Shall we bow our heads for prayer? 00:00:30.33\00:00:31.69 What a wonderful day this has been, O Loving Heavenly Father. 00:00:31.73\00:00:37.43 And now we have the opportunity of culminating, 00:00:37.47\00:00:42.00 reaching the climax of this day through the study 00:00:42.04\00:00:45.71 of Your Holy Word. 00:00:45.74\00:00:47.38 And the subject that we're going to study today is extremely 00:00:47.41\00:00:50.68 solemn and important. 00:00:50.71\00:00:52.08 And we know that we can't understand it without the aid 00:00:52.11\00:00:55.35 of your Holy Spirit. 00:00:55.38\00:00:56.72 So we ask, Father, that through the administration 00:00:56.75\00:00:59.39 of Your Spirit, You will come to be with us in this place. 00:00:59.42\00:01:03.29 You will also be with all of those who are watching this 00:01:03.32\00:01:07.43 program on the different channels on television. 00:01:07.46\00:01:10.93 I ask, Lord, that through Your Spirit, You will speak clearly 00:01:10.97\00:01:14.87 and distinctly to each heart. 00:01:14.90\00:01:16.67 And we thank You for hearing our prayer, 00:01:16.71\00:01:18.67 for we ask it in Jesus' name, Amen. 00:01:18.71\00:01:22.14 I'd like to begin by reading the verses that we've been studying 00:01:22.18\00:01:26.98 in the last several sessions: Revelation 14:6, 7. 00:01:27.02\00:01:33.02 This is the third imperative in the first angel's message 00:02:05.89\00:02:10.73 that we're going to take a look at in our study today. 00:02:10.76\00:02:13.09 The first imperative is: fear God. 00:02:13.13\00:02:16.40 The second imperative is: give glory to Him. 00:02:16.43\00:02:19.83 And the third, of course, is worship Him who made the heaven, 00:02:19.87\00:02:24.77 earth, the sea, and the springs of water. 00:02:24.81\00:02:28.38 Now the first thing that we want to ask is who was this Creator 00:02:28.41\00:02:33.92 that is mentioned in the first angel's message? 00:02:33.95\00:02:36.48 Well, go with me to Colossians 1 and we'll read verses 15-17. 00:02:36.52\00:02:43.09 Colossians 1:15-17. 00:02:43.12\00:02:47.20 Here it's speaking about Jesus Christ, and notice what it says. 00:02:47.23\00:02:51.37 That is by Jesus. 00:03:02.78\00:03:04.11 ...and for Him. 00:03:23.37\00:03:24.70 Now that expression, in Him all things consist, 00:03:31.14\00:03:35.01 means that He holds creation together. 00:03:35.04\00:03:39.78 In Him all things hold together. 00:03:39.81\00:03:42.88 That's the way that it's translated, 00:03:42.92\00:03:44.52 for example, in the New International Version. 00:03:44.55\00:03:47.92 And so the Bible is very clear that the Creator, 00:03:47.96\00:03:51.79 who is mentioned in the first angel's message, 00:03:51.83\00:03:54.33 was none other than Jesus Christ Himself. 00:03:54.36\00:03:58.13 But now we must ask the question, why does Jesus 00:03:58.17\00:04:03.00 command us to worship Him? 00:04:03.04\00:04:05.11 Notice Psalm 95:6. 00:04:05.14\00:04:09.58 Here is the motivation, or the reason why Jesus calls 00:04:09.61\00:04:14.38 upon us to worship Him. 00:04:14.42\00:04:17.12 It says in Psalm 95:6, 00:04:17.15\00:04:20.22 So the motivation for worship is the fact that He is the Creator, 00:04:30.30\00:04:35.07 and we are His creatures. 00:04:35.10\00:04:38.24 Worship is due from us because we were created by Jesus Christ. 00:04:38.27\00:04:45.01 Let's notice one other verse that speaks about the 00:04:45.05\00:04:48.55 motivation for worship. 00:04:48.58\00:04:50.05 Nehemiah 9:6, Nehemiah 9:6. 00:04:50.09\00:04:56.26 Here Nehemiah, inspired by the Holy Spirit, says: 00:04:56.29\00:05:00.66 Notice the similar idea to Colossians 1. 00:05:19.68\00:05:22.82 He's also the preserver, or the one who holds 00:05:22.85\00:05:25.55 everything together. 00:05:25.59\00:05:26.92 And now notice how verse 6 ends. 00:05:26.96\00:05:29.49 The host of heaven what? 00:05:29.52\00:05:32.53 The host of heaven worships you. 00:05:32.56\00:05:36.30 So what is the motivation for worship? 00:05:36.33\00:05:38.73 The fact that God alone is the Lord, and He made the 00:05:38.77\00:05:44.31 heavens, and everything that is in them. 00:05:44.34\00:05:47.58 Now in order to understand the first angel's message then, 00:05:47.61\00:05:52.55 we have to go back to the story of Creation. 00:05:52.58\00:05:55.98 Because the first angel's message says the reason why 00:05:56.02\00:05:59.35 you're supposed to worship Jesus, or worship God, 00:05:59.39\00:06:02.69 is because He's the Creator. 00:06:02.72\00:06:04.39 So the first angel's message obviously sends us back 00:06:04.43\00:06:08.96 to Genesis, to the story of creation. 00:06:09.00\00:06:11.30 In other words we cannot understand the first angel's 00:06:11.33\00:06:13.84 message without going back to Genesis 1, and also chapter 2. 00:06:13.87\00:06:19.11 So let's go back there to Genesis 1:31 and we'll read 00:06:19.14\00:06:24.85 through chapter 2 and verse 1. 00:06:24.88\00:06:26.25 I want you to notice several interesting details here. 00:06:26.28\00:06:29.48 It says: 00:06:29.52\00:06:39.16 Who specifically? Jesus. 00:06:39.19\00:06:42.16 and indeed it was very good. 00:06:45.83\00:06:49.64 So the evening and the morning were the sixth day. 00:06:49.67\00:06:53.91 I want you to remember that word: finished. 00:06:53.94\00:07:03.95 Let me ask you, what day did Jesus finish 00:07:03.99\00:07:06.82 His work of creation? 00:07:06.86\00:07:08.42 He finished the sixth day. 00:07:08.46\00:07:11.36 The word finished is used. 00:07:11.39\00:07:13.19 Who did all of the work for six days? 00:07:13.23\00:07:15.26 Jesus did all of the work. 00:07:15.30\00:07:17.83 Did human beings do any of the work? 00:07:17.87\00:07:20.44 Did Adam and Eve do any of the work? Absolutely not. 00:07:20.47\00:07:23.81 It says clearly, Then God saw everything that He had made, 00:07:23.84\00:07:28.38 and then it says that He finished the sixth day, 00:07:28.41\00:07:31.75 saw that it was good, and His works were finished. 00:07:31.78\00:07:36.99 But now we need to talk about the day after the sixth day. 00:07:37.02\00:07:40.62 Let's talk about the seventh day. 00:07:40.66\00:07:43.06 Go with me to Genesis 2:2, 3, Genesis 2:2, 3. 00:07:43.09\00:07:50.50 And I want us to notice several interesting things 00:07:50.53\00:07:52.70 in these two verses. 00:07:52.73\00:07:54.20 Now here's my question: Once again this passage tells us that 00:08:21.56\00:08:25.87 who did all of the work? Jesus did all of the work. 00:08:25.90\00:08:30.44 God did all of the work. 00:08:30.47\00:08:32.37 It's repeated time and again. 00:08:32.41\00:08:34.34 It says on the seventh day God ended His work, 00:08:34.38\00:08:36.61 which He had done; He rested. 00:08:36.64\00:08:38.98 Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, 00:08:39.01\00:08:41.05 because in it He rested from all His work, 00:08:41.08\00:08:44.29 which God had created and made. 00:08:44.32\00:08:46.55 In other words, once again it's repeated that the person who 00:08:46.59\00:08:49.92 created everything during the first six days was whom? 00:08:49.96\00:08:53.73 was God, or as we read at the beginning of our presentation, 00:08:53.76\00:08:58.37 Jesus Christ. But now I want you to notice another very 00:08:58.40\00:09:03.20 interesting detail in this passage of Genesis 2:2, 3. 00:09:03.24\00:09:07.38 Let's go, once again, and read the passage, and I'm going to 00:09:07.41\00:09:11.68 underline two key words. 00:09:11.71\00:09:13.85 It says, And on the seventh day God ended His work which 00:09:13.88\00:09:18.39 He had done; and He rested... 00:09:18.42\00:09:21.12 Notice... He rested on the seventh day from all His work 00:09:21.16\00:09:25.49 which He had done. 00:09:25.53\00:09:26.86 And don't miss this next word: Then God blessed the seventh day 00:09:26.90\00:09:33.34 and sanctified it. 00:09:33.37\00:09:34.70 When did God bless and sanctify the seventh day? 00:09:34.74\00:09:37.77 It was after He what? after He rested. 00:09:38.67\00:09:42.71 In other words, what made the Sabbath holy? the fact that God, 00:09:42.74\00:09:47.28 or Jesus, what? rested on the Sabbath. 00:09:47.32\00:09:50.22 And in case you didn't get it from where it says, 00:09:50.25\00:09:53.86 then, after He rested, then God blessed the seventh day 00:09:53.89\00:09:57.53 and sanctified it. 00:09:57.56\00:09:58.89 We're told again, because in it He rested from all His work 00:09:58.93\00:10:04.83 which God had created and made. 00:10:04.87\00:10:07.70 In other words, Jesus did all of the work the first six days, 00:10:07.74\00:10:13.78 and then Jesus rested the seventh day. 00:10:13.81\00:10:17.15 And when the seventh day ended, Jesus blessed the seventh day, 00:10:17.18\00:10:22.05 and He sanctified the seventh day. 00:10:22.08\00:10:25.65 Now we need to ask the question, What did Jesus do 00:10:25.69\00:10:31.99 on the seventh day? 00:10:32.03\00:10:33.53 You know, for a long time I had an enigma in my mind about 00:10:33.56\00:10:40.67 the book of Genesis; particularly 00:10:40.70\00:10:42.84 about the seventh day. 00:10:42.87\00:10:44.91 You know, you read the story of creation, 00:10:44.94\00:10:48.11 and God's rest on the seventh day, and it never says in the 00:10:48.14\00:10:52.75 creation story that Jesus told Adam and Eve 00:10:52.78\00:10:57.49 to keep the Sabbath. 00:10:57.52\00:10:59.15 And I always wondered about that. 00:10:59.19\00:11:01.69 There are other places in the Bible that show that the Sabbath 00:11:01.72\00:11:04.89 originally was made for man. 00:11:04.93\00:11:06.29 Nevertheless, I always wondered why in the Genesis account 00:11:06.33\00:11:10.17 it doesn't say God told Adam and Eve to keep the Sabbath. 00:11:10.20\00:11:14.10 I want you to put that enigma on hold, 00:11:14.14\00:11:17.51 because we're going to come back to it. 00:11:17.54\00:11:19.07 I want to go to another verse now that corroborates the idea 00:11:19.11\00:11:23.04 that we just noted in Genesis, where it says that Jesus rested, 00:11:23.08\00:11:27.25 or God rested, and after He rested the whole day, 00:11:27.28\00:11:31.39 then He blessed and sanctified the day. 00:11:31.42\00:11:33.99 Let's go to the fourth commandment of God's Holy Law. 00:11:34.02\00:11:37.13 And, by the way, the first angel's message is referring, 00:11:37.16\00:11:40.10 with it's language, to Exodus 20, the fourth commandment. 00:11:40.13\00:11:45.83 By the way, what I'm going to read was spoken by God's own 00:11:45.87\00:11:49.97 voice, and it was written by His own finger on tables of stone, 00:11:50.01\00:11:54.34 so we must listen. 00:11:54.38\00:11:55.71 It says in Exodus 20:8, 00:11:55.74\00:11:57.85 Jews. No, it says: 00:12:07.02\00:12:09.89 We're going to notice the reason why. 00:12:12.63\00:12:13.96 Now comes the reason. 00:12:25.24\00:12:26.74 Why are we supposed to work six days and rest the seventh? 00:12:26.78\00:12:31.01 And don't miss this now. 00:12:38.45\00:12:40.46 Or made it holy. 00:12:50.20\00:12:51.53 Is this very clear that God, or Jesus, rested the seventh day, 00:12:51.57\00:12:56.91 and then Jesus blessed the seventh day and made it holy? 00:12:56.94\00:13:01.38 Yes, or no? Absolutely! 00:13:01.41\00:13:04.15 So this first week of the history of the world is what I 00:13:04.18\00:13:09.02 call God's week, or Jesus' week. 00:13:09.05\00:13:12.85 You see, it's God's week before it becomes man's week, 00:13:12.89\00:13:17.09 because God is the One who worked six, and God is the One 00:13:17.13\00:13:22.10 who rested on the seventh day. 00:13:22.13\00:13:24.10 In other words, the first week is all about God. 00:13:24.13\00:13:27.10 The first week does not deal primarily with man. 00:13:27.14\00:13:30.77 In other words, God, among other things, created the week 00:13:30.81\00:13:35.08 by working six days, and by resting on the seventh day. 00:13:35.11\00:13:39.48 You know, as I studied this out I discovered the reason why 00:13:39.51\00:13:42.72 God did not command Adam and Eve to keep that 00:13:42.75\00:13:44.89 first Sabbath holy. 00:13:44.92\00:13:46.25 You say, Well, what is the reason? 00:13:46.29\00:13:49.29 Listen folks, we just noted in Scripture that the day did not 00:13:49.32\00:13:54.03 become holy until it was over. 00:13:54.06\00:13:55.90 Jesus didn't make the Sabbath holy until the day ended. 00:13:55.93\00:14:00.74 So how could He tell Adam and Eve when the Sabbath was 00:14:00.77\00:14:04.71 beginning, Keep the Sabbath holy, if it wasn't holy yet? 00:14:04.74\00:14:08.44 Furthermore, how could God tell Adam and Eve, Keep the Sabbath 00:14:08.48\00:14:15.22 and follow My example, if God, or Jesus, had not first 00:14:15.25\00:14:19.89 given the example? 00:14:19.92\00:14:21.26 Furthermore, and this is a very important point, the Sabbath 00:14:21.29\00:14:26.43 that God commanded man to keep was not the first Sabbath of 00:14:26.46\00:14:30.43 human history, but starting with the second 00:14:30.47\00:14:33.13 Sabbath of human history. 00:14:33.17\00:14:34.54 And you say, How is that? 00:14:34.57\00:14:35.90 This might be new to you. 00:14:35.94\00:14:37.47 Even if you're a Seventh-day Adventist 00:14:37.51\00:14:38.84 it might be new to you. 00:14:38.87\00:14:40.21 But it's Biblical, and it's powerful, and it explains why 00:14:40.24\00:14:43.31 God did not command Adam and Eve to keep that first Sabbath, 00:14:43.35\00:14:45.98 but rather the second Sabbath. 00:14:46.01\00:14:47.58 What does the fourth commandment say? 00:14:47.62\00:14:49.28 The fourth commandment makes the Sabbath a creation ordinance, 00:14:49.32\00:14:52.19 because it sends you back to creation. 00:14:52.22\00:14:54.79 It explains that you keep the Sabbath because of creation. 00:14:54.82\00:14:57.43 Now it's very interesting that God says in the fourth 00:14:57.46\00:15:02.66 commandment to man, work six and what? rest on the seventh. 00:15:02.70\00:15:07.90 Now here's my question: when that first Sabbath came, 00:15:07.94\00:15:11.74 had man worked six days? 00:15:11.77\00:15:14.38 He had not worked six days. 00:15:14.41\00:15:16.85 So could he keep the commandment technically that says, 00:15:16.88\00:15:20.45 work six and rest the seventh? No. 00:15:20.48\00:15:23.55 Jesus worked six, He rested the seventh, and then the fourth 00:15:23.59\00:15:27.92 commandment says that He told Adam and Eve, and all of their 00:15:27.96\00:15:30.53 descendents, Now, as you saw Me work six, and rest on the 00:15:30.56\00:15:34.80 seventh, you work six and you rest the next seventh day. 00:15:34.83\00:15:39.03 So after Jesus made the Sabbath holy, after Jesus gave the 00:15:39.07\00:15:42.54 example, then He gives the fourth commandment which says, 00:15:42.57\00:15:46.44 Keep the Sabbath day holy, because now, after I rested, 00:15:46.47\00:15:50.38 the Sabbath is holy. 00:15:50.41\00:15:52.65 So let me ask you, Whose day is the Sabbath? 00:15:52.68\00:15:55.58 The Sabbath is the day of whom? of Jesus before 00:15:55.62\00:16:00.29 it is the day of man. 00:16:00.32\00:16:01.86 The week was created by Jesus, and then the week was given 00:16:01.89\00:16:06.13 to man after it was created by Jesus. 00:16:06.16\00:16:09.30 By the way, Seventh-day Adventists are not the only ones 00:16:09.33\00:16:12.80 that believe that the Sabbath is a creation ordinance. 00:16:12.83\00:16:16.24 Let me read you a statement from an Evangelical scholar. 00:16:16.27\00:16:19.17 His name is Henry Morris. 00:16:19.21\00:16:22.21 I'll be saying a little bit more about him a little bit later. 00:16:22.24\00:16:25.15 Notice what he says. 00:16:25.18\00:16:26.78 This is in the book, Biblical Creationism, page 62. 00:16:26.82\00:16:30.89 What did God do? What did Jesus do when He created the week? 00:16:47.87\00:16:51.67 He established a permanent what? a permanent pattern for man 00:16:51.71\00:16:56.51 to follow the same process, or procedure as God. 00:16:56.54\00:17:00.98 So let me ask you, Did the Sabbath then become a sign 00:17:01.02\00:17:04.79 of God the Creator for man? 00:17:04.82\00:17:07.39 The fourth commandment says, Yes. 00:17:07.42\00:17:09.66 Because the motivation for keeping the Sabbath is 00:17:09.69\00:17:13.03 because of creation. 00:17:13.06\00:17:14.40 So as soon as the first week ended Jesus says to man, 00:17:14.43\00:17:18.53 Now you're going to work six and the next seventh day 00:17:18.57\00:17:21.07 you're going to come, and we're going to keep the Sabbath 00:17:21.10\00:17:23.64 the way you saw Me keep this first Sabbath. 00:17:23.67\00:17:25.81 And in this way, from then on, you are going to remember 00:17:25.84\00:17:29.94 that I am the Creator. 00:17:29.98\00:17:31.31 The Sabbath will be the sign that I am the Creator, 00:17:31.35\00:17:34.62 and you will remember it from then on. 00:17:34.65\00:17:37.29 Incidentally, that's the reason why the fourth commandment 00:17:37.32\00:17:40.69 begins by saying, Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. 00:17:40.72\00:17:45.03 In fact the Bible tells us that the Sabbath is a sign between 00:17:45.06\00:17:48.36 God and His people. 00:17:48.40\00:17:49.73 And I want you to remember this, because we're going to come back 00:17:49.76\00:17:52.00 to it in later lectures. 00:17:52.03\00:17:53.37 Exodus 31:17, Exodus 31:17, God says: 00:17:53.40\00:17:59.34 You say, Well, that was for the children of Israel. 00:18:03.88\00:18:06.25 But do you know that the New Testament says that those 00:18:06.28\00:18:08.95 who are Christ's are Abraham's seed, 00:18:08.98\00:18:11.02 and heirs according to the promise? 00:18:11.05\00:18:12.75 You can read it in Galatians 3:29. 00:18:12.79\00:18:15.59 If you are Christ's, you're Abraham's seed. 00:18:15.62\00:18:17.56 If you are Christ's you are Israel, and so it says: 00:18:17.59\00:18:20.70 And then it says, He says why it's a sign, notice: 00:18:24.73\00:18:29.37 That is because. 00:18:30.11\00:18:31.44 So let me ask you, Was the Sabbath a creation institution? 00:18:41.62\00:18:44.95 It most certainly was a creation institution. 00:18:44.99\00:18:48.19 It pre-dates the Jews. 00:18:48.22\00:18:50.46 It has nothing to do, in its original intention, 00:18:50.49\00:18:54.16 with redemption at the cross, because the Sabbath was created 00:18:54.20\00:18:57.97 in a perfect world. 00:18:58.00\00:18:59.33 It has nothing to do with redemption, with the cross 00:18:59.37\00:19:01.67 in its original intention. 00:19:01.70\00:19:03.10 Later it takes on a secondary function. 00:19:03.14\00:19:05.84 But from the beginning it points towards creation. 00:19:05.87\00:19:09.04 So the first angel's message, when it tells us to worship 00:19:09.08\00:19:11.98 the Creator, it's sending us back to Genesis. 00:19:12.01\00:19:14.65 And we notice that the sign of the Creator is the observance 00:19:14.68\00:19:18.12 of the seventh day Sabbath. 00:19:18.15\00:19:19.49 Now allow me to read you a few other statements, 00:19:19.52\00:19:21.42 amazing statements from Henry Morris, 00:19:21.46\00:19:23.59 who is an Evangelical scholar. 00:19:23.63\00:19:25.13 By the way, he passed away in 2006. 00:19:25.16\00:19:28.63 He was a staunch defender of a six day, literal creation. 00:19:28.66\00:19:32.83 And he was the founder of the Institution for Creation 00:19:32.87\00:19:35.47 Research in San Diego, California. 00:19:35.50\00:19:37.67 Notice what he says: Biblical Creationism, pages 61, 62. 00:19:37.71\00:19:41.41 That is by the fourth commandment. 00:19:49.82\00:19:51.72 He says the Sabbath was not instituted by the 00:19:51.75\00:19:53.46 fourth commandment. 00:19:53.49\00:19:54.82 On page 251 he says this: 00:20:10.31\00:20:13.54 In another quotation, page 253, of the book, 00:20:37.80\00:20:41.97 Biblical Creationism, he says: 00:20:42.00\00:20:44.14 Those are amazing statements from an Evangelical scholar 00:21:16.20\00:21:20.28 who's saying that the Sabbath is a creation institution, 00:21:20.31\00:21:23.41 and it was kept by the human race long before the existence 00:21:23.45\00:21:27.22 of Moses, or the existence of the ten commandments. 00:21:27.25\00:21:30.25 But now we need to move forward. 00:21:30.29\00:21:33.02 Let's talk about the exodus of Israel from Egypt. 00:21:33.05\00:21:36.46 Do you remember the sign that God gave to mark the 00:21:36.49\00:21:39.29 exodus from Egypt? 00:21:39.33\00:21:40.86 It was the Passover, right? 00:21:40.90\00:21:42.40 Let me ask you, Who was it that delivered Israel from bondage 00:21:42.43\00:21:46.90 in Egypt, and established the institution of the Passover? 00:21:46.94\00:21:50.21 Go with me to Exodus 3:13, 14. 00:21:50.24\00:21:54.41 This is happening at the burning bush. 00:21:54.44\00:21:56.11 There's a majestic being that comes to speak with Moses. 00:21:56.14\00:22:01.42 I want you to notice the terminology that is used. 00:22:01.45\00:22:04.55 Who was it that appeared in the burning bush? 00:22:32.61\00:22:35.18 What was His name? 00:22:35.22\00:22:36.55 His name was I AM, and He says I have been sent to deliver 00:22:36.58\00:22:41.02 Israel from Egypt. 00:22:41.06\00:22:42.39 Now if you read Exodus 20:1, which is the preamble 00:22:42.42\00:22:46.53 to the ten commandments, it says there, 00:22:46.56\00:22:49.43 I AM the Lord your God, who took you out of the land of Egypt, 00:22:49.46\00:22:53.94 out of the house of bondage. 00:22:53.97\00:22:55.74 Let me ask you, Was the giver of the ten commandments the same 00:22:55.77\00:22:58.21 one who appeared in the burning bush? 00:22:58.24\00:22:59.64 Yes, because at the burning bush He says, 00:22:59.67\00:23:01.51 I am going to deliver you. 00:23:01.54\00:23:02.88 When the ten commandments are given He says, I am the One 00:23:02.91\00:23:07.02 who delivered you. 00:23:07.05\00:23:08.38 Now the question is, Who was this that appeared in 00:23:08.42\00:23:10.29 the burning bush who said, I am going to deliver you, 00:23:10.32\00:23:12.42 and also gave the ten commandments? 00:23:12.45\00:23:15.16 Let's go to John 8:58, 59, John 8:58, 59. 00:23:15.19\00:23:21.66 Jesus is entertaining a conversation with the Jews. 00:23:21.70\00:23:24.33 Notice what it says here. 00:23:24.37\00:23:26.74 What was Jesus claiming when He said, before Abraham was, I AM? 00:23:36.48\00:23:41.92 He was saying, I was the One who appeared where? 00:23:41.95\00:23:45.55 in the burning bush. 00:23:45.59\00:23:47.09 Did the Jews know that He was claiming that? 00:23:47.12\00:23:48.96 You'd better believe it. 00:23:48.99\00:23:50.36 Notice verse 59. It says there in verse 59: 00:23:50.39\00:23:53.76 Let me ask you then, Who delivered Israel from Egypt? 00:24:03.04\00:24:06.27 Jesus. Who was the One who gave the ten commandments? Jesus. 00:24:06.31\00:24:11.75 Who was the One who created this world, worked six days, 00:24:11.78\00:24:15.88 and rested on the seventh, and by His rest He made the Sabbath 00:24:15.92\00:24:19.35 holy, and then gave it to man along with the week? 00:24:19.39\00:24:22.29 Who was it? It was Jesus Christ. 00:24:22.32\00:24:24.39 So the Sabbath belongs to Jesus. 00:24:24.43\00:24:26.76 The Deliverer of Israel was Jesus. 00:24:26.80\00:24:29.80 In other words, the Creator is also the Redeemer of Israel. 00:24:29.83\00:24:34.24 Let me ask you, Was that the same person who came to deliver 00:24:34.27\00:24:38.24 the human race from bondage? 00:24:38.27\00:24:39.61 Go with me to John 1:1-3 and then we'll read verse 14. 00:24:39.64\00:24:45.55 This is one of the ones that's not on your list, but you know 00:24:45.58\00:24:48.78 it so well that probably you don't even have to look it up. 00:24:48.82\00:24:51.29 John 1:1-3, 14. In the beginning was the Word, 00:24:51.32\00:24:56.29 and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 00:24:56.32\00:25:01.16 He was in the beginning with God. 00:25:01.20\00:25:04.43 Who is this? Who is the Word? Jesus. 00:25:04.47\00:25:10.61 Now notice: All things were made through Him; 00:25:10.64\00:25:14.38 and without Him nothing was made that was made. 00:25:14.41\00:25:18.58 Was Jesus the Creator? Yes, He was. 00:25:18.61\00:25:21.55 Was He also the Redeemer? 00:25:21.58\00:25:24.09 Notice verse 14. And the Word became flesh, 00:25:24.12\00:25:28.69 and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, 00:25:28.72\00:25:32.99 the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) 00:25:33.03\00:25:35.83 full of grace and truth. 00:25:35.86\00:25:38.37 Was Jesus the fulfillment of the Passover lamb? Absolutely. 00:25:38.40\00:25:43.30 And so you have an unbroken chain of creation, redemption of 00:25:43.34\00:25:49.61 Israel, and the Redeemer of the human race being whom? 00:25:49.64\00:25:53.65 being Jesus Christ. 00:25:53.68\00:25:56.25 Now if you examine the story of the Bible, you'll find that the 00:25:56.28\00:26:00.36 Passover lamb needed to have two characteristics. 00:26:00.39\00:26:03.59 First of all the Passover lamb had to be perfect, 00:26:03.63\00:26:07.40 and without blemish. 00:26:07.43\00:26:08.76 And then when it was determined that the lamb was perfect, 00:26:08.80\00:26:13.23 and without blemish, the lamb was then sacrificed. 00:26:13.27\00:26:19.01 Let me ask you, What did this represent? the perfect, 00:26:19.04\00:26:22.41 unblemished lamb? 00:26:22.44\00:26:23.81 It represented the perfect life of Jesus Christ 00:26:23.85\00:26:27.65 that He lived on this earth. 00:26:27.68\00:26:29.68 And what did the death of the lamb represent? 00:26:29.72\00:26:32.52 The death of the lamb represented the death of Jesus 00:26:32.55\00:26:35.89 bearing our sins on the cross. 00:26:35.92\00:26:38.83 In other words, the Passover had a much greater dimension 00:26:38.86\00:26:42.96 to it than just sacrificing a lamb, and eating bitter herbs, 00:26:43.00\00:26:47.04 and partaking of unleavened bread. 00:26:47.07\00:26:49.57 The sign that Jesus gave to Israel was fulfilled in Himself 00:26:49.60\00:26:54.34 when He came to this world. 00:26:54.38\00:26:55.94 Now we need to ask the question, What day and hour did Jesus die 00:26:55.98\00:27:03.05 as the Passover lamb? 00:27:03.08\00:27:04.59 Go with me to Matthew 27:46, 47. 00:27:04.62\00:27:08.76 We're going to notice something very interesting here. 00:27:08.79\00:27:10.43 And don't you go to sleep on me, because this is going to get 00:27:10.46\00:27:13.29 very interesting, and very good. 00:27:13.33\00:27:14.93 Matthew 27:46, 47. 00:27:14.96\00:27:17.60 We're going to look at the last three sayings 00:27:17.63\00:27:19.83 of Jesus on the cross. It says: 00:27:19.87\00:27:22.14 Notice, it wasn't the ninth hour, it's about the ninth hour. 00:27:24.81\00:27:27.94 It's about the ninth hour. 00:27:38.12\00:27:39.45 It's not the ninth hour yet, because He still has 00:27:39.49\00:27:41.49 some things to say. John 19:30. 00:27:41.52\00:27:45.09 But when you go to Luke you discover that He said something 00:27:56.71\00:27:59.84 after He said, It is finished. 00:27:59.87\00:28:01.44 In Luke 23:46 it says: And when Jesus had cried out with a loud 00:28:01.48\00:28:06.55 voice... That's when He says, It is finished. 00:28:06.58\00:28:08.32 He said, Father, into Your hands I commend My spirit. 00:28:08.35\00:28:13.42 Having said this, He breathed His last. 00:28:13.46\00:28:16.66 Let me ask you, What hour of the day do you think that Jesus 00:28:16.69\00:28:20.36 breathed His last after saying, It is finished; Father into Your 00:28:20.40\00:28:24.00 hands I commend My spirit? exactly at the what hour? 00:28:24.03\00:28:29.40 at the ninth hour. 00:28:29.44\00:28:31.14 And you say, Well, Pastor, what is the ninth hour? 00:28:31.17\00:28:33.74 Well, let's go to Exodus 12:6, Exodus 12:6. 00:28:33.78\00:28:39.38 We're still dealing with the Sabbath. 00:28:39.41\00:28:40.75 We'll come back to the Sabbath, but we need 00:28:40.78\00:28:42.12 some background here. 00:28:42.15\00:28:43.49 Exodus 12:6. It's speaking about the observance of the Passover, 00:28:43.52\00:28:47.76 and it says this: Now you shall keep it until the fourteenth 00:28:47.79\00:28:52.86 day of the same month. 00:28:52.89\00:28:54.33 Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall 00:28:54.36\00:29:00.94 kill it. That is kill the Passover lamb when? at twilight. 00:29:00.97\00:29:06.01 In Hebrew it literally says, between the two evenings. 00:29:06.04\00:29:12.68 You say, So the Jews had two evenings? Absolutely! 00:29:12.71\00:29:16.89 You say, What were the two evenings? 00:29:16.92\00:29:19.05 The first evening is when the sun reaches the meridian 00:29:19.09\00:29:22.46 and it starts its downward course. 00:29:22.49\00:29:25.13 And, by the way, I know that scientifically 00:29:25.16\00:29:26.49 the sun doesn't move. 00:29:26.53\00:29:27.86 But we're speaking in the manner that we usually speak. 00:29:27.90\00:29:30.70 When the sun reaches its summit, and begins its descent, 00:29:30.73\00:29:34.84 that is when the afternoon begins. 00:29:34.87\00:29:38.74 You know, even in Spanish, when we get to the hours of the 00:29:38.77\00:29:42.38 afternoon we say, tarde, right? 00:29:42.41\00:29:46.28 In other words, the first evening is when the sun begins 00:29:46.31\00:29:51.45 setting from the meridian. 00:29:51.49\00:29:53.66 The second evening is when the sun actually sets at sundown. 00:29:53.69\00:30:00.30 Now the question is, What would be between the two evenings? 00:30:00.33\00:30:05.00 Between the two evenings would be the ninth hour, 00:30:05.03\00:30:08.40 or three o'clock, because the ninth hour was three o'clock. 00:30:08.44\00:30:11.74 Third hour was nine o'clock, that's when Jesus was crucified. 00:30:11.77\00:30:15.01 The sixth hour would have been noon, and the ninth hour was at 00:30:15.04\00:30:19.05 three o'clock in the afternoon. 00:30:19.08\00:30:21.48 In other words, Jesus died at the precise moment that the 00:30:21.52\00:30:26.32 Passover lamb was supposed to be what? 00:30:26.35\00:30:29.02 was supposed to be sacrificed. 00:30:29.06\00:30:31.66 Three o'clock on what Christians call Good Friday. 00:30:31.69\00:30:37.30 Now I want to read a passage in Scripture that gives us the 00:30:37.33\00:30:40.84 sequence of days of the passion of Christ. 00:30:40.87\00:30:43.34 I want to show you that Jesus died on Friday; 00:30:43.37\00:30:47.21 He was buried in the tomb and remained in the tomb all day 00:30:47.24\00:30:51.71 Sabbath; and He resurrected on the first day of the week. 00:30:51.75\00:30:54.98 Luke 23:54-56. Here you find the chronological sequence. 00:30:55.02\00:31:01.02 We know that He died at three o'clock in the afternoon. 00:31:01.06\00:31:04.29 Which day? let's notice. 00:31:04.33\00:31:07.40 That day, this is when Jesus was crucified and died. 00:31:07.43\00:31:11.23 So had the Sabbath begun yet? No, it was Friday. Verse 55. 00:31:14.80\00:31:20.21 What did the ladies do outside the tomb? 00:31:35.36\00:31:38.19 They what? they rested. 00:31:38.23\00:31:40.26 Let me ask you, was there an urgency to get the body of Jesus 00:31:40.30\00:31:43.20 off of the cross on Friday? Yes. 00:31:43.23\00:31:46.23 Why was there urgency to get it off the cross? 00:31:46.27\00:31:49.07 because He could not be on the cross on the Sabbath. 00:31:49.10\00:31:52.31 There's a deeper intent than that, 00:31:52.34\00:31:54.38 than the legalism of the Jews. 00:31:54.41\00:31:55.94 You see, when the Sabbath began, Jesus had to be already prepared 00:31:55.98\00:32:00.58 like the Passover lamb after it was killed. 00:32:00.62\00:32:02.45 It had to be prepared, and then later on, probably at sundown, 00:32:02.48\00:32:06.59 than they ate the Passover lamb. 00:32:06.62\00:32:08.42 You see, Jesus died at three o'clock. 00:32:08.46\00:32:10.56 His body needed to be prepared in order to be buried, so that 00:32:10.59\00:32:15.03 His body would rest in the tomb all of the day Sabbath. 00:32:15.06\00:32:20.90 In other words, Jesus did in redemption 00:32:20.94\00:32:24.71 what He did at creation. 00:32:24.74\00:32:26.07 On the cross, on the sixth day He says, It is finished! 00:32:26.11\00:32:32.08 We read the word finished in Genesis, after six days of work. 00:32:32.11\00:32:37.32 Jesus is saying, I have bought back the human race. 00:32:37.35\00:32:40.69 I have paid the price of redemption. 00:32:40.72\00:32:43.39 Then He breathed His last, and He was put in the tomb, 00:32:43.43\00:32:46.86 and He rested in the tomb on Sabbath. 00:32:46.90\00:32:52.60 Now in order to fully understand this, we need to go to 00:32:52.63\00:32:54.90 Exodus 16; the Sabbath in redemption. 00:32:54.94\00:32:59.71 You see, there was a reason why Jesus had to remain in the 00:32:59.74\00:33:04.11 tomb on the Sabbath. 00:33:04.15\00:33:05.48 Exodus 16:19-21. 00:33:05.51\00:33:08.28 In other words, when the manna was picked up any day other than 00:33:14.69\00:33:17.13 Friday for Sabbath, nobody was supposed to save any 00:33:17.16\00:33:19.76 manna for the next day. Verse 20. 00:33:19.79\00:33:22.33 And what happened? 00:33:29.04\00:33:31.34 When they left it any other day, except Friday for Sabbath, 00:33:31.37\00:33:34.28 what happened to the manna? two things: 00:33:34.31\00:33:35.98 Let me ask you, Was this normal bread? No. 00:33:40.52\00:33:44.92 What happens with normal bread if you leave it 00:33:44.95\00:33:46.69 from one day to the next? 00:33:46.72\00:33:48.06 Nothing, really. And even if you leave it a week 00:33:48.09\00:33:52.63 it just gets moldy, but it doesn't breed worms and stink. 00:33:52.66\00:33:56.43 What is it that breeds worms and stinks? 00:33:56.46\00:33:59.33 flesh, decomposing flesh. That's right. 00:33:59.40\00:34:02.20 Now notice what happened when the manna was picked up 00:34:02.24\00:34:05.67 on Friday for the Sabbath. Exodus 16:23, 24. 00:34:05.71\00:34:09.08 ...for the Jews. Let me ask you, why is the Sabbath called 00:34:15.82\00:34:19.65 the Sabbath of the Lord? because the Lord kept it first. 00:34:19.69\00:34:22.49 It's His day. And then He gave it to man. 00:34:22.52\00:34:26.73 God says, It's Mine before it was yours. Notice: 00:34:26.76\00:34:32.10 This is on Friday when they're doing this. 00:34:46.61\00:34:48.72 Now what was God trying to teach through the manna episode? 00:35:01.03\00:35:04.33 Because the manna did not decompose when it was saved 00:35:04.37\00:35:07.47 from Friday to Sabbath. 00:35:07.50\00:35:10.27 Well, we need to know what the manna represents. 00:35:10.31\00:35:12.17 Let's go to John 6:51. 00:35:12.21\00:35:16.18 You see, most commentators have missed this Messianic dimension 00:35:16.21\00:35:19.91 of the story of the manna. 00:35:19.95\00:35:21.28 God is not only trying to teach that we're supposed to keep 00:35:21.32\00:35:24.49 the Sabbath, by the manna episode, He's trying to teach 00:35:24.52\00:35:27.06 that Jesus kept the Sabbath when He died on the cross, 00:35:27.09\00:35:31.89 and He rested in the tomb, and His body saw no corruption. 00:35:31.93\00:35:35.13 Notice, John 6:51. Here Jesus is speaking. 00:35:35.16\00:35:41.60 What does the manna represent? the what of Jesus? 00:35:58.82\00:36:01.79 the flesh of Jesus. 00:36:01.82\00:36:03.93 Well, let me ask you, when Jesus rested in the tomb 00:36:03.96\00:36:07.56 on the Sabbath, did His flesh see any decay or decomposition? 00:36:07.60\00:36:14.14 No, because He was the living manna. 00:36:14.17\00:36:19.14 You see, as the manna, when it was picked up on Friday, 00:36:19.17\00:36:23.75 did not decompose on the Sabbath, Jesus died on Friday, 00:36:23.78\00:36:28.95 and His body did not decompose in the tomb on Sabbath, 00:36:28.98\00:36:34.12 because He was the living manna. 00:36:34.16\00:36:36.49 In fact, notice the prophecy that we find in Psalm 16:8-10. 00:36:36.52\00:36:41.40 This is not just something off the top of my head; 00:36:41.43\00:36:43.87 the Bible teaches it. 00:36:43.90\00:36:45.23 It says in Psalm 16:8-10, this is a Messianic prophecy. 00:36:45.27\00:36:49.07 What happened with the flesh of Jesus? it what? 00:37:04.32\00:37:06.79 it rested in hope. 00:37:06.82\00:37:08.92 Why did it rest in hope? 00:37:08.96\00:37:10.36 I like the New International Version. 00:37:13.90\00:37:15.36 It says: You will not abandon Me to the grave, 00:37:15.40\00:37:17.90 Or decay, as it says in the New International Version. 00:37:21.40\00:37:24.61 What happened when Jesus was put in the tomb? 00:37:24.64\00:37:26.81 His body did not see what? decay. 00:37:26.84\00:37:29.71 What would have happened with the normal body? 00:37:29.74\00:37:31.35 It would have begun the process of what? of decomposition. 00:37:31.38\00:37:35.45 But not the body of Jesus, because He was the living manna. 00:37:35.48\00:37:39.52 In other words, what God was trying to teach was this: 00:37:39.55\00:37:43.02 that when Jesus rested in the tomb on the Sabbath, 00:37:43.06\00:37:46.53 the Sabbath of Exodus 16, His body would see no corruption, 00:37:46.56\00:37:53.27 because He was the living manna. 00:37:53.30\00:37:55.27 The emphasis falls upon the fact that He was going to rest 00:37:55.30\00:37:58.84 on Sabbath from His works of redemption, 00:37:58.87\00:38:01.04 and His flesh would not see corruption. 00:38:01.08\00:38:03.18 In fact, let's notice the fulfillment of this as it's 00:38:03.21\00:38:07.05 given in Acts 2:25-27, 31, Acts 2:25-27. 00:38:07.12\00:38:12.59 Here Psalm 16, that I just read, is quoted. 00:38:12.62\00:38:18.09 This is Peter preaching on the Day of Pentecost. 00:38:32.27\00:38:34.44 What was going to happen with the flesh of Jesus? 00:38:39.05\00:38:41.52 It was going to what? rest in hope. 00:38:41.58\00:38:44.25 Notice: I'm reading from the NIV. 00:38:44.29\00:38:46.86 You will not leave Me in the grave, nor will You allow Your 00:38:46.92\00:38:54.40 Holy One to see decay. 00:38:54.43\00:38:56.80 And then verse 31 explains what was meant by this. 00:38:56.87\00:39:02.94 Seeing what was ahead, He spoke, David spoke of the resurrection 00:39:02.97\00:39:09.04 of the Christ; that He was not abandoned to the grave, 00:39:09.08\00:39:12.98 nor did His body see decay. 00:39:13.01\00:39:16.62 Was God trying to teach that the body of Jesus was going to rest 00:39:16.69\00:39:21.29 in the tomb on Sabbath, and it was not going to decompose? 00:39:21.32\00:39:25.39 Absolutely! So did Jesus do the same after redeeming the human 00:39:25.43\00:39:29.50 race, as what He had done after creating the human race? 00:39:29.53\00:39:33.07 Absolutely! What did He do? 00:39:33.10\00:39:35.10 He rested on the seventh day, the whole seventh day. 00:39:35.14\00:39:39.91 Because He was put in the tomb before the Sabbath began. 00:39:39.94\00:39:42.84 And He remained in the tomb all day Sabbath. 00:39:42.88\00:39:46.45 You know, some Christians say, Well, you know, I prefer Sunday 00:39:46.48\00:39:49.62 because Sunday was a happy day, and the Sabbath was a sad day. 00:39:49.68\00:39:52.79 It's amazing what kind of rational arguments people 00:39:54.29\00:39:56.76 will come up with. 00:39:56.79\00:39:58.13 The fact is that that Sabbath should have never been 00:39:58.16\00:40:00.30 a sad day, because Jesus had told them that He was going 00:40:00.36\00:40:02.96 to go to Jerusalem, and He was going to die, and He was going 00:40:03.00\00:40:04.67 to resurrect the third day. 00:40:04.73\00:40:06.07 If they'd listened to Him, that day would have been a day of 00:40:06.10\00:40:08.20 glorious anticipation. 00:40:08.24\00:40:09.57 They would have understood that Jesus the sixth day said, 00:40:09.60\00:40:11.91 I have finished the work of redemption. 00:40:11.94\00:40:13.88 They would have said, No, He's resting in the tomb. 00:40:13.91\00:40:15.84 He said He's going to resurrect tomorrow. 00:40:15.88\00:40:17.61 That would have been a day of joyous anticipation. 00:40:17.65\00:40:20.35 And, by the way, Sunday was no happy day, because the night of 00:40:20.42\00:40:23.82 Sunday the disciples didn't even believe that Jesus 00:40:23.89\00:40:26.35 Had resurrected. So how could they be happy? 00:40:26.39\00:40:29.22 So we need to be careful with rational arguments 00:40:29.26\00:40:32.06 that people provide. 00:40:32.09\00:40:33.43 If they truly had understood what God was trying to teach 00:40:33.46\00:40:36.83 them through this prophecy of the rest of the body of Jesus in 00:40:36.87\00:40:40.24 the tomb, the Sabbath would have been a glorious day 00:40:40.27\00:40:43.00 they would have understood. 00:40:43.04\00:40:44.37 The Messiah is resting from His works of redemption 00:40:44.41\00:40:47.28 like He rested from His works of creation. 00:40:47.31\00:40:50.55 You know, some Christians say, Well, Jesus resurrected 00:40:50.58\00:40:53.98 on Sunday, because He wanted the church to know that Sunday was 00:40:54.02\00:40:57.82 a special holy day. 00:40:57.85\00:40:59.19 But now we see that the focus is not Sunday, the focus is what? 00:40:59.22\00:41:03.53 the Sabbath. Listen, in order for Jesus to rest in the tomb 00:41:03.56\00:41:07.33 all day Sabbath, He would have had to resurrect on Sunday. 00:41:07.36\00:41:11.37 But the important thing is not His resurrection on Sunday, 00:41:11.40\00:41:14.87 the important thing is His rest in the tomb on Sabbath. 00:41:14.90\00:41:18.27 But Christians say, No, it's Sunday; Sunday that's important. 00:41:18.31\00:41:21.81 No no, it's His rest in the tomb. 00:41:21.84\00:41:23.58 And, therefore, because He had to rest in the tomb all day, 00:41:23.61\00:41:26.72 He had to resurrect when? 00:41:26.75\00:41:28.62 He had to resurrect on the first day of the week. 00:41:28.65\00:41:30.95 It's amazing how during Holy Week Christians speak about, 00:41:30.99\00:41:34.82 you know they say, Ash Wednesday, and Holy Thursday, 00:41:34.86\00:41:39.69 and Good Friday, Resurrection Sunday, Palm Sunday, 00:41:39.73\00:41:44.53 and whoever mentions the Sabbath? 00:41:44.57\00:41:46.43 Nobody ever mentions the Sabbath during Holy Week. 00:41:46.47\00:41:49.94 It kind of gets lost in the shuffle. 00:41:49.97\00:41:52.01 So let's review. Jesus died at three o'clock on Friday, 00:41:52.04\00:41:56.34 between the two evenings. 00:41:56.38\00:41:58.41 His body was taken down from the cross and prepared 00:41:58.45\00:42:02.22 for burial before the Sabbath began. 00:42:02.25\00:42:04.49 Shortly before sundown His body was put in the tomb; 00:42:04.52\00:42:08.26 he rested from His works of redemption. 00:42:08.29\00:42:10.99 And His body did not decompose, because He was the living manna. 00:42:11.03\00:42:16.60 And then Jesus resurrected on the first day of the week; 00:42:16.63\00:42:20.80 not to make the first day of the week holy, but because the 00:42:20.84\00:42:25.01 previous day He had to rest in the tomb on Sabbath. 00:42:25.04\00:42:28.38 Let me ask you, what is it that makes the Sabbath holy? 00:42:28.41\00:42:32.41 We read in the book of Genesis, and also in the fourth 00:42:32.45\00:42:36.38 commandment that what makes the Sabbath holy 00:42:36.45\00:42:38.49 was the rest of Jesus. 00:42:38.52\00:42:40.26 He rested, therefore He blessed and sanctified the day. 00:42:40.29\00:42:45.99 Is that what the Bible teaches? Absolutely. 00:42:46.03\00:42:48.53 So what made the Sabbath holy? the rest of Jesus Christ. 00:42:48.56\00:42:52.60 In order for you to say that Sunday is the holy day of rest, 00:42:52.63\00:42:56.20 you would have to prove from Scripture, that Jesus rested 00:42:56.27\00:42:59.77 on the first day of the week. 00:42:59.84\00:43:01.18 Because only His rest would make the day holy. 00:43:01.21\00:43:04.75 But Jesus did not rest on the first day of the week. 00:43:04.81\00:43:07.78 Jesus rested the Sabbath in the tomb, like He did at creation, 00:43:07.82\00:43:11.75 thus sanctifying the Sabbath. 00:43:11.79\00:43:14.59 Now folks, Satan has done his utmost to erase the memory of 00:43:14.62\00:43:21.16 Jesus Christ from this world. 00:43:21.20\00:43:22.63 He has sought to eradicate the sign of the Creator; 00:43:22.66\00:43:26.94 the Sabbath, because it reminds us of Jesus, 00:43:26.97\00:43:29.37 the Creator, and the Redeemer. 00:43:29.40\00:43:31.41 And so He is trying to erase the sign, and in this way erase 00:43:31.44\00:43:35.38 in our memories the existence of Jesus, 00:43:35.44\00:43:38.21 and the importance of Jesus. 00:43:38.25\00:43:39.58 You know, men have come up with all kinds of explanations for 00:43:39.61\00:43:43.79 the existence of the world: Darwinian evolution, intelligent 00:43:43.82\00:43:48.12 design, punctuated equilibrium, progressive creation, 00:43:48.16\00:43:53.33 theistic evolution, New Age theories. 00:43:53.40\00:43:56.40 If people kept the seventh day Sabbath none of these theories 00:43:56.43\00:44:00.14 would be accepted. 00:44:00.17\00:44:01.50 Because the Bible says that Jesus created the world in six 00:44:01.54\00:44:04.57 days, and He rested the seventh day, period. 00:44:04.64\00:44:07.91 That's what Scripture says. 00:44:07.94\00:44:09.54 The tragic truth, however, is that these philosophies 00:44:09.58\00:44:13.98 that I just mentioned, are no longer the belief system of 00:44:14.02\00:44:18.35 secular humanists, skeptics, agnostics, atheists, 00:44:18.39\00:44:22.72 materialists, and evolutionists. 00:44:22.76\00:44:24.83 They have become the belief of the Christian church, 00:44:24.86\00:44:29.83 and even of some scholars within the 00:44:29.86\00:44:32.87 Seventh-day Adventist Church. 00:44:32.93\00:44:34.67 Allow me to read you a statement from the Roman Catholic 00:44:34.70\00:44:40.01 Catechism. This is the latest Catechism, 1994, page 87. 00:44:40.04\00:44:45.18 The Catholic Catechism leaves the door open for evolution. 00:44:45.21\00:44:50.29 Notice what it says. 00:44:50.32\00:44:52.75 God Himself created the visible world in all its richness, 00:44:52.79\00:44:57.03 diversity, and order. 00:44:57.09\00:44:59.19 Now notice this, notice this word. 00:45:02.86\00:45:04.57 It's very covert, but you need to read it. It says: 00:45:04.60\00:45:09.40 See, they're not literal, they're what? symbolic. 00:45:17.31\00:45:21.65 It's leaving the door open for evolution. So... 00:45:21.68\00:45:25.95 Do you know that John Paul II, who was greatly admired all over 00:45:33.80\00:45:38.60 the world, not only opened the door, 00:45:38.63\00:45:41.40 a little crack in the door, he opened the door wide. 00:45:41.44\00:45:45.14 In fact, notice he gave a speech on October 22, 1996 to the 00:45:45.17\00:45:50.28 Pontifical Academy of the Sciences, and he said this: 00:45:50.31\00:45:53.65 That is evolution. 00:45:57.09\00:45:58.42 Of all of these scholars and their research. 00:46:10.70\00:46:14.80 Let me read you a newspaper column that speaks about 00:46:32.12\00:46:37.76 this event, this speech that John Paul II gave. 00:46:37.79\00:46:43.90 This is from the Chicago Tribune, October 25, 1996. 00:46:43.93\00:46:50.01 That is strengthened. 00:47:12.93\00:47:14.33 So, basically, John Paul II has said that evolution is 00:47:44.63\00:47:48.70 compatible with the Christian faith, and that this world 00:47:48.76\00:47:52.77 perhaps, came into existence through the 00:47:52.83\00:47:55.20 process of evolution. 00:47:55.24\00:47:56.97 Do you know that there are many evangelical scholars that are 00:47:58.71\00:48:01.34 teaching the same thing? renowned evangelical scholars 00:48:01.38\00:48:04.71 that are teaching the idea of progressive creation; 00:48:04.75\00:48:08.48 that God used evolution as His method of creation, 00:48:08.52\00:48:12.22 and that there was death long before sin. 00:48:12.25\00:48:14.76 That God used the process of evolution, 00:48:14.79\00:48:17.29 the survival of the fittest, animals killing animals 00:48:17.33\00:48:20.03 so that they could develop into higher species. 00:48:20.06\00:48:22.26 What kind of God is a God who can speak and things are done? 00:48:22.30\00:48:25.87 Why does God have to use a process where there's death for 00:48:25.93\00:48:29.47 millions of years before things came into existence? 00:48:29.50\00:48:32.54 What kind of an omnipotent God is that? 00:48:32.57\00:48:34.74 I don't serve that kind of God. 00:48:34.78\00:48:37.35 I serve a God of perfection. 00:48:37.38\00:48:38.98 I don't serve a God who uses the system of trial and error 00:48:39.01\00:48:43.18 to eventually create the world. 00:48:43.22\00:48:46.72 Many scholars, even in the Adventist Church, 00:48:46.76\00:48:48.66 are re-interpreting the days of creation 00:48:48.69\00:48:50.43 as long periods of time. 00:48:50.46\00:48:52.29 Many of our own scholars are using the 00:48:54.36\00:48:56.53 historical critical method. 00:48:56.56\00:48:58.03 Some are even saying that Moses didn't write the book 00:48:58.07\00:49:01.54 of Genesis; that it's the result of the work of several 00:49:01.57\00:49:06.21 different authors. 00:49:06.24\00:49:07.58 And they're saying that yeah, Moses believed that the days of 00:49:07.61\00:49:11.71 creation, or whoever wrote Genesis believed that the days 00:49:11.75\00:49:14.68 of creation are literal days. 00:49:14.72\00:49:16.72 But Moses was wrong, because science has proved him wrong. 00:49:16.75\00:49:21.52 That's the idea that they're sharing. 00:49:21.56\00:49:23.76 This, in spite of the fact that there are powerful biblical 00:49:23.79\00:49:27.73 arguments to show that the days of creation were literal days. 00:49:27.76\00:49:31.03 First of all, if you read the main Hebrew lexicons, 00:49:31.07\00:49:34.97 which are the dictionaries of Hebrew, for example holidays 00:49:35.00\00:49:39.24 are Hebrew lexicon: Brown, Driver, and Briggs, 00:49:39.27\00:49:42.11 which is probably the most famous Hebrew lexicon. 00:49:42.14\00:49:44.75 They all say that Genesis, no matter what your interpretation 00:49:44.78\00:49:48.55 is, they say that the author that wrote this believed that 00:49:48.58\00:49:52.05 the days were literal twenty-four hour days. 00:49:52.09\00:49:55.09 You have, for example, the story of creation. 00:49:55.12\00:49:58.13 It says, The evening and the morning of the first day. 00:49:58.16\00:50:00.30 Boy, I'll tell you, does that mean the evening, 00:50:00.33\00:50:02.36 and the morning of the first million years? 00:50:02.40\00:50:03.97 The expression, evening and morning, 00:50:04.00\00:50:06.80 shows that it's literal. 00:50:06.84\00:50:08.17 Furthermore, in the Old Testament a number with 00:50:08.20\00:50:14.24 a numeral adjective is used, the word day, excuse me, 00:50:14.28\00:50:18.11 with a numeral adjective, is used 150 times 00:50:18.15\00:50:20.82 in the Old Testament, and every single time that the word day, 00:50:20.85\00:50:24.65 Yom, appears with a numeral adjective, it refers to a 00:50:24.69\00:50:29.92 literal twenty-four hour day. 00:50:29.96\00:50:31.76 And then what do you do with the fourth commandment? 00:50:31.79\00:50:34.26 The fourth commandment says you work six, 00:50:34.30\00:50:38.60 and rest the seventh because God worked six, 00:50:38.63\00:50:42.54 and rested the seventh. 00:50:42.57\00:50:43.91 So if you make the original days million years days, 00:50:43.94\00:50:49.04 what do you do with us following the example of the Creator? 00:50:49.08\00:50:52.21 It breaks down. If we're supposed to work six literal 00:50:52.25\00:50:56.18 days and keep the Sabbath, it's because originally God worked 00:50:56.22\00:51:00.16 six literal days, and kept the Sabbath, or else He would be 00:51:00.19\00:51:03.22 asking us to keep an impossibility. 00:51:03.29\00:51:06.19 It all boils down to whether you have faith or not. 00:51:06.23\00:51:12.23 By faith we believe. 00:51:12.27\00:51:14.60 And I'll tell you what, I choose to believe the story that God 00:51:14.64\00:51:18.77 tells in His Holy Word. 00:51:18.81\00:51:20.14 Do you think the Devil is able to shift things around on 00:51:20.18\00:51:24.21 the earth to make it appear that evolution is a plausible theory? 00:51:24.25\00:51:27.22 You'd better believe he can. 00:51:27.25\00:51:28.58 So all we can do is trust the Word of God. 00:51:28.62\00:51:32.85 Now before we bring this to an end I need to talk to you about 00:51:32.89\00:51:35.66 the Sabbath in its future dimension. 00:51:35.69\00:51:37.49 You see, the Sabbath is not only a commemoration of Jesus as 00:51:37.53\00:51:40.90 the Creator; it's not only a commemoration of Jesus as the 00:51:40.93\00:51:44.60 Redeemer; it's also a prophecy about the future rest that we 00:51:44.63\00:51:48.30 will have in the kingdom to come. 00:51:48.34\00:51:50.31 Notice Isaiah 66:22, 23, Isaiah 66:22, 23. It says: 00:51:50.34\00:51:58.15 Notice, He's going to make a new heavens 00:52:01.88\00:52:04.19 and a new earth, right? 00:52:04.22\00:52:05.55 When He makes a new heavens, and a new earth, 00:52:16.16\00:52:18.00 according to the context. 00:52:18.03\00:52:19.37 A better translation would be, from one month to another, 00:52:22.37\00:52:24.87 because the New Moon marks the beginning of the month. 00:52:24.91\00:52:27.41 From one month to another. 00:52:27.48\00:52:28.98 In Spanish, in fact, it says, de mes ames, 00:52:29.01\00:52:30.85 from month to month, and from Sunday to Sunday. 00:52:30.88\00:52:35.22 No, that's not what it says. 00:52:35.25\00:52:37.12 It can't be Sunday because that's not the day Jesus rested. 00:52:37.15\00:52:39.85 It's His rest that makes the day holy. 00:52:39.89\00:52:41.52 Will the Sabbath be the sign of worship to the Creator 00:52:52.10\00:52:55.00 of the new heavens, and new earth? Yes. 00:52:55.04\00:52:57.01 So there are three reasons for keeping the Sabbath: 00:52:57.07\00:53:00.14 One because Jesus created the world in six days; 00:53:00.18\00:53:03.24 rested the seventh. 00:53:03.28\00:53:04.61 Because Jesus redeemed the world. 00:53:04.65\00:53:06.18 And on the sixth day He said, It is finished, and rested in the 00:53:06.21\00:53:09.32 tomb on the Sabbath 00:53:09.38\00:53:10.72 And it points forward to the future, when after He makes 00:53:10.75\00:53:13.36 a new heavens, and a new earth, He will say, It is finished! 00:53:13.42\00:53:16.36 And He will rest with His people in the kingdom come. 00:53:16.42\00:53:19.09 Now you say, Why does it say from one New Moon to another, 00:53:19.13\00:53:23.60 or from one month to another? 00:53:23.63\00:53:25.23 Well, the reason is very simple. 00:53:25.27\00:53:26.84 We're not only going to keep the Sabbath in the earth made new, 00:53:26.87\00:53:29.64 we're also going to go every month to eat from a 00:53:29.67\00:53:32.17 very peculiar tree. 00:53:32.21\00:53:33.54 Notice Revelation 22:1, 2, Revelation 22:1, 2. 00:53:33.58\00:53:39.51 This is the New Jerusalem. 00:53:50.13\00:53:51.46 So do you know what we're going to do every month by going to 00:54:04.94\00:54:07.71 worship before the Lord? to eat from the tree of life, 00:54:07.74\00:54:10.18 to refurbish our battery, or life force. 00:54:10.21\00:54:13.48 And why are we going to go from Sabbath to Sabbath? in order to 00:54:13.52\00:54:17.35 commemorate what? the new creation. 00:54:17.39\00:54:19.89 And, by the way, some people misunderstand a verse 00:54:19.92\00:54:22.69 in the Bible, Revelation 21:23 where it says, 00:54:22.72\00:54:26.16 and I want to read it. It says: 00:54:26.19\00:54:27.76 So they say, See, in the earth made new there's not going to be 00:54:34.84\00:54:37.77 any day or night. There's not going to be months. 00:54:37.81\00:54:39.77 There's not going to be days. 00:54:39.81\00:54:41.14 Yes, there are. If you're going to keep the Sabbath, 00:54:41.18\00:54:42.68 there must be a week. 00:54:42.71\00:54:44.05 If you're going to go from month to month, 00:54:44.08\00:54:45.95 it must be that there are months. 00:54:46.01\00:54:47.35 And if there are months, there are years. 00:54:47.38\00:54:48.72 Hello! Are you all out there? 00:54:48.75\00:54:51.75 What is Revelation 21:23 saying? 00:54:51.79\00:54:54.79 It's talking not about the earth, 00:54:54.82\00:54:56.62 it's talking about the city. 00:54:56.66\00:54:57.99 And it doesn't say that there is no sun or moon; 00:54:58.03\00:55:00.73 it has no need of sun or moon. 00:55:00.76\00:55:02.46 Let's read it carefully. 00:55:02.50\00:55:03.83 The city had no need of sun or of moon to shine in it. 00:55:03.87\00:55:09.00 It had no need, it says, for the glory of God illuminated it. 00:55:09.04\00:55:13.58 The Lamb is its light. 00:55:13.64\00:55:14.98 So basically, what's going to happen is in the city the light 00:55:15.01\00:55:18.01 is going to be so bright that you won't even see 00:55:18.05\00:55:20.58 the sun or the moon. 00:55:20.62\00:55:21.95 It's like turning on a flashlight in Fresno 00:55:21.98\00:55:28.26 in the month of July at 12:00 noon. 00:55:28.29\00:55:31.86 Who's going to see the light of the flashlight? 00:55:31.89\00:55:35.90 The flashlight is on, but the light can't be seen, 00:55:35.93\00:55:40.54 because the greater light makes it dissipate so that 00:55:40.57\00:55:45.14 people cannot see it. 00:55:45.17\00:55:46.51 Folks, the final conflict in this world is going to have 00:55:46.54\00:55:49.71 to do with worship. 00:55:49.74\00:55:51.08 There are going to be two sides. 00:55:51.11\00:55:53.11 We're going to talk later about this: the seal of God, 00:55:53.15\00:55:55.08 and the mark of the beast. 00:55:55.12\00:55:56.45 One sign is the sign of worship to the Creator. 00:55:56.48\00:56:00.39 The first angel's message says, Worship Him who made heaven, 00:56:00.42\00:56:03.99 the earth, the sea, and springs of water. 00:56:04.03\00:56:05.79 You cannot speak about that without 00:56:05.86\00:56:07.50 keeping His Holy Sabbath. 00:56:07.53\00:56:08.86 But there's another power known as the beast, 00:56:08.90\00:56:11.63 and we're going to talk about this power later on. 00:56:11.70\00:56:13.60 And there are going to be people in the world who are going to 00:56:13.64\00:56:16.30 worship the beast, who obviously claims to be a 00:56:16.34\00:56:19.37 counterfeit creator. 00:56:19.41\00:56:20.74 He doesn't claim to be a counterfeit, 00:56:20.78\00:56:22.11 but he is a counterfeit creator. 00:56:22.14\00:56:23.71 Notice Revelation 14:9, 10. 00:56:23.75\00:56:26.78 Two powers vying for the loyalty of the human race. 00:56:43.57\00:56:49.54 Two signs: one created by God before sin, the other created 00:56:49.57\00:56:57.75 by the man of sin. 00:56:57.78\00:56:59.95 The question is, which sign will we accept? 00:56:59.98\00:57:03.59 The sign that God has established, or the sign that 00:57:03.65\00:57:07.89 the beast has established as a sign of his power, 00:57:07.92\00:57:12.16 and his authority? 00:57:12.19\00:57:13.83 That's the decision that we must make. 00:57:13.86\00:57:17.50 And I pray to the Lord that God will help us 00:57:17.57\00:57:21.27 make the right decision. 00:57:21.30\00:57:24.47