Participants: Pr. Stephen Bohr
Series Code: 24ELD
Program Code: 24ELD000004
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00:35 Shall we bow our heads for prayer?
00:36 Father in heaven, what a joy it is to come into your presence, 00:41 to open the pages of Your holy book, and to hear Your voice 00:45 speaking to us through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. 00:49 We ask, Father, that as we open Your Word that reverent hands 00:53 might handle it in a way that we can understand what Your will 00:58 is, and what You want us to understand. 01:01 We thank You for the privilege of coming before Your throne 01:04 in prayer. We know that You have heard us, 01:07 because we ask it in the precious name of Jesus. Amen. 01:11 Well, in our study today we are going to take a look at the 01:18 identity of the twenty-four elders. 01:20 Now the first part of this we studied last time, 01:25 so we need to do a little bit of review. 01:27 I see some new people here today. 01:29 Praise the Lord! We're very glad to have you. 01:32 Now some of the things that I'm going to say are going to appear 01:36 a little bit strange for those who weren't here for the first 01:40 presentation on the twenty-four elders. 01:42 However, bear with me, and as we go along things will become 01:48 clearer and clearer, reviewing from last time. 01:52 You remember that at creation the morning stars, 01:56 and the sons of God shouted for joy. 01:59 This tell us that the sons of God, and the morning stars 02:02 existed before the creation of this world. 02:05 Now we also noticed that in Job chapter 2, as well as in chapter 02:11 1, we find these sons of God coming to a meeting in heaven 02:18 in the presence of God. 02:19 And we notice that these sons of God that are spoken of in Job 1 02:24 and 2, actually are the representatives of the worlds 02:29 that never sinned. In other words, there are many, 02:33 many worlds in God's universe that are filled with living 02:37 creatures, with individuals who have never committed sin. 02:42 They're absolutely holy and righteous. 02:44 And each one of these worlds has a representative in the heavenly 02:50 council. We also noticed in our study that Ellen White 02:55 identifies the twenty-four elders as strong angels. 03:00 In another place she calls them the highest angels. 03:04 Now we noticed in our study that in Job, chapter 1, 03:08 and also chapter 2, Satan came to this heavenly meeting among 03:14 the sons of God. And the question is, what was Satan 03:18 doing there among the sons of God in the heavenly council 03:22 when he was such a discordant note there? 03:27 The answer is that the original representative of planet Earth 03:32 was Adam. But as we know, the devil conquered Adam. 03:37 And when the devil was able to overcome him, the devil stole 03:41 his throne, and stole his position, and Satan became the 03:46 representative of planet Earth. 03:48 That's the reason why in Job 1 and 2, Satan went among the sons 03:53 of God, that is all of the representatives of the worlds; 03:56 Satan went representing planet Earth. 04:00 Now we also talked about God's original plan 04:05 for the human race. 04:07 We noticed that the creation of man and woman was a new 04:13 and distinct order of creation by God. 04:17 We noticed that it was God's purpose that the human race 04:23 reproduce, multiply. And the purpose of multiplying was 04:28 that a holy race would take the places of Satan and his angels 04:34 that fell from heaven. 04:35 In other words, those who would reproduce on planet Earth would 04:41 actually repopulate heaven, which had been depleted 04:45 by the fall of Satan and his angels. 04:47 We also noticed that God's plan was that human beings, 04:52 once they passed the test and the trial, would become equal 04:56 to the angels. And we proved that from scripture; 04:59 from Luke chapter 20. 05:01 Do you remember when Jesus was talking with the Sadducees 05:04 about the resurrection? 05:05 There's a clear passage that Jesus clearly teaches 05:09 what I've shared. 05:10 Now in our study today we want to begin by talking about 05:16 the original representative from planet Earth. 05:20 And, of course, that original representative of planet Earth 05:23 before sin was none less than Adam. 05:27 Now we're going to notice several characteristics 05:29 about Adam when he was created by God. 05:31 First of all, and this is very obvious, but I want to prove 05:36 very point from scripture, and from the Spirit of Prophecy. 05:38 Adam was a created being. 05:42 He was created by God. 05:45 Notice Genesis, chapter 1, and verses 26 and 27. 05:49 Let's not take anything for granted. 05:51 Genesis 1: 26, 27. 06:24 So I think its very clear that man was originally created 06:30 by God. And it took place after God had created the heavenly 06:35 intelligences because they sang at creation. 06:38 Now Ellen White confirms this idea that Adam was created 06:44 by God. I don't think that I need to read any quotations from 06:48 her writings. Patriarchs and Prophets, the second chapter 06:52 makes this absolutely clear. 06:54 So Adam was created by God. 06:57 The second point that I want us to notice about Adam is that 07:01 Adam, when he was created, was called the son of God. 07:06 In Luke, chapter 3, and verse 38, we have the conclusion 07:11 of the genealogy of Christ. 07:13 And the genealogy ends in Luke 3, verse 38, by saying, 07:20 The son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, 07:26 the son of God. 07:28 So you notice that Adam is called the son of God; 07:33 not by procreation but by creation. 07:37 Now Ellen White confirms this idea that Adam, when he was 07:41 created, he was called the son of God, because God created him. 07:46 In Patriarchs and Prophets, page 45, we find the following 07:50 statement about Adam being the son of God. She says: 08:22 So clearly the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy tell us 08:25 that Adam was created by God, also that Adam, 08:29 when he was created, was called the son of God. 08:33 Now another interesting detail about Adam, 08:36 the original representative from planet Earth in the heavenly 08:40 council. We are told that he was crowned at creation as king 08:46 over this Earth. Notice Psalm 8, and verses 3 through 8. 08:52 Psalm 8 and verses 3 through 8. 08:54 Here the psalmist says: 09:12 Notice that's speaking about the creation of Adam. 09:16 And now notice this: 09:22 Was man crowned at the very beginning? Absolutely! 09:26 Now, every king has a realm of dominion. 09:30 What was the realm of dominion of this king, Adam, 09:33 who was crowned at creation? 09:35 It continues saying: 09:40 That means rulership. 09:46 An expression that means you have placed him to rule 09:49 over everything. And then it explains: 10:01 Now in the Old Testament when this expression is used, 10:04 beasts of the field, birds of the air, and fish of the sea. 10:08 That means everything relating to planet Earth: 10:10 heaven, dry land, and seas. 10:13 In other words, Adam was crowned and he was placed as king over 10:19 this planet, and everything relating to the planet. 10:23 Ellen White confirms what we just read from Psalm 8. 10:27 In Review and Herald, February 24, 1874, she makes this 10:32 remarkable statement: 11:00 So notice, Adam was crowned, he was created, 11:04 he was called the son of God, and he was crowned as king, 11:09 and he was placed to have dominion over this planet. 11:13 Now another detail that I want us to notice about Adam is that 11:18 Adam and Eve had a particular type of clothing 11:22 that covered them at creation. 11:24 Now you say, what do you mean, clothing? 11:26 The Bible says that they were naked. 11:28 Well, let's take a closer look at this. 11:30 In Genesis, chapter 2, and verse 25, the Bible tells us 11:34 that Adam and Eve were naked. 11:36 But what the text is really saying is that they were naked 11:41 with regards to artificial human garments made out of human 11:46 materials. Actually, the Bible tells us that they were covered 11:51 with garments of light, such as God and the angels wear. 11:56 Let me read you a statement that we find in 11:59 Patriarchs and Prophets, page 45, where Ellen White describes 12:02 the covering of Adam and Eve. 12:04 This is what she says: 12:18 That's an important detail. 12:19 So the garments of Adam and Eve were the same garments that are 12:23 worn by whom? By the angels. 12:25 Remember that. That's important. 12:27 So once again, she says: 12:43 Incidentally, do you know that this is the same garment 12:47 that covers God? Do you know that garments that God wears 12:50 are also white garments of light? 12:53 Notice Psalm 104 where we find this clearly revealed 12:57 in scripture. Psalm 104, and we want to read verses 1 and 2. 13:03 It says there: 13:25 In fact, if you read Daniel 7, and verse 9, that speaks about 13:29 the beginning of the judgment in heaven, we are told that the 13:33 Ancient of Days was clothed in white garments. 13:38 Those garments are garments of light. 13:40 In fact the Bible tells us that God dwells in light 13:43 unapproachable; we're told in the New Testament. 13:46 Incidentally, the true church in Revelation, chapter 12, 13:51 and verse 1, the pure, righteous church is represented as a woman 13:57 who is clothed with the sun. 13:59 You see, the clothing is clothing of light. 14:02 And light is white. 14:05 So we notice then that Adam and Eve were covered with a robe 14:10 of white garments of light. 14:12 Now another detail that I want us to notice about Adam, 14:16 and we're talking about Adam particularly because he was the 14:19 head and representative of the race. 14:21 I want to read you several statements where 14:25 the Spirit of Prophecy tells us that Adam was the original 14:29 father, head, and representative of the human race; 14:34 of the entire human family. 14:35 In other words, he represented planet Earth as the king 14:40 of this realm. Patriarchs and Prophets, page 48, we might just 14:45 read one now because time flies by. It says there: 15:09 What was Adam? He was the head and representative of the whole 15:14 human family. Don't forget that because that's a very important 15:17 detail for what we're going to talk about a little bit later 15:20 on. Do you know that the Bible also corroborates this idea 15:24 that is expressed in Patriarchs and Prophets, page 48? 15:28 Even though God created Adam and Eve, and Eve sinned first, 15:34 the Bible tells us that God held Adam accountable for sin. 15:39 And the Bible tells us that Jesus is the second Adam. 15:44 He is not the second Eve. 15:45 In other words, Adam was placed as the head, 15:49 and the representative of the human race. 15:51 This has a lot to say also about the women's ordination debate 15:55 that's going on now in many churches in Christendom. 16:00 So I want you to notice then all of these details that we've 16:04 studied about Adam, because we are going to come back to them 16:07 a little bit later on. 16:09 Now let's transition to Revelation, chapter 4, 16:12 and chapter 5, and let's study a few more details about the 16:19 beings that were present there in the scene of Revelation 4, 16:23 and Revelation 5. Now this will be review, because we studied 16:26 this last time. If you remember Revelation 4, 16:30 the heavenly throne room is being prepared for the return 16:34 of Jesus to heaven upon His ascension. 16:38 And you remember that present there, preparing to receive 16:42 Jesus at His ascension, were several beings. 16:46 First of all there was the Father, 16:48 who was sitting on the throne. 16:49 Secondly the seven Spirits were before the throne, 16:53 representing the fullness of the Holy Spirit. 16:56 In the third place we notice that there were four living 16:59 creatures in the midst of the throne that represent seraphim. 17:03 And finally we notice that surrounding the throne were 17:07 twenty-four elders. Those were the beings that were present 17:11 in Revelation, chapter 4. 17:12 But in Revelation 4 there were also certain beings that were 17:16 absent. In Revelation 4 the angelic hosts were not there. 17:21 Also Jesus Christ was not there, in Revelation, chapter 4. 17:27 In other words, as we look at Revelation 4 we say, 17:30 Where was Jesus, and where was the heavenly hosts of angels? 17:35 Well, the fact is that when you get to Revelation 5 17:39 Jesus actually arrives in heaven. 17:42 And He arrives with all of the hosts of angels, as we studied. 17:47 And then Jesus and the angelic hosts join the scene in heaven 17:51 and, of course, Jesus goes into the presence of His Father 17:55 to make sure that His sacrifice had been accepted by His Father. 17:59 Now let's talk about the twenty- four elders that were around 18:05 the throne before Jesus arrived, and also after Jesus arrived. 18:12 We've already noticed that the sons of God, according to the 18:17 Spirit of Prophecy, are angels. 18:20 The representatives of the worlds are angels. 18:24 Now I know that that surprised a lot of people last time. 18:27 But allow me to read you that statement from 18:29 The Great Controversy once again, page 518, 18:33 about the sons of God, because the twenty-four elders really 18:37 are the sons of God. 18:38 They are the representatives of the world's that never sinned. 18:41 Notice what she says. 18:43 The Great Controversy, 518. 19:08 Did you notice that in the book of Job it says that the 19:11 sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord? 19:15 Ellen White says that on a certain occasion the angels 19:19 of God came to present themselves before the Lord. 19:22 Interesting! So, in other words, the sons of God are to be 19:27 related to the angels in some way. 19:31 But let me make something clear. 19:32 The sons of God are not members of the common angelic hosts. 19:39 They are distinguished from the common hosts of ten thousand 19:44 times ten thousand, and thousands of angels. 19:47 You say, How do we know that? 19:48 Let's go to Revelation, chapter 5, and verses 11 and 12. 19:52 Revelation 5: 11, 12. I want you to notice that these sons of God 19:57 or these angels, as Ellen White identifies them, are actually 20:01 distinguished from the tremendous hosts of millions 20:05 and millions of angels. 20:07 They're not part of the general angelic hosts. 20:10 Notice Revelation 5, verse 11. 20:19 Now listen carefully. 20:25 Question, are the many angels distinguished from the elders? 20:28 Yes, they are! Once again: 20:53 So, the question is, are the elders different than the 20:57 angelic hosts? Yes, they are. 20:59 But are they angels? Yes, they are angels. 21:03 We noticed that Ellen White identifies them as strong angels 21:08 and as the highest angels. 21:11 Now let's look at the characteristics 21:14 of the twenty-four elders, so that we can specify a little bit 21:18 more, and understand a little bit better what we're studying. 21:21 Let's go to Revelation, chapter 4, and verse 4, and notice 21:25 several characteristics about the twenty-four elders. 21:28 It says there in Revelation, chapter 4, and verse 4: 21:38 A better translation is thrones. 21:40 And upon the seats or thrones... 21:46 What position were they in? 21:49 Sitting! Clothed in what? 21:57 What? Crowns of gold. 22:00 Interesting. So you have these beings, the twenty-four elders. 22:04 They're sitting on thrones. 22:06 They're clothed in white garments. 22:09 And they have crowns of gold on their heads. 22:13 And, incidentally, they are also created beings, 22:18 according to Revelation, chapter 4, and verses 10 and 11. 22:22 Now some people have assumed that these characteristics 22:25 disqualify the twenty-four elders from being angels, 22:30 because they say, Well, you know, in the book of Revelation 22:33 its the redeemed that are clothed in white. 22:36 Its the redeemed that have crowns. 22:39 And Jesus has a crown. 22:41 But nowhere do you find in the Spirit of Prophecy, 22:45 or in the Bible, the idea that the twenty-four elders actually 22:51 are angels rather than human beings. 22:53 The characteristics would seem to reveal that the twenty-four 22:58 elders are actually human and not angelic. 23:02 Well, hasty conclusions sometimes are risky. 23:07 Allow me, first of all, to read you a statement from Ellen White 23:11 where she describes the twenty- four elders. 23:15 She says in The Desire of Ages, we read this quotation before, 23:20 speaking about those who are present when Jesus 23:23 arrives in heaven. 23:36 So notice she uses three different phrases to describe 23:40 this group. She says, 23:49 And then she says: 23:52 We spoke about this last time. 24:10 Now, can we show from scripture, and from the Spirit of Prophecy, 24:17 that the angels have the characteristics that the 24:20 twenty-four elders have? 24:22 Can we prove that the angels are created beings? 24:25 Can we prove that the angels, at least the twenty-four elders, 24:29 sit on thrones, and they rule? 24:31 Can we prove that they have crowns on their heads, 24:36 and that they are robed in white garments? 24:39 The answer is absolutely yes. 24:42 Go with me to Colossians, chapter 1, verse 16. 24:45 First of all we're going to talk about the angels; 24:47 whether they were created or not. 24:48 It says there in Colossians, chapter 1, and verse 16, 24:53 speaking about Jesus, the Creator. It says: 25:04 Would that include the twenty- four elders? Absolutely! 25:12 Notice the different ranks of rulers. 25:23 Ellen White corroborates this idea in Review and Herald, 25:26 April 5, 1906. She says: 25:39 So are the angels created beings like the twenty-four elders? 25:43 They most certainly are. 25:45 Now you say, Do the angels wear crowns? 25:48 Absolutely! And, you know, one of the arguments that is used 25:52 against the idea that the twenty-four elders could be 25:54 angels, is that the word for crowns that is used here 25:58 for the twenty-four elders, is the Greek word stephanos. 26:02 And theologians say, Well, stephanos means the crown 26:07 of a person who has gained the victory. 26:09 So how can you say that the twenty-four elders are angels? 26:14 They haven't gained the victory. 26:15 They never sinned. So how do we resolve this problem of the word 26:21 stephanos being used for the crowns that the twenty-four 26:24 elders have, and not say that they were victorious over sin? 26:29 Those who assume that the twenty-four elders are those who 26:31 resurrected with Jesus, and Jesus took to heaven, 26:34 they say they had to be human beings because they wear 26:38 the crowns of the victor, the stephanos. 26:40 Are you understanding my point? 26:41 However, even though, usually, the word stephanos is used 26:47 for the crown of a victor, it is not always used in that way 26:51 in scripture. Let me give you a couple of examples. 26:54 Matthew, chapter 27, and verse 29, speaks about the crown that 26:59 was placed on the head of Christ; the crown of thorns. 27:01 It says there in Matthew 27:29, When they had twisted a crown 27:06 of thorns, they put it on His head. 27:09 That word crown there is the word stephanos. 27:13 Do you think that those who were placing this crown on the 27:17 head of Jesus were saying that Jesus was the victor? 27:20 Of course not. They were just saying, Hey, this is the king; 27:24 your king, the king of the Jews. 27:26 It continues saying: 27:38 And so here the word stephanos is used for a king, 27:43 simply a king. Another example we find in Revelation, 27:47 chapter 14, and verse 14. 27:49 The same word stephanos is used; not for a victor, 27:53 but its used for a king. 27:55 Notice Revelation 14, verse 14. 27:57 This is speaking about Jesus sitting on a cloud. It says: 28:01 Then I looked, and we usually apply this to the 28:04 second coming of Christ. 28:16 That's the stephanos. 28:21 So the word stephanos generally refers to the victors crown, 28:26 but not always. Just because stephanos is used for the 28:29 twenty-four elders, does not necessarily mean that they were 28:32 victorious over sin, and that they were human beings. 28:35 Now, do you know that there are many statements from Ellen White 28:39 where she says that the angels use crowns? 28:41 Allow me to read you several of those statements. 28:44 The first one is found in Early Writings, page 148. 28:49 Speaking about mans fall she says: 29:02 Early Writings, page 167, when Jesus was suffering 29:07 in Gethsemane. Ellen White says: 29:18 Early Writings, page 191, speaking about the ascension 29:22 of Christ to heaven. She says: 29:34 Early Writings, pages 279 and 280, speaking about the close 29:38 of probation, she says: 29:56 One final reference, at the second coming of Christ, 29:59 Early Writings, page 286, Ellen White says: 30:13 Are angels created beings? Yes. 30:16 Do angels wear crowns? Yes. 30:19 Now, what kind of garments cover angels? 30:23 Well, let's notice Matthew, chapter 28. 30:27 We won't read it because of the scarcity of time. 30:29 But if you want to read it on your own, you can. 30:31 Matthew 28, verse 3, tells us that the angel that came down 30:35 from heaven to resurrect Christ, his garments were white as snow. 30:38 In Acts, chapter 1, and verse 10, we're told that the two 30:43 angels that came and spoke to the disciples, as Jesus was 30:48 ascending to heaven, were clothed in white garments. 30:51 So do angels wear white garments? 30:53 Don't assume that just because the twenty-four elders wear 30:56 white garments, Oh, the twenty- four elders, 30:57 you know, they can't be angels, they have to be human beings, 31:00 because in Revelation human beings are the ones that 31:02 that are garbed in white. Don't just assume that. 31:05 Early Writings, page 181, Ellen White confirms that the angels 31:09 wear white garments. 31:10 She says, regarding the angel who came to resurrect Christ, 31:14 I quote: 31:20 The Spirit of Prophecy, Volume 3, pages 200 and 201, 31:24 Ellen White is talking about the angels that came to the tomb 31:28 of Jesus. She says: 31:40 In Patriarchs and Prophets, page 45, which we already read, 31:44 Ellen White speaks about the clothing that covered Adam 31:47 and Eve. She says: 31:58 Let me ask you, Are angels also representatives of the worlds 32:04 that never sinned? Yes, Job 1 and 2! 32:08 Ellen White says that those who came to present themselves 32:11 before the Lord were angels. 32:13 So they represent worlds that never sinned. 32:17 Now I want to read you a passage that I read once before. 32:21 This is a long passage from the book, The Desire of Ages, 32:26 actually its the last three pages of The Desire of Ages, 32:30 where Ellen White is simply describing the ascension 32:33 of Christ, and what took place as Jesus was ascending, 32:37 and once Jesus arrived. 32:39 And I must warn you that many times Ellen White does not use 32:43 the Biblical terminology, but she is commenting on things 32:47 in scripture. But she doesn't use the language of scripture, 32:50 because she's actually interpreting the symbols 32:53 of scripture in matter of fact language. 32:55 This passage is found in The Desire of Ages, 833 to 835. 33:01 She says: 33:14 Now we talked about those, right? those who resurrected 33:18 with Jesus? Are they ascending with Christ? 33:21 Yes, that's important! 33:28 Now notice: 33:32 Who are those? The angels. 34:31 Notice, the reason why the angels are not there 34:33 in chapter 4 is because they've gone to pick up Jesus. 34:36 They're ascending to heaven with Christ. She says: 34:48 And now listen. Who's there when Jesus goes in 34:53 to the holy place? She says: 34:58 Do we find that in Revelation, chapter 4? the throne? Yes. 35:04 Did we see that in Revelation 4? Absolutely! 35:11 Now the Bible calls them living creatures. 35:15 Ellen White interprets the living creatures as what? 35:19 cherubim and seraphim. 35:21 We studied this in one of the previous lectures. 35:24 And then she identifies the other group that is there. 35:27 Notice she's identified the throne, the cherubim, 35:31 and the seraphim, which are the four living creatures. 35:33 And now she's going to identify the twenty-four elders. She says 36:03 Question: Are the twenty-four elders those that resurrected 36:06 with Christ, and went to heaven when Jesus went to heaven? 36:09 It can't be because the twenty- four elders, which are angelic 36:14 according to what we identified last time from 36:19 The Great Controversy, and several other statements, 36:21 are already there in Revelation, chapter 4, before Jesus arrives 36:27 in chapter 5. Now she continues saying, But He waves them back. 36:31 That is Jesus waves back the heavenly hosts. 36:33 Not yet. He cannot now receive the coronet of glory in royal 36:38 robe. He enters into the presence of His Father. 36:41 Revelation simply identifies Him as the One who was seated 36:44 on the throne. He's never called the Father. 36:46 Ellen White is interpreting. 36:47 She's saying the One on the throne is the Father. 36:49 There's a rainbow over the throne. 36:51 The four living creatures are cherubim and seraphim. 36:54 And she's saying that the twenty-four elders are the 36:56 commanders of the heavenly hosts. 36:58 They are the sons of God. 36:59 Ah, but there's one more symbol in Revelation, chapter 4, 37:03 and in Revelation, chapter 5. 37:05 Notice what she continues saying: 37:26 How is Jesus presenting Himself? 37:28 Revelation 5, it says that there is in the midst of the throne 37:32 a Lamb as though it had been slain. 37:35 Ellen White does not speak of a lamb. 37:38 She's interpreting what the lamb means. 37:42 It's Jesus who is presenting Himself there. Are you with me? 38:27 We talked about this in our second presentation. 39:00 Notice it doesn't say that Satan will be vanquished. She says: 39:13 Listen carefully. 39:18 Are they two different groups? 39:19 Yes, they're two different groups. 39:28 That is God's people. 39:57 Now she's going to quote Revelation 5, verse 12, 39:59 in case you were wondering whether she was actually dealing 40:02 with Revelation 5. 40:37 Are you understanding who the twenty-four elders are? 40:42 They're angelic, but they're not part of the angelic hosts. 40:46 They are not human. 40:48 Now, when Jesus ascended there was somebody missing there. 40:54 You say, Well, who was missing? 40:57 Do you know who was missing that wasn't present there? 41:01 Satan was not there. 41:05 Who would have normally have been there when the heavenly 41:10 council was gathered together for an event that involved 41:13 planet Earth? Satan would have been there. 41:17 But when you read Revelation 4 and 5, Satan isn't there. 41:20 And the question is, Why wasn't Satan there? 41:24 The Bible makes that clear. 41:25 John, chapter 12, verses 31 to 33. 41:29 This is happening on Palm Sunday just before the death of Christ. 41:33 Jesus was going to die just five days later. 41:35 And I want you to notice what Jesus said about the devil. 41:39 John 12:31-33, Jesus says: 41:51 Interesting! Jesus is saying, Now the ruler of this world... 41:55 Who is the ruler of this world? 41:56 At that time the devil! 42:00 Notice it's future. Now what was going to cast him out? He says: 42:15 So why didn't Satan go representing planet Earth 42:18 before the heavenly council? 42:20 Like he did in the book of Job. 42:21 Like he did in Chronicles, as we studied before? 42:24 Because the Earth now had a new ruler and king, who had defeated 42:31 the one who took the throne from Adam. 42:34 Several years later John, in the book of Revelation, 42:37 is reminiscing about the casting out of Satan. 42:40 Revelation, chapter 12. 42:42 Revelation, chapter 12 and verse 12, 42:46 we find this, (actually verses 10 through 12, 42:49 but you'll only read a portion of that passage. 42:53 This is happening at the cross according to the context. 43:11 Was the devil an accuser of the brethren in the days of Job? 43:14 You better believe he was! 43:15 But now the accuser of the brethren, at the cross, 43:20 was cast down. So the question is, Who then is the new 43:24 representative of planet Earth? 43:27 It is Jesus Christ! 43:29 Let's notice a few details about Christ to see if He fits 43:33 the same description of the elders. 43:35 1 Corinthians, chapter 15, and verse 22. 43:40 1 Corinthians, chapter 15, verse 22. 43:43 Jesus is being compared to the first Adam. 43:46 It says there: 43:57 Two Adams being compared. 43:59 Jesus is the new Adam. 44:00 The last Adam, the second Adam, if you please. 44:03 1 Corinthians, chapter 15, and verse 45. 44:16 One more text: Romans, chapter 5, and verse 18. 44:35 So Jesus is spoken of as Adam; as the last Adam. 44:40 Now, is Jesus called the Son of God? 44:44 He most certainly is! 44:47 Notice Luke, chapter 1, and verse 35. 44:50 Luke, chapter 1, verse 35. 44:52 Not that Jesus wasn't the Son of God before, but when He became 44:56 a man, He became the Son of God in a special sense; 44:59 in the sense of His humanity. 45:01 Notice Luke 1, verse 35. 45:03 This is the annunciation to Mary. 45:21 Was Adam called the son of God? 45:23 Yes! He was a man that came into existence by creation. 45:27 Now Jesus is called the Son of God 45:29 because He's the second Adam. 45:31 He comes into the world not as other human beings come in, 45:35 but as a direct creation of God placing Him in the womb of Mary. 45:40 Ellen White says in Volume 1 of Selected Messages, page 226, 45:45 that when Jesus became incarnate she says: 45:51 That is speaking about Luke 1, verse 35. 46:02 And so Jesus is the last Adam. 46:06 Jesus is the Son of God. 46:09 Let me ask you, Is Jesus also king at present? 46:13 Does He sit on a throne? 46:16 Yes, He does! Go with me to Hebrews chapter 4, 46:19 and verse 16. Hebrews, chapter 4, and verse 16. 46:22 Here we find the Apostle Paul, whom I believe to behind 46:26 the book of Hebrews. 46:37 Now Jesus is king, but He's king of the kingdom of grace. 46:40 Later on He will be king of the kingdom of glory. 46:43 Notice in the book, God's Amazing Grace, page 68, 46:47 Ellen White amplifies what we just read from Hebrews 4. 46:50 She says: 47:02 And so Jesus is the new king, and He has a kingdom, 47:06 and He's crowned with a crown over this realm. 47:09 In Acts of the Apostles, page 38, Ellen White makes this 47:13 interesting comment about what happened to Jesus when He went 47:17 to heaven, and when He was finally installed 47:20 as our high priest. This is what she says: 47:33 They were to wait for the Holy Spirit. 47:35 She continues saying: 47:38 We just read in The Desire of Ages about that. Notice this: 47:46 What happened with Jesus? 47:48 He was what? enthroned. 47:50 So He must have become a what? a king. 47:54 She continues saying: 48:19 Now listen to this: 48:34 Question: Was Jesus the new head and representative 48:39 of the human race? 48:41 I'm just going to give you this reference for you to read 48:45 because time is of the essence. 48:47 If you go to Psalm 8, verses 3 to 5, that we already read 48:51 before; remember that it speaks about Adam being crowned with 48:54 glory and splendor, and being given dominion? 48:57 Clearly the context of Psalm 8; its talking about the 49:00 creation of Adam. But the interesting detail is that the 49:04 same passage from Psalm 8 is quoted in Hebrews 2, 49:08 verses 5 through 9. But in Hebrews 2, 5 through 9, 49:12 that passage that is applied to Adam in Psalm 8 is applied to 49:16 Jesus Christ in the book of Hebrews, which means that Jesus 49:21 is the new Adam, created to occupy the position of Adam, 49:25 to redeem the position that man lost at the beginning. 49:28 Allow me to read you, also, some statements from Ellen White. 49:31 Isn't it amazing how Ellen White is so much in harmony 49:34 with scripture? Listen to this: 49:36 Signs of the Times, June 11, 1894. She says: 50:03 Now listen. 50:09 Here's another one: Signs of the Times, January 16, 1896. 50:13 She says: 50:30 Let's read a couple more. 50:31 Manuscript 126, 1901. She says: 50:53 And one final one: The Gospel Herald, March 1, 1901. She says: 51:06 So in whose place is Jesus standing now? 51:09 In the place that originally was given to whom? 51:12 To Adam and was taken away from whom? 51:14 From the devil. She says: 51:29 Now we need to answer one final question before we bring this 51:33 to a close. Have you understood what we've studied? 51:36 It's amazing how, when you've studied scripture, 51:39 and you've studied the Spirit of Prophecy together, 51:41 how everything becomes clear. 51:42 I want to end with one question. 51:44 Will Adam ever be placed on the throne that he lost again? 51:48 I want to read you a thrilling passage that is found 51:52 in the book, The Great Controversy, page 647. 51:56 If this doesn't make your skin tingle nothing will. 52:00 Listen to what she says. 52:02 She's speaking about when the two Adams meet 52:04 eventually in heaven. She says: 53:26 You can imagine! People saying, Oh, we're in this mess because 53:30 of you! If you hadn't sinned we wouldn't be in this mess! 53:34 She continues saying... 53:36 By the way, those were my inspiration. 53:37 She continues saying: 53:57 Now listen to this: 54:10 Is Adam going to occupy the throne again? 54:13 Yes, he is going to occupy the throne again. 54:17 And it's all because Jesus had to come down and fight against 54:22 the tempter. Against he who took the throne from Adam. 54:26 He had to take the throne from the devil so that He could give 54:30 it back to Adam, and to all of those who accept Jesus Christ 54:34 as Savior and Lord. 54:35 I don't know, folks, about you, but its comforting to me 54:39 to know that that old accuser, who always was going to heaven 54:44 to accuse God's people, to give them a black eye, 54:48 to make them look bad, has been cast down. 54:51 And now planet Earth is represented by Jesus Christ. 54:56 The Bible tells us that we have an advocate with the Father, 55:01 Jesus Christ the righteous. 55:04 Its comforting, I'm sure, for the heavenly intelligences also, 55:08 that they don't have to put up with the rants, and ravings 55:11 of this foe of God. 55:13 But, you know, the conflict in this world continues, 55:17 doesn't it? You know, right after that text that I read in 55:21 Revelation, chapter 12, where it says the accuser of our 55:25 brethren has been cast down, it says, Rejoice ye heavens, 55:29 and ye who dwell in them. 55:30 Notice, ye heavens, and ye who dwell in them. 55:33 You're talking about not only one world, this world, 55:36 you're talking about heavens, and all those who dwell in them; 55:39 In all of the heavens! 55:41 Ah, but then the tone changes, because He goes on to say, 55:46 Whoa! Notice, rejoice heaven! 55:49 The past is gone, but woe to the the inhabitants of the earth, 55:55 and the sea; for the devil has come down to you, 55:58 because he's been cast out right? 56:00 The devil has come down to you having great wrath 56:04 because he knows that his time is short. 56:09 So folks, the twenty-four elders play a very important function 56:14 in the universe. God has a representative 56:19 style of government. 56:20 And the worlds of the universe have their representatives 56:23 in the heavenly council. 56:25 God knows everything. 56:27 God could dictate everything. 56:29 God could do everything. 56:30 But God cares about what His creatures think. 56:35 And God involves them in His administration of the universe. 56:42 What a wonderful God we have! 56:44 Now we have some technical matters that we have to deal 56:46 with yet. And this will be in our next lecture. 56:49 Now, Pastor, wait a minute! 56:51 Doesn't Revelation 5, 9 and 10, tell us that the twenty-four 56:56 elders were redeemed from the Earth, and that they shall reign 57:00 upon the Earth? How can you say then that the twenty-four elders 57:04 are angels? If it says there clearly that the twenty-four 57:09 elders were redeemed from the earth, and they shall reign 57:14 upon the earth? Is it perhaps that the translation 57:19 that we find in the King James Version is not the proper 57:23 and correct translation? 57:24 In our next study together we will deal with some technical 57:28 matters that are very important to define in this study 57:31 that we are going through. |
Revised 2014-12-17