Alright, welcome back.
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I hope everybody
had a nice lunch.
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And we're ready for
the final stretch today.
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Two presentations, both
of them on the sixth seal.
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And of course, now
we're going to do part one.
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And then the second session
we'll deal primarily with the
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second part of the sixth seal.
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Before we do, we want
to have a word of prayer,
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like we always do.
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So let's bow our
heads for a word of prayer.
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Our Father and our God,
thank You for this wonderful day
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that You have given us.
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There are so many
things to be thankful for.
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We wouldn't have enough
pen and paper to write down
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all of them
because You're so good.
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We ask, Lord, that You
will be with us now as we
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open Your Word again.
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Give us clarity of
thought, give us tender hearts,
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and Lord, empower
us to present to others
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the marvelous
things from Your Word.
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Thank You for the
promise of Your presence.
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And we claim that promise in the
name which is above all names,
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the name of Jesus, amen.
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Okay, let's review
what we've studied so far.
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The first seal represents
what stage of history?
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Okay, the apostolic church.
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Going out
conquering and to conquer.
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Thousands come into
the church through the
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preaching of the apostles.
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Who does that disturb?
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It disturbs Satan.
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He says, "I don't like this.
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I'm losing all my subjects
from paganism to Christianity."
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So then you have the
second horse, the red horse.
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The horse that sheds
blood. The horse of persecution.
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So persecution arises.
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That's the period
of the Roman emperors.
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When paganism
persecuted God's people.
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So then Satan says, "You
know, this isn't working,
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because the more
that I persecute them,
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the more there are.
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So I'll have to
change my strategy."
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So he says,
"Instead of fighting them,
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let's join them."
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And so he introduces
apostasy into the church.
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He infiltrates the church with
pagan customs and practices;
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with the world.
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And of course, that
leads to spiritual famine.
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And it ultimately leads
to the death of God's people
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under the fourth seal.
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Primarily.
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The yellow horse,
the horse of death.
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The horse of the grave.
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And that represents
the period when the papacy
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mowed down
God's faithful people.
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And then of course
we have the fifth seal,
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which is
connected with the fourth.
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Under the fifth
seal, those that were slain
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during the period of the
fourth horse, the yellow horse,
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the period of
the papal dominion,
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now they start crying out.
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"Until when, O Lord, do You
not judge and avenge our blood
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from those who shed
the blood on the earth?"
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And we noticed that the
fifth seal has two stages.
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The first stage of
the martyrs who cry out
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is the martyrs who
died during the 1260 years
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that are now crying
out to God for justice.
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And then we noticed
that there's a second stage
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to the fifth seal.
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That is, the future
martyrs will cry out for God
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to judge and avenge
those who shed their blood.
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So the fifth seal
has two distinct stages:
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one past, one future.
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We're going to notice
now that the sixth seal
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also has two distinct stages.
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But before we notice
that, let's read the passage
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that describes the sixth seal.
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This is the longest
passage of all the seals.
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Many, many verses.
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I begin in Revelation 6:12.
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Not darkened, but
became like blood.
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"...late figs..." Which
basically is unripe figs.
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This is a very
important word, "Then..."
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"And the kings of the earth..."
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Those would be the rulers who
govern the nations of the world.
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"...the great men..."
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The high offices of the state.
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"...the rich men..."
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That is the socially wealthy.
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"...the commanders..."
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The commanders of armies.
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"...the mighty men..."
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These are the
great men in battle.
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"...every slave
and every free man..."
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Regular everyday citizens.
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"...hid themselves..."
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Why did they hide themselves?
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Because they
found themselves naked.
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You know, you notice
under the sixth seal it says,
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if you're not covered with
the righteousness of Christ,
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you will be found
naked, spiritually of course.
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And so it says here, once
again, "...the mighty men,
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every slave and
every free man..."
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So this is a
description of the sixth seal.
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Now there are several
things that we need to ask.
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The first of which is, are
these signs in the heavens,
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the great earthquake,
are they to be understood
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literally or symbolically?
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We know that most of
the book of Revelation
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contains symbolic
language that must be decoded.
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However,
Seventh-day Adventists believe
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that the great earthquake
and the signs in the sun,
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the moon, and the
stars were literal events.
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The question is, why?
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We find the reason in
the meaning of the Greek word
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that appears four
times in the sixth seal in
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Revelation 6:12-13.
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And it is the word,
"as." "Hos," in Greek.
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Ranko Stefanovic explained
the meaning of this word.
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"The repeated usage of
the word, 'as,' or, 'like,'
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in the text appears
to be very significant.
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'The sun becomes
black as sackcloth...'"
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So you already have
the symbolism here, right?
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"The sun becomes
black as sackcloth,
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the moon as blood,
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the stars of the sky fall
as do the figs of the fig tree,
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and heaven splits
as the papyrus scroll."
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So in other words, a reality
is being compared with a symbol.
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Are you following me or not?
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What are the symbols?
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The symbols are,
first of all, sackcloth;
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secondly, blood; third, the
figs that fall from the tree;
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and fourth, a papyrus scroll.
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So the
comparison is already there.
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Are you with me or not?
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"In Greek, this word
'introduces a figurative analogy
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to an actual
event' that is compared
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with something figurative.
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This suggests that
these heavenly signs
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are intended to
be taken..." What?
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"...literally."
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And something is used
as an analogy to illustrate
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the literal event.
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Now let's notice
the link between the
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fifth and the sixth seals.
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The plea of the
martyrs of the dark ages,
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the question, "How long
until you judge and avenge,"
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in Revelation 6:10, finds
its answer in Daniel 7:8-10
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and Daniel 8:13-14 where
the process of judgment begins
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to exonerate them
from the faulty verdicts
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of earthly courts.
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According to these passages
in Daniel, the trampling of
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the Sanctuary and of God's
people would last until the
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conclusion of the 2300 days
where the process of vindicating
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the Sanctuary and its
worshipers would begin.
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The signs in Revelation 6:12-13
are an earthly announcement
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that the vindicating
judgment is about to begin.
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In other words, these are
signs that the final judgment
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is about to begin.
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Incidentally, every time
that Jesus begins a new work,
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there is an
earthly announcement,
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a powerful earthly announcement.
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When Jesus came to this
earth and became incarnate
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and was born, was there
a powerful announcement?
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Yes. The angels in heaven sang.
00:10:01.30\00:10:03.57
The wise men came from the east.
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The Bible says that
the whole of Jerusalem
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was in a tumult.
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So there was an announcement
that the Messiah had been born.
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Let me ask you, when
Jesus began His ministry,
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was there someone that brought
the attention to the idea that
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the Messiah was about to come?
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Someone who prepared the way?
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Yes. Who was it?
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John the Baptist.
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When Jesus was
about to die on the cross,
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was there an event in
Jerusalem that attracted
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all eyes to Jesus?
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Yes. The triumphal
entry into Jerusalem.
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When the day of Pentecost
had come, was there a powerful
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earthly announcement
that Jesus had been installed
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as High Priest in
the heavenly Sanctuary?
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Yes. There was a
mighty rushing wind,
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and there were tongues of fire,
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and they started
talking in languages.
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By the way, I didn't mention
the resurrection of Christ.
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Was there a powerful message
that Christ had resurrected?
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Yes. Those who resurrected
with Him and went into the city.
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Let me ask you, would you
expect there to be a powerful
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announcement
indicating that the judgment
00:11:08.30\00:11:11.27
was about to begin?
00:11:11.30\00:11:12.67
Of course.
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These signs actually
have the main purpose
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of indicating to the
inhabitants of the earth,
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start studying prophecy.
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Because when they see
these things, immediately
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they're going to
start thinking about what?
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Revelation 6:12-13.
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And so what God is
saying is, "Study prophecy,
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because a very important
event is about to transpire."
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And then of course the
Millerites also made a powerful
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announcement about the
coming of the day of judgment.
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Do you suppose that there's
going to be also some kind of
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earthly indication that
the judgment of the living
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is beginning?
00:11:50.84\00:11:52.21
What would that be?
00:11:54.28\00:11:55.71
There's a powerful angel
that descends from heaven
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and fills the whole
earth with his glory,
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and proclaims
the fall of Babylon,
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which divides the
world into two groups.
00:12:05.79\00:12:08.52
It prepares the
righteous for the final sealing,
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and the wicked
receive the mark of the beast.
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The final loud cry, the
earth filled with the glory
00:12:15.83\00:12:18.50
of the Lord, is actually the
proclamation that the judgment
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that began in 1844 with the dead
is now passing to a new stage;
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the stage of the living.
00:12:27.28\00:12:28.84
And we don't
have a date for that.
00:12:28.88\00:12:30.55
There are individuals
today that are putting dates.
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They say, you know, the
investigative judgment of
00:12:34.55\00:12:37.85
Adventists began
in September of 2015.
00:12:37.89\00:12:41.69
Well, when the pope
was in the United States.
00:12:42.92\00:12:45.36
They're more
precise: September 23, 2015.
00:12:45.39\00:12:48.90
Nowhere in the Bible does
it say that we can establish
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a date for the beginning
of the judgment of the living.
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They're also saying
that the Sunday law,
00:12:57.44\00:13:00.11
the national Sunday law,
is going to be proclaimed
00:13:00.31\00:13:02.58
in March or April of this year.
00:13:03.04\00:13:06.01
Nowhere in the Bible do
you find any indication,
00:13:07.55\00:13:10.19
unless you twist the scriptures,
that the Sunday law is going to
00:13:10.99\00:13:15.09
come in March or April of 2019.
00:13:15.12\00:13:18.49
When time passes, what happens?
00:13:19.29\00:13:21.40
People are
worse off than before.
00:13:21.43\00:13:23.30
Because they say, "Oh,
you know, what's the use?
00:13:23.87\00:13:25.80
You have these predictions
and they never take place."
00:13:25.83\00:13:28.30
That's why Ellen White
said 1844 is the last date.
00:13:28.34\00:13:31.24
No more dates
for prophetic events.
00:13:31.74\00:13:34.51
Now let's notice then
here, returning to the syllabus,
00:13:35.21\00:13:40.02
it is noteworthy
that the sixth church,
00:13:40.62\00:13:44.02
the sixth seal, and the
sixth trumpet all take us
00:13:45.32\00:13:49.49
to the same moment in
the course of church history.
00:13:49.52\00:13:53.23
You say, "How is that?"
00:13:54.20\00:13:55.53
Under the sixth church,
God places before the church
00:13:56.30\00:14:01.67
an open door.
00:14:01.70\00:14:03.04
Where does that
open door lead to?
00:14:03.71\00:14:05.71
The Most Holy Place
for the final judgment.
00:14:06.51\00:14:09.64
Under the sixth
seal, you have the sealing
00:14:10.65\00:14:16.79
of the 144,000.
00:14:16.99\00:14:18.92
That also has to
do with judgment.
00:14:19.25\00:14:22.69
And the sixth trumpet you have,
at the end of the sixth trumpet
00:14:23.32\00:14:28.33
you have the opening
of the temple in heaven
00:14:28.76\00:14:31.57
and the ark of
His covenant is seen.
00:14:31.67\00:14:34.50
So when you get to number
six, whether it be the churches,
00:14:35.60\00:14:38.87
the seals, or the trumpets, you
are at the same moment of time.
00:14:38.91\00:14:42.34
The beginning of the
investigative judgment in 1844.
00:14:42.74\00:14:47.22
Now we're on page 235.
00:14:48.18\00:14:50.09
The sixth seal
mentions two earthquakes.
00:14:50.99\00:14:53.86
Did you notice that, that the
sixth seal has two earthquakes?
00:14:54.26\00:14:57.13
One transpires at the
beginning of the sixth seal,
00:14:57.96\00:15:01.43
and the other at its end.
00:15:01.83\00:15:03.87
Now the fact that
there's two earthquakes
00:15:04.87\00:15:06.47
would seem to indicate
that there's two stages, right?
00:15:06.50\00:15:09.24
Verse 12 describes
the one at the beginning,
00:15:10.94\00:15:13.98
and verse 14
describes the one at the end.
00:15:14.81\00:15:17.85
Revelation 16:18 and 20,
which is the seventh plague,
00:15:18.68\00:15:22.85
further amplifies
the second earthquake
00:15:23.79\00:15:26.62
as a cataclysmic
and global event.
00:15:27.36\00:15:30.36
That is to say, the
earthquake in Revelation 6:14
00:15:31.23\00:15:35.30
is the same one as in
Revelation 16:18 and 20,
00:15:35.80\00:15:40.07
which is the seventh plague.
00:15:40.14\00:15:41.90
Which is right at the
moment when Jesus comes.
00:15:42.40\00:15:45.07
The earthquake
in Revelation 6:12
00:15:45.54\00:15:47.84
is preliminary and local.
00:15:47.88\00:15:50.15
The one in
Revelation 16:18 will be global
00:15:51.48\00:15:55.85
and the greatest
in human history.
00:15:56.12\00:15:58.39
Only the greatest earthquake in
history could remove mountains
00:15:59.05\00:16:02.39
and islands from their
places on a global scale.
00:16:02.42\00:16:06.53
Are you catching this picture?
00:16:06.93\00:16:08.33
We're going to put some
flesh on the bones here.
00:16:08.76\00:16:10.97
We're going to prove it.
00:16:11.00\00:16:12.43
But I want you to have
this clear in your mind.
00:16:12.63\00:16:14.97
Now what are the
purposes for these signs?
00:16:15.57\00:16:19.04
There are several.
00:16:19.64\00:16:20.98
I wrote down here five.
00:16:21.01\00:16:23.38
First, they announce
that the great tribulation
00:16:23.58\00:16:28.05
during the 1260 years is what?
00:16:29.08\00:16:31.95
Is about to come to an end.
00:16:32.49\00:16:34.39
Second, they serve as an omen
of the fall of the papal power.
00:16:36.39\00:16:42.13
Third, they serve to draw
attention to the approaching
00:16:43.90\00:16:47.77
judgment in 1844.
00:16:47.80\00:16:49.94
Fourth, they serve as
indicators of the beginning
00:16:50.64\00:16:54.28
of the time of the end.
00:16:54.31\00:16:55.91
And finally, they do announce
the soon coming of Jesus.
00:16:57.15\00:17:01.85
Now what do we mean by
the soon coming of Jesus?
00:17:03.39\00:17:07.36
You know, somebody recently
came out with a video saying
00:17:07.89\00:17:10.53
that at the General Conference
session we had actually changed
00:17:10.56\00:17:14.76
our fundamental
belief on the second coming.
00:17:14.80\00:17:16.87
That we no longer believe
in the second coming of Christ.
00:17:16.90\00:17:19.43
Because in the fundamental
belief it was changed that
00:17:19.77\00:17:22.20
Jesus' coming is "imminent"
and it was changed to, "soon."
00:17:22.24\00:17:27.21
So I decided that I
would check and see what is the
00:17:29.21\00:17:31.21
meaning of, "imminent."
00:17:31.25\00:17:32.71
Do you know that Ellen
White uses the word, "imminent,"
00:17:33.65\00:17:35.92
about 22 times, I think it
is, in her writings on CD-ROM.
00:17:35.95\00:17:40.86
Every single time, it
appears in a negative context.
00:17:41.42\00:17:45.03
"The imminence of a calamity."
00:17:45.43\00:17:47.40
Is the second coming a
calamity for God's people?
00:17:49.63\00:17:52.17
No, not those who are waiting
for a soon coming of Christ.
00:17:52.63\00:17:56.37
It's a joy.
00:17:56.40\00:17:57.74
So the change to the
word, "soon," is really good.
00:17:58.37\00:18:03.04
And by the way,
"soon," and, "imminent,"
00:18:04.25\00:18:06.05
are very similar.
00:18:06.75\00:18:08.08
Now, let's go back here.
00:18:08.85\00:18:10.69
Critics both within and without
the Seventh-day Adventist Church
00:18:12.95\00:18:17.23
argue thus, "How is it
possible to believe that events
00:18:17.26\00:18:21.23
that took place over 250
years ago are signs of the
00:18:21.26\00:18:28.34
soon coming of Jesus?
00:18:28.37\00:18:29.80
Isn't this stretching
credulity to its limit?"
00:18:30.41\00:18:34.51
On the surface, this
argument might appear persuasive
00:18:35.34\00:18:38.58
until we look at the number
of these years in the context
00:18:39.38\00:18:43.92
of a broader perspective.
00:18:44.35\00:18:46.05
Let us suppose for the
sake of argument that I am
00:18:47.72\00:18:50.23
going to take a
six thousand mile trip.
00:18:50.26\00:18:52.66
When I start the
trip, we all agree that my
00:18:54.10\00:18:57.47
destination is very distant.
00:18:57.50\00:18:59.07
When I am halfway
there, the destination
00:19:00.54\00:19:03.51
is still a long ways off.
00:19:03.54\00:19:05.11
However, would you agree
that when I am 250 miles from my
00:19:05.74\00:19:09.38
destination, my arrival is near?
00:19:09.41\00:19:12.45
After all, 250
years of 6,000 is only 4%.
00:19:13.72\00:19:18.15
Are you following me?
00:19:20.19\00:19:21.52
Now Mervyn Maxwell, who
was my teacher at the seminary,
00:19:22.09\00:19:24.59
he passed away many
years ago, wrote a book called,
00:19:24.63\00:19:26.70
Magnificent Disappointment.
00:19:26.73\00:19:28.56
And on pages 91-92,
this was published in 1994,
00:19:28.90\00:19:34.27
he wrote the following words.
00:19:35.04\00:19:36.81
"We need a
change of perspective.
00:19:37.24\00:19:39.24
Instead of looking back to 1844
and finding it around 150 years
00:19:39.81\00:19:44.68
in the past, let us go back to
the beginning of human history
00:19:44.71\00:19:49.25
and view 1844 as almost
6,000 years in the future...
00:19:49.45\00:19:54.59
From the perspective of
Eden at the beginning of
00:19:55.09\00:19:58.46
earth's 6,000 years,
the remaining distance
00:19:58.49\00:20:01.73
between 1844 and the 1990s,"
00:20:01.76\00:20:04.90
this book was
written in the 1990s,
00:20:04.93\00:20:06.77
"is hardly discernible.
00:20:06.84\00:20:08.40
These 150 years between
1844 and the 1990s represent
00:20:08.74\00:20:13.98
only 1/40 or
2.5% of human history.
00:20:14.01\00:20:18.61
More than 97
percent of human history
00:20:19.28\00:20:22.55
took place prior to 1844.
00:20:22.58\00:20:25.39
Yes, we are indeed
at the end of time.
00:20:25.65\00:20:28.76
The final judgment began
only yesterday, as it were.
00:20:29.09\00:20:32.66
Christ's advent is coming soon."
00:20:32.96\00:20:35.73
So see, it all depends
what perspective you use.
00:20:36.77\00:20:39.53
You know, if you use
a perspective from our
00:20:40.14\00:20:42.24
perspective, oh 250
years, that's a long time.
00:20:42.27\00:20:45.01
But if you look at the whole
sweep of Christian history,
00:20:45.04\00:20:48.18
it's a different story.
00:20:48.21\00:20:49.64
Now the enemies of
traditional Adventism,
00:20:50.58\00:20:52.65
including some Adventists,
and those who are inimical
00:20:52.68\00:20:57.02
to Ellen White, also
have frequently pointed out
00:20:57.09\00:21:00.26
that there have
been other earthquakes,
00:21:00.29\00:21:01.89
dark days, and
star showers in history.
00:21:01.99\00:21:05.09
They argue, "What makes
the Lisbon earthquake of 1755,
00:21:05.63\00:21:09.76
the Dark Day of 1780, and
the moon looking like blood
00:21:09.80\00:21:13.87
also in 1780, May 19,
00:21:13.94\00:21:16.07
and the Leonid star
shower of 1833 so unique?
00:21:16.37\00:21:21.21
There have been these
phenomena on occasions
00:21:21.24\00:21:24.58
after that and before that."
00:21:24.61\00:21:26.45
The answer is
found in four points:
00:21:27.25\00:21:30.32
location, order,
time, and intensity.
00:21:31.45\00:21:38.23
Let's begin with location.
00:21:39.33\00:21:41.03
It's not coincidental that these
signs did not occur in Africa,
00:21:41.96\00:21:48.14
in Asia, or any of these places.
00:21:48.87\00:21:52.64
Where did they occur?
00:21:52.84\00:21:54.18
They occurred in
Europe, and where else?
00:21:54.88\00:21:57.88
In the United States of America.
00:21:58.45\00:22:00.32
Why?
00:22:00.82\00:22:02.15
Europe was significant
because there the papacy
00:22:02.42\00:22:05.59
would receive what?
00:22:05.62\00:22:06.96
The deadly wound that
would mark the end of the
00:22:07.26\00:22:10.53
1260 year tribulation and
would begin the time of the end.
00:22:10.56\00:22:13.90
The United
States was significant,
00:22:15.33\00:22:17.50
especially New England,
because there the message
00:22:17.70\00:22:21.07
of the judgment would
be proclaimed powerfully
00:22:21.27\00:22:23.94
by the Millerites
beginning in the 1830s.
00:22:24.01\00:22:27.78
Once again I read
from C. Mervyn Maxwell.
00:22:28.58\00:22:31.28
"The location of the classic
signs was highly significant.
00:22:32.18\00:22:35.92
They happened in
Europe and America primarily,
00:22:36.25\00:22:39.69
where people were
studying the Bible
00:22:40.16\00:22:42.39
and pondering the prophecies.
00:22:42.79\00:22:44.99
A dark day in the Sahara Desert
or a star shower over New Guinea
00:22:45.36\00:22:50.87
would have said little in those
days about the second coming
00:22:51.23\00:22:54.17
of Christ to cannibal
headhunters or Muslim nomads.
00:22:54.24\00:22:59.34
Events need not be universal
to deliver a global message.
00:22:59.74\00:23:03.58
A few square miles at Hiroshima
and Nagasaki were sufficient
00:23:04.05\00:23:08.92
to announce the atomic age.
00:23:08.95\00:23:11.12
A stable in Bethlehem
ushered in the Christian era.
00:23:11.59\00:23:14.59
Only a few hundred people saw
Jesus after His resurrection,
00:23:15.06\00:23:18.89
but they told others."
00:23:18.93\00:23:20.30
Are you catching the point?
00:23:20.33\00:23:21.66
A very good point.
00:23:21.70\00:23:23.03
Secondly, these signs are
special because of their order.
00:23:24.17\00:23:28.07
Not only the
location where they occurred,
00:23:29.04\00:23:31.41
but the order in
which they occurred.
00:23:31.44\00:23:34.08
These phenomena occurred
in history precisely in the
00:23:34.71\00:23:38.48
chronological order
described in Revelation 6.
00:23:38.51\00:23:42.28
The Lisbon
earthquake occurred in 1755,
00:23:43.32\00:23:46.69
the Dark Day and the moon
like blood occurred in 1780,
00:23:47.06\00:23:50.63
and the star
shower took place in 1833.
00:23:50.99\00:23:55.06
Show me one other
place in human history where
00:23:55.76\00:23:58.50
these phenomena have taken
place in this precise order
00:23:58.53\00:24:02.97
within a period of
less than one hundred years.
00:24:03.41\00:24:06.31
The order of these signs led
people to study the prophecies.
00:24:06.71\00:24:11.25
Because they say, "Yes,
Lisbon, the greatest earthquake
00:24:11.78\00:24:14.42
ever seen in the history
of the world till that point."
00:24:14.88\00:24:17.72
Then they say,
"The sun darkened.
00:24:18.25\00:24:20.59
The moon looking like blood.
00:24:20.99\00:24:22.46
And then the shower of stars."
00:24:23.02\00:24:24.66
They say, "What
does this bring to mind?
00:24:24.69\00:24:27.63
Oh, there's a passage in
the Bible, Revelation 6:12-13,
00:24:27.80\00:24:32.10
in that exact order."
00:24:32.13\00:24:33.67
And so, it leads them
to search the prophecies.
00:24:34.04\00:24:37.67
The order in which
the signs took place.
00:24:37.74\00:24:40.91
Third point, these signs
occurred precisely at the
00:24:42.48\00:24:46.92
right time,
immediately before the 1260 year
00:24:46.95\00:24:52.15
tribulation came to an end
and just before the fulfillment
00:24:52.19\00:24:56.76
of the prophecies concerning
the fall of the papacy
00:24:56.83\00:24:59.59
and the beginning of
the judgment in 1844.
00:25:00.43\00:25:03.10
Their timing was perfect.
00:25:03.13\00:25:04.97
And then
finally, their intensity.
00:25:05.77\00:25:08.07
Concerning the
intensity of these signs,
00:25:09.07\00:25:11.41
C. Mervyn Maxwell
has well stated...
00:25:11.77\00:25:14.28
And by the way,
there are several pages
00:25:14.54\00:25:18.08
of the sixth seal that we
are not even going to look at,
00:25:18.11\00:25:20.95
because there's 20 pages
and we'd need another session,
00:25:21.58\00:25:24.89
and they're in your
syllabus and you can read them.
00:25:25.22\00:25:27.06
about what people from that
day and age say about the signs.
00:25:27.09\00:25:34.36
You need to read
those statements.
00:25:34.66\00:25:36.00
There's 20 pages,
249-269 in your syllabus.
00:25:36.03\00:25:39.93
Let's read then what
Mervyn Maxwell had to say.
00:25:40.74\00:25:43.41
"As recently as 1980, the
widely respected seismologist,
00:25:43.71\00:25:48.41
G.A. Eiby, in chapter 11
of his book, Earthquakes,
00:25:48.44\00:25:54.12
ranked the Lisbon earthquake
as 'the largest shock ever,'
00:25:54.35\00:25:58.49
and reckoned that it may
well have reached an almost
00:25:59.29\00:26:02.69
incredible 9.0 on
the Richter scale,
00:26:02.72\00:26:06.03
seven times stronger than the
1906 San Francisco earthquake...
00:26:06.23\00:26:11.97
The dark day of May 19,
1780 has not been equaled
00:26:12.47\00:26:16.50
in North America in
the two hundred years
00:26:16.54\00:26:19.24
that have since come and gone.
00:26:19.27\00:26:21.11
The Leonid shower..."
00:26:21.64\00:26:23.38
Because it came from the
constellation Leo, by the way.
00:26:23.55\00:26:25.95
"The Leonid shower
of November 13, 1833
00:26:25.98\00:26:29.55
gave birth to a new
branch of astronomy...
00:26:29.75\00:26:32.89
Like the Lisbon earthquake
and the famous dark day,
00:26:34.06\00:26:36.96
it too has not been matched,
in spite of the scientific
00:26:37.33\00:26:41.90
expectations that it would be."
00:26:41.93\00:26:45.83
So do we have a good
reason as Adventists to believe
00:26:46.74\00:26:49.04
that these signs were
fulfilled on the dates in which
00:26:49.07\00:26:51.77
Adventists have
said they were fulfilled?
00:26:51.81\00:26:53.68
You know, we're
not just guessing.
00:26:54.28\00:26:55.61
There are reasons.
00:26:55.64\00:26:56.98
And once again,
there are four reasons.
00:26:57.28\00:26:59.18
The first reason is
location; where they took place.
00:26:59.51\00:27:04.19
The second is
order; the exact order that
00:27:04.49\00:27:06.86
we find in Revelation 6.
00:27:06.89\00:27:08.62
The time; right when the 1260
years were coming to an end,
00:27:08.92\00:27:12.89
the papacy was about to
receive its deadly wound,
00:27:13.09\00:27:15.83
the judgment was about to begin.
00:27:15.86\00:27:17.50
And finally, the intensity
of these particular signs.
00:27:17.90\00:27:22.60
You can do additional research
if you Google these dates
00:27:23.51\00:27:28.64
and the events that
took place on these dates.
00:27:28.91\00:27:31.28
Now let's see what Ellen White
had to say about the sixth seal.
00:27:31.88\00:27:36.02
This is very interesting.
00:27:36.99\00:27:39.49
Ellen White explains the
first part of the sixth seal
00:27:40.06\00:27:42.99
in, Great Controversy, page 304.
00:27:43.76\00:27:46.46
She deals with the
Lisbon earthquake and with
00:27:46.80\00:27:51.80
the dark day and the
moon looking like blood
00:27:51.83\00:27:54.57
on page 304 and 333.
00:27:54.60\00:27:57.77
On page 304 she
quotes Revelation 6:12,
00:27:58.91\00:28:04.38
and on page 333 she
quotes Revelation 6:13.
00:28:04.75\00:28:08.88
So there you find her commentary
on Revelation 6:12 and 13.
00:28:09.25\00:28:13.76
But now something
very interesting happens.
00:28:14.49\00:28:16.93
However, she does not quote
on those pages verses 14-17,
00:28:17.23\00:28:22.76
which is the second
part of the sixth seal,
00:28:23.47\00:28:25.77
until pages 641-642.
00:28:26.84\00:28:30.61
Over 300 pages
between where she quotes
00:28:30.64\00:28:34.98
Revelation 6:12-13 and where
she quotes Revelation 6:14-17.
00:28:35.01\00:28:41.55
What is the reason for
the 300 page gap between her
00:28:41.92\00:28:46.12
comments on verses 12-13
and her remarks on verses 14-17?
00:28:46.15\00:28:50.76
In order to comprehend
this long parenthesis between
00:28:51.69\00:28:55.56
the first and last part of
the sixth seal, we must remember
00:28:55.60\00:28:59.20
some things we
studied under the fifth seal.
00:28:59.23\00:29:01.54
How many stages
to the fifth seal?
00:29:01.57\00:29:03.44
Two. How many to the sixth seal?
00:29:04.31\00:29:06.04
Two.
00:29:06.07\00:29:07.41
Let's notice this.
00:29:08.38\00:29:09.71
The papacy has how
many stages of power?
00:29:10.05\00:29:12.95
One past and one future.
00:29:14.45\00:29:16.89
The one past was when?
00:29:17.29\00:29:18.89
During the 1260 years.
00:29:19.39\00:29:21.19
The future one is when its wound
is healed at the end of time.
00:29:21.22\00:29:24.59
Therefore, the
tribulation also has what?
00:29:25.59\00:29:28.46
We studied this. Two stages.
00:29:30.07\00:29:32.03
One past when the
papacy persecuted.
00:29:32.70\00:29:35.57
That was the greatest
tribulation in terms of length.
00:29:35.60\00:29:39.54
And the greatest
tribulation in history
00:29:40.38\00:29:42.54
with regards to intensity
takes place in the future.
00:29:42.58\00:29:47.72
Regarding the first
period of persecution,
00:29:48.65\00:29:51.22
Ellen White wrote,
this is the top of page 239,
00:29:51.42\00:29:54.56
"For more than a thousands
years, such persecution
00:29:55.12\00:29:59.86
as the world had
never before known was to
00:29:59.89\00:30:03.00
come upon Christ's followers.
00:30:03.03\00:30:05.33
Millions upon millions
of His faithful witnesses
00:30:05.63\00:30:09.74
were to be slain."
00:30:09.77\00:30:12.94
So you'll notice that
the papacy has two stages,
00:30:13.78\00:30:16.54
the tribulation has two stages,
00:30:17.08\00:30:19.25
therefore the signs in the
heavens have two stages too.
00:30:19.35\00:30:22.75
You say, "What do you mean?"
00:30:24.62\00:30:25.95
Well, let's pursue this.
00:30:26.02\00:30:27.36
The first group of cosmic
signs announces the end of
00:30:27.89\00:30:31.69
the first period of tribulation
and the soon to begin
00:30:31.73\00:30:36.00
judging portion
of the fifth seal.
00:30:36.10\00:30:38.33
Are you
understanding that point?
00:30:40.04\00:30:41.37
The second set of
cosmic signs announces the end
00:30:43.51\00:30:47.91
of the second tribulation
period and the avenging portion
00:30:47.94\00:30:52.71
of the fifth seal.
00:30:52.75\00:30:54.12
In between these
two points of time
00:30:54.92\00:30:57.52
we have the vindicating judgment
of the martyrs and the sealing
00:30:57.72\00:31:01.86
of the 144,000 living saints.
00:31:01.89\00:31:05.23
Are you with me?
00:31:06.63\00:31:07.96
Two of you are.
00:31:09.10\00:31:10.47
You're spellbound.
Isn't this amazing?
00:31:12.63\00:31:15.17
Now let's continue.
00:31:16.81\00:31:18.14
The first stage of
the signs took place
00:31:18.17\00:31:20.31
in 1755, 1780, and 1833.
00:31:20.38\00:31:24.25
Which is the
earthquake, sun darkened,
00:31:24.88\00:31:27.65
moon looking like blood,
stars falling from heaven.
00:31:27.68\00:31:30.59
These signs announced that
the first stage of persecution
00:31:31.15\00:31:33.86
by the papacy was about to
end and the vindicating judgment
00:31:33.89\00:31:37.56
was about to begin.
00:31:37.63\00:31:38.96
These signs are referred
to in Revelation 6:12-13
00:31:39.03\00:31:42.23
and Joel 2:31.
00:31:42.26\00:31:45.30
The second stage of the signs
will take place immediately
00:31:46.23\00:31:50.11
before the second coming
of Jesus and will mark the
00:31:50.14\00:31:53.58
deliverance of the saints from
the second stage of persecution
00:31:53.61\00:31:57.15
by the papacy.
00:31:57.18\00:31:58.51
And Revelation
6:14-17 describes these signs.
00:31:58.55\00:32:02.45
Now let's talk about
the two sets of signs.
00:32:03.99\00:32:06.42
Is there going to be an
earthquake when Jesus comes?
00:32:06.99\00:32:09.16
A global earthquake. Yes.
00:32:09.79\00:32:12.03
Is the sun going to be darkened?
00:32:12.39\00:32:14.20
Is the moon going
to look like blood?
00:32:15.90\00:32:17.77
No.
00:32:18.33\00:32:19.67
Are the stars going
to fall from heaven?
00:32:22.44\00:32:24.61
No.
00:32:24.64\00:32:25.97
You see, the signs
of Revelation 6:12-13
00:32:28.64\00:32:31.71
are different than
the signs in verses 14-17.
00:32:32.71\00:32:36.89
The signs in Revelation 6:12-13
are the signs that announce
00:32:37.82\00:32:41.92
what is going to happen in 1844.
00:32:41.96\00:32:43.83
The signs that take
place in verses 14-17
00:32:44.13\00:32:47.40
announce the
coming of Jesus Christ.
00:32:47.43\00:32:50.20
And we're going to pursue this.
00:32:51.03\00:32:52.53
Will the signs of
Revelation 6:12-13
00:32:53.77\00:32:56.24
have another
fulfillment in the future?
00:32:56.27\00:32:58.34
No.
00:32:58.37\00:32:59.71
In Joel 2:31 and
in Revelation 6:12-13
00:33:00.28\00:33:03.75
we have two important
details that distinguish
00:33:04.05\00:33:07.32
these signs from
the ones in the future.
00:33:07.35\00:33:10.09
We need to read the
Scriptures carefully.
00:33:10.12\00:33:13.86
When certain things
that are said differently in
00:33:14.72\00:33:17.66
two verses, when something
is missing in a verse that is
00:33:17.69\00:33:21.06
not in the other
verse, it's important.
00:33:21.10\00:33:23.23
Now let's continue.
00:33:24.17\00:33:25.50
First, according to Joel 2:31,
the signs of Revelation 6:12-13
00:33:25.83\00:33:33.04
occur before the great
and terrible day of the Lord.
00:33:33.61\00:33:37.75
We're going to read
these verses in a moment.
00:33:37.78\00:33:39.68
Second, in the signs
of Revelation 6:12-13,
00:33:40.62\00:33:44.72
the moon looks as blood
and the stars fall from heaven.
00:33:44.92\00:33:48.52
However, in the
signs of Revelation 6:14-17
00:33:49.39\00:33:53.06
which will occur
at the second coming,
00:33:53.09\00:33:54.83
the moon and the stars
do not give their light.
00:33:55.10\00:33:58.23
Is there a difference there?
00:33:59.43\00:34:00.77
Believe me, when
the stars fell in 1833,
00:34:01.84\00:34:04.57
they gave lots of light.
00:34:04.61\00:34:06.17
So we begin to see that
we're dealing with different
00:34:08.04\00:34:11.48
sets of signs.
00:34:11.51\00:34:13.18
One set of signs that
leads to the beginning of
00:34:13.82\00:34:16.99
the investigative
judgment, the other set of signs
00:34:17.02\00:34:19.82
that announces
the avenging portion.
00:34:19.85\00:34:22.72
In other words, Jesus is
coming to deliver His people
00:34:22.82\00:34:26.26
from certain death.
00:34:26.29\00:34:28.03
Joel 2:10-11, Joel
3:15-16, also Matthew 24:30
00:34:29.70\00:34:38.41
refer to a second great
earthquake and a set of signs
00:34:38.44\00:34:43.85
in the heavenly bodies that will
be fulfilled when Jesus comes.
00:34:43.88\00:34:48.25
These signs will
occur as Jesus is preparing
00:34:48.78\00:34:51.89
to leave heaven for earth.
00:34:51.92\00:34:53.56
The darkening of the
sun and moon will announce
00:34:53.89\00:34:57.73
the coming of Jesus.
00:34:57.76\00:34:59.39
There will be a cosmic
global earthquake as well
00:34:59.73\00:35:02.43
in heaven and on
earth that will announce
00:35:02.80\00:35:05.30
His departure from heaven.
00:35:05.33\00:35:07.04
The two sets of
signs are different.
00:35:07.07\00:35:10.81
Let's notice Revelation 6:12-13.
00:35:12.91\00:35:15.51
These verses describe
the moon becoming like blood,
00:35:16.11\00:35:18.81
not darkening.
00:35:18.85\00:35:20.32
The text also tells us
that the stars fell from heaven.
00:35:20.95\00:35:24.02
These preliminary signs are
not the same ones as those in
00:35:24.82\00:35:27.96
Matthew 24 when the
voice of God will move the
00:35:27.99\00:35:31.73
sun, moon, and
stars out of their places.
00:35:31.76\00:35:34.83
As a result, the
planet will be in darkness
00:35:35.56\00:35:37.93
during the millennium.
00:35:37.97\00:35:39.30
Notice these verses
that we read before.
00:35:40.84\00:35:44.11
Now Joel 2:31 is referring
to the same signs that we find
00:36:02.69\00:36:07.60
in Revelation 6:12-13.
00:36:07.63\00:36:09.43
Notice that Joel 2:31 says
something very interesting,
00:36:10.07\00:36:17.21
at the bottom of page 240.
00:36:17.97\00:36:19.81
Is that the same
signs of Revelation 6?
00:36:24.81\00:36:27.22
Yes.
00:36:28.12\00:36:29.45
But then what does it say?
What word appears after that?
00:36:30.52\00:36:33.79
"Before..."
00:36:34.29\00:36:35.69
Are there some signs in
the sun, moon, and stars
00:36:41.46\00:36:43.57
before Jesus comes?
00:36:43.60\00:36:45.23
Absolutely.
00:36:45.27\00:36:46.60
Those are the ones
in Revelation 6:12-13.
00:36:46.63\00:36:49.64
Now on the other hand, these
other passages that I mentioned
00:36:50.44\00:36:53.78
are referring to the signs
in the sun, moon, and stars,
00:36:54.01\00:36:56.95
and an
earthquake when Jesus comes.
00:36:56.98\00:36:58.81
Let's notice those verses.
00:36:59.28\00:37:00.82
Joel 2:10-11 depicts
different signs than those in
00:37:01.15\00:37:07.89
Revelation
6:12-13 and Joel 2:31.
00:37:07.92\00:37:11.09
In the Joel passage, the
earth and the heavens tremble.
00:37:11.76\00:37:15.66
Not only the earth, the
earth and the heavens tremble.
00:37:17.73\00:37:20.84
The moon grows dark,
and the stars do not shine.
00:37:21.74\00:37:24.64
And if you read the context,
verses 1-11 are describing
00:37:25.64\00:37:28.71
the second coming of Jesus,
as does Revelation 6:14-16.
00:37:28.74\00:37:33.62
Notice that Joel 2:11,
which is the culmination of the
00:37:34.32\00:37:37.79
second coming, ends
with the same question
00:37:37.82\00:37:40.06
as the sixth seal.
00:37:40.09\00:37:41.49
Let's read Joel 2:10-11.
00:37:41.96\00:37:44.23
"The earth
quakes before them..."
00:37:44.59\00:37:46.26
When it says, "them," it's
talking about God's armies.
00:37:46.49\00:37:49.73
This is Jesus
coming on the white horse.
00:37:49.93\00:37:52.03
The armies of
heaven are following Him.
00:37:52.23\00:37:53.84
This is the second coming.
00:37:53.87\00:37:55.34
You have to read verses 1-10.
00:37:55.74\00:37:57.91
"The earth quakes before
them, the heavens tremble;
00:37:58.37\00:38:02.18
the sun and moon grow
dark, and the stars..." What?
00:38:02.48\00:38:06.25
"...diminish their brightness."
00:38:06.75\00:38:08.08
Not fall, they
diminish their brightness.
00:38:08.12\00:38:10.59
"The Lord gives
voice before His army,
00:38:10.89\00:38:13.69
for His camp is very great;
00:38:13.76\00:38:15.42
for strong is the One
who executes His word.
00:38:15.62\00:38:18.96
For the day of the Lord
is great and very terrible;
00:38:18.99\00:38:21.40
and who can endure it?"
00:38:21.43\00:38:23.37
Is that the same question
at the end of the sixth seal?
00:38:24.20\00:38:26.47
Absolutely.
00:38:27.54\00:38:28.87
Are they the same
signs as Revelation 6:12-13?
00:38:28.90\00:38:31.71
No.
00:38:32.54\00:38:33.88
Notice Joel 3:15-16.
00:38:35.01\00:38:37.45
These verses do not describe
the same signs spoken of
00:38:38.25\00:38:41.28
in Revelation 6:12-13.
00:38:41.32\00:38:43.39
The text tells us that
the heavens and the earth
00:38:43.89\00:38:46.86
will shake and the sun
and the moon will be dark
00:38:46.89\00:38:50.23
and the stars will not shine.
00:38:50.46\00:38:52.23
Believe me, the stars
in 1833 shone real bright.
00:38:52.96\00:38:57.07
They terrified
people as they saw...
00:38:57.57\00:38:59.53
You know, it looked like there
was rain falling from heaven.
00:38:59.73\00:39:06.27
And it was bright,
the night was bright.
00:39:06.47\00:39:08.61
Let's read Joel 3:15-16.
00:39:09.11\00:39:11.58
"The sun and the
moon will grow dark..."
00:39:11.61\00:39:14.58
Not that the moon
will turn into blood.
00:39:14.62\00:39:16.62
Not only the earth, but "the
heavens and earth will shake..."
00:39:27.76\00:39:30.97
And then we have another
passage in Isaiah 13:10-13.
00:39:38.84\00:39:44.18
This passage is not
parallel to Revelation 6:12-13.
00:39:44.48\00:39:48.72
In these verses the sun, the
moon, and the stars grow dark.
00:39:49.15\00:39:52.62
This did not happen
in 1755, 1780, and 1833.
00:39:53.12\00:39:57.89
When Jesus comes, the
voice of God will move
00:39:58.23\00:40:00.90
the heavens and the
earth out of their places.
00:40:00.93\00:40:03.40
And I'm going to
read those verses.
00:40:04.00\00:40:05.63
What is the day of the Lord?
00:40:07.84\00:40:09.17
When the Bible speaks
of the day of the Lord.
00:40:09.20\00:40:10.81
It's speaking about
the day of vengeance,
00:40:11.94\00:40:14.01
the day of second coming.
00:40:14.08\00:40:15.41
In other words, the
heavens will be in what?
00:40:42.94\00:40:45.17
In total darkness.
00:40:45.21\00:40:48.21
Different than
Revelation 6:12-13.
00:40:48.24\00:40:50.85
Does that sound like what
happened in 1755, 1780, 1833?
00:41:27.45\00:41:35.46
No, these are different signs.
00:41:36.39\00:41:37.93
The signs of Revelation
6:12-13 are not repeated?
00:41:38.36\00:41:41.66
Because Revelation
6 has two earthquakes.
00:41:42.46\00:41:44.97
Now, Revelation 6 describes
the signs in the very order
00:41:46.13\00:41:50.14
in which they historically
occurred, as I mentioned.
00:41:50.21\00:41:52.41
The great earthquake, 1755;
the darkening of the sun, 1780;
00:41:52.44\00:41:57.25
the moon becoming like blood
that very evening, 1780, May 19;
00:41:57.28\00:42:02.65
the stars falling
from heaven, 1833.
00:42:02.82\00:42:06.65
So what is the
inevitable conclusion.
00:42:07.09\00:42:09.39
The inevitable conclusion
is that the signs in Joel 2:31,
00:42:09.89\00:42:14.20
Acts 2:20, which we didn't
read, and Revelation 6:12-13
00:42:14.70\00:42:19.20
are different than the ones
in Matthew 24:30, Joel 2:10-11,
00:42:19.23\00:42:24.61
Joel 3:15-16,
and Isaiah 13:10-13.
00:42:24.64\00:42:30.65
There is a difference
between the expression,
00:42:31.98\00:42:33.92
"the time of the end,"
and, "the end of time."
00:42:33.95\00:42:36.25
The time of the end is a period.
00:42:38.85\00:42:40.86
The end of time
is when Jesus comes.
00:42:41.59\00:42:44.36
While the signs
of Revelation 6:12-13
00:42:44.66\00:42:47.30
announced that the history
of the planet was entering
00:42:47.33\00:42:49.96
upon the time of the end,
the signs in Matthew 24:30
00:42:50.00\00:42:54.30
announce the end of time.
00:42:54.50\00:42:56.30
Notice the entire
passage of Matthew 24:29-31.
00:42:57.11\00:43:01.14
By the way, have you noticed
that there's two references
00:43:05.68\00:43:08.12
to tribulation in Matthew 24?
00:43:08.15\00:43:10.12
In verse 21 there's
mention of a tribulation.
00:43:11.52\00:43:14.26
That's the period
of papal persecution.
00:43:14.29\00:43:16.56
And then in verse 29,
you have tribulation again.
00:43:17.13\00:43:20.33
Because you have two
stages to the tribulation.
00:43:20.80\00:43:23.30
It says, "Immediately after the
tribulation of those days..."
00:43:24.07\00:43:27.14
That is the 1260 years.
00:43:27.17\00:43:28.77
Are these the same
signs that led up to 1844?
00:43:35.91\00:43:39.58
No.
00:43:40.32\00:43:41.65
Because Matthew 24 says,
00:43:41.85\00:43:43.69
"Immediately after the
tribulation of those days..."
00:43:43.79\00:43:45.62
This is the final tribulation.
The second stage of tribulation.
00:43:45.65\00:43:48.89
What happens next?
00:43:57.70\00:43:59.17
"Then the sign of the Son
of Man will appear in heaven,
00:43:59.33\00:44:02.00
then all the tribes of
the earth will mourn..."
00:44:02.37\00:44:04.31
Is this similar to
Revelation 6:14-17?
00:44:04.34\00:44:07.01
Yes.
00:44:07.51\00:44:08.84
So let me ask you, the
signs in the heavens and the
00:44:27.60\00:44:29.83
earthquake that is
mentioned in Matthew 24,
00:44:29.86\00:44:33.03
what do they announce?
00:44:33.37\00:44:34.70
The beginning of the
investigative judgment
00:44:34.74\00:44:36.27
or do they announce the
second coming of Christ?
00:44:36.30\00:44:38.74
It's the second
coming of Christ.
00:44:39.27\00:44:41.01
Now who are the
powers of the heavens
00:44:41.88\00:44:43.78
that Matthew 24:29 mentions?
00:44:43.85\00:44:46.51
Well, Genesis 1:16
tells us that the sun was made
00:44:47.62\00:44:51.35
to rule the day, and the
moon and the stars were made
00:44:51.39\00:44:55.72
to rule the night.
00:44:55.76\00:44:57.69
Ellen White, in Early Writings,
page 41, explains very well
00:44:58.36\00:45:03.20
what will happen
with the heavenly bodies
00:45:03.23\00:45:04.77
when Jesus comes.
00:45:04.80\00:45:06.30
Notice this
significant statement.
00:45:06.94\00:45:09.20
"I saw that when the Lord said,
'heaven,' in giving the signs
00:45:10.11\00:45:14.08
recorded by..." Whom?
00:45:14.11\00:45:15.54
"...Matthew, Mark, and Luke..."
00:45:16.61\00:45:17.95
They're all parallel passages.
00:45:17.98\00:45:19.35
"...He meant heaven,
and when He said, 'earth,'
00:45:19.55\00:45:22.65
He meant earth.
00:45:22.85\00:45:24.19
The powers of
heaven are..." What?
00:45:24.42\00:45:26.86
"...the sun, the
moon, and the stars.
00:45:27.39\00:45:30.76
They rule in the heavens.
00:45:31.26\00:45:34.00
The powers of the earth are
those that rule on the earth.
00:45:34.23\00:45:37.30
The powers of heaven..."
00:45:38.17\00:45:40.34
What are the powers of heaven,
according to what she said?
00:45:40.74\00:45:43.27
Sun, moon, and stars.
00:45:43.71\00:45:45.14
"The powers of heaven will
be shaken at the voice of God.
00:45:45.17\00:45:49.14
Then the sun, moon,
and stars will be..." What?
00:45:49.44\00:45:52.95
"...moved out of their places.
00:45:53.21\00:45:56.15
They will not pass away, but
be shaken by the voice of God."
00:45:56.79\00:46:01.22
And that's the reason
why during the millennium
00:46:04.49\00:46:06.56
the earth will be what?
00:46:07.40\00:46:09.03
Without form and void.
00:46:09.76\00:46:12.07
And Jeremiah said,
"I beheld the heavens,
00:46:12.37\00:46:15.50
and in them there was no light."
00:46:15.84\00:46:18.64
Why? Because the sun,
moon, and stars have been what?
00:46:20.08\00:46:22.91
They have been darkened.
00:46:23.24\00:46:25.01
Now let's notice here
Ellen G. White and the signs.
00:46:26.35\00:46:31.55
As we've stated before, Ellen
White quotes Revelation 6:12-13
00:46:32.59\00:46:36.73
in, The Great Controversy,
page 304, and then the
00:46:36.76\00:46:39.13
falling of the
stars on page 333,
00:46:39.16\00:46:41.13
and applies them to
the signs that took place
00:46:41.56\00:46:44.00
in 1755, 1870, and 1833.
00:46:44.07\00:46:47.94
She does not quote
verses 14-17 until you
00:46:48.74\00:46:52.04
get to pages 641 and 642.
00:46:52.07\00:46:55.61
Now let's read that
passage where she quotes
00:46:56.41\00:47:01.55
Revelation 6:14-17.
00:47:01.75\00:47:05.25
She's actually quoting in
the chapter that has to do with
00:47:05.85\00:47:10.53
the second coming of Christ.
00:47:10.56\00:47:12.09
It says, "The
King of kings..." What?
00:47:14.73\00:47:17.47
"...descends upon the
cloud, wrapped in flaming fire.
00:47:17.90\00:47:22.37
The heavens are
rolled together as a scroll,
00:47:22.74\00:47:25.24
the earth trembles
before Him, and every mountain
00:47:25.94\00:47:31.68
and island is
moved out of its place."
00:47:31.71\00:47:34.35
Is she
describing Revelation 6:14?
00:47:34.38\00:47:37.09
Yes.
00:47:37.32\00:47:38.65
Now she's going to
quote verses 15-17.
00:47:38.69\00:47:41.69
"And the kings of the
earth, and the great men,
00:47:41.82\00:47:43.66
and the rich men, and the chief
captains, and the mighty men,
00:47:43.73\00:47:46.29
and every bondman, and
every freeman hid themselves
00:47:46.33\00:47:49.10
in the dens and in the
rocks of the mountains,
00:47:49.13\00:47:51.20
and said to the mountains
and rocks, 'Fall on us,
00:47:51.23\00:47:54.37
and hide us from the face of
Him that sitteth on the throne,
00:47:54.40\00:47:57.14
and from the wrath of the Lamb.
00:47:57.24\00:47:59.54
For the great day
of His wrath is come;
00:47:59.57\00:48:01.71
and who shall
be able to stand?'"
00:48:01.74\00:48:04.61
So where does Ellen White see
the fulfillment of verses 14-17?
00:48:05.58\00:48:09.32
At the second coming.
00:48:10.12\00:48:11.45
Where does she see the
fulfillment of verses 12-13?
00:48:11.49\00:48:14.09
The signs that announce
the end of the papal dominion,
00:48:15.02\00:48:17.79
the end of the
tribulation of the 1260 years,
00:48:17.83\00:48:20.70
the beginning of
the time of the end,
00:48:20.73\00:48:22.56
and the beginning of
the investigative judgment.
00:48:22.76\00:48:24.67
That's the real reason
why you have these signs.
00:48:26.07\00:48:29.60
It's not to indicate
that Jesus is coming tomorrow.
00:48:29.70\00:48:32.37
We already looked
at the time issue.
00:48:33.38\00:48:35.71
Let's continue.
00:48:36.75\00:48:38.08
Why did Ellen White
separate verses 12-13
00:48:38.11\00:48:40.62
from verses 14-17 by
over three hundred pages?
00:48:40.65\00:48:43.59
Clearly because she knew
there would be a long time
00:48:43.62\00:48:46.65
parenthesis between the events
of verses 12-13 and 14-17.
00:48:46.69\00:48:52.29
And once again, this is a
reiteration so that we are
00:48:54.30\00:48:57.97
absolutely clear on this point,
the principle at work here
00:48:58.00\00:49:01.70
is that there are signs that
mark the end of the two stages
00:49:01.74\00:49:05.14
of the tribulation.
00:49:05.17\00:49:06.54
The signs in the
heavens and the earthquake mark
00:49:07.28\00:49:11.35
the end of the two
types of tribulation;
00:49:11.38\00:49:13.35
the past and the future.
00:49:13.42\00:49:14.82
In both cases, the
signs indicate that God has
00:49:15.12\00:49:17.85
intervened to what?
00:49:17.89\00:49:19.42
To deliver His people and to
bring the tribulation to an end.
00:49:19.72\00:49:23.29
In the first instance, from the
oppression of the 1260 years,
00:49:23.63\00:49:27.40
and in the second instance,
from the oppression of the
00:49:27.43\00:49:30.67
time of Jacob's trouble.
00:49:30.70\00:49:32.03
And by the way, what
happens during the period
00:49:32.07\00:49:35.47
after the signs in the heavens
00:49:35.50\00:49:37.74
and the
beginning of the judgment?
00:49:37.94\00:49:39.27
What is the
purpose of the judgment?
00:49:39.31\00:49:41.01
"Until when do You
not judge and avenge?"
00:49:43.45\00:49:47.98
So the question is,
what does Jesus begin doing?
00:49:48.88\00:49:51.12
The signs announce that
the judgment is about to begin.
00:49:51.15\00:49:54.56
What happens in the judgment?
00:49:54.66\00:49:56.19
The martyrs, as well as
all the others, are what?
00:49:59.16\00:50:01.90
Vindicated in the judgment.
00:50:02.33\00:50:04.40
So let's notice here.
00:50:06.40\00:50:07.97
There is thus a
close connection between
00:50:10.41\00:50:12.74
the fifth and sixth seals.
00:50:12.77\00:50:14.68
In the fifth seal, there
are two groups of martyrs;
00:50:15.21\00:50:17.45
one past and one future.
00:50:17.48\00:50:18.91
The signs in the sixth seal
are an announcement that the
00:50:19.28\00:50:21.85
period of oppression of
the first group of martyrs
00:50:21.88\00:50:24.32
is about to end.
00:50:24.35\00:50:25.69
On the other hand, the
signs of Revelation 6:14-17
00:50:25.95\00:50:29.32
are an announcement that the
oppression of the second group
00:50:29.42\00:50:32.13
has come to an end because
God's people are going to
00:50:32.69\00:50:35.53
be delivered by the voice
of God which causes the cosmic
00:50:35.56\00:50:38.83
global earthquake and
moves the sun, the moon,
00:50:38.87\00:50:41.77
and the stars
out of their places.
00:50:41.80\00:50:44.87
Now I'm going to read
this statement from Ellen White
00:50:46.34\00:50:50.15
on these signs that took
place in 1780, 1755, and 1833.
00:50:50.75\00:50:57.12
"Prophecy not only
foretells the manner and object
00:50:57.79\00:51:00.86
of Christ's coming, but presents
tokens by which men are to
00:51:00.89\00:51:05.23
know when it is near."
00:51:05.26\00:51:07.00
Not imminent, near.
00:51:08.20\00:51:10.50
"Said Jesus, 'There
shall be signs in the sun,
00:51:11.43\00:51:14.90
and in the moon,
and the in the stars.'
00:51:14.94\00:51:16.94
'The sun shall be darkened,
and the moon shall not give
00:51:17.41\00:51:19.57
her light, and the
stars of heaven shall fall,
00:51:19.61\00:51:21.91
and the powers that are
in heaven shall be shaken.
00:51:21.94\00:51:24.05
And then they shall see
the sign of the Son of Man
00:51:24.28\00:51:26.65
in the clouds with
great power and glory coming.'
00:51:26.95\00:51:29.75
The revelator thus describes
the first of the signs to..."
00:51:30.19\00:51:34.42
What is the next word?
00:51:34.46\00:51:36.16
"...to precede
the Second Advent.
00:51:36.49\00:51:39.86
There was a great earthquake;
and the sun became black
00:51:39.93\00:51:42.00
as sackcloth of hair, and
the moon became as blood."
00:51:42.03\00:51:46.00
So she separates the two again.
00:51:46.10\00:51:48.67
Now we don't have
a lot of time left.
00:51:49.17\00:51:51.24
But I want you to notice here
the meaning of Luke 21:25-26.
00:51:51.84\00:51:59.28
And let's read these verses.
00:52:00.02\00:52:01.82
"And there will be
signs in the sun, in the moon,
00:52:01.98\00:52:04.29
and in the stars; and on
the earth distress of nations,
00:52:04.32\00:52:08.66
with perplexity, the
sea and the waves roaring;
00:52:08.69\00:52:12.53
men's hearts failing them
from fear and the expectation
00:52:12.93\00:52:16.77
of those things which
are coming on the earth,
00:52:16.80\00:52:19.30
for the powers of
heaven will be shaken."
00:52:19.33\00:52:22.27
Seventh-day Adventist
evangelists frequently used
00:52:24.31\00:52:26.54
these verses to describe the
present turmoil in the world.
00:52:26.57\00:52:30.75
However, a close look at
the context indicates that these
00:52:31.05\00:52:35.12
verses are describing what
will occur at the very end of
00:52:35.15\00:52:38.92
human history as an announcement
of the second coming of Christ.
00:52:38.95\00:52:43.53
We must be careful
not to take these verses
00:52:43.96\00:52:46.03
out of their legitimate context.
00:52:46.06\00:52:48.30
They are not referring
to the present distress
00:52:48.60\00:52:50.90
among the nations.
00:52:50.97\00:52:52.30
They are actually referring
to the distress that comes
00:52:52.50\00:52:55.40
when God's voice
moves the sun, moon,
00:52:55.44\00:52:58.44
and stars out of their places.
00:52:58.47\00:53:00.88
Because we find the same
statement that we find in
00:53:01.28\00:53:05.35
Matthew 24 where it says the
powers of heaven will be what?
00:53:05.38\00:53:09.52
Shaken.
00:53:09.55\00:53:10.89
And what are the
powers in heaven?
00:53:10.92\00:53:12.25
The sun, the
moon, and the stars.
00:53:12.62\00:53:15.19
When God utters His voice
in deliverance of His people,
00:53:15.79\00:53:19.66
it shakes the
heavens and the earth.
00:53:19.93\00:53:22.10
The sea is lashed in its
fury and the whole earth heaves
00:53:22.36\00:53:25.90
and swells like
the waves of the sea.
00:53:25.93\00:53:28.20
Like it says in Luke 21.
00:53:28.24\00:53:29.77
Mountain chains
and islands disappear.
00:53:29.90\00:53:33.07
Notice this
statement from Ellen White.
00:53:33.48\00:53:35.18
"The mountains shake
like a reed in the wind,
00:53:35.38\00:53:37.95
and ragged rocks are
scattered on every side.
00:53:38.18\00:53:41.18
There is a roar as
of a coming tempest.
00:53:41.45\00:53:44.19
The sea is lashed into fury."
00:53:44.22\00:53:46.15
See, this is Luke chapter 21.
00:53:46.19\00:53:48.62
The waves.
00:53:49.29\00:53:50.93
"There is heard the shriek
of a hurricane like the voice of
00:53:51.59\00:53:54.70
demons upon a
mission of destruction.
00:53:54.73\00:53:56.60
The whole earth heaves
and swells like..." What?
00:53:56.97\00:54:00.47
This language is from Luke 21.
00:54:01.04\00:54:03.07
"...like the waves of the sea.
00:54:03.10\00:54:04.77
Its surface is breaking up.
00:54:04.87\00:54:06.57
Its very foundations
seem to be giving way."
00:54:06.61\00:54:09.04
And now she's going to
allude to Revelation 6:14-17.
00:54:09.08\00:54:12.31
"Mountain chains are sinking.
00:54:12.35\00:54:14.22
Inhabited islands disappear.
00:54:14.25\00:54:16.22
The seaports that have
become like Sodom for wickedness
00:54:16.25\00:54:19.69
are swallowed up
by the angry waters."
00:54:19.72\00:54:22.52
So in context,
where does Luke 21 fit?
00:54:22.79\00:54:26.03
It fits with the
second set of signs.
00:54:26.80\00:54:28.93
Is there going to be
distress among nations
00:54:29.76\00:54:31.80
when people see the sign of
the second coming of Christ,
00:54:31.83\00:54:34.44
and the earthquake, and the sea?
00:54:34.47\00:54:36.47
Yes, absolutely.
00:54:36.71\00:54:38.34
Here, Ellen White is using
the language of Luke 21:25-26
00:54:39.87\00:54:44.18
to describe what will
take place when God delivers
00:54:44.25\00:54:47.22
His people at the second coming.
00:54:47.25\00:54:49.22
The waves of the tsunami that
hit Lisbon were child's play
00:54:49.58\00:54:54.86
compared with the waves of the
sea that will engulf the world.
00:54:55.26\00:54:58.86
The final statement
before we take a break.
00:54:59.86\00:55:02.63
This is from, Sons and
Daughters of God, page 354.
00:55:03.97\00:55:07.74
Once again, Ellen
White is going to describe
00:55:08.17\00:55:11.11
when the
perplexities among nations,
00:55:11.37\00:55:13.51
when the waves
roar, and everything.
00:55:13.58\00:55:15.71
It's not in this present period
during the probationary period.
00:55:15.81\00:55:19.68
It's immediately before
the second coming of Christ,
00:55:19.71\00:55:23.42
or at the second
coming of Christ.
00:55:23.49\00:55:25.32
This is how it reads.
00:55:25.69\00:55:27.16
"There are
troublous times before us;
00:55:27.19\00:55:29.82
the judgments of God
are coming upon our world.
00:55:29.86\00:55:32.86
The nations of the earth..."
00:55:33.23\00:55:35.36
She doesn't
say, "are trembling."
00:55:37.17\00:55:38.63
She says what?
"...are to tremble.
00:55:38.77\00:55:41.74
There will be trials and
perplexities on every hand;
00:55:42.00\00:55:46.78
men's hearts will
fail them for fear.
00:55:47.01\00:55:50.88
And what shall
we do in that day?
00:55:51.65\00:55:55.38
Though the earth shall
reel to and fro like a drunkard
00:55:55.68\00:55:58.92
and be removed like a cottage,
if we have made God our trust,
00:55:58.95\00:56:04.03
He will deliver us."
00:56:04.06\00:56:06.36
So where does Luke 21:25-26 fit?
00:56:07.63\00:56:11.77
It refers to the
second set of signs
00:56:12.03\00:56:14.50
is relationship to the
second coming of Jesus Christ.
00:56:14.84\00:56:18.74
So do we have clear in our
mind that there's two stages
00:56:19.21\00:56:22.98
to the sixth seal?
00:56:23.01\00:56:25.35
One past and one future.
00:56:25.55\00:56:27.32
And there are signs to announce
both the past and the future.
00:56:27.68\00:56:32.42
And how this fits
with the fifth seal.
00:56:33.46\00:56:36.09
Once again, in case I
didn't make this clear,
00:56:36.66\00:56:39.63
In the fifth seal you have
the judging and the avenging.
00:56:41.06\00:56:47.04
The first signs announce
that God is about to what?
00:56:47.37\00:56:50.64
To judge.
00:56:51.44\00:56:52.77
To set the record straight
in the investigative judgment.
00:56:53.17\00:56:57.28
The second set of
signs is to announce
00:56:58.11\00:57:01.75
that the King is
coming, that Jesus is coming.
00:57:02.28\00:57:05.62
And also that
Jesus is going to what?
00:57:06.86\00:57:10.63
He's going to now
avenge God's people
00:57:11.16\00:57:14.60
by raising those who died
and by delivering from the
00:57:14.93\00:57:19.73
death decree those who
are alive when Jesus comes.
00:57:19.77\00:57:25.01
The 144,000 sealed saints.
00:57:25.21\00:57:28.24
So chapter 5 speaks about,
you know, the martyrs say,
00:57:28.98\00:57:33.42
"When are You going
to judge and avenge?"
00:57:33.45\00:57:36.58
God says, "Don't worry,
I'm going to give you signs
00:57:36.62\00:57:39.09
to tell you when
I'm going to judge.
00:57:39.12\00:57:41.09
And then you'll know
when the judgment is starting.
00:57:41.19\00:57:44.33
And then when I come, no sweat.
00:57:44.36\00:57:46.90
I'll avenge you."
00:57:47.10\00:57:48.43
So the fifth seal
and the sixth seal
00:57:48.66\00:57:50.87
need to be studied together.
00:57:51.30\00:57:53.64
How many of you have
understood what we've studied?
00:57:54.07\00:57:55.90
Praise the Lord.
00:57:56.91\00:57:58.24
That's good.
00:57:58.37\00:57:59.71
Well, when we come
back, we're going to study
00:57:59.74\00:58:01.94
the sixth and seventh
seals according to Ellen White.
00:58:02.48\00:58:05.61
We're going to look
at the seventh seal.
00:58:05.65\00:58:07.22