first day of the week? 40:36 God. Did He create it for worship? 40:38 No... it's a work day, it's a secular day. 40:40 So what happens if you make it a day of worship? 40:43 What is that? It's idolatry! 40:45 It doesn't matter if it's an object or a day. 40:48 Anything that man makes for worship 40:52 that God has not established for worship 40:54 is what? Is idolatry. 40:56 Do you remember that in the days of Elijah the people were 40:59 claiming to serve God but they were also serving Baal 41:01 the sun god? 41:02 And Elijah had to say: "Why do you limp between 41:05 two opinions? " The Christian world claims 41:08 to serve the true God. 41:09 but they're keeping the day that came in from paganism! 41:13 The day of the sun that came into the Christian church. 41:17 In other words, they're keeping a day 41:20 that is steeped in paganism, a day that was established 41:23 by human tradition for worship 41:25 which God did not establish for worship. 41:28 The end-time remnant will attract attention to the Creator 41:31 and His genuine day of worship which exalts the Lord God. 41:37 Will God's end-time people exalt the commandments of God 41:41 just like Elijah did? 41:43 Revelation chapter 14 verse 12. 41:45 You don't even have to look this one up. 41:46 It says: "Here is the patience of the saints. 41:49 Here are those who... " What? 41:50 "who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. " 41:54 Are you seeing that all of the element of the Elijah message 41:57 of the Old Testament are present in Revelation chapter 14? 42:00 And then, of course, I want you to notice that 42:02 God's people will also rebuke the fornication. 42:05 Did Elijah rebuke the fornication of the king 42:08 with Jezebel? Did John the Baptist do the same? 42:11 Did they gain the wrath because of that? Absolutely! 42:15 Revelation 14 verse 8 is the second angel's message. 42:18 It says: "And another angel followed saying: 42:20 "Babylon is fallen! Is fallen! 42:21 That great city... because she has made all nations 42:24 drink of the wine of the wrath of her... " What? 42:27 "of her fornication. " 42:29 And who does the harlot fornicate with? 42:32 She fornicates with the kings. 42:33 She's involved with the political powers of the world 42:36 just like in the days of Elijah. 42:38 Notice Revelation chapter 17 and verses 1 and 2. 42:41 "Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls 42:44 came and talked with me saying to me: 42:46 'Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot 42:49 who sits on many waters. ' 42:51 Now notice this: 42:52 'with whom the kings of the earth committed... ' What? 42:55 'fornication. ' " In the Old Testament it was one king. 42:58 In the days of John the Baptist it was one king. 43:01 At the end of time we have the world's kings... 43:06 the kings of the earth and the whole world. 43:08 In other words, the message becomes universal. 43:10 And so it says in verse 2: "with whom the kings of the 43:13 earth committed fornication and the inhabitants of the earth 43:16 were made drunk with the wine of her fornication. " 43:23 Let me ask you: is the message of the end-time Elijah 43:26 a message that will divide the world into two groups? 43:29 It's a judgment message. 43:32 Those who accept the message will receive the seal of God 43:37 and those who reject the message 43:40 will receive the mark of the beast. 43:42 Did the message of Elijah on Mt. Carmel 43:45 divide those who were listening into two clear groups? 43:50 Absolutely! 43:51 It was a judgment-hour message. 43:55 Now you look at the world today and say: "Wow, 43:59 the three angels' messages has not caused a very big 44:02 impact in the world. 44:04 We are just winning a trickling of people. " 44:07 And many times we win them 44:09 and they never even know about the three angels' messages. 44:12 But that's going to change. 44:15 You see, the message of Elijah 44:17 for a long time and even till the moment that he got to 44:20 Mt. Carmel "the people answered him not a word. " 44:24 People remained neutral. 44:26 But then the fire came from heaven. 44:28 Is there fire coming from heaven? 44:31 Absolutely! Notice Revelation chapter 18. 44:34 Here we have a global Mt. Carmel 44:37 when the fire fell from heaven 44:39 and joined the loud cry of Elijah 44:41 and the people were convicted. 44:43 It says in Revelation 18 verses 1 through 6: 44:46 "After these things I saw another angel coming down 44:48 from heaven having great authority, and the earth was 44:52 illumined with his glory. " 44:53 Notice in the Old Testament Mt. Carmel and the surrounding 44:56 regions were illuminated but here it says the whole earth 44:59 is illuminated with his glory. 45:01 "And he cried mightily with a loud voice saying: 45:04 'Babylon the Great is fallen! Is fallen 45:06 and has become a dwelling place of demons, 45:09 a prison of every foul spirit, 45:10 and a cage for every unclean and hated bird. 45:13 For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath 45:16 of her fornication. 45:17 The kings of the earth have committed fornication 45:20 with her and the merchants of the earth have become rich 45:22 through the abundance of her luxury. ' " 45:24 And then God says because Babylon has fallen 45:26 this is a message for the world under the loud cry, 45:29 the power of the Latter Rain. 45:31 God says: "And I heard another voice from heaven saying: 45:34 'Come out of her My people 45:38 lest you share in her sins 45:40 and lest you receive her plagues. 45:41 For her sins have reached to heaven and God has remembered 45:45 her iniquity. ' " And folks, when this happens, 45:48 when God's people are totally committed to this message, 45:51 they are totally committed to the Lord 45:53 and we're not concerned about our retirement, about saving 45:56 for a rainy day and all these things, 45:59 when we commit everything we have and everything we are 46:01 to finishing God's work and we consecrate our 46:04 lives to the Lord, the devil will wake up from his slumber. 46:09 The devil says: "I'll catch up on my sleep while they're 46:11 sleeping. " Ellen White describes 46:15 what's going to happen when this loud cry is given. 46:18 In Great Controversy she says: "Notwithstanding 46:21 the widespread declension of faith and piety 46:24 there are true followers of Christ in these churches. " 46:27 She's talking about the churches of Babylon: 46:29 the Roman Catholic church and Protestant churches. 46:32 In fact, most of God's people, she says, 46:35 are in those organizations. 46:37 She continues saying: "Before the final visitation 46:40 of God's judgments upon the earth 46:41 there will be... " And I'm longing for this day... 46:43 "there will be among the people of the Lord such a revival 46:47 of primitive godliness as has not been witnessed 46:50 since apostolic times. " 46:52 This is what our president, Ted Wilson, has been talking about 46:55 night and day. Revival and Reformation: 46:59 that's what we need. The devil doesn't have much to oppose! 47:03 Maybe that's too strong... 47:05 but I don't think so. 47:07 She continues saying: 47:10 "The spirit and power of God will be poured out upon 47:12 His children. " That's the fire that comes from heaven. 47:16 "At that time many will separate themselves from those churches 47:19 in which the love of this world has supplanted 47:22 love for God and His Word. 47:24 Many both of ministers and people will gladly accept 47:28 those great truths... " Notice: it's not just the truths 47:30 that everybody is preaching. 47:32 "those great truths which God has caused to proclaim 47:35 at THIS TIME. " That's what Ellen White calls present truth. 47:38 "at THIS TIME... " Notice: "to prepare a people 47:41 for the Lord's second coming. " 47:43 Was that what Elijah did? 47:44 Absolutely. For the first coming. 47:46 "The enemy of souls... " Now notice, the devil knows 47:49 this is coming, so it says: "The enemy of souls 47:52 desires to hinder this work 47:54 and before the time for such a movement shall come 47:57 he will endeavor to prevent it by introducing a counterfeit. " 48:01 I believe we're seeing that counterfeit today... 48:03 even in many Adventist churches. 48:05 She continues saying: 48:07 "In those churches which he can bring under his deceptive power 48:10 he will make it appear that God's special blessing 48:14 is poured out. There will be manifest what is thought to be 48:18 great religious interest. 48:20 Multitudes will exalt that God is working marvelously for them 48:24 when the work is that of another spirit. 48:27 Under a religious guise Satan will seek to extend 48:31 his influence over the Christian world. " 48:38 Isn't that amazing? 48:42 You see, folks, in the Old Testament God did not allow 48:45 the false prophets to bring fire from heaven 48:49 but in Revelation the counterfeit will be so great 48:52 that the false prophet WILL make fire fall from heaven 48:55 in the sight of men. 48:57 And he will do that right before God's people do their work 49:02 for the Lord. 49:04 Let me ask you: are there going to be calamities 49:08 in the world just like in the days of Elijah? 49:11 Will God's people be blamed because of the calamities? 49:13 Now we need to go to Matthew chapter 24 49:16 which is speaking about the same period of the Middle Ages. 49:21 It's speaking about the period of the Middle Ages 49:23 as well as what's going to happen at the end of time. 49:26 The same time period as what we've been discussing. 49:29 Matthew chapter 24 verses 6 through 9. 49:32 "And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. 49:34 See that you are not troubled for all these things 49:37 must come to pass but the end is not yet. 49:39 For nation will rise against nation 49:41 and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, 49:44 pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 49:47 All these are the beginning of sorrows. " 49:50 Now listen carefully: we've always read this 49:51 in evangelism to show that all the disasters that 49:54 are taking place in the world are signs that Jesus is coming 49:56 soon... But we don't go to verse 9 50:00 where it tells us WHY these things happen. 50:03 Why the devil causes these things. 50:06 Verse 9 says: "Then... " There's the connection. 50:09 "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation 50:12 and kill you and you will be hated by all nations 50:16 for My name's sake. " 50:18 What is the purpose for the devil causing all of these... 50:21 all of these disasters and all of these problems 50:23 in society? Because he wants to blame God's people 50:27 and he wants God's people to be hated. 50:30 Ellen White amplifies this in Great Controversy. 50:33 She connects it with Elijah. 50:36 This is in Great Controversy. She says: 50:38 "It will be clear that men are offending God by the violation 50:42 of the Sunday Sabbath. " 50:43 That's exactly what Jezebel said: 50:45 "Because Baal isn't worshiped. " 50:48 And then she continues saying that "This sin has brought 50:51 calamities which will not cease until Sunday observance 50:54 shall be strictly enforced 50:56 and that those who present the claims of the 4th commandment 51:00 thus destroying reverence for Sunday 51:02 are troublers of the people... " Do you remember that expression? 51:06 "preventing their restoration to divine favor 51:09 and temporal prosperity. 51:11 Thus the accusation urged of old 51:14 against the servant of God will be repeated 51:17 upon grounds equally well established. " 51:21 Now she quotes: "And it came to pass 51:24 when Ahab saw Elijah that Ahab said unto him: 51:27 'Art thou he who troubleth Israel? ' 51:30 And he answered: 'I have not troubled Israel 51:33 but thou and thy father's house in that ye have forsaken 51:36 the commandments of God and thou hast followed Baalim. ' " 51:41 She says: "As the wrath of the people 51:43 shall be excited by false charges 51:46 they will pursue a course towards God's ambassadors 51:50 very similar to that which apostate Israel pursued 51:55 toward Elijah. " 51:57 Interesting. Great Controversy page 590. 52:01 Will God's people have to flee to the wilderness? 52:03 To the desolate places of the earth? 52:06 Notice once again Matthew 24. 52:08 After speaking of all these disasters 52:10 it says in Matthew 24 verse 15: 52:12 "Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation... " 52:15 That's the Sunday law. I don't have time to get into that. 52:17 The Matthew 24 series has been airing on 3ABN. 52:20 You can get more on that. 52:22 "Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation 52:24 spoken by Daniel the prophet 52:26 standing in the holy place, who- ever reads let him understand. 52:29 Then let those who are in Judea... " Do what? 52:32 These are God's faithful people. "flee to the mountains. " 52:35 Just like Elijah had to flee. 52:38 "Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything 52:41 out of his house and let him who is in the field 52:43 not go back to get his clothes. 52:45 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are 52:48 nursing babies in those days. 52:49 And pray that your flight may not be in winter 52:52 or on the Sabbath. " Interesting that Jesus 52:54 would remember the Sabbath in the context of the tribulation. 52:57 And then He says: "For there will be a great tribulation 53:02 such as has not been since the beginning of the world 53:05 until this time... no, nor ever shall be. " 53:09 Will God's people go through that tribulation? 53:11 They will go through that tribulation. 53:13 But will God's people be sustained? 53:15 Will their needs be supplied? 53:18 Notice what we find in Great Controversy page 629. 53:22 Ellen White says: "The people of God will not 53:24 be free from suffering. 53:26 But while persecuted and distressed, 53:29 while they endure privation and suffer 53:32 for want of food, they will not be left to perish. 53:35 That God who cared for Elijah 53:38 will not pass by one of His self-sacrificing children. 53:42 He who numbers the hairs of their head 53:45 will care for them and in time of famine 53:49 they shall be satisfied. 53:51 While the wicked are dying from hunger and pestilence 53:55 angels will shield the righteous and supply their life. " 54:00 Amen. 54:02 Don't be afraid of the tribulation. 54:06 "Yea, though I walk 54:07 through the valley of the shadow of death 54:10 I will fear no evil. " 54:11 Now our time is up. I had a lot more material 54:13 than what I could present this morning, 54:15 but it's interesting to notice 54:16 the end of this three-fold alliance. 54:20 The Bible tells us that the harlot will have a terrible end. 54:28 The Bible also tells us that the false prophet 54:30 will have a terrible end 54:32 as will the kings of the earth. 54:36 And when all is said and done 54:38 the blood of God's people will be avenged. 54:41 It says in Revelation chapter 19 verses 1 and 2: 54:44 "After these things I heard a loud voice of a great 54:46 multitude in heaven... " This is after everything is all over. 54:49 "saying: 'Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and honor 54:53 and power belong to the Lord our God 54:56 for true and righteous are His judgments 54:58 because He has judged the great harlot 55:01 who corrupted the earth with her fornication 55:03 and He has avenged on her the blood of His servants 55:07 shed by her. ' " 55:10 And as this time of trial and tribulation is coming to an end 55:14 then the cloud will appear. 55:16 Remember that Elijah saw a cloud in the distance 55:19 about half the size of a man's hand? 55:21 Great Controversy 640-641: 55:24 "Soon there appears in the east a small black cloud 55:27 about half the size of a man's hand. 55:30 It is the cloud which surrounds the Savior 55:32 and which seems in the distance to be shrouded in darkness. 55:35 The people of God know this to be the sign of the Son of Man. 55:40 In solemn silence they gaze upon it 55:43 as it draws nearer the earth 55:45 becoming lighter and more glorious 55:48 until it is a great white cloud, 55:50 its base a glory like consuming fire 55:53 and above it the rainbow of the covenant 55:56 Jesus rides forth as mighty conqueror. " 56:01 And by the way, do you know that this is a chariot 56:04 that's coming to take God's people home? 56:06 Let me just read you one closing statement. 56:09 It's found in Great Controversy page 645. 56:12 It says, speaking about the chariot that's coming 56:15 to take people home: "On each side of the cloudy chariot 56:18 are wings and beneath it are living wheels. " 56:22 The wheels are the angels, by the way. 56:24 "And as the chariot rolls upwards 56:26 the wheels cry 'Holy! ' 56:30 and the wings as they move cry 'Holy! ' 56:35 And the retinue of angels cry 'Holy! Holy! Holy! 56:40 Lord God Almighty. ' 56:42 And the redeemed shout 'Hallelujah! ' 56:44 as the chariot moves onward toward the New Jerusalem. " 56:49 Amen! 56:50 That's what we are looking forward to. 56:53 Wouldn't it be nice to not have any more Camp Meetings at 3ABN? 56:58 And by the way, we need to support 3ABN. 57:02 This is God's channel. 57:05 And they didn't ask me to promote the channel, 57:08 but it's one of the most important outlets of the 57:11 Adventist message that we have. Amen! 57:13 So folks, Jesus is coming soon. 57:16 Will we wake up from our slumber, 57:19 consecrate our lives to the Lord, 57:21 and be that Elijah that God wants us to be? 57:27 I pray to God that that will happen. |
Revised 2014-12-17